Angels and Demons - Dan Brown

Dan Br own - Angel s and Demons.
t xt

Al so by Dan Br own
Di gi t al For t r ess
A N G E L S
&
D E M O N S

D A N B R O WN

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pr oduct s of t he aut hor ' s
i magi nat i on or ar e used f i ct i t i ousl y. Any r esembl ance t o act ual event s or
l ocal es or per sons, l i vi ng or dead,
i s ent i r el y coi nci dent al .

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Copyr i ght 2000 by Dan Br own
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For Bl yt he . . .

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
A debt of gr at i t ude t o Emi l y Best l er , J ason Kauf man, Ben Kapl an, and ever yone at
Pocket Books f or
t hei r bel i ef i n t hi s pr oj ect .
To my f r i end and agent , J ake El wel l , f or hi s ent husi asmand unf l aggi ng ef f or t .
To t he l egendar y Geor ge Wi eser , f or convi nci ng me t o wr i t e novel s.
To my dear f r i end I r v Si t t l er , f or f aci l i t at i ng my audi ence wi t h t he Pope,
secr et i ng me i nt o par t s of Vat i can
Ci t y f ew ever see, and maki ng my t i me i n Rome unf or get t abl e.
To one of t he most i ngeni ous and gi f t ed ar t i st s al i ve, J ohn Langdon, who r ose
br i l l i ant l y t o my i mpossi bl e
Sei t e 1
Dan Br own - Angel s and Demons. t xt
chal l enge and cr eat ed t he ambi gr ams f or t hi s novel .
To St an Pl ant on, head l i br ar i an, Ohi o Uni ver si t y- Chi l l i cot he, f or bei ng my
number one sour ce of
i nf or mat i on on count l ess t opi cs.
To Syl vi a Cavazzi ni , f or her gr aci ous t our t hr ough t he secr et Passet t o.
And t o t he best par ent s a ki d coul d hope f or , Di ck and Conni e Br own . . . f or
ever yt hi ng.
Thanks al so t o CERN, Henr y Becket t , Br et t Tr ot t er , t he Pont i f i cal Academy of
Sci ence, Br ookhaven
I nst i t ut e, Fer mi Lab Li br ar y, Ol ga Wi eser , Don Ul sch of t he Nat i onal Secur i t y
I nst i t ut e, Car ol i ne H.
Thompson at Uni ver si t y of Wal es, Kat hr yn Ger har d and Omar Al Ki ndi , J ohn Pi ke
and t he Feder at i on of
Amer i can Sci ent i st s, Hei ml i ch Vi ser hol der , Cor i nna and Davi s Hammond, Ai zaz Al i ,
t he Gal i l eo Pr oj ect of
Ri ce Uni ver si t y, J ul i e Lynn and Char l i e Ryan at Mocki ngbi r d Pi ct ur es, Gar y
Gol dst ei n, Dave ( Vi l as)
Ar nol d and Andr a Cr awf or d, t he Gl obal Fr at er nal Net wor k, t he Phi l l i ps Exet er
Academy Li br ar y, J i m
Bar r i ngt on, J ohn Mai er , t he except i onal l y keen eye of Mar gi e Wacht el ,
al t . masoni c. member s, Al an
Wool ey, t he Li br ar y of Congr ess Vat i can Codi ces Exhi bi t , Li sa Cal l amar o and t he
Cal l amar o Agency, J on
A. St owel l , Musei Vat i cani , Al do Baggi a, Noah Al i r eza, Har r i et Wal ker , Char l es
Ter r y, Mi cr on
El ect r oni cs, Mi ndy Homan, Nancy andDi ck Cur t i n, Thomas D. Nadeau, NuvoMedi a
andRocket E- books,
Fr ank and Syl vi a Kennedy, Rome Boar d of Tour i sm, Maest r o Gr egor yBr own, Val
Br own, Wer ner
Br andes, Paul Kr upi n at Di r ect Cont act , Paul St ar k, TomKi ng at Comput al k
Net wor k, Sandy and J er r y
Nol an, Web gur u Li nda Geor ge, t he Nat i onal Academy of Ar t i n Rome, physi ci st and
f el l ow scr i be St eve
Howe, Rober t West on, t he Wat er St r eet Bookst or e i n Exet er , New Hampshi r e, and
t he Vat i can
Obser vat or y.

FACT
T he wor l d' s l ar gest sci ent i f i c r esear ch f aci l i t y- Swi t zer l and' s Consei l Eur open
pour l a Recher che
Nucl ai r e ( CERN) - r ecent l y succeeded i n pr oduci ng t he f i r st par t i cl es of
ant i mat t er . Ant i mat t er i s i dent i cal
t o physi cal mat t er except t hat i t i s composed of par t i cl es whose el ect r i c
char ges ar e opposi t e t o t hose f ound
i n nor mal mat t er .
Ant i mat t er i s t he most power f ul ener gy sour ce known t o man. I t r el eases ener gy
wi t h 100 per cent
ef f i ci ency ( nucl ear f i ssi on i s 1. 5 per cent ef f i ci ent ) . Ant i mat t er cr eat es no
pol l ut i on or r adi at i on, and a
dr opl et coul d power New Yor k Ci t y f or a f ul l day.
Ther e i s, however , one cat ch . . .
Ant i mat t er i s hi ghl y unst abl e. I t i gni t es when i t comes i n cont act wi t h
absol ut el y anyt hi ng . . . even ai r . A
si ngl e gr amof ant i mat t er cont ai ns t he ener gy of a 20- ki l ot on nucl ear bomb- t he
si ze of t he bomb dr opped
on Hi r oshi ma.
Unt i l r ecent l y ant i mat t er has been cr eat ed onl y i n ver y smal l amount s ( a f ew
at oms at a t i me) . But CERN
has now br oken gr ound on i t s new Ant i pr ot on Decel er at or - an advanced ant i mat t er
pr oduct i on f aci l i t y t hat
pr omi ses t o cr eat e ant i mat t er i n much l ar ger quant i t i es.
One quest i on l ooms: Wi l l t hi s hi ghl y vol at i l e subst ance save t he wor l d, or wi l l
i t be used t o cr eat e t he most
deadl y weapon ever made?

AUTHOR' S NOTE
R ef er ences t o al l wor ks of ar t , t ombs, t unnel s, and ar chi t ect ur e i n Rome ar e
ent i r el y f act ual ( as ar e t hei r
Sei t e 2
exact l ocat i ons) . They can st i l l be seen t oday.
The br ot her hood of t he I l l umi nat i i s al so f act ual .

PROLOGUE
P hysi ci st Leonar do Vet r a smel l ed bur ni ng f l esh, and he knew i t was hi s own. He
st ar ed up i n t er r or at
t he dar k f i gur e l oomi ng over hi m. " What do you want ! "
" La chi ave, " t he r aspy voi ce r epl i ed. " The passwor d. "
" But . . . I don' t - "
The i nt r uder pr essed down agai n, gr i ndi ng t he whi t e hot obj ect deeper i nt o
Vet r a' s chest . Ther e was t he
hi ss of br oi l i ng f l esh.
Vet r a cr i ed out i n agony. " Ther e i s no passwor d! " He f el t hi msel f dr i f t i ng
t owar d unconsci ousness.
The f i gur e gl ar ed. " Ne avevo paur a. I was af r ai d of t hat . "
Vet r a f ought t o keep hi s senses, but t he dar kness was cl osi ng i n. Hi s onl y
sol ace was i n knowi ng hi s
at t acker woul d never obt ai n what he had come f or . A moment l at er , however , t he
f i gur e pr oduced a bl ade
and br ought i t t o Vet r a' s f ace. The bl ade hover ed. Car ef ul l y. Sur gi cal l y.
" For t he l ove of God! " Vet r a scr eamed. But i t was t oo l at e.
1
H i gh at op t he st eps of t he Pyr ami d of Gi za a young woman l aughed and cal l ed
down t o hi m. " Rober t ,
hur r y up! I knew I shoul d have mar r i ed a younger man! " Her smi l e was magi c.
He st r uggl ed t o keep up, but hi s l egs f el t l i ke st one. " Wai t , " he begged.
" Pl ease . . . "
As he cl i mbed, hi s vi si on began t o bl ur . Ther e was a t hunder i ng i n hi s ear s. I
must r each her ! But when he
l ooked up agai n, t he woman had di sappear ed. I n her pl ace st ood an ol d man wi t h
r ot t i ng t eet h. The man
st ar ed down, cur l i ng hi s l i ps i nt o a l onel y gr i mace. Then he l et out a scr eamof
angui sh t hat r esounded
acr oss t he deser t .
Rober t Langdon awoke wi t h a st ar t f r omhi s ni ght mar e. The phone besi de hi s bed
was r i ngi ng. Dazed, he
pi cked up t he r ecei ver .
" Hel l o?"
" I ' ml ooki ng f or Rober t Langdon, " a man' s voi ce sai d.
Langdon sat up i n hi s empt y bed and t r i ed t o cl ear hi s mi nd. " Thi s . . . i s
Rober t Langdon. " He squi nt ed at
hi s di gi t al cl ock. I t was 5: 18 A. M.
" I must see you i mmedi at el y. "
" Who i s t hi s?"
" My name i s Maxi mi l i an Kohl er . I ' ma di scr et e par t i cl e physi ci st . "
" A what ?" Langdon coul d bar el y f ocus. " Ar e you sur e you' ve got t he r i ght
Langdon?"
" You' r e a pr of essor of r el i gi ous i conol ogy at Har var d Uni ver si t y. You' ve wr i t t en
t hr ee books on
symbol ogy and- "
" Do you know what t i me i t i s?"
" I apol ogi ze. I have somet hi ng you need t o see. I can' t di scuss i t on t he
phone. "
A knowi ng gr oan escaped Langdon' s l i ps. Thi s had happened bef or e. One of t he
per i l s of wr i t i ng books
about r el i gi ous symbol ogy was t he cal l s f r omr el i gi ous zeal ot s who want ed hi mt o
conf i r mt hei r l at est si gn
f r omGod. Last mont h a st r i pper f r omOkl ahoma had pr omi sed Langdon t he best sex
of hi s l i f e i f he woul d
f l y down and ver i f y t he aut hent i ci t y of a cr uci f or mt hat had magi cal l y appear ed
on her bed sheet s. The
Shr oud of Tul sa, Langdon had cal l ed i t .
Sei t e 3
" How di d you get my number ?" Langdon t r i ed t o be pol i t e, despi t e t he hour .
" On t he Wor l dwi de Web. The si t e f or your book. "
Langdon f r owned. He was damn sur e hi s book' s si t e di d not i ncl ude hi s home phone
number . The man was
obvi ousl y l yi ng.
" I need t o see you, " t he cal l er i nsi st ed. " I ' l l pay you wel l . "
Now Langdon was get t i ng mad. " I ' msor r y, but I r eal l y- "
" I f you l eave i mmedi at el y, you can be her e by- "
" I ' mnot goi ng anywher e! I t ' s f i ve o' cl ock i n t he mor ni ng! " Langdon hung up and
col l apsed back i n bed.
He cl osed hi s eyes and t r i ed t o f al l back asl eep. I t was no use. The dr eamwas
embl azoned i n hi s mi nd.
Rel uct ant l y, he put on hi s r obe and went downst ai r s.
Rober t Langdon wander ed bar ef oot t hr ough hi s deser t ed Massachuset t s Vi ct or i an
home and nur sed hi s
r i t ual i nsomni a r emedy- a mug of st eami ng Nest l ' s Qui k. The Apr i l moon f i l t er ed
t hr ough t he bay
wi ndows and pl ayed on t he or i ent al car pet s. Langdon' s col l eagues of t en j oked
t hat hi s pl ace l ooked mor e
l i ke an ant hr opol ogy museumt han a home. Hi s shel ves wer e packed wi t h r el i gi ous
ar t i f act s f r omar ound
t he wor l d- an ekuaba f r omGhana, a gol d cr oss f r omSpai n, a cycl adi c i dol f r om
t he Aegean, and even a r ar e
woven boccus f r omBor neo, a young war r i or ' s symbol of per pet ual yout h.
As Langdon sat on hi s br ass Mahar i shi ' s chest and savor ed t he war mt h of t he
chocol at e, t he bay wi ndow
caught hi s r ef l ect i on. The i mage was di st or t ed and pal e . . . l i ke a ghost . An
agi ng ghost , he t hought , cr uel l y
r emi nded t hat hi s yout hf ul spi r i t was l i vi ng i n a mor t al shel l .
Al t hough not over l y handsome i n a cl assi cal sense, t he f or t y- f i ve- year - ol d
Langdon had what hi s f emal e
col l eagues r ef er r ed t o as an " er udi t e" appeal - wi sps of gr ay i n hi s t hi ck br own
hai r , pr obi ng bl ue eyes, an
ar r est i ngl y deep voi ce, and t he st r ong, car ef r ee smi l e of a col l egi at e at hl et e.
A var si t y di ver i n pr ep school
and col l ege, Langdon st i l l had t he body of a swi mmer , a t oned, si x- f oot physi que
t hat he vi gi l ant l y
mai nt ai ned wi t h f i f t y l aps a day i n t he uni ver si t y pool .
Langdon' s f r i ends had al ways vi ewed hi mas a bi t of an eni gma- a man caught
bet ween cent ur i es. On
weekends he coul d be seen l oungi ng on t he quad i n bl ue j eans, di scussi ng
comput er gr aphi cs or r el i gi ous
hi st or y wi t h st udent s; ot her t i mes he coul d be spot t ed i n hi s Har r i s t weed and
pai sl ey vest , phot ogr aphed i n
t he pages of upscal e ar t magazi nes at museumopeni ngs wher e he had been asked t o
l ect ur e.
Al t hough a t ough t eacher and st r i ct di sci pl i nar i an, Langdon was t he f i r st t o
embr ace what he hai l ed as t he
" l ost ar t of good cl ean f un. " He r el i shed r ecr eat i on wi t h an i nf ect i ous
f anat i ci smt hat had ear ned hi ma
f r at er nal accept ance among hi s st udent s. Hi s campus ni ckname- " The Dol phi n" - was a
r ef er ence bot h t o hi s
af f abl e nat ur e and hi s l egendar y abi l i t y t o di ve i nt o a pool and out maneuver t he
ent i r e opposi ng squad i n a
wat er pol o mat ch.
As Langdon sat al one, absent l y gazi ng i nt o t he dar kness, t he si l ence of hi s home
was shat t er ed agai n, t hi s
t i me by t he r i ng of hi s f ax machi ne. Too exhaust ed t o be annoyed, Langdon f or ced
a t i r ed chuckl e.
God' s peopl e, he t hought . Two t housand year s of wai t i ng f or t hei r Messi ah, and
t hey' r e st i l l per si st ent as
hel l .
Wear i l y, he r et ur ned hi s empt y mug t o t he ki t chen and wal ked sl owl y t o hi s
oak- panel ed st udy. The
i ncomi ng f ax l ay i n t he t r ay. Si ghi ng, he scooped up t he paper and l ooked at i t .
I nst ant l y, a wave of nausea hi t hi m.
The i mage on t he page was t hat of a human cor pse. The body had been st r i pped
Sei t e 4
naked, and i t s head had
been t wi st ed, f aci ng compl et el y backwar d. On t he vi ct i m' s chest was a t er r i bl e
bur n. The man had been
br anded . . . i mpr i nt ed wi t h a si ngl e wor d. I t was a wor d Langdon knew wel l .
Ver y wel l . He st ar ed at t he
or nat e l et t er i ng i n di sbel i ef .

" I l l umi nat i , " he st ammer ed, hi s hear t poundi ng. I t can' t be . . .
I n sl ow mot i on, af r ai d of what he was about t o wi t ness, Langdon r ot at ed t he f ax
180 degr ees. He l ooked at
t he wor d upsi de down.
I nst ant l y, t he br eat h went out of hi m. I t was l i ke he had been hi t by a t r uck.
Bar el y abl e t o bel i eve hi s eyes,
he r ot at ed t he f ax agai n, r eadi ng t he br and r i ght - si de up and t hen upsi de down.
" I l l umi nat i , " he whi sper ed.
St unned, Langdon col l apsed i n a chai r . He sat a moment i n ut t er bewi l der ment .
Gr adual l y, hi s eyes wer e
dr awn t o t he bl i nki ng r ed l i ght on hi s f ax machi ne. Whoever had sent t hi s f ax
was st i l l on t he l i ne . . .
wai t i ng t o t al k. Langdon gazed at t he bl i nki ng l i ght a l ong t i me.
Then, t r embl i ng, he pi cked up t he r ecei ver .
2
D o I have your at t ent i on now?" t he man' s voi ce sai d when Langdon f i nal l y
answer ed t he l i ne.
" Yes, si r , you damn wel l do. You want t o expl ai n your sel f ?"
" I t r i ed t o t el l you bef or e. " The voi ce was r i gi d, mechani cal . " I ' ma physi ci st .
I r un a r esear ch f aci l i t y.
We' ve had a mur der . You saw t he body. "
" How di d you f i nd me?" Langdon coul d bar el y f ocus. Hi s mi nd was r aci ng f r omt he
i mage on t he f ax.
" I al r eady t ol d you. The Wor l dwi de Web. The si t e f or your book, The Ar t of t he
I l l umi nat i . "
Langdon t r i ed t o gat her hi s t hought s. Hi s book was vi r t ual l y unknown i n
mai nst r eaml i t er ar y ci r cl es, but i t
had devel oped qui t e a f ol l owi ng on- l i ne. Nonet hel ess, t he cal l er ' s cl ai mst i l l
made no sense. " That page has
no cont act i nf or mat i on, " Langdon chal l enged. " I ' mcer t ai n of i t . "
" I have peopl e her e at t he l ab ver y adept at ext r act i ng user i nf or mat i on f r om
t he Web. "
Langdon was skept i cal . " Sounds l i ke your l ab knows a l ot about t he Web. "
" We shoul d, " t he man f i r ed back. " We i nvent ed i t . "
Somet hi ng i n t he man' s voi ce t ol d Langdon he was not j oki ng.
" I must see you, " t he cal l er i nsi st ed. " Thi s i s not a mat t er we can di scuss on
t he phone. My l ab i s onl y an
hour ' s f l i ght f r omBost on. "
Langdon st ood i n t he di ml i ght of hi s st udy and anal yzed t he f ax i n hi s hand.
The i mage was over power i ng,
possi bl y r epr esent i ng t he epi gr aphi cal f i nd of t he cent ur y, a decade of hi s
r esear ch conf i r med i n a si ngl e
symbol .
" I t ' s ur gent , " t he voi ce pr essur ed.
Langdon' s eyes wer e l ocked on t he br and. I l l umi nat i , he r ead over and over . Hi s
wor k had al ways been
based on t he symbol i c equi val ent of f ossi l s- anci ent document s and hi st or i cal
hear say- but t hi s i mage bef or e
hi mwas t oday. Pr esent t ense. He f el t l i ke a pal eont ol ogi st comi ng f ace t o f ace
wi t h a l i vi ng di nosaur .
" I ' ve t aken t he l i ber t y of sendi ng a pl ane f or you, " t he voi ce sai d. " I t wi l l be
i n Bost on i n t went y mi nut es. "
Langdon f el t hi s mout h go dr y. An hour ' s f l i ght . . .
" Pl ease f or gi ve my pr esumpt i on, " t he voi ce sai d. " I need you her e. "
Langdon l ooked agai n at t he f ax- an anci ent myt h conf i r med i n bl ack and whi t e.
The i mpl i cat i ons wer e
f r i ght eni ng. He gazed absent l y t hr ough t he bay wi ndow. The f i r st hi nt of dawn
was si f t i ng t hr ough t he
bi r ch t r ees i n hi s backyar d, but t he vi ew l ooked somehow di f f er ent t hi s mor ni ng.
As an odd combi nat i on of
Sei t e 5
f ear and exhi l ar at i on set t l ed over hi m, Langdon knew he had no choi ce.
" You wi n, " he sai d. " Tel l me wher e t o meet t he pl ane. "
3
T housands of mi l es away, t wo men wer e meet i ng. The chamber was dar k. Medi eval .
St one.
" Benvenut o, " t he man i n char ge sai d. He was seat ed i n t he shadows, out of si ght .
" Wer e you successf ul ?"
" Si , " t he dar k f i gur e r epl i ed. " Per f ect ament e. " Hi s wor ds wer e as har d as t he
r ock wal l s.
" And t her e wi l l be no doubt who i s r esponsi bl e?"
" None. "
" Super b. Do you have what I asked f or ?"
The ki l l er ' s eyes gl i st ened, bl ack l i ke oi l . He pr oduced a heavy el ect r oni c
devi ce and set i t on t he t abl e.
The man i n t he shadows seemed pl eased. " You have done wel l . "
" Ser vi ng t he br ot her hood i s an honor , " t he ki l l er sai d.
" Phase t wo begi ns shor t l y. Get some r est . Toni ght we change t he wor l d. "
4
R ober t Langdon' s Saab 900S t or e out of t he Cal l ahan Tunnel and emer ged on t he
east si de of Bost on
Har bor near t he ent r ance t o Logan Ai r por t . Checki ng hi s di r ect i ons Langdon f ound
Avi at i on Road and
t ur ned l ef t past t he ol d East er n Ai r l i nes Bui l di ng. Thr ee hundr ed yar ds down t he
access r oad a hangar
l oomed i n t he dar kness. A l ar ge number " 4" was pai nt ed on i t . He pul l ed i nt o t he
par ki ng l ot and got out of
hi s car .
A r ound- f aced man i n a bl ue f l i ght sui t emer ged f r ombehi nd t he bui l di ng.
" Rober t Langdon?" he cal l ed.
The man' s voi ce was f r i endl y. He had an accent Langdon coul dn' t pl ace.
" That ' s me, " Langdon sai d, l ocki ng hi s car .
" Per f ect t i mi ng, " t he man sai d. " I ' ve j ust l anded. Fol l ow me, pl ease. "
As t hey ci r cl ed t he bui l di ng, Langdon f el t t ense. He was not accust omed t o
cr ypt i c phone cal l s and secr et
r endezvous wi t h st r anger s. Not knowi ng what t o expect he had donned hi s usual
cl assr oomat t i r e- a pai r of
chi nos, a t ur t l eneck, and a Har r i s t weed sui t j acket . As t hey wal ked, he t hought
about t he f ax i n hi s j acket
pocket , st i l l unabl e t o bel i eve t he i mage i t depi ct ed.
The pi l ot seemed t o sense Langdon' s anxi et y. " Fl yi ng' s not a pr obl emf or you, i s
i t , si r ?"
" Not at al l , " Langdon r epl i ed. Br anded cor pses ar e a pr obl emf or me. Fl yi ng I
can handl e.
The man l ed Langdon t he l engt h of t he hangar . They r ounded t he cor ner ont o t he
r unway.
Langdon st opped dead i n hi s t r acks and gaped at t he ai r cr af t par ked on t he
t ar mac. " We' r e r i di ng i n t hat ?"
The man gr i nned. " Li ke i t ?"
Langdon st ar ed a l ong moment . " Li ke i t ? What t he hel l i s i t ?"
The cr af t bef or e t hemwas enor mous. I t was vaguel y r emi ni scent of t he space
shut t l e except t hat t he t op had
been shaved of f , l eavi ng i t per f ect l y f l at . Par ked t her e on t he r unway, i t
r esembl ed a col ossal wedge.
Langdon' s f i r st i mpr essi on was t hat he must be dr eami ng. The vehi cl e l ooked as
ai r wor t hy as a Bui ck. The
wi ngs wer e pr act i cal l y nonexi st ent - j ust t wo st ubby f i ns on t he r ear of t he
f usel age. A pai r of dor sal gui der s
r ose out of t he af t sect i on. The r est of t he pl ane was hul l - about 200 f eet f r om
f r ont t o back- no wi ndows,
not hi ng but hul l .
" Two hundr ed f i f t y t housand ki l os f ul l y f uel ed, " t he pi l ot of f er ed, l i ke a
f at her br aggi ng about hi s newbor n.
" Runs on sl ush hydr ogen. The shel l ' s a t i t ani ummat r i x wi t h si l i con car bi de
f i ber s. She packs a 20: 1
t hr ust / wei ght r at i o; most j et s r un at 7: 1. The di r ect or must be i n one hel l uva a
hur r y t o see you. He doesn' t
usual l y send t he bi g boy. "
" Thi s t hi ng f l i es?" Langdon sai d.
Sei t e 6
The pi l ot smi l ed. " Oh yeah. " He l ed Langdon acr oss t he t ar mac t owar d t he pl ane.
" Looks ki nd of st ar t l i ng,
I know, but you bet t er get used t o i t . I n f i ve year s, al l you' l l see ar e t hese
babi es- HSCT' s- Hi gh Speed Ci vi l
Tr anspor t s. Our l ab' s one of t he f i r st t o own one. "
Must be one hel l of a l ab, Langdon t hought .
" Thi s one' s a pr ot ot ype of t he Boei ng X- 33, " t he pi l ot cont i nued, " but t her e ar e
dozens of ot her s- t he
Nat i onal Aer o Space Pl ane, t he Russi ans have Scr amj et , t he Br i t s have HOTOL. The
f ut ur e' s her e, i t ' s j ust
t aki ng some t i me t o get t o t he publ i c sect or . You can ki ss convent i onal j et s
good- bye. "
Langdon l ooked up war i l y at t he cr af t . " I t hi nk I ' d pr ef er a convent i onal j et . "
The pi l ot mot i oned up t he gangpl ank. " Thi s way, pl ease, Mr . Langdon. Wat ch your
st ep. "
Mi nut es l at er , Langdon was seat ed i nsi de t he empt y cabi n. The pi l ot buckl ed hi m
i nt o t he f r ont r ow and
di sappear ed t owar d t he f r ont of t he ai r cr af t .
The cabi n i t sel f l ooked sur pr i si ngl y l i ke a wi de- body commer ci al ai r l i ner . The
onl y except i on was t hat i t
had no wi ndows, whi ch made Langdon uneasy. He had been haunt ed hi s whol e l i f e by
a mi l d case of
cl aust r ophobi a- t he vest i ge of a chi l dhood i nci dent he had never qui t e over come.
Langdon' s aver si on t o cl osed spaces was by no means debi l i t at i ng, but i t had
al ways f r ust r at ed hi m. I t
mani f est ed i t sel f i n subt l e ways. He avoi ded encl osed spor t s l i ke r acquet bal l or
squash, and he had gl adl y
pai d a smal l f or t une f or hi s ai r y, hi gh- cei l i nged Vi ct or i an home even t hough
economi cal f acul t y housi ng
was r eadi l y avai l abl e. Langdon had of t en suspect ed hi s at t r act i on t o t he ar t
wor l d as a young boy spr ang
f r omhi s l ove of museums' wi de open spaces.
The engi nes r oar ed t o l i f e beneat h hi m, sendi ng a deep shudder t hr ough t he hul l .
Langdon swal l owed har d
and wai t ed. He f el t t he pl ane st ar t t axi i ng. Pi ped- i n count r y musi c began
pl ayi ng qui et l y over head.
A phone on t he wal l besi de hi mbeeped t wi ce. Langdon l i f t ed t he r ecei ver .
" Hel l o?"
" Comf or t abl e, Mr . Langdon?"
" Not at al l . "
" J ust r el ax. We' l l be t her e i n an hour . "
" And wher e exact l y i s t her e?" Langdon asked, r eal i zi ng he had no i dea wher e he
was headed.
" Geneva, " t he pi l ot r epl i ed, r evvi ng t he engi nes. " The l ab' s i n Geneva. "
" Geneva, " Langdon r epeat ed, f eel i ng a l i t t l e bet t er . " Upst at e New Yor k. I ' ve
act ual l y got f ami l y near
Seneca Lake. I wasn' t awar e Geneva had a physi cs l ab. "
The pi l ot l aughed. " Not Geneva, New Yor k, Mr . Langdon. Geneva, Swi t zer l and. "
The wor d t ook a l ong moment t o r egi st er . " Swi t zer l and?" Langdon f el t hi s pul se
sur ge. " I t hought you sai d
t he l ab was onl y an hour away! "
" I t i s, Mr . Langdon. " The pi l ot chuckl ed. " Thi s pl ane goes Mach f i f t een. "
5
O n a busy Eur opean st r eet , t he ki l l er ser pent i ned t hr ough a cr owd. He was a
power f ul man. Dar k and
pot ent . Decept i vel y agi l e. Hi s muscl es st i l l f el t har d f r omt he t hr i l l of hi s
meet i ng.
