达芬奇密码 作者: 美 丹·布朗(英文版)-第40章

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　the　news　with　Silas。
〃But　this　is　impossible！〃　Silas　had　cried　out。　〃I　cannot　accept　it！〃
〃It　is　true；〃　Aringarosa　said。　〃Unthinkable；　but　true。　In　only　six　months。〃
The　bishop's　words　terrified　Silas。　He　prayed　for　deliverance；　and　even　in　those　dark　days；　his　trust　in　God　and　The　Way　never　wavered。　It　was　only　a　month　later　that　the　clouds　parted　miraculously　and　the　light　of　possibility　shone　through。
Divine　intervention；　Aringarosa　had　called　it。
The　bishop　had　seemed　hopeful　for　the　first　time。　〃Silas；〃　he　whispered；　〃God　has　bestowed　upon　us　an　opportunity　to　protect　The　Way。　Our　battle；　like　all　battles；　will　take　sacrifice。　Will　you　be　a　soldier　of　God？〃
Silas　fell　to　his　knees　before　Bishop　Aringarosa—the　man　who　had　given　him　a　new　life—and　he　said；　〃I　am　a　lamb　of　God。　Shepherd　me　as　your　heart　mands。〃
When　Aringarosa　described　the　opportunity　that　had　presented　itself；　Silas　knew　it　could　only　be　the　hand　of　God　at　work。　Miraculous　fate！　Aringarosa　put　Silas　in　contact　with　the　man　who　had　proposed　the　plan—a　man　who　called　himself　the　Teacher。　Although　the　Teacher　and　Silas　never　met　face…to…face；　each　time　they　spoke　by　phone；　Silas　was　awed；　both　by　the　profundity　of　the　Teacher's　faith　and　by　the　scope　of　his　power。　The　Teacher　seemed　to　be　a　man　who　knew　all；　a　man　with　eyes　and　ears　in　all　places。　How　the　Teacher　gathered　his　information；　Silas　did　not　know；　but　Aringarosa　had　placed　enormous　trust　in　the　Teacher；　and　he　had　told　Silas　to　do　the　same。　〃Do　as　the　Teacher　mands　you；〃　the　bishop　told　Silas。　〃And　we　will　be　victorious。〃
Victorious。　Silas　now　gazed　at　the　bare　floor　and　feared　victory　had　eluded　them。　The　Teacher　had　been　tricked。　The　keystone　was　a　devious　dead　end。　And　with　the　deception；　all　hope　had　vanished。
Silas　wished　he　could　call　Bishop　Aringarosa　and　warn　him；　but　the　Teacher　had　removed　all　their　lines　of　direct　munication　tonight。　For　our　safety。
Finally；　overing　enormous　trepidation；　Silas　crawled　to　his　feet　and　found　his　robe；　which　lay　on　the　floor。　He　dug　his　cell　phone　from　the　pocket。　Hanging　his　head　in　shame；　he　dialed。
〃Teacher；〃　he　whispered；　〃all　is　lost。〃　Silas　truthfully　told　the　man　how　he　had　been　tricked。
〃You　lose　your　faith　too　quickly；〃　the　Teacher　replied。　〃I　have　just　received　news。　Most　unexpected　and　wele。　The　secret　lives。　Jacques　Saunière　transferred　information　before　he　died。　I　will　call　you　soon。　Our　work　tonight　is　not　yet　done。〃
　
CHAPTER　47

Riding　inside　the　dimly　lit　cargo　hold　of　the　armored　truck　was　like　being　transported　inside　a　cell　for　solitary　confinement。　Langdon　fought　the　all　too　familiar　anxiety　that　haunted　him　in　confined　spaces。　Vernet　said　he　would　take　us　a　safe　distance　out　of　the　city。　Where？　How　far？
Langdon's　legs　had　gotten　stiff　from　sitting　cross…legged　on　the　metal　floor；　and　he　shifted　his　position；　wincing　to　feel　the　blood　pouring　back　into　his　lower　body。　In　his　arms；　he　still　clutched　the　bizarre　treasure　they　had　extricated　from　the　bank。
〃I　think　we're　on　the　highway　now；〃　Sophie　whispered。
