达芬奇密码 作者: 美 丹·布朗(英文版)-第32章

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〃Not　at　this　hour；　sir。　Only　the　taxi　queue。〃
〃Good。　Question　the　drivers。　See　if　they　saw　anything。　Then　contact　the　taxi　pany　dispatcher　with　descriptions。　I'm　calling　Interpol。〃
Collet　looked　surprised。　〃You're　putting　this　on　the　wire？〃
Fache　regretted　the　potential　embarrassment；　but　he　saw　no　other　choice。
Close　the　net　fast；　and　close　it　tight。
The　first　hour　was　critical。　Fugitives　were　predictable　the　first　hour　after　escape。　They　always　needed　the　same　thing。　Travel。　Lodging。　Cash。　The　Holy　Trinity。　Interpol　had　the　power　to　make　all　three　disappear　in　the　blink　of　an　eye。　By　broadcast…faxing　photos　of　Langdon　and　Sophie　to　Paris　travel　authorities；　hotels；　and　banks；　Interpol　would　leave　no　options—no　way　to　leave　the　city；　no　place　to　hide；　and　no　way　to　withdraw　cash　without　being　recognized。　Usually；　fugitives　panicked　on　the　street　and　did　something　stupid。　Stole　a　car。　Robbed　a　store。　Used　a　bank　card　in　desperation。　Whatever　mistake　they　mitted；　they　quickly　made　their　whereabouts　known　to　local　authorities。
〃Only　Langdon；　right？〃　Collet　said。　〃You're　not　flagging　Sophie　Neveu。　She's　our　own　agent。〃
〃Of　course　I'm　flagging　her！〃　Fache　snapped。　〃What　good　is　flagging　Langdon　if　she　can　do　all　his　dirty　work？　I　plan　to　run　Neveu's　employment　file—friends；　family；　personal　contacts—anyone　she　might　turn　to　for　help。　I　don't　know　what　she　thinks　she's　doing　out　there；　but　it's　going　to　cost　her　one　hell　of　a　lot　more　than　her　job！〃
〃Do　you　want　me　on　the　phones　or　in　the　field？〃
〃Field。　Get　over　to　the　train　station　and　coordinate　the　team。　You've　got　the　reins；　but　don't　make　a　move　without　talking　to　me。〃
〃Yes；　sir。〃　Collet　ran　out。
Fache　felt　rigid　as　he　stood　in　the　alcove。　Outside　the　window；　the　glass　pyramid　shone；　its　reflection　rippling　in　the　windswept　pools。　They　slipped　through　my　fingers。　He　told　himself　to　relax。
Even　a　trained　field　agent　would　be　lucky　to　withstand　the　pressure　that　Interpol　was　about　to　apply。
A　female　cryptologist　and　a　schoolteacher？
They　wouldn't　last　till　dawn。
　
CHAPTER　37

The　heavily　forested　park　known　as　the　Bois　de　Boulogne　was　called　many　things；　but　the　Parisian　cognoscenti　knew　it　as　〃the　Garden　of　Earthly　Delights。〃　The　epithet；　despite　sounding　flattering；　was　quite　to　the　contrary。　Anyone　who　had　seen　the　lurid　Bosch　painting　of　the　same　name　understood　the　jab；　the　painting；　like　the　forest；　was　dark　and　twisted；　a　purgatory　for　freaks　and　fetishists。　At　night；　the　forest's　winding　lanes　were　lined　with　hundreds　of　glistening　bodies　for　hire；　earthly　delights　to　satisfy　one's　deepest　unspoken　desires—male；　female；　and　everything　in　between。
As　Langdon　gathered　his　thoughts　to　tell　Sophie　about　the　Priory　of　Sion；　their　taxi　passed　through　the　wooded　entrance　to　the　park　and　began　heading　west　on　the　cobblestone　crossfare。　Langdon　was　having　trouble　concentrating　as　a　scattering　of　the　park's　nocturnal　residents　were　already　emerging　from　the　shadows　and　flaunting　their　wares　in　the　glare　of　the　headlights。　Ahead；　two　topless　teenage　girls　shot　smoldering　gazes　into　the　taxi。　Beyond　them；　a　well…oiled　black　man　in　a　G…string　turned　and　flexed　his　buttocks。　Beside　him；　a　gorgeous　blond　woman　lifted　her　miniskirt　to　reveal　that　she　was　not；　in　fact；　a　woman。