I t went wel l , he t ol d hi msel f . Al t hough hi s empl oyer had never r eveal ed hi s
f ace, t he ki l l er f el t honor ed t o
be i n hi s pr esence. Had i t r eal l y been onl y f i f t een days si nce hi s empl oyer had
f i r st made cont act ? The
ki l l er st i l l r emember ed ever y wor d of t hat cal l . . .
" My name i s J anus, " t he cal l er had sai d. " We ar e ki nsmen of a sor t . We shar e an
enemy. I hear your ski l l s
ar e f or hi r e. "
" I t depends whomyou r epr esent , " t he ki l l er r epl i ed.
The cal l er t ol d hi m.
" I s t hi s your i dea of a j oke?"
Sei t e 7
" You have hear d our name, I see, " t he cal l er r epl i ed.
" Of cour se. The br ot her hood i s l egendar y. "
" And yet you f i nd your sel f doubt i ng I amgenui ne. "
" Ever yone knows t he br ot her s have f aded t o dust . "
" A devi ous pl oy. The most danger ous enemy i s t hat whi ch no one f ear s. "
The ki l l er was skept i cal . " The br ot her hood endur es?"
" Deeper under gr ound t han ever bef or e. Our r oot s i nf i l t r at e ever yt hi ng you see .
. . even t he sacr ed f or t r ess
of our most swor n enemy. "
" I mpossi bl e. They ar e i nvul ner abl e. "
" Our r each i s f ar . "
" No one' s r each i s t hat f ar . "
" Ver y soon, you wi l l bel i eve. An i r r ef ut abl e demonst r at i on of t he br ot her hood' s
power has al r eady
t r anspi r ed. A si ngl e act of t r eacher y and pr oof . "
" What have you done?"
The cal l er t ol d hi m.
The ki l l er ' s eyes went wi de. " An i mpossi bl e t ask. "
The next day, newspaper s ar ound t he gl obe car r i ed t he same headl i ne. The ki l l er
became a bel i ever .
Now, f i f t een days l at er , t he ki l l er ' s f ai t h had sol i di f i ed beyond t he shadow of
a doubt . The br ot her hood
endur es, he t hought . Toni ght t hey wi l l sur f ace t o r eveal t hei r power .
As he made hi s way t hr ough t he st r eet s, hi s bl ack eyes gl eamed wi t h f or ebodi ng.
One of t he most cover t
and f ear ed f r at er ni t i es ever t o wal k t he ear t h had cal l ed on hi mf or ser vi ce.
They have chosen wi sel y, he
t hought . Hi s r eput at i on f or secr ecy was exceeded onl y by t hat of hi s deadl i ness.
So f ar , he had ser ved t hemnobl y. He had made hi s ki l l and del i ver ed t he i t emt o
J anus as r equest ed. Now,
i t was up t o J anus t o use hi s power t o ensur e t he i t em' s pl acement .
The pl acement . . .
The ki l l er wonder ed how J anus coul d possi bl y handl e such a st agger i ng t ask. The
man obvi ousl y had
connect i ons on t he i nsi de. The br ot her hood' s domi ni on seemed l i mi t l ess.
J anus, t he ki l l er t hought . A code name, obvi ousl y. Was i t a r ef er ence, he
wonder ed, t o t he Roman t wo-
f aced god . . . or t o t he moon of Sat ur n? Not t hat i t made any di f f er ence. J anus
wi el ded unf at homabl e
power . He had pr oven t hat beyond a doubt .
As t he ki l l er wal ked, he i magi ned hi s ancest or s smi l i ng down on hi m. Today he
was f i ght i ng t hei r bat t l e, he
was f i ght i ng t he same enemy t hey had f ought f or ages, as f ar back as t he
el event h cent ur y . . . when t he
enemy' s cr usadi ng ar mi es had f i r st pi l l aged hi s l and, r api ng and ki l l i ng hi s
peopl e, decl ar i ng t hemuncl ean,
def i l i ng t hei r t empl es and gods.
Hi s ancest or s had f or med a smal l but deadl y ar my t o def end t hemsel ves. The ar my
became f amous acr oss
t he l and as pr ot ect or s- ski l l ed execut i oner s who wander ed t he count r ysi de
sl aught er i ng any of t he enemy
t hey coul d f i nd. They wer e r enowned not onl y f or t hei r br ut al ki l l i ngs, but al so
f or cel ebr at i ng t hei r
sl ayi ngs by pl ungi ng t hemsel ves i nt o dr ug- i nduced st upor s. Thei r dr ug of choi ce
was a pot ent i nt oxi cant
t hey cal l ed hashi sh.
As t hei r not or i et y spr ead, t hese l et hal men became known by a si ngl e
wor d- Hassassi n- l i t er al l y " t he
f ol l ower s of hashi sh. " The name Hassassi n became synonymous wi t h deat h i n al most
ever y l anguage on
ear t h. The wor d was st i l l used t oday, even i n moder n Engl i sh . . . but l i ke t he
cr af t of ki l l i ng, t he wor d had
evol ved.
I t was now pr onounced assassi n.
6
S i xt y- f our mi nut es had passed when an i ncr edul ous and sl i ght l y ai r - si ck Rober t
Langdon st epped down
t he gangpl ank ont o t he sun- dr enched r unway. A cr i sp br eeze r ust l ed t he l apel s of
hi s t weed j acket . The
Sei t e 8
open space f el t wonder f ul . He squi nt ed out at t he l ush gr een val l ey r i si ng t o
snowcapped peaks al l ar ound
t hem.
I ' mdr eami ng, he t ol d hi msel f . Any mi nut e now I ' l l be waki ng up.
" Wel come t o Swi t zer l and, " t he pi l ot sai d, yel l i ng over t he r oar of t he X- 33' s
mi st ed- f uel HEDM engi nes
wi ndi ng down behi nd t hem.
Langdon checked hi s wat ch. I t r ead 7: 07 A. M.
" You j ust cr ossed si x t i me zones, " t he pi l ot of f er ed. " I t ' s a l i t t l e past 1 P. M.
her e. "
Langdon r eset hi s wat ch.
" How do you f eel ?"
He r ubbed hi s st omach. " Li ke I ' ve been eat i ng St yr of oam. "
The pi l ot nodded. " Al t i t ude si ckness. We wer e at si xt y t housand f eet . You' r e
t hi r t y per cent l i ght er up t her e.
Lucky we onl y di d a puddl e j ump. I f we' d gone t o Tokyo I ' d have t aken her al l
t he way up- a hundr ed
mi l es. Now t hat ' l l get your i nsi des r ol l i ng. "
Langdon gave a wan nod and count ed hi msel f l ucky. Al l t hi ngs consi der ed, t he
f l i ght had been r emar kabl y
or di nar y. Asi de f r oma bone- cr ushi ng accel er at i on dur i ng t ake of f , t he pl ane' s
mot i on had been f ai r l y
t ypi cal - occasi onal mi nor t ur bul ence, a f ew pr essur e changes as t hey' d cl i mbed,
but not hi ng at al l t o suggest
t hey had been hur t l i ng t hr ough space at t he mi nd- numbi ng speed of 11, 000 mi l es
per hour .
A handf ul of t echni ci ans scur r i ed ont o t he r unway t o t end t o t he X- 33. The pi l ot
escor t ed Langdon t o a
bl ack Peugeot sedan i n a par ki ng ar ea besi de t he cont r ol t ower . Moment s l at er
t hey wer e speedi ng down a
paved r oad t hat st r et ched out acr oss t he val l ey f l oor . A f ai nt cl ust er of
bui l di ngs r ose i n t he di st ance.
Out si de, t he gr assy pl ai ns t or e by i n a bl ur .
Langdon wat ched i n di sbel i ef as t he pi l ot pushed t he speedomet er up ar ound 170
ki l omet er s an hour - over
100 mi l es per hour . What i s i t wi t h t hi s guy and speed? he wonder ed.
" Fi ve ki l omet er s t o t he l ab, " t he pi l ot sai d. " I ' l l have you t her e i n t wo
mi nut es. "
Langdon sear ched i n vai n f or a seat bel t . Why not make i t t hr ee and get us t her e
al i ve?
The car r aced on.
" Do you l i ke Reba?" t he pi l ot asked, j ammi ng a casset t e i nt o t he t ape deck.
A woman st ar t ed si ngi ng. " I t ' s j ust t he f ear of bei ng al one . . . "
No f ear her e, Langdon t hought absent l y. Hi s f emal e col l eagues of t en r i bbed hi m
t hat hi s col l ect i on of
museum- qual i t y ar t i f act s was not hi ng mor e t han a t r anspar ent at t empt t o f i l l an
empt y home, a home t hey
i nsi st ed woul d benef i t gr eat l y f r omt he pr esence of a woman. Langdon al ways
l aughed i t of f , r emi ndi ng
t hemhe al r eady had t hr ee l oves i n hi s l i f e- symbol ogy, wat er pol o, and
bachel or hood- t he l at t er bei ng a
f r eedomt hat enabl ed hi mt o t r avel t he wor l d, sl eep as l at e as he want ed, and
enj oy qui et ni ght s at home
wi t h a br andy and a good book.
" We' r e l i ke a smal l ci t y, " t he pi l ot sai d, pul l i ng Langdon f r omhi s daydr eam.
" Not j ust l abs. We' ve got
super mar ket s, a hospi t al , even a ci nema. "
Langdon nodded bl ankl y and l ooked out at t he spr awl i ng expanse of bui l di ngs
r i si ng bef or e t hem.
" I n f act , " t he pi l ot added, " we possess t he l ar gest machi ne on ear t h. "
" Real l y?" Langdon scanned t he count r ysi de.
" You won' t see i t out t her e, si r . " The pi l ot smi l ed. " I t ' s bur i ed si x st or i es
bel ow t he ear t h. "
Langdon di dn' t have t i me t o ask. Wi t hout war ni ng t he pi l ot j ammed on t he br akes.
The car ski dded t o a
st op out si de a r ei nf or ced sent r y boot h.
Langdon r ead t he si gn bef or e t hem. SECURI TE. ARRETEZ. He suddenl y f el t a wave of
pani c, r eal i zi ng
wher e he was. " My God! I di dn' t br i ng my passpor t ! "
Sei t e 9
" Passpor t s ar e unnecessar y, " t he dr i ver assur ed. " We have a st andi ng ar r angement
wi t h t he Swi ss
gover nment . "
Langdon wat ched dumbf ounded as hi s dr i ver gave t he guar d an I D. The sent r y r an
i t t hr ough an el ect r oni c
aut hent i cat i on devi ce. The machi ne f l ashed gr een.
" Passenger name?"
" Rober t Langdon, " t he dr i ver r epl i ed.
" Guest of ?"
" The di r ect or . "
The sent r y ar ched hi s eyebr ows. He t ur ned and checked a comput er pr i nt out ,
ver i f yi ng i t agai nst t he dat a on
hi s comput er scr een. Then he r et ur ned t o t he wi ndow. " Enj oy your st ay, Mr .
Langdon. "
The car shot of f agai n, accel er at i ng anot her 200 yar ds ar ound a sweepi ng r ot ar y
t hat l ed t o t he f aci l i t y' s
mai n ent r ance. Loomi ng bef or e t hemwas a r ect angul ar , ul t r amoder n st r uct ur e of
gl ass and st eel . Langdon
was amazed by t he bui l di ng' s st r i ki ng t r anspar ent desi gn. He had al ways had a
f ond l ove of ar chi t ect ur e.
" The Gl ass Cat hedr al , " t he escor t of f er ed.
" A chur ch?"
" Hel l , no. A chur ch i s t he one t hi ng we don' t have. Physi cs i s t he r el i gi on
ar ound her e. Use t he Lor d' s
name i n vai n al l you l i ke, " he l aughed, " j ust don' t sl ander any quar ks or
mesons. "
Langdon sat bewi l der ed as t he dr i ver swung t he car ar ound and br ought i t t o a
st op i n f r ont of t he gl ass
bui l di ng. Quar ks and mesons? No bor der cont r ol ? Mach 15 j et s? Who t he hel l ARE
t hese guys? The
engr aved gr ani t e sl ab i n f r ont of t he bui l di ng bor e t he answer :
( CERN)
Consei l Eur open pour l a
Recher che Nucl ai r e
" Nucl ear Resear ch?" Langdon asked, f ai r l y cer t ai n hi s t r ansl at i on was cor r ect .
The dr i ver di d not answer . He was l eani ng f or war d, busi l y adj ust i ng t he car ' s
casset t e pl ayer . " Thi s i s your
st op. The di r ect or wi l l meet you at t hi s ent r ance. "
Langdon not ed a man i n a wheel chai r exi t i ng t he bui l di ng. He l ooked t o be i n hi s
ear l y si xt i es. Gaunt and
t ot al l y bal d wi t h a st er nl y set j aw, he wor e a whi t e l ab coat and dr ess shoes
pr opped f i r ml y on t he
wheel chai r ' s f oot r est . Even at a di st ance hi s eyes l ooked l i f el ess- l i ke t wo gr ay
st ones.
" I s t hat hi m?" Langdon asked.
The dr i ver l ooked up. " Wel l , I ' l l be. " He t ur ned and gave Langdon an omi nous
smi l e. " Speak of t he devi l . "
Uncer t ai n what t o expect , Langdon st epped f r omt he vehi cl e.
The man i n t he wheel chai r accel er at ed t owar d Langdon and of f er ed a cl ammy hand.
" Mr . Langdon? We
spoke on t he phone. My name i s Maxi mi l i an Kohl er . "
7
M axi mi l i an Kohl er , di r ect or gener al of CERN, was known behi nd hi s back as
Kni g- Ki ng. I t was a
t i t l e mor e of f ear t han r ever ence f or t he f i gur e who r ul ed over hi s domi ni on
f r oma wheel chai r t hr one.
Al t hough f ew knew hi mper sonal l y, t he hor r i f i c st or y of how he had been cr i ppl ed
was l or e at CERN, and
t her e wer e f ew t her e who bl amed hi mf or hi s bi t t er ness . . . nor f or hi s swor n
dedi cat i on t o pur e sci ence.
Langdon had onl y been i n Kohl er ' s pr esence a f ew moment s and al r eady sensed t he
di r ect or was a man
who kept hi s di st ance. Langdon f ound hi msel f pr act i cal l y j oggi ng t o keep up wi t h
Kohl er ' s el ect r i c
wheel chai r as i t sped si l ent l y t owar d t he mai n ent r ance. The wheel chai r was l i ke
none Langdon had ever
seen- equi pped wi t h a bank of el ect r oni cs i ncl udi ng a mul t i l i ne phone, a pagi ng
Sei t e 10
syst em, comput er scr een,
even a smal l , det achabl e vi deo camer a. Ki ng Kohl er ' s mobi l e command cent er .
Langdon f ol l owed t hr ough a mechani cal door i nt o CERN' s vol umi nous mai n l obby.
The Gl ass Cat hedr al , Langdon mused, gazi ng upwar d t owar d heaven.
Over head, t he bl ui sh gl ass r oof shi mmer ed i n t he af t er noon sun, cast i ng r ays of
geomet r i c pat t er ns i n t he ai r
and gi vi ng t he r ooma sense of gr andeur . Angul ar shadows f el l l i ke vei ns acr oss
t he whi t e t i l ed wal l s and
down t o t he mar bl e f l oor s. The ai r smel l ed cl ean, st er i l e. A handf ul of
sci ent i st s moved br i skl y about , t hei r
f oot st eps echoi ng i n t he r esonant space.
" Thi s way, pl ease, Mr . Langdon. " Hi s voi ce sounded al most comput er i zed. Hi s
accent was r i gi d and
pr eci se, l i ke hi s st er n f eat ur es. Kohl er coughed and wi ped hi s mout h on a whi t e
handker chi ef as he f i xed
hi s dead gr ay eyes on Langdon. " Pl ease hur r y. " Hi s wheel chai r seemed t o l eap
acr oss t he t i l ed f l oor .
Langdon f ol l owed past what seemed t o be count l ess hal l ways br anchi ng of f t he
mai n at r i um. Ever y
hal l way was al i ve wi t h act i vi t y. The sci ent i st s who saw Kohl er seemed t o st ar e
i n sur pr i se, eyei ng Langdon
as i f wonder i ng who he must be t o command such company.
" I ' membar r assed t o admi t , " Langdon vent ur ed, t r yi ng t o make conver sat i on, " t hat
I ' ve never hear d of
CERN. "
" Not sur pr i si ng, " Kohl er r epl i ed, hi s cl i pped r esponse soundi ng har shl y
ef f i ci ent . " Most Amer i cans do not
see Eur ope as t he wor l d l eader i n sci ent i f i c r esear ch. They see us as not hi ng
but a quai nt shoppi ng di st r i ct -
an odd per cept i on i f you consi der t he nat i onal i t i es of men l i ke Ei nst ei n,
Gal i l eo, and Newt on. "
Langdon was unsur e how t o r espond. He pul l ed t he f ax f r omhi s pocket . " Thi s man
i n t he phot ogr aph, can
you- "
Kohl er cut hi mof f wi t h a wave of hi s hand. " Pl ease. Not her e. I amt aki ng you
t o hi mnow. " He hel d out
hi s hand. " Per haps I shoul d t ake t hat . "
Langdon handed over t he f ax and f el l si l ent l y i nt o st ep.
Kohl er t ook a shar p l ef t and ent er ed a wi de hal l way ador ned wi t h awar ds and
commendat i ons. A
par t i cul ar l y l ar ge pl aque domi nat ed t he ent r y. Langdon sl owed t o r ead t he
engr aved br onze as t hey passed.
ARS ELECTRONI CA AWARD
For Cul t ur al I nnovat i on i n t he Di gi t al Age
Awar ded t o Ti mBer ner s Lee and CERN
f or t he i nvent i on of t he
WORLDWI DE WEB
Wel l I ' l l be damned, Langdon t hought , r eadi ng t he t ext . Thi s guy wasn' t ki ddi ng.
Langdon had al ways
t hought of t he Web as an Amer i can i nvent i on. Then agai n, hi s knowl edge was
l i mi t ed t o t he si t e f or hi s
own book and t he occasi onal on- l i ne expl or at i on of t he Louvr e or El Pr ado on hi s
ol d Maci nt osh.
" The Web, " Kohl er sai d, coughi ng agai n and wi pi ng hi s mout h, " began her e as a
net wor k of i n- house
comput er si t es. I t enabl ed sci ent i st s f r omdi f f er ent depar t ment s t o shar e dai l y
f i ndi ngs wi t h one anot her . Of
cour se, t he ent i r e wor l d i s under t he i mpr essi on t he Web i s U. S. t echnol ogy. "
Langdon f ol l owed down t he hal l . " Why not set t he r ecor d st r ai ght ?"
Kohl er shr ugged, appar ent l y di si nt er est ed. " A pet t y mi sconcept i on over a pet t y
t echnol ogy. CERN i s f ar
gr eat er t han a gl obal connect i on of comput er s. Our sci ent i st s pr oduce mi r acl es
al most dai l y. "
Langdon gave Kohl er a quest i oni ng l ook. " Mi r acl es?" The wor d " mi r acl e" was
cer t ai nl y not par t of t he
vocabul ar y ar ound Har var d' s Fai r chi l d Sci ence Bui l di ng. Mi r acl es wer e l ef t f or
t he School of Di vi ni t y.
Sei t e 11
" You sound skept i cal , " Kohl er sai d. " I t hought you wer e a r el i gi ous symbol ogi st .
Do you not bel i eve i n
mi r acl es?"
" I ' mundeci ded on mi r acl es, " Langdon sai d. Par t i cul ar l y t hose t hat t ake pl ace i n
sci ence l abs.
" Per haps mi r acl e i s t he wr ong wor d. I was si mpl y t r yi ng t o speak your l anguage. "
" My l anguage?" Langdon was suddenl y uncomf or t abl e. " Not t o di sappoi nt you, si r ,
but I st udy r el i gi ous
symbol ogy- I ' man academi c, not a pr i est . "
Kohl er sl owed suddenl y and t ur ned, hi s gaze sof t eni ng a bi t . " Of cour se. How
si mpl e of me. One does not
need t o have cancer t o anal yze i t s sympt oms. "
Langdon had never hear d i t put qui t e t hat way.
As t hey moved down t he hal l way, Kohl er gave an accept i ng nod. " I suspect you and
I wi l l under st and each
ot her per f ect l y, Mr . Langdon. "
Somehow Langdon doubt ed i t .
As t he pai r hur r i ed on, Langdon began t o sense a deep r umbl i ng up ahead. The
noi se got mor e and mor e
pr onounced wi t h ever y st ep, r ever ber at i ng t hr ough t he wal l s. I t seemed t o be
comi ng f r omt he end of t he
hal l way i n f r ont of t hem.
" What ' s t hat ?" Langdon f i nal l y asked, havi ng t o yel l . He f el t l i ke t hey wer e
appr oachi ng an act i ve vol cano.
" Fr ee Fal l Tube, " Kohl er r epl i ed, hi s hol l ow voi ce cut t i ng t he ai r ef f or t l essl y.
He of f er ed no ot her
expl anat i on.
Langdon di dn' t ask. He was exhaust ed, and Maxi mi l i an Kohl er seemed di si nt er est ed
i n wi nni ng any
hospi t al i t y awar ds. Langdon r emi nded hi msel f why he was her e. I l l umi nat i . He
assumed somewher e i n t hi s
col ossal f aci l i t y was a body . . . a body br anded wi t h a symbol he had j ust
f l own 3, 000 mi l es t o see.
As t hey appr oached t he end of t he hal l , t he r umbl e became al most deaf eni ng,
vi br at i ng up t hr ough
Langdon' s sol es. They r ounded t he bend, and a vi ewi ng gal l er y appear ed on t he
r i ght . Four t hi ck- paned
por t al s wer e embedded i n a cur ved wal l , l i ke wi ndows i n a submar i ne. Langdon
st opped and l ooked
t hr ough one of t he hol es.
Pr of essor Rober t Langdon had seen some st r ange t hi ngs i n hi s l i f e, but t hi s was
t he st r angest . He bl i nked a
f ew t i mes, wonder i ng i f he was hal l uci nat i ng. He was st ar i ng i nt o an enor mous
ci r cul ar chamber . I nsi de t he
chamber , f l oat i ng as t hough wei ght l ess, wer e peopl e. Thr ee of t hem. One waved
and di d a somer saul t i n
mi dai r .
My God, he t hought . I ' mi n t he l and of Oz.
The f l oor of t he r oomwas a mesh gr i d, l i ke a gi ant sheet of chi cken wi r e.
Vi si bl e beneat h t he gr i d was t he
met al l i c bl ur of a huge pr opel l er .
" Fr ee f al l t ube, " Kohl er sai d, st oppi ng t o wai t f or hi m. " I ndoor skydi vi ng. For
st r ess r el i ef . I t ' s a ver t i cal
wi nd t unnel . "
Langdon l ooked on i n amazement . One of t he f r ee f al l er s, an obese woman,
maneuver ed t owar d t he
wi ndow. She was bei ng buf f et ed by t he ai r cur r ent s but gr i nned and f l ashed
Langdon t he t humbs- up si gn.
Langdon smi l ed weakl y and r et ur ned t he gest ur e, wonder i ng i f she knew i t was t he
anci ent phal l i c symbol
f or mascul i ne vi r i l i t y.
The heavyset woman, Langdon not i ced, was t he onl y one wear i ng what appear ed t o
be a mi ni at ur e
par achut e. The swat he of f abr i c bi l l owed over her l i ke a t oy. " What ' s her l i t t l e
chut e f or ?" Langdon asked
Kohl er . " I t can' t be mor e t han a yar d i n di amet er . "
" Fr i ct i on, " Kohl er sai d. " Decr eases her aer odynami cs so t he f an can l i f t her . "
He st ar t ed down t he t he
Sei t e 12
cor r i dor agai n. " One squar e yar d of dr ag wi l l sl ow a f al l i ng body al most t went y
per cent . "
Langdon nodded bl ankl y.
He never suspect ed t hat l at er t hat ni ght , i n a count r y hundr eds of mi l es away,
t he i nf or mat i on woul d save
hi s l i f e.
8
When Kohl er and Langdon emer ged f r omt he r ear of CERN' s mai n compl ex i nt o t he
st ar k Swi ss
sunl i ght , Langdon f el t as i f he' d been t r anspor t ed home. The scene bef or e hi m
l ooked l i ke an I vy League
campus.
A gr assy sl ope cascaded downwar d ont o an expansi ve l owl ands wher e cl ust er s of
sugar mapl es dot t ed
quadr angl es bor der ed by br i ck dor mi t or i es and f oot pat hs. Schol ar l y l ooki ng
i ndi vi dual s wi t h st acks of
books hust l ed i n and out of bui l di ngs. As i f t o accent uat e t he col l egi at e
at mospher e, t wo l onghai r ed hi ppi es
hur l ed a Fr i sbee back and f or t h whi l e enj oyi ng Mahl er ' s Four t h Symphony bl ar i ng
f r oma dor mwi ndow.
" These ar e our r esi dent i al dor ms, " Kohl er expl ai ned as he accel er at ed hi s
wheel chai r down t he pat h t owar d
t he bui l di ngs. " We have over t hr ee t housand physi ci st s her e. CERN
si ngl e- handedl y empl oys mor e t han
hal f of t he wor l d' s par t i cl e physi ci st s- t he br i ght est mi nds on ear t h- Ger mans,
J apanese, I t al i ans, Dut ch, you
name i t . Our physi ci st s r epr esent over f i ve hundr ed uni ver si t i es and si xt y
nat i onal i t i es. "
Langdon was amazed. " How do t hey al l communi cat e?"
" Engl i sh, of cour se. The uni ver sal l anguage of sci ence. "
Langdon had al ways hear d mat h was t he uni ver sal l anguage of sci ence, but he was
t oo t i r ed t o ar gue. He
dut i f ul l y f ol l owed Kohl er down t he pat h.
Hal f way t o t he bot t om, a young man j ogged by. Hi s T- shi r t pr ocl ai med t he
message: NO GUT, NO
GLORY!
Langdon l ooked af t er hi m, myst i f i ed. " Gut ?"
" Gener al Uni f i ed Theor y. " Kohl er qui pped. " The t heor y of ever yt hi ng. "
" I see, " Langdon sai d, not seei ng at al l .
" Ar e you f ami l i ar wi t h par t i cl e physi cs, Mr . Langdon?"
Langdon shr ugged. " I ' mf ami l i ar wi t h gener al physi cs- f al l i ng bodi es, t hat sor t
of t hi ng. " Hi s year s of hi gh-
di vi ng exper i ence had gi ven hi ma pr of ound r espect f or t he awesome power of
gr avi t at i onal accel er at i on.
" Par t i cl e physi cs i s t he st udy of at oms, i sn' t i t ?"
Kohl er shook hi s head. " At oms l ook l i ke pl anet s compar ed t o what we deal wi t h.
Our i nt er est s l i e wi t h an
at om' s nucl eus- a mer e t en- t housandt h t he si ze of t he whol e. " He coughed agai n,
soundi ng si ck. " The men
and women of CERN ar e her e t o f i nd answer s t o t he same quest i ons man has been
aski ng si nce t he
begi nni ng of t i me. Wher e di d we come f r om? What ar e we made of ?"
" And t hese answer s ar e i n a physi cs l ab?"
" You sound sur pr i sed. "
" I am. The quest i ons seemspi r i t ual . "
" Mr . Langdon, al l quest i ons wer e once spi r i t ual . Si nce t he begi nni ng of t i me,
spi r i t ual i t y and r el i gi on have
been cal l ed on t o f i l l i n t he gaps t hat sci ence di d not under st and. The r i si ng
and set t i ng of t he sun was once
at t r i but ed t o Hel i os and a f l ami ng char i ot . Ear t hquakes and t i dal waves wer e t he
wr at h of Posei don.
Sci ence has now pr oven t hose gods t o be f al se i dol s. Soon al l Gods wi l l be
pr oven t o be f al se i dol s. Sci ence
has now pr ovi ded answer s t o al most ever y quest i on man can ask. Ther e ar e onl y a
f ew quest i ons l ef t , and
t hey ar e t he esot er i c ones. Wher e do we come f r om? What ar e we doi ng her e? What
i s t he meani ng of l i f e
and t he uni ver se?"
