danbrown.thedavincicode-第9章

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he　wound　had　bled　surprisingly　little；　leaving　only　a　small　pool　of　blackened　blood。
　Saunière's　left　index　finger　was　also　bloody；　apparently　having　been　dipped　into　the　wound　to　create　the　most　unsettling　aspect　of　his　own　macabre　deathbed；　using　his　own　blood　as　ink；　and　employing　his　own　naked　abdomen　as　a　canvas；　Saunière　had　drawn　a　simple　symbol　on　his　flesh…five　straight　lines　that　intersected　to　form　a　five…pointed　star。
　The　pentacle。
　The　bloody　star；　centered　on　Saunière's　navel；　gave　his　corpse　a　distinctly　ghoulish　aura。　The　photo　Langdon　had　seen　was　chilling　enough；　but　now；　witnessing　the　scene　in　person；　Langdon　felt　a　deepening　uneasiness。
　He　did　this　to　himself。
　〃Mr。　Langdon？〃　Fache's　dark　eyes　settled　on　him　again。
　〃It's　a　pentacle；〃　Langdon　offered；　his　voice　feeling　hollow　in　the　huge　space。　〃One　of　the　oldest　symbols　on　earth。　Used　over　four　thousand　years　before　Christ。〃
　〃And　what　does　it　mean？〃
　Langdon　always　hesitated　when　he　got　this　question。　Telling　someone　what　a　symbol　〃meant〃　was　like　telling　them　how　a　song　should　make　them　feel…it　was　different　for　all　people。　A　white　Ku　Klux　Klan　headpiece　conjured　images　of　hatred　and　racism　in　the　United　States；　and　yet　the　same　costume　carried　a　meaning　of　religious　faith　in　Spain。
　〃Symbols　carry　different　meanings　in　different　settings；〃　Langdon　said。　〃Primarily；　the　pentacle　is　a　pagan　religious　symbol。〃
　Fache　nodded。　〃Devil　worship。〃
　〃No；〃　Langdon　corrected；　immediately　realizing　his　choice　of　vocabulary　should　have　been　clearer。
　Nowadays；　the　term　pagan　had　bee　almost　synonymous　with　devil　worship…a　gross　misconception。　The　word's　roots　actually　reached　back　to　the　Latin　paganus；　meaning　country…dwellers。　〃Pagans〃　were　literally　unindoctrinated　country…folk　who　clung　to　the　old；　rural　religions　of　Nature　worship。　In　fact；　so　strong　was　the　Church's　fear　of　those　who　lived　in　the　rural　villes　that　the　once　innocuous　word　for　〃villager〃…villain…came　to　mean　a　wicked　soul。
　〃The　pentacle；〃　Langdon　clarified；　〃is　a　pre…Christian　symbol　that　relates　to　Nature　worship。　The　ancients　envisioned　their　world　in　two　halves…masculine　and　feminine。　Their　gods　and　goddesses　worked　to　keep　a　balance　of　power。　Yin　and　yang。　When　male　and　female　were　balanced；　there　was　harmony　in　the　world。　When　they　were　unbalanced；　there　was　chaos。〃　Langdon　motioned　to　Saunière's　stomach。　〃This　pentacle　is　representative　of　the　female　half　of　all　things…a　concept　religious　historians　call　the　'sacred　feminine'　or　the　'divine　goddess。'　Saunière；　of　all　people；　would　know　this。〃
　〃Saunière　drew　a　goddess　symbol　on　his　stomach？〃
　Langdon　had　to　admit；　it　seemed　odd。　〃In　its　most　specific　interpretation；　the　pentacle　symbolizes　Venus…the　goddess　of　female　sexual　love　and　beauty。〃
　Fache　eyed　the　naked　man；　and　grunted。
　〃Early　religion　was　based　on　the　divine　order　of　Nature。　The　goddess　Venus　and　the　planet　Venus　were　one　and　the　same。　The　goddess　had　a　place　in　the　nighttime　sky　and　was　known　by　many　names…Venus；　the　Eastern　Star；　Ishtar；　Astarte…all　of　them　powerful　female　concepts　with　ties　to　Nature　and　Mother　Earth。〃
　Fache　looked　more　troubled　now；　as　if　he　somehow　preferred　the　idea　of　devil　worship。
　Langdon　decided　not　to　share　the　pentacle's　most　astonishing　property…the　graphic　origin　of　its　ties　to　Venus。　As　a　young　astronomy　student；　Langdon　had　been　stunned　to　learn　the　planet　Venus　traced　a　perfect　pentacle　across　the　ecliptic　sky　every　four　years。　So　astonished　were　the　ancients　to　observe　this　phenomenon；　that　Venus　and　her　pentacle　became　symbols　of　perfection；　beauty；　and　the　cyclic　qualities　of　sexual　love。　As　a　tribute　to　the　magic　of　Venus；　the　Greeks　used　her　four…year　cycle　to　organize　their　Olympiads。　Nowadays；　few　people　realized　that　the　four…year　schedule　of　modern　Olympic　Games　still　followed　the　cycles　of　Venus。　Even　fewer　people　knew　that　the　five…pointed　star　had　almost　bee　the　official　Olympic　seal　but　was　modified　at　the　last　moment…its　five　points　exchanged　for　five　intersecting　rings　to　better　reflect　the　games'　spirit　of　inclusion　and　harmony。
