达芬奇密码 作者: 美 丹·布朗(英文版)-第26章

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〃Couchez…vous！〃　the　guard　manded。　〃Lie　down！〃
Langdon　was　face　first　on　the　floor　in　a　matter　of　seconds。　The　guard　hurried　over　and　kicked　his　legs　apart；　spreading　Langdon　out。
〃Mauvaise　idée；　Monsieur　Langdon；〃　he　said；　pressing　the　gun　hard　into　Langdon's　back。　〃Mauvaise　idée。〃
Face　down　on　the　parquet　floor　with　his　arms　and　legs　spread　wide；　Langdon　found　little　humor　in　the　irony　of　his　position。　The　Vitruvian　Man；　he　thought。　Face　down。
　
CHAPTER　29

Inside　Saint…Sulpice；　Silas　carried　the　heavy　iron　votive　candle　holder　from　the　altar　back　toward　the　obelisk。　The　shaft　would　do　nicely　as　a　battering　ram。　Eyeing　the　gray　marble　panel　that　covered　the　apparent　hollow　in　the　floor；　he　realized　he　could　not　possibly　shatter　the　covering　without　making　considerable　noise。
Iron　on　marble。　It　would　echo　off　the　vaulted　ceilings。
Would　the　nun　hear　him？　She　should　be　asleep　by　now。　Even　so；　it　was　a　chance　Silas　preferred　not　to　take。　Looking　around　for　a　cloth　to　wrap　around　the　tip　of　the　iron　pole；　he　saw　nothing　except　the　altar's　linen　mantle；　which　he　refused　to　defile。　My　cloak；　he　thought。　Knowing　he　was　alone　in　the　great　church；　Silas　untied　his　cloak　and　slipped　it　off　his　body。　As　he　removed　it；　he　felt　a　sting　as　the　wool　fibers　stuck　to　the　fresh　wounds　on　his　back。
Naked　now；　except　for　his　loin　swaddle；　Silas　wrapped　his　cloak　over　the　end　of　the　iron　rod。　Then；　aiming　at　the　center　of　the　floor　tile；　he　drove　the　tip　into　it。　A　muffled　thud。　The　stone　did　not　break。　He　drove　the　pole　into　it　again。　Again　a　dull　thud；　but　this　time　acpanied　by　a　crack。　On　the　third　swing；　the　covering　finally　shattered；　and　stone　shards　fell　into　a　hollow　area　beneath　the　floor。
A　partment！
Quickly　pulling　the　remaining　pieces　from　the　opening；　Silas　gazed　into　the　void。　His　blood　pounded　as　he　knelt　down　before　it。　Raising　his　pale　bare　arm；　he　reached　inside。
At　first　he　felt　nothing。　The　floor　of　the　partment　was　bare；　smooth　stone。　Then；　feeling　deeper；　reaching　his　arm　in　under　the　Rose　Line；　he　touched　something！　A　thick　stone　tablet。　Getting　his　fingers　around　the　edge；　he　gripped　it　and　gently　lifted　the　tablet　out。　As　he　stood　and　examined　his　find；　he　realized　he　was　holding　a　rough…hewn　stone　slab　with　engraved　words。　He　felt　for　an　instant　like　a　modern…day　Moses。
As　Silas　read　the　words　on　the　tablet；　he　felt　surprise。　He　had　expected　the　keystone　to　be　a　map；　or　a　plex　series　of　directions；　perhaps　even　encoded。　The　keystone；　however；　bore　the　simplest　of　inscriptions。
Job　38：11
A　Bible　verse？　Silas　was　stunned　with　the　devilish　simplicity。　The　secret　location　of　that　which　they　sought　was　revealed　in　a　Bible　verse？　The　brotherhood　stopped　at　nothing　to　mock　the　righteous！
Job。　Chapter　thirty…eight。　Verse　eleven。
Although　Silas　did　not　recall　the　exact　contents　of　verse　eleven　by　heart；　he　knew　the　Book　of　Job　told　the　story　of　a　man　whose　faith　in　God　survived　repeated　tests。　Appropriate；　he　thought；　barely　able　to　contain　his　excitement。