Heaven　help　me！　Langdon　turned　his　gaze　back　inside　the　cab　and　took　a　deep　breath。
〃Tell　me　about　the　Priory　of　Sion；〃　Sophie　said。
Langdon　nodded；　unable　to　imagine　a　less　congruous　a　backdrop　for　the　legend　he　was　about　to　tell。　He　wondered　where　to　begin。　The　brotherhood's　history　spanned　more　than　a　millennium。。。　an　astonishing　chronicle　of　secrets；　blackmail；　betrayal；　and　even　brutal　torture　at　the　hands　of　an　angry　Pope。
〃The　Priory　of　Sion；〃　he　began；　〃was　founded　in　Jerusalem　in　1099　by　a　French　king　named　Godefroi　de　Bouillon；　immediately　after　he　had　conquered　the　city。〃
Sophie　nodded；　her　eyes　riveted　on　him。
〃King　Godefroi　was　allegedly　the　possessor　of　a　powerful　secret—a　secret　that　had　been　in　his　family　since　the　time　of　Christ。　Fearing　his　secret　might　be　lost　when　he　died；　he　founded　a　secret　brotherhood—the　Priory　of　Sion—and　charged　them　with　protecting　his　secret　by　quietly　passing　it　on　from　generation　to　generation。　During　their　years　in　Jerusalem；　the　Priory　learned　of　a　stash　of　hidden　documents　buried　beneath　the　ruins　of　Herod's　temple；　which　had　been　built　atop　the　earlier　ruins　of　Solomon's　Temple。　These　documents；　they　believed；　corroborated　Godefroi's　powerful　secret　and　were　so　explosive　in　nature　that　the　Church　would　stop　at　nothing　to　get　them。〃　Sophie　looked　uncertain。
〃The　Priory　vowed　that　no　matter　how　long　it　took；　these　documents　must　be　recovered　from　the　rubble　beneath　the　temple　and　protected　forever；　so　the　truth　would　never　die。　In　order　to　retrieve　the　documents　from　within　the　ruins；　the　Priory　created　a　military　arm—a　group　of　nine　knights　called　the　Order　of　the　Poor　Knights　of　Christ　and　the　Temple　of　Solomon。〃　Langdon　paused。　〃More　monly　known　as　the　Knights　Templar。〃
Sophie　glanced　up　with　a　surprised　look　of　recognition。　Langdon　had　lectured　often　enough　on　the　Knights　Templar　to　know　that　almost　everyone　on　earth　had　heard　of　them；　at　least　abstractedly。　For　academics；　the　Templars'　history　was　a　precarious　world　where　fact；　lore；　and　misinformation　had　bee　so　intertwined　that　extracting　a　pristine　truth　was　almost　impossible。　Nowadays；　Langdon　hesitated　even　to　mention　the　Knights　Templar　while　lecturing　because　it　invariably　led　to　a　barrage　of　convoluted　inquiries　into　assorted　conspiracy　theories。
Sophie　already　looked　troubled。　〃You're　saying　the　Knights　Templar　were　founded　by　the　Priory　of　Sion　to　retrieve　a　collection　of　secret　documents？　I　thought　the　Templars　were　created　to　protect　the　Holy　Land。〃
〃A　mon　misconception。　The　idea　of　protection　of　pilgrims　was　the　guise　under　which　the　Templars　ran　their　mission。　Their　true　goal　in　the　Holy　Land　was　to　retrieve　the　documents　from　beneath　the　ruins　of　the　temple。〃
〃And　did　they　find　them？〃
Langdon　grinned。　〃Nobody　knows　for　sure；　but　the　one　thing　on　which　all　academics　agree　is　this：　The　Knights　discovered　something　down　there　in　the　ruins。。。　something　that　made　them　wealthy　and　powerful　beyond　anyone's　wildest　imagination。〃