Langdon　sensed　the　same　thing。　The　truck；　after　an　unnerving　pause　atop　the　bank　ramp；　had　moved　on；　snaking　left　and　right　for　a　minute　or　two；　and　was　now　accelerating　to　what　felt　like　top　speed。　Beneath　them；　the　bulletproof　tires　hummed　on　smooth　pavement。　Forcing　his　attention　to　the　rosewood　box　in　his　arms；　Langdon　laid　the　precious　bundle　on　the　floor；　unwrapped　his　jacket；　and　extracted　the　box；　pulling　it　toward　him。　Sophie　shifted　her　position　so　they　were　sitting　side　by　side。　Langdon　suddenly　felt　like　they　were　two　kids　huddled　over　a　Christmas　present。
In　contrast　to　the　warm　colors　of　the　rosewood　box；　the　inlaid　rose　had　been　crafted　of　a　pale　wood；　probably　ash；　which　shone　clearly　in　the　dim　light。　The　Rose。　Entire　armies　and　religions　had　been　built　on　this　symbol；　as　had　secret　societies。　The　Rosicrucians。　The　Knights　of　the　Rosy　Cross。
〃Go　ahead；〃　Sophie　said。　〃Open　it。〃
Langdon　took　a　deep　breath。　Reaching　for　the　lid；　he　stole　one　more　admiring　glance　at　the　intricate　woodwork　and　then；　unhooking　the　clasp；　he　opened　the　lid；　revealing　the　object　within。
Langdon　had　harbored　several　fantasies　about　what　they　might　find　inside　this　box；　but　clearly　he　had　been　wrong　on　every　account。　Nestled　snugly　inside　the　box's　heavily　padded　interior　of　crimson　silk　lay　an　object　Langdon　could　not　even　begin　to　prehend。
Crafted　of　polished　white　marble；　it　was　a　stone　cylinder　approximately　the　dimensions　of　a　tennis　ball　can。　More　plicated　than　a　simple　column　of　stone；　however；　the　cylinder　appeared　to　have　been　assembled　in　many　pieces。　Six　doughnut…sized　disks　of　marble　had　been　stacked　and　affixed　to　one　another　within　a　delicate　brass　framework。　It　looked　like　some　kind　of　tubular；　multiwheeled　kaleidoscope。　Each　end　of　the　cylinder　was　affixed　with　an　end　cap；　also　marble；　making　it　impossible　to　see　inside。　Having　heard　liquid　within；　Langdon　assumed　the　cylinder　was　hollow。
As　mystifying　as　the　construction　of　the　cylinder　was；　however；　it　was　the　engravings　around　the　tube's　circumference　that　drew　Langdon's　primary　focus。　Each　of　the　six　disks　had　been　carefully　carved　with　the　same　unlikely　series　of　letters—the　entire　alphabet。　The　lettered　cylinder　reminded　Langdon　of　one　of　his　childhood　toys—a　rod　threaded　with　lettered　tumblers　that　could　be　rotated　to　spell　different　words。
〃Amazing；　isn't　it？〃　Sophie　whispered。
Langdon　glanced　up。　〃I　don't　know。　What　the　hell　is　it？〃
Now　there　was　a　glint　in　Sophie's　eye。　〃My　grandfather　used　to　craft　these　as　a　hobby。　They　were　invented　by　Leonardo　da　Vinci。〃
Even　in　the　diffuse　light；　Sophie　could　see　Langdon's　surprise。
〃Da　Vinci？〃　he　muttered；　looking　again　at　the　canister。
〃Yes。　It's　called　a　cryptex。　According　to　my　grandfather；　the　blueprints　e　from　one　of　Da　Vinci's　secret　diaries。〃
〃What　is　it　for？〃
Considering　tonight's　events；　Sophie　knew　the　answer　might　have　some　interesting　implications。　〃It's　a　vault；〃　she　said。　〃For　storing　secret　information。〃
Langdon's　eyes　widened　further。
