达芬奇密码 作者: 美 丹·布朗(英文版)-第60章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


Sophie　argued；　〃The　monk　has　not　yet　told　us　his　purpose。〃
〃The　monk's　purpose　is　the　Church's　purpose；〃　Teabing　replied；　〃to　destroy　the　documents　that　reveal　the　great　deception。　The　Church　came　closer　tonight　than　they　have　ever　e；　and　the　Priory　has　put　its　trust　in　you；　Miss　Neveu。　The　task　of　saving　the　Holy　Grail　clearly　includes　carrying　out　the　Priory's　final　wishes　of　sharing　the　truth　with　the　world。〃
Langdon　intervened。　〃Leigh；　asking　Sophie　to　make　that　decision　is　quite　a　load　to　drop　on　someone　who　only　an　hour　ago　learned　the　Sangreal　documents　exist。〃
Teabing　sighed。　〃I　apologize　if　I　am　pressing；　Miss　Neveu。　Clearly　I　have　always　believed　these　documents　should　be　made　public；　but　in　the　end　the　decision　belongs　to　you。　I　simply　feel　it　is　important　that　you　begin　to　think　about　what　happens　should　we　succeed　in　opening　the　keystone。〃
〃Gentlemen；〃　Sophie　said；　her　voice　firm。　〃To　quote　your　words；　'You　do　not　find　the　Grail；　the　Grail　finds　you。'　I　am　going　to　trust　that　the　Grail　has　found　me　for　a　reason；　and　when　the　time　es；　I　will　know　what　to　do。〃
Both　of　them　looked　startled。
〃So　then；〃　she　said；　motioning　to　the　rosewood　box。　〃Let's　move　on。〃
　
CHAPTER　70

Standing　in　the　drawing　room　of　Chateau　Villette；　Lieutenant　Collet　watched　the　dying　fire　and　felt　despondent。　Captain　Fache　had　arrived　moments　earlier　and　was　now　in　the　next　room；　yelling　into　the　phone；　trying　to　coordinate　the　failed　attempt　to　locate　the　missing　Range　Rover。
It　could　be　anywhere　by　now；　Collet　thought。
Having　disobeyed　Fache's　direct　orders　and　lost　Langdon　for　a　second　time；　Collet　was　grateful　that　PTS　had　located　a　bullet　hole　in　the　floor；　which　at　least　corroborated　Collet's　claims　that　a　shot　had　been　fired。　Still；　Fache's　mood　was　sour；　and　Collet　sensed　there　would　be　dire　repercussions　when　the　dust　settled。
Unfortunately；　the　clues　they　were　turning　up　here　seemed　to　shed　no　light　at　all　on　what　was　going　on　or　who　was　involved。　The　black　Audi　outside　had　been　rented　in　a　false　name　with　false　credit　card　numbers；　and　the　prints　in　the　car　matched　nothing　in　the　Interpol　database。
Another　agent　hurried　into　the　living　room；　his　eyes　urgent。　〃Where's　Captain　Fache？〃
Collet　barely　looked　up　from　the　burning　embers。　〃He's　on　the　phone。〃
〃I'm　off　the　phone；〃　Fache　snapped；　stalking　into　the　room。　〃What　have　you　got？〃
The　second　agent　said；　〃Sir；　Central　just　heard　from　André　Vernet　at　the　Depository　Bank　of　Zurich。　He　wants　to　talk　to　you　privately。　He　is　changing　his　story。〃
〃Oh？〃　Fache　said。
Now　Collet　looked　up。
〃Vernet　is　admitting　that　Langdon　and　Neveu　spent　time　inside　his　bank　tonight。〃
〃We　figured　that　out；〃　Fache　said。　〃Why　did　Vernet　lie　about　it？〃
〃He　said　he'll　talk　only　to　you；　but　he's　agreed　to　cooperate　fully。〃
〃In　exchange　for　what？〃
〃For　our　keeping　his　bank's　name　out　of　the　news　and　also　for　helping　him　recover　some　stolen　property。　It　sounds　like　Langdon　and　Neveu　stole　something　from　Saunière's　account。〃
〃What？〃　Collet　blurted。　〃How？〃
