CHAPTER 1115.docx

CHAPTER 1115.docx

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CHAPTER1115

CHAPTER11

"Uneplaisanterienumérique?

"BezuFachewaslivid,glaringatSophieNeveuindisbelief.Anumericjoke?

"YourprofessionalassessmentofSaunière'scodeisthatitissomekindofmathematicalprank?

"

Fachewasinutterincomprehensionofthiswoman'sgall.NotonlyhadshejustbargedinonFachewithoutpermission,butshewasnowtryingtoconvincehimthatSaunière,inhisfinalmomentsoflife,hadbeeninspiredtoleaveamathematicalgag?

"Thiscode,"SophieexplainedinrapidFrench,"issimplistictothepointofabsurdity.JacquesSaunièremusthaveknownwewouldseethroughitimmediately."ShepulledascrapofpaperfromhersweaterpocketandhandedittoFache."Hereisthedecryption."

Fachelookedatthecard.

1-1-2-3-5-8-13-21

 "Thisisit?

"hesnapped."Allyoudidwasputthenumbersinincreasingorder!

"

Sophieactuallyhadthenervetogiveasatisfiedsmile."Exactly."

Fache'stoneloweredtoagutturalrumble."AgentNeveu,Ihavenoideawherethehellyou'regoingwiththis,butIsuggestyougettherefast."HeshotananxiousglanceatLangdon,whostoodnearbywiththephonepressedtohisear,apparentlystilllisteningtohisphonemessagefromtheU.S.Embassy.FromLangdon'sashenexpression,Fachesensedthenewswasbad.

"Captain,"Sophiesaid,hertonedangerouslydefiant,"thesequenceofnumbersyouhaveinyourhandhappenstobeoneofthemostfamousmathematicalprogressionsinhistory."

Fachewasnotawarethereevenexistedamathematicalprogressionthatqualifiedasfamous,andhecertainlydidn'tappreciateSophie'soff-handedtone.

"ThisistheFibonaccisequence,"shedeclared,noddingtowardthepieceofpaperinFache'shand."Aprogressioninwhicheachtermisequaltothesumofthetwoprecedingterms."

Fachestudiedthenumbers.Eachtermwasindeedthesumofthetwoprevious,andyetFachecouldnotimaginewhattherelevanceofallthiswastoSaunière'sdeath.

"MathematicianLeonardoFibonaccicreatedthissuccessionofnumbersinthethirteenth-century.ObviouslytherecanbenocoincidencethatallofthenumbersSaunièrewroteonthefloorbelongtoFibonacci'sfamoussequence."

Fachestaredattheyoungwomanforseveralmoments."Fine,ifthereisnocoincidence,wouldyoutellmewhyJacquesSaunièrechosetodothis.Whatishesaying?

Whatdoesthismean?

"

Sheshrugged."Absolutelynothing.That'sthepoint.It'sasimplisticcryptographicjoke.Liketakingthewordsofafamouspoemandshufflingthematrandomtoseeifanyonerecognizeswhatallthewordshaveincommon."

Fachetookamenacingstepforward,placinghisfaceonlyinchesfromSophie's."Icertainlyhopeyouhaveamuchmoresatisfyingexplanationthanthat."

Sophie'ssoftfeaturesgrewsurprisinglysternassheleanedin."Captain,consideringwhatyouhaveatstakeheretonight,IthoughtyoumightappreciateknowingthatJacquesSaunièremightbeplayinggameswithyou.Apparentlynot.I'llinformthedirectorofCryptographyyounolongerneedourservices."

Withthat,sheturnedonherheel,andmarchedoffthewayshehadcome.

Stunned,Fachewatchedherdisappearintothedarkness.Issheoutofhermind?

SophieNeveuhadjustredefinedlesuicideprofessionnel.

FacheturnedtoLangdon,whowasstillonthephone,lookingmoreconcernedthanbefore,listeningintentlytohisphonemessage.TheU.S.Embassy.BezuFachedespisedmanythings...butfewdrewmorewraththantheU.S.Embassy.

Facheandtheambassadorlockedhornsregularlyoversharedaffairsofstate—theirmostcommonbattlegroundbeinglawenforcementforvisitingAmericans.Almostdaily,DCPJarrestedAmericanexchangestudentsinpossessionofdrugs,U.S.businessmenforsolicitingunderageProstitutes,Americantouristsforshopliftingordestructionofproperty.Legally,theU.S.EmbassycouldinterveneandextraditeguiltycitizensbacktotheUnitedStates,wheretheyreceivednothingmorethanaslaponthewrist.

Andtheembassyinvariablydidjustthat.

L'émasculationdelaPoliceJudiciaire,Fachecalledit.ParisMatchhadrunacartoonrecentlydepictingFacheasapolicedog,tryingtobiteanAmericancriminal,butunabletoreachbecauseitwaschainedtotheU.S.Embassy.

Nottonight,Fachetoldhimself.Thereisfartoomuchatstake.

BythetimeRobertLangdonhungupthephone,helookedill.

"Iseverythingallright?

"Facheasked.

Weakly,Langdonshookhishead.

Badnewsfromhome,Fachesensed,noticingLangdonwassweatingslightlyasFachetookbackhiscellphone.

"Anaccident,"Langdonstammered,lookingatFachewithastrangeexpression."Afriend..."Hehesitated."I'llneedtoflyhomefirstthinginthemorning."

FachehadnodoubttheshockonLangdon'sfacewasgenuine,andyethesensedanotheremotiontheretoo,asifadistantfearweresuddenlysimmeringintheAmerican'seyes."I'msorrytohearthat,"Fachesaid,watchingLangdonclosely."Wouldyouliketositdown?

