CHAPTER 1115.docx

1、CHAPTER 1115CHAPTER 11Une plaisanterie numrique? Bezu Fache was livid, glaring at Sophie Neveu in disbelief. A numeric joke? Your professional assessment of Saunires code is that it is some kind of mathematical prank?Fache was in utter incomprehension of this womans gall. Not only had she just barge

2、d in on Fache without permission, but she was now trying to convince him that Saunire, in his final moments of life, had been inspired to leave a mathematical gag?This code, Sophie explained in rapid French, is simplistic to the point of absurdity. Jacques Saunire must have known we would see throug

3、h it immediately. She pulled a scrap of paper from her sweater pocket and handed it to Fache. Here is the decryption.Fache looked at the card.1-1-2-3-5-8-13-21This is it? he snapped. All you did was put the numbers in increasing order!Sophie actually had the nerve to give a satisfied smile. Exactly.

4、Faches tone lowered to a guttural rumble. Agent Neveu, I have no idea where the hell youre going with this, but I suggest you get there fast. He shot an anxious glance at Langdon, who stood nearby with the phone pressed to his ear, apparently still listening to his phone message from the U.S. Embass

5、y. From Langdons ashen expression, Fache sensed the news was bad.Captain, Sophie said, her tone dangerously defiant, the sequence of numbers you have in your hand happens to be one of the most famous mathematical progressions in history.Fache was not aware there even existed a mathematical progressi

6、on that qualified as famous, and he certainly didnt appreciate Sophies off-handed tone.This is the Fibonacci sequence, she declared, nodding toward the piece of paper in Faches hand. A progression in which each term is equal to the sum of the two preceding terms.Fache studied the numbers. Each term

7、was indeed the sum of the two previous, and yet Fache could not imagine what the relevance of all this was to Saunires death.Mathematician Leonardo Fibonacci created this succession of numbers in the thirteenth-century. Obviously there can be no coincidence that all of the numbers Saunire wrote on t

8、he floor belong to Fibonaccis famous sequence.Fache stared at the young woman for several moments. Fine, if there is no coincidence, would you tell me why Jacques Saunire chose to do this. What is he saying? What does this mean?She shrugged. Absolutely nothing. Thats the point. Its a simplistic cryp

9、tographic joke. Like taking the words of a famous poem and shuffling them at random to see if anyone recognizes what all the words have in common.Fache took a menacing step forward, placing his face only inches from Sophies. I certainly hope you have a much more satisfying explanation than that.Soph

10、ies soft features grew surprisingly stern as she leaned in. Captain, considering what you have at stake here tonight, I thought you might appreciate knowing that Jacques Saunire might be playing games with you. Apparently not. Ill inform the director of Cryptography you no longer need our services.W

11、ith that, she turned on her heel, and marched off the way she had come.Stunned, Fache watched her disappear into the darkness. Is she out of her mind? Sophie Neveu had just redefined le suicide professionnel.Fache turned to Langdon, who was still on the phone, looking more concerned than before, lis

12、tening intently to his phone message. The U.S. Embassy. Bezu Fache despised many things. but few drew more wrath than the U.S. Embassy.Fache and the ambassador locked horns regularly over shared affairs of statetheir most common battleground being law enforcement for visiting Americans. Almost daily

13、, DCPJ arrested American exchange students in possession of drugs, U.S. businessmen for soliciting underage Prostitutes, American tourists for shoplifting or destruction of property. Legally, the U.S. Embassy could intervene and extradite guilty citizens back to the United States, where they receive

14、d nothing more than a slap on the wrist.And the embassy invariably did just that.Lmasculation de la Police Judiciaire, Fache called it. Paris Match had run a cartoon recently depicting Fache as a police dog, trying to bite an American criminal, but unable to reach because it was chained to the U.S.

