达芬奇密码 作者: 美 丹·布朗(英文版)-第17章

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Langdon　looked　not　even　vaguely　convinced。　〃Forget　it！　Fache　has　armed　guards　on　every　single　exit！　Even　if　we　escape　without　being　shot；　running　away　only　makes　me　look　guilty。　You　need　to　tell　Fache　that　the　message　on　the　floor　was　for　you；　and　that　my　name　is　not　there　as　an　accusation。〃
〃I　will　do　that；〃　Sophie　said；　speaking　hurriedly；　〃but　after　you're　safely　inside　the　U。S。　Embassy。　It's　only　about　a　mile　from　here；　and　my　car　is　parked　just　outside　the　museum。　Dealing　with　Fache　from　here　is　too　much　of　a　gamble。　Don't　you　see？　Fache　has　made　it　his　mission　tonight　to　prove　you　are　guilty。　The　only　reason　he　postponed　your　arrest　was　to　run　this　observance　in　hopes　you　did　something　that　made　his　case　stronger。〃
〃Exactly。　Like　running！〃
The　cell　phone　in　Sophie's　sweater　pocket　suddenly　began　ringing。　Fache　probably。　She　reached　in　her　sweater　and　turned　off　the　phone。
〃Mr。　Langdon；〃　she　said　hurriedly；　〃I　need　to　ask　you　one　last　question。〃　And　your　entire　future　may　depend　on　it。　〃The　writing　on　the　floor　is　obviously　not　proof　of　your　guilt；　and　yet　Fache　told　our　team　he　is　certain　you　are　his　man。　Can　you　think　of　any　other　reason　he　might　be　convinced　you're　guilty？〃
Langdon　was　silent　for　several　seconds。　〃None　whatsoever。〃
Sophie　sighed。　Which　means　Fache　is　lying。　Why；　Sophie　could　not　begin　to　imagine；　but　that　was　hardly　the　issue　at　this　point。　The　fact　remained　that　Bezu　Fache　was　determined　to　put　Robert　Langdon　behind　bars　tonight；　at　any　cost。　Sophie　needed　Langdon　for　herself；　and　it　was　this　dilemma　that　left　Sophie　only　one　logical　conclusion。
I　need　to　get　Langdon　to　the　U。S。　Embassy。
Turning　toward　the　window；　Sophie　gazed　through　the　alarm　mesh　embedded　in　the　plate　glass；　down　the　dizzying　forty　feet　to　the　pavement　below。　A　leap　from　this　height　would　leave　Langdon　with　a　couple　of　broken　legs。　At　best。
Nonetheless；　Sophie　made　her　decision。
Robert　Langdon　was　about　to　escape　the　Louvre；　whether　he　wanted　to　or　not。
　
CHAPTER　17

〃What　do　you　mean　she's　not　answering？〃　Fache　looked　incredulous。　〃You're　calling　her　cell　phone；　right？　I　know　she's　carrying　it。〃
Collet　had　been　trying　to　reach　Sophie　now　for　several　minutes。　〃Maybe　her　batteries　are　dead。　Or　her　ringer's　off。〃
Fache　had　looked　distressed　ever　since　talking　to　the　director　of　Cryptology　on　the　phone。　After　hanging　up；　he　had　marched　over　to　Collet　and　demanded　he　get　Agent　Neveu　on　the　line。　Now　Collet　had　failed；　and　Fache　was　pacing　like　a　caged　lion。
〃Why　did　Crypto　call？〃　Collet　now　ventured。
Fache　turned。　〃To　tell　us　they　found　no　references　to　Draconian　devils　and　lame　saints。〃
〃That's　all？〃
〃No；　also　to　tell　us　that　they　had　just　identified　the　numerics　as　Fibonacci　numbers；　but　they　suspected　the　series　was　meaningless。〃
Collet　was　confused。　〃But　they　already　sent　Agent　Neveu　to　tell　us　that。〃
Fache　shook　his　head。　〃They　didn't　send　Neveu。〃
〃What？〃
