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chapter6170

Chapter61

TheairinsidethePantheonwascoolanddamp,heavywithhistory.Thesprawlingceilinghoveredoverheadasthoughweightless-the141-footunsupportedspanlargereventhanthecupolaatSt.Peter's.Asalways,Langdonfeltachillasheenteredthecavernousroom.Itwasaremarkablefusionofengineeringandart.Abovethemthefamouscircularholeintheroofglowedwithanarrowshaftofeveningsun.Theoculus,Langdonthought.Thedemon'shole.

Theyhadarrived.

Langdon'seyestracedthearchoftheceilingslopingoutwardtothecolumnedwallsandfinallydowntothepolishedmarblefloorbeneaththeirfeet.Thefaintechooffootfallsandtouristmurmursreverberatedaroundthedome.Langdonscannedthedozenorsotouristswanderingaimlesslyintheshadows.Areyouhere?

"Looksprettyquiet,"Vittoriasaid,stillholdinghishand.

Langdonnodded.

"Where'sRaphael'stomb?

"

Langdonthoughtforamoment,tryingtogethisbearings.Hesurveyedthecircumferenceoftheroom.Tombs.Altars.Pillars.Niches.Hemotionedtoaparticularlyornatefuneraryacrossthedomeandtotheleft."Ithinkthat'sRaphael'soverthere."

Vittoriascannedtherestoftheroom."Idon'tseeanyonewholookslikeanassassinabouttokillacardinal.Shallwelookaround?

"

Langdonnodded."There'sonlyonespotinherewhereanyonecouldbehiding.Webetterchecktherientranze."

"Therecesses?

"

"Yes."Langdonpointed."Therecessesinthewall."

Aroundtheperimeter,interspersedwiththetombs,aseriesofsemicircularnicheswerehewninthewall.Theniches,althoughnotenormous,werebigenoughtohidesomeoneintheshadows.Sadly,LangdonknewtheyoncecontainedstatuesoftheOlympiangods,butthepagansculptureshadbeendestroyedwhentheVaticanconvertedthePantheontoaChristianchurch.Hefeltapangoffrustrationtoknowhewasstandingatthefirstaltarofscience,andthemarkerwasgone.Hewonderedwhichstatueithadbeen,andwhereithadpointed.LangdoncouldimaginenogreaterthrillthanfindinganIlluminatimarker-astatuethatsurreptitiouslypointedthewaydownthePathofIllumination.AgainhewonderedwhotheanonymousIlluminatisculptorhadbeen.

"I'lltaketheleftarc,"Vittoriasaid,indicatingthelefthalfofthecircumference."Yougoright.Seeyouinahundredandeightydegrees."

Langdonsmiledgrimly.

AsVittoriamovedoff,Langdonfelttheeeriehorrorofthesituationseepingbackintohismind.Asheturnedandmadehiswaytotheright,thekiller'svoiceseemedtowhisperinthedeadspacearoundhim.Eighto'clock.Virginsacrificesonthealtarsofscience.Amathematicalprogressionofdeath.Eight,nine,ten,eleven...andatmidnight.Langdoncheckedhiswatch:

7:

52.Eightminutes.

AsLangdonmovedtowardthefirstrecess,hepassedthetombofoneofItaly'sCatholickings.Thesarcophagus,likemanyinRome,wasaskewwiththewall,positionedawkwardly.Agroupofvisitorsseemedconfusedbythis.Langdondidnotstoptoexplain.FormalChristiantombswereoftenmisalignedwiththearchitecturesotheycouldliefacingeast.ItwasanancientsuperstitionthatLangdon'sSymbology212classhaddiscussedjustlastmonth.

"That'stotallyincongruous!

"afemalestudentinthefronthadblurtedwhenLangdonexplainedthereasonforeast-facingtombs."WhywouldChristianswanttheirtombstofacetherisingsun?

We'retalkingaboutChristianity...notsunworship!

"

Langdonsmiled,pacingbeforetheblackboard,chewinganapple."Mr.Hitzrot!

"heshouted.

Ayoungmandozinginbacksatupwithastart."What!

Me?

"

LangdonpointedtoaRenaissanceartposteronthewall."WhoisthatmankneelingbeforeGod?

"

"Um...somesaint?

"

"Brilliant.Andhowdoyouknowhe'sasaint?

"

"He'sgotahalo?

"

"Excellent,anddoesthatgoldenhaloremindyouofanything?

"

Hitzrotbrokeintoasmile."Yeah!

ThoseEgyptianthingswestudiedlastterm.Those...um...sundisks!

"

"Thankyou,Hitzrot.Gobacktosleep."Langdonturnedbacktotheclass."Halos,likemuchofChristiansymbology,wereborrowedfromtheancientEgyptianreligionofsunworship.Christianityisfilledwithexamplesofsunworship."

"Excuseme?

"thegirlinfrontsaid."Igotochurchallthetime,andIdon'tseemuchsunworshipinggoingon!

"

"Really?

WhatdoyoucelebrateonDecembertwenty-fifth?

"

"Christmas.ThebirthofJesusChrist."

"AndyetaccordingtotheBible,ChristwasborninMarch,sowhatarewedoingcelebratinginlateDecember?

"

Silence.

Langdonsmiled."Decembertwenty-fifth,myfriends,istheancientpaganholidayofsolinvictus-UnconqueredSun-coincidingwiththewintersolstice.It'sthatwonderfultimeofyearwhenthesunreturns,andthedaysstartgettinglonger."

Langdontookanotherbiteofapple.