Sophie　explained　that　creating　models　of　Da　Vinci's　inventions　was　one　of　her　grandfather's　best…loved　hobbies。　A　talented　craftsman　who　spent　hours　in　his　wood　and　metal　shop；　Jacques　Saunière　enjoyed　imitating　master　craftsmen—Fabergé；　assorted　cloisonne　artisans；　and　the　less　artistic；　but　far　more　practical；　Leonardo　da　Vinci。
Even　a　cursory　glance　through　Da　Vinci's　journals　revealed　why　the　luminary　was　as　notorious　for　his　lack　of　follow…through　as　he　was　famous　for　his　brilliance。　Da　Vinci　had　drawn　up　blueprints　for　hundreds　of　inventions　he　had　never　built。　One　of　Jacques　Saunière's　favorite　pastimes　was　bringing　Da　Vinci's　more　obscure　brainstorms　to　life—timepieces；　water　pumps；　cryptexes；　and　even　a　fully　articulated　model　of　a　medieval　French　knight；　which　now　stood　proudly　on　the　desk　in　his　office。　Designed　by　Da　Vinci　in　1495　as　an　outgrowth　of　his　earliest　anatomy　and　kinesiology　studies；　the　internal　mechanism　of　the　robot　knight　possessed　accurate　joints　and　tendons；　and　was　designed　to　sit　up；　wave　its　arms；　and　move　its　head　via　a　flexible　neck　while　opening　and　closing　an　anatomically　correct　jaw。　This　armor…clad　knight；　Sophie　had　always　believed；　was　the　most　beautiful　object　her　grandfather　had　ever　built。。。　that　was；　until　she　had　seen　the　cryptex　in　this　rosewood　box。
〃He　made　me　one　of　these　when　I　was　little；〃　Sophie　said。　〃But　I've　never　seen　one　so　ornate　and　large。〃
Langdon's　eyes　had　never　left　the　box。　〃I've　never　heard　of　a　cryptex。〃
Sophie　was　not　surprised。　Most　of　Leonardo's　unbuilt　inventions　had　never　been　studied　or　even　named。　The　term　cryptex　possibly　had　been　her　grandfather's　creation；　an　apt　title　for　this　device　that　used　the　science　of　cryptology　to　protect　information　written　on　the　contained　scroll　or　codex。
Da　Vinci　had　been　a　cryptology　pioneer；　Sophie　knew；　although　he　was　seldom　given　credit。　Sophie's　university　instructors；　while　presenting　puter　encryption　methods　for　securing　data；　praised　modern　cryptologists　like　Zimmerman　and　Schneier　but　failed　to　mention　that　it　was　Leonardo　who　had　invented　one　of　the　first　rudimentary　forms　of　public　key　encryption　centuries　ago。　Sophie's　grandfather；　of　course；　had　been　the　one　to　tell　her　all　about　that。
As　their　armored　truck　roared　down　the　highway；　Sophie　explained　to　Langdon　that　the　cryptex　had　been　Da　Vinci's　solution　to　the　dilemma　of　sending　secure　messages　over　long　distances。　In　an　era　without　telephones　or　e…mail；　anyone　wanting　to　convey　private　information　to　someone　far　away　had　no　option　but　to　write　it　down　and　then　trust　a　messenger　to　carry　the　letter。　Unfortunately；　if　a　messenger　suspected　the　letter　might　contain　valuable　information；　he　could　make　far　more　money　selling　the　information　to　adversaries　than　he　could　delivering　the　letter　properly。
Many　great　minds　in　history　had　invented　cryptologic　solutions　to　the　challenge　of　data　protection：　Julius　Caesar　devised　a　code…writing　scheme　called　the　Caesar　Box；　Mary；　Queen　of　Scots　created　a　transposition　cipher　and　sent　secret　muniqués　from　prison；　and　the　brilliant　Arab　scientist　Abu　Yusuf　Ismail　al…Kindi　protected　his　secrets　with　an　ingeniously　conceived　polyalphabeti