15、Embassy.Not tonight, Fache told himself. There is far too much at stake.By the time Robert Langdon hung up the phone, he looked ill.Is everything all right? Fache asked.Weakly, Langdon shook his head.Bad news from home, Fache sensed, noticing Langdon was sweating slightly as Fache took back his cell

16、 phone.An accident, Langdon stammered, looking at Fache with a strange expression. A friend. He hesitated. Ill need to fly home first thing in the morning.Fache had no doubt the shock on Langdons face was genuine, and yet he sensed another emotion there too, as if a distant fear were suddenly simmer

17、ing in the Americans eyes. Im sorry to hear that, Fache said, watching Langdon closely. Would you like to sit down? He motioned toward one of the viewing benches in the gallery.Langdon nodded absently and took a few steps toward the bench. He paused, looking more confused with every moment. Actually

18、, I think Id like to use the rest room.Fache frowned inwardly at the delay. The rest room. Of course. Lets take a break for a few minutes. He motioned back down the long hallway in the direction they had come from. The rest rooms are back toward the curators office.Langdon hesitated, pointing in the

19、 other direction toward the far end of the Grand Gallery corridor. I believe theres a much closer rest room at the end.Fache realized Langdon was right. They were two thirds of the way down, and the Grand Gallery dead-ended at a pair of rest rooms. Shall I accompany you?Langdon shook his head, alrea

20、dy moving deeper into the gallery. Not necessary. I think Id like a few minutes alone.Fache was not wild about the idea of Langdon wandering alone down the remaining length of corridor, but he took comfort in knowing the Grand Gallery was a dead end whose only exit was at the other endthe gate under

21、 which they had entered. Although French fire regulations required several emergency stairwells for a space this large, those stairwells had been sealed automatically when Saunire tripped the security system. Granted, that system had now been reset, unlocking the stairwells, but it didnt matterthe e

22、xternal doors, if opened, would set off fire alarms and were guarded outside by DCPJ agents. Langdon could not possibly leave without Fache knowing about it.I need to return to Mr. Saunires office for a moment, Fache said. Please come find me directly, Mr. Langdon. There is more we need to discuss.L

23、angdon gave a quiet wave as he disappeared into the darkness.Turning, Fache marched angrily in the opposite direction. Arriving at the gate, he slid under, exited the Grand Gallery, marched down the hall, and stormed into the command center at Saunires office.Who gave the approval to let Sophie Neve

24、u into this building! Fache bellowed.Collet was the first to answer. She told the guards outside shed broken the code.Fache looked around. Is she gone?Shes not with you?She left. Fache glanced out at the darkened hallway. Apparently Sophie had been in no mood to stop by and chat with the other offic

25、ers on her way out.For a moment, Fache considered radioing the guards in the entresol and telling them to stop Sophie and drag her back up here before she could leave the premises. He thought better of it. That was only his pride talking. wanting the last word. Hed had enough distractions tonight.De

26、al with Agent Neveu later, he told himself, already looking forward to firing her.Pushing Sophie from his mind, Fache stared for a moment at the miniature knight standing on Saunires desk. Then he turned back to Collet. Do you have him?Collet gave a curt nod and spun the laptop toward Fache. The red

27、 dot was clearly visible on the floor plan overlay, blinking methodically in a room marked TOILETTES PUBLIQUES.Good, Fache said, lighting a cigarette and stalking into the hall. Ive got a phone call to make. Be damned sure the rest room is the only place Langdon goes.CHAPTER 12Robert Langdon felt li

28、ght-headed as he trudged toward the end of the Grand Gallery. Sophies phone message played over and over in his mind. At the end of the corridor, illuminated signs bearing the international stick-figure symbols for rest rooms guided him through a maze-like series of dividers displaying Italian drawi

29、ngs and hiding the rest rooms from sight.Finding the mens room door, Langdon entered and turned on the lights.The room was empty.Walking to the sink, he splashed cold water on his face and tried to wake up. Harsh fluorescent lights glared off the stark tile, and the room smelled of ammonia. As he to

30、weled off, the rest rooms door creaked open behind him. He spun.Sophie Neveu entered, her green eyes flashing fear. Thank God you came. We dont have much time.Langdon stood beside the sinks, staring in bewilderment at DCPJ cryptographer Sophie Neveu. Only minutes ago, Langdon had listened to her pho

31、ne message, thinking the newly arrived cryptographer must be insane. And yet, the more he listened, the more he sensed Sophie Neveu was speaking in earnest. Do not react to this message. Just listen calmly. You are in danger right now. Follow my directions very closely. Filled with uncertainty, Lang

32、don had decided to do exactly as Sophie advised. He told Fache that the phone message was regarding an injured friend back home. Then he had asked to use the rest room at the end of the Grand Gallery.Sophie stood before him now, still catching her breath after doubling back to the rest room. In the fluorescent lights, Langdon was surprised to see that her strong air actually radiated from unexpectedly soft features. Only her gaze was sh