danbrown.thedavincicode-第85章

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　Silas　was　equally　forted　to　hear　the　Teacher。　It　had　been　hours；　and　the　operation　had　veered　wildly　off　course。　Now；　at　last；　it　seemed　to　be　back　on　track。　〃I　have　the　keystone。〃
　〃This　is　superb　news；〃　the　Teacher　told　him。　〃Is　Rémy　with　you？〃
　Silas　was　surprised　to　hear　the　Teacher　use　Rémy's　name。　〃Yes。　Rémy　freed　me。〃
　〃As　I　ordered　him　to　do。　I　am　only　sorry　you　had　to　endure　captivity　for　so　long。〃
　〃Physical　disfort　has　no　meaning。　The　important　thing　is　that　the　keystone　is　ours。〃
　〃Yes。　I　need　it　delivered　to　me　at　once。　Time　is　of　the　essence。〃
　Silas　was　eager　to　meet　the　Teacher　face…to…face　at　last。　〃Yes；　sir；　I　would　be　honored。〃
　〃Silas；　I　would　like　Rémy　to　bring　it　to　me。〃
　Rémy？　Silas　was　crestfallen。　After　everything　Silas　had　done　for　the　Teacher；　he　had　believed　he　would　be　the　one　to　hand　over　the　prize。　The　Teacher　favors　Rémy？
　〃I　sense　your　disappointment；〃　the　Teacher　said；　〃which　tells　me　you　do　not　understand　my　meaning。〃　He　lowered　his　voice　to　a　whisper。　〃You　must　believe　that　I　would　much　prefer　to　receive　the　keystone　from　you…a　man　of　God　rather　than　a　criminal…but　Rémy　must　be　dealt　with。　He　disobeyed　my　orders　and　made　a　grave　mistake　that　has　put　our　entire　mission　at　risk。〃
　Silas　felt　a　chill　and　glanced　over　at　Rémy。　Kidnapping　Teabing　had　not　been　part　of　the　plan；　and　deciding　what　to　do　with　him　posed　a　new　problem。
　〃You　and　I　are　men　of　God；〃　the　Teacher　whispered。　〃We　cannot　be　deterred　from　our　goal。〃　There　was　an　ominous　pause　on　the　line。　〃For　this　reason　alone；　I　will　ask　Rémy　to　bring　me　the　keystone。　Do　you　understand？〃
　Silas　sensed　anger　in　the　Teacher's　voice　and　was　surprised　the　man　was　not　more　understanding。　Showing　his　face　could　not　be　avoided；　Silas　thought。　Rémy　did　what　he　had　to　do。　He　saved　the　keystone。　〃I　understand；〃　Silas　managed。
　〃Good。　For　your　own　safety；　you　need　to　get　off　the　street　immediately。　The　police　will　be　looking　for　the　limousine　soon；　and　I　do　not　want　you　caught。　Opus　Dei　has　a　residence　in　London；　no？〃
　〃Of　course。〃
　〃And　you　are　wele　there？〃
　〃As　a　brother。〃
　〃Then　go　there　and　stay　out　of　sight。　I　will　call　you　the　moment　I　am　in　possession　of　the　keystone　and　have　attended　to　my　current　problem。〃
　〃You　are　in　London？〃
　〃Do　as　I　say；　and　everything　will　be　fine。〃
　〃Yes；　sir。〃
　The　Teacher　heaved　a　sigh；　as　if　what　he　now　had　to　do　was　profoundly　regrettable。　〃It's　time　I　speak　to　Rémy。〃
　Silas　handed　Rémy　the　phone；　sensing　it　might　be　the　last　call　Rémy　Legaludec　ever　took。
　　
　As　Rémy　took　the　phone；　he　knew　this　poor；　twisted　monk　had　no　idea　what　fate　awaited　him　now　that　he　had　served　his　purpose。
　The　Teacher　used　you；　Silas。
　And　your　bishop　is　a　pawn。
　Rémy　still　marveled　at　the　Teacher's　powers　of　persuasion。　Bishop　Aringarosa　had　trusted　everything。　He　had　been　blinded　by　his　own　desperation。　Aringarosa　was　far　too　eager　to　believe。　Although　Rémy　did　not　particularly　like　the　Teacher；　he　felt　pride　at　having　gained　the　man's　trust　and　helped　him　so　substantially。　I　have　earned　my　payday。
　〃Listen　carefully；〃　the　Teacher　said。　〃Take　Silas　to　the　Opus　Dei　residence　hall　and　drop　him　off　a　few　streets　away。　Then　drive　to　St。　James's　Park。　It　is　adjacent　to　Parliament　and　Big　Ben。　You　can　park　the　limousine　on　Horse　Guards　Parade。　We'll　talk　there。〃
　With　that；　the　connection　went　dead。
　　
　CHAPTER　92
　
　King's　College；　established　by　King　George　IV　in　1829；　houses　its　Department　of　Theology　and　Religious　Studies　adjacent　to　Parliament　on　property　granted　by　the　Crown。　King's　College　Religion　Department　boasts　not　only　150　years'　experience　in　teaching　and　research；　but　the　1982　establishment　of　the　Research　Institute　in　Systematic　Theology；　which　possesses　one　of　the　most　plete　and　electronically　advanced　religious　research　libraries　in　the　world。
