danbrown.thedavincicode-第29节

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he　was　studying。
　When　she　arrived　at　their　Paris　home；　however；　her　grandfather　was　not　there。　Disappointed；　she　knew　he　had　not　been　expecting　her　and　was　probably　working　at　the　Louvre。　But　it's　Saturday　afternoon；　she　realized。　He　seldom　worked　on　weekends。　On　weekends；　he　usually…
　Grinning；　Sophie　ran　out　to　the　garage。　Sure　enough；　his　car　was　gone。　It　was　the　weekend。　Jacques　Saunière　despised　city　driving　and　owned　a　car　for　one　destination　only…his　vacation　chateau　in　Normandy；　north　of　Paris。　Sophie；　after　months　in　the　congestion　of　London；　was　eager　for　the　smells　of　nature　and　to　start　her　vacation　right　away。　It　was　still　early　evening；　and　she　decided　to　leave　immediately　and　surprise　him。　Borrowing　a　friend's　car；　Sophie　drove　north；　winding　into　the　deserted　moon…swept　hills　near　Creully。　She　arrived　just　after　ten　o'clock；　turning　down　the　long　private　driveway　toward　her　grandfather's　retreat。　The　access　road　was　over　a　mile　long；　and　she　was　halfway　down　it　before　she　could　start　to　see　the　house　through　the　trees…a　mammoth；　old　stone　chateau　nestled　in　the　woods　on　the　side　of　a　hill。
　Sophie　had　half　expected　to　find　her　grandfather　asleep　at　this　hour　and　was　excited　to　see　the　house　twinkling　with　lights。　Her　delight　turned　to　surprise；　however；　when　she　arrived　to　find　the　driveway　filled　with　parked　cars…Mercedeses；　BMWs；　Audis；　and　a　Rolls…Royce。
　Sophie　stared　a　moment　and　then　burst　out　laughing。　My　grand…père；　the　famous　recluse！　Jacques　Saunière；　it　seemed；　was　far　less　reclusive　than　he　liked　to　pretend。　Clearly　he　was　hosting　a　party　while　Sophie　was　away　at　school；　and　from　the　looks　of　the　automobiles；　some　of　Paris's　most　influential　people　were　in　attendance。
　Eager　to　surprise　him；　she　hurried　to　the　front　door。　When　she　got　there；　though；　she　found　it　locked。　She　knocked。　Nobody　answered。　Puzzled；　she　walked　around　and　tried　the　back　door。　It　too　was　locked。　No　answer。
　Confused；　she　stood　a　moment　and　listened。　The　only　sound　she　heard　was　the　cool　Normandy　air　letting　out　a　low　moan　as　it　swirled　through　the　valley。
　No　music。
　No　voices。
　Nothing。
　In　the　silence　of　the　woods；　Sophie　hurried　to　the　side　of　the　house　and　clambered　up　on　a　woodpile；　pressing　her　face　to　the　living　room　window。　What　she　saw　inside　made　no　sense　at　all。
　〃Nobody's　here！〃
　The　entire　first　floor　looked　deserted。
　Where　are　all　the　people？
　Heart　racing；　Sophie　ran　to　the　woodshed　and　got　the　spare　key　her　grandfather　kept　hidden　under　the　kindling　box。　She　ran　to　the　front　door　and　let　herself　in。　As　she　stepped　into　the　deserted　foyer；　the　control　panel　for　the　security　system　started　blinking　red…a　warning　that　the　entrant　had　ten　seconds　to　type　the　proper　code　before　the　security　alarms　went　off。
　He　has　the　alarm　on　during　a　party？
　Sophie　quickly　typed　the　code　and　deactivated　the　system。
　Entering；　she　found　the　entire　house　uninhabited。　Upstairs　too。　As　she　descended　again　to　the　deserted　living　room；　she　stood　a　moment　in　the　silence；　wondering　what　could　possibly　be　happening。
