iancaldwell&dustinthomason.theruleoffour-第58章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　crossed　paths　on　campus　the　same　way　Carrie　and　I　just　did；　saying　hello；　wondering　where　we'd　seen　each　other　before；　thinking　in　a　distant　way　what　a　shame　it　was　that　four　years　had　passed　and　there　were　still　so　many　unfamiliar　faces。
　〃Sometimes；〃　he　says；　〃I　ask　myself；　why　did　I　have　to　meet　Vincent？　Why　did　I　have　to　meet　Bill？　Why　do　I　always　have　to　take　the　long　way　to　get　where　I'm　going？〃
　〃What　do　you　mean？〃
　〃Did　you　notice　how　the　portmaster's　directions　don't　get　straight　to　the　point；　either？　Four　south；　ten　east；　two　north；　six　west。　They　move　in　a　big　circle。　You　almost　end　up　where　you　started。〃
　Finally　I　understand　the　connection：　the　wide　sweep　of　circumstance；　the　way　his　journey　with　the　Hypnerotomachia　has　wound　through　time　and　place；　from　two　friends　at　Princeton　in　my　father's　day；　to　three　men　in　New　York；　to　a　father　and　son　in　Italy；　and　back　now　to　another　two　friends　at　Princeton…it　all　resembles　Colonna's　strange　riddle；　the　directions　that　curl　back　on　themselves。
　〃Don't　you　think　it　makes　sense　that　your　father　is　the　one　that　got　me　started　on　the　Hypnerotomachia？〃　Paul　asks。
　We　arrive　at　the　entrance；　and　Paul　opens　the　library　door　for　me；　as　we　duck　in　from　the　snow。　We　are　in　the　old　heart　of　campus　now；　a　place　made　of　stones。　On　summer　days；　when　cars　streak　by　with　their　windows　down　and　their　radios　up；　and　the　whole　student　body　wears　shorts　and　T…shirts；　buildings　like　Firestone　and　the　chapel　and　Nassau　Hall　seem　like　caves　in　a　metropolis。　But　when　the　temperature　drops　and　the　snow　falls；　no　place　is　more　reassuring。
　〃Last　night　I　started　thinking；〃　Paul　continues；　〃Francesco's　friends　helped　him　design　the　riddles；　right？　Now　our　friends　are　helping　to　solve　them。　You　figured　out　the　first　one。　Katie　answered　the　second　one。　Charlie　knew　the　last　one。　Your　dad　discovered　The　Belladonna　Document。　Richard　found　the　diary。〃
　We　pause　at　the　turnstile；　flashing　our　campus　IDs　to　the　guards　at　the　gate。　As　we　wait　for　the　elevator　to　C…floor；　all　the　way　at　the　bottom；　Paul　points　to　a　metal　plate　on　the　elevator　door。　There's　a　symbol　engraved　on　it　that　I've　never　noticed　before。
　〃The　Aldine　Press；〃　I　say；　recognizing　it　from　my　father's　old　office　at　home。
　Colonna's　printer；　Aldus　Manutius；　took　his　famous　dolphin　and　anchor　emblem；　one　of　the　most　famous　in　printing　history；　from　the　Hypnerotomachia。
　Paul　nods；　and　I　sense　this　is　part　of　his　point。　Everywhere　he's　turned；　in　this　four…year　spiral　back　toward　the　beginning；　he's　felt　a　hand　at　his　back。　His　whole　world；　even　in　the　silent　details；　has　been　nudging　him　on；　helping　him　to　crack　Colonna's　book。
　The　elevator　doors　open；　and　we　step　in。
　〃Anyway；　I　was　thinking　about　all　that　last　night；〃　he　says；　pressing　the　button　for　C…floor　as　we　begin　our　descent。　〃About　how　everything　seemed　to　be　ing　full　circle。　And　it　hit　me。〃
　A　bell　dings　above　our　heads；　and　the　doors　open　onto　the　bleakest　landscape　of　the　library；　dozens　of　feet　underground。　The　ceiling…high　bookshelves　of　C…floor　are　so　tightly　packed　that　they　seem　designed　to　shoulder　the　weight　of　the　five　floors　above　us。　To　our　left　is　Microform　Services；　the　dark　grotto　where　professors　and　grad　students　huddle　in　clusters　of　microfilm　machines；　squinting　at　panels　of　light。　Paul　begins　leading　me　through　the　stacks；　running　his　finger　along　the　dusty　spines　of　books　as　we　pass　them。　I　realize　he's　taking　me　to　his　carrel。
　〃There's　a　reason　everything　returns　to　where　it　started　in　this　book。　Beginnings　are　the　key　to　the　Hypnerotomachia。　The　first　letter　of　every　chapter　creates　the　acrostic　about　Fra　Francesco　Colonna。　The　first　letters　of　the　architectural　terms　spell　out　the　first　riddle。　It's　not　a　coincidence　that　Francesco　made　everything　e　back　to　beginnings。〃
　In　the　distance　I　can　see　the　long　rows　of　green　metallic　doors；　spaced　almost　as　closely　as　high　school　lockers。　The　rooms　they　guard　are　no　bigger　than　closets。　But　hundreds　of　seniors　shut　themselves　inside　for　weeks　on　end　to　write　their　theses　in　peace。　Paul's　carrel；　which　I　haven't　seen　in　months；　sits　near　the　farthest　corner。