Langdon was amazed. " And t hese ar e quest i ons CERN i s t r yi ng t o answer ?"
Sei t e 13
" Cor r ect i on. These ar e quest i ons we ar e answer i ng. "
Langdon f el l si l ent as t he t wo men wound t hr ough t he r esi dent i al quadr angl es. As
t hey wal ked, a Fr i sbee
sai l ed over head and ski dded t o a st op di r ect l y i n f r ont of t hem. Kohl er i gnor ed
i t and kept goi ng.
A voi ce cal l ed out f r omacr oss t he quad. " S' i l vous pl a t ! "
Langdon l ooked over . An el der l y whi t e- hai r ed man i n a COLLEGE PARI S sweat shi r t
waved t o hi m.
Langdon pi cked up t he Fr i sbee and exper t l y t hr ew i t back. The ol d man caught i t
on one f i nger and
bounced i t a f ew t i mes bef or e whi ppi ng i t over hi s shoul der t o hi s par t ner .
" Mer ci ! " he cal l ed t o Langdon.
" Congr at ul at i ons, " Kohl er sai d when Langdon f i nal l y caught up. " You j ust pl ayed
t oss wi t h a Nobl e pr i ze-
wi nner , Geor ges Char pak, i nvent or of t he mul t i wi r e pr opor t i onal chamber . "
Langdon nodded. My l ucky day.
I t t ook Langdon and Kohl er t hr ee mor e mi nut es t o r each t hei r dest i nat i on- a
l ar ge, wel l - kept dor mi t or y
si t t i ng i n a gr ove of aspens. Compar ed t o t he ot her dor ms, t hi s st r uct ur e seemed
l uxur i ous. The car ved
st one si gn i n f r ont r ead BUI LDI NG C.
I magi nat i ve t i t l e, Langdon t hought .
But despi t e i t s st er i l e name, Bui l di ng C appeal ed t o Langdon' s sense of
ar chi t ect ur al st yl e- conser vat i ve and
sol i d. I t had a r ed br i ck f acade, an or nat e bal ust r ade, and sat f r amed by
scul pt ed symmet r i cal hedges. As
t he t wo men ascended t he st one pat h t owar d t he ent r y, t hey passed under a
gat eway f or med by a pai r of
mar bl e col umns. Someone had put a st i cky- not e on one of t hem.
THI S COLUMN I S I ONI C
Physi ci st gr af f i t i ? Langdon mused, eyei ng t he col umn and chuckl i ng t o hi msel f .
" I ' mr el i eved t o see t hat
even br i l l i ant physi ci st s make mi st akes. "
Kohl er l ooked over . " What do you mean?"
" Whoever wr ot e t hat not e made a mi st ake. That col umn i sn' t I oni c. I oni c col umns
ar e uni f or mi n wi dt h.
That one' s t aper ed. I t ' s Dor i c- t he Gr eek count er par t . A common mi st ake. "
Kohl er di d not smi l e. " The aut hor meant i t as a j oke, Mr . Langdon. I oni c means
cont ai ni ng i ons- el ect r i cal l y
char ged par t i cl es. Most obj ect s cont ai n t hem. "
Langdon l ooked back at t he col umn and gr oaned.
Langdon was st i l l f eel i ng st upi d when he st epped f r omt he el evat or on t he t op
f l oor of Bui l di ng C. He
f ol l owed Kohl er down a wel l - appoi nt ed cor r i dor . The decor was
unexpect ed- t r adi t i onal col oni al Fr ench- a
cher r y di van, por cel ai n f l oor vase, and scr ol l ed woodwor k.
" We l i ke t o keep our t enur ed sci ent i st s comf or t abl e, " Kohl er expl ai ned.
Evi dent l y, Langdon t hought . " So t he man i n t he f ax l i ved up her e? One of your
upper - l evel empl oyees?"
" Qui t e, " Kohl er sai d. " He mi ssed a meet i ng wi t h me t hi s mor ni ng and di d not
answer hi s page. I came up
her e t o l ocat e hi mand f ound hi mdead i n hi s l i vi ng r oom. "
Langdon f el t a sudden chi l l r eal i zi ng t hat he was about t o see a dead body. Hi s
st omach had never been
par t i cul ar l y st al war t . I t was a weakness he' d di scover ed as an ar t st udent when
t he t eacher i nf or med t he
cl ass t hat Leonar do da Vi nci had gai ned hi s exper t i se i n t he human f or mby
exhumi ng cor pses and
di ssect i ng t hei r muscul at ur e.
Kohl er l ed t he way t o t he f ar end of t he hal l way. Ther e was a si ngl e door . " The
Pent house, as you woul d
say, " Kohl er announced, dabbi ng a bead of per spi r at i on f r omhi s f or ehead.
Langdon eyed t he l one oak door bef or e t hem. The name pl at e r ead:
LEONARDO VETRA
Sei t e 14
" Leonar do Vet r a, " Kohl er sai d, " woul d have been f i f t y- ei ght next week. He was
one of t he most br i l l i ant
sci ent i st s of our t i me. Hi s deat h i s a pr of ound l oss f or sci ence. "
For an i nst ant Langdon t hought he sensed emot i on i n Kohl er ' s har dened f ace. But
as qui ckl y as i t had
come, i t was gone. Kohl er r eached i n hi s pocket and began si f t i ng t hr ough a
l ar ge key r i ng.
An odd t hought suddenl y occur r ed t o Langdon. The bui l di ng seemed deser t ed.
" Wher e i s ever yone?" he
asked. The l ack of act i vi t y was har dl y what he expect ed consi der i ng t hey wer e
about t o ent er a mur der
scene.
" The r esi dent s ar e i n t hei r l abs, " Kohl er r epl i ed, f i ndi ng t he key.
" I mean t he pol i ce, " Langdon cl ar i f i ed. " Have t hey l ef t al r eady?"
Kohl er paused, hi s key hal f way i nt o t he l ock. " Pol i ce?"
Langdon' s eyes met t he di r ect or ' s. " Pol i ce. You sent me a f ax of a homi ci de. You
must have cal l ed t he
pol i ce. "
" I most cer t ai nl y have not . "
" What ?"
Kohl er ' s gr ay eyes shar pened. " The si t uat i on i s compl ex, Mr . Langdon. "
Langdon f el t a wave of appr ehensi on. " But . . . cer t ai nl y someone el se knows
about t hi s! "
" Yes. Leonar do' s adopt ed daught er . She i s al so a physi ci st her e at CERN. She and
her f at her shar e a l ab.
They ar e par t ner s. Ms. Vet r a has been away t hi s week doi ng f i el d r esear ch. I
have not i f i ed her of her
f at her ' s deat h, and she i s r et ur ni ng as we speak. "
" But a man has been mur d- "
" A f or mal i nvest i gat i on, " Kohl er sai d, hi s voi ce f i r m, " wi l l t ake pl ace.
However , i t wi l l most cer t ai nl y
i nvol ve a sear ch of Vet r a' s l ab, a space he and hi s daught er hol d most pr i vat e.
Ther ef or e, i t wi l l wai t unt i l
Ms. Vet r a has ar r i ved. I f eel I owe her at l east t hat modi cumof di scr et i on. "
Kohl er t ur ned t he key.
As t he door swung open, a bl ast of i cy ai r hi ssed i nt o t he hal l and hi t Langdon
i n t he f ace. He f el l back i n
bewi l der ment . He was gazi ng acr oss t he t hr eshol d of an al i en wor l d. The f l at
bef or e hi mwas i mmer sed i n a
t hi ck, whi t e f og. The mi st swi r l ed i n smoky vor t exes ar ound t he f ur ni t ur e and
shr ouded t he r oomi n opaque
haze.
" What t he . . . ?" Langdon st ammer ed.
" Fr eon cool i ng syst em, " Kohl er r epl i ed. " I chi l l ed t he f l at t o pr eser ve t he
body. "
Langdon but t oned hi s t weed j acket agai nst t he col d. I ' mi n Oz, he t hought . And I
f or got my magi c sl i pper s.
9
T he cor pse on t he f l oor bef or e Langdon was hi deous. The l at e Leonar do Vet r a l ay
on hi s back, st r i pped
naked, hi s ski n bl ui sh- gr ay. Hi s neck bones wer e j ut t i ng out wher e t hey had been
br oken, and hi s head was
t wi st ed compl et el y backwar d, poi nt i ng t he wr ong way. Hi s f ace was out of vi ew,
pr essed agai nst t he f l oor .
The man l ay i n a f r ozen puddl e of hi s own ur i ne, t he hai r ar ound hi s shr i vel ed
geni t al s spi der ed wi t h f r ost .
Fi ght i ng a wave of nausea, Langdon l et hi s eyes f al l t o t he vi ct i m' s chest .
Al t hough Langdon had st ar ed at
t he symmet r i cal wound a dozen t i mes on t he f ax, t he bur n was i nf i ni t el y mor e
commandi ng i n r eal l i f e. The
r ai sed, br oi l ed f l esh was per f ect l y del i neat ed . . . t he symbol f l awl essl y
f or med.
Langdon wonder ed i f t he i nt ense chi l l now r aki ng t hr ough hi s body was t he
ai r - condi t i oni ng or hi s ut t er
amazement wi t h t he si gni f i cance of what he was now st ar i ng at .

Sei t e 15
Hi s hear t pounded as he ci r cl ed t he body, r eadi ng t he wor d upsi de down,
r eaf f i r mi ng t he geni us of t he
symmet r y. The symbol seemed even l ess concei vabl e now t hat he was st ar i ng at i t .
" Mr . Langdon?"
Langdon di d not hear . He was i n anot her wor l d . . . hi s wor l d, hi s el ement , a
wor l d wher e hi st or y, myt h,
and f act col l i ded, f l oodi ng hi s senses. The gear s t ur ned.
" Mr . Langdon?" Kohl er ' s eyes pr obed expect ant l y.
Langdon di d not l ook up. Hi s di sposi t i on now i nt ensi f i ed, hi s f ocus t ot al . " How
much do you al r eady
know?"
" Onl y what I had t i me t o r ead on your websi t e. The wor d I l l umi nat i means ' t he
enl i ght ened ones. ' I t i s t he
name of some sor t of anci ent br ot her hood. "
Langdon nodded. " Had you hear d t he name bef or e?"
" Not unt i l I saw i t br anded on Mr . Vet r a. "
" So you r an a web sear ch f or i t ?"
" Yes. "
" And t he wor d r et ur ned hundr eds of r ef er ences, no doubt . "
" Thousands, " Kohl er sai d. " Your s, however , cont ai ned r ef er ences t o Har var d,
Oxf or d, a r eput abl e
publ i sher , as wel l as a l i st of r el at ed publ i cat i ons. As a sci ent i st I have come
t o l ear n t hat i nf or mat i on i s
onl y as val uabl e as i t s sour ce. Your cr edent i al s seemed aut hent i c. "
Langdon' s eyes wer e st i l l r i vet ed on t he body.
Kohl er sai d not hi ng mor e. He si mpl y st ar ed, appar ent l y wai t i ng f or Langdon t o
shed some l i ght on t he
scene bef or e t hem.
Langdon l ooked up, gl anci ng ar ound t he f r ozen f l at . " Per haps we shoul d di scuss
t hi s i n a war mer pl ace?"
" Thi s r oomi s f i ne. " Kohl er seemed obl i vi ous t o t he col d. " We' l l t al k her e. "
Langdon f r owned. The I l l umi nat i hi st or y was by no means a si mpl e one. I ' l l
f r eeze t o deat h t r yi ng t o
expl ai n i t . He gazed agai n at t he br and, f eel i ng a r enewed sense of awe.
Al t hough account s of t he I l l umi nat i embl emwer e l egendar y i n moder n symbol ogy,
no academi c had ever
act ual l y seen i t . Anci ent document s descr i bed t he symbol as an ambi gr am- ambi
meani ng " bot h" - si gni f yi ng
i t was l egi bl e bot h ways. And al t hough ambi gr ams wer e common i n
symbol ogy- swast i kas, yi n yang,
J ewi sh st ar s, si mpl e cr osses- t he i dea t hat a wor d coul d be cr af t ed i nt o an
ambi gr amseemed ut t er l y
i mpossi bl e. Moder n symbol ogi st s had t r i ed f or year s t o f or ge t he wor d
" I l l umi nat i " i nt o a per f ect l y
symmet r i cal st yl e, but t hey had f ai l ed mi ser abl y. Most academi cs had now deci ded
t he symbol ' s exi st ence
was a myt h.
" So who ar e t he I l l umi nat i ?" Kohl er demanded.
Yes, Langdon t hought , who i ndeed? He began hi s t al e.
" Si nce t he begi nni ng of hi st or y, " Langdon expl ai ned, " a deep r i f t has exi st ed
bet ween sci ence and r el i gi on.
Out spoken sci ent i st s l i ke Coper ni cus- "
" Wer e mur der ed, " Kohl er i nt er j ect ed. " Mur der ed by t he chur ch f or r eveal i ng
sci ent i f i c t r ut hs. Rel i gi on has
al ways per secut ed sci ence. "
" Yes. But i n t he 1500s, a gr oup of men i n Rome f ought back agai nst t he chur ch.
Some of I t al y' s most
enl i ght ened men- physi ci st s, mat hemat i ci ans, ast r onomer s- began meet i ng secr et l y
t o shar e t hei r concer ns
about t he chur ch' s i naccur at e t eachi ngs. They f ear ed t hat t he chur ch' s monopol y
on ' t r ut h' t hr eat ened
academi c enl i ght enment ar ound t he wor l d. They f ounded t he wor l d' s f i r st
sci ent i f i c t hi nk t ank, cal l i ng
t hemsel ves ' t he enl i ght ened ones. ' "
" The I l l umi nat i . "
" Yes, " Langdon sai d. " Eur ope' s most l ear ned mi nds . . . dedi cat ed t o t he quest
f or sci ent i f i c t r ut h. "
Sei t e 16
Kohl er f el l si l ent .
" Of cour se, t he I l l umi nat i wer e hunt ed r ut hl essl y by t he Cat hol i c Chur ch. Onl y
t hr ough r i t es of ext r eme
secr ecy di d t he sci ent i st s r emai n saf e. Wor d spr ead t hr ough t he academi c
under gr ound, and t he I l l umi nat i
br ot her hood gr ew t o i ncl ude academi cs f r omal l over Eur ope. The sci ent i st s met
r egul ar l y i n Rome at an
ul t r asecr et l ai r t hey cal l ed t he Chur ch of I l l umi nat i on. "
Kohl er coughed and shi f t ed i n hi s chai r .
" Many of t he I l l umi nat i , " Langdon cont i nued, " want ed t o combat t he chur ch' s
t yr anny wi t h act s of
vi ol ence, but t hei r most r ever ed member per suaded t hemagai nst i t . He was a
paci f i st , as wel l as one of
hi st or y' s most f amous sci ent i st s. "
Langdon was cer t ai n Kohl er woul d r ecogni ze t he name. Even nonsci ent i st s wer e
f ami l i ar wi t h t he i l l - f at ed
ast r onomer who had been ar r est ed and al most execut ed by t he chur ch f or
pr ocl ai mi ng t hat t he sun, and not
t he ear t h, was t he cent er of t he sol ar syst em. Al t hough hi s dat a wer e
i ncont r over t i bl e, t he ast r onomer was
sever el y puni shed f or i mpl yi ng t hat God had pl aced manki nd somewher e ot her t han
at t he cent er of Hi s
uni ver se.
" Hi s name was Gal i l eo Gal i l ei , " Langdon sai d.
Kohl er l ooked up. " Gal i l eo?"
" Yes. Gal i l eo was an I l l umi nat us. And he was al so a devout Cat hol i c. He t r i ed t o
sof t en t he chur ch' s
posi t i on on sci ence by pr ocl ai mi ng t hat sci ence di d not under mi ne t he exi st ence
of God, but r at her
r ei nf or ced i t . He wr ot e once t hat when he l ooked t hr ough hi s t el escope at t he
spi nni ng pl anet s, he coul d
hear God' s voi ce i n t he musi c of t he spher es. He hel d t hat sci ence and r el i gi on
wer e not enemi es, but r at her
al l i es- t wo di f f er ent l anguages t el l i ng t he same st or y, a st or y of symmet r y and
bal ance . . . heaven and hel l ,
ni ght and day, hot and col d, God and Sat an. Bot h sci ence and r el i gi on r ej oi ced
i n God' s symmet r y . . . t he
endl ess cont est of l i ght and dar k. " Langdon paused, st ampi ng hi s f eet t o st ay
war m.
Kohl er si mpl y sat i n hi s wheel chai r and st ar ed.
" Unf or t unat el y, " Langdon added, " t he uni f i cat i on of sci ence and r el i gi on was not
what t he chur ch want ed. "
" Of cour se not , " Kohl er i nt er r upt ed. " The uni on woul d have nul l i f i ed t he
chur ch' s cl ai mas t he sol e vessel
t hr ough whi ch man coul d under st and God. So t he chur ch t r i ed Gal i l eo as a
her et i c, f ound hi mgui l t y, and
put hi munder per manent house ar r est . I amqui t e awar e of sci ent i f i c hi st or y,
Mr . Langdon. But t hi s was al l
cent ur i es ago. What does i t have t o do wi t h Leonar do Vet r a?"
The mi l l i on dol l ar quest i on. Langdon cut t o t he chase. " Gal i l eo' s ar r est t hr ew
t he I l l umi nat i i nt o upheaval .
Mi st akes wer e made, and t he chur ch di scover ed t he i dent i t i es of f our member s,
whomt hey capt ur ed and
i nt er r ogat ed. But t he f our sci ent i st s r eveal ed not hi ng . . . even under
t or t ur e. "
" Tor t ur e?"
Langdon nodded. " They wer e br anded al i ve. On t he chest . Wi t h t he symbol of a
cr oss. "
Kohl er ' s eyes wi dened, and he shot an uneasy gl ance at Vet r a' s body.
" Then t he sci ent i st s wer e br ut al l y mur der ed, t hei r dead bodi es dr opped i n t he
st r eet s of Rome as a war ni ng
t o ot her s t hi nki ng of j oi ni ng t he I l l umi nat i . Wi t h t he chur ch cl osi ng i n, t he
r emai ni ng I l l umi nat i f l ed I t al y. "
Langdon paused t o make hi s poi nt . He l ooked di r ect l y i nt o Kohl er ' s dead eyes.
" The I l l umi nat i went deep
under gr ound, wher e t hey began mi xi ng wi t h ot her r ef ugee gr oups f l eei ng t he
Cat hol i c pur ges- myst i cs,
al chemi st s, occul t i st s, Musl i ms, J ews. Over t he year s, t he I l l umi nat i began
absor bi ng new member s. A new
Sei t e 17
I l l umi nat i emer ged. A dar ker I l l umi nat i . A deepl y ant i - Chr i st i an I l l umi nat i .
They gr ew ver y power f ul ,
empl oyi ng myst er i ous r i t es, deadl y secr ecy, vowi ng someday t o r i se agai n and
t ake r evenge on t he Cat hol i c
Chur ch. Thei r power gr ew t o t he poi nt wher e t he chur ch consi der ed t hemt he
si ngl e most danger ous ant i -
Chr i st i an f or ce on ear t h. The Vat i can denounced t he br ot her hood as Shai t an. "
" Shai t an?"
" I t ' s I sl ami c. I t means ' adver sar y' . . . God' s adver sar y. The chur ch chose
I sl amf or t he name because i t
was a l anguage t hey consi der ed di r t y. " Langdon hesi t at ed. " Shai t an i s t he r oot
of an Engl i sh wor d . .
. Sat an. "
An uneasi ness cr ossed Kohl er ' s f ace.
Langdon' s voi ce was gr i m. " Mr . Kohl er , I do not know how t hi s mar ki ng appear ed
on t hi s man' s chest . . .
or why . . . but you ar e l ooki ng at t he l ong- l ost symbol of t he wor l d' s ol dest
and most power f ul sat ani c
cul t . "
10
T he al l ey was nar r ow and deser t ed. The Hassassi n st r ode qui ckl y now, hi s bl ack
eyes f i l l i ng wi t h
ant i ci pat i on. As he appr oached hi s dest i nat i on, J anus' s par t i ng wor ds echoed i n
hi s mi nd. Phase t wo begi ns
shor t l y. Get some r est .
The Hassassi n smi r ked. He had been awake al l ni ght , but sl eep was t he l ast t hi ng
on hi s mi nd. Sl eep was
f or t he weak. He was a war r i or l i ke hi s ancest or s bef or e hi m, and hi s peopl e
never sl ept once a bat t l e had
begun. Thi s bat t l e had most def i ni t el y begun, and he had been gi ven t he honor of
spi l l i ng f i r st bl ood. Now
he had t wo hour s t o cel ebr at e hi s gl or y bef or e goi ng back t o wor k.
Sl eep? Ther e ar e f ar bet t er ways t o r el ax . . .
An appet i t e f or hedoni st i c pl easur e was somet hi ng br ed i nt o hi mby hi s
ancest or s. Hi s ascendant s had
i ndul ged i n hashi sh, but he pr ef er r ed a di f f er ent ki nd of gr at i f i cat i on. He t ook
pr i de i n hi s body- a wel l -
t uned, l et hal machi ne, whi ch, despi t e hi s her i t age, he r ef used t o pol l ut e wi t h
nar cot i cs. He had devel oped a
mor e nour i shi ng addi ct i on t han dr ugs . . . a f ar mor e heal t hy and sat i sf yi ng
r ewar d.
Feel i ng a f ami l i ar ant i ci pat i on swel l i ng wi t hi n hi m, t he Hassassi n moved f ast er
down t he al l ey. He ar r i ved
at t he nondescr i pt door and r ang t he bel l . A vi ew sl i t i n t he door opened, and
t wo sof t br own eyes st udi ed
hi mappr ai si ngl y. Then t he door swung open.
" Wel come, " t he wel l - dr essed woman sai d. She usher ed hi mi nt o an i mpeccabl y
f ur ni shed si t t i ng r oom
wher e t he l i ght s wer e l ow. The ai r was l aced wi t h expensi ve per f ume and musk.
" Whenever you ar e
r eady. " She handed hi ma book of phot ogr aphs. " Ri ng me when you have made your
choi ce. " Then she
di sappear ed.
The Hassassi n smi l ed.
As he sat on t he pl ush di van and posi t i oned t he phot o al bumon hi s l ap, he f el t
a car nal hunger st i r .
Al t hough hi s peopl e di d not cel ebr at e Chr i st mas, he i magi ned t hat t hi s i s what
i t must f eel l i ke t o be a
Chr i st i an chi l d, si t t i ng bef or e a st ack of Chr i st mas pr esent s, about t o di scover
t he mi r acl es i nsi de. He
opened t he al bumand exami ned t he phot os. A l i f et i me of sexual f ant asi es st ar ed
back at hi m.
Mar i sa. An I t al i an goddess. Fi er y. A young Sophi a Lor en.
Sachi ko. A J apanese gei sha. Li t he. No doubt ski l l ed.
Kanar a. A st unni ng bl ack vi si on. Muscul ar . Exot i c.
He exami ned t he ent i r e al bumt wi ce and made hi s choi ce. He pr essed a but t on on
t he t abl e besi de hi m. A
mi nut e l at er t he woman who had gr eet ed hi mr eappear ed. He i ndi cat ed hi s
sel ect i on. She smi l ed. " Fol l ow
Sei t e 18
me. "
Af t er handl i ng t he f i nanci al ar r angement s, t he woman made a hushed phone cal l .
She wai t ed a f ew mi nut es
and t hen l ed hi mup a wi ndi ng mar bl e st ai r case t o a l uxur i ous hal l way. " I t ' s t he
gol d door on t he end, " she
sai d. " You have expensi ve t ast e. "
I shoul d, he t hought . I ama connoi sseur .
The Hassassi n padded t he l engt h of t he hal l way l i ke a pant her ant i ci pat i ng a
l ong over due meal . When he
r eached t he door way he smi l ed t o hi msel f . I t was al r eady aj ar . . . wel comi ng
hi mi n. He pushed, and t he
door swung noi sel essl y open.
When he saw hi s sel ect i on, he knew he had chosen wel l . She was exact l y as he had
r equest ed . . . nude,
l yi ng on her back, her ar ms t i ed t o t he bedpost s wi t h t hi ck vel vet cor ds.
He cr ossed t he r oomand r an a dar k f i nger acr oss her i vor y abdomen. I ki l l ed
l ast ni ght , he t hought . You ar e
my r ewar d.
11
S at ani c?" Kohl er wi ped hi s mout h and shi f t ed uncomf or t abl y. " Thi s i s t he symbol
of a sat ani c cul t ?"
Langdon paced t he f r ozen r oomt o keep war m. " The I l l umi nat i wer e sat ani c. But
not i n t he moder n sense. "
Langdon qui ckl y expl ai ned how most peopl e pi ct ur ed sat ani c cul t s as
devi l - wor shi pi ng f i ends, and yet
Sat ani st s hi st or i cal l y wer e educat ed men who st ood as adver sar i es t o t he chur ch.
Shai t an. The r umor s of
sat ani c bl ack- magi c ani mal sacr i f i ces and t he pent agr amr i t ual wer e not hi ng but
l i es spr ead by t he chur ch
as a smear campai gn agai nst t hei r adver sar i es. Over t i me, opponent s of t he
chur ch, want i ng t o emul at e t he
I l l umi nat i , began bel i evi ng t he l i es and act i ng t hemout . Thus, moder n Sat ani sm
was bor n.
Kohl er gr unt ed abr upt l y. " Thi s i s al l anci ent hi st or y. I want t o know how t hi s
symbol got her e. "
Langdon t ook a deep br eat h. " The symbol i t sel f was cr eat ed by an anonymous
si xt eent h- cent ur y I l l umi nat i
ar t i st as a t r i but e t o Gal i l eo' s l ove of symmet r y- a ki nd of sacr ed I l l umi nat i
l ogo. The br ot her hood kept t he
desi gn secr et , al l egedl y pl anni ng t o r eveal i t onl y when t hey had amassed enough
power t o r esur f ace and
car r y out t hei r f i nal goal . "
Kohl er l ooked unset t l ed. " So t hi s symbol means t he I l l umi nat i br ot her hood i s
r esur f aci ng?"
Langdon f r owned. " That woul d be i mpossi bl e. Ther e i s one chapt er of I l l umi nat i
hi st or y t hat I have not yet
expl ai ned. "
Kohl er ' s voi ce i nt ensi f i ed. " Enl i ght en me. "
Langdon r ubbed hi s pal ms t oget her , ment al l y sor t i ng t hr ough t he hundr eds of
document s he' d r ead or
wr i t t en on t he I l l umi nat i . " The I l l umi nat i wer e sur vi vor s, " he expl ai ned. " When
t hey f l ed Rome, t hey
t r avel ed acr oss Eur ope l ooki ng f or a saf e pl ace t o r egr oup. They wer e t aken i n
by anot her secr et soci et y . . .
a br ot her hood of weal t hy Bavar i an st one cr af t smen cal l ed t he Fr eemasons. "
Kohl er l ooked st ar t l ed. " The Masons?"
Langdon nodded, not at al l sur pr i sed t hat Kohl er had hear d of t he gr oup. The
br ot her hood of t he Masons
cur r ent l y had over f i ve mi l l i on member s wor l dwi de, hal f of t hemr esi di ng i n t he
Uni t ed St at es, and over
one mi l l i on of t hemi n Eur ope.
" Cer t ai nl y t he Masons ar e not sat ani c, " Kohl er decl ar ed, soundi ng suddenl y
skept i cal .