Looking　over　his　shoulder；　he　gazed　down　the　shimmering　Rose　Line　and　couldn't　help　but　smile。　There　atop　the　main　altar；　propped　open　on　a　gilded　book　stand；　sat　an　enormous　leather…bound　Bible。
　
Up　in　the　balcony；　Sister　Sandrine　was　shaking。　Moments　ago；　she　had　been　about　to　flee　and　carry　out　her　orders；　when　the　man　below　suddenly　removed　his　cloak。　When　she　saw　his　alabaster…white　flesh；　she　was　overe　with　a　horrified　bewilderment。　His　broad；　pale　back　was　soaked　with　blood…red　slashes。　Even　from　here　she　could　see　the　wounds　were　fresh。
This　man　has　been　mercilessly　whipped！
She　also　saw　the　bloody　cilice　around　his　thigh；　the　wound　beneath　it　dripping。　What　kind　of　God　would　want　a　body　punished　this　way？　The　rituals　of　Opus　Dei；　Sister　Sandrine　knew；　were　not　something　she　would　ever　understand。　But　that　was　hardly　her　concern　at　this　instant。　Opus　Dei　is　searching　for　the　keystone。　How　they　knew　of　it；　Sister　Sandrine　could　not　imagine；　although　she　knew　she　did　not　have　time　to　think。
The　bloody　monk　was　now　quietly　donning　his　cloak　again；　clutching　his　prize　as　he　moved　toward　the　altar；　toward　the　Bible。
In　breathless　silence；　Sister　Sandrine　left　the　balcony　and　raced　down　the　hall　to　her　quarters。　Getting　on　her　hands　and　knees；　she　reached　beneath　her　wooden　bed　frame　and　retrieved　the　sealed　envelope　she　had　hidden　there　years　ago。
Tearing　it　open；　she　found　four　Paris　phone　numbers。
Trembling；　she　began　to　dial。
　
Downstairs；　Silas　laid　the　stone　tablet　on　the　altar　and　turned　his　eager　hands　to　the　leather　Bible。　His　long　white　fingers　were　sweating　now　as　he　turned　the　pages。　Flipping　through　the　Old　Testament；　he　found　the　Book　of　Job。　He　located　chapter　thirty…eight。　As　he　ran　his　finger　down　the　column　of　text；　he　anticipated　the　words　he　was　about　to　read。
They　will　lead　the　way！
Finding　verse　number　eleven；　Silas　read　the　text。　It　was　only　seven　words。　Confused；　he　read　it　again；　sensing　something　had　gone　terribly　wrong。　The　verse　simply　read：
HITHERTO　SHALT　THOU　E；　BUT　NO　FURTHER。
　
CHAPTER　30

Security　warden　Claude　Grouard　simmered　with　rage　as　he　stood　over　his　prostrate　captive　in　front　of　the　Mona　Lisa。　This　bastard　killed　Jacques　Saunière！　Saunière　had　been　like　a　well…loved　father　to　Grouard　and　his　security　team。
Grouard　wanted　nothing　more　than　to　pull　the　trigger　and　bury　a　bullet　in　Robert　Langdon's　back。　As　senior　warden；　Grouard　was　one　of　the　few　guards　who　actually　carried　a　loaded　weapon。　He　reminded　himself；　however；　that　killing　Langdon　would　be　a　generous　fate　pared　to　the　misery　about　to　be　municated　by　Bezu　Fache　and　the　French　prison　system。
Grouard　yanked　his　walkie…talkie　off　his　belt　and　attempted　to　radio　for　backup。　All　he　heard　was　static。　The　additional　electronic　security　in　this　chamber　always　wrought　havoc　with　the　guards'　munications。　I　have　to　move　to　the　doorway。　Still　aiming　his　weapon　at　Langdon；　Grouard　began　backing　slowly　toward　the　entrance。　On　his　third　step；　he　spied　something　that　made　him　stop　short。
What　the　hell　is　that！