　〃Mr。　Langdon；〃　Fache　said　abruptly。　〃Obviously；　the　pentacle　must　also　relate　to　the　devil。　Your　American　horror　movies　make　that　point　clearly。〃
　Langdon　frowned。　Thank　you；　Hollywood。　The　five…pointed　star　was　now　a　virtual　cliché　in　Satanic　serial　killer　movies；　usually　scrawled　on　the　wall　of　some　Satanist's　apartment　along　with　other　alleged　demonic　symbology。　Langdon　was　always　frustrated　when　he　saw　the　symbol　in　this　context；　the　pentacle's　true　origins　were　actually　quite　godly。
　〃I　assure　you；〃　Langdon　said；　〃despite　what　you　see　in　the　movies；　the　pentacle's　demonic　interpretation　is　historically　inaccurate。　The　original　feminine　meaning　is　correct；　but　the　symbolism　of　the　pentacle　has　been　distorted　over　the　millennia。　In　this　case；　through　bloodshed。〃
　〃I'm　not　sure　I　follow。〃
　Langdon　glanced　at　Fache's　crucifix；　uncertain　how　to　phrase　his　next　point。　〃The　Church；　sir。　Symbols　are　very　resilient；　but　the　pentacle　was　altered　by　the　early　Roman　Catholic　Church。　As　part　of　the　Vatican's　campaign　to　eradicate　pagan　religions　and　convert　the　masses　to　Christianity；　the　Church　launched　a　smear　campaign　against　the　pagan　gods　and　goddesses；　recasting　their　divine　symbols　as　evil。〃
　〃Go　on。〃
　〃This　is　very　mon　in　times　of　turmoil；〃　Langdon　continued。　〃A　newly　emerging　power　will　take　over　the　existing　symbols　and　degrade　them　over　time　in　an　attempt　to　erase　their　meaning。　In　the　battle　between　the　pagan　symbols　and　Christian　symbols；　the　pagans　lost；　Poseidon's　trident　became　the　devil's　pitchfork；　the　wise　crone's　pointed　hat　became　the　symbol　of　a　witch；　and　Venus's　pentacle　became　a　sign　of　the　devil。〃　Langdon　paused。　〃Unfortunately；　the　United　States　military　has　also　perverted　the　pentacle；　it's　now　our　foremost　symbol　of　war。　We　paint　it　on　all　our　fighter　jets　and　hang　it　on　the　shoulders　of　all　our　generals。〃　So　much　for　the　goddess　of　love　and　beauty。
　〃Interesting。〃　Fache　nodded　toward　the　spread…eagle　corpse。　〃And　the　positioning　of　the　body？　What　do　you　make　of　that？〃
　Langdon　shrugged。　〃The　position　simply　reinforces　the　reference　to　the　pentacle　and　sacred　feminine。〃
　Fache's　expression　clouded。　〃I　beg　your　pardon？〃
　〃Replication。　Repeating　a　symbol　is　the　simplest　way　to　strengthen　its　meaning。　Jacques　Saunière　positioned　himself　in　the　shape　of　a　five…pointed　star。〃　If　one　pentacle　is　good；　two　is　better。
　Fache's　eyes　followed　the　five　points　of　Saunière's　arms；　legs；　and　head　as　he　again　ran　a　hand　across　his　slick　hair。　〃Interesting　analysis。〃　He　paused。　〃And　the　nudity？〃　He　grumbled　as　he　spoke　the　word；　sounding　repulsed　by　the　sight　of　an　aging　male　body。　〃Why　did　he　remove　his　clothing？〃
　Damned　good　question；　Langdon　thought。　He'd　been　wondering　the　same　thing　ever　since　he　first　saw　the　Polaroid。　His　best　guess　was　that　a　naked　human　form　was　yet　another　endorsement　of　Venus…the　goddess　of　human　sexuality。　Although　modern　culture　had　erased　much　of　Venus's　association　with　the　male/female　physical　union；　a　sharp　etymological　eye　could　still　spot　a　vestige　of　Venus's　original　meaning　in　the　word　〃venereal。〃　Langdon　decided　not　to　go　there。
　〃Mr。　Fache；　I　obviously　can't　tell　you　why　Mr。　Saunière　drew　that　symbol　on　himself　or　placed　himself　in　this　way；　but　I　can　tell　you　that　a　man　like　Jacques　Saunière　would　consider　the　pentacle　a　sign　of　the　female　deity。　The　correlation　between　this　symbol　and　the　sacred　feminine　is　widely　known　by　art　historians　and　symbologists。〃
　〃Fine。　And　the　use　of　his　own　blood　as　ink？〃
　〃Obviously　he　had　nothing　else　to　write　with。〃
　Fache　was　silent　a　moment。　〃Actually；　I　believe　he　used　blood　such　that　the　police　would　follow　certain　forensic　procedures。〃
　〃I'm　sorry？〃
　〃Look　at　his　left　hand。〃
　Langdon's　eyes　traced　the　length　of　the　curator's　pale　arm　to　his　left　hand　but　saw　nothing。　Uncertain；　he　circled　the　corpse　and　crouched　down；　now　noting　with　surprise　that　the　curator　was　clutching　a　large；　felt…tipped　marker。
　〃Saunière　was　holding　it　when　we　found　him；〃　Fache　said；　leaving　Langdon　and　moving　several　yards　to　a　portable　table　covered　with　i