danbrown.thedavincicode-第42节

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　As　Langdon　finished　his　explanation；　his　expression　seemed　to　tighten　suddenly。
　〃Robert？　Are　you　okay？〃
　His　eyes　were　riveted　to　the　rosewood　box。　〃Sub。。。　rosa；〃　he　choked；　a　fearful　bewilderment　sweeping　across　his　face。　〃It　can't　be。〃
　〃What？〃
　Langdon　slowly　raised　his　eyes。　〃Under　the　sign　of　the　Rose；〃　he　whispered。　〃This　cryptex。。。　I　think　I　know　what　it　is。〃
　　
　CHAPTER　48
　
　Langdon　could　scarcely　believe　his　own　supposition；　and　yet；　considering　who　had　given　this　stone　cylinder　to　them；　how　he　had　given　it　to　them；　and　now；　the　inlaid　Rose　on　the　container；　Langdon　could　formulate　only　one　conclusion。
　I　am　holding　the　Priory　keystone。
　The　legend　was　specific。
　The　keystone　is　an　encoded　stone　that　lies　beneath　the　sign　of　the　Rose。
　〃Robert？〃　Sophie　was　watching　him。　〃What's　going　on？〃
　Langdon　needed　a　moment　to　gather　his　thoughts。　〃Did　your　grandfather　ever　speak　to　you　of　something　called　la　clef　de　vo？te？〃
　〃The　key　to　the　vault？〃　Sophie　translated。
　〃No；　that's　the　literal　translation。　Clef　de　vo？te　is　a　mon　architectural　term。　Vo？te　refers　not　to　a　bank　vault；　but　to　a　vault　in　an　archway。　Like　a　vaulted　ceiling。〃
　〃But　vaulted　ceilings　don't　have　keys。〃
　〃Actually　they　do。　Every　stone　archway　requires　a　central；　wedge…shaped　stone　at　the　top　which　locks　the　pieces　together　and　carries　all　the　weight。　This　stone　is；　in　an　architectural　sense；　the　key　to　the　vault。　In　English　we　call　it　a　keystone。〃　Langdon　watched　her　eyes　for　any　spark　of　recognition。
　Sophie　shrugged；　glancing　down　at　the　cryptex。　〃But　this　obviously　is　not　a　keystone。〃
　Langdon　didn't　know　where　to　begin。　Keystones　as　a　masonry　technique　for　building　stone　archways　had　been　one　of　the　best…kept　secrets　of　the　early　Masonic　brotherhood。　The　Royal　Arch　Degree。　Architecture。　Keystones。　It　was　all　interconnected。　The　secret　knowledge　of　how　to　use　a　wedged　keystone　to　build　a　vaulted　archway　was　part　of　the　wisdom　that　had　made　the　Masons　such　wealthy　craftsmen；　and　it　was　a　secret　they　guarded　carefully。　Keystones　had　always　had　a　tradition　of　secrecy。　And　yet；　the　stone　cylinder　in　the　rosewood　box　was　obviously　something　quite　different。　The　Priory　keystone…if　this　was　indeed　what　they　were　holding…was　not　at　all　what　Langdon　had　imagined。
　〃The　Priory　keystone　is　not　my　specialty；〃　Langdon　admitted。　〃My　interest　in　the　Holy　Grail　is　primarily　symbologic；　so　I　tend　to　ignore　the　plethora　of　lore　regarding　how　to　actually　find　it。〃
　Sophie's　eyebrows　arched。　〃Find　the　Holy　Grail？〃
　Langdon　gave　an　uneasy　nod；　speaking　his　next　words　carefully。　〃Sophie；　according　to　Priory　lore；　the　keystone　is　an　encoded　map。。。　a　map　that　reveals　the　hiding　place　of　the　Holy　Grail。〃
　Sophie's　face　went　blank。　〃And　you　think　this　is　it？〃
　Langdon　didn't　know　what　to　say。　Even　to　him　it　sounded　unbelievable；　and　yet　the　keystone　was　the　only　logical　conclusion　he　could　muster。　An　encrypted　stone；　hidden　beneath　the　sign　of　the　Rose。