" Absol ut el y not . The Masons f el l vi ct i mof t hei r own benevol ence. Af t er
har bor i ng t he f l eei ng sci ent i st s i n
t he 1700s, t he Masons unknowi ngl y became a f r ont f or t he I l l umi nat i . The
I l l umi nat i gr ew wi t hi n t hei r
r anks, gr adual l y t aki ng over posi t i ons of power wi t hi n t he l odges. They qui et l y
r eest abl i shed t hei r sci ent i f i c
Sei t e 19
br ot her hood deep wi t hi n t he Masons- a ki nd of secr et soci et y wi t hi n a secr et
soci et y. Then t he I l l umi nat i
used t he wor l dwi de connect i on of Masoni c l odges t o spr ead t hei r i nf l uence. "
Langdon dr ew a col d br eat h bef or e r aci ng on. " Obl i t er at i on of Cat hol i ci smwas
t he I l l umi nat i ' s cent r al
covenant . The br ot her hood hel d t hat t he super st i t i ous dogma spewed f or t h by t he
chur ch was manki nd' s
gr eat est enemy. They f ear ed t hat i f r el i gi on cont i nued t o pr omot e pi ous myt h as
absol ut e f act , sci ent i f i c
pr ogr ess woul d hal t , and manki nd woul d be doomed t o an i gnor ant f ut ur e of
sensel ess hol y war s. "
" Much l i ke we see t oday. "
Langdon f r owned. Kohl er was r i ght . Hol y war s wer e st i l l maki ng headl i nes. My God
i s bet t er t han your
God. I t seemed t her e was al ways cl ose cor r el at i on bet ween t r ue bel i ever s and
hi gh body count s.
" Go on, " Kohl er sai d.
Langdon gat her ed hi s t hought s and cont i nued. " The I l l umi nat i gr ew mor e power f ul
i n Eur ope and set t hei r
si ght s on Amer i ca, a f l edgl i ng gover nment many of whose l eader s wer e
Masons- Geor ge Washi ngt on, Ben
Fr ankl i n- honest , God- f ear i ng men who wer e unawar e of t he I l l umi nat i st r onghol d
on t he Masons. The
I l l umi nat i t ook advant age of t he i nf i l t r at i on and hel ped f ound banks,
uni ver si t i es, and i ndust r y t o f i nance
t hei r ul t i mat e quest . " Langdon paused. " The cr eat i on of a si ngl e uni f i ed wor l d
st at e- a ki nd of secul ar New
Wor l d Or der . "
Kohl er di d not move.
" A New Wor l d Or der , " Langdon r epeat ed, " based on sci ent i f i c enl i ght enment . They
cal l ed i t t hei r
Luci f er i an Doct r i ne. The chur ch cl ai med Luci f er was a r ef er ence t o t he devi l ,
but t he br ot her hood i nsi st ed
Luci f er was i nt ended i n i t s l i t er al Lat i n meani ng- br i nger of l i ght . Or
I l l umi nat or . "
Kohl er si ghed, and hi s voi ce gr ew suddenl y sol emn. " Mr . Langdon, pl ease si t
down. "
Langdon sat t ent at i vel y on a f r ost - cover ed chai r .
Kohl er moved hi s wheel chai r cl oser . " I amnot sur e I under st and ever yt hi ng you
have j ust t ol d me, but I do
under st and t hi s. Leonar do Vet r a was one of CERN' s gr eat est asset s. He was al so a
f r i end. I need you t o
hel p me l ocat e t he I l l umi nat i . "
Langdon di dn' t know how t o r espond. " Locat e t he I l l umi nat i ?" He' s ki ddi ng,
r i ght ? " I ' maf r ai d, si r , t hat
wi l l be ut t er l y i mpossi bl e. "
Kohl er ' s br ow cr eased. " What do you mean? You won' t - "
" Mr . Kohl er . " Langdon l eaned t owar d hi s host , uncer t ai n how t o make hi m
under st and what he was about
t o say. " I di d not f i ni sh my st or y. Despi t e appear ances, i t i s ext r emel y
unl i kel y t hat t hi s br and was put her e
by t he I l l umi nat i . Ther e has been no evi dence of t hei r exi st ence f or over hal f a
cent ur y, and most schol ar s
agr ee t he I l l umi nat i have been def unct f or many year s. "
The wor ds hi t si l ence. Kohl er st ar ed t hr ough t he f og wi t h a l ook somewher e
bet ween st upef act i on and
anger . " How t he hel l can you t el l me t hi s gr oup i s ext i nct when t hei r name i s
sear ed i nt o t hi s man! "
Langdon had been aski ng hi msel f t hat quest i on al l mor ni ng. The appear ance of t he
I l l umi nat i ambi gr am
was ast oni shi ng. Symbol ogi st s wor l dwi de woul d be dazzl ed. And yet , t he academi c
i n Langdon under st ood
t hat t he br and' s r eemer gence pr oved absol ut el y not hi ng about t he I l l umi nat i .
" Symbol s, " Langdon sai d, " i n no way conf i r mt he pr esence of t hei r or i gi nal
cr eat or s. "
" What i s t hat supposed t o mean?"
" I t means t hat when or gani zed phi l osophi es l i ke t he I l l umi nat i go out of
exi st ence, t hei r symbol s r emai n . .
. avai l abl e f or adopt i on by ot her gr oups. I t ' s cal l ed t r ansf er ence. I t ' s ver y
Sei t e 20
common i n symbol ogy. The
Nazi s t ook t he swast i ka f r omt he Hi ndus, t he Chr i st i ans adopt ed t he cr uci f or m
f r omt he Egypt i ans, t he- "
" Thi s mor ni ng, " Kohl er chal l enged, " when I t yped t he wor d ' I l l umi nat i ' i nt o t he
comput er , i t r et ur ned
t housands of cur r ent r ef er ences. Appar ent l y a l ot of peopl e t hi nk t hi s gr oup i s
st i l l act i ve. "
" Conspi r acy buf f s, " Langdon r epl i ed. He had al ways been annoyed by t he pl et hor a
of conspi r acy t heor i es
t hat ci r cul at ed i n moder n pop cul t ur e. The medi a cr aved apocal ypt i c headl i nes,
and sel f - pr ocl ai med " cul t
speci al i st s" wer e st i l l cashi ng i n on mi l l enni umhype wi t h f abr i cat ed st or i es
t hat t he I l l umi nat i wer e al i ve
and wel l and or gani zi ng t hei r New Wor l d Or der . Recent l y t he New Yor k Ti mes had
r epor t ed t he eer i e
Masoni c t i es of count l ess f amous men- Si r Ar t hur Conan Doyl e, t he Duke of Kent ,
Pet er Sel l er s, I r vi ng
Ber l i n, Pr i nce Phi l i p, Loui s Ar mst r ong, as wel l as a pant heon of wel l - known
moder n- day i ndust r i al i st s and
banki ng magnat es.
Kohl er poi nt ed angr i l y at Vet r a' s body. " Consi der i ng t he evi dence, I woul d say
per haps t he conspi r acy
buf f s ar e cor r ect . "
" I r eal i ze how i t appear s, " Langdon sai d as di pl omat i cal l y as he coul d. " And yet
a f ar mor e pl ausi bl e
expl anat i on i s t hat some ot her or gani zat i on has t aken cont r ol of t he I l l umi nat i
br and and i s usi ng i t f or t hei r
own pur poses. "
" What pur poses? What does t hi s mur der pr ove?"
Good quest i on, Langdon t hought . He al so was havi ng t r oubl e i magi ni ng wher e
anyone coul d have t ur ned
up t he I l l umi nat i br and af t er 400 year s. " Al l I can t el l you i s t hat even i f t he
I l l umi nat i wer e st i l l act i ve
t oday, whi ch I amvi r t ual l y posi t i ve t hey ar e not , t hey woul d never be i nvol ved
i n Leonar do Vet r a' s deat h. "
" No?"
" No. The I l l umi nat i may have bel i eved i n t he abol i t i on of Chr i st i ani t y, but t hey
wi el ded t hei r power
t hr ough pol i t i cal and f i nanci al means, not t hr ough t er r or i st s act s. Fur t her mor e,
t he I l l umi nat i had a st r i ct
code of mor al i t y r egar di ng who t hey saw as enemi es. They hel d men of sci ence i n
t he hi ghest r egar d. Ther e
i s no way t hey woul d have mur der ed a f el l ow sci ent i st l i ke Leonar do Vet r a. "
Kohl er ' s eyes t ur ned t o i ce. " Per haps I f ai l ed t o ment i on t hat Leonar do Vet r a
was anyt hi ng but an or di nar y
sci ent i st . "
Langdon exhal ed pat i ent l y. " Mr . Kohl er , I ' msur e Leonar do Vet r a was br i l l i ant i n
many ways, but t he f act
r emai ns- "
Wi t hout war ni ng, Kohl er spun i n hi s wheel chai r and accel er at ed out of t he l i vi ng
r oom, l eavi ng a wake of
swi r l i ng mi st as he di sappear ed down a hal l way.
For t he l ove of God, Langdon gr oaned. He f ol l owed. Kohl er was wai t i ng f or hi mi n
a smal l al cove at t he
end of t he hal l way.
" Thi s i s Leonar do' s st udy, " Kohl er sai d, mot i oni ng t o t he sl i di ng door . " Per haps
when you see i t you' l l
under st and t hi ngs di f f er ent l y. " Wi t h an awkwar d gr unt , Kohl er heaved, and t he
door sl i d open.
Langdon peer ed i nt o t he st udy and i mmedi at el y f el t hi s ski n cr awl . Hol y mot her
of J esus, he sai d t o
hi msel f .
12
I n anot her count r y, a young guar d sat pat i ent l y bef or e an expansi ve bank of
vi deo moni t or s. He wat ched
as i mages f l ashed bef or e hi m- l i ve f eeds f r omhundr eds of wi r el ess vi deo camer as
t hat sur veyed t he
spr awl i ng compl ex. The i mages went by i n an endl ess pr ocessi on.
An or nat e hal l way.
Sei t e 21
A pr i vat e of f i ce.
An i ndust r i al - si ze ki t chen.
As t he pi ct ur es went by, t he guar d f ought of f a daydr eam. He was near i ng t he end
of hi s shi f t , and yet he
was st i l l vi gi l ant . Ser vi ce was an honor . Someday he woul d be gr ant ed hi s
ul t i mat e r ewar d.
As hi s t hought s dr i f t ed, an i mage bef or e hi mr egi st er ed al ar m. Suddenl y, wi t h a
r ef l exi ve j er k t hat st ar t l ed
even hi msel f , hi s hand shot out and hi t a but t on on t he cont r ol panel . The
pi ct ur e bef or e hi mf r oze.
Hi s ner ves t i ngl i ng, he l eaned t owar d t he scr een f or a cl oser l ook. The r eadi ng
on t he moni t or t ol d hi mt he
i mage was bei ng t r ansmi t t ed f r omcamer a #86- a camer a t hat was supposed t o be
over l ooki ng a hal l way.
But t he i mage bef or e hi mwas most def i ni t el y not a hal l way.
13
L angdon st ar ed i n bewi l der ment at t he st udy bef or e hi m. " What i s t hi s pl ace?"
Despi t e t he wel come
bl ast of war mai r on hi s f ace, he st epped t hr ough t he door wi t h t r epi dat i on.
Kohl er sai d not hi ng as he f ol l owed Langdon i nsi de.
Langdon scanned t he r oom, not havi ng t he sl i ght est i dea what t o make of i t . I t
cont ai ned t he most pecul i ar
mi x of ar t i f act s he had ever seen. On t he f ar wal l , domi nat i ng t he decor , was an
enor mous wooden cr uci f i x,
whi ch Langdon pl aced as f our t eent h- cent ur y Spani sh. Above t he cr uci f or m,
suspended f r omt he cei l i ng,
was a met al l i c mobi l e of t he or bi t i ng pl anet s. To t he l ef t was an oi l pai nt i ng
of t he Vi r gi n Mar y, and besi de
t hat was a l ami nat ed per i odi c t abl e of el ement s. On t he si de wal l , t wo
addi t i onal br ass cr uci f or ms f l anked a
post er of Al ber t Ei nst ei n, hi s f amous quot e r eadi ng, GOD DOES NOT PLAY DI CE WI TH
THE
UNI VERSE.
Langdon moved i nt o t he r oom, l ooki ng ar ound i n ast oni shment . A l eat her - bound
Bi bl e sat on Vet r a' s desk
besi de a pl ast i c Bohr model of an at omand a mi ni at ur e r epl i ca of Mi chel angel o' s
Moses.
Tal k about ecl ect i c, Langdon t hought . The war mt h f el t good, but somet hi ng about
t he decor sent a new set
of chi l l s t hr ough hi s body. He f el t l i ke he was wi t nessi ng t he cl ash of t wo
phi l osophi cal t i t ans . . . an
unset t l i ng bl ur of opposi ng f or ces. He scanned t he t i t l es on t he bookshel f :
The God Par t i cl e
The Tao of Physi cs
God: The Evi dence
One of t he bookends was et ched wi t h a quot e:
TRUE SCI ENCE DI SCOVERS GOD
WAI TI NG BEHI ND EVERY DOOR.
- POPE PI US XI I
" Leonar do was a Cat hol i c pr i est , " Kohl er sai d.
Langdon t ur ned. " A pr i est ? I t hought you sai d he was a physi ci st . "
" He was bot h. Men of sci ence and r el i gi on ar e not unpr ecedent ed i n hi st or y.
Leonar do was one of t hem. He
consi der ed physi cs ' God' s nat ur al l aw. ' He cl ai med God' s handwr i t i ng was vi si bl e
i n t he nat ur al or der al l
ar ound us. Thr ough sci ence he hoped t o pr ove God' s exi st ence t o t he doubt i ng
masses. He consi der ed
hi msel f a t heo- physi ci st . "
Theo- physi ci st ? Langdon t hought i t sounded i mpossi bl y oxymor oni c.
" The f i el d of par t i cl e physi cs, " Kohl er sai d, " has made some shocki ng
di scover i es l at el y- di scover i es qui t e
spi r i t ual i n i mpl i cat i on. Leonar do was r esponsi bl e f or many of t hem. "
Langdon st udi ed CERN' s di r ect or , st i l l t r yi ng t o pr ocess t he bi zar r e
sur r oundi ngs. " Spi r i t ual i t y and
physi cs?" Langdon had spent hi s car eer st udyi ng r el i gi ous hi st or y, and i f t her e
Sei t e 22
was one r ecur r i ng t heme, i t
was t hat sci ence and r el i gi on had been oi l and wat er si nce day one . . .
ar chenemi es . . . unmi xabl e.
" Vet r a was on t he cut t i ng edge of par t i cl e physi cs, " Kohl er sai d. " He was
st ar t i ng t o f use sci ence and
r el i gi on . . . showi ng t hat t hey compl ement each ot her i n most unant i ci pat ed
ways. He cal l ed t he f i el d New
Physi cs. " Kohl er pul l ed a book f r omt he shel f and handed i t t o Langdon.
Langdon st udi ed t he cover . God, Mi r acl es, and t he New Physi cs- by Leonar do Vet r a.
" The f i el d i s smal l , " Kohl er sai d, " but i t ' s br i ngi ng f r esh answer s t o some ol d
quest i ons- quest i ons about t he
or i gi n of t he uni ver se and t he f or ces t hat bi nd us al l . Leonar do bel i eved hi s
r esear ch had t he pot ent i al t o
conver t mi l l i ons t o a mor e spi r i t ual l i f e. Last year he cat egor i cal l y pr oved t he
exi st ence of an ener gy f or ce
t hat uni t es us al l . He act ual l y demonst r at ed t hat we ar e al l physi cal l y
connect ed . . . t hat t he mol ecul es i n
your body ar e i nt er t wi ned wi t h t he mol ecul es i n mi ne . . . t hat t her e i s a
si ngl e f or ce movi ng wi t hi n al l of
us. "
Langdon f el t di sconcer t ed. And t he power of God shal l uni t e us al l . " Mr . Vet r a
act ual l y f ound a way t o
demonst r at e t hat par t i cl es ar e connect ed?"
" Concl usi ve evi dence. A r ecent Sci ent i f i c Amer i can ar t i cl e hai l ed New Physi cs as
a sur er pat h t o God t han
r el i gi on i t sel f . "
The comment hi t home. Langdon suddenl y f ound hi msel f t hi nki ng of t he
ant i r el i gi ous I l l umi nat i .
Rel uct ant l y, he f or ced hi msel f t o per mi t a moment ar y i nt el l ect ual f or ay i nt o t he
i mpossi bl e. I f t he
I l l umi nat i wer e i ndeed st i l l act i ve, woul d t hey have ki l l ed Leonar do t o st op hi m
f r ombr i ngi ng hi s r el i gi ous
message t o t he masses? Langdon shook of f t he t hought . Absur d! The I l l umi nat i ar e
anci ent hi st or y! Al l
academi cs know t hat !
" Vet r a had pl ent y of enemi es i n t he sci ent i f i c wor l d, " Kohl er went on. " Many
sci ent i f i c pur i st s despi sed
hi m. Even her e at CERN. They f el t t hat usi ng anal yt i cal physi cs t o suppor t
r el i gi ous pr i nci pl es was a
t r eason agai nst sci ence. "
" But ar en' t sci ent i st s t oday a bi t l ess def ensi ve about t he chur ch?"
Kohl er gr unt ed i n di sgust . " Why shoul d we be? The chur ch may not be bur ni ng
sci ent i st s at t he st ake
anymor e, but i f you t hi nk t hey' ve r el eased t hei r r ei gn over sci ence, ask
your sel f why hal f t he school s i n
your count r y ar e not al l owed t o t each evol ut i on. Ask your sel f why t he U. S.
Chr i st i an Coal i t i on i s t he most
i nf l uent i al l obby agai nst sci ent i f i c pr ogr ess i n t he wor l d. The bat t l e bet ween
sci ence and r el i gi on i s st i l l
r agi ng, Mr . Langdon. I t has moved f r omt he bat t l ef i el ds t o t he boar dr ooms, but
i t i s st i l l r agi ng. "
Langdon r eal i zed Kohl er was r i ght . J ust l ast week t he Har var d School of Di vi ni t y
had mar ched on t he
Bi ol ogy Bui l di ng, pr ot est i ng t he genet i c engi neer i ng t aki ng pl ace i n t he
gr aduat e pr ogr am. The chai r man of
t he Bi o Depar t ment , f amed or ni t hol ogi st Ri char d Aar oni an, def ended hi s
cur r i cul umby hangi ng a huge
banner f r omhi s of f i ce wi ndow. The banner depi ct ed t he Chr i st i an " f i sh" modi f i ed
wi t h f our l i t t l e f eet - a
t r i but e, Aar oni an cl ai med, t o t he Af r i can l ungf i shes ' evol ut i on ont o dr y l and.
Beneat h t he f i sh, i nst ead of
t he wor d " J esus, " was t he pr ocl amat i on " DARWI N! "
A shar p beepi ng sound cut t he ai r , and Langdon l ooked up. Kohl er r eached down
i nt o t he ar r ay of
el ect r oni cs on hi s wheel chai r . He sl i pped a beeper out of i t s hol der and r ead
t he i ncomi ng message.
" Good. That i s Leonar do' s daught er . Ms. Vet r a i s ar r i vi ng at t he hel i pad r i ght
now. We wi l l meet her t her e.
Sei t e 23
I t hi nk i t best she not come up her e and see her f at her t hi s way. "
Langdon agr eed. I t woul d be a shock no chi l d deser ved.
" I wi l l ask Ms. Vet r a t o expl ai n t he pr oj ect she and her f at her have been
wor ki ng on . . . per haps sheddi ng
l i ght on why he was mur der ed. "
" You t hi nk Vet r a' s wor k i s why he was ki l l ed?"
" Qui t e possi bl y. Leonar do t ol d me he was wor ki ng on somet hi ng gr oundbr eaki ng.
That i s al l he sai d. He
had become ver y secr et i ve about t he pr oj ect . He had a pr i vat e l ab and demanded
secl usi on, whi ch I gl adl y
af f or ded hi mon account of hi s br i l l i ance. Hi s wor k had been consumi ng huge
amount s of el ect r i c power
l at el y, but I r ef r ai ned f r omquest i oni ng hi m. " Kohl er r ot at ed t owar d t he st udy
door . " Ther e i s, however , one
mor e t hi ng you need t o know bef or e we l eave t hi s f l at . "
Langdon was not sur e he want ed t o hear i t .
" An i t emwas st ol en f r omVet r a by hi s mur der er . "
" An i t em?"
" Fol l ow me. "
The di r ect or pr opel l ed hi s wheel chai r back i nt o t he f og- f i l l ed l i vi ng r oom.
Langdon f ol l owed, not knowi ng
what t o expect . Kohl er maneuver ed t o wi t hi n i nches of Vet r a' s body and st opped.
He usher ed Langdon t o
j oi n hi m. Rel uct ant l y, Langdon came cl ose, bi l e r i si ng i n hi s t hr oat at t he
smel l of t he vi ct i m' s f r ozen ur i ne.
" Look at hi s f ace, " Kohl er sai d.
Look at hi s f ace? Langdon f r owned. I t hought you sai d somet hi ng was st ol en.
Hesi t ant l y, Langdon knel t down. He t r i ed t o see Vet r a' s f ace, but t he head was
t wi st ed 180 degr ees
backwar d, hi s f ace pr essed i nt o t he car pet .
St r uggl i ng agai nst hi s handi cap Kohl er r eached down and car ef ul l y t wi st ed
Vet r a' s f r ozen head. Cr acki ng
l oudl y, t he cor pse' s f ace r ot at ed i nt o vi ew, cont or t ed i n agony. Kohl er hel d i t
t her e a moment .
" Sweet J esus! " Langdon cr i ed, st umbl i ng back i n hor r or . Vet r a' s f ace was cover ed
i n bl ood. A si ngl e hazel
eye st ar ed l i f el essl y back at hi m. The ot her socket was t at t er ed and empt y.
" They st ol e hi s eye? "
14
L angdon st epped out of Bui l di ng C i nt o t he open ai r , gr at ef ul t o be out si de
Vet r a' s f l at . The sun hel ped
di ssol ve t he i mage of t he empt y eye socket embl azoned i nt o hi s mi nd.
" Thi s way, pl ease, " Kohl er sai d, veer i ng up a st eep pat h. The el ect r i c
wheel chai r seemed t o accel er at e
ef f or t l essl y. " Ms. Vet r a wi l l be ar r i vi ng any moment . "
Langdon hur r i ed t o keep up.
" So, " Kohl er asked. " Do you st i l l doubt t he I l l umi nat i ' s i nvol vement ?"
Langdon had no i dea what t o t hi nk anymor e. Vet r a' s r el i gi ous af f i l i at i ons wer e
def i ni t el y t r oubl i ng, and yet
Langdon coul d not br i ng hi msel f t o abandon ever y shr ed of academi c evi dence he
had ever r esear ched.
Besi des, t her e was t he eye . . .
" I st i l l mai nt ai n, " Langdon sai d, mor e f or cef ul l y t han he i nt ended. " t hat t he
I l l umi nat i ar e not r esponsi bl e
f or t hi s mur der . The mi ssi ng eye i s pr oof . "
" What ?"
" Randommut i l at i on, " Langdon expl ai ned, " i s ver y . . . un- I l l umi nat i . Cul t
speci al i st s see desul t or y
def acement f r omi nexper i enced f r i nge sect s- zeal ot s who commi t r andomact s of
t er r or i sm- but t he
I l l umi nat i have al ways been mor e del i ber at e. "
" Del i ber at e? Sur gi cal l y r emovi ng someone' s eyebal l i s not del i ber at e?"
" I t sends no cl ear message. I t ser ves no hi gher pur pose. "
Kohl er ' s wheel chai r st opped shor t at t he t op of t he hi l l . He t ur ned. " Mr .
Langdon, bel i eve me, t hat mi ssi ng
eye does i ndeed ser ve a hi gher pur pose . . . a much hi gher pur pose. "
As t he t wo men cr ossed t he gr assy r i se, t he beat i ng of hel i copt er bl ades became
audi bl e t o t he west . A
Sei t e 24
chopper appear ed, ar chi ng acr oss t he open val l ey t owar d t hem. I t banked shar pl y,
t hen sl owed t o a hover
over a hel i pad pai nt ed on t he gr ass.
Langdon wat ched, det ached, hi s mi nd chur ni ng ci r cl es l i ke t he bl ades, wonder i ng
i f a f ul l ni ght ' s sl eep
woul d make hi s cur r ent di sor i ent at i on any cl ear er . Somehow, he doubt ed i t .
As t he ski ds t ouched down, a pi l ot j umped out and st ar t ed unl oadi ng gear . Ther e
was a l ot of i t - duf f el s,
vi nyl wet bags, scuba t anks, and cr at es of what appear ed t o be hi gh- t ech di vi ng
equi pment .
Langdon was conf used. " I s t hat Ms. Vet r a' s gear ?" he yel l ed t o Kohl er over t he
r oar of t he engi nes.
Kohl er nodded and yel l ed back, " She was doi ng bi ol ogi cal r esear ch i n t he
Bal ear i c Sea. "
" I t hought you sai d she was a physi ci st ! "
" She i s. She' s a Bi o Ent angl ement Physi ci st . She st udi es t he i nt er connect i vi t y
of l i f e syst ems. Her wor k t i es
cl osel y wi t h her f at her ' s wor k i n par t i cl e physi cs. Recent l y she di spr oved one
of Ei nst ei n' s f undament al
t heor i es by usi ng at omi cal l y synchr oni zed camer as t o obser ve a school of t una
f i sh. "
Langdon sear ched hi s host ' s f ace f or any gl i nt of humor . Ei nst ei n and t una f i sh?
He was st ar t i ng t o wonder
i f t he X- 33 space pl ane had mi st akenl y dr opped hi mof f on t he wr ong pl anet .
A moment l at er , Vi t t or i a Vet r a emer ged f r omt he f usel age. Rober t Langdon
r eal i zed t oday was goi ng t o be
a day of endl ess sur pr i ses. Descendi ng f r omt he chopper i n her khaki shor t s and
whi t e sl eevel ess t op,
Vi t t or i a Vet r a l ooked not hi ng l i ke t he booki sh physi ci st he had expect ed. Li t he
and gr acef ul , she was t al l
wi t h chest nut ski n and l ong bl ack hai r t hat swi r l ed i n t he backwi nd of t he
r ot or s. Her f ace was
unmi st akabl y I t al i an- not over l y beaut i f ul , but possessi ng f ul l , ear t hy f eat ur es
t hat even at t went y yar ds
seemed t o exude a r aw sensual i t y. As t he ai r cur r ent s buf f et ed her body, her
cl ot hes cl ung, accent uat i ng her
sl ender t or so and smal l br east s.
" Ms. Vet r a i s a woman of t r emendous per sonal st r engt h, " Kohl er sai d, seemi ng t o
sense Langdon' s
capt i vat i on. " She spends mont hs at a t i me wor ki ng i n danger ous ecol ogi cal
syst ems. She i s a st r i ct
veget ar i an and CERN' s r esi dent gur u of Hat ha yoga. "
Hat ha yoga? Langdon mused. The anci ent Buddhi st ar t of medi t at i ve st r et chi ng
seemed an odd pr of i ci ency
f or t he physi ci st daught er of a Cat hol i c pr i est .
Langdon wat ched Vi t t or i a appr oach. She had obvi ousl y been cr yi ng, her deep sabl e
eyes f i l l ed wi t h
emot i ons Langdon coul d not pl ace. St i l l , she moved t owar d t hemwi t h f i r e and
command. Her l i mbs wer e
st r ong and t oned, r adi at i ng t he heal t hy l umi nescence of Medi t er r anean f l esh t hat
had enj oyed l ong hour s i n
t he sun.
" Vi t t or i a, " Kohl er sai d as she appr oached. " My deepest condol ences. I t ' s a
t er r i bl e l oss f or sci ence . . . f or
al l of us her e at CERN. "
Vi t t or i a nodded gr at ef ul l y. When she spoke, her voi ce was smoot h- a t hr oat y,
accent ed Engl i sh. " Do you
know who i s r esponsi bl e yet ?"
" We' r e st i l l wor ki ng on i t . "
She t ur ned t o Langdon, hol di ng out a sl ender hand. " My name i s Vi t t or i a Vet r a.
You' r e f r omI nt er pol , I
assume?"
Langdon t ook her hand, moment ar i l y spel l bound by t he dept h of her wat er y gaze.
" Rober t Langdon. " He
was unsur e what el se t o say.
" Mr . Langdon i s not wi t h t he aut hor i t i es, " Kohl er expl ai ned. " He i s a speci al i st
f r omt he U. S. He' s her e t o
hel p us l ocat e who i s r esponsi bl e f or t hi s si t uat i on. "
Vi t t or i a l ooked uncer t ai n. " And t he pol i ce?"
Sei t e 25
Kohl er exhal ed but sai d not hi ng.
" Wher e i s hi s body?" she demanded.
" Bei ng at t ended t o. "
The whi t e l i e sur pr i sed Langdon.
