danbrown.thedavincicode-第61节

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　〃In　exchange　for　what？〃
　〃For　our　keeping　his　bank's　name　out　of　the　news　and　also　for　helping　him　recover　some　stolen　property。　It　sounds　like　Langdon　and　Neveu　stole　something　from　Saunière's　account。〃
　〃What？〃　Collet　blurted。　〃How？〃
　Fache　never　flinched；　his　eyes　riveted　on　the　second　agent。　〃What　did　they　steal？〃
　〃Vernet　didn't　elaborate；　but　he　sounds　like　he's　willing　to　do　anything　to　get　it　back。〃
　Collet　tried　to　imagine　how　this　could　happen。　Maybe　Langdon　and　Neveu　had　held　a　bank　employee　at　gunpoint？　Maybe　they　forced　Vernet　to　open　Saunière's　account　and　facilitate　an　escape　in　the　armored　truck。　As　feasible　as　it　was；　Collet　was　having　trouble　believing　Sophie　Neveu　could　be　involved　in　anything　like　that。
　From　the　kitchen；　another　agent　yelled　to　Fache。　〃Captain？　I'm　going　through　Mr。　Teabing's　speed　dial　numbers；　and　I'm　on　the　phone　with　Le　Bourget　Airfield。　I've　got　some　bad　news。〃
　　
　Thirty　seconds　later；　Fache　was　packing　up　and　preparing　to　leave　Chateau　Villette。　He　had　just　learned　that　Teabing　kept　a　private　jet　nearby　at　Le　Bourget　Airfield　and　that　the　plane　had　taken　off　about　a　half　hour　ago。
　The　Bourget　representative　on　the　phone　had　claimed　not　to　know　who　was　on　the　plane　or　where　it　was　headed。　The　takeoff　had　been　unscheduled；　and　no　flight　plan　had　been　logged。　Highly　illegal；　even　for　a　small　airfield。　Fache　was　certain　that　by　applying　the　right　pressure；　he　could　get　the　answers　he　was　looking　for。
　〃Lieutenant　Collet；〃　Fache　barked；　heading　for　the　door。　〃I　have　no　choice　but　to　leave　you　in　charge　of　the　PTS　investigation　here。　Try　to　do　something　right　for　a　change。〃
　　
　CHAPTER　71
　
　As　the　Hawker　leveled　off；　with　its　nose　aimed　for　England；　Langdon　carefully　lifted　the　rosewood　box　from　his　lap；　where　he　had　been　protecting　it　during　takeoff。　Now；　as　he　set　the　box　on　the　table；　he　could　sense　Sophie　and　Teabing　leaning　forward　with　anticipation。
　Unlatching　the　lid　and　opening　the　box；　Langdon　turned　his　attention　not　to　the　lettered　dials　of　the　cryptex；　but　rather　to　the　tiny　hole　on　the　underside　of　the　box　lid。　Using　the　tip　of　a　pen；　he　carefully　removed　the　inlaid　Rose　on　top　and　revealed　the　text　beneath　it。　Sub　Rosa；　he　mused；　hoping　a　fresh　look　at　the　text　would　bring　clarity。　Focusing　all　his　energies；　Langdon　studied　the　strange　text。
　
　After　several　seconds；　he　began　to　feel　the　initial　frustration　resurfacing。　〃Leigh；　I　just　can't　seem　to　place　it。〃
　From　where　Sophie　was　seated　across　the　table；　she　could　not　yet　see　the　text；　but　Langdon's　inability　to　immediately　identify　the　language　surprised　her。　My　grandfather　spoke　a　language　so　obscure　that　even　a　symbologist　can't　identify　it？　She　quickly　realized　she　should　not　find　this　surprising。　This　would　not　be　the　first　secret　Jacques　Saunière　had　kept　from　his　granddaughter。
　　
　Opposite　Sophie；　Leigh　Teabing　felt　ready　to　burst。　Eager　for　his　chance　to　see　the　text；　he　quivered　with　excitement；　leaning　in；　trying　to　see　around　Langdon；　who　was　still　hunched　over　the　box。
