danbrown.thedavincicode-第44节

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！


c　eavesdropping　had　played　a　major　role　in　how　he　had　gathered　his　astonishing　array　of　secret　knowledge。
　For　this　reason；　he　takes　extra　precautions。
　Unfortunately；　the　Teacher's　protocols　for　caution　included　a　refusal　to　give　Aringarosa　any　kind　of　contact　number。　I　alone　will　initiate　contact；　the　Teacher　had　informed　him。　So　keep　your　phone　close。　Now　that　Aringarosa　realized　his　phone　might　not　have　been　working　properly；　he　feared　what　the　Teacher　might　think　if　he　had　been　repeatedly　phoning　with　no　answer。
　He'll　think　something　is　wrong。
　Or　that　I　failed　to　get　the　bonds。
　The　bishop　broke　a　light　sweat。
　Or　worse。。。　that　I　took　the　money　and　ran！
　　
　CHAPTER　51
　
　Even　at　a　modest　sixty　kilometers　an　hour；　the　dangling　front　bumper　of　the　armored　truck　grated　against　the　deserted　suburban　road　with　a　grinding　roar；　spraying　sparks　up　onto　the　hood。
　We've　got　to　get　off　the　road；　Langdon　thought。
　He　could　barely　even　see　where　they　were　headed。　The　truck's　lone　working　headlight　had　been　knocked　off…center　and　was　casting　a　skewed　sidelong　beam　into　the　woods　beside　the　country　highway。　Apparently　the　armor　in　this　〃armored　truck〃　referred　only　to　the　cargo　hold　and　not　the　front　end。
　Sophie　sat　in　the　passenger　seat；　staring　blankly　at　the　rosewood　box　on　her　lap。
　〃Are　you　okay？〃　Langdon　asked。
　Sophie　looked　shaken。　〃Do　you　believe　him？〃
　〃About　the　three　additional　murders？　Absolutely。　It　answers　a　lot　of　questions…the　issue　of　your　grandfather's　desperation　to　pass　on　the　keystone；　as　well　as　the　intensity　with　which　Fache　is　hunting　me。〃
　〃No；　I　meant　about　Vernet　trying　to　protect　his　bank。〃
　Langdon　glanced　over。　〃As　opposed　to？〃
　〃Taking　the　keystone　for　himself。〃
　Langdon　had　not　even　considered　it。　〃How　would　he　even　know　what　this　box　contains？〃
　〃His　bank　stored　it。　He　knew　my　grandfather。　Maybe　he　knew　things。　He　might　have　decided　he　wanted　the　Grail　for　himself。〃
　Langdon　shook　his　head。　Vernet　hardly　seemed　the　type。　〃In　my　experience；　there　are　only　two　reasons　people　seek　the　Grail。　Either　they　are　naive　and　believe　they　are　searching　for　the　long…lost　Cup　of　Christ。。。〃
　〃Or？〃
　〃Or　they　know　the　truth　and　are　threatened　by　it。　Many　groups　throughout　history　have　sought　to　destroy　the　Grail。〃
　The　silence　between　them　accentuated　the　sound　of　the　scraping　bumper。　They　had　driven　a　few　kilometers　now；　and　as　Langdon　watched　the　cascade　of　sparks　ing　off　the　front　of　the　truck；　he　wondered　if　it　was　dangerous。　Either　way；　if　they　passed　another　car；　it　would　certainly　draw　attention。　Langdon　made　up　his　mind。
　〃I'm　going　to　see　if　I　can　bend　this　bumper　back。〃
　Pulling　onto　the　shoulder；　he　brought　the　truck　to　a　stop。
　Silence　at　last。
　As　Langdon　walked　toward　the　front　of　the　truck；　he　felt　surprisingly　alert。　Staring　into　the　barrel　of　yet　another　gun　tonight　had　given　him　a　second　wind。　He　took　a　deep　breath　of　nighttime　air　and　tried　to　get　his　wits　about　him。　Acpanying　the　gravity　of　being　a　hunted　man；　Langdon　was　starting　to　feel　the　ponderous　weight　of　responsibility；　the　prospect　that　he　and　Sophie　might　actually　be　holding　an　encrypted　set　of　directions　to　one　of　the　most　enduring　mysteries　of　all　time。