" I want t o see hi m, " Vi t t or i a sai d.
" Vi t t or i a, " Kohl er ur ged, " your f at her was br ut al l y mur der ed. You woul d be
bet t er t o r emember hi mas he
was. "
Vi t t or i a began t o speak but was i nt er r upt ed.
" Hey, Vi t t or i a! " voi ces cal l ed f r omt he di st ance. " Wel come home! "
She t ur ned. A gr oup of sci ent i st s passi ng near t he hel i pad waved happi l y.
" Di spr ove any mor e of Ei nst ei n' s t heor i es?" one shout ed.
Anot her added, " Your dad must be pr oud! "
Vi t t or i a gave t he men an awkwar d wave as t hey passed. Then she t ur ned t o Kohl er ,
her f ace now cl ouded
wi t h conf usi on. " Nobody knows yet ?"
" I deci ded di scr et i on was par amount . "
" You haven' t t ol d t he st af f my f at her was mur der ed? " Her myst i f i ed t one was now
l aced wi t h anger .
Kohl er ' s t one har dened i nst ant l y. " Per haps you f or get , Ms. Vet r a, as soon as I
r epor t your f at her ' s mur der ,
t her e wi l l be an i nvest i gat i on of CERN. I ncl udi ng a t hor ough exami nat i on of hi s
l ab. I have al ways t r i ed t o
r espect your f at her ' s pr i vacy. Your f at her has t ol d me onl y t wo t hi ngs about
your cur r ent pr oj ect . One, t hat
i t has t he pot ent i al t o br i ng CERN mi l l i ons of f r ancs i n l i censi ng cont r act s i n
t he next decade. And t wo, t hat
i t i s not r eady f or publ i c di scl osur e because i t i s st i l l hazar dous t echnol ogy.
Consi der i ng t hese t wo f act s, I
woul d pr ef er st r anger s not poke ar ound i nsi de hi s l ab and ei t her st eal hi s wor k
or ki l l t hemsel ves i n t he
pr ocess and hol d CERN l i abl e. Do I make mysel f cl ear ?"
Vi t t or i a st ar ed, sayi ng not hi ng. Langdon sensed i n her a r el uct ant r espect and
accept ance of Kohl er ' s l ogi c.
" Bef or e we r epor t anyt hi ng t o t he aut hor i t i es, " Kohl er sai d, " I need t o know
what you t wo wer e wor ki ng
on. I need you t o t ake us t o your l ab. "
" The l ab i s i r r el evant , " Vi t t or i a sai d. " Nobody knew what my f at her and I wer e
doi ng. The exper i ment
coul d not possi bl y have anyt hi ng t o do wi t h my f at her ' s mur der . "
Kohl er exhal ed a r aspy, ai l i ng br eat h. " Evi dence suggest s ot her wi se. "
" Evi dence? What evi dence?"
Langdon was wonder i ng t he same t hi ng.
Kohl er was dabbi ng hi s mout h agai n. " You' l l j ust have t o t r ust me. "
I t was cl ear , f r omVi t t or i a' s smol der i ng gaze, t hat she di d not .
15
L angdon st r ode si l ent l y behi nd Vi t t or i a and Kohl er as t hey moved back i nt o t he
mai n at r i umwher e
Langdon' s bi zar r e vi si t had begun. Vi t t or i a' s l egs dr ove i n f l ui d
ef f i ci ency- l i ke an Ol ympi c di ver - a
pot ency, Langdon f i gur ed, no doubt bor n f r omt he f l exi bi l i t y and cont r ol of
yoga. He coul d hear her
br eat hi ng sl owl y and del i ber at el y, as i f somehow t r yi ng t o f i l t er her gr i ef .
Langdon want ed t o say somet hi ng t o her , of f er hi s sympat hy. He t oo had once f el t
t he abr upt hol l owness of
unexpect edl y l osi ng a par ent . He r emember ed t he f uner al most l y, r ai ny and gr ay.
Two days af t er hi s t wel f t h
bi r t hday. The house was f i l l ed wi t h gr ay- sui t ed men f r omt he of f i ce, men who
squeezed hi s hand t oo har d
when t hey shook i t . They wer e al l mumbl i ng wor ds l i ke car di ac and st r ess. Hi s
mot her j oked t hr ough t ear y
eyes t hat she' d al ways been abl e t o f ol l ow t he st ock mar ket si mpl y by hol di ng
her husband' s hand . . . hi s
pul se her own pr i vat e t i cker t ape.
Once, when hi s f at her was al i ve, Langdon had hear d hi s mombeggi ng hi s f at her t o
" st op and smel l t he
r oses. " That year , Langdon bought hi s f at her a t i ny bl own- gl ass r ose f or
Chr i st mas. I t was t he most
beaut i f ul t hi ng Langdon had ever seen . . . t he way t he sun caught i t , t hr owi ng
Sei t e 26
a r ai nbow of col or s on t he
wal l . " I t ' s l ovel y, " hi s f at her had sai d when he opened i t , ki ssi ng Rober t on
t he f or ehead. " Let ' s f i nd a saf e
spot f or i t . " Then hi s f at her had car ef ul l y pl aced t he r ose on a hi gh dust y
shel f i n t he dar kest cor ner of t he
l i vi ng r oom. A f ew days l at er , Langdon got a st ool , r et r i eved t he r ose, and t ook
i t back t o t he st or e. Hi s
f at her never not i ced i t was gone.
The pi ng of an el evat or pul l ed Langdon back t o t he pr esent . Vi t t or i a and Kohl er
wer e i n f r ont of hi m,
boar di ng t he l i f t . Langdon hesi t at ed out si de t he open door s.
" I s somet hi ng wr ong?" Kohl er asked, soundi ng mor e i mpat i ent t han concer ned.
" Not at al l , " Langdon sai d, f or ci ng hi msel f t owar d t he cr amped car r i age. He onl y
used el evat or s when
absol ut el y necessar y. He pr ef er r ed t he mor e open spaces of st ai r wel l s.
" Dr . Vet r a' s l ab i s subt er r anean, " Kohl er sai d.
Wonder f ul , Langdon t hought as he st epped acr oss t he cl ef t , f eel i ng an i cy wi nd
chur n up f r omt he dept hs of
t he shaf t . The door s cl osed, and t he car began t o descend.
" Si x st or i es, " Kohl er sai d bl ankl y, l i ke an anal yt i cal engi ne.
Langdon pi ct ur ed t he dar kness of t he empt y shaf t bel ow t hem. He t r i ed t o bl ock
i t out by st ar i ng at t he
number ed di spl ay of changi ng f l oor s. Oddl y, t he el evat or showed onl y t wo st ops.
GROUND LEVEL and
LHC.
" What ' s LHC st and f or ?" Langdon asked, t r yi ng not t o sound ner vous.
" Lar ge Hadr on Col l i der , " Kohl er sai d. " A par t i cl e accel er at or . "
Par t i cl e accel er at or ? Langdon was vaguel y f ami l i ar wi t h t he t er m. He had f i r st
hear d i t over di nner wi t h
some col l eagues at Dunst er House i n Cambr i dge. A physi ci st f r i end of t hei r s, Bob
Br ownel l , had ar r i ved
f or di nner one ni ght i n a r age.
" The bast ar ds cancel ed i t ! " Br ownel l cur sed.
" Cancel ed what ?" t hey al l asked.
" The SSC! "
" The what ?"
" The Super conduct i ng Super Col l i der ! "
Someone shr ugged. " I di dn' t know Har var d was bui l di ng one. "
" Not Har var d! " he excl ai med. " The U. S. ! I t was goi ng t o be t he wor l d' s most
power f ul par t i cl e accel er at or !
One of t he most i mpor t ant sci ent i f i c pr oj ect s of t he cent ur y! Two bi l l i on
dol l ar s i nt o i t and t he Senat e sacks
t he pr oj ect ! Damn Bi bl e- Bel t l obbyi st s! "
When Br ownel l f i nal l y cal med down, he expl ai ned t hat a par t i cl e accel er at or was
a l ar ge, ci r cul ar t ube
t hr ough whi ch subat omi c par t i cl es wer e accel er at ed. Magnet s i n t he t ube t ur ned
on and of f i n r api d
successi on t o " push" par t i cl es ar ound and ar ound unt i l t hey r eached t r emendous
vel oci t i es. Ful l y
accel er at ed par t i cl es ci r cl ed t he t ube at over 180, 000 mi l es per second.
" But t hat ' s al most t he speed of l i ght , " one of t he pr of essor s excl ai med.
" Damn r i ght , " Br ownel l sai d. He went on t o say t hat by accel er at i ng t wo
par t i cl es i n opposi t e di r ect i ons
ar ound t he t ube and t hen col l i di ng t hem, sci ent i st s coul d shat t er t he par t i cl es
i nt o t hei r const i t uent par t s and
get a gl i mpse of nat ur e' s most f undament al component s. " Par t i cl e accel er at or s, "
Br ownel l decl ar ed, " ar e
cr i t i cal t o t he f ut ur e of sci ence. Col l i di ng par t i cl es i s t he key t o
under st andi ng t he bui l di ng bl ocks of t he
uni ver se. "
Har var d' s Poet i n Resi dence, a qui et man named Char l es Pr at t , di d not l ook
i mpr essed. " I t sounds t o me, "
he sai d, " l i ke a r at her Neander t hal appr oach t o sci ence . . . aki n t o smashi ng
cl ocks t oget her t o di scer n t hei r
i nt er nal wor ki ngs. "
Br ownel l dr opped hi s f or k and st or med out of t he r oom.
So CERN has a par t i cl e accel er at or ? Langdon t hought , as t he el evat or dr opped. A
ci r cul ar t ube f or
Sei t e 27
smashi ng par t i cl es. He wonder ed why t hey had bur i ed i t under gr ound.
When t he el evat or t humped t o a st op, Langdon was r el i eved t o f eel t er r a f i r ma
beneat h hi s f eet . But when
t he door s sl i d open, hi s r el i ef evapor at ed. Rober t Langdon f ound hi msel f
st andi ng once agai n i n a t ot al l y
al i en wor l d.
The passageway st r et ched out i ndef i ni t el y i n bot h di r ect i ons, l ef t and r i ght . I t
was a smoot h cement t unnel ,
wi de enough t o al l ow passage of an ei ght een wheel er . Br i ght l y l i t wher e t hey
st ood, t he cor r i dor t ur ned
pi t ch bl ack f ar t her down. A damp wi nd r ust l ed out of t he dar kness- an unset t l i ng
r emi nder t hat t hey wer e
now deep i n t he ear t h. Langdon coul d al most sense t he wei ght of t he di r t and
st one now hangi ng above hi s
head. For an i nst ant he was ni ne year s ol d . . . t he dar kness f or ci ng hi mback .
. . back t o t he f i ve hour s of
cr ushi ng bl ackness t hat haunt ed hi mst i l l . Cl enchi ng hi s f i st s, he f ought i t
of f .
Vi t t or i a r emai ned hushed as she exi t ed t he el evat or and st r ode of f wi t hout
hesi t at i on i nt o t he dar kness
wi t hout t hem. Over head t he f l our escent s f l i cker ed on t o l i ght her pat h. The
ef f ect was unset t l i ng, Langdon
t hought , as i f t he t unnel wer e al i ve . . . ant i ci pat i ng her ever y move. Langdon
and Kohl er f ol l owed, t r ai l i ng
a di st ance behi nd. The l i ght s ext i ngui shed aut omat i cal l y behi nd t hem.
" Thi s par t i cl e accel er at or , " Langdon sai d qui et l y. " I t ' s down t hi s t unnel
somepl ace?"
" That ' s i t t her e. " Kohl er mot i oned t o hi s l ef t wher e a pol i shed, chr ome t ube r an
al ong t he t unnel ' s i nner
wal l .
Langdon eyed t he t ube, conf used. " That ' s t he accel er at or ?" The devi ce l ooked
not hi ng l i ke he had
i magi ned. I t was per f ect l y st r ai ght , about t hr ee f eet i n di amet er , and ext ended
hor i zont al l y t he vi si bl e
l engt h of t he t unnel bef or e di sappear i ng i nt o t he dar kness. Looks mor e l i ke a
hi gh- t ech sewer , Langdon
t hought . " I t hought par t i cl e accel er at or s wer e ci r cul ar . "
" Thi s accel er at or i s a ci r cl e, " Kohl er sai d. " I t appear s st r ai ght , but t hat i s
an opt i cal i l l usi on. The
ci r cumf er ence of t hi s t unnel i s so l ar ge t hat t he cur ve i s i mper cept i bl e- l i ke
t hat of t he ear t h. "
Langdon was f l abber gast ed. Thi s i s a ci r cl e? " But . . . i t must be enor mous! "
" The LHC i s t he l ar gest machi ne i n t he wor l d. "
Langdon di d a doubl e t ake. He r emember ed t he CERN dr i ver sayi ng somet hi ng about
a huge machi ne
bur i ed i n t he ear t h. But -
" I t i s over ei ght ki l omet er s i n di amet er . . . and t went y- seven ki l omet er s
l ong. "
Langdon' s head whi pped ar ound. " Twent y- seven ki l omet er s?" He st ar ed at t he
di r ect or and t hen t ur ned and
l ooked i nt o t he dar kened t unnel bef or e hi m. " Thi s t unnel i s t went y- seven
ki l omet er s l ong? That ' s . . . t hat ' s
over si xt een mi l es! "
Kohl er nodded. " Bor ed i n a per f ect ci r cl e. I t ext ends al l t he way i nt o Fr ance
bef or e cur vi ng back her e t o
t hi s spot . Ful l y accel er at ed par t i cl es wi l l ci r cl e t he t ube mor e t han t en
t housand t i mes i n a si ngl e second
bef or e t hey col l i de. "
Langdon' s l egs f el t r ubber y as he st ar ed down t he gapi ng t unnel . " You' r e t el l i ng
me t hat CERN dug out
mi l l i ons of t ons of ear t h j ust t o smash t i ny par t i cl es?"
Kohl er shr ugged. " Somet i mes t o f i nd t r ut h, one must move mount ai ns. "
16
H undr eds of mi l es f r omCERN, a voi ce cr ackl ed t hr ough a wal ki e- t al ki e. " Okay,
I ' mi n t he hal l way. "
The t echni ci an moni t or i ng t he vi deo scr eens pr essed t he but t on on hi s
t r ansmi t t er . " You' r e l ooki ng f or
camer a #86. I t ' s supposed t o be at t he f ar end. "
Ther e was a l ong si l ence on t he r adi o. The wai t i ng t echni ci an br oke a l i ght
Sei t e 28
sweat . Fi nal l y hi s r adi o cl i cked.
" The camer a i sn' t her e, " t he voi ce sai d. " I can see wher e i t was mount ed,
t hough. Somebody must have
r emoved i t . "
The t echni ci an exhal ed heavi l y. " Thanks. Hol d on a second, wi l l you?"
Si ghi ng, he r edi r ect ed hi s at t ent i on t o t he bank of vi deo scr eens i n f r ont of
hi m. Huge por t i ons of t he
compl ex wer e open t o t he publ i c, and wi r el ess camer as had gone mi ssi ng bef or e,
usual l y st ol en by vi si t i ng
pr ankst er s l ooki ng f or souveni r s. But as soon as a camer a l ef t t he f aci l i t y and
was out of r ange, t he si gnal
was l ost , and t he scr een went bl ank. Per pl exed, t he t echni ci an gazed up at t he
moni t or . A cr yst al cl ear
i mage was st i l l comi ng f r omcamer a #86.
I f t he camer a was st ol en, he wonder ed, why ar e we st i l l get t i ng a si gnal ? He
knew, of cour se, t her e was
onl y one expl anat i on. The camer a was st i l l i nsi de t he compl ex, and someone had
si mpl y moved i t . But
who? And why?
He st udi ed t he moni t or a l ong moment . Fi nal l y he pi cked up hi s wal ki e- t al ki e.
" Ar e t her e any cl oset s i n t hat
st ai r wel l ? Any cupboar ds or dar k al coves?"
The voi ce r epl yi ng sounded conf used. " No. Why?"
The t echni ci an f r owned. " Never mi nd. Thanks f or your hel p. " He t ur ned of f hi s
wal ki e- t al ki e and pur sed
hi s l i ps.
Consi der i ng t he smal l si ze of t he vi deo camer a and t he f act t hat i t was
wi r el ess, t he t echni ci an knew t hat
camer a #86 coul d be t r ansmi t t i ng f r omj ust about anywher e wi t hi n t he heavi l y
guar ded compound- a
densel y packed col l ect i on of t hi r t y- t wo separ at e bui l di ngs cover i ng a hal f - mi l e
r adi us. The onl y cl ue was
t hat t he camer a seemed t o have been pl aced somewher e dar k. Of cour se, t hat
wasn' t much hel p. The
compl ex cont ai ned endl ess dar k l ocat i ons- mai nt enance cl oset s, heat i ng duct s,
gar deni ng sheds, bedr oom
war dr obes, even a l abyr i nt h of under gr ound t unnel s. Camer a #86 coul d t ake weeks
t o l ocat e.
But t hat ' s t he l east of my pr obl ems, he t hought .
Despi t e t he di l emma posed by t he camer a' s r el ocat i on, t her e was anot her f ar mor e
unset t l i ng mat t er at
hand. The t echni ci an gazed up at t he i mage t he l ost camer a was t r ansmi t t i ng. I t
was a st at i onar y obj ect . A
moder n- l ooki ng devi ce l i ke not hi ng t he t echni ci an had ever seen. He st udi ed t he
bl i nki ng el ect r oni c di spl ay
at i t s base.
Al t hough t he guar d had under gone r i gor ous t r ai ni ng pr epar i ng hi mf or t ense
si t uat i ons, he st i l l sensed hi s
pul se r i si ng. He t ol d hi msel f not t o pani c. Ther e had t o be an expl anat i on. The
obj ect appear ed t oo smal l t o
be of si gni f i cant danger . Then agai n, i t s pr esence i nsi de t he compl ex was
t r oubl i ng. Ver y t r oubl i ng, i ndeed.
Today of al l days, he t hought .
Secur i t y was al ways a t op pr i or i t y f or hi s empl oyer , but t oday, mor e t han any
ot her day i n t he past t wel ve
year s, secur i t y was of t he ut most i mpor t ance. The t echni ci an st ar ed at t he
obj ect f or a l ong t i me and sensed
t he r umbl i ngs of a di st ant gat her i ng st or m.
Then, sweat i ng, he di al ed hi s super i or .
17
N ot many chi l dr en coul d say t hey r emember ed t he day t hey met t hei r f at her , but
Vi t t or i a Vet r a coul d.
She was ei ght year s ol d, l i vi ng wher e she al ways had, Or f anot r of i o di Si ena, a
Cat hol i c or phanage near
Fl or ence, deser t ed by par ent s she never knew. I t was r ai ni ng t hat day. The nuns
had cal l ed f or her t wi ce t o
come t o di nner , but as al ways she pr et ended not t o hear . She l ay out si de i n t he
cour t yar d, st ar i ng up at t he
r ai ndr ops . . . f eel i ng t hemhi t her body . . . t r yi ng t o guess wher e one woul d
Sei t e 29
l and next . The nuns cal l ed
agai n, t hr eat eni ng t hat pneumoni a mi ght make an i nsuf f er abl y headst r ong chi l d a
l ot l ess cur i ous about
nat ur e.
I can' t hear you, Vi t t or i a t hought .
She was soaked t o t he bone when t he young pr i est came out t o get her . She di dn' t
know hi m. He was new
t her e. Vi t t or i a wai t ed f or hi mt o gr ab her and dr ag her back i nsi de. But he
di dn' t . I nst ead, t o her wonder , he
l ay down besi de her , soaki ng hi s r obes i n a puddl e.
" They say you ask a l ot of quest i ons, " t he young man sai d.
Vi t t or i a scowl ed. " Ar e quest i ons bad?"
He l aughed. " Guess t hey wer e r i ght . "
" What ar e you doi ng out her e?"
" Same t hi ng you' r e doi ng . . . wonder i ng why r ai ndr ops f al l . "
" I ' mnot wonder i ng why t hey f al l ! I al r eady know! "
The pr i est gave her an ast oni shed l ook. " You do?"
" Si st er Fr anci sca says r ai ndr ops ar e angel s' t ear s comi ng down t o wash away our
si ns. "
" Wow! " he sai d, soundi ng amazed. " So t hat expl ai ns i t . "
" No i t doesn' t ! " t he gi r l f i r ed back. " Rai ndr ops f al l because ever yt hi ng f al l s!
Ever yt hi ng f al l s! Not j ust
r ai n! "
The pr i est scr at ched hi s head, l ooki ng per pl exed. " You know, young l ady, you' r e
r i ght . Ever yt hi ng does
f al l . I t must be gr avi t y. "
" I t must be what ?"
He gave her an ast oni shed l ook. " You haven' t hear d of gr avi t y?"
" No. "
The pr i est shr ugged sadl y. " Too bad. Gr avi t y answer s a l ot of quest i ons. "
Vi t t or i a sat up. " What ' s gr avi t y?" she demanded. " Tel l me! "
The pr i est gave her a wi nk. " What do you say I t el l you over di nner . "
The young pr i est was Leonar do Vet r a. Al t hough he had been an awar d- wi nni ng
physi cs st udent whi l e i n
uni ver si t y, he' d hear d anot her cal l and gone i nt o t he semi nar y. Leonar do and
Vi t t or i a became unl i kel y best
f r i ends i n t he l onel y wor l d of nuns and r egul at i ons. Vi t t or i a made Leonar do
l augh, and he t ook her under
hi s wi ng, t eachi ng her t hat beaut i f ul t hi ngs l i ke r ai nbows and t he r i ver s had
many expl anat i ons. He t ol d her
about l i ght , pl anet s, st ar s, and al l of nat ur e t hr ough t he eyes of bot h God and
sci ence. Vi t t or i a' s i nnat e
i nt el l ect and cur i osi t y made her a capt i vat i ng st udent . Leonar do pr ot ect ed her
l i ke a daught er .
Vi t t or i a was happy t oo. She had never known t he j oy of havi ng a f at her . When
ever y ot her adul t answer ed
her quest i ons wi t h a sl ap on t he wr i st , Leonar do spent hour s showi ng her books.
He even asked what her
i deas wer e. Vi t t or i a pr ayed Leonar do woul d st ay wi t h her f or ever . Then one day,
her wor st ni ght mar e came
t r ue. Fat her Leonar do t ol d her he was l eavi ng t he or phanage.
" I ' mmovi ng t o Swi t zer l and, " Leonar do sai d. " I have a gr ant t o st udy physi cs at
t he Uni ver si t y of Geneva. "
" Physi cs?" Vi t t or i a cr i ed. " I t hought you l oved God! "
" I do, ver y much. Whi ch i s why I want t o st udy hi s di vi ne r ul es. The l aws of
physi cs ar e t he canvas God
l ai d down on whi ch t o pai nt hi s mast er pi ece. "
Vi t t or i a was devast at ed. But Fat her Leonar do had some ot her news. He t ol d
Vi t t or i a he had spoken t o hi s
super i or s, and t hey sai d i t was okay i f Fat her Leonar do adopt ed her .
" Woul d you l i ke me t o adopt you?" Leonar do asked.
" What ' s adopt mean?" Vi t t or i a sai d.
Fat her Leonar do t ol d her .
Vi t t or i a hugged hi mf or f i ve mi nut es, cr yi ng t ear s of j oy. " Oh yes! Yes! "
Leonar do t ol d her he had t o l eave f or a whi l e and get t hei r new home set t l ed i n
Swi t zer l and, but he
pr omi sed t o send f or her i n si x mont hs. I t was t he l ongest wai t of Vi t t or i a' s
l i f e, but Leonar do kept hi s
wor d. Fi ve days bef or e her ni nt h bi r t hday, Vi t t or i a moved t o Geneva. She
Sei t e 30
at t ended Geneva I nt er nat i onal
School dur i ng t he day and l ear ned f r omher f at her at ni ght .
Thr ee year s l at er Leonar do Vet r a was hi r ed by CERN. Vi t t or i a and Leonar do
r el ocat ed t o a wonder l and t he
l i kes of whi ch t he young Vi t t or i a had never i magi ned.
Vi t t or i a Vet r a' s body f el t numb as she st r ode down t he LHC t unnel . She saw her
mut ed r ef l ect i on i n t he
LHC and sensed her f at her ' s absence. Nor mal l y she exi st ed i n a st at e of deep
cal m, i n har mony wi t h t he
wor l d ar ound her . But now, ver y suddenl y, not hi ng made sense. The l ast t hr ee
hour s had been a bl ur .
I t had been 10 A. M. i n t he Bal ear i c I sl ands when Kohl er ' s cal l came t hr ough.
Your f at her has been
mur der ed. Come home i mmedi at el y. Despi t e t he swel t er i ng heat on t he deck of t he
di ve boat , t he wor ds had
chi l l ed her t o t he bone, Kohl er ' s emot i onl ess t one hur t i ng as much as t he news.
Now she had r et ur ned home. But home t o what ? CERN, her wor l d si nce she was
t wel ve, seemed suddenl y
f or ei gn. Her f at her , t he man who had made i t magi cal , was gone.
Deep br eat hs, she t ol d her sel f , but she coul dn' t cal mher mi nd. The quest i ons
ci r cl ed f ast er and f ast er . Who
ki l l ed her f at her ? And why? Who was t hi s Amer i can " speci al i st " ? Why was Kohl er
i nsi st i ng on seei ng t he
l ab?
Kohl er had sai d t her e was evi dence t hat her f at her ' s mur der was r el at ed t o t he
cur r ent pr oj ect . What
evi dence? Nobody knew what we wer e wor ki ng on! And even i f someone f ound out ,
why woul d t hey ki l l
hi m?
As she moved down t he LHC t unnel t owar d her f at her ' s l ab, Vi t t or i a r eal i zed she
was about t o unvei l her
f at her ' s gr eat est achi evement wi t hout hi mt her e. She had pi ct ur ed t hi s moment
much di f f er ent l y. She had
i magi ned her f at her cal l i ng CERN' s t op sci ent i st s t o hi s l ab, showi ng t hemhi s
di scover y, wat chi ng t hei r
awest r uck f aces. Then he woul d beamwi t h f at her l y pr i de as he expl ai ned t o t hem
how i t had been one of
Vi t t or i a' s i deas t hat had hel ped hi mmake t he pr oj ect a r eal i t y . . . t hat hi s
daught er had been i nt egr al i n hi s
br eakt hr ough. Vi t t or i a f el t a l ump i n her t hr oat . My f at her and I wer e supposed
t o shar e t hi s moment
t oget her . But her e she was al one. No col l eagues. No happy f aces. J ust an
Amer i can st r anger and
Maxi mi l i an Kohl er .
Maxi mi l i an Kohl er . Der Kni g.
Even as a chi l d, Vi t t or i a had di sl i ked t he man. Al t hough she event ual l y came t o
r espect hi s pot ent i nt el l ect ,
hi s i cy demeanor al ways seemed i nhuman, t he exact ant i t hesi s of her f at her ' s
war mt h. Kohl er pur sued
sci ence f or i t s i mmacul at e l ogi c . . . her f at her f or i t s spi r i t ual wonder . And
yet oddl y t her e had al ways
seemed t o be an unspoken r espect bet ween t he t wo men. Geni us, someone had once
expl ai ned t o her ,
accept s geni us uncondi t i onal l y.
Geni us, she t hought . My f at her . . . Dad. Dead.
The ent r y t o Leonar do Vet r a' s l ab was a l ong st er i l e hal l way paved ent i r el y i n
whi t e t i l e. Langdon f el t l i ke
he was ent er i ng some ki nd of under gr ound i nsane asyl um. Li ni ng t he cor r i dor wer e
dozens of f r amed,
bl ack- and- whi t e i mages. Al t hough Langdon had made a car eer of st udyi ng i mages,
t hese wer e ent i r el y
al i en t o hi m. They l ooked l i ke chaot i c negat i ves of r andomst r eaks and spi r al s.
Moder n ar t ? he mused.
J ackson Pol l ock on amphet ami nes?
" Scat t er pl ot s, " Vi t t or i a sai d, appar ent l y not i ng Langdon' s i nt er est . " Comput er
r epr esent at i ons of par t i cl e
col l i si ons. That ' s t he Z- par t i cl e, " she sai d, poi nt i ng t o a f ai nt t r ack t hat was
al most i nvi si bl e i n t he
Sei t e 31
conf usi on. " My f at her di scover ed i t f i ve year s ago. Pur e ener gy- no mass at al l .
