达芬奇密码英文电子书910章.docx

达芬奇密码英文电子书910章.docx

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达芬奇密码英文电子书910章

CHAPTER9

ToensurehisconversationwithMr.Langdonwouldnotbeinterrupted,BezuFachehadturnedoffhiscellularphone.Unfortunately,itwasanexpensivemodelequippedwithatwo-wayradiofeature,which,contrarytohisorders,wasnowbeingusedbyoneofhisagentstopagehim.

"Capitaine?

"Thephonecrackledlikeawalkie-talkie.

Fachefelthisteethclenchinrage.HecouldimaginenothingimportantenoughthatColletwouldinterruptthissurveillancecachée—especiallyatthiscriticaljuncture.

HegaveLangdonacalmlookofapology."Onemomentplease."Hepulledthephonefromhisbeltandpressedtheradiotransmissionbutton."Oui?

"

"Capitaine,unagentduDépartementdeCryptographieestarrivé."

Fache'sangerstalledmomentarily.Acryptographer?

Despitethelousytiming,thiswasprobablygoodnews.Fache,afterfindingSaunière'scryptictextonthefloor,haduploadedphotographsoftheentirecrimescenetotheCryptographyDepartmentinhopessomeonetherecouldtellhimwhatthehellSaunièrewastryingtosay.Ifacodebreakerhadnowarrived,itmostlikelymeantsomeonehaddecryptedSaunière'smessage.

"I'mbusyatthemoment,"Facheradioedback,leavingnodoubtinhistonethatalinehadbeencrossed."Askthecryptographertowaitatthecommandpost.I'llspeaktohimwhenI'mdone."

"Her,"thevoicecorrected."It'sAgentNeveu."

Fachewasbecominglessamusedwiththiscalleverypassingmoment.SophieNeveuwasoneofDCPJ'sbiggestmistakes.AyoungParisiandéchiffreusewhohadstudiedcryptographyinEnglandattheRoyalHolloway,SophieNeveuhadbeenfoistedonFachetwoyearsagoaspartoftheministry'sattempttoincorporatemorewomenintothepoliceforce.Theministry'songoingforayintopoliticalcorrectness,Facheargued,wasweakeningthedepartment.Womennotonlylackedthephysicalitynecessaryforpolicework,buttheirmerepresenceposedadangerousdistractiontothemeninthefield.AsFachehadfeared,SophieNeveuwasprovingfarmoredistractingthanmost.

Atthirty-twoyearsold,shehadadoggeddeterminationthatborderedonobstinate.HereagerespousalofBritain'snewcryptologicmethodologycontinuallyexasperatedtheveteranFrenchcryptographersaboveher.AndbyfarthemosttroublingtoFachewastheinescapableuniversaltruththatinanofficeofmiddle-agedmen,anattractiveyoungwomanalwaysdreweyesawayfromtheworkathand.

Themanontheradiosaid,"AgentNeveuinsistedonspeakingtoyouimmediately,Captain.Itriedtostopher,butshe'sonherwayintothegallery."

Facherecoiledindisbelief."Unacceptable!

Imadeitveryclear—"

Foramoment,RobertLangdonthoughtBezuFachewassufferingastroke.Thecaptainwasmid-sentencewhenhisjawstoppedmovingandhiseyesbulged.HisblisteringgazeseemedfixatedonsomethingoverLangdon'sshoulder.BeforeLangdoncouldturntoseewhatitwas,heheardawoman'svoicechimeoutbehindhim.

"Excusez-moi,messieurs."

Langdonturnedtoseeayoungwomanapproaching.Shewasmovingdownthecorridortowardthemwithlong,fluidstrides...ahauntingcertaintytohergait.Dressedcasuallyinaknee-length,cream-coloredIrishsweateroverblackleggings,shewasattractiveandlookedtobeaboutthirty.Herthickburgundyhairfellunstyledtohershoulders,framingthewarmthofherface.Unlikethewaifish,cookie-cutterblondesthatadornedHarvarddormroomwalls,thiswomanwashealthywithanunembellishedbeautyandgenuinenessthatradiatedastrikingpersonalconfidence.

ToLangdon'ssurprise,thewomanwalkeddirectlyuptohimandextendedapolitehand."MonsieurLangdon,IamAgentNeveufromDCPJ'sCryptologyDepartment."HerwordscurvedrichlyaroundhermutedAnglo-Francoaccent."Itisapleasuretomeetyou."

Langdontookhersoftpalminhisandfelthimselfmomentarilyfixedinherstronggaze.Hereyeswereolive-green—incisiveandclear.

Fachedrewaseethinginhalation,clearlypreparingtolaunchintoareprimand.

"Captain,"shesaid,turningquicklyandbeatinghimtothepunch,"pleaseexcusetheinterruption,but—"

"Cen'estpaslemoment!

"Fachesputtered.

"Itriedtophoneyou."SophiecontinuedinEnglish,asifoutofcourtesytoLangdon."Butyourcellphonewasturnedoff."

"Iturneditoffforareason,"Fachehissed."IamspeakingtoMr.Langdon."

"I'vedecipheredthenumericcode,"shesaidflatly.

Langdonfeltapulseofexcitement.Shebrokethecode?

Fachelookeduncertainhowtorespond.

"BeforeIexplain,"Sophiesaid,"IhaveanurgentmessageforMr.Langdon."

Fache'sexpressionturnedtooneofdeepeningconcern."ForMr.Langdon?

"

Shenodded,turningbacktoLangdon."YouneedtocontacttheU.S.Embassy,Mr.Langdon.TheyhaveamessageforyoufromtheStates."