　〃Maybe　I　was　just　getting　tired；　but　I　thought；　what　if　he　knew　exactly　what　he　was　doing？　What　if　you　could　figure　out　how　to　decipher　the　second　half　of　the　book　by　focusing　on　something　in　the　very　first　riddle？　Francesco　said　he　didn't　leave　any　solutions；　but　he　didn't　say　he　left　no　hints。　And　I　had　the　directions　from　the　portmaster's　diary　to　help　me。〃
　We　arrive　in　front　of　his　carrel；　and　he　begins　to　twist　the　bination　lock　on　the　door。　A　sheet　of　black　construction　paper　has　been　taped　to　the　little　rectangular　window；　making　it　impossible　to　see　inside。
　〃I　thought　the　directions　had　to　be　about　a　physical　location。　How　to　get　from　a　stadium　to　a　crypt；　measured　in　stadia。　Even　the　portmaster　thought　the　directions　were　geographical。〃　He　shakes　his　head。　〃I　wasn't　thinking　like　Francesco。〃
　Paul　opens　the　lock　and　swings　the　door　wide。　The　little　room　is　filled　with　books；　piles　upon　piles　of　them；　a　tiny　version　of　the　President's　Room　at　Ivy。　Food　wrappers　litter　the　floor。　Sheets　of　paper　are　taped　to　the　walls；　thick　as　feathers；　each　one　scrawled　with　a　message。　Phineus　son　of　Belus　wasn't　Phineus　king　of　Salmydessus；　says　one。　Check　Hesiod：　Hesperethousa　or　Hesperia　and　Arethousa？　says　another。　Buy　more　crackers；　says　a　third。
　I　lift　a　stack　of　photocopies　from　one　of　the　two　chairs　crammed　into　the　carrel；　and　try　to　sit　down　without　knocking　anything　over。
　〃So　I　came　back　to　the　riddles；〃　he　says。　〃What　was　the　first　riddle　about？〃
　〃Moses。　The　Latin　word　for　horns。〃
　〃Right。〃　He　turns　his　back　to　me　to　shut　the　door　behind　us。　〃It　was　about　a　mistranslation。　Philology；　historical　linguistics。　It　was　about　language。〃
　He　begins　searching　through　a　column　of　books　atop　the　hutch　of　his　desk。　Finally　he　finds　what　he　wants：　Hartt's　History　of　Renaissance　Art。
　〃Why　did　we　get　lucky　with　the　first　riddle？〃　he　says。
　〃Because　I　had　that　dream。〃
　〃No；〃　he　says；　finding　the　page　with　Michelangelo's　sculpture　of　Moses；　the　picture　that　began　our　partnership。　〃We　got　lucky　because　the　riddle　was　about　something　verbal；　and　we　were　looking　for　something　physical。　Francesco　didn't　care　about　actual；　physical　horns；　he　cared　about　a　word；　a　mistranslation。　We　got　lucky　because　that　mistranslation　eventually　manifested　itself　physically。　Michelangelo　carved　his　Moses　with　horns；　and　you　remembered　that。　If　it　hadn't　been　for　the　physical　manifestation；　we　would　never　have　found　the　linguistic　answer。　But　that　was　the　key：　the　words。〃
　〃So　you　looked　for　a　linguistic　representation　of　the　directions。〃
　〃Exactly。　North；　south；　east；　and　west　aren't　physical　clues。　They're　verbal　ones。　When　I　looked　at　the　second　half　of　the　book；　I　knew　I　was　right。　The　word　stadia　shows　up　near　the　beginning　of　the　very　first　chapter。　Look；〃　he　says；　finding　a　sheet　of　paper　where　he's　worked　something　out。
　There　are　three　sentences　written　on　the　page：　Gil　and　Charlie　go　to　the　stadium　to　watch　Princeton　vs。　Harvard。　Tom　waits　as　Paul　catches　up。　Katie　takes　photographs　while　winsomely　smiling　and　mouthing；　I　love　you；　Tom。
　〃Winsomely？〃　I　say。
　〃Doesn't　look　like　much；　right？　It　just　sort　of　rambles；　like　Poliphilo's　story。　But　plot　it　out　in　a　grid；〃　he　says；　turning　the　piece　of　paper　over。　〃And　you　get　this：〃
　
　I'm　waiting　for　something　to　jump　out　at　me；　but　it　doesn't。
　〃That's　it？〃　I　ask。
　〃That's　it。　Just　follow　the　directions。　Four　south；　ten　east；　two　north；　six　west。　De　Stadio…'from　stadium。'　Start　with　the　's'　in　'stadium。'　〃
　I　find　a　pen　on　his　desk　and　try　it　out；　moving　down　four；　right　ten；　up　two；　and　left　six。
　
　I　write　down　the　letters　S…O…L…U…T。
　〃Then　repeat　the　process；〃　he　says；　〃starting　with　the　last　letter。〃
　I　begin　again　from　T。
　
　And　there　it　is；　laid　out　on　the　page：　S…O…L…U…T…I…O…N。
　〃That's　the　Rule　of　Four；〃　Paul　says。　〃It's　so　simple　once　you　understand　how　Colonna's　mind　works。　Four　directions　within　the　text。　Just　repeat　it　over　and　over　again；　then　figure　out　where　the　word　breaks　are。〃
　〃But　it　must've　taken　Colonna　months　to　write。〃