p&c.brimstone-第40章

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　〃Right。　Of　course。〃　Math　had　never　been　his　strong　suit。　
　〃They　have　other　remarkable　properties。　A　rectangle　constructed　with　sides　of　these　two　lengths　is　believed　to　be　the　most　pleasing　shape；　called　the　golden　rectangle。　The　Parthenon　was　built　in　this　shape。　Cathedrals　and　paintings　were　based　on　this　shape。　Such　rectangles　also　have　a　remarkable　property：　if　you　cut　a　square　off　one　side；　you　are　left　with　a　smaller　golden　rectangle　ofexactly　the　same　proportions。　You　can　keep　cutting　off　squares　and　creating　smaller　golden　rectangles　ad　infinitum。〃　
　〃I　see。〃　
　〃Now；　if　you　start　with　a　large　golden　rectangle　and　reduce　it；　square　by　square；　into　an　infinite　series　of　smaller　golden　rectangles；　and　then　connect　the　center　of　all　these；　you　end　up　with　a　perfect　natural　logarithmic　spiral。　This　is　the　spiral　you　see　in　the　nautilus　shell；　in　the　packing　of　seeds　into　the　head　of　the　sunflower；　in　musical　harmony；　and　indeed　throughout　all　of　nature。　The　golden　ratio　is　a　fundamental　quality　of　the　natural　world。〃　
　〃Yeah。〃　
　〃This　ratio　is　part　of　the　basic　structure　of　the　universe。　No　one　knows　why。〃　
　Harriman　watched　as　the　doctor　carefully　put　the　shell　back　in　the　case　and　closed　the　glass　front。　Whatever　he'd　been　expecting；　this　was　not　it。　He　was　lost；　and　if　he　was　lost；　he　knew　that　thePost　's　readers　would　certainly　be　lost。　What　a　waste　of　time。　He'd　have　to　escape　at　the　earliest　opportunity。　
　Von　Menck　stepped　behind　his　desk　and　turned　back　to　face　the　journalist。　〃Are　you　a　religious　man；　Mr。　Harriman？〃　
　The　question　was　so　unexpected　that；　for　a　moment；　Harriman　did　not　know　what　to　say。　
　〃I　don't　necessarily　mean　in　any　organized　sense：　Catholic；　Protestant；　whatever。　But　do　you　believe　there　is　a　unifying　force　underlying　our　universe？〃　
　〃I'd　never　really　thought　about　it；〃　Harriman　said。　〃I　guess　so。〃　He　had　been　raised　Episcopalian；　though　he　hadn't　set　foot　inside　a　church…except　for　weddings　and　funerals…for　almost　twenty　years。　
　〃Then　might　you　believe；　as　I　do；　that　there　is　a　purpose　to　our　lives？〃　
　Harriman　shut　off　the　tape　recorder。　Time　to　end　this　and　get　the　hell　out。　If　he　wanted　a　lecture　on　religion；　he　could　always　call　the　Jehovah's　Witnesses。　〃With　all　due　respect；　Doctor；　I　don't　see　what　this　has　to　do　with　the　two　recent　deaths。〃　
　〃Patience；　Mr。　Harriman。　My　proof　is　plex；　but　the　conclusion　will；　to　use　a　popular　expression；　blow　your　mind。〃　
　Harriman　waited。　
　〃Let　me　explain。　All　my　life；　I　have　been　a　student　of　the　mysterious；　the　unexplained。　Many　of　these　mysteries　I　have　solved　to　my　own　satisfaction。　Others…oftentimes　the　greatest…remain　dark　to　me。〃　Von　Menck　took　a　piece　of　paper　from　his　desk；　wrote　on　it　briefly；　then　placed　it　before　Harriman：　
　　　
　3243
　1239
　　　
　〃Those　two　numbers〃…and　he　tapped　the　page…〃have　always　represented　the　biggest　mysteries　of　all　to　me。　Do　you　recognize　them？〃　
　Harriman　shook　his　head。　
　〃They　mark　the　single　two　greatest　cataclysmic　events　ever　to　befall　human　civilization。　In　3243B。C。　；　the　island　of　Santorini　explodes；　generating　tidal　waves　that　wipe　out　the　great　Minoan　civilization　of　Crete　and　devastate　the　entire　Mediterranean　world。　This　is　the　source　of　both　the　legend　of　Atlantis　and　the　Great　Flood。　And　1239B。C。　is　when　the　twin　cities　of　Sodom　and　Gomorrah　were　reduced　to　ash　by　a　rain　of　ruin　from　the　sky。〃　
　〃Atlantis？　Sodom　and　Gomorrah？〃　This　was　getting　worse。　
　Von　Menck　tapped　the　sheet　again。　〃Plato　described　Atlantis　in　two　of　his　dialogues；Timaeus　andCritias　。　Some　details　he　got　wrong：　for　example；　the　date；　which　he　put　at　around　9000B。C。　Recent　extensive　archaeological　digs　on　Crete　and　Sardinia　provide　a　more　exact　date。　The　story　of　the　lost　city　of　Atlantis　has　been　sensationalized　to　the　point　where　most　people　wrongly　assume　it's　a　myth。　But　legitimate　archaeologists　are　convinced　there　is　a　foundation　of　truth：　the　volcanic　explosion　of　the　island　of　Santorini。　Plato　described　Atlantis…that　is；　the　Minoan　civilization　on　Crete…as　a　powerful　city…state；　obsessed　with　merce；　money；　self…improvement；　and　knowledge；　but　bereft　of　spiritual　values。　Archaeological　excavations　of　the　Minoan　palaces　at　Knossos　confirm　this。　The　people　of　Atlantis；　Plato　said；　had　turned　their　backs　on　their　god。　They　flaunted　their　vices；　they　openly　questioned　the　existence　of　a　divine；　and　they　worshiped　technology　instead。　Plato　tells　us　they　had　canals　and　a　so…called　firestone　that　produced　artificial　power。〃　