I t may wel l be t he smal l est
bui l di ng bl ock i n nat ur e. Mat t er i s not hi ng but t r apped ener gy. "
Mat t er i s ener gy? Langdon cocked hi s head. Sounds pr et t y Zen. He gazed at t he
t i ny st r eak i n t he
phot ogr aph and wonder ed what hi s buddi es i n t he Har var d physi cs depar t ment woul d
say when he t ol d
t hemhe' d spent t he weekend hangi ng out i n a Lar ge Hadr on Col l i der admi r i ng
Z- par t i cl es.
" Vi t t or i a, " Kohl er sai d, as t hey appr oached t he l ab' s i mposi ng st eel door , " I
shoul d ment i on t hat I came
down her e t hi s mor ni ng l ooki ng f or your f at her . "
Vi t t or i a f l ushed sl i ght l y. " You di d?"
" Yes. And i magi ne my sur pr i se when I di scover ed he had r epl aced CERN' s st andar d
keypad secur i t y wi t h
somet hi ng el se. " Kohl er mot i oned t o an i nt r i cat e el ect r oni c devi ce mount ed
besi de t he door .
" I apol ogi ze, " she sai d. " You know how he was about pr i vacy. He di dn' t want
anyone but t he t wo of us t o
have access. "
Kohl er sai d, " Fi ne. Open t he door . "
Vi t t or i a st ood a l ong moment . Then, pul l i ng a deep br eat h, she wal ked t o t he
mechani smon t he wal l .
Langdon was i n no way pr epar ed f or what happened next .
Vi t t or i a st epped up t o t he devi ce and car ef ul l y al i gned her r i ght eye wi t h a
pr ot r udi ng l ens t hat l ooked l i ke
a t el escope. Then she pr essed a but t on. I nsi de t he machi ne, somet hi ng cl i cked. A
shaf t of l i ght osci l l at ed
back and f or t h, scanni ng her eyebal l l i ke a copy machi ne.
" I t ' s a r et i na scan, " she sai d. " I nf al l i bl e secur i t y. Aut hor i zed f or t wo r et i na
pat t er ns onl y. Mi ne and my
f at her ' s. "
Rober t Langdon st ood i n hor r i f i ed r evel at i on. The i mage of Leonar do Vet r a came
back i n gr i sl y det ai l - t he
bl oody f ace, t he sol i t ar y hazel eye st ar i ng back, and t he empt y eye socket . He
t r i ed t o r ej ect t he obvi ous
t r ut h, but t hen he saw i t . . . beneat h t he scanner on t he whi t e t i l e f l oor . .
. f ai nt dr opl et s of cr i mson. Dr i ed
bl ood.
Vi t t or i a, t hankf ul l y, di d not not i ce.
The st eel door sl i d open and she wal ked t hr ough.
Kohl er f i xed Langdon wi t h an adamant st ar e. Hi s message was cl ear : As I t ol d you
. . . t he mi ssi ng eye
ser ves a hi gher pur pose.
18
T he woman' s hands wer e t i ed, her wr i st s now pur pl e and swol l en f r omchaf i ng.
The mahogany- ski nned
Hassassi n l ay besi de her , spent , admi r i ng hi s naked pr i ze. He wonder ed i f her
cur r ent sl umber was j ust a
decept i on, a pat het i c at t empt t o avoi d f ur t her ser vi ce t o hi m.
He di d not car e. He had r eaped suf f i ci ent r ewar d. Sat ed, he sat up i n bed.
I n hi s count r y women wer e possessi ons. Weak. Tool s of pl easur e. Chat t el t o be
t r aded l i ke l i vest ock. And
t hey under st ood t hei r pl ace. But her e, i n Eur ope, women f ei gned a st r engt h and
i ndependence t hat bot h
amused and exci t ed hi m. For ci ng t hemi nt o physi cal submi ssi on was a
gr at i f i cat i on he al ways enj oyed.
Now, despi t e t he cont ent ment i n hi s l oi ns, t he Hassassi n sensed anot her appet i t e
gr owi ng wi t hi n hi m. He
had ki l l ed l ast ni ght , ki l l ed and mut i l at ed, and f or hi mki l l i ng was l i ke her oi n
. . . each encount er sat i sf yi ng
onl y t empor ar i l y bef or e i ncr easi ng hi s l ongi ng f or mor e. The exhi l ar at i on had
wor n of f . The cr avi ng had
r et ur ned.
He st udi ed t he sl eepi ng woman besi de hi m. Runni ng hi s pal macr oss her neck, he
f el t ar oused wi t h t he
knowl edge t hat he coul d end her l i f e i n an i nst ant . What woul d i t mat t er ? She
was subhuman, a vehi cl e
onl y of pl easur e and ser vi ce. Hi s st r ong f i nger s enci r cl ed her t hr oat , savor i ng
Sei t e 32
her del i cat e pul se. Then,
f i ght i ng desi r e, he r emoved hi s hand. Ther e was wor k t o do. Ser vi ce t o a hi gher
cause t han hi s own desi r e.
As he got out of bed, he r evel ed i n t he honor of t he j ob bef or e hi m. He st i l l
coul d not f at homt he i nf l uence
of t hi s man named J anus and t he anci ent br ot her hood he commanded. Wondr ousl y,
t he br ot her hood had
chosen hi m. Somehow t hey had l ear ned of hi s l oat hi ng . . . and of hi s ski l l s.
How, he woul d never know.
Thei r r oot s r each wi de.
Now t hey had best owed on hi mt he ul t i mat e honor . He woul d be t hei r hands and
t hei r voi ce. Thei r assassi n
and t hei r messenger . The one hi s peopl e knew as Mal ak al - haq- t he Angel of Tr ut h.
19
V et r a' s l ab was wi l dl y f ut ur i st i c.
St ar k whi t e and bounded on al l si des by comput er s and speci al i zed el ect r oni c
equi pment , i t l ooked l i ke
some sor t of oper at i ng r oom. Langdon wonder ed what secr et s t hi s pl ace coul d
possi bl y hol d t o j ust i f y
cut t i ng out someone' s eye t o gai n ent r ance.
Kohl er l ooked uneasy as t hey ent er ed, hi s eyes seemi ng t o dar t about f or si gns
of an i nt r uder . But t he l ab
was deser t ed. Vi t t or i a moved sl owl y t oo . . . as i f t he l ab f el t unknown wi t hout
her f at her t her e.
Langdon' s gaze l anded i mmedi at el y i n t he cent er of t he r oom, wher e a ser i es of
shor t pi l l ar s r ose f r omt he
f l oor . Li ke a mi ni at ur e St onehenge, a dozen or so col umns of pol i shed st eel
st ood i n a ci r cl e i n t he mi ddl e
of t he r oom. The pi l l ar s wer e about t hr ee f eet t al l , r emi ndi ng Langdon of museum
di spl ays f or val uabl e
gems. These pi l l ar s, however , wer e cl ear l y not f or pr eci ous st ones. Each
suppor t ed a t hi ck, t r anspar ent
cani st er about t he si ze of a t enni s bal l can. They appear ed empt y.
Kohl er eyed t he cani st er s, l ooki ng puzzl ed. He appar ent l y deci ded t o i gnor e t hem
f or t he t i me bei ng. He
t ur ned t o Vi t t or i a. " Has anyt hi ng been st ol en?"
" St ol en? How?" she ar gued. " The r et i na scan onl y al l ows ent r y t o us. "
" J ust l ook ar ound. "
Vi t t or i a si ghed and sur veyed t he r oomf or a f ew moment s. She shr ugged.
" Ever yt hi ng l ooks as my f at her
al ways l eaves i t . Or der ed chaos. "
Langdon sensed Kohl er wei ghi ng hi s opt i ons, as i f wonder i ng how f ar t o push
Vi t t or i a . . . how much t o t el l
her . Appar ent l y he deci ded t o l eave i t f or t he moment . Movi ng hi s wheel chai r
t owar d t he cent er of t he
r oom, he sur veyed t he myst er i ous cl ust er of seemi ngl y empt y cani st er s.
" Secr et s, " Kohl er f i nal l y sai d, " ar e a l uxur y we can no l onger af f or d. "
Vi t t or i a nodded i n acqui escence, l ooki ng suddenl y emot i onal , as i f bei ng her e
br ought wi t h i t a t or r ent of
memor i es.
Gi ve her a mi nut e, Langdon t hought .
As t hough pr epar i ng f or what she was about t o r eveal , Vi t t or i a cl osed her eyes
and br eat hed. Then she
br eat hed agai n. And agai n. And agai n . . .
Langdon wat ched her , suddenl y concer ned. I s she okay? He gl anced at Kohl er , who
appear ed unf azed,
appar ent l y havi ng seen t hi s r i t ual bef or e. Ten seconds passed bef or e Vi t t or i a
opened her eyes.
Langdon coul d not bel i eve t he met amor phosi s. Vi t t or i a Vet r a had been
t r ansf or med. Her f ul l l i ps wer e l ax,
her shoul der s down, and her eyes sof t and assent i ng. I t was as t hough she had
r eal i gned ever y muscl e i n her
body t o accept t he si t uat i on. The r esent f ul f i r e and per sonal angui sh had been
quel l ed somehow beneat h a
deeper , wat er y cool .
" Wher e t o begi n . . . " she sai d, her accent unr uf f l ed.
" At t he begi nni ng, " Kohl er sai d. " Tel l us about your f at her ' s exper i ment . "
" Rect i f yi ng sci ence wi t h r el i gi on has been my f at her ' s l i f e dr eam, " Vi t t or i a
Sei t e 33
sai d. " He hoped t o pr ove t hat
sci ence and r el i gi on ar e t wo t ot al l y compat i bl e f i el ds- t wo di f f er ent appr oaches
t o f i ndi ng t he same t r ut h. "
She paused as i f unabl e t o bel i eve what she was about t o say. " And r ecent l y . .
. he concei ved of a way t o
do t hat . "
Kohl er sai d not hi ng.
" He devi sed an exper i ment , one he hoped woul d set t l e one of t he most bi t t er
conf l i ct s i n t he hi st or y of
sci ence and r el i gi on. "
Langdon wonder ed whi ch conf l i ct she coul d mean. Ther e wer e so many.
" Cr eat i oni sm, " Vi t t or i a decl ar ed. " The bat t l e over how t he uni ver se came t o be. "
Oh, Langdon t hought . THE debat e.
" The Bi bl e, of cour se, st at es t hat God cr eat ed t he uni ver se, " she expl ai ned.
" God sai d, ' Let t her e be l i ght , '
and ever yt hi ng we see appear ed out of a vast empt i ness. Unf or t unat el y, one of
t he f undament al l aws of
physi cs st at es t hat mat t er cannot be cr eat ed out of not hi ng. "
Langdon had r ead about t hi s st al emat e. The i dea t hat God al l egedl y cr eat ed
" somet hi ng f r omnot hi ng" was
t ot al l y cont r ar y t o accept ed l aws of moder n physi cs and t her ef or e, sci ent i st s
cl ai med, Genesi s was
sci ent i f i cal l y absur d.
" Mr . Langdon, " Vi t t or i a sai d, t ur ni ng, " I assume you ar e f ami l i ar wi t h t he Bi g
Bang Theor y?"
Langdon shr ugged. " Mor e or l ess. " The Bi g Bang, he knew, was t he sci ent i f i cal l y
accept ed model f or t he
cr eat i on of t he uni ver se. He di dn' t r eal l y under st and i t , but accor di ng t o t he
t heor y, a si ngl e poi nt of
i nt ensel y f ocused ener gy er upt ed i n a cat acl ysmi c expl osi on, expandi ng out war d
t o f or mt he uni ver se. Or
somet hi ng l i ke t hat .
Vi t t or i a cont i nued. " When t he Cat hol i c Chur ch f i r st pr oposed t he Bi g Bang Theor y
i n 1927, t he- "
" I ' msor r y?" Langdon i nt er r upt ed, bef or e he coul d st op hi msel f . " You say t he Bi g
Bang was a Cat hol i c
i dea?"
Vi t t or i a l ooked sur pr i sed by hi s quest i on " Of cour se. Pr oposed by a Cat hol i c
monk, Geor ges Lema t r e i n
1927. "
" But , I t hought . . . " he hesi t at ed. " Wasn' t t he Bi g Bang pr oposed by Har var d
ast r onomer Edwi n Hubbl e?"
Kohl er gl ower ed. " Agai n, Amer i can sci ent i f i c ar r ogance. Hubbl e publ i shed i n
1929, t wo year s af t er
Lema t r e. "
Langdon scowl ed. I t ' s cal l ed t he Hubbl e Tel escope, si r - I ' ve never hear d of any
Lema t r e Tel escope!
" Mr . Kohl er i s r i ght , " Vi t t or i a sai d, " t he i dea bel onged t o Lema t r e. Hubbl e
onl y conf i r med i t by gat her i ng
t he har d evi dence t hat pr oved t he Bi g Bang was sci ent i f i cal l y pr obabl e. "
" Oh, " Langdon sai d, wonder i ng i f t he Hubbl e- f anat i cs i n t he Har var d Ast r onomy
Depar t ment ever
ment i oned Lema t r e i n t hei r l ect ur es.
" When Lema t r e f i r st pr oposed t he Bi g Bang Theor y, " Vi t t or i a cont i nued,
" sci ent i st s cl ai med i t was ut t er l y
r i di cul ous. Mat t er , sci ence sai d, coul d not be cr eat ed out of not hi ng. So, when
Hubbl e shocked t he wor l d
by sci ent i f i cal l y pr ovi ng t he Bi g Bang was accur at e, t he chur ch cl ai med vi ct or y,
her al di ng t hi s as pr oof t hat
t he Bi bl e was sci ent i f i cal l y accur at e. The di vi ne t r ut h. "
Langdon nodded, f ocusi ng i nt ent l y now.
" Of cour se sci ent i st s di d not appr eci at e havi ng t hei r di scover i es used by t he
chur ch t o pr omot e r el i gi on, so
t hey i mmedi at el y mat hemat i ci zed t he Bi g Bang Theor y, r emoved al l r el i gi ous
over t ones, and cl ai med i t as
t hei r own. Unf or t unat el y f or sci ence, however , t hei r equat i ons, even t oday, have
one ser i ous def i ci ency t hat
t he chur ch l i kes t o poi nt out . "
Kohl er gr unt ed. " The si ngul ar i t y. " He spoke t he wor d as i f i t wer e t he bane of
Sei t e 34
hi s exi st ence.
" Yes, t he si ngul ar i t y, " Vi t t or i a sai d. " The exact moment of cr eat i on. Ti me
zer o. " She l ooked at Langdon.
" Even t oday, sci ence cannot gr asp t he i ni t i al moment of cr eat i on. Our equat i ons
expl ai n t he ear l y uni ver se
qui t e ef f ect i vel y, but as we move back i n t i me, appr oachi ng t i me zer o, suddenl y
our mat hemat i cs
di si nt egr at es, and ever yt hi ng becomes meani ngl ess. "
" Cor r ect , " Kohl er sai d, hi s voi ce edgy, " and t he chur ch hol ds up t hi s def i ci ency
as pr oof of God' s
mi r acul ous i nvol vement . Come t o your poi nt . "
Vi t t or i a' s expr essi on became di st ant . " My poi nt i s t hat my f at her had al ways
bel i eved i n God' s
i nvol vement i n t he Bi g Bang. Even t hough sci ence was unabl e t o compr ehend t he
di vi ne moment of
cr eat i on, he bel i eved someday i t woul d. " She mot i oned sadl y t o a l aser - pr i nt ed
memo t acked over her
f at her ' s wor k ar ea. " My dad used t o wave t hat i n my f ace ever y t i me I had
doubt s. "
Langdon r ead t he message:
SCI ENCE AND RELI GI ON ARE NOT AT ODDS.
SCI ENCE I S SI MPLY TOO YOUNG TO UNDERSTAND.
" My dad want ed t o br i ng sci ence t o a hi gher l evel , " Vi t t or i a sai d, " wher e
sci ence suppor t ed t he concept of
God. " She r an a hand t hr ough her l ong hai r , l ooki ng mel anchol y. " He set out t o
do somet hi ng no sci ent i st
had ever t hought t o do. Somet hi ng t hat no one has ever had t he t echnol ogy t o
do. " She paused, as t hough
uncer t ai n how t o speak t he next wor ds. " He desi gned an exper i ment t o pr ove
Genesi s was possi bl e. "
Pr ove Genesi s? Langdon wonder ed. Let t her e be l i ght ? Mat t er f r omnot hi ng?
Kohl er ' s dead gaze bor e acr oss t he r oom. " I beg your par don?"
" My f at her cr eat ed a uni ver se . . . f r omnot hi ng at al l . "
Kohl er snapped hi s head ar ound. " What ! "
" Bet t er sai d, he r ecr eat ed t he Bi g Bang. "
Kohl er l ooked r eady t o j ump t o hi s f eet .
Langdon was of f i ci al l y l ost . Cr eat i ng a uni ver se? Recr eat i ng t he Bi g Bang?
" I t was done on a much smal l er scal e, of cour se, " Vi t t or i a sai d, t al ki ng f ast er
now. " The pr ocess was
r emar kabl y si mpl e. He accel er at ed t wo ul t r at hi n par t i cl e beams i n opposi t e
di r ect i ons ar ound t he
accel er at or t ube. The t wo beams col l i ded head- on at enor mous speeds, dr i vi ng
i nt o one anot her and
compr essi ng al l t hei r ener gy i nt o a si ngl e pi npoi nt . He achi eved ext r eme ener gy
densi t i es. " She st ar t ed
r at t l i ng of f a st r eamof uni t s, and t he di r ect or ' s eyes gr ew wi der .
Langdon t r i ed t o keep up. So Leonar do Vet r a was si mul at i ng t he compr essed poi nt
of ener gy f r omwhi ch
t he uni ver se supposedl y spr ang.
" The r esul t , " Vi t t or i a sai d, " was not hi ng shor t of wondr ous. When i t i s
publ i shed, i t wi l l shake t he ver y
f oundat i on of moder n physi cs. " She spoke sl owl y now, as t hough savor i ng t he
i mmensi t y of her news.
" Wi t hout war ni ng, i nsi de t he accel er at or t ube, at t hi s poi nt of hi ghl y f ocused
ener gy, par t i cl es of mat t er
began appear i ng out of nowher e. "
Kohl er made no r eact i on. He si mpl y st ar ed.
" Mat t er , " Vi t t or i a r epeat ed. " Bl ossomi ng out of not hi ng. An i ncr edi bl e di spl ay
of subat omi c f i r ewor ks. A
mi ni at ur e uni ver se spr i ngi ng t o l i f e. He pr oved not onl y t hat mat t er can be
cr eat ed f r omnot hi ng, but t hat
t he Bi g Bang and Genesi s can be expl ai ned si mpl y by accept i ng t he pr esence of an
enor mous sour ce of
ener gy. "
" You mean God?" Kohl er demanded.
" God, Buddha, The For ce, Yahweh, t he si ngul ar i t y, t he uni ci t y poi nt - cal l i t
what ever you l i ke- t he r esul t i s
Sei t e 35
t he same. Sci ence and r el i gi on suppor t t he same t r ut h- pur e ener gy i s t he f at her
of cr eat i on. "
When Kohl er f i nal l y spoke, hi s voi ce was somber . " Vi t t or i a, you have me at a
l oss. I t sounds l i ke you' r e
t el l i ng me your f at her cr eat ed mat t er . . . out of not hi ng?"
" Yes. " Vi t t or i a mot i oned t o t he cani st er s. " And t her e i s t he pr oof . I n t hose
cani st er s ar e speci mens of t he
mat t er he cr eat ed. "
Kohl er coughed and moved t owar d t he cani st er s l i ke a war y ani mal ci r cl i ng
somet hi ng he i nst i nct i vel y
sensed was wr ong. " I ' ve obvi ousl y mi ssed somet hi ng, " he sai d. " How do you expect
anyone t o bel i eve
t hese cani st er s cont ai n par t i cl es of mat t er your f at her act ual l y cr eat ed? They
coul d be par t i cl es f r om
anywher e at al l . "
" Act ual l y, " Vi t t or i a sai d, soundi ng conf i dent , " t hey coul dn' t . These par t i cl es
ar e uni que. They ar e a t ype of
mat t er t hat does not exi st anywher e on ear t h . . . hence t hey had t o be
cr eat ed. "
Kohl er ' s expr essi on dar kened. " Vi t t or i a, what do you mean a cer t ai n t ype of
mat t er ? Ther e i s onl y one t ype
of mat t er , and i t - " Kohl er st opped shor t .
Vi t t or i a' s expr essi on was t r i umphant . " You' ve l ect ur ed on i t your sel f , di r ect or .
The uni ver se cont ai ns t wo
ki nds of mat t er . Sci ent i f i c f act . " Vi t t or i a t ur ned t o Langdon. " Mr . Langdon,
what does t he Bi bl e say about
t he Cr eat i on? What di d God cr eat e?"
Langdon f el t awkwar d, not sur e what t hi s had t o do wi t h anyt hi ng. " Um, God
cr eat ed . . . l i ght and dar k,
heaven and hel l - "
" Exact l y, " Vi t t or i a sai d. " He cr eat ed ever yt hi ng i n opposi t es. Symmet r y. Per f ect
bal ance. " She t ur ned back
t o Kohl er . " Di r ect or , sci ence cl ai ms t he same t hi ng as r el i gi on, t hat t he Bi g
Bang cr eat ed ever yt hi ng i n t he
uni ver se wi t h an opposi t e. "
" I ncl udi ng mat t er i t sel f , " Kohl er whi sper ed, as i f t o hi msel f .
Vi t t or i a nodded. " And when my f at her r an hi s exper i ment , sur e enough, t wo ki nds
of mat t er appear ed. "
Langdon wonder ed what t hi s meant . Leonar do Vet r a cr eat ed mat t er ' s opposi t e?
Kohl er l ooked angr y. " The subst ance you' r e r ef er r i ng t o onl y exi st s el sewher e i n
t he uni ver se. Cer t ai nl y
not on ear t h. And possi bl y not even i n our gal axy! "
" Exact l y, " Vi t t or i a r epl i ed, " whi ch i s pr oof t hat t he par t i cl es i n t hese
cani st er s had t o be cr eat ed. "
Kohl er ' s f ace har dened. " Vi t t or i a, sur el y you can' t be sayi ng t hose cani st er s
cont ai n act ual speci mens?"
" I am. " She gazed pr oudl y at t he cani st er s. " Di r ect or , you ar e l ooki ng at t he
wor l d' s f i r st speci mens of
ant i mat t er . "
20
P hase t wo, t he Hassassi n t hought , st r i di ng i nt o t he dar kened t unnel .
The t or ch i n hi s hand was over ki l l . He knew t hat . But i t was f or ef f ect . Ef f ect
was ever yt hi ng. Fear , he had
l ear ned, was hi s al l y. Fear cr i ppl es f ast er t han any i mpl ement of war .
Ther e was no mi r r or i n t he passage t o admi r e hi s di sgui se, but he coul d sense
f r omt he shadow of hi s
bi l l owi ng r obe t hat he was per f ect . Bl endi ng i n was par t of t he pl an . . . par t
of t he depr avi t y of t he pl ot . I n
hi s wi l dest dr eams he had never i magi ned pl ayi ng t hi s par t .
Two weeks ago, he woul d have consi der ed t he t ask awai t i ng hi mat t he f ar end of
t hi s t unnel i mpossi bl e. A
sui ci de mi ssi on. Wal ki ng naked i nt o a l i on' s l ai r . But J anus had changed t he
def i ni t i on of i mpossi bl e.
The secr et s J anus had shar ed wi t h t he Hassassi n i n t he l ast t wo weeks had been
numer ous . . . t hi s ver y
t unnel bei ng one of t hem. Anci ent , and yet st i l l per f ect l y passabl e.
As he dr ew cl oser t o hi s enemy, t he Hassassi n wonder ed i f what awai t ed hi m
i nsi de woul d be as easy as
J anus had pr omi sed. J anus had assur ed hi msomeone on t he i nsi de woul d make t he
Sei t e 36
necessar y ar r angement s.
Someone on t he i nsi de. I ncr edi bl e. The mor e he consi der ed i t , t he mor e he
r eal i zed i t was chi l d' s pl ay.
Wahad . . . t i nt ai n . . . t hal at ha . . . ar baa, he sai d t o hi msel f i n Ar abi c as
he near ed t he end. One . . . t wo . .
. t hr ee . . . f our . . .
21
I sense you' ve hear d of ant i mat t er , Mr . Langdon?" Vi t t or i a was st udyi ng hi m, her
dar k ski n i n st ar k
cont r ast t o t he whi t e l ab.
Langdon l ooked up. He f el t suddenl y dumb. " Yes. Wel l . . . sor t of . "
A f ai nt smi l e cr ossed her l i ps. " You wat ch St ar Tr ek. "
Langdon f l ushed. " Wel l , my st udent s enj oy . . . " He f r owned. " I sn' t ant i mat t er
what f uel s t he U. S. S.
Ent er pr i se?"
She nodded. " Good sci ence f i ct i on has i t s r oot s i n good sci ence. "
" So ant i mat t er i s r eal ?"
" A f act of nat ur e. Ever yt hi ng has an opposi t e. Pr ot ons have el ect r ons. Up- quar ks
have down- quar ks. Ther e
i s a cosmi c symmet r y at t he subat omi c l evel . Ant i mat t er i s yi n t o mat t er ' s yang.
I t bal ances t he physi cal
equat i on. "
Langdon t hought of Gal i l eo' s bel i ef of dual i t y.
" Sci ent i st s have known si nce 1918, " Vi t t or i a sai d, " t hat t wo ki nds of mat t er
wer e cr eat ed i n t he Bi g Bang.
One mat t er i s t he ki nd we see her e on ear t h, maki ng up r ocks, t r ees, peopl e. The
ot her i s i t s i nver se-
i dent i cal t o mat t er i n al l r espect s except t hat t he char ges of i t s par t i cl es ar e
r ever sed. "
Kohl er spoke as t hough emer gi ng f r oma f og. Hi s voi ce sounded suddenl y
pr ecar i ous. " But t her e ar e
enor mous t echnol ogi cal bar r i er s t o act ual l y st or i ng ant i mat t er . What about
neut r al i zat i on?"
" My f at her bui l t a r ever se pol ar i t y vacuumt o pul l t he ant i mat t er posi t r ons out
of t he accel er at or bef or e t hey
coul d decay. "
Kohl er scowl ed. " But a vacuumwoul d pul l out t he mat t er al so. Ther e woul d be no
way t o separ at e t he
par t i cl es. "
" He appl i ed a magnet i c f i el d. Mat t er ar ced r i ght , and ant i mat t er ar ced l ef t .
They ar e pol ar opposi t es. "
At t hat i nst ant , Kohl er ' s wal l of doubt seemed t o cr ack. He l ooked up at
Vi t t or i a i n cl ear ast oni shment and
t hen wi t hout war ni ng was over come by a f i t of coughi ng. " I ncr ed . . . i bl e . .
. " he sai d, wi pi ng hi s mout h,
" and yet . . . " I t seemed hi s l ogi c was st i l l r esi st i ng. " Yet even i f t he vacuum
wor ked, t hese cani st er s ar e
made of mat t er . Ant i mat t er cannot be st or ed i nsi de cani st er s made out of mat t er .
The ant i mat t er woul d
i nst ant l y r eact wi t h- "
" The speci men i s not t ouchi ng t he cani st er , " Vi t t or i a sai d, appar ent l y expect i ng
t he quest i on. " The
ant i mat t er i s suspended. The cani st er s ar e cal l ed ' ant i mat t er t r aps' because
t hey l i t er al l y t r ap t he ant i mat t er
i n t he cent er of t he cani st er , suspendi ng i t at a saf e di st ance f r omt he si des
and bot t om. "
" Suspended? But . . . how?"