　As　if　this　burden　were　not　great　enough；　Langdon　now　realized　that　any　possibility　of　finding　a　way　to　return　the　keystone　to　the　Priory　had　just　evaporated。　News　of　the　three　additional　murders　had　dire　implications。　The　Priory　has　been　infiltrated。　They　are　promised。　The　brotherhood　was　obviously　being　watched；　or　there　was　a　mole　within　the　ranks。　It　seemed　to　explain　why　Saunière　might　have　transferred　the　keystone　to　Sophie　and　Langdon…people　outside　the　brotherhood；　people　he　knew　were　not　promised。　We　can't　very　well　give　the　keystone　back　to　the　brotherhood。　Even　if　Langdon　had　any　idea　how　to　find　a　Priory　member；　chances　were　good　that　whoever　stepped　forward　to　take　the　keystone　could　be　the　enemy　himself。　For　the　moment；　at　least；　it　seemed　the　keystone　was　in　Sophie　and　Langdon's　hands；　whether　they　wanted　it　or　not。
　The　truck's　front　end　looked　worse　than　Langdon　had　imagined。　The　left　headlight　was　gone；　and　the　right　one　looked　like　an　eyeball　dangling　from　its　socket。　Langdon　straightened　it；　and　it　dislodged　again。　The　only　good　news　was　that　the　front　bumper　had　been　torn　almost　clean　off。　Langdon　gave　it　a　hard　kick　and　sensed　he　might　be　able　to　break　it　off　entirely。
　As　he　repeatedly　kicked　the　twisted　metal；　Langdon　recalled　his　earlier　conversation　with　Sophie。　My　grandfather　left　me　a　phone　message；　Sophie　had　told　him。　He　said　he　needed　to　tell　me　the　truth　about　my　family。　At　the　time　it　had　meant　nothing；　but　now；　knowing　the　Priory　of　Sion　was　involved；　Langdon　felt　a　startling　new　possibility　emerge。
　The　bumper　broke　off　suddenly　with　a　crash。　Langdon　paused　to　catch　his　breath。　At　least　the　truck　would　no　longer　look　like　a　Fourth　of　July　sparkler。　He　grabbed　the　bumper　and　began　dragging　it　out　of　sight　into　the　woods；　wondering　where　they　should　go　next。　They　had　no　idea　how　to　open　the　cryptex；　or　why　Saunière　had　given　it　to　them。　Unfortunately；　their　survival　tonight　seemed　to　depend　on　getting　answers　to　those　very　questions。
　We　need　help；　Langdon　decided。　Professional　help。
　In　the　world　of　the　Holy　Grail　and　the　Priory　of　Sion；　that　meant　only　one　man。　The　challenge；　of　course；　would　be　selling　the　idea　to　Sophie。
　　
　Inside　the　armored　car；　while　Sophie　waited　for　Langdon　to　return；　she　could　feel　the　weight　of　the　rosewood　box　on　her　lap　and　resented　it。　Why　did　my　grandfather　give　this　to　me？　She　had　not　the　slightest　idea　what　to　do　with　it。
　Think；　Sophie！　Use　your　head。　Grand…père　is　trying　to　tell　you　something！
　Opening　the　box；　she　eyed　the　cryptex's　dials。　A　proof　of　merit。　She　could　feel　her　grandfather's　hand　at　work。　The　keystone　is　a　map　that　can　be　followed　only　by　the　worthy。　It　sounded　like　her　grandfather　to　the　core。
