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chapter0110

Acknowledgments

ForBlythe...

AdebtofgratitudetoEmilyBestler,JasonKaufman,BenKaplan,andeveryoneatPocketBooksfortheirbeliefinthisproject.

Tomyfriendandagent,JakeElwell,forhisenthusiasmandunflaggingeffort.

TothelegendaryGeorgeWieser,forconvincingmetowritenovels.

TomydearfriendIrvSittler,forfacilitatingmyaudiencewiththePope,secretingmeintopartsofVaticanCityfeweversee,andmakingmytimeinRomeunforgettable.

Tooneofthemostingeniousandgiftedartistsalive,JohnLangdon,whorosebrilliantlytomyimpossiblechallengeandcreatedtheambigramsforthisnovel.

ToStanPlanton,headlibrarian,OhioUniversity-Chillicothe,forbeingmynumberonesourceofinformationoncountlesstopics.

ToSylviaCavazzini,forhergracioustourthroughthesecretPassetto.

Andtothebestparentsakidcouldhopefor,DickandConnieBrown...foreverything.

ThanksalsotoCERN,HenryBeckett,BrettTrotter,thePontificalAcademyofScience,BrookhavenInstitute,FermiLabLibrary,OlgaWieser,DonUlschoftheNationalSecurityInstitute,CarolineH.ThompsonatUniversityofWales,KathrynGerhardandOmarAlKindi,JohnPikeandtheFederationofAmericanScientists,HeimlichViserholder,CorinnaandDavisHammond,AizazAli,theGalileoProjectofRiceUniversity,JulieLynnandCharlieRyanatMockingbirdPictures,GaryGoldstein,Dave（Vilas）ArnoldandAndraCrawford,theGlobalFraternalNetwork,thePhillipsExeterAcademyLibrary,JimBarrington,JohnMaier,theexceptionallykeeneyeofMargieWachtel,alt.masonic.members,AlanWooley,theLibraryofCongressVaticanCodicesExhibit,LisaCallamaroandtheCallamaroAgency,JonA.Stowell,MuseiVaticani,AldoBaggia,NoahAlireza,HarrietWalker,CharlesTerry,MicronElectronics,MindyHoman,NancyandDickCurtin,ThomasD.Nadeau,NuvoMediaandRocketE-books,FrankandSylviaKennedy,RomeBoardofTourism,MaestroGregoryBrown,ValBrown,WernerBrandes,PaulKrupinatDirectContact,PaulStark,TomKingatComputalkNetwork,SandyandJerryNolan,WebguruLindaGeorge,theNationalAcademyofArtinRome,physicistandfellowscribeSteveHowe,RobertWeston,theWaterStreetBookstoreinExeter,NewHampshire,andtheVaticanObservatory.

FACT

Theworld’slargestscientificresearchfacility-Switzerland’sConseilEuropйenpourlaRechercheNuclйaire（CERN）-recentlysucceededinproducingthefirstparticlesofantimatter.Antimatterisidenticaltophysicalmatterexceptthatitiscomposedofparticleswhoseelectricchargesareoppositetothosefoundinnormalmatter.

Antimatteristhemostpowerfulenergysourceknowntoman.Itreleasesenergywith100percentefficiency（nuclearfissionis1.5percentefficient）.Antimattercreatesnopollutionorradiation,andadropletcouldpowerNewYorkCityforafullday.

Thereis,however,onecatch...

Antimatterishighlyunstable.Itigniteswhenitcomesincontactwithabsolutelyanything...evenair.Asinglegramofantimattercontainstheenergyofa20-kilotonnuclearbomb-thesizeofthebombdroppedonHiroshima.

Untilrecentlyantimatterhasbeencreatedonlyinverysmallamounts（afewatomsatatime）.ButCERNhasnowbrokengroundonitsnewAntiprotonDecelerator-anadvancedantimatterproductionfacilitythatpromisestocreateantimatterinmuchlargerquantities.

Onequestionlooms:

Willthishighlyvolatilesubstancesavetheworld,orwillitbeusedtocreatethemostdeadlyweaponevermade?

AUTHOR’SNOTE

Referencestoallworksofart,tombs,tunnels,andarchitectureinRomeareentirelyfactual（asaretheirexactlocations）.Theycanstillbeseentoday.

ThebrotherhoodoftheIlluminatiisalsofactual.

Prologue

PhysicistLeonardoVetrasmelledburningflesh,andheknewitwashisown.Hestaredupinterroratthedarkfigureloomingoverhim.“Whatdoyouwant!

”

“Lachiave,”theraspyvoicereplied.“Thepassword.”

“But...Idon’t—“

Theintruderpresseddownagain,grindingthewhitehotobjectdeeperintoVetra’schest.Therewasthehissofbroilingflesh.

Vetracriedoutinagony.“Thereisnopassword!

”Hefelthimselfdriftingtowardunconsciousness.

Thefigureglared.“Neavevopaura.Iwasafraidofthat.”

Vetrafoughttokeephissenses,butthedarknesswasclosingin.Hisonlysolacewasinknowinghisattackerwouldneverobtainwhathehadcomefor.Amomentlater,however,thefigureproducedabladeandbroughtittoVetra’sface.Thebladehovered.Carefully.Surgically.

“FortheloveofGod!

”Vetrascreamed.Butitwastoolate.

Chapter1

HighatopthestepsofthePyramidofGizaayoungwomanlaughedandcalleddowntohim.“Robert,hurryup!

IknewIshouldhavemarriedayoungerman!

”Hersmilewasmagic.

Hestruggledtokeepup,buthislegsfeltlikestone.“Wait,”hebegged.“Please...”