〃According　to　the　director；　at　my　orders　he　paged　his　entire　team　to　look　at　the　images　I'd　wired　him。　When　Agent　Neveu　arrived；　she　took　one　look　at　the　photos　of　Saunière　and　the　code　and　left　the　office　without　a　word。　The　director　said　he　didn't　question　her　behavior　because　she　was　understandably　upset　by　the　photos。〃
〃Upset？　She's　never　seen　a　picture　of　a　dead　body？〃
Fache　was　silent　a　moment。　〃I　was　not　aware　of　this；　and　it　seems　neither　was　the　director　until　a　coworker　informed　him；　but　apparently　Sophie　Neveu　is　Jacques　Saunière's　granddaughter。〃
Collet　was　speechless。
〃The　director　said　she　never　once　mentioned　Saunière　to　him；　and　he　assumed　it　was　because　she　probably　didn't　want　preferential　treatment　for　having　a　famous　grandfather。〃
No　wonder　she　was　upset　by　the　pictures。　Collet　could　barely　conceive　of　the　unfortunate　coincidence　that　called　in　a　young　woman　to　decipher　a　code　written　by　a　dead　family　member。　Still；　her　actions　made　no　sense。　〃But　she　obviously　recognized　the　numbers　as　Fibonacci　numbers　because　she　came　here　and　told　us。　I　don't　understand　why　she　would　leave　the　office　without　telling　anyone　she　had　figured　it　out。〃
Collet　could　think　of　only　one　scenario　to　explain　the　troubling　developments：　Saunière　had　written　a　numeric　code　on　the　floor　in　hopes　Fache　would　involve　cryptographers　in　the　investigation；　and　therefore　involve　his　own　granddaughter。　As　for　the　rest　of　the　message；　was　Saunière　municating　in　some　way　with　his　granddaughter？　If　so；　what　did　the　message　tell　her？　And　how　did　Langdon　fit　in？
Before　Collet　could　ponder　it　any　further；　the　silence　of　the　deserted　museum　was　shattered　by　an　alarm。　The　bell　sounded　like　it　was　ing　from　inside　the　Grand　Gallery。
〃Alarme！〃　one　of　the　agents　yelled；　eyeing　his　feed　from　the　Louvre　security　center。　〃Grande　Galerie！　Toilettes　Messieurs！〃
Fache　wheeled　to　Collet。　〃Where's　Langdon？〃
〃Still　in　the　men's　room！〃　Collet　pointed　to　the　blinking　red　dot　on　his　laptop　schematic。　〃He　must　have　broken　the　window！〃　Collet　knew　Langdon　wouldn't　get　far。　Although　Paris　fire　codes　required　windows　above　fifteen　meters　in　public　buildings　be　breakable　in　case　of　fire；　exiting　a　Louvre　second…story　window　without　the　help　of　a　hook　and　ladder　would　be　suicide。　Furthermore；　there　were　no　trees　or　grass　on　the　western　end　of　the　Denon　Wing　to　cushion　a　fall。　Directly　beneath　that　rest　room　window；　the　two…lane　Place　du　Carrousel　ran　within　a　few　feet　of　the　outer　wall。　〃My　God；〃　Collet　exclaimed；　eyeing　the　screen。　〃Langdon's　moving　to　the　window　ledge！〃
But　Fache　was　already　in　motion。　Yanking　his　Manurhin　MR…93　revolver　from　his　shoulder　holster；　the　captain　dashed　out　of　the　office。
Collet　watched　the　screen　in　bewilderment　as　the　blinking　dot　arrived　at　the　window　ledge　and　then　did　something　utterly　unexpected。　The　dot　moved　outside　the　perimeter　of　the　building。
What's　going　on？　he　wondered。　Is　Langdon　out　on　a　ledge　or—
〃Jesu！〃　Collet　jumped　to　his　feet　as　the　dot　shot　farther　outside　the　wall。　The　signal　seemed　to　shudder　for　a　moment；　and　then　the　blinking　dot　came　to　an　abrupt　stop　about　ten　yards　outside　the　perimeter　of　the　building。