　He　paused。　〃Sounds　like　another　city　we　know；　doesn't　it；　Mr。　Harriman？〃　
　〃New　York。〃　
　Von　Menck　nodded。　〃Exactly。　At　the　very　height　of　Atlantis's　power；　there　were　harbingers　of　some　dread　event。　The　weather　was　unnaturally　cold；　and　skies　were　dark　for　days。　There　were　strange　rumblings　in　the　ground。　People　died　suddenly；　unexpectedly；　outrageously。　One　was　said　to　have　been　hit　'by　a　bolt　of　lightning　that　came　from　the　sky　and　from　the　bowels　of　the　earth　both　together。'　Another　was　abruptly　torn　apart；　as　if　by　an　explosive　device；　'his　flesh　and　blood　hanging　in　the　air　like　a　fine　mist；　while　all　around　lay　the　most　appalling　stench。'　Within　a　week　came　the　explosion　and　flood　that　destroyed　the　city　forever。〃　
　As　Von　Menck　spoke；　Harriman　snapped　on　his　recorder　again。　There　might　be　something　here；　after　all。　
　〃Exactly　two　thousand　and　four　years　later；　the　area　of　the　Dead　Sea　between　what　is　now　Israel　and　Jordan…the　deepest　naturally　occurring　spot　on　the　surface　of　the　earth…was　breathtakingly　lush　and　fertile。　It　was　the　home　of　the　cities　of　Sodom　and　Gomorrah。　Precisely　how　big　these　cities　were　remains　unknown；　although　recent　archaeological　digs　in　the　valley　have　uncovered　massive　cemeteries　containing　thousands　of　human　remains。　Clearly；　they　were　the　two　most　powerful　cities　in　the　Western　world　at　that　time。　As　with　Atlantis；　these　cities　had　fallen　into　the　last　degree　of　sin；　turning　away　from　the　natural　order　of　things。　Pride；　sloth；　the　worship　of　earthly　goods；　decadence　and　debauchery；　rejection　of　God　and　destruction　of　nature。　As　it　says　in　Genesis；　there　were　not　fifty；　not　twenty；　not　even　ten　righteous　men　to　be　found　in　Sodom。　And　so　the　cities　were　destroyed　from　above；　by　'brimstone　and　fire　。　。　。　the　smoke　of　the　country　went　up　as　the　smoke　of　a　furnace。'　Again；　archaeological　excavations　in　the　Dead　Sea　area　confirm　the　biblical　story　to　an　amazing　degree。　In　the　days　before　this　took　place；　there　again　were　harbingers　of　the　fate　that　was　to　e。　One　man　burst　into　a　pillar　of　yellow　flame。　Others　were　found　calcified；　not　unlike　Lot's　wife；　who　was　turned　to　a　pillar　of　salt。〃　
　Von　Menck　came　around　the　desk　and　sat　on　its　edge；　looking　intently　at　the　reporter。　〃Have　you　been　to　the　Dead　Sea；　Mr。　Harriman？〃　
　〃I　can't　say　that　I　have。〃　
　〃I've　been　there。　Several　times。　The　first　time　I　went　was　right　after　I　discovered　a　certain　natural　link　in　the　timing　of　the　disasters　that　befell　Atlantis　and　Gomorrah。　The　Dead　Sea　is　now　a　parched　wasteland。　Fish　cannot　live　in　it：　the　water　is　many　times　saltier　than　the　ocean。　Almost　nothing　grows　on　its　edges；　and　what　does　is　glazed　and　caked　with　salt。　But　if　you　walk　across　the　dead　plains　near　Tell　es…Saidiyeh；　where　many　scholars　now　place　Sodom；　you'll　find　a　vast　number　of　balls　of　pure；　elemental　sulfur　riddling　the　salt　surface。　This　sulfur　is　not　rhombic；　as　found　in　naturally　occurring　geothermic　areas。　Rather；　it　is　monoclinic：　white；　exceptionally　pure；　exposed　to　very　high　temperatures　for　long　periods　of　time。　Geologists　have　found　no　other　pockets　of　such　naturally　occurring　sulfur　anywhere　else　on　earth。　Yet　they　are　found　in　riotous　abundance　on　the　ruins　of　these　two　cities。　What　destroyed　Sodom　and　Gomorrah　was　not　some　normal　geological　process。　It　remains　a　mystery　to　this　day。〃　
　Von　Menck　reached　for　the　scrap　of　paper；　wrote　another　number　beneath　the　first　two：　
　　　
　3243
　1239
　2004
　　　
　〃2004　A。D　。；　Mr。　Harriman。　It　forms　the　end　of　the　golden　ratio。　Do　the　math。　The　date　3243B。C。　is　exactly　5；247　years　ago：　golden　ratio。　The　date　1239B。C。　is　exactly　3；243　years　ago：　golden　ratio　again。　The　next　date　in　the　series　is　2