　The　idea　that　the　cryptex　had　been　designed　by　Leonardo　da　Vinci…former　Grand　Master　of　the　Priory　of　Sion…shone　as　another　tantalizing　indicator　that　this　was　indeed　the　Priory　keystone。　A　former　Grand　Master's　blueprint。。。　brought　to　life　centuries　later　by　another　Priory　member。　The　bond　was　too　palpable　to　dismiss。
　For　the　last　decade；　historians　had　been　searching　for　the　keystone　in　French　churches。　Grail　seekers；　familiar　with　the　Priory's　history　of　cryptic　double…talk；　had　concluded　la　clef　de　vo？te　was　a　literal　keystone…an　architectural　wedge…an　engraved；　encrypted　stone；　inserted　into　a　vaulted　archway　in　a　church。　Beneath　the　sign　of　the　Rose。　In　architecture；　there　was　no　shortage　of　roses。　Rose　windows。　Rosette　reliefs。　And；　of　course；　an　abundance　of　cinquefoils…the　five…petaled　decorative　flowers　often　found　at　the　top　of　archways；　directly　over　the　keystone。　The　hiding　place　seemed　diabolically　simple。　The　map　to　the　Holy　Grail　was　incorporated　high　in　an　archway　of　some　forgotten　church；　mocking　the　blind　churchgoers　who　wandered　beneath　it。
　〃This　cryptex　can't　be　the　keystone；〃　Sophie　argued。　〃It's　not　old　enough。　I'm　certain　my　grandfather　made　this。　It　can't　be　part　of　any　ancient　Grail　legend。〃
　〃Actually；〃　Langdon　replied；　feeling　a　tingle　of　excitement　ripple　through　him；　〃the　keystone　is　believed　to　have　been　created　by　the　Priory　sometime　in　the　past　couple　of　decades。〃
　Sophie's　eyes　flashed　disbelief。　〃But　if　this　cryptex　reveals　the　hiding　place　of　the　Holy　Grail；　why　would　my　grandfather　give　it　to　me？　I　have　no　idea　how　to　open　it　or　what　to　do　with　it。　I　don't　even　know　what　the　Holy　Grail　is！〃
　Langdon　realized　to　his　surprise　that　she　was　right。　He　had　not　yet　had　a　chance　to　explain　to　Sophie　the　true　nature　of　the　Holy　Grail。　That　story　would　have　to　wait。　At　the　moment；　they　were　focused　on　the　keystone。
　If　that　is　indeed　what　this　is。。。。
　Against　the　hum　of　the　bulletproof　wheels　beneath　them；　Langdon　quickly　explained　to　Sophie　everything　he　had　heard　about　the　keystone。　Allegedly；　for　centuries；　the　Priory's　biggest　secret…the　location　of　the　Holy　Grail…was　never　written　down。　For　security's　sake；　it　was　verbally　transferred　to　each　new　rising　sénéchal　at　a　clandestine　ceremony。　However；　at　some　point　during　the　last　century；　whisperings　began　to　surface　that　the　Priory　policy　had　changed。　Perhaps　it　was　on　account　of　new　electronic　eavesdropping　capabilities；　but　the　Priory　vowed　never　again　even　to　speak　the　location　of　the　sacred　hiding　place。
　〃But　then　how　could　they　pass　on　the　secret？〃　Sophie　asked。
　〃That's　where　the　keystone　es　in；〃　Langdon　explained。　〃When　one　of　the　top　four　members　died；　the　remaining　three　would　choose　from　the　lower　echelons　the　next　candidate　to　ascend　as　sénéchal。　Rather　than　telling　the　new　sénéchal　where　the　Grail　was　hidden；　they　gave　him　a　test　through　which　he　could　prove　he　was　worthy。〃