　It　was　then　that　Sophie　heard　it。
　Muffled　voices。　And　they　seemed　to　be　ing　from　underneath　her。　Sophie　could　not　imagine。　Crouching；　she　put　her　ear　to　the　floor　and　listened。　Yes；　the　sound　was　definitely　ing　from　below。　The　voices　seemed　to　be　singing；　or。。。　chanting？　She　was　frightened。　Almost　more　eerie　than　the　sound　itself　was　the　realization　that　this　house　did　not　even　have　a　basement。
　At　least　none　I've　ever　seen。
　Turning　now　and　scanning　the　living　room；　Sophie's　eyes　fell　to　the　only　object　in　the　entire　house　that　seemed　out　of　place…her　grandfather's　favorite　antique；　a　sprawling　Aubusson　tapestry。　It　usually　hung　on　the　east　wall　beside　the　fireplace；　but　tonight　it　had　been　pulled　aside　on　its　brass　rod；　exposing　the　wall　behind　it。
　Walking　toward　the　bare　wooden　wall；　Sophie　sensed　the　chanting　getting　louder。　Hesitant；　she　leaned　her　ear　against　the　wood。　The　voices　were　clearer　now。　People　were　definitely　chanting。。。　intoning　words　Sophie　could　not　discern。
　The　space　behind　this　wall　is　hollow！
　Feeling　around　the　edge　of　the　panels；　Sophie　found　a　recessed　fingerhold。　It　was　discreetly　crafted。　A　sliding　door。　Heart　pounding；　she　placed　her　finger　in　the　slot　and　pulled　it。　With　noiseless　precision；　the　heavy　wall　slid　sideways。　From　out　of　the　darkness　beyond；　the　voices　echoed　up。
　Sophie　slipped　through　the　door　and　found　herself　on　a　rough…hewn　stone　staircase　that　spiraled　downward。　She'd　been　ing　to　this　house　since　she　was　a　child　and　yet　had　no　idea　this　staircase　even　existed！
　As　she　descended；　the　air　grew　cooler。　The　voices　clearer。　She　heard　men　and　women　now。　Her　line　of　sight　was　limited　by　the　spiral　of　the　staircase；　but　the　last　step　was　now　rounding　into　view。　Beyond　it；　she　could　see　a　small　patch　of　the　basement　floor…stone；　illuminated　by　the　flickering　orange　blaze　of　firelight。
　Holding　her　breath；　Sophie　inched　down　another　few　steps　and　crouched　down　to　look。　It　took　her　several　seconds　to　process　what　she　was　seeing。
　The　room　was　a　grotto…a　coarse　chamber　that　appeared　to　have　been　hollowed　from　the　granite　of　the　hillside。　The　only　light　came　from　torches　on　the　walls。　In　the　glow　of　the　flames；　thirty　or　so　people　stood　in　a　circle　in　the　center　of　the　room。
　I'm　dreaming；　Sophie　told　herself。　A　dream。　What　else　could　this　be？
　Everyone　in　the　room　was　wearing　a　mask。　The　women　were　dressed　in　white　gossamer　gowns　and　golden　shoes。　Their　masks　were　white；　and　in　their　hands　they　carried　golden　orbs。　The　men　wore　long　black　tunics；　and　their　masks　were　black。　They　looked　like　pieces　in　a　giant　chess　set。　Everyone　in　the　circle　rocked　back　and　forth　and　chanted　in　reverence　to　something　on　the　floor　before　them。。。　something　Sophie　could　not　see。
　The　chanting　grew　steady　again。　Accelerating。　Thundering　now。　Faster。　The　participants　took　a　step　inward　and　knelt。　In　that　instant；　Sophie　could　finally　see　what　they　all　were　witnessing。　Even　as　she　staggered　back　in　horror；　she　felt　the　image　searing　itself　into　her　memory　forever。　Overtaken　by　nausea；　Sophie　spun；　clutching　at　the　stone　walls　as　she　clambered　back　up　the　stairs。　Pulling　the　door　closed；　she　fled　the　deserted　house；　and　drove　in　a　tearful　stupor　back　to　Paris。