Langdonreactedwithsurprise,hisexcitementoverthecodegivingwaytoasuddenrippleofconcern.AmessagefromtheStates?

Hetriedtoimaginewhocouldbetryingtoreachhim.OnlyafewofhiscolleaguesknewhewasinParis.

Fache'sbroadjawhadtightenedwiththenews."TheU.S.Embassy?

"hedemanded,soundingsuspicious."HowwouldtheyknowtofindMr.Langdonhere?

"

Sophieshrugged."ApparentlytheycalledMr.Langdon'shotel,andtheconciergetoldthemMr.LangdonhadbeencollectedbyaDCPJagent."

Fachelookedtroubled."AndtheembassycontactedDCPJCryptography?

"

"No,sir,"Sophiesaid,hervoicefirm."WhenIcalledtheDCPJswitchboardinanattempttocontactyou,theyhadamessagewaitingforMr.LangdonandaskedmetopassitalongifIgotthroughtoyou."

Fache'sbrowfurrowedinapparentconfusion.Heopenedhismouthtospeak,butSophiehadalreadyturnedbacktoLangdon.

"Mr.Langdon,"shedeclared,pullingasmallslipofpaperfromherpocket,"thisisthenumberforyourembassy'smessagingservice.Theyaskedthatyouphoneinassoonaspossible."Shehandedhimthepaperwithanintentgaze."WhileIexplainthecodetoCaptainFache,youneedtomakethiscall."

Langdonstudiedtheslip.IthadaParisphonenumberandextensiononit."Thankyou,"hesaid,feelingworriednow."WheredoIfindaphone?

"

Sophiebegantopullacellphonefromhersweaterpocket,butFachewavedheroff.HenowlookedlikeMountVesuviusabouttoerupt.WithouttakinghiseyesoffSophie,heproducedhisowncellphoneandhelditout."Thislineissecure,Mr.Langdon.Youmayuseit."

LangdonfeltmystifiedbyFache'sangerwiththeyoungwoman.Feelinguneasy,heacceptedthecaptain'sphone.FacheimmediatelymarchedSophieseveralstepsawayandbeganchastisingherinhushedtones.Dislikingthecaptainmoreandmore,Langdonturnedawayfromtheoddconfrontationandswitchedonthecellphone.CheckingtheslipofpaperSophiehadgivenhim,Langdondialedthenumber.

Thelinebegantoring.

Onering...tworings...threerings...

Finallythecallconnected.

Langdonexpectedtohearanembassyoperator,buthefoundhimselfinsteadlisteningtoanansweringmachine.Oddly,thevoiceonthetapewasfamiliar.ItwasthatofSophieNeveu.

"Bonjour,vousêtesbienchezSophieNeveu,"thewoman'svoicesaid."Jesuisabsenlepourlemoment,mais..."

Confused,LangdonturnedbacktowardSophie."I'msorry,Ms.Neveu?

Ithinkyoumayhavegivenme—"

"No,that'stherightnumber,"Sophieinterjectedquickly,asifanticipatingLangdon'sconfusion."Theembassyhasanautomatedmessagesystem.Youhavetodialanaccesscodetopickupyourmessages."

Langdonstared."But—"

"It'sthethree-digitcodeonthepaperIgaveyou."

Langdonopenedhismouthtoexplainthebizarreerror,butSophieflashedhimasilencingglarethatlastedonlyaninstant.Hergreeneyessentacrystal-clearmessage.

Don'taskquestions.Justdoit.

Bewildered,Langdonpunchedintheextensionontheslipofpaper:

454.

Sophie'soutgoingmessageimmediatelycutoff,andLangdonheardanelectronicvoiceannounceinFrench:

"Youhaveonenewmessage."Apparently,454wasSophie'sremoteaccesscodeforpickinguphermessageswhileawayfromhome.

I'mpickingupthiswoman'smessages?

Langdoncouldhearthetaperewindingnow.Finally,itstopped,andthemachineengaged.Langdonlistenedasthemessagebegantoplay.Again,thevoiceonthelinewasSophie's.

"Mr.Langdon,"themessagebeganinafearfulwhisper."Donotreacttothismessage.Justlistencalmly.Youareindangerrightnow.Followmydirectionsveryclosely."

CHAPTER10

SilassatbehindthewheeloftheblackAuditheTeacherhadarrangedforhimandgazedoutatthegreatChurchofSaint-Sulpice.Litfrombeneathbybanksoffloodlights,thechurch'stwobelltowersroselikestalwartsentinelsabovethebuilding'slongbody.Oneitherflank,ashadowyrowofsleekbuttressesjuttedoutliketheribsofabeautifulbeast.

TheheathensusedahouseofGodtoconcealtheirkeystone.Againthebrotherhoodhadconfirmedtheirlegendaryreputationforillusionanddeceit.SilaswaslookingforwardtofindingthekeystoneandgivingittotheTeachersotheycouldrecoverwhatthebrotherhoodhadlongagostolenfromthefaithful.

HowpowerfulthatwillmakeOpusDei.

ParkingtheAudionthedesertedPlaceSaint-Sulpice,Silasexhaled,tellinghimselftoclearhismindforthetaskathand.Hisbroadbackstillachedfromthecorporalmortificationhehadenduredearliertoday,andyetthepainwasinconsequentialcomparedwiththeanguishofhislifebeforeOpusDeihadsavedhim.

Still,thememorieshauntedhissoul.

Releaseyourhatred,Silascommandedhimself.Forgivethosewhotrespassedagainstyou.

LookingupatthestonetowersofSaint-Sulpice,Silasfoughtthatfamiliarundertow...thatfor