　〃I　don't　know；〃　Langdon　whispered　intently。　〃My　first　guess　is　a　Semitic；　but　now　I'm　not　so　sure。　Most　primary　Semitics　include　nekkudot。　This　has　none。〃
　〃Probably　ancient；〃　Teabing　offered。
　〃Nekkudot？〃　Sophie　inquired。
　Teabing　never　took　his　eyes　from　the　box。　〃Most　modern　Semitic　alphabets　have　no　vowels　and　use　nekkudot…tiny　dots　and　dashes　written　either　below　or　within　the　consonants…to　indicate　what　vowel　sound　acpanies　them。　Historically　speaking；　nekkudot　are　a　relatively　modern　addition　to　language。〃
　Langdon　was　still　hovering　over　the　script。　〃A　Sephardic　transliteration；　perhaps。。。？〃
　Teabing　could　bear　it　no　longer。　〃Perhaps　if　I　just。。。〃　Reaching　over；　he　edged　the　box　away　from　Langdon　and　pulled　it　toward　himself。　No　doubt　Langdon　had　a　solid　familiarity　with　the　standard　ancients…Greek；　Latin；　the　Romances…but　from　the　fleeting　glance　Teabing　had　of　this　language；　he　thought　it　looked　more　specialized；　possibly　a　Rashi　script　or　a　STA'M　with　crowns。
　Taking　a　deep　breath；　Teabing　feasted　his　eyes　upon　the　engraving。　He　said　nothing　for　a　very　long　time。　With　each　passing　second；　Teabing　felt　his　confidence　deflating。　〃I'm　astonished；〃　he　said。　〃This　language　looks　like　nothing　I've　ever　seen！〃
　Langdon　slumped。
　〃Might　I　see　it？〃　Sophie　asked。
　Teabing　pretended　not　to　hear　her。　〃Robert；　you　said　earlier　that　you　thought　you'd　seen　something　like　this　before？〃
　Langdon　looked　vexed。　〃I　thought　so。　I'm　not　sure。　The　script　looks　familiar　somehow。〃
　〃Leigh？〃　Sophie　repeated；　clearly　not　appreciating　being　left　out　of　the　discussion。　〃Might　I　have　a　look　at　the　box　my　grandfather　made？〃
　〃Of　course；　dear；〃　Teabing　said；　pushing　it　over　to　her。　He　hadn't　meant　to　sound　belittling；　and　yet　Sophie　Neveu　was　light…years　out　of　her　league。　If　a　British　Royal　Historian　and　a　Harvard　symbologist　could　not　even　identify　the　language…
　〃Aah；〃　Sophie　said；　seconds　after　examining　the　box。　〃I　should　have　guessed。〃
　Teabing　and　Langdon　turned　in　unison；　staring　at　her。
　〃Guessed　what？〃　Teabing　demanded。
　Sophie　shrugged。　〃Guessed　that　this　would　be　the　language　my　grandfather　would　have　used。〃
　〃You're　saying　you　can　read　this　text？〃　Teabing　exclaimed。
　〃Quite　easily；〃　Sophie　chimed；　obviously　enjoying　herself　now。　〃My　grandfather　taught　me　this　language　when　I　was　only　six　years　old。　I'm　fluent。〃　She　leaned　across　the　table　and　fixed　Teabing　with　an　admonishing　glare。　〃And　frankly；　sir；　considering　your　allegiance　to　the　Crown；　I'm　a　little　surprised　you　didn't　recognize　it。〃
　In　a　flash；　Langdon　knew。
　No　wonder　the　script　looks　so　damned　familiar！
　Several　years　ago；　Langdon　had　attended　an　event　at　Harvard's　Fogg　Museum。　Harvard　dropout　Bill　Gates　had　returned　to　his　alma　mater　to　lend　to　the　museum　one　of　his　priceless　acquisitions…eighteen　sheets　of　paper　he　had　recently　purchased　at　auction　from　the　Armand　Hammar　Estate。
　His　winning　bid…a　cool　30。8　million。
　The　author　of　the　pages…Leonardo　da　Vinci。