　That　night；　with　her　life　shattered　by　disillusionment　and　betrayal；　she　packed　her　belongings　and　left　her　home。　On　the　dining　room　table；　she　left　a　note。
　I　WAS　THERE。　DON'T　TRY　TO　FIND　ME。
　　
　Beside　the　note；　she　laid　the　old　spare　key　from　the　chateau's　woodshed。
　　
　〃Sophie！　Langdon's　voice　intruded。　〃Stop！　Stop！〃
　Emerging　from　the　memory；　Sophie　slammed　on　the　brakes；　skidding　to　a　halt。　〃What？　What　happened？！〃
　Langdon　pointed　down　the　long　street　before　them。
　When　she　saw　it；　Sophie's　blood　went　cold。　A　hundred　yards　ahead；　the　intersection　was　blocked　by　a　couple　of　DCPJ　police　cars；　parked　askew；　their　purpose　obvious。　They've　sealed　off　Avenue　Gabriel！
　Langdon　gave　a　grim　sigh。　〃I　take　it　the　embassy　is　off…limits　this　evening？〃
　Down　the　street；　the　two　DCPJ　officers　who　stood　beside　their　cars　were　now　staring　in　their　direction；　apparently　curious　about　the　headlights　that　had　halted　so　abruptly　up　the　street　from　them。
　Okay；　Sophie；　turn　around　very　slowly。
　Putting　the　SmartCar　in　reverse；　she　performed　a　posed　three…point　turn　and　reversed　her　direction。　As　she　drove　away；　she　heard　the　sound　of　squealing　tires　behind　them。　Sirens　blared　to　life。
　Cursing；　Sophie　slammed　down　the　accelerator。
　　
　CHAPTER　33
　
　Sophie's　SmartCar　tore　through　the　diplomatic　quarter；　weaving　past　embassies　and　consulates；　finally　racing　out　a　side　street　and　taking　a　right　turn　back　onto　the　massive　thoroughfare　of　Champs…Elysées。
　Langdon　sat　white…knuckled　in　the　passenger　seat；　twisted　backward；　scanning　behind　them　for　any　signs　of　the　police。　He　suddenly　wished　he　had　not　decided　to　run。　You　didn't；　he　reminded　himself。　Sophie　had　made　the　decision　for　him　when　she　threw　the　GPS　dot　out　the　bathroom　window。　Now；　as　they　sped　away　from　the　embassy；　serpentining　through　sparse　traffic　on　Champs…Elysées；　Langdon　felt　his　options　deteriorating。　Although　Sophie　seemed　to　have　lost　the　police；　at　least　for　the　moment；　Langdon　doubted　their　luck　would　hold　for　long。
　Behind　the　wheel　Sophie　was　fishing　in　her　sweater　pocket。　She　removed　a　small　metal　object　and　held　it　out　for　him。　〃Robert；　you'd　better　have　a　look　at　this。　This　is　what　my　grandfather　left　me　behind　Madonna　of　the　Rocks。〃
　Feeling　a　shiver　of　anticipation；　Langdon　took　the　object　and　examined　it。　It　was　heavy　and　shaped　like　a　cruciform。　His　first　instinct　was　that　he　was　holding　a　funeral　pieu…a　miniature　version　of　a　memorial　spike　designed　to　be　stuck　into　the　ground　at　a　gravesite。　But　then　he　noted　the　shaft　protruding　from　the　cruciform　was　prismatic　and　triangular。　The　shaft　was　also　pockmarked　with　hundreds　of　tiny　hexagons　that　appeared　to　be　finely　tooled　and　scattered　at　random。
　〃It's　a　laser…cut　key；〃　Sophie　told　him。　〃Those　hexagons　are　read　by　an　electric　eye。〃
　A　key？　Langdon　had　never　seen　anything　like　it。
　〃Look　at　the　other　side；〃　she　said；　changing　lanes　and　sai