iancaldwell&dustinthomason.theruleoffour-第46节
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I grow fearful that my secret is too easily spread。 But first； out of deference to your acplishment； I will offer you the beginnings of my story； so that you will know I have not led you this far in vain。
There is a preacher in the land of my brethren who has brought a great pestilence upon the lovers of knowledge。 We have battled him with all our wit and influence； but this single man raises our countrymen against us。 He thunders in the squares and from the pulpits； and the mon men of all nations take up arms to do us harm。 Just as God； out of jealousy； brought to nothing the tower in the plain of Shinar； which men built toward the heavens； so He raises His fist against us； who attempt the very same。 I did long ago hope that men wished to be delivered from ignorance； just as slaves wish to be freed from bondage。 It is a condition unbeing our dignity； and contrary to our nature。 Yet I find now that the race of men is a cowardly thing； a perversion like the owl of my riddle； which though it might enjoy sunlight； prefers darkness。 You will hear no more of me； reader； upon the pletion of my crypt。 To be a prince to such people as this； is to be a castled kind of beggar。 This book will be my only child； may it live long； and serve you well。
Paul hardly paused to contemplate it； he pushed on to the fifth and final riddle； which he'd found while I struggled with the fourth： Where do blood and spirit meet？
〃It's the oldest philosophical question in the book；〃 he told me； while I puttered around the room； preparing for a night with Katie。
〃What is？〃
〃The intersection of mind and body； the flesh…spirit duality。 You see it in Augustine； in contra Manichaeos。 You see it in modern philosophy。 Descartes thought he could pinpoint the soul somewhere near the pineal gland in the brain。〃
He continued that way； paging through a book from Firestone and sputtering philosophy； while I packed。
〃What are you reading？〃 I asked； pulling my copy of Paradise Lost off the shelf to bring with me。
〃Galen；〃 Paul said。
〃Who？〃
〃The second father of western medicine； after Hippocrates。〃
I remembered。 Charlie had studied Galen in a history of science class。 By Renaissance standards； though； Galen was no spring chick： he died thirteen hundred years before the Hypnerotomachia was published。
〃Why？〃 I asked。
〃I think the riddle is about anatomy。 Francesco must've believed there was an actual organ in the body where blood and spirit met。〃
Charlie appeared in the doorway with the remains of an apple in his hand。 〃What are you amateurs talking about？〃 he said； hearing talk of things medical。
〃An organ like this；〃 Paul said； ignoring him。 〃The rete mirabile。〃 He pointed to a diagram in the book。 〃A network of nerves and vessels at the base of the brain。 Galen thought this is where vital spirits turned into animal ones。〃
〃What's wrong with it？〃 I asked； checking my watch。
〃I don't know。 It doesn't work as a cipher。〃
〃That's because it doesn't exist in humans；〃 Charlie said。
〃What do you mean？〃
Charlie looked up and took a last nibble from his apple。 〃Galen only dissected animals。 The rete mirabile's something he found in an ox or a sheep。〃
Paul's expression faded。
〃He also made a meal of cardiac anatomy；〃 Charlie continued。
〃There's no septum？〃 Paul said； as if he knew what Charlie meant。
〃There is。 There just aren't any pores in it。〃
〃What's a septum？〃 I asked。
〃The wall of tissue between the two sides of the heart。〃 Charlie walked over to Paul's book and flipped through it to find a diagram of the circulatory system。 〃Galen got it all wrong。 He said there were little holes in the septum where blood passed between the chambers。〃
〃There aren't？〃
〃No；〃 Paul snapped； beginning to sound as if he'd been working on this longer than I thought。 〃But Mondino made the same mistake about the septum。 Vesalius and Servetus figured it out； but not until the mid…1500s。 Leonardo followed Galen。 Harvey didn't describe the circulatory system until the 1600s。 This riddle is from the late 1400s； Charlie。 It has to be the rete mirabile or the septum。 No one knew that air mixed with blood in the lungs。〃
Charlie chuckled。 〃No one in the West。 The Arabs figured it out two hundred years before your guy wrote his book。〃
Paul began rifling through his papers。 Thinking the matter was settled； I turned to go。 〃I gotta run。 I'll see you guys later。〃
But just as I moved toward the hallway； Paul found what he'd been looking for： the Latin he'd translated weeks earlier； the text of Colonna's third message。