Fache　never　flinched；　his　eyes　riveted　on　the　second　agent。　〃What　did　they　steal？〃
〃Vernet　didn't　elaborate；　but　he　sounds　like　he's　willing　to　do　anything　to　get　it　back。〃
Collet　tried　to　imagine　how　this　could　happen。　Maybe　Langdon　and　Neveu　had　held　a　bank　employee　at　gunpoint？　Maybe　they　forced　Vernet　to　open　Saunière's　account　and　facilitate　an　escape　in　the　armored　truck。　As　feasible　as　it　was；　Collet　was　having　trouble　believing　Sophie　Neveu　could　be　involved　in　anything　like　that。
From　the　kitchen；　another　agent　yelled　to　Fache。　〃Captain？　I'm　going　through　Mr。　Teabing's　speed　dial　numbers；　and　I'm　on　the　phone　with　Le　Bourget　Airfield。　I've　got　some　bad　news。〃
　
Thirty　seconds　later；　Fache　was　packing　up　and　preparing　to　leave　Chateau　Villette。　He　had　just　learned　that　Teabing　kept　a　private　jet　nearby　at　Le　Bourget　Airfield　and　that　the　plane　had　taken　off　about　a　half　hour　ago。
The　Bourget　representative　on　the　phone　had　claimed　not　to　know　who　was　on　the　plane　or　where　it　was　headed。　The　takeoff　had　been　unscheduled；　and　no　flight　plan　had　been　logged。　Highly　illegal；　even　for　a　small　airfield。　Fache　was　certain　that　by　applying　the　right　pressure；　he　could　get　the　answers　he　was　looking　for。
〃Lieutenant　Collet；〃　Fache　barked；　heading　for　the　door。　〃I　have　no　choice　but　to　leave　you　in　charge　of　the　PTS　investigation　here。　Try　to　do　something　right　for　a　change。〃
　
CHAPTER　71

As　the　Hawker　leveled　off；　with　its　nose　aimed　for　England；　Langdon　carefully　lifted　the　rosewood　box　from　his　lap；　where　he　had　been　protecting　it　during　takeoff。　Now；　as　he　set　the　box　on　the　table；　he　could　sense　Sophie　and　Teabing　leaning　forward　with　anticipation。
Unlatching　the　lid　and　opening　the　box；　Langdon　turned　his　attention　not　to　the　lettered　dials　of　the　cryptex；　but　rather　to　the　tiny　hole　on　the　underside　of　the　box　lid。　Using　the　tip　of　a　pen；　he　carefully　removed　the　inlaid　Rose　on　top　and　revealed　the　text　beneath　it。　Sub　Rosa；　he　mused；　hoping　a　fresh　look　at　the　text　would　bring　clarity。　Focusing　all　his　energies；　Langdon　studied　the　strange　text。
　
After　several　seconds；　he　began　to　feel　the　initial　frustration　resurfacing。　〃Leigh；　I　just　can't　seem　to　place　it。〃
From　where　Sophie　was　seated　across　the　table；　she　could　not　yet　see　the　text；　but　Langdon's　inability　to　immediately　identify　the　language　surprised　her。　My　grandfather　spoke　a　language　so　obscure　that　even　a　symbologist　can't　identify　it？　She　quickly　realized　she　should　not　find　this　surprising。　This　would　not　be　the　first　secret　Jacques　Saunière　had　kept　from　his　granddaughter。
　
Opposite　Sophie；　Leigh　Teabing　felt　ready　to　burst。　Eager　for　his　chance　to　see　the　text；　he　quivered　with　excitement；　leaning　in；　trying　to　see　around　Langdon；　who　was　still　hunched　over　the　box。
〃I　don't　know；〃　Langdon　whispered　intently。　〃My　first　guess　is　a　Semitic；　but　now　I'm　not　so　sure。　Most　primary　Semitics　include　nekkudot。　This　has　none。〃
〃Probably　ancient；〃　Teabing　offered。
〃Nekkudot？〃　Sophie　inquired。