　Langdon　still　felt　shaky　as　he　and　Sophie　came　in　from　the　rain　and　entered　the　library。　The　primary　research　room　was　as　Teabing　had　described　it…a　dramatic　octagonal　chamber　dominated　by　an　enormous　round　table　around　which　King　Arthur　and　his　knights　might　have　been　fortable　were　it　not　for　the　presence　of　twelve　flat…screen　puter　workstations。　On　the　far　side　of　the　room；　a　reference　librarian　was　just　pouring　a　pot　of　tea　and　settling　in　for　her　day　of　work。
　〃Lovely　morning；〃　she　said　in　a　cheerful　British　accent；　leaving　the　tea　and　walking　over。　〃May　I　help　you？〃
　〃Thank　you；　yes；〃　Langdon　replied。　〃My　name　is…〃
　〃Robert　Langdon。〃　She　gave　a　pleasant　smile。　〃I　know　who　you　are。〃
　For　an　instant；　he　feared　Fache　had　put　him　on　English　television　as　well；　but　the　librarian's　smile　suggested　otherwise。　Langdon　still　had　not　gotten　used　to　these　moments　of　unexpected　celebrity。　Then　again；　if　anyone　on　earth　were　going　to　recognize　his　face；　it　would　be　a　librarian　in　a　Religious　Studies　reference　facility。
　〃Pamela　Gettum；〃　the　librarian　said；　offering　her　hand。　She　had　a　genial；　erudite　face　and　a　pleasingly　fluid　voice。　The　horn…rimmed　glasses　hanging　around　her　neck　were　thick。
　〃A　pleasure；〃　Langdon　said。　〃This　is　my　friend　Sophie　Neveu。〃
　The　two　women　greeted　one　another；　and　Gettum　turned　immediately　back　to　Langdon。　〃I　didn't　know　you　were　ing。〃
　〃Neither　did　we。　If　it's　not　too　much　trouble；　we　could　really　use　your　help　finding　some　information。〃
　Gettum　shifted；　looking　uncertain。　〃Normally　our　services　are　by　petition　and　appointment　only；　unless　of　course　you're　the　guest　of　someone　at　the　college？〃
　Langdon　shook　his　head。　〃I'm　afraid　we've　e　unannounced。　A　friend　of　mine　speaks　very　highly　of　you。　Sir　Leigh　Teabing？〃　Langdon　felt　a　pang　of　gloom　as　he　said　the　name。　〃The　British　Royal　Historian。〃
　Gettum　brightened　now；　laughing。　〃Heavens；　yes。　What　a　character。　Fanatical！　Every　time　he　es　in；　it's　always　the　same　search　strings。　Grail。　Grail。　Grail。　I　swear　that　man　will　die　before　he　gives　up　on　that　quest。〃　She　winked。　〃Time　and　money　afford　one　such　lovely　luxuries；　wouldn't　you　say？　A　regular　Don　Quixote；　that　one。〃
　〃Is　there　any　chance　you　can　help　us？〃　Sophie　asked。　〃It's　quite　important。〃
　Gettum　glanced　around　the　deserted　library　and　then　winked　at　them　both。　〃Well；　I　can't　very　well　claim　I'm　too　busy；　now　can　I？　As　long　as　you　sign　in；　I　can't　imagine　anyone　being　too　upset。　What　did　you　have　in　mind？〃
　〃We're　trying　to　find　a　tomb　in　London。〃
　Gettum　looked　dubious。　〃We've　got　about　twenty　thousand　of　them。　Can　you　be　a　little　more　specific？〃
　〃It's　the　tomb　of　a　knight。　We　don't　have　a　name。〃
　〃A　knight。　That　tightens　the　net　substantially。　Much　less　mon。〃
　〃We　don't　have　much　information　about　the　knight　we're　looking　for；〃　Sophie　said；　〃but　this　is　what　we　know。〃　She　produced　a　slip　of　paper　on　which　she　had　written　only　the　first　two　lines　of　the　poem。
　Hesitant　to　show　the　entire　poem　to　an　outsider；　Langdon　and　Sophie　had　decided　to　share　just　the　first　two　lines；　those　that　identified　the　knight。　partmentalized　cryptography；　Sophie　had　called　it。　When　an　intelligence　agency　intercepted　a　code　containing　sensitive　data；　cryptographers　each　worked　on　a　discrete　section　of　the　code。　This　way；　when　they　broke　it；　no　single　cryptographer　possessed　the　entire　deciphered　message。
　In　this　case；　the　precaution　was　probably　excessive；　even　if　this　librarian　saw　the　entire　poem；　identified　the　knight's　tomb；　and　knew　what　orb　was　missing；　the　information　was　useless　without　the　cryptex。
　　
　Gettum　sensed　an　urgency　in　the　eyes　of　this　famed　American　scholar；　almost　as　if　his　finding　this　tomb　quickly　were　a　matter　of　critical　importance。　The　green…eyed　woman　acpanying　him　also　seemed　anxious。
　Puzzled；　Gettum　put　on　her　glasses　and　examined　the　paper　they　had　just　handed　her。
　In　London　lies　a　knight　a　Pope　interred。
　His　labor's　fruit　a　Holy　wrath　incurred。
　　
　She　glanced　at　her　guests。　〃What　is　this？　Some　kind　of　Harvard　scavenger　hunt？〃
　Langdon's　laugh　sounded　forced。　〃Yeah；　something　like　that。〃
　Gettum　paused；　feeling　she　was　not　getting　the　whole　story。　Nonetheless；　she　felt　intrigued　and　found　herself　pondering　the　verse　carefully。　〃According　to　this　rhyme；　a　knight　did　something　that　incurred　displeasure　with