Asheclimbed,hisvisionbegantoblur.Therewasathunderinginhisears.Imustreachher!

Butwhenhelookedupagain,thewomanhaddisappeared.Inherplacestoodanoldmanwithrottingteeth.Themanstareddown,curlinghislipsintoalonelygrimace.Thenheletoutascreamofanguishthatresoundedacrossthedesert.

RobertLangdonawokewithastartfromhisnightmare.Thephonebesidehisbedwasringing.Dazed,hepickedupthereceiver.

“Hello?

”

“I’mlookingforRobertLangdon,”aman’svoicesaid.

Langdonsatupinhisemptybedandtriedtoclearhismind.“This...isRobertLangdon.”Hesquintedathisdigitalclock.Itwas5:

18A.M.

“Imustseeyouimmediately.”

“Whoisthis?

”

“MynameisMaximilianKohler.I’madiscreteparticlephysicist.”

“Awhat?

”Langdoncouldbarelyfocus.“Areyousureyou’vegottherightLangdon?

”

“You’reaprofessorofreligiousiconologyatHarvardUniversity.You’vewrittenthreebooksonsymbologyand-“

“Doyouknowwhattimeitis?

”

“Iapologize.Ihavesomethingyouneedtosee.Ican’tdiscussitonthephone.”

AknowinggroanescapedLangdon’slips.Thishadhappenedbefore.OneoftheperilsofwritingbooksaboutreligioussymbologywasthecallsfromreligiouszealotswhowantedhimtoconfirmtheirlatestsignfromGod.LastmonthastripperfromOklahomahadpromisedLangdonthebestsexofhislifeifhewouldflydownandverifytheauthenticityofacruciformthathadmagicallyappearedonherbedsheets.TheShroudofTulsa,Langdonhadcalledit.

“Howdidyougetmynumber?

”Langdontriedtobepolite,despitethehour.

“OntheWorldwideWeb.Thesiteforyourbook.”

Langdonfrowned.Hewasdamnsurehisbook’ssitedidnotincludehishomephonenumber.Themanwasobviouslylying.

“Ineedtoseeyou,”thecallerinsisted.“I’llpayyouwell.”

NowLangdonwasgettingmad.“I’msorry,butIreally-“

“Ifyouleaveimmediately,youcanbehereby-“

“I’mnotgoinganywhere!

It’sfiveo’clockinthemorning!

”Langdonhungupandcollapsedbackinbed.Heclosedhiseyesandtriedtofallbackasleep.Itwasnouse.Thedreamwasemblazonedinhismind.Reluctantly,heputonhisrobeandwentdownstairs. 

RobertLangdonwanderedbarefootthroughhisdesertedMassachusettsVictorianhomeandnursedhisritualinsomniaremedy-amugofsteamingNestlй’sQuik.TheAprilmoonfilteredthroughthebaywindowsandplayedontheorientalcarpets.Langdon’scolleaguesoftenjokedthathisplacelookedmorelikeananthropologymuseumthanahome.Hisshelveswerepackedwithreligiousartifactsfromaroundtheworld-anekuabafromGhana,agoldcrossfromSpain,acycladicidolfromtheAegean,andevenararewovenboccusfromBorneo,ayoungwarrior’ssymbolofperpetualyouth.

AsLangdonsatonhisbrassMaharishi’schestandsavoredthewarmthofthechocolate,thebaywindowcaughthisreflection.Theimagewasdistortedandpale...likeaghost.Anagingghost,hethought,cruellyremindedthathisyouthfulspiritwaslivinginamortalshell.

Althoughnotoverlyhandsomeinaclassicalsense,theforty-five-year-oldLangdonhadwhathisfemalecolleaguesreferredtoasan“erudite”appeal-wispsofgrayinhisthickbrownhair,probingblueeyes,anarrestinglydeepvoice,andthestrong,carefreesmileofacollegiateathlete.Avarsitydiverinprepschoolandcollege,Langdonstillhadthebodyofaswimmer,atoned,six-footphysiquethathevigilantlymaintainedwithfiftylapsadayintheuniversitypool.

Langdon’sfriendshadalwaysviewedhimasabitofanenigma-amancaughtbetweencenturies.Onweekendshecouldbeseenloungingonthequadinbluejeans,discussingcomputergraphicsorreligioushistorywithstudents;othertimeshecouldbespottedinhisHarristweedandpaisleyvest,photographedinthepagesofupscaleartmagazinesatmuseumopeningswherehehadbeenaskedtolecture.

Althoughatoughteacherandstrictdisciplinarian,Langdonwasthefirsttoembracewhathehailedasthe“lostartofgoodcleanfun.”Herelishedrecreationwithaninfectiousfanaticismthathadearnedhimafraternalacceptanceamonghisstudents.Hiscampusnickname-“TheDolphin”-wasareferencebothtohisaffablenatureandhislegendaryabilitytodiveintoapoolandoutmaneuvertheentireopposingsquadinawaterpolomatch.

AsLangdonsatalone,absentlygazingintothedarkness,thesilenceofhishomewasshatteredagain,thistimebytheringofhisfaxmachine.Tooexhaustedtobeannoyed,Langdonforcedatiredchuckle.

God’speople,hethought.TwothousandyearsofwaitingfortheirMessiah,andthey’restillpersistentashell.

Wearily,hereturnedhisemptymugtothekitchenandwalkedslowlytohisoak-paneledstudy.Theincomingfaxlayinthetray.Sighing,hescoopedupthepaperandlookedatit.

Instantly,awaveofnauseahithim.

Theimageonthepagewasthatofahumancorpse.Thebodyhadbeenstrippednak