Teabing　never　took　his　eyes　from　the　box。　〃Most　modern　Semitic　alphabets　have　no　vowels　and　use　nekkudot—tiny　dots　and　dashes　written　either　below　or　within　the　consonants—to　indicate　what　vowel　sound　acpanies　them。　Historically　speaking；　nekkudot　are　a　relatively　modern　addition　to　language。〃
Langdon　was　still　hovering　over　the　script。　〃A　Sephardic　transliteration；　perhaps。。。？〃
Teabing　could　bear　it　no　longer。　〃Perhaps　if　I　just。。。〃　Reaching　over；　he　edged　the　box　away　from　Langdon　and　pulled　it　toward　himself。　No　doubt　Langdon　had　a　solid　familiarity　with　the　standard　ancients—Greek；　Latin；　the　Romances—but　from　the　fleeting　glance　Teabing　had　of　this　language；　he　thought　it　looked　more　specialized；　possibly　a　Rashi　script　or　a　STA'M　with　crowns。
Taking　a　deep　breath；　Teabing　feasted　his　eyes　upon　the　engraving。　He　said　nothing　for　a　very　long　time。　With　each　passing　second；　Teabing　felt　his　confidence　deflating。　〃I'm　astonished；〃　he　said。　〃This　language　looks　like　nothing　I've　ever　seen！〃
Langdon　slumped。
〃Might　I　see　it？〃　Sophie　asked。
Teabing　pretended　not　to　hear　her。　〃Robert；　you　said　earlier　that　you　thought　you'd　seen　something　like　this　before？〃
Langdon　looked　vexed。　〃I　thought　so。　I'm　not　sure。　The　script　looks　familiar　somehow。〃
〃Leigh？〃　Sophie　repeated；　clearly　not　appreciating　being　left　out　of　the　discussion。　〃Might　I　have　a　look　at　the　box　my　grandfather　made？〃
〃Of　course；　dear；〃　Teabing　said；　pushing　it　over　to　her。　He　hadn't　meant　to　sound　belittling；　and　yet　Sophie　Neveu　was　light…years　out　of　her　league。　If　a　British　Royal　Historian　and　a　Harvard　symbologist　could　not　even　identify　the　language—
〃Aah；〃　Sophie　said；　seconds　after　examining　the　box。　〃I　should　have　guessed。〃
Teabing　and　Langdon　turned　in　unison；　staring　at　her。
〃Guessed　what？〃　Teabing　demanded。
Sophie　shrugged。　〃Guessed　that　this　would　be　the　language　my　grandfather　would　have　used。〃
〃You're　saying　you　can　read　this　text？〃　Teabing　exclaimed。
〃Quite　easily；〃　Sophie　chimed；　obviously　enjoying　herself　now。　〃My　grandfather　taught　me　this　language　when　I　was　only　six　years　old。　I'm　fluent。〃　She　leaned　across　the　table　and　fixed　Teabing　with　an　admonishing　glare。　〃And　frankly；　sir；　considering　your　allegiance　to　the　Crown；　I'm　a　little　surprised　you　didn't　recognize　it。〃
In　a　flash；　Langdon　knew。
No　wonder　the　script　looks　so　damned　familiar！
Several　years　ago；　Langdon　had　attended　an　event　at　Harvard's　Fogg　Museum。　Harvard　dropout　Bill　Gates　had　returned　to　his　alma　mater　to　lend　to　the　museum　one　of　his　priceless　acquisitions—eighteen　sheets　of　paper　he　had　recently　purchased　at　auction　from　the　Armand　Hammar　Estate。
His　winning　bid—a　cool　30。8　million。
The　author　of　the　pages—Leonardo　da　Vinci。
The　eighteen　folios—now　known　as　Leonardo's　Codex　Leicester　after　their　famous　owner；　the　Earl　of　Leicester—were　all　that　remained　of　one　of　Leonardo's　most　fascinating　notebooks：　essays　and　drawings　outlining　Da　Vinci's　progressive　theories　on　astronomy；　geology；　archaeology；　and　hydrology。
Langdon　would　never　forget　his　reaction　after　waiting　in　line　and　finally　viewing　the　priceless　parchment。　Utter　letdown。　The　pages　were　unintelligible。　Despite　being　beautifully　prese