"Conqueringreligions,"hecontinued,"oftenadoptexistingholidaystomakeconversionlessshocking.It'scalledtransmutation.Ithelpspeopleacclimatizetothenewfaith.Worshiperskeepthesameholydates,prayinthesamesacredlocations,useasimilarsymbology...andtheysimplysubstituteadifferentgod."

Nowthegirlinfrontlookedfurious."You'reimplyingChristianityisjustsomekindof…repackagedsunworship!

"

"Notatall.Christianitydidnotborrowonlyfromsunworship.TheritualofChristiancanonizationistakenfromtheancient'god-making'riteofEuhemerus.Thepracticeof'god-eating'-thatis,HolyCommunion-wasborrowedfromtheAztecs.EventheconceptofChristdyingforoursinsisarguablynotexclusivelyChristian;theself-sacrificeofayoungmantoabsolvethesinsofhispeopleappearsintheearliesttraditionoftheQuetzalcoatl."

Thegirlglared."So,isanythinginChristianityoriginal?

"

"Verylittleinanyorganizedfaithistrulyoriginal.Religionsarenotbornfromscratch.Theygrowfromoneanother.Modernreligionisacollage...anassimilatedhistoricalrecordofman'squesttounderstandthedivine."

"Um...holdon,"Hitzrotventured,soundingawakenow."IknowsomethingChristianthat'soriginal.HowaboutourimageofGod?

ChristianartneverportraysGodasthehawksungod,orasanAztec,orasanythingweird.ItalwaysshowsGodasanoldmanwithawhitebeard.SoourimageofGodisoriginal,right?

"

Langdonsmiled."WhentheearlyChristianconvertsabandonedtheirformerdeities-pagangods,Romangods,Greek,sun,Mithraic,whatever-theyaskedthechurchwhattheirnewChristianGodlookedlike.Wisely,thechurchchosethemostfeared,powerful...andfamiliarfaceinallofrecordedhistory."

Hitzrotlookedskeptical."Anoldmanwithawhite,flowingbeard?

"

Langdonpointedtoahierarchyofancientgodsonthewall.Atthetopsatanoldmanwithawhite,flowingbeard."DoesZeuslookfamiliar?

"

Theclassendedrightoncue. 

"Goodevening,"aman'svoicesaid.

Langdonjumped.HewasbackinthePantheon.Heturnedtofaceanelderlymaninabluecapewitharedcrossonthechest.Themangavehimagray-toothedsmile.

"You'reEnglish,right?

"Theman'saccentwasthickTuscan.

Langdonblinked,confused."Actually,no.I'mAmerican."

Themanlookedembarrassed."Ohheavens,forgiveme.Youweresonicelydressed,Ijustfigured...myapologies."

"CanIhelpyou?

"Langdonasked,hisheartbeatingwildly.

"ActuallyIthoughtperhapsIcouldhelpyou.Iamtheciceronehere."Themanpointedproudlytohiscity-issuedbadge."ItismyjobtomakeyourvisittoRomemoreinteresting."

Moreinteresting?

LangdonwascertainthisparticularvisittoRomewasplentyinteresting.

"Youlooklikeamanofdistinction,"theguidefawned,"nodoubtmoreinterestedinculturethanmost.PerhapsIcangiveyousomehistoryonthisfascinatingbuilding."

Langdonsmiledpolitely."Kindofyou,butI'mactuallyanarthistorianmyself,and-"

"Superb!

"Theman'seyeslituplikehe'dhitthejackpot."Thenyouwillnodoubtfindthisdelightful!

"

"IthinkI'dpreferto-"

"ThePantheon,"themandeclared,launchingintohismemorizedspiel,"wasbuiltbyMarcusAgrippain27B.C."

"Yes,"Langdoninterjected,"andrebuiltbyHadrianin119A.D."

"Itwastheworld'slargestfree-standingdomeuntil1960whenitwaseclipsedbytheSuperdomeinNewOrleans!

"

Langdongroaned.Themanwasunstoppable.

"Andafifth-centurytheologianoncecalledthePantheontheHouseoftheDevil,warningthattheholeintheroofwasanentrancefordemons!

"

Langdonblockedhimout.Hiseyesclimbedskywardtotheoculus,andthememoryofVittoria'ssuggestedplotflashedabone-numbingimageinhismind...abrandedcardinalfallingthroughtheholeandhittingthemarblefloor.Nowthatwouldbeamediaevent.LangdonfoundhimselfscanningthePantheonforreporters.None.Heinhaleddeeply.Itwasanabsurdidea.Thelogisticsofpullingoffastuntlikethatwouldberidiculous.

AsLangdonmovedofftocontinuehisinspection,thebabblingdocentfollowedlikealove-starvedpuppy.Remindme,Langdonthoughttohimself,there'snothingworsethanagunghoarthistorian. 

Acrosstheroom,Vittoriawasimmersedinherownsearch.Standingallaloneforthefirsttimesinceshehadheardthenewsofherfather,shefeltthestarkrealityofthelasteighthoursclosinginaroundher.Herfatherhadbeenmurdered-cruellyandabruptly.Almostequallypainfulwasthatherfather'screationhadbeencorrupted-nowatoolofterrorists.Vittoriawasplaguedwithguilttothinkthatitwasherinventionthathadenabledtheantimattertobetransported...hercanisterthatwasnowcountingdowninsidetheVatican.Inanefforttoserveherfather'squestforthesimplicityoftruth...shehadbecomeaconspiratorofchaos.

Oddly,theonlythingthatfeltrightinherlifeatthemomentwasthepresenceofatotalstranger