　The　eighteen　folios…now　known　as　Leonardo's　Codex　Leicester　after　their　famous　owner；　the　Earl　of　Leicester…were　all　that　remained　of　one　of　Leonardo's　most　fascinating　notebooks：　essays　and　drawings　outlining　Da　Vinci's　progressive　theories　on　astronomy；　geology；　archaeology；　and　hydrology。
　Langdon　would　never　forget　his　reaction　after　waiting　in　line　and　finally　viewing　the　priceless　parchment。　Utter　letdown。　The　pages　were　unintelligible。　Despite　being　beautifully　preserved　and　written　in　an　impeccably　neat　penmanship…crimson　ink　on　cream　paper…the　codex　looked　like　gibberish。　At　first　Langdon　thought　he　could　not　read　them　because　Da　Vinci　wrote　his　notebooks　in　an　archaic　Italian。　But　after　studying　them　more　closely；　he　realized　he　could　not　identify　a　single　Italian　word；　or　even　one　letter。
　〃Try　this；　sir；〃　whispered　the　female　docent　at　the　display　case。　She　motioned　to　a　hand　mirror　affixed　to　the　display　on　a　chain。　Langdon　picked　it　up　and　examined　the　text　in　the　mirror's　surface。
　Instantly　it　was　clear。
　Langdon　had　been　so　eager　to　peruse　some　of　the　great　thinker's　ideas　that　he　had　forgotten　one　of　the　man's　numerous　artistic　talents　was　an　ability　to　write　in　a　mirrored　script　that　was　virtually　illegible　to　anyone　other　than　himself。　Historians　still　debated　whether　Da　Vinci　wrote　this　way　simply　to　amuse　himself　or　to　keep　people　from　peering　over　his　shoulder　and　stealing　his　ideas；　but　the　point　was　moot。　Da　Vinci　did　as　he　pleased。
　　
　Sophie　smiled　inwardly　to　see　that　Robert　understood　her　meaning。　〃I　can　read　the　first　few　words；〃　she　said。　〃It's　English。〃
　Teabing　was　still　sputtering。　〃What's　going　on？〃
　〃Reverse　text；〃　Langdon　said。　〃We　need　a　mirror。〃
　〃No　we　don't；〃　Sophie　said。　〃I　bet　this　veneer　is　thin　enough。〃　She　lifted　the　rosewood　box　up　to　a　canister　light　on　the　wall　and　began　examining　the　underside　of　the　lid。　Her　grandfather　couldn't　actually　write　in　reverse；　so　he　always　cheated　by　writing　normally　and　then　flipping　the　paper　over　and　tracing　the　reversed　impression。　Sophie's　guess　was　that　he　had　wood…burned　normal　text　into　a　block　of　wood　and　then　run　the　back　of　the　block　through　a　sander　until　the　wood　was　paper　thin　and　the　wood…burning　could　be　seen　through　the　wood。　Then　he'd　simply　flipped　the　piece　over；　and　laid　it　in。
　As　Sophie　moved　the　lid　closer　to　the　light；　she　saw　she　was　right。　The　bright　beam　sifted　through　the　thin　layer　of　wood；　and　the　script　appeared　in　reverse　on　the　underside　of　the　lid。
　Instantly　legible。
　〃English；〃　Teabing　croaked；　hanging　his　head　in　shame。　〃My　native　tongue。〃
　　
　At　the　rear　of　the　plane；　Rémy　Legaludec　strained　to　hear　beyond　the　rumbling　engines；　but　the　conversation　up　front　was　inaudible。　Rémy　did　not　like　the　way　the　night　was　progressing。　Not　at　all。　He　looked　down　at　the　bound　monk　at　his　feet。　The　man　lay　perfectly　still　now；　as　if　in　a　trance　of　acceptance；　or　perhaps；　in　silent　prayer　for　deliverance。
　　
　CHAPTER　72
　Fifteen　thousand　feet　in　the　air；　Robert　Langdon　felt　the　physical　world　fade　away　as　all　of　his　thoughts　converged　on　Saunière's　mirror…image　poem；　which　was　illuminated　through　the　lid　of　th