danbrown.thedavincicode-第73章

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he　missing　vowels　for　clarity's　sake。
　B　a　P　V　o　M　e　Th
　　
　〃Remember；　of　course；〃　he　added；　〃that　Hebrew　is　normally　written　in　the　opposite　direction；　but　we　can　just　as　easily　use　Atbash　this　way。　Next；　all　we　have　to　do　is　create　our　substitution　scheme　by　rewriting　the　entire　alphabet　in　reverse　order　opposite　the　original　alphabet。〃
　〃There's　an　easier　way；〃　Sophie　said；　taking　the　pen　from　Teabing。　〃It　works　for　all　reflectional　substitution　ciphers；　including　the　Atbash。　A　little　trick　I　learned　at　the　Royal　Holloway。〃　Sophie　wrote　the　first　half　of　the　alphabet　from　left　to　right；　and　then；　beneath　it；　wrote　the　second　half；　right　to　left。　〃Cryptanalysts　call　it　the　fold…over。　Half　as　plicated。　Twice　as　clean。〃
　A
　B
　G
　D
　H
　V
　Z
　Ch
　T
　Y
　K
　Th
　Sh
　R
　Q
　Tz
　P
　O
　S
　N
　M
　L
　　
　Teabing　eyed　her　handiwork　and　chuckled。　〃Right　you　are。　Glad　to　see　those　boys　at　the　Holloway　are　doing　their　job。〃
　Looking　at　Sophie's　substitution　matrix；　Langdon　felt　a　rising　thrill　that　he　imagined　must　have　rivaled　the　thrill　felt　by　early　scholars　when　they　first　used　the　Atbash　Cipher　to　decrypt　the　now　famous　Mystery　of　Sheshach。　For　years；　religious　scholars　had　been　baffled　by　biblical　references　to　a　city　called　Sheshach。　The　city　did　not　appear　on　any　map　nor　in　any　other　documents；　and　yet　it　was　mentioned　repeatedly　in　the　Book　of　Jeremiah…the　king　of　Sheshach；　the　city　of　Sheshach；　the　people　of　Sheshach。　Finally；　a　scholar　applied　the　Atbash　Cipher　to　the　word；　and　his　results　were　mind…numbing。　The　cipher　revealed　that　Sheshach　was　in　fact　a　code　word　for　another　very　well…known　city。　The　decryption　process　was　simple。
　Sheshach；　in　Hebrew；　was　spelled：　Sh…Sh…K。
　Sh…Sh…K；　when　placed　in　the　substitution　matrix；　became　B…B…L。
　B…B…L；　in　Hebrew；　spelled　Babel。
　The　mysterious　city　of　Sheshach　was　revealed　as　the　city　of　Babel；　and　a　frenzy　of　biblical　examination　ensued。　Within　weeks；　several　more　Atbash　code　words　were　uncovered　in　the　Old　Testament；　unveiling　myriad　hidden　meanings　that　scholars　had　no　idea　were　there。
　〃We're　getting　close；〃　Langdon　whispered；　unable　to　control　his　excitement。
　〃Inches；　Robert；〃　Teabing　said。　He　glanced　over　at　Sophie　and　smiled。　〃You　ready？〃
　She　nodded。
　〃Okay；　Baphomet　in　Hebrew　without　the　vowels　reads：　B…P…V…M…Th。　Now　we　simply　apply　your　Atbash　substitution　matrix　to　translate　the　letters　into　our　five…letter　password。〃
　Langdon's　heart　pounded。　B…P…V…M…Th。　The　sun　was　pouring　through　the　windows　now。　He　looked　at　Sophie's　substitution　matrix　and　slowly　began　to　make　the　conversion。　B　is　Sh。。。　P　is　V。。。
　Teabing　was　grinning　like　a　schoolboy　at　Christmas。　〃And　the　Atbash　Cipher　reveals。。。〃　He　stopped　short。　〃Good　God！〃　His　face　went　white。
　Langdon's　head　snapped　up。
　〃What's　wrong？〃　Sophie　demanded。
　〃You　won't　believe　this。〃　Teabing　glanced　at　Sophie。　〃Especially　you。〃
　〃What　do　you　mean？〃　she　said。
　〃This　is。。。　ingenious；〃　he　whispered。　〃Utterly　ingenious！〃　Teabing　wrote　again　on　the　paper。　〃Drumroll；　please。　Here　is　your　password。〃　He　showed　them　what　he　had　written。
　Sh…V…P…Y…A
　　
　Sophie　scowled。　〃What　is　it？〃
　Langdon　didn't　recognize　it　either。
　Teabing's　voice　seemed　to　tremble　with　awe。　〃This；　my　friend；　is　actually　an　ancient　word　of　wisdom。〃
　Langdon　read　the　letters　again。　An　ancient　word　of　wisdom　frees　this　scroll。　An　instant　later　he　got　it。　He　had　newer　seen　this　ing。　〃An　ancient　word　of　wisdom！〃
　Teabing　was　laughing。　〃Quite　literally！〃
　Sophie　looked　at　the　word　and　then　at　the　dial。　Immediately　she　realized　Langdon　and　Teabing　had　failed　to　see　a　serious　glitch。　〃Hold　on！　This　can't　be　the　password；〃　she　argued。　〃The　cryptex　doesn't　have　an　Sh　on　the　dial。　It　uses　a　traditional　Roman　alphabet。〃
　〃Read　the　word；〃　Langdon　urged。　〃Keep　in　mind　two　things。　In　Hebrew；　the　symbol　for　the　sound　Sh　can　also　be　pronounced　as　S；　depending　on　the　accent。　Just　as　the　letter　P　can　be　pronounced　F。〃
　SVFYA？　she　thought；　puzzled。
　〃Genius！〃　Teabing　added。　〃The　letter　Vav　is　often　a　placeholder　for　the　vowel　sound　O！〃