" Bet ween t wo i nt er sect i ng magnet i c f i el ds. Her e, have a l ook. "
Vi t t or i a wal ked acr oss t he r oomand r et r i eved a l ar ge el ect r oni c appar at us. The
cont r apt i on r emi nded
Langdon of some sor t of car t oon r ay gun- a wi de cannonl i ke bar r el wi t h a si ght i ng
scope on t op and a t angl e
of el ect r oni cs dangl i ng bel ow. Vi t t or i a al i gned t he scope wi t h one of t he
cani st er s, peer ed i nt o t he eyepi ece,
and cal i br at ed some knobs. Then she st epped away, of f er i ng Kohl er a l ook.
Kohl er l ooked nonpl ussed. " You col l ect ed vi si bl e amount s?"
" Fi ve t housand nanogr ams, " Vi t t or i a sai d. " A l i qui d pl asma cont ai ni ng mi l l i ons
of posi t r ons. "
" Mi l l i ons? But a f ew par t i cl es i s al l anyone has ever det ect ed . . . anywher e. "
Sei t e 37
" Xenon, " Vi t t or i a sai d f l at l y. " He accel er at ed t he par t i cl e beamt hr ough a j et
of xenon, st r i ppi ng away t he
el ect r ons. He i nsi st ed on keepi ng t he exact pr ocedur e a secr et , but i t i nvol ved
si mul t aneousl y i nj ect i ng r aw
el ect r ons i nt o t he accel er at or . "
Langdon f el t l ost , wonder i ng i f t hei r conver sat i on was st i l l i n Engl i sh.
Kohl er paused, t he l i nes i n hi s br ow deepeni ng. Suddenl y he dr ew a shor t br eat h.
He sl umped l i ke he' d
been hi t wi t h a bul l et . " Techni cal l y t hat woul d l eave . . . "
Vi t t or i a nodded. " Yes. Lot s of i t . "
Kohl er r et ur ned hi s gaze t o t he cani st er bef or e hi m. Wi t h a l ook of uncer t ai nt y,
he hoi st ed hi msel f i n hi s
chai r and pl aced hi s eye t o t he vi ewer , peer i ng i nsi de. He st ar ed a l ong t i me
wi t hout sayi ng anyt hi ng. When
he f i nal l y sat down, hi s f or ehead was cover ed wi t h sweat . The l i nes on hi s f ace
had di sappear ed. Hi s voi ce
was a whi sper . " My God . . . you r eal l y di d i t . "
Vi t t or i a nodded. " My f at her di d i t . "
" I . . . I don' t know what t o say. "
Vi t t or i a t ur ned t o Langdon. " Woul d you l i ke a l ook?" She mot i oned t o t he vi ewi ng
devi ce.
Uncer t ai n what t o expect , Langdon moved f or war d. Fr omt wo f eet away, t he
cani st er appear ed empt y.
What ever was i nsi de was i nf i ni t esi mal . Langdon pl aced hi s eye t o t he vi ewer . I t
t ook a moment f or t he
i mage bef or e hi mt o come i nt o f ocus.
Then he saw i t .
The obj ect was not on t he bot t omof t he cont ai ner as he expect ed, but r at her i t
was f l oat i ng i n t he cent er -
suspended i n mi dai r - a shi mmer i ng gl obul e of mer cur yl i ke l i qui d. Hover i ng as i f
by magi c, t he l i qui d
t umbl ed i n space. Met al l i c wavel et s r i ppl ed acr oss t he dr opl et ' s sur f ace. The
suspended f l ui d r emi nded
Langdon of a vi deo he had once seen of a wat er dr opl et i n zer o G. Al t hough he
knew t he gl obul e was
mi cr oscopi c, he coul d see ever y changi ng gor ge and undul at i on as t he bal l of
pl asma r ol l ed sl owl y i n
suspensi on.
" I t ' s . . . f l oat i ng, " he sai d.
" I t had bet t er be, " Vi t t or i a r epl i ed. " Ant i mat t er i s hi ghl y unst abl e.
Ener get i cal l y speaki ng, ant i mat t er i s t he
mi r r or i mage of mat t er , so t he t wo i nst ant l y cancel each ot her out i f t hey come
i n cont act . Keepi ng
ant i mat t er i sol at ed f r ommat t er i s a chal l enge, of cour se, because ever yt hi ng on
ear t h i s made of mat t er .
The sampl es have t o be st or ed wi t hout ever t ouchi ng anyt hi ng at al l - even ai r . "
Langdon was amazed. Tal k about wor ki ng i n a vacuum.
" These ant i mat t er t r aps?" Kohl er i nt er r upt ed, l ooki ng amazed as he r an a pal l i d
f i nger ar ound one' s base.
" They ar e your f at her ' s desi gn?"
" Act ual l y, " she sai d, " t hey ar e mi ne. "
Kohl er l ooked up.
Vi t t or i a' s voi ce was unassumi ng. " My f at her pr oduced t he f i r st par t i cl es of
ant i mat t er but was st ymi ed by
how t o st or e t hem. I suggest ed t hese. Ai r t i ght nanocomposi t e shel l s wi t h
opposi ng el ect r omagnet s at each
end. "
" I t seems your f at her ' s geni us has r ubbed of f . "
" Not r eal l y. I bor r owed t he i dea f r omnat ur e. Por t uguese man- o' - war s t r ap f i sh
bet ween t hei r t ent acl es
usi ng nemat ocyst i c char ges. Same pr i nci pl e her e. Each cani st er has t wo
el ect r omagnet s, one at each end.
Thei r opposi ng magnet i c f i el ds i nt er sect i n t he cent er of t he cani st er and hol d
t he ant i mat t er t her e,
suspended i n mi dvacuum. "
Langdon l ooked agai n at t he cani st er . Ant i mat t er f l oat i ng i n a vacuum, not
t ouchi ng anyt hi ng at al l . Kohl er
was r i ght . I t was geni us.
" Wher e' s t he power sour ce f or t he magnet s?" Kohl er asked.
Sei t e 38
Vi t t or i a poi nt ed. " I n t he pi l l ar beneat h t he t r ap. The cani st er s ar e scr ewed
i nt o a docki ng por t t hat
cont i nuousl y r echar ges t hemso t he magnet s never f ai l . "
" And i f t he f i el d f ai l s?"
" The obvi ous. The ant i mat t er f al l s out of suspensi on, hi t s t he bot t omof t he
t r ap, and we see an
anni hi l at i on. "
Langdon' s ear s pr i cked up. " Anni hi l at i on?" He di dn' t l i ke t he sound of i t .
Vi t t or i a l ooked unconcer ned. " Yes. I f ant i mat t er and mat t er make cont act , bot h
ar e dest r oyed i nst ant l y.
Physi ci st s cal l t he pr ocess ' anni hi l at i on. ' "
Langdon nodded. " Oh. "
" I t i s nat ur e' s si mpl est r eact i on. A par t i cl e of mat t er and a par t i cl e of
ant i mat t er combi ne t o r el ease t wo
new par t i cl es- cal l ed phot ons. A phot on i s ef f ect i vel y a t i ny puf f of l i ght . "
Langdon had r ead about phot ons- l i ght par t i cl es- t he pur est f or mof ener gy. He
deci ded t o r ef r ai n f r om
aski ng about Capt ai n Ki r k' s use of phot on t or pedoes agai nst t he Kl i ngons. " So i f
t he ant i mat t er f al l s, we
see a t i ny puf f of l i ght ?"
Vi t t or i a shr ugged. " Depends what you cal l t i ny. Her e, l et me demonst r at e. " She
r eached f or t he cani st er
and st ar t ed t o unscr ew i t f r omi t s char gi ng podi um.
Wi t hout war ni ng, Kohl er l et out a cr y of t er r or and l unged f or war d, knocki ng her
hands away. " Vi t t or i a!
Ar e you i nsane! "
22
K ohl er , i ncr edi bl y, was st andi ng f or a moment , t eet er i ng on t wo wi t her ed l egs.
Hi s f ace was whi t e wi t h
f ear . " Vi t t or i a! You can' t r emove t hat t r ap! "
Langdon wat ched, bewi l der ed by t he di r ect or ' s sudden pani c.
" Fi ve hundr ed nanogr ams! " Kohl er sai d. " I f you br eak t he magnet i c f i el d- "
" Di r ect or , " Vi t t or i a assur ed, " i t ' s per f ect l y saf e. Ever y t r ap has a f ai l saf e- a
backup bat t er y i n case i t i s
r emoved f r omi t s r echar ger . The speci men r emai ns suspended even i f I r emove t he
cani st er . "
Kohl er l ooked uncer t ai n. Then, hesi t ant l y, he set t l ed back i nt o hi s chai r .
" The bat t er i es act i vat e aut omat i cal l y, " Vi t t or i a sai d, " when t he t r ap i s moved
f r omt he r echar ger . They
wor k f or t went y- f our hour s. Li ke a r eser ve t ank of gas. " She t ur ned t o Langdon,
as i f sensi ng hi s
di scomf or t . " Ant i mat t er has some ast oni shi ng char act er i st i cs, Mr . Langdon, whi ch
make i t qui t e danger ous.
A t en mi l l i gr amsampl e- t he vol ume of a gr ai n of sand- i s hypot hesi zed t o hol d as
much ener gy as about t wo
hundr ed met r i c t ons of convent i onal r ocket f uel . "
Langdon' s head was spi nni ng agai n.
" I t i s t he ener gy sour ce of t omor r ow. A t housand t i mes mor e power f ul t han
nucl ear ener gy. One hundr ed
per cent ef f i ci ent . No bypr oduct s. No r adi at i on. No pol l ut i on. A f ew gr ams coul d
power a maj or ci t y f or a
week. "
Gr ams? Langdon st epped uneasi l y back f r omt he podi um.
" Don' t wor r y, " Vi t t or i a sai d. " These sampl es ar e mi nuscul e f r act i ons of a
gr ammi l l i ont hs. Rel at i vel y
har ml ess. " She r eached f or t he cani st er agai n and t wi st ed i t f r omi t s docki ng
pl at f or m.
Kohl er t wi t ched but di d not i nt er f er e. As t he t r ap came f r ee, t her e was a shar p
beep, and a smal l LED
di spl ay act i vat ed near t he base of t he t r ap. The r ed di gi t s bl i nked, count i ng
down f r omt went y- f our hour s.
24: 00: 00 . . .
23: 59: 59 . . .
23: 59: 58 . . .
Langdon st udi ed t he descendi ng count er and deci ded i t l ooked unset t l i ngl y l i ke a
t i me bomb.
" The bat t er y, " Vi t t or i a expl ai ned, " wi l l r un f or t he f ul l t went y- f our hour s
bef or e dyi ng. I t can be r echar ged
by pl aci ng t he t r ap back on t he podi um. I t ' s desi gned as a saf et y measur e, but
Sei t e 39
i t ' s al so conveni ent f or
t r anspor t . "
" Tr anspor t ?" Kohl er l ooked t hunder st r uck. " You t ake t hi s st uf f out of t he l ab?"
" Of cour se not , " Vi t t or i a sai d. " But t he mobi l i t y al l ows us t o st udy i t . "
Vi t t or i a l ed Langdon and Kohl er t o t he f ar end of t he r oom. She pul l ed a cur t ai n
asi de t o r eveal a wi ndow,
beyond whi ch was a l ar ge r oom. The wal l s, f l oor s, and cei l i ng wer e ent i r el y
pl at ed i n st eel . The r oom
r emi nded Langdon of t he hol di ng t ank of an oi l f r ei ght er he had once t aken t o
Papua New Gui nea t o st udy
Hant a body gr af f i t i .
" I t ' s an anni hi l at i on t ank, " Vi t t or i a decl ar ed.
Kohl er l ooked up. " You act ual l y obser ve anni hi l at i ons?"
" My f at her was f asci nat ed wi t h t he physi cs of t he Bi g Bang- l ar ge amount s of
ener gy f r ommi nuscul e
ker nel s of mat t er . " Vi t t or i a pul l ed open a st eel dr awer beneat h t he wi ndow. She
pl aced t he t r ap i nsi de t he
dr awer and cl osed i t . Then she pul l ed a l ever besi de t he dr awer . A moment l at er ,
t he t r ap appear ed on t he
ot her si de of t he gl ass, r ol l i ng smoot hl y i n a wi de ar c acr oss t he met al f l oor
unt i l i t came t o a st op near t he
cent er of t he r oom.
Vi t t or i a gave a t i ght smi l e. " You' r e about t o wi t ness your f i r st
ant i mat t er - mat t er anni hi l at i on. A f ew
mi l l i ont hs of a gr am. A r el at i vel y mi nuscul e speci men. "
Langdon l ooked out at t he ant i mat t er t r ap si t t i ng al one on t he f l oor of t he
enor mous t ank. Kohl er al so
t ur ned t owar d t he wi ndow, l ooki ng uncer t ai n.
" Nor mal l y, " Vi t t or i a expl ai ned, " we' d have t o wai t t he f ul l t went y- f our hour s
unt i l t he bat t er i es di ed, but
t hi s chamber cont ai ns magnet s beneat h t he f l oor t hat can over r i de t he t r ap,
pul l i ng t he ant i mat t er out of
suspensi on. And when t he mat t er and ant i mat t er t ouch . . . "
" Anni hi l at i on, " Kohl er whi sper ed.
" One mor e t hi ng, " Vi t t or i a sai d. " Ant i mat t er r el eases pur e ener gy. A one hundr ed
per cent conver si on of
mass t o phot ons. So don' t l ook di r ect l y at t he sampl e. Shi el d your eyes. "
Langdon was war y, but he now sensed Vi t t or i a was bei ng over l y dr amat i c. Don' t
l ook di r ect l y at t he
cani st er ? The devi ce was mor e t han t hi r t y yar ds away, behi nd an ul t r at hi ck wal l
of t i nt ed Pl exi gl as.
Mor eover , t he speck i n t he cani st er was i nvi si bl e, mi cr oscopi c. Shi el d my eyes?
Langdon t hought . How
much ener gy coul d t hat speck possi bl y-
Vi t t or i a pr essed t he but t on.
I nst ant l y, Langdon was bl i nded. A br i l l i ant poi nt of l i ght shone i n t he cani st er
and t hen expl oded out war d
i n a shock wave of l i ght t hat r adi at ed i n al l di r ect i ons, er upt i ng agai nst t he
wi ndow bef or e hi mwi t h
t hunder ous f or ce. He st umbl ed back as t he det onat i on r ocked t he vaul t . The l i ght
bur ned br i ght f or a
moment , sear i ng, and t hen, af t er an i nst ant , i t r ushed back i nwar d, absor bi ng i n
on i t sel f , and col l apsi ng
i nt o a t i ny speck t hat di sappear ed t o not hi ng. Langdon bl i nked i n pai n, sl owl y
r ecover i ng hi s eyesi ght . He
squi nt ed i nt o t he smol der i ng chamber . The cani st er on t he f l oor had ent i r el y
di sappear ed. Vapor i zed. Not a
t r ace.
He st ar ed i n wonder . " G . . . God. "
Vi t t or i a nodded sadl y. " That ' s pr eci sel y what my f at her sai d. "
23
K ohl er was st ar i ng i nt o t he anni hi l at i on chamber wi t h a l ook of ut t er amazement
at t he spect acl e he had
j ust seen. Rober t Langdon was besi de hi m, l ooki ng even mor e dazed.
" I want t o see my f at her , " Vi t t or i a demanded. " I showed you t he l ab. Now I want
t o see my f at her . "
Kohl er t ur ned sl owl y, appar ent l y not hear i ng her . " Why di d you wai t so l ong,
Vi t t or i a? You and your
f at her shoul d have t ol d me about t hi s di scover y i mmedi at el y. "
Sei t e 40
Vi t t or i a st ar ed at hi m. How many r easons do you want ? " Di r ect or , we can ar gue
about t hi s l at er . Ri ght
now, I want t o see my f at her . "
" Do you know what t hi s t echnol ogy i mpl i es?"
" Sur e, " Vi t t or i a shot back. " Revenue f or CERN. A l ot of i t . Now I want - "
" I s t hat why you kept i t secr et ?" Kohl er demanded, cl ear l y bai t i ng her . " Because
you f ear ed t he boar d and I
woul d vot e t o l i cense i t out ?"
" I t shoul d be l i censed, " Vi t t or i a f i r ed back, f eel i ng her sel f dr agged i nt o t he
ar gument . " Ant i mat t er i s
i mpor t ant t echnol ogy. But i t ' s al so danger ous. My f at her and I want ed t i me t o
r ef i ne t he pr ocedur es and
make i t saf e. "
" I n ot her wor ds, you di dn' t t r ust t he boar d of di r ect or s t o pl ace pr udent
sci ence bef or e f i nanci al gr eed. "
Vi t t or i a was sur pr i sed wi t h t he i ndi f f er ence i n Kohl er ' s t one. " Ther e wer e ot her
i ssues as wel l , " she sai d.
" My f at her want ed t i me t o pr esent ant i mat t er i n t he appr opr i at e l i ght . "
" Meani ng?"
What do you t hi nk I mean? " Mat t er f r omener gy? Somet hi ng f r omnot hi ng? I t ' s
pr act i cal l y pr oof t hat
Genesi s i s a sci ent i f i c possi bi l i t y. "
" So he di dn' t want t he r el i gi ous i mpl i cat i ons of hi s di scover y l ost i n an
onsl aught of commer ci al i sm?"
" I n a manner of speaki ng. "
" And you?"
Vi t t or i a' s concer ns, i r oni cal l y, wer e somewhat t he opposi t e. Commer ci al i smwas
cr i t i cal f or t he success of
any new ener gy sour ce. Al t hough ant i mat t er t echnol ogy had st agger i ng pot ent i al
as an ef f i ci ent and
nonpol l ut i ng ener gy sour ce- i f unvei l ed pr emat ur el y, ant i mat t er r an t he r i sk of
bei ng vi l i f i ed by t he pol i t i cs
and PR f i ascoes t hat had ki l l ed nucl ear and sol ar power . Nucl ear had
pr ol i f er at ed bef or e i t was saf e, and
t her e wer e acci dent s. Sol ar had pr ol i f er at ed bef or e i t was ef f i ci ent , and peopl e
l ost money. Bot h
t echnol ogi es got bad r eput at i ons and wi t her ed on t he vi ne.
" My i nt er est s, " Vi t t or i a sai d, " wer e a bi t l ess l of t y t han uni t i ng sci ence and
r el i gi on. "
" The envi r onment , " Kohl er vent ur ed assur edl y.
" Li mi t l ess ener gy. No st r i p mi ni ng. No pol l ut i on. No r adi at i on. Ant i mat t er
t echnol ogy coul d save t he
pl anet . "
" Or dest r oy i t , " Kohl er qui pped. " Dependi ng on who uses i t f or what . " Vi t t or i a
f el t a chi l l emanat i ng f r om
Kohl er ' s cr i ppl ed f or m. " Who el se knew about t hi s?" he asked.
" No one, " Vi t t or i a sai d. " I t ol d you t hat . "
" Then why do you t hi nk your f at her was ki l l ed?"
Vi t t or i a' s muscl es t i ght ened. " I have no i dea. He had enemi es her e at CERN, you
know t hat , but i t coul dn' t
have had anyt hi ng t o do wi t h ant i mat t er . We swor e t o each ot her t o keep i t
bet ween us f or anot her f ew
mont hs, unt i l we wer e r eady. "
" And you' r e cer t ai n your f at her kept hi s vow of si l ence?"
Now Vi t t or i a was get t i ng mad. " My f at her has kept t ougher vows t han t hat ! "
" And you t ol d no one?"
" Of cour se not ! "
Kohl er exhal ed. He paused, as t hough choosi ng hi s next wor ds car ef ul l y. " Suppose
someone di d f i nd out .
And suppose someone gai ned access t o t hi s l ab. What do you i magi ne t hey woul d be
af t er ? Di d your f at her
have not es down her e? Document at i on of hi s pr ocesses?"
" Di r ect or , I ' ve been pat i ent . I need some answer s now. You keep t al ki ng about a
br eak- i n, but you saw t he
r et i na scan. My f at her has been vi gi l ant about secr ecy and secur i t y. "
" Humor me, " Kohl er snapped, st ar t l i ng her . " What woul d be mi ssi ng?"
" I have no i dea. " Vi t t or i a angr i l y scanned t he l ab. Al l t he ant i mat t er speci mens
wer e account ed f or . Her
f at her ' s wor k ar ea l ooked i n or der . " Nobody came i n her e, " she decl ar ed.
Sei t e 41
" Ever yt hi ng up her e l ooks f i ne. "
Kohl er l ooked sur pr i sed. " Up her e?"
Vi t t or i a had sai d i t i nst i nct i vel y. " Yes, her e i n t he upper l ab. "
" You' r e usi ng t he l ower l ab t oo?"
" For st or age. "
Kohl er r ol l ed t owar d her , coughi ng agai n. " You' r e usi ng t he Haz- Mat chamber f or
st or age? St or age of
what ?"
Hazar dous mat er i al , what el se! Vi t t or i a was l osi ng her pat i ence. " Ant i mat t er . "
Kohl er l i f t ed hi msel f on t he ar ms of hi s chai r . " Ther e ar e ot her speci mens? Why
t he hel l di dn' t you t el l
me! "
" I j ust di d, " Vi t t or i a f i r ed back. " And you' ve bar el y gi ven me a chance! "
" We need t o check t hose speci mens, " Kohl er sai d. " Now. "
" Speci men, " Vi t t or i a cor r ect ed. " Si ngul ar . And i t ' s f i ne. Nobody coul d ever - "
" Onl y one?" Kohl er hesi t at ed. " Why i sn' t i t up her e?"
" My f at her want ed i t bel ow t he bedr ock as a pr ecaut i on. I t ' s l ar ger t han t he
ot her s. "
The l ook of al ar mt hat shot bet ween Kohl er and Langdon was not l ost on Vi t t or i a.
Kohl er r ol l ed t owar d her
agai n. " You cr eat ed a speci men l ar ger t han f i ve hundr ed nanogr ams?"
" A necessi t y, " Vi t t or i a def ended. " We had t o pr ove t he i nput / yi el d t hr eshol d
coul d be saf el y cr ossed. " The
quest i on wi t h new f uel sour ces, she knew, was al ways one of i nput vs. yi el d- how
much money one had t o
expend t o har vest t he f uel . Bui l di ng an oi l r i g t o yi el d a si ngl e bar r el of oi l
was a l osi ng endeavor .
However , i f t hat same r i g, wi t h mi ni mal added expense, coul d del i ver mi l l i ons of
bar r el s, t hen you wer e i n
busi ness. Ant i mat t er was t he same way. Fi r i ng up si xt een mi l es of el ect r omagnet s
t o cr eat e a t i ny speci men
of ant i mat t er expended mor e ener gy t han t he r esul t i ng ant i mat t er cont ai ned. I n
or der t o pr ove ant i mat t er
ef f i ci ent and vi abl e, one had t o cr eat e speci mens of a l ar ger magni t ude.
Al t hough Vi t t or i a' s f at her had been hesi t ant t o cr eat e a l ar ge speci men,
Vi t t or i a had pushed hi mhar d. She
ar gued t hat i n or der f or ant i mat t er t o be t aken ser i ousl y, she and her f at her
had t o pr ove t wo t hi ngs. Fi r st ,
t hat cost - ef f ect i ve amount s coul d be pr oduced. And second, t hat t he speci mens
coul d be saf el y st or ed. I n
t he end she had won, and her f at her had acqui esced agai nst hi s bet t er j udgment .
Not , however , wi t hout
some f i r mgui del i nes r egar di ng secr ecy and access. The ant i mat t er , her f at her
had i nsi st ed, woul d be st or ed
i n Haz- Mat - a smal l gr ani t e hol l ow, an addi t i onal sevent y- f i ve f eet bel ow gr ound.
The speci men woul d be
t hei r secr et . And onl y t he t wo of t hemwoul d have access.
" Vi t t or i a?" Kohl er i nsi st ed, hi s voi ce t ense. " How l ar ge a speci men di d you and
your f at her cr eat e?"
Vi t t or i a f el t a wr y pl easur e i nsi de. She knew t he amount woul d st un even t he
gr eat Maxi mi l i an Kohl er . She
pi ct ur ed t he ant i mat t er bel ow. An i ncr edi bl e si ght . Suspended i nsi de t he t r ap,
per f ect l y vi si bl e t o t he naked
eye, danced a t i ny spher e of ant i mat t er . Thi s was no mi cr oscopi c speck. Thi s was
a dr opl et t he si ze of a
BB.
Vi t t or i a t ook a deep br eat h. " A f ul l quar t er of a gr am. "
The bl ood dr ai ned f r omKohl er ' s f ace. " What ! " He br oke i nt o a f i t of coughi ng.
" A quar t er of a gr am? That
conver t s t o . . . al most f i ve ki l ot ons! "
Ki l ot ons. Vi t t or i a hat ed t he wor d. I t was one she and her f at her never used. A
ki l ot on was equal t o 1, 000
met r i c t ons of TNT. Ki l ot ons wer e f or weaponr y. Payl oad. Dest r uct i ve power . She
and her f at her spoke i n
el ect r on vol t s and j oul es- const r uct i ve ener gy out put .
" That much ant i mat t er coul d l i t er al l y l i qui dat e ever yt hi ng i n a hal f - mi l e
r adi us! " Kohl er excl ai med.
" Yes, i f anni hi l at ed al l at once, " Vi t t or i a shot back, " whi ch nobody woul d ever
do! "
Sei t e 42
" Except someone who di dn' t know bet t er . Or i f your power sour ce f ai l ed! " Kohl er
was al r eady headi ng f or
t he el evat or .
" Whi ch i s why my f at her kept i t i n Haz- Mat under a f ai l - saf e power and a
r edundant secur i t y syst em. "
Kohl er t ur ned, l ooki ng hopef ul . " You have addi t i onal secur i t y on Haz- Mat ?"
" Yes. A second r et i na- scan. "
Kohl er spoke onl y t wo wor ds. " Downst ai r s. Now. "
The f r ei ght el evat or dr opped l i ke a r ock.
Anot her sevent y- f i ve f eet i nt o t he ear t h.
Vi t t or i a was cer t ai n she sensed f ear i n bot h men as t he el evat or f el l deeper .
Kohl er ' s usual l y emot i onl ess
f ace was t aut . I know, Vi t t or i a t hought , t he sampl e i s enor mous, but t he
pr ecaut i ons we' ve t aken ar e-
They r eached t he bot t om.
The el evat or opened, and Vi t t or i a l ed t he way down t he di ml y l i t cor r i dor . Up
ahead t he cor r i dor dead-
ended at a huge st eel door . HAZ- MAT. The r et i na scan devi ce besi de t he door was
i dent i cal t o t he one
upst ai r s. She appr oached. Car ef ul l y, she al i gned her eye wi t h t he l ens.
She pul l ed back. Somet hi ng was wr ong. The usual l y spot l ess l ens was spat t er ed .
. . smear ed wi t h
somet hi ng t hat l ooked l i ke . . . bl ood? Conf used she t ur ned t o t he t wo men, but
her gaze met waxen f aces.
Bot h Kohl er and Langdon wer e whi t e, t hei r eyes f i xed on t he f l oor at her f eet .
Vi t t or i a f ol l owed t hei r l i ne of si ght . . . down.
" No! " Langdon yel l ed, r eachi ng f or her . But i t was t oo l at e.
Vi t t or i a' s vi si on l ocked on t he obj ect on t he f l oor . I t was bot h ut t er l y f or ei gn
and i nt i mat el y f ami l i ar t o her .
I t t ook onl y an i nst ant .
Then, wi t h a r eel i ng hor r or , she knew. St ar i ng up at her f r omt he f l oor ,
di scar ded l i ke a pi ece of t r ash, was
an eyebal l . She woul d have r ecogni zed t hat shade of hazel anywher e.
24
T he secur i t y t echni ci an hel d hi s br eat h as hi s commander l eaned over hi s
shoul der , st udyi ng t he bank of
secur i t y moni t or s bef or e t hem. A mi nut e passed.
The commander ' s si l ence was t o be expect ed, t he t echni ci an t ol d hi msel f . The
commander was a man of
r i gi d pr ot ocol . He had not r i sen t o command one of t he wor l d' s most el i t e
secur i t y f or ces by t al ki ng f i r st
and t hi nki ng second.
But what i s he t hi nki ng?
The obj ect t hey wer e ponder i ng on t he moni t or was a cani st er of some sor t - a
cani st er wi t h t r anspar ent
si des. That much was easy. I t was t he r est t hat was di f f i cul t .