"Hemotionedtowardoneoftheviewingbenchesinthegallery.

Langdonnoddedabsentlyandtookafewstepstowardthebench.Hepaused,lookingmoreconfusedwitheverymoment."Actually,IthinkI'dliketousetherestroom."

Fachefrownedinwardlyatthedelay."Therestroom.Ofcourse.Let'stakeabreakforafewminutes."Hemotionedbackdownthelonghallwayinthedirectiontheyhadcomefrom."Therestroomsarebacktowardthecurator'soffice."

Langdonhesitated,pointingintheotherdirectiontowardthefarendoftheGrandGallerycorridor."Ibelievethere'samuchcloserrestroomattheend."

FacherealizedLangdonwasright.Theyweretwothirdsofthewaydown,andtheGrandGallerydead-endedatapairofrestrooms."ShallIaccompanyyou?

"

Langdonshookhishead,alreadymovingdeeperintothegallery."Notnecessary.IthinkI'dlikeafewminutesalone."

FachewasnotwildabouttheideaofLangdonwanderingalonedowntheremaininglengthofcorridor,buthetookcomfortinknowingtheGrandGallerywasadeadendwhoseonlyexitwasattheotherend—thegateunderwhichtheyhadentered.AlthoughFrenchfireregulationsrequiredseveralemergencystairwellsforaspacethislarge,thosestairwellshadbeensealedautomaticallywhenSaunièretrippedthesecuritysystem.Granted,thatsystemhadnowbeenreset,unlockingthestairwells,butitdidn'tmatter—theexternaldoors,ifopened,wouldsetofffirealarmsandwereguardedoutsidebyDCPJagents.LangdoncouldnotpossiblyleavewithoutFacheknowingaboutit.

"IneedtoreturntoMr.Saunière'sofficeforamoment,"Fachesaid."Pleasecomefindmedirectly,Mr.Langdon.Thereismoreweneedtodiscuss."

Langdongaveaquietwaveashedisappearedintothedarkness.

Turning,Fachemarchedangrilyintheoppositedirection.Arrivingatthegate,heslidunder,exitedtheGrandGallery,marcheddownthehall,andstormedintothecommandcenteratSaunière'soffice.

"WhogavetheapprovaltoletSophieNeveuintothisbuilding!

"Fachebellowed.

Colletwasthefirsttoanswer."Shetoldtheguardsoutsideshe'dbrokenthecode."

Fachelookedaround."Isshegone?

"

"She'snotwithyou?

"

"Sheleft."Facheglancedoutatthedarkenedhallway.ApparentlySophiehadbeeninnomoodtostopbyandchatwiththeotherofficersonherwayout.

Foramoment,FacheconsideredradioingtheguardsintheentresolandtellingthemtostopSophieanddragherbackupherebeforeshecouldleavethepremises.Hethoughtbetterofit.Thatwasonlyhispridetalking...wantingthelastword.He'dhadenoughdistractionstonight.

DealwithAgentNeveulater,hetoldhimself,alreadylookingforwardtofiringher.

PushingSophiefromhismind,FachestaredforamomentattheminiatureknightstandingonSaunière'sdesk.ThenheturnedbacktoCollet."Doyouhavehim?

"

ColletgaveacurtnodandspunthelaptoptowardFache.Thereddotwasclearlyvisibleonthefloorplanoverlay,blinkingmethodicallyinaroommarkedTOILETTESPUBLIQUES.

"Good,"Fachesaid,lightingacigaretteandstalkingintothehall.I'vegotaphonecalltomake.BedamnedsuretherestroomistheonlyplaceLangdongoes."

CHAPTER12

RobertLangdonfeltlight-headedashetrudgedtowardtheendoftheGrandGallery.Sophie'sphonemessageplayedoverandoverinhismind.Attheendofthecorridor,illuminatedsignsbearingtheinternationalstick-figuresymbolsforrestroomsguidedhimthroughamaze-likeseriesofdividersdisplayingItaliandrawingsandhidingtherestroomsfromsight.

Findingthemen'sroomdoor,Langdonenteredandturnedonthelights.

Theroomwasempty.

Walkingtothesink,hesplashedcoldwateronhisfaceandtriedtowakeup.Harshfluorescentlightsglaredoffthestarktile,andtheroomsmelledofammonia.Ashetoweledoff,therestroom'sdoorcreakedopenbehindhim.Hespun.

SophieNeveuentered,hergreeneyesflashingfear."ThankGodyoucame.Wedon'thavemuchtime."

Langdonstoodbesidethesinks,staringinbewildermentatDCPJcryptographerSophieNeveu.Onlyminutesago,Langdonhadlistenedtoherphonemessage,thinkingthenewlyarrivedcryptographermustbeinsane.Andyet,themorehelistened,themorehesensedSophieNeveuwasspeakinginearnest.Donotreacttothismessage.Justlistencalmly.Youareindangerrightnow.Followmydirectionsveryclosely.Filledwithuncertainty,LangdonhaddecidedtodoexactlyasSophieadvised.HetoldFachethatthephonemessagewasregardinganinjuredfriendbackhome.ThenhehadaskedtousetherestroomattheendoftheGrandGallery.

Sophiestoodbeforehimnow,stillcatchingherbreathafterdoublingbacktotherestroom.Inthefluorescentlights,Langdonwassurprisedtoseethatherstrongairactuallyradiatedfromunexpectedlysoftfeatures.Onlyhergazewassh