Langdon　quickly　gave　Sophie　the　standard　academic　sketch　of　the　accepted　Knights　Templar　history；　explaining　how　the　Knights　were　in　the　Holy　Land　during　the　Second　Crusade　and　told　King　Baldwin　II　that　they　were　there　to　protect　Christian　pilgrims　on　the　roadways。　Although　unpaid　and　sworn　to　poverty；　the　Knights　told　the　king　they　required　basic　shelter　and　requested　his　permission　to　take　up　residence　in　the　stables　under　the　ruins　of　the　temple。　King　Baldwin　granted　the　soldiers'　request；　and　the　Knights　took　up　their　meager　residence　inside　the　devastated　shrine。
The　odd　choice　of　lodging；　Langdon　explained；　had　been　anything　but　random。　The　Knights　believed　the　documents　the　Priory　sought　were　buried　deep　under　the　ruins—beneath　the　Holy　of　Holies；　a　sacred　chamber　where　God　Himself　was　believed　to　reside。　Literally；　the　very　center　of　the　Jewish　faith。　For　almost　a　decade；　the　nine　Knights　lived　in　the　ruins；　excavating　in　total　secrecy　through　solid　rock。
Sophie　looked　over。　〃And　you　said　they　discovered　something？〃
〃They　certainly　did；〃　Langdon　said；　explaining　how　it　had　taken　nine　years；　but　the　Knights　had　finally　found　what　they　had　been　searching　for。　They　took　the　treasure　from　the　temple　and　traveled　to　Europe；　where　their　influence　seemed　to　solidify　overnight。
Nobody　was　certain　whether　the　Knights　had　blackmailed　the　Vatican　or　whether　the　Church　simply　tried　to　buy　the　Knights'　silence；　but　Pope　Innocent　II　immediately　issued　an　unprecedented　papal　bull　that　afforded　the　Knights　Templar　limitless　power　and　declared　them　〃a　law　unto　themselves〃—an　autonomous　army　independent　of　all　interference　from　kings　and　prelates；　both　religious　and　political。
With　their　new　carte　blanche　from　the　Vatican；　the　Knights　Templar　expanded　at　a　staggering　rate；　both　in　numbers　and　political　force；　amassing　vast　estates　in　over　a　dozen　countries。　They　began　extending　credit　to　bankrupt　royals　and　charging　interest　in　return；　thereby　establishing　modern　banking　and　broadening　their　wealth　and　influence　still　further。
By　the　1300s；　the　Vatican　sanction　had　helped　the　Knights　amass　so　much　power　that　Pope　Clement　V　decided　that　something　had　to　be　done。　Working　in　concert　with　France's　King　Philippe　IV；　the　Pope　devised　an　ingeniously　planned　sting　operation　to　quash　the　Templars　and　seize　their　treasure；　thus　taking　control　of　the　secrets　held　over　the　Vatican。　In　a　military　maneuver　worthy　of　the　CIA；　Pope　Clement　issued　secret　sealed　orders　to　be　opened　simultaneously　by　his　soldiers　all　across　Europe　on　Friday；　October　13　of　1307。
At　dawn　on　the　thirteenth；　the　documents　were　unsealed　and　their　appalling　contents　revealed。　Clement's　letter　claimed　that　God　had　visited　him　in　a　vision　and　warned　him　that　the　Knights　Templar　were　heretics　guilty　of　devil　worship；　homosexuality；　defiling　the　cross；　sodomy；　and　other　blasphemous　behavior。　Pope　Clement　had　been　asked　by　God　to　cleanse　the　earth　by　rounding　up　all　the　Knights　and　torturing　them　u