iancaldwell&dustinthomason.theruleoffour-第32章

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　〃After　a　while；　I　started　thinking　it　could　work。　Maybe　the　acrostic　with　the　Hypnerotomachia's　chapter　letters　was　just　a　hint。　Maybe　it　was　there　to　tell　you　what　sort　of　interpretation　would　work　on　the　rest　of　the　book。　A　lot　of　humanists　were　interested　in　kabala；　and　the　idea　of　playing　games　with　language　and　symbols　was　popular　in　the　Renaissance。　Maybe　Francesco　had　used　some　kind　of　cipher　for　the　Hypnerotomachia。
　〃The　problem　was；　I　had　no　idea　where　to　look　for　the　algorithm。　I　started　inventing　ciphers　of　my　own；　just　to　see　if　one　might　work。　I　was　fighting　with　it；　day　after　day。　I　would　e　across　something；　spend　a　week　rummaging　through　the　Rare　Books　Room　for　an　answer…only　to　find　out　it　didn't　make　sense；　or　it　was　a　trap；　or　a　dead　end。
　〃Then；　at　the　end　of　August；　I　spent　three　weeks　on　a　single　passage。　It's　at　the　point　in　the　story　where　Poliphilo　is　examining　a　set　of　temple　ruins；　and　he　finds　a　hieroglyphic　message　carved　on　an　obelisk。　To　the　divine　and　always　august　Julius　Caesar；　governor　of　the　world　is　the　opening　phrase。　I'll　never　forget　it…it　almost　drove　me　crazy。　The　same　few　pages；　day　after　day。　But　that's　when　I　found　it。〃
　He　opened　a　binder　on　his　desk。　Inside　was　a　reproduction　of　every　page　of　the　Hypnerotomachia。　Turning　to　an　appendix　he'd　created　at　the　end；　he　showed　me　a　sheet　of　paper　on　which　he'd　clipped　the　first　letter　of　each　chapter　into　what　looked　like　a　ransom　note；　spelling　the　famous　message　about　Fra　Francesco　Colonna。　Poliam　Frater　Franciscus　Columna　Peramavit。
　〃My　starting　assumption　was　simple。　The　acrostic　couldn't　just　be　a　parlor　trick；　a　cheap　way　to　identify　the　author。　It　had　to　have　a　larger　purpose：　first　letters　wouldn't　just　be　important　for　decoding　that　initial　message；　they　would　be　important　for　deciphering　the　entire　book。
　〃So　I　tried　it。　The　passage　I'd　been　looking　at　happens　to　begin　with　a　special　hieroglyph　in　one　of　the　drawings…an　eye。〃　He　flipped　several　pages；　finally　arriving　at　it。
　
　〃Since　it　was　the　first　symbol　in　that　woodcut；　I　decided　it　must　be　important。　The　problem　was；　I　couldn't　do　anything　with　it。　Poliphilo's　definition　of　the　symbol…that　the　eye　means　God；　or　divinity…led　me　nowhere。
　〃That's　when　I　got　lucky。　One　morning　I　was　doing　some　work　at　the　student　center；　and　I　hadn't　slept　much；　so　I　decided　to　buy　a　soda。　Only；　the　machine　kept　spitting　my　dollar　back。　I　was　so　tired；　I　couldn't　figure　out　why；　until　I　finally　looked　down　and　realized　I　was　putting　it　in　the　wrong　way。　The　back　side　was　up。　I　was　just　about　to　turn　it　over　and　try　again；　when　I　saw　it。　Right　in　front　of　me；　on　the　back　of　the　bill。〃
　〃The　eye；〃　I　said。　〃Right　above　the　pyramid。〃
　〃Exactly。　It's　part　of　the　great　seal。　And　that's　when　it　hit　me。　In　the　Renaissance　there　was　a　famous　humanist　who　used　the　eye　as　his　symbol。　He　even　printed　it　on　coins　and　medals。〃
　He　waited；　as　if　I　might　know　the　answer。
　〃Alberti。〃　Paul　pointed　to　a　small　volume　on　the　far　shelf。　The　spine　read　De　re　aedificatoria。　〃That's　what　Colonna　meant　by　it。　He　was　about　to　borrow　an　idea　from　Alberti's　book；　and　he　wanted　you　to　notice　it。　If　you　could　just　figure　out　what　it　was；　the　rest　would　fall　into　place。
　〃In　his　treatise；　Alberti　creates　Latin　equivalents　for　architectural　words　derived　from　Greek。　Francesco　does　the　same　replacement　all　over　the　Hypnerotomachia…except　in　one　place。　I'd　noticed　it　the　first　time　I　translated　the　section；　because　I　started　hitting　Vitruvian　terms　I　hadn't　seen　in　a　long　time。　But　I　never　thought　they　were　significant。
　〃The　trick；　I　realized；　was　that　you　had　to　find　all　the　Greek　architectural　terms　in　that　passage　and　replace　them　with　their　Latin　equivalents；　the　same　way　they　appear　in　the　rest　of　the　text。　If　you　did　that；　and　used　the　acrostic　rule…reading　the　first　letter　of　each　word　in　a　row；　the　same　way　you　do　with　the　first　letter　of　each　chapter…the　puzzle　unlocks。　You　find　a　message　in　Latin。　The　only　problem　is；　if　you　make　just　one　mistake　converting　the　Greek　to　Latin；　the　whole　message　breaks　down。　Replace　entasi　with　ventris　diametrum　instead　of　just　venter；　and　the　extra　'D'　at　the　beginning　of　diametrum　changes　everything。〃