An　inexplicable　mirage　was　materializing　near　the　center　of　the　room。　A　silhouette。　There　was　someone　else　in　the　room？　A　woman　was　moving　through　the　darkness；　walking　briskly　toward　the　far　left　wall。　In　front　of　her；　a　purplish　beam　of　light　swung　back　and　forth　across　the　floor；　as　if　she　were　searching　for　something　with　a　colored　flashlight。
〃Qui　est　là？〃　Grouard　demanded；　feeling　his　adrenaline　spike　for　a　second　time　in　the　last　thirty　seconds。　He　suddenly　didn't　know　where　to　aim　his　gun　or　what　direction　to　move。
〃PTS；〃　the　woman　replied　calmly；　still　scanning　the　floor　with　her　light。
Police　Technique　et　Scientifique。　Grouard　was　sweating　now。　I　thought　all　the　agents　were　gone！　He　now　recognized　the　purple　light　as　ultraviolet；　consistent　with　a　PTS　team；　and　yet　he　could　not　understand　why　DCPJ　would　be　looking　for　evidence　in　here。
〃Votre　nom！〃　Grouard　yelled；　instinct　telling　him　something　was　amiss。　〃Répondez！〃
〃C'est　mot；〃　the　voice　responded　in　calm　French。　〃Sophie　Neveu。〃
Somewhere　in　the　distant　recesses　of　Grouard's　mind；　the　name　registered。　Sophie　Neveu？　That　was　the　name　of　Saunière's　granddaughter；　wasn't　it？　She　used　to　e　in　here　as　a　little　kid；　but　that　was　years　ago。　This　couldn't　possibly　be　her！　And　even　if　it　were　Sophie　Neveu；　that　was　hardly　a　reason　to　trust　her；　Grouard　had　heard　the　rumors　of　the　painful　falling…out　between　Saunière　and　his　granddaughter。
〃You　know　me；〃　the　woman　called。　〃And　Robert　Langdon　did　not　kill　my　grandfather。　Believe　me。〃
Warden　Grouard　was　not　about　to　take　that　on　faith。　I　need　backup！　Trying　his　walkie…talkie　again；　he　got　only　static。　The　entrance　was　still　a　good　twenty　yards　behind　him；　and　Grouard　began　backing　up　slowly；　choosing　to　leave　his　gun　trained　on　the　man　on　the　floor。　As　Grouard　inched　backward；　he　could　see　the　woman　across　the　room　raising　her　UV　light　and　scrutinizing　a　large　painting　that　hung　on　the　far　side　of　the　Salle　des　Etats；　directly　opposite　the　Mona　Lisa。
Grouard　gasped；　realizing　which　painting　it　was。
What　in　the　name　of　God　is　she　doing？
　
Across　the　room；　Sophie　Neveu　felt　a　cold　sweat　breaking　across　her　forehead。　Langdon　was　still　spread…eagle　on　the　floor。　Hold　on；　Robert。　Almost　there。　Knowing　the　guard　would　never　actually　shoot　either　of　them；　Sophie　now　turned　her　attention　back　to　the　matter　at　hand；　scanning　the　entire　area　around　one　masterpiece　in　particular—another　Da　Vinci。　But　the　UV　light　revealed　nothing　out　of　the　ordinary。　Not　on　the　floor；　on　the　walls；　or　even　on　the　canvas　itself。
There　must　be　something　here！
Sophie　felt　totally　certain　she　had　deciphered　her　grandfather's　intentions　correctly。
What　else　could　he　possibly　intend？
The　masterpiece　she　was　examining　was　a　five…foot…tall　canvas。　The　bizarre　scene　Da　Vinci　had　painted　included　an　awkwardly　posed　Virgin　Mary　sitting　with　Baby　Jesus；　John　the　Baptist；　and　the　Angel　Uriel　on　a　perilous　outcropping　of　rocks。　When　Sophie　was　a　little　girl；　no　trip　to　the　Mona　Lisa　had　been　plete　without　her　grandfather　dragging　her　across　the　room　to　see　this　second　painting。
Grand…père；　I'm　here！　But　I　don't　see　it！
Behind　her；　Sophie　could　hear　the　guard　trying　to　rad