Fumbling　with　the　controls；　Collet　called　up　a　Paris　street　map　and　recalibrated　the　GPS。　Zooming　in；　he　could　now　see　the　exact　location　of　the　signal。
It　was　no　longer　moving。
It　lay　at　a　dead　stop　in　the　middle　of　Place　du　Carrousel。
Langdon　had　jumped。
　
CHAPTER　18

Fache　sprinted　down　the　Grand　Gallery　as　Collet's　radio　blared　over　the　distant　sound　of　the　alarm。
〃He　jumped！〃　Collet　was　yelling。　〃I'm　showing　the　signal　out　on　Place　du　Carrousel！　Outside　the　bathroom　window！　And　it's　not　moving　at　all！　Jesus；　I　think　Langdon　has　just　mitted　suicide！〃
Fache　heard　the　words；　but　they　made　no　sense。　He　kept　running。　The　hallway　seemed　never…ending。　As　he　sprinted　past　Saunière's　body；　he　set　his　sights　on　the　partitions　at　the　far　end　of　the　Denon　Wing。　The　alarm　was　getting　louder　now。
〃Wait！〃　Collet's　voice　blared　again　over　the　radio。　〃He's　moving！　My　God；　he's　alive。　Langdon's　moving！〃
Fache　kept　running；　cursing　the　length　of　the　hallway　with　every　step。
〃Langdon's　moving　faster！〃　Collet　was　still　yelling　on　the　radio。　〃He's　running　down　Carrousel。　Wait。。。　he's　picking　up　speed。　He's　moving　too　fast！〃
Arriving　at　the　partitions；　Fache　snaked　his　way　through　them；　saw　the　rest　room　door；　and　ran　for　it。
The　walkie…talkie　was　barely　audible　now　over　the　alarm。　〃He　must　be　in　a　car！　I　think　he's　in　a　car！　I　can't—〃
Collet's　words　were　swallowed　by　the　alarm　as　Fache　finally　burst　into　the　men's　room　with　his　gun　drawn。　Wincing　against　the　piercing　shrill；　he　scanned　the　area。
The　stalls　were　empty。　The　bathroom　deserted。　Fache's　eyes　moved　immediately　to　the　shattered　window　at　the　far　end　of　the　room。　He　ran　to　the　opening　and　looked　over　the　edge。　Langdon　was　nowhere　to　be　seen。　Fache　could　not　imagine　anyone　risking　a　stunt　like　this。　Certainly　if　he　had　dropped　that　far；　he　would　be　badly　injured。
The　alarm　cut　off　finally；　and　Collet's　voice　became　audible　again　over　the　walkie…talkie。
〃。。。moving　south。。。　faster。。。　crossing　the　Seine　on　Pont　du　Carrousel！〃
Fache　turned　to　his　left。　The　only　vehicle　on　Pont　du　Carrousel　was　an　enormous　twin…bed　Trailor　delivery　truck　moving　southward　away　from　the　Louvre。　The　truck's　open…air　bed　was　covered　with　a　vinyl　tarp；　roughly　resembling　a　giant　hammock。　Fache　felt　a　shiver　of　apprehension。　That　truck；　only　moments　ago；　had　probably　been　stopped　at　a　red　light　directly　beneath　the　rest　room　window。
An　insane　risk；　Fache　told　himself。　Langdon　had　no　way　of　knowing　what　the　truck　was　carrying　beneath　that　tarp。　What　if　the　truck　were　carrying　steel？　Or　cement？　Or　even　garbage？　A　forty…foot　leap？　It　was　madness。
〃The　dot　is　turning！〃　Collet　called。　〃He's　turning　right　on　Pont　des　Saints…Peres！〃
Sure　enough；　the　Trailor　truck　that　had　crossed　the　bridge　was　slowing　down　and　making　a　right　turn　onto　Pont　des　Saints…Peres。　So　be　it；　Fache　thought。　Amazed；　he　watched　the　truck　disappear　around　the　corner。　Collet　was　already　radioing　the　agents　outside；　pulling　them　off　the　Louvre　perimeter　and　sending　them　to　their　patrol　cars　in　pursuit；　all　the　while　broadcasting　the　truck's　changing　location　like　some　kind　of　bizarre　play…by…play。
It's　over；　Fache　knew。　His　men　w