　Sophie　again　looked　at　the　letters；　attempting　to　sound　them　out。
　〃S。。。o。。。f。。。y。。。a。〃
　She　heard　the　sound　of　her　voice；　and　could　not　believe　what　she　had　just　said。　〃Sophia？　This　spells　Sophia？〃
　Langdon　was　nodding　enthusiastically。　〃Yes！　Sophia　literally　means　wisdom　in　Greek。　The　root　of　your　name；　Sophie；　is　literally　a　'word　of　wisdom。'　〃
　Sophie　suddenly　missed　her　grandfather　immensely。　He　encrypted　the　Priory　keystone　with　my　name。　A　knot　caught　in　her　throat。　It　all　seemed　so　perfect。　But　as　she　turned　her　gaze　to　the　five　lettered　dials　on　the　cryptex；　she　realized　a　problem　still　existed。　〃But　wait。。。　the　word　Sophia　has　six　letters。〃
　Teabing's　smile　never　faded。　〃Look　at　the　poem　again。　Your　grandfather　wrote；　'An　ancient　word　of　wisdom。'　〃
　〃Yes？〃
　Teabing　winked。　〃In　ancient　Greek；　wisdom　is　spelled　S…O…F…I…A。〃
　　
　CHAPTER　78
　
　Sophie　felt　a　wild　excitement　as　she　cradled　the　cryptex　and　began　dialing　in　the　letters。　An　ancient　word　of　wisdom　frees　this　scroll。　Langdon　and　Teabing　seemed　to　have　stopped　breathing　as　they　looked　on。
　S。。。　O。。。　F。。。
　〃Carefully；〃　Teabing　urged。　〃Ever　so　carefully。〃
　。。。I。。。　A。
　Sophie　aligned　the　final　dial。　〃Okay；〃　she　whispered；　glancing　up　at　the　others。　〃I'm　going　to　pull　it　apart。〃
　〃Remember　the　vinegar；〃　Langdon　whispered　with　fearful　exhilaration。　〃Be　careful。〃
　Sophie　knew　that　if　this　cryptex　were　like　those　she　had　opened　in　her　youth；　all　she　would　need　to　do　is　grip　the　cylinder　at　both　ends；　just　beyond　the　dials；　and　pull；　applying　slow；　steady　pressure　in　opposite　directions。　If　the　dials　were　properly　aligned　with　the　password；　then　one　of　the　ends　would　slide　off；　much　like　a　lens　cap；　and　she　could　reach　inside　and　remove　the　rolled　papyrus　document；　which　would　be　wrapped　around　the　vial　of　vinegar。　However；　if　the　password　they　had　entered　were　incorrect；　Sophie's　outward　force　on　the　ends　would　be　transferred　to　a　hinged　lever　inside；　which　would　pivot　downward　into　the　cavity　and　apply　pressure　to　the　glass　vial；　eventually　shattering　it　if　she　pulled　too　hard。
　Pull　gently；　she　told　herself。
　Teabing　and　Langdon　both　leaned　in　as　Sophie　wrapped　her　palms　around　the　ends　of　the　cylinder。　In　the　excitement　of　deciphering　the　code　word；　Sophie　had　almost　forgotten　what　they　expected　to　find　inside。　This　is　the　Priory　keystone。　According　to　Teabing；　it　contained　a　map　to　the　Holy　Grail；　unveiling　the　tomb　of　Mary　Magdalene　and　the　Sangreal　treasure。。。　the　ultimate　treasure　trove　of　secret　truth。
　Now　gripping　the　stone　tube；　Sophie　double…checked　that　all　of　the　letters　were　properly　aligned　with　the　indicator。　Then；　slowly；　she　pulled。　Nothing　happened。　She　applied　a　little　more　force。　Suddenly；　the　stone　slid　apart　like　a　well…crafted　telescope。　The　heavy　end　piece　detached　in　her　hand。　Langdon　and　Teabing　almost　jumped　to　their　feet。　Sophie's　heart　rate　climbed　as　she　set　the　end　cap　on　the　table　and　tipped　the　cylinder　to　peer　inside。
　A　scroll！
　Peering　down　the　hollow　of　the　rolled　paper；　Sophie　could　see　it　had　been　wrapped　around　a　cylindrical　object…the　vial　of　vinegar；　she　assumed。　Strangely；　though；　the　paper　around　the　vinegar　was　not　the　customary　delicate　papyrus　but　rather；　vellum。　That's　odd；　she　thought；　vinegar　can't　dissolve　a　lambskin　vellum。　She　looked　again　down　the　hollow　of　the　scroll　and　realized　the　object　in　the　center　was　not　a　vial　of　vinegar　after　all。　It　was　something　else　entirely。
　〃What's　wrong？〃　Teabing　asked。　〃Pull　out　the　scroll。〃
　Frowning；　Sophie　grabbed　the　rolled　vellum　and　the　object　around　which　it　was　wrapped；　pulling　them　both　out　of　the　container。
　〃That's　not　papyrus；〃　Teabing　said。　〃It's　too　heavy。〃
　〃I　know。　It's　padding。〃
　〃For　what？　The　vial　of　vinegar？〃
　〃No。〃　Sophie　unrolled　the　scroll　and　revealed　what　was　wrapped　inside。　〃For　this。〃
　When　Langdon　saw　the　object　inside　the　sheet　of　vellum；　his　heart　sank。
　〃God　help　us；〃　Teabing　said；　slumping。　〃Your　grandfather　was　a　pitiless　architect。〃
　Langdon　stared　in　amazement。　I　see　Saunière　has　no　intention　of　making　this　easy。
　On　the　table　sat　a　s