　He　flipped　to　another　page；　talking　faster。　〃I　made　mistakes；　of　course。　Luckily；　they　weren't　so　big　that　I　couldn't　still　piece　together　the　Latin。　I　took　me　three　weeks；　right　up　to　the　day　before　you　guys　came　back　to　campus。　But　I　finally　figured　it　out。　You　know　what　it　says？〃　He　scratched　nervously　at　something　on　his　face。　〃It　says：　Who　cuckolded　Moses？〃
　He　gave　a　hollow　laugh。　〃I　swear　to　God；　I　can　hear　Francesco　laughing　at　me。　I　feel　like　the　whole　book　just　boiled　down　to　one　big　joke　at　my　expense。　I　mean；　seriously。　Who　cuckolded　Moses？〃
　〃I　don't　get　it。〃
　〃In　other　words；　who　cheated　on　Moses？〃
　〃I　know　what　a　cuckold　is。〃
　〃Actually；　it　doesn't　literally　say　cuckold。　It　says；　'Who　gave　Moses　the　horns？'　Horns；　as　early　as　Artemidorus；　are　used　to　suggest　cuckoldry。　It　es　from…〃
　〃But　what　does　that　have　to　do　with　the　Hypnerotomachia？〃
　I　waited　for　him　to　explain；　or　to　say　that　he'd　read　the　riddle　wrong。　But　when　Paul　got　up　and　started　pacing；　I　could　tell　this　was　more　plicated。
　〃I　don't　know。　I　can't　figure　out　how　it　fits　with　the　rest　of　the　book。　But　here's　the　strange　thing。　I　think　I　may　have　solved　the　riddle。〃
　〃Someone　cuckolded　Moses？〃
　〃Well；　sort　of。　At　first；　I　thought　it　had　to　be　a　mistake。　Moses　is　too　major　a　figure　in　the　Old　Testament　to　be　associated　with　infidelity。　As　far　as　I　knew；　he　had　a　wife…a　Midianite　woman　named　Zipporah…but　she　barely　appeared　in　Exodus；　and　I　couldn't　find　any　reference　to　her　cheating　on　him。
　〃Then　in　Numbers　12：1；　something　unusual　happens。　Moses'　brother　and　sister　speak　against　him　because　he　marries　a　Cushite　woman。　The　details　are　never　explained；　but　some　scholars　argue　that　because　Cush　and　Midian　are　pletely　different　geographical　areas；　Moses　must've　had　two　wives。　The　name　of　the　Cushite　wife　never　appears　in　the　Bible；　but　a　first…century　historian；　Flavius　Josephus；　writes　his　own　account　of　Moses'　life；　and　claims　that　the　name　of　the　Cushite；　or　Ethiopian；　woman　he　married　was　Tharbis。〃
　The　details　were　beginning　to　overwhelm　me。　〃So　she　cheated　on　him？〃
　Paul　shook　his　head。　〃No。　By　taking　a　second　wife；　Moses　cheated　on　her；　or　on　Zipporah；　whichever　one　he　married　first。　The　chronology　is　hard　to　figure　out；　but　in　some　usages；　cuckold's　horns　appear　on　the　head　of　the　cheater；　not　just　the　cheater's　spouse。　That　must　be　what　the　riddle's　getting　at。　The　answer　is　Zipporah　or　Tharbis。〃
　〃So　what　do　you　do　with　that？〃
　His　excitement　seemed　to　dissipate。　〃That's　where　I've　hit　a　wall。　I　tried　to　use　Zipporah　and　Tharbis　as　solutions　every　way　I　could　think　of；　applying　them　as　ciphers　to　help　crack　the　rest　of　the　book。　But　nothing　works。〃
　He　waited；　as　if　expecting　me　to　contribute　something。
　〃What　does　Taft　think　about　it？〃　was　all　I　could　think　to　ask。
　〃Vincent　doesn't　know。　He　thinks　I'm　wasting　my　time。　As　soon　as　he　decided　Gelbman's　techniques　weren't　yielding　breakthroughs；　he　told　me　I　should　go　back　to　following　his　lead。　More　focus　on　the　primary　Venetian　sources。〃
　〃You're　not　going　to　tell　him　about　this？〃
　Paul　looked　at　me　as　if　I　misunderstood。
　〃I'm　telling　you；〃　he　said。
　〃I　have　no　idea。〃
　〃Tom；　it　can't　be　an　accident。　Not　something　this　big。　This　is　what　your　father　was　looking　for。　All　we　have　to　do　is　figure　it　out。　I　want　your　help。〃
　〃Why？〃
　Now　a　curious　certainty　entered　his　voice；　as　if　he　understood　something　about　the　Hypnerotomachia　that　he'd　overlooked　before。　〃The　book　rewards　different　kinds　of　thought。　Sometimes　patience　works；　attention　to　detail。　But　other　times　it　takes　instinct　and　inventiveness。　I've　read　some　of　your　conclusions　on　Frankenstein。　They're　good。　They're　original。　And　you　didn't　even　break　a　sweat。　Just　think　about　it。　Think　about　the　riddle。　Maybe　you'll　e　up　with　something　else。　That's　all　I'm　asking。〃
　　
　There　was　a　simple　reason　why　I　rejected　Paul's　offer　that　night。　In　the　landscape　of　my　childhood；　Colonna's　book　was　a　deserted　mansion　on　a　hill；　a　f