　Lifting　the　cryptex　out　of　the　box；　Sophie　ran　her　fingers　over　the　dials。　Five　letters。　She　rotated　the　dials　one　by　one。　The　mechanism　moved　smoothly。　She　aligned　the　disks　such　that　her　chosen　letters　lined　up　between　the　cryptex's　two　brass　alignment　arrows　on　either　end　of　the　cylinder。　The　dials　now　spelled　a　five…letter　word　that　Sophie　knew　was　absurdly　obvious。
　G…R…A…I…L。
　Gently；　she　held　the　two　ends　of　the　cylinder　and　pulled；　applying　pressure　slowly。　The　cryptex　didn't　budge。　She　heard　the　vinegar　inside　gurgle　and　stopped　pulling。　Then　she　tried　again。
　V…I…N…C…I
　Again；　no　movement。
　V…O…U…T…E
　Nothing。　The　cryptex　remained　locked　solid。
　Frowning；　she　replaced　it　in　the　rosewood　box　and　closed　the　lid。　Looking　outside　at　Langdon；　Sophie　felt　grateful　he　was　with　her　tonight。　P。S。　Find　Robert　Langdon。　Her　grandfather's　rationale　for　including　him　was　now　clear。　Sophie　was　not　equipped　to　understand　her　grandfather's　intentions；　and　so　he　had　assigned　Robert　Langdon　as　her　guide。　A　tutor　to　oversee　her　education。　Unfortunately　for　Langdon；　he　had　turned　out　to　be　far　more　than　a　tutor　tonight。　He　had　bee　the　target　of　Bezu　Fache。。。　and　some　unseen　force　intent　on　possessing　the　Holy　Grail。
　Whatever　the　Grail　turns　out　to　be。
　Sophie　wondered　if　finding　out　was　worth　her　life。
　　
　As　the　armored　truck　accelerated　again；　Langdon　was　pleased　how　much　more　smoothly　it　drove。　〃Do　you　know　how　to　get　to　Versailles？〃
　Sophie　eyed　him。　〃Sightseeing？〃
　〃No；　I　have　a　plan。　There's　a　religious　historian　I　know　who　lives　near　Versailles。　I　can't　remember　exactly　where；　but　we　can　look　it　up。　I've　been　to　his　estate　a　few　times。　His　name　is　Leigh　Teabing。　He's　a　former　British　Royal　Historian。〃
　〃And　he　lives　in　Paris？〃
　〃Teabing's　life　passion　is　the　Grail。　When　whisperings　of　the　Priory　keystone　surfaced　about　fifteen　years　ago；　he　moved　to　France　to　search　churches　in　hopes　of　finding　it。　He's　written　some　books　on　the　keystone　and　the　Grail。　He　may　be　able　to　help　us　figure　out　how　to　open　it　and　what　to　do　with　it。〃
　Sophie's　eyes　were　wary。　〃Can　you　trust　him？〃
　〃Trust　him　to　what？　Not　steal　the　information？〃
　〃And　not　to　turn　us　in。〃
　〃I　don't　intend　to　tell　him　we're　wanted　by　the　police。　I'm　hoping　he'll　take　us　in　until　we　can　sort　all　this　out。〃
　〃Robert；　has　it　occurred　to　you　that　every　television　in　France　is　probably　getting　ready　to　broadcast　our　pictures？　Bezu　Fache　always　uses　the　media　to　his　advantage。　He'll　make　it　impossible　for　us　to　move　around　without　being　recognized。〃
　Terrific；　Langdon　thought。　My　French　TV　debut　will　be　on　〃Paris's　Most　Wanted。〃　At　least　Jonas　Faukman　would　be　pleased；　every　time　Langdon　made　the　news；　his　book　sales　jumped。
　〃Is　this　man　a　good　enough　friend？〃　Sophie　asked。
　Langdon　doubted　Teabing　was　someone　who　watched　television；　especially　at　this　hour；　but　still　the　question　deserved　consideration。　Instinct　told　Langdon　that　Teabing　would　be　totally　trustworthy。　An　ideal　safe　harbor。　Considering　the　circumstances；　Teabing　would　probably　trip　over　himself　to　help　them　as　much　as　possible。　Not　only　did　he　owe　Langdon　a　favor；　but　Teabing　was　a　Grail　researcher；　and　Sophie　claimed　her　grandfather　was　the　actual　Grand　Master　of　the　Priory　of