　Sophie　looked　unsettled　by　this；　and　Langdon　suddenly　recalled　her　mentioning　how　her　grandfather　used　to　make　treasure　hunts　for　her…preuves　de　mérite。　Admittedly；　the　keystone　was　a　similar　concept。　Then　again；　tests　like　this　were　extremely　mon　in　secret　societies。　The　best　known　was　the　Masons'；　wherein　members　ascended　to　higher　degrees　by　proving　they　could　keep　a　secret　and　by　performing　rituals　and　various　tests　of　merit　over　many　years。　The　tasks　became　progressively　harder　until　they　culminated　in　a　successful　candidate's　induction　as　thirty…second…degree　Mason。
　〃So　the　keystone　is　a　preuve　de　mérite；〃　Sophie　said。　〃If　a　rising　Priory　sénéchal　can　open　it；　he　proves　himself　worthy　of　the　information　it　holds。〃
　Langdon　nodded。　〃I　forgot　you'd　had　experience　with　this　sort　of　thing。〃
　〃Not　only　with　my　grandfather。　In　cryptology；　that's　called　a　'self…authorizing　language。'　That　is；　if　you're　smart　enough　to　read　it；　you're　permitted　to　know　what　is　being　said。〃
　Langdon　hesitated　a　moment。　〃Sophie；　you　realize　that　if　this　is　indeed　the　keystone；　your　grandfather's　access　to　it　implies　he　was　exceptionally　powerful　within　the　Priory　of　Sion。　He　would　have　to　have　been　one　of　the　highest　four　members。〃
　Sophie　sighed。　〃He　was　powerful　in　a　secret　society。　I'm　certain　of　it。　I　can　only　assume　it　was　the　Priory。〃
　Langdon　did　a　double　take。　〃You　knew　he　was　in　a　secret　society？〃
　〃I　saw　some　things　I　wasn't　supposed　to　see　ten　years　ago。　We　haven't　spoken　since。〃　She　paused。　〃My　grandfather　was　not　only　a　ranking　top　member　of　the　group。。。　I　believe　he　was　the　top　member。〃
　Langdon　could　not　believe　what　she　had　just　said。　〃Grand　Master？　But。。。　there's　no　way　you　could　know　that！〃
　〃I'd　rather　not　talk　about　it。〃　Sophie　looked　away；　her　expression　as　determined　as　it　was　pained。
　Langdon　sat　in　stunned　silence。　Jacques　Saunière？　Grand　Master？　Despite　the　astonishing　repercussions　if　it　were　true；　Langdon　had　the　eerie　sensation　it　almost　made　perfect　sense。　After　all；　previous　Priory　Grand　Masters　had　also　been　distinguished　public　figures　with　artistic　souls。　Proof　of　that　fact　had　been　uncovered　years　ago　in　Paris's　Bibliothèque　Nationale　in　papers　that　became　known　as　Les　Dossiers　Secrets。
　Every　Priory　historian　and　Grail　buff　had　read　the　Dossiers。　Cataloged　under　Number　4°　lm1　249；　the　Dossiers　Secrets　had　been　authenticated　by　many　specialists　and　incontrovertibly　confirmed　what　historians　had　suspected　for　a　long　time：　Priory　Grand　Masters　included　Leonardo　da　Vinci；　Botticelli；　Sir　Isaac　Newton；　Victor　Hugo；　and；　more　recently；　Jean　Cocteau；　the　famous　Parisian　artist。
　Why　not　Jacques　Saunière？
　Langdon's　incredulity　intensified　with　the　realization　that　he　had　been　slated　to　meet　Saunière　tonight。　The　Priory　Grand　Master　called　a　meeting　with　me。　Why？　To　make　artistic　small　talk？　It　suddenly　seemed　unlikely。　After　all；　if　Langdon's　instincts　were　correct；　the　Grand　Master　of　the　Priory　of　Sion　had　just　transferred　the　brotherhood's　legendary　keystone　to　his　granddaughter　and　simultaneously　manded　her　to　find　Robert　Langdon。
　Inconceivable！
　Langdon's　imagination　could　conjure　no　set　of　circumstances　that　would　explain　Saunière's　behavior。　Even　if　Saunière　feared　his　own　death；　there　were　three　sénéchaux　who　also　possessed　the　secret　and