〃The Arab doctor；〃 he said。 〃Was his name Ibn al…Nafis？〃
Charlie nodded。 〃That's the one。〃
Paul was all excitement。 〃Francesco must've gotten the text from Andrea Alpago。〃
〃Who？〃
〃The man he mentions in the message。 Disciple of the venerable Ibn al…Nafis。〃 Before either of us could speak； Paul was talking to himself。 〃What's Latin for lung？ Pulmo？〃
I made for the door。
〃You're not going to wait to see what it says？〃 he asked； looking up。
〃I'm supposed to be at Katie's in ten minutes。〃
〃This'll only take fifteen。 Maybe thirty。〃
I think it occurred to him only at that moment how much things had changed。
〃I'll see you guys in the morning；〃 I said。
Charlie； who understood； smiled and wished me luck。
It was a signal night for Paul； I think。 He realized he'd lost me for good。 He also sensed that no matter what Colonna's final message was； it couldn't possibly contain the man's entire secret； when so little had been revealed in the first four parts。 The second half of the Hypnerotomachia； which we had always assumed was filler； must in reality contain more ciphered text。 And whatever consolation Paul took in Charlie's medical knowledge； or in having solved the fifth riddle； it dissipated quickly when he saw Colonna's message and realized that he was right。
I fear for you； reader； as I fear for myself。 As you have perceived； it was my intention at the beginning of this text to betray to you my meanings； no matter how deeply I wrapped them in codes。 I have wished for you to find what you seek； and have acted as your guide。
Now； however； I find that I have not faith enough in my own creation to continue in this manner。 Perhaps I cannot judge the true difficulty of the riddles here contained； even if their creators assure me none but a true philosopher could solve them。 Perhaps these wise men； too； are jealous of my secret； and have misled me so that they may steal what is rightfully ours。 He is clever indeed； this preacher； with followers in every camp； I fear he turns my soldiers against me。
It is as a defense to you then； reader； that I pursue my present course。 Where you have bee accustomed to finding a riddle within my chapters； you will benceforth find no riddles at all； and no solutions to lead you。 I will employ only my Rule of Four for the duration of Poliphilo's journey； but I will offer you no suggestion of its nature。 Only your intellect will guide you now。 May God and genius； friend； shepherd you aright。
It was confidence alone； I think； that prevented Paul from sensing his abandonment until many days had passed。 I had left him； Colonna had left him； now he navigated alone。 He tried； at first； to reinvolve me in the process。 We had solved so much together that he thought it would be selfish to let me absent myself in the eleventh hour。 We were so close； he thought； we had so little left to do。
Then a week passed； and another。 I was beginning again with Katie； relearning her； loving her alone。 So much had happened in the weeks we'd been apart that I was more than occupied trying to catch up。 We alternated meals at Cloister and at Ivy。 She had new friends； we had new routines。 There were family matters of hers I began to take an interest in。 I sensed that once I'd won her trust back pletely； she had things she wanted to tell me。
Everything Paul had learned about Colonna's riddles； meanwhile； began to fail him。 Like a body of work slowly decaying in function； the Hypnerotomachia resisted all his trusted medicines。 The Rule of Four was elusive； Colonna had given no indication of its origin。 Charlie； the hero of the fifth riddle； stayed up with Paul some nights； worrying about the effect my departure was having。 He never asked me to help； knowing what the book had done to me once； but I saw the way he hovered over Paul； like a doctor eyeing a patient he fears is trending badly。 A darkness was setting in； a book lover's heartbreak； and Paul was helpless against it。 He would suffer； without my help； until Easter weekend。
Chapter 19
On the way back to Dod； I shuffle through Katie's pictures of Princeton Battlefield。 In shot after shot I've caught her in midmotion； running toward me； hair streaking behind； mouth half open； her words caught somewhere in the registers of experience beyond the camera's range。 The pleasure of imagining her voice in them is the joy of these pictures。 In another twelve hours I'll see her at Ivy； escorting her to the ball she's been anticipating almost since we met； and I know what she'll be waiting for me to say。 That I've made a choice I can stick to； that I've learned。 That I won't be returning to the Hypneroto