I nsi de t he cont ai ner , as i f by some speci al ef f ect , a smal l dr opl et of met al l i c
l i qui d seemed t o be f l oat i ng i n
mi dai r . The dr opl et appear ed and di sappear ed i n t he r obot i c r ed bl i nki ng of a
di gi t al LED descendi ng
r esol ut el y, maki ng t he t echni ci an' s ski n cr awl .
" Can you l i ght en t he cont r ast ?" t he commander asked, st ar t l i ng t he t echni ci an.
The t echni ci an heeded t he i nst r uct i on, and t he i mage l i ght ened somewhat . The
commander l eaned f or war d,
squi nt i ng cl oser at somet hi ng t hat had j ust come vi si bl e on t he base of t he
cont ai ner .
The t echni ci an f ol l owed hi s commander ' s gaze. Ever so f ai nt l y, pr i nt ed next t o
t he LED was an acr onym.
Four capi t al l et t er s gl eami ng i n t he i nt er mi t t ent spur t s of l i ght .
" St ay her e, " t he commander sai d. " Say not hi ng. I ' l l handl e t hi s. "
25
H az- Mat . Fi f t y met er s bel ow gr ound.
Vi t t or i a Vet r a st umbl ed f or war d, al most f al l i ng i nt o t he r et i na scan. She sensed
t he Amer i can r ushi ng t o
hel p her , hol di ng her , suppor t i ng her wei ght . On t he f l oor at her f eet , her
f at her ' s eyebal l st ar ed up. She f el t
t he ai r cr ushed f r omher l ungs. They cut out hi s eye! Her wor l d t wi st ed. Kohl er
pr essed cl ose behi nd,
Sei t e 43
speaki ng. Langdon gui ded her . As i f i n a dr eam, she f ound her sel f gazi ng i nt o
t he r et i na scan. The
mechani smbeeped.
The door sl i d open.
Even wi t h t he t er r or of her f at her ' s eye bor i ng i nt o her soul , Vi t t or i a sensed
an addi t i onal hor r or awai t ed
i nsi de. When she l evel ed her bl ur r y gaze i nt o t he r oom, she conf i r med t he next
chapt er of t he ni ght mar e.
Bef or e her , t he sol i t ar y r echar gi ng podi umwas empt y.
The cani st er was gone. They had cut out her f at her ' s eye t o st eal i t . The
i mpl i cat i ons came t oo f ast f or her
t o f ul l y compr ehend. Ever yt hi ng had backf i r ed. The speci men t hat was supposed t o
pr ove ant i mat t er was a
saf e and vi abl e ener gy sour ce had been st ol en. But nobody knew t hi s speci men
even exi st ed! The t r ut h,
however , was undeni abl e. Someone had f ound out . Vi t t or i a coul d not i magi ne who.
Even Kohl er , whom
t hey sai d knew ever yt hi ng at CERN, cl ear l y had no i dea about t he pr oj ect .
Her f at her was dead. Mur der ed f or hi s geni us.
As t he gr i ef st r af ed her hear t , a new emot i on sur ged i nt o Vi t t or i a' s consci ous.
Thi s one was f ar wor se.
Cr ushi ng. St abbi ng at her . The emot i on was gui l t . Uncont r ol l abl e, r el ent l ess
gui l t . Vi t t or i a knew i t had
been she who convi nced her f at her t o cr eat e t he speci men. Agai nst hi s bet t er
j udgment . And he had been
ki l l ed f or i t .
A quar t er of a gr am. . .
Li ke any t echnol ogy- f i r e, gunpowder , t he combust i on engi ne- i n t he wr ong hands,
ant i mat t er coul d be
deadl y. Ver y deadl y. Ant i mat t er was a l et hal weapon. Pot ent , and unst oppabl e.
Once r emoved f r omi t s
r echar gi ng pl at f or mat CERN, t he cani st er woul d count down i nexor abl y. A r unaway
t r ai n.
And when t i me r an out . . .
A bl i ndi ng l i ght . The r oar of t hunder . Spont aneous i nci ner at i on. J ust t he f l ash
. . . and an empt y cr at er . A
bi g empt y cr at er .
The i mage of her f at her ' s qui et geni us bei ng used as a t ool of dest r uct i on was
l i ke poi son i n her bl ood.
Ant i mat t er was t he ul t i mat e t er r or i st weapon. I t had no met al l i c par t s t o t r i p
met al det ect or s, no chemi cal
si gnat ur e f or dogs t o t r ace, no f use t o deact i vat e i f t he aut hor i t i es l ocat ed
t he cani st er . The count down had
begun . . .
Langdon di dn' t know what el se t o do. He t ook hi s handker chi ef and l ay i t on t he
f l oor over Leonar do
Vet r a' s eyebal l . Vi t t or i a was st andi ng now i n t he door way of t he empt y Haz- Mat
chamber , her expr essi on
wr ought wi t h gr i ef and pani c. Langdon moved t owar d her agai n, i nst i nct i vel y, but
Kohl er i nt er vened.
" Mr . Langdon?" Kohl er ' s f ace was expr essi onl ess. He mot i oned Langdon out of
ear shot . Langdon
r el uct ant l y f ol l owed, l eavi ng Vi t t or i a t o f end f or her sel f . " You' r e t he
speci al i st , " Kohl er sai d, hi s whi sper
i nt ense. " I want t o know what t hese I l l umi nat i bast ar ds i nt end t o do wi t h t hi s
ant i mat t er . "
Langdon t r i ed t o f ocus. Despi t e t he madness ar ound hi m, hi s f i r st r eact i on was
l ogi cal . Academi c r ej ect i on.
Kohl er was st i l l maki ng assumpt i ons. I mpossi bl e assumpt i ons. " The I l l umi nat i ar e
def unct , Mr . Kohl er . I
st and by t hat . Thi s cr i me coul d be anyt hi ng- maybe even anot her CERN empl oyee who
f ound out about Mr .
Vet r a' s br eakt hr ough and t hought t he pr oj ect was t oo danger ous t o cont i nue. "
Kohl er l ooked st unned. " You t hi nk t hi s i s a cr i me of consci ence, Mr . Langdon?
Absur d. Whoever ki l l ed
Leonar do want ed one t hi ng- t he ant i mat t er speci men. And no doubt t hey have pl ans
f or i t . "
" You mean t er r or i sm. "
Sei t e 44
" Pl ai nl y. "
" But t he I l l umi nat i wer e not t er r or i st s. "
" Tel l t hat t o Leonar do Vet r a. "
Langdon f el t a pang of t r ut h i n t he st at ement . Leonar do Vet r a had i ndeed been
br anded wi t h t he I l l umi nat i
symbol . Wher e had i t come f r om? The sacr ed br and seemed t oo di f f i cul t a hoax f or
someone t r yi ng t o
cover hi s t r acks by cast i ng suspi ci on el sewher e. Ther e had t o be anot her
expl anat i on.
Agai n, Langdon f or ced hi msel f t o consi der t he i mpl ausi bl e. I f t he I l l umi nat i
wer e st i l l act i ve, and i f t hey
st ol e t he ant i mat t er , what woul d be t hei r i nt ent i on? What woul d be t hei r t ar get ?
The answer f ur ni shed by
hi s br ai n was i nst ant aneous. Langdon di smi ssed i t j ust as f ast . Tr ue, t he
I l l umi nat i had an obvi ous enemy,
but a wi de- scal e t er r or i st at t ack agai nst t hat enemy was i nconcei vabl e. I t was
ent i r el y out of char act er . Yes,
t he I l l umi nat i had ki l l ed peopl e, but i ndi vi dual s, car ef ul l y conscr i pt ed
t ar get s. Mass dest r uct i on was
somehow heavy- handed. Langdon paused. Then agai n, he t hought , t her e woul d be a
r at her maj est i c
el oquence t o i t - ant i mat t er , t he ul t i mat e sci ent i f i c achi evement , bei ng used t o
vapor i ze-
He r ef used t o accept t he pr epost er ous t hought . " Ther e i s, " he sai d suddenl y, " a
l ogi cal expl anat i on ot her
t han t er r or i sm. "
Kohl er st ar ed, obvi ousl y wai t i ng.
Langdon t r i ed t o sor t out t he t hought . The I l l umi nat i had al ways wi el ded
t r emendous power t hr ough
f i nanci al means. They cont r ol l ed banks. They owned gol d bul l i on. They wer e even
r umor ed t o possess t he
si ngl e most val uabl e gemon ear t h- t he I l l umi nat i Di amond, a f l awl ess di amond of
enor mous pr opor t i ons.
" Money, " Langdon sai d. " The ant i mat t er coul d have been st ol en f or f i nanci al
gai n. "
Kohl er l ooked i ncr edul ous. " Fi nanci al gai n? Wher e does one sel l a dr opl et of
ant i mat t er ?"
" Not t he speci men, " Langdon count er ed. " The t echnol ogy. Ant i mat t er t echnol ogy
must be wor t h a mi nt .
Maybe someone st ol e t he speci men t o do anal ysi s and R and D. "
" I ndust r i al espi onage? But t hat cani st er has t went y- f our hour s bef or e t he
bat t er i es di e. The r esear cher s
woul d bl ow t hemsel ves up bef or e t hey l ear ned anyt hi ng at al l . "
" They coul d r echar ge i t bef or e i t expl odes. They coul d bui l d a compat i bl e
r echar gi ng podi uml i ke t he ones
her e at CERN. "
" I n t went y- f our hour s?" Kohl er chal l enged. " Even i f t hey st ol e t he schemat i cs, a
r echar ger l i ke t hat woul d
t ake mont hs t o engi neer , not hour s! "
" He' s r i ght . " Vi t t or i a' s voi ce was f r ai l .
Bot h men t ur ned. Vi t t or i a was movi ng t owar d t hem, her gai t as t r emul ous as her
wor ds.
" He' s r i ght . Nobody coul d r ever se engi neer a r echar ger i n t i me. The i nt er f ace
al one woul d t ake weeks.
Fl ux f i l t er s, ser vo- coi l s, power condi t i oni ng al l oys, al l cal i br at ed t o t he
speci f i c ener gy gr ade of t he l ocal e. "
Langdon f r owned. The poi nt was t aken. An ant i mat t er t r ap was not somet hi ng one
coul d si mpl y pl ug i nt o a
wal l socket . Once r emoved f r omCERN, t he cani st er was on a one- way,
t went y- f our - hour t r i p t o obl i vi on.
Whi ch l ef t onl y one, ver y di st ur bi ng, concl usi on.
" We need t o cal l I nt er pol , " Vi t t or i a sai d. Even t o her sel f , her voi ce sounded
di st ant . " We need t o cal l t he
pr oper aut hor i t i es. I mmedi at el y. "
Kohl er shook hi s head. " Absol ut el y not . "
The wor ds st unned her . " No? What do you mean?"
" You and your f at her have put me i n a ver y di f f i cul t posi t i on her e. "
" Di r ect or , we need hel p. We need t o f i nd t hat t r ap and get i t back her e bef or e
Sei t e 45
someone get s hur t . We have a
r esponsi bi l i t y! "
" We have a r esponsi bi l i t y t o t hi nk, " Kohl er sai d, hi s t one har deni ng. " Thi s
si t uat i on coul d have ver y, ver y
ser i ous r eper cussi ons f or CERN. "
" You' r e wor r i ed about CERN' s r eput at i on? Do you know what t hat cani st er coul d do
t o an ur ban ar ea? I t
has a bl ast r adi us of a hal f mi l e! Ni ne ci t y bl ocks! "
" Per haps you and your f at her shoul d have consi der ed t hat bef or e you cr eat ed t he
speci men. "
Vi t t or i a f el t l i ke she' d been st abbed. " But . . . we t ook ever y pr ecaut i on. "
" Appar ent l y, i t was not enough. "
" But nobody knew about t he ant i mat t er . " She r eal i zed, of cour se, i t was an
absur d ar gument . Of cour se
somebody knew. Someone had f ound out .
Vi t t or i a had t ol d no one. That l ef t onl y t wo expl anat i ons. Ei t her her f at her had
t aken someone i nt o hi s
conf i dence wi t hout t el l i ng her , whi ch made no sense because i t was her f at her
who had swor n t hembot h t o
secr ecy, or she and her f at her had been moni t or ed. The cel l phone maybe? She
knew t hey had spoken a f ew
t i mes whi l e Vi t t or i a was t r avel i ng. Had t hey sai d t oo much? I t was possi bl e.
Ther e was al so t hei r E- mai l .
But t hey had been di scr eet , hadn' t t hey? CERN' s secur i t y syst em? Had t hey been
moni t or ed somehow
wi t hout t hei r knowl edge? She knew none of t hat mat t er ed anymor e. What was done,
was done. My f at her i s
dead.
The t hought spur r ed her t o act i on. She pul l ed her cel l phone f r omher shor t s
pocket .
Kohl er accel er at ed t owar d her , coughi ng vi ol ent l y, eyes f l ashi ng anger . " Who . .
. ar e you cal l i ng?"
" CERN' s swi t chboar d. They can connect us t o I nt er pol . "
" Thi nk! " Kohl er choked, scr eechi ng t o a hal t i n f r ont of her . " Ar e you r eal l y so
na ve? That cani st er coul d
be anywher e i n t he wor l d by now. No i nt el l i gence agency on ear t h coul d possi bl y
mobi l i ze t o f i nd i t i n
t i me. "
" So we do not hi ng?" Vi t t or i a f el t compunct i on chal l engi ng a man i n such f r ai l
heal t h, but t he di r ect or was
so f ar out of l i ne she di dn' t even know hi manymor e.
" We do what i s smar t , " Kohl er sai d. " We don' t r i sk CERN' s r eput at i on by
i nvol vi ng aut hor i t i es who
cannot hel p anyway. Not yet . Not wi t hout t hi nki ng. "
Vi t t or i a knew t her e was l ogi c somewher e i n Kohl er ' s ar gument , but she al so knew
t hat l ogi c, by def i ni t i on,
was ber ef t of mor al r esponsi bi l i t y. Her f at her had l i ved f or mor al
r esponsi bi l i t y- car ef ul sci ence,
account abi l i t y, f ai t h i n man' s i nher ent goodness. Vi t t or i a bel i eved i n t hose
t hi ngs t oo, but she saw t hemi n
t er ms of kar ma. Tur ni ng away f r omKohl er , she snapped open her phone.
" You can' t do t hat , " he sai d.
" J ust t r y and st op me. "
Kohl er di d not move.
An i nst ant l at er , Vi t t or i a r eal i zed why. Thi s f ar under gr ound, her cel l phone
had no di al t one.
Fumi ng, she headed f or t he el evat or .
26
T he Hassassi n st ood at t he end of t he st one t unnel . Hi s t or ch st i l l bur ned
br i ght , t he smoke mi xi ng wi t h
t he smel l of moss and st al e ai r . Si l ence sur r ounded hi m. The i r on door bl ocki ng
hi s way l ooked as ol d as
t he t unnel i t sel f , r ust ed but st i l l hol di ng st r ong. He wai t ed i n t he dar kness,
t r ust i ng.
I t was al most t i me.
J anus had pr omi sed someone on t he i nsi de woul d open t he door . The Hassassi n
mar vel ed at t he bet r ayal .
He woul d have wai t ed al l ni ght at t hat door t o car r y out hi s t ask, but he sensed
i t woul d not be necessar y.
Sei t e 46
He was wor ki ng f or det er mi ned men.
Mi nut es l at er , exact l y at t he appoi nt ed hour , t her e was a l oud cl ank of heavy
keys on t he ot her si de of t he
door . Met al scr aped on met al as mul t i pl e l ocks di sengaged. One by one, t hr ee
huge deadbol t s gr ound open.
The l ocks cr eaked as i f t hey had not been used i n cent ur i es. Fi nal l y al l t hr ee
wer e open.
Then t her e was si l ence.
The Hassassi n wai t ed pat i ent l y, f i ve mi nut es, exact l y as he had been t ol d. Then,
wi t h el ect r i ci t y i n hi s
bl ood, he pushed. The gr eat door swung open.
27
V i t t or i a, I wi l l not al l ow i t ! " Kohl er ' s br eat h was l abor ed and get t i ng wor se
as t he Haz- Mat el evat or
ascended.
Vi t t or i a bl ocked hi mout . She cr aved sanct uar y, somet hi ng f ami l i ar i n t hi s pl ace
t hat no l onger f el t l i ke
home. She knew i t was not t o be. Ri ght now, she had t o swal l ow t he pai n and act .
Get t o a phone.
Rober t Langdon was besi de her , si l ent as usual . Vi t t or i a had gi ven up wonder i ng
who t he man was. A
speci al i st ? Coul d Kohl er be any l ess speci f i c? Mr . Langdon can hel p us f i nd your
f at her ' s ki l l er . Langdon
was bei ng no hel p at al l . Hi s war mt h and ki ndness seemed genui ne, but he was
cl ear l y hi di ng somet hi ng.
They bot h wer e.
Kohl er was at her agai n. " As di r ect or of CERN, I have a r esponsi bi l i t y t o t he
f ut ur e of sci ence. I f you
ampl i f y t hi s i nt o an i nt er nat i onal i nci dent and CERN suf f er s- "
" Fut ur e of sci ence?" Vi t t or i a t ur ned on hi m. " Do you r eal l y pl an t o escape
account abi l i t y by never
admi t t i ng t hi s ant i mat t er came f r omCERN? Do you pl an t o i gnor e t he peopl e' s
l i ves we' ve put i n danger ?"
" Not we, " Kohl er count er ed. " You. You and your f at her . "
Vi t t or i a l ooked away.
" And as f ar as endanger i ng l i ves, " Kohl er sai d, " l i f e i s exact l y what t hi s i s
about . You know ant i mat t er
t echnol ogy has enor mous i mpl i cat i ons f or l i f e on t hi s pl anet . I f CERN goes
bankr upt , dest r oyed by scandal ,
ever ybody l oses. Man' s f ut ur e i s i n t he hands of pl aces l i ke CERN, sci ent i st s
l i ke you and your f at her ,
wor ki ng t o sol ve t omor r ow' s pr obl ems. "
Vi t t or i a had hear d Kohl er ' s Sci ence- as- God l ect ur e bef or e, and she never bought
i t . Sci ence i t sel f caused
hal f t he pr obl ems i t was t r yi ng t o sol ve. " Pr ogr ess" was Mot her Ear t h' s ul t i mat e
mal i gnancy.
" Sci ent i f i c advancement car r i es r i sk, " Kohl er ar gued. " I t al ways has. Space
pr ogr ams, genet i c r esear ch,
medi ci ne- t hey al l make mi st akes. Sci ence needs t o sur vi ve i t s own bl under s, at
any cost . For ever yone' s
sake. "
Vi t t or i a was amazed at Kohl er ' s abi l i t y t o wei gh mor al i ssues wi t h sci ent i f i c
det achment . Hi s i nt el l ect
seemed t o be t he pr oduct of an i cy di vor ce f r omhi s i nner spi r i t . " You t hi nk
CERN i s so cr i t i cal t o t he
ear t h' s f ut ur e t hat we shoul d be i mmune f r ommor al r esponsi bi l i t y?"
" Do not ar gue mor al s wi t h me. You cr ossed a l i ne when you made t hat speci men,
and you have put t hi s
ent i r e f aci l i t y at r i sk. I ' mt r yi ng t o pr ot ect not onl y t he j obs of t he t hr ee
t housand sci ent i st s who wor k her e,
but al so your f at her ' s r eput at i on. Thi nk about hi m. A man l i ke your f at her does
not deser ve t o be
r emember ed as t he cr eat or of a weapon of mass dest r uct i on. "
Vi t t or i a f el t hi s spear hi t home. I amt he one who convi nced my f at her t o cr eat e
t hat speci men. Thi s i s my
f aul t !
When t he door opened, Kohl er was st i l l t al ki ng. Vi t t or i a st epped out of t he
el evat or , pul l ed out her phone,
Sei t e 47
and t r i ed agai n.
St i l l no di al t one. Damn! She headed f or t he door .
" Vi t t or i a, st op. " The di r ect or sounded ast hmat i c now, as he accel er at ed af t er
her . " Sl ow down. We need t o
t al k. "
" Bast a di par l ar e! "
" Thi nk of your f at her , " Kohl er ur ged. " What woul d he do?"
She kept goi ng.
" Vi t t or i a, I haven' t been t ot al l y honest wi t h you. "
Vi t t or i a f el t her l egs sl ow.
" I don' t know what I was t hi nki ng, " Kohl er sai d. " I was j ust t r yi ng t o pr ot ect
you. J ust t el l me what you
want . We need t o wor k t oget her her e. "
Vi t t or i a came t o a f ul l st op hal f way acr oss t he l ab, but she di d not t ur n. " I
want t o f i nd t he ant i mat t er . And I
want t o know who ki l l ed my f at her . " She wai t ed.
Kohl er si ghed. " Vi t t or i a, we al r eady know who ki l l ed your f at her . I ' msor r y. "
Now Vi t t or i a t ur ned. " You what ?"
" I di dn' t know how t o t el l you. I t ' s a di f f i cul t - "
" You know who ki l l ed my f at her ?"
" We have a ver y good i dea, yes. The ki l l er l ef t somewhat of a cal l i ng car d.
That ' s t he r eason I cal l ed Mr .
Langdon. The gr oup cl ai mi ng r esponsi bi l i t y i s hi s speci al t y. "
" The gr oup? A t er r or i st gr oup?"
" Vi t t or i a, t hey st ol e a quar t er gr amof ant i mat t er . "
Vi t t or i a l ooked at Rober t Langdon st andi ng t her e acr oss t he r oom. Ever yt hi ng
began f al l i ng i nt o pl ace.
That expl ai ns some of t he secr ecy. She was amazed i t hadn' t occur r ed t o her
ear l i er . Kohl er had cal l ed t he
aut hor i t i es af t er al l . The aut hor i t i es. Now i t seemed obvi ous. Rober t Langdon
was Amer i can, cl ean- cut ,
conser vat i ve, obvi ousl y ver y shar p. Who el se coul d i t be? Vi t t or i a shoul d have
guessed f r omt he st ar t . She
f el t a newf ound hope as she t ur ned t o hi m.
" Mr . Langdon, I want t o know who ki l l ed my f at her . And I want t o know i f your
agency can f i nd t he
ant i mat t er . "
Langdon l ooked f l ust er ed. " My agency?"
" You' r e wi t h U. S. I nt el l i gence, I assume. "
" Act ual l y . . . no. "
Kohl er i nt er vened. " Mr . Langdon i s a pr of essor of ar t hi st or y at Har var d
Uni ver si t y. "
Vi t t or i a f el t l i ke she had been doused wi t h i ce wat er . " An ar t t eacher ?"
" He i s a speci al i st i n cul t symbol ogy. " Kohl er si ghed. " Vi t t or i a, we bel i eve
your f at her was ki l l ed by a
sat ani c cul t . "
Vi t t or i a hear d t he wor ds i n her mi nd, but she was unabl e t o pr ocess t hem. A
sat ani c cul t .
" The gr oup cl ai mi ng r esponsi bi l i t y cal l s t hemsel ves t he I l l umi nat i . "
Vi t t or i a l ooked at Kohl er and t hen at Langdon, wonder i ng i f t hi s was some ki nd
of per ver se j oke. " The
I l l umi nat i ?" she demanded. " As i n t he Bavar i an I l l umi nat i ?"
Kohl er l ooked st unned. " You' ve hear d of t hem?"
Vi t t or i a f el t t he t ear s of f r ust r at i on wel l i ng r i ght bel ow t he sur f ace.
" Bavar i an I l l umi nat i : New Wor l d
Or der . St eve J ackson comput er games. Hal f t he t echi es her e pl ay i t on t he
I nt er net . " Her voi ce cr acked.
" But I don' t under st and . . . "
Kohl er shot Langdon a conf used l ook.
Langdon nodded. " Popul ar game. Anci ent br ot her hood t akes over t he wor l d.
Semi hi st or i cal . I di dn' t know
i t was i n Eur ope t oo. "
Vi t t or i a was bewi l der ed. " What ar e you t al ki ng about ? The I l l umi nat i ? I t ' s a
comput er game! "
" Vi t t or i a, " Kohl er sai d, " t he I l l umi nat i i s t he gr oup cl ai mi ng r esponsi bi l i t y
f or your f at her ' s deat h. "
Vi t t or i a must er ed ever y bi t of cour age she coul d f i nd t o f i ght t he t ear s. She
f or ced her sel f t o hol d on and
assess t he si t uat i on l ogi cal l y. But t he har der she f ocused, t he l ess she
Sei t e 48
under st ood. Her f at her had been
mur der ed. CERN had suf f er ed a maj or br each of secur i t y. Ther e was a bomb
count i ng down somewher e
t hat she was r esponsi bl e f or . And t he di r ect or had nomi nat ed an ar t t eacher t o
hel p t hemf i nd a myt hi cal
f r at er ni t y of Sat ani st s.
Vi t t or i a f el t suddenl y al l al one. She t ur ned t o go, but Kohl er cut her of f . He
r eached f or somet hi ng i n hi s
pocket . He pr oduced a cr umpl ed pi ece of f ax paper and handed i t t o her .
Vi t t or i a swayed i n hor r or as her eyes hi t t he i mage.
" They br anded hi m, " Kohl er sai d. " They br anded hi s goddamn chest . "
28
S ecr et ar y Syl vi e Baudel oque was now i n a pani c. She paced out si de t he
di r ect or ' s empt y of f i ce. Wher e
t he hel l i s he? What do I do?
I t had been a bi zar r e day. Of cour se, any day wor ki ng f or Maxi mi l i an Kohl er had
t he pot ent i al t o be
st r ange, but Kohl er had been i n r ar e f or mt oday.
" Fi nd me Leonar do Vet r a! " he had demanded when Syl vi e ar r i ved t hi s mor ni ng.
Dut i f ul l y, Syl vi e paged, phoned, and E- mai l ed Leonar do Vet r a.
Not hi ng.
So Kohl er had l ef t i n a huf f , appar ent l y t o go f i nd Vet r a hi msel f . When he
r ol l ed back i n a f ew hour s l at er ,
Kohl er l ooked deci dedl y not wel l . . . not t hat he ever act ual l y l ooked wel l ,
but he l ooked wor se t han usual .
He l ocked hi msel f i n hi s of f i ce, and she coul d hear hi mon hi s modem, hi s phone,
f axi ng, t al ki ng. Then
Kohl er r ol l ed out agai n. He hadn' t been back si nce.
Syl vi e had deci ded t o i gnor e t he ant i cs as yet anot her Kohl er i an mel odr ama, but
she began t o get concer ned
when Kohl er f ai l ed t o r et ur n at t he pr oper t i me f or hi s dai l y i nj ect i ons; t he
di r ect or ' s physi cal condi t i on
r equi r ed r egul ar t r eat ment , and when he deci ded t o push hi s l uck, t he r esul t s
wer e never pr et t y- r espi r at or y
shock, coughi ng f i t s, and a mad dash by t he i nf i r mar y per sonnel . Somet i mes
Syl vi e t hought Maxi mi l i an
Kohl er had a deat h wi sh.
She consi der ed pagi ng hi mt o r emi nd hi m, but she' d l ear ned char i t y was somet hi ng
Kohl er s' s pr i de
despi sed. Last week, he had become so enr aged wi t h a vi si t i ng sci ent i st who had
shown hi mundue pi t y t hat
Kohl er cl amber ed t o hi s f eet and t hr ew a cl i pboar d at t he man' s head. Ki ng
Kohl er coul d be sur pr i si ngl y
agi l e when he was pi ss.
At t he moment , however , Syl vi e' s concer n f or t he di r ect or ' s heal t h was t aki ng a
back bur ner . . . r epl aced
by a much mor e pr essi ng di l emma. The CERN swi t chboar d had phoned f i ve mi nut es
ago i n a f r enzy t o say
t hey had an ur gent cal l f or t he di r ect or .
" He' s not avai l abl e, " Syl vi e had sai d.
Then t he CERN oper at or t ol d her who was cal l i ng.
Syl vi e hal f l aughed al oud. " You' r e ki ddi ng, r i ght ?" She l i st ened, and her f ace
cl ouded wi t h di sbel i ef . " And
your cal l er I D conf i r ms- " Syl vi e was f r owni ng. " I see. Okay. Can you ask what
t he- " She si ghed. " No.
That ' s f i ne. Tel l hi mt o hol d. I ' l l l ocat e t he di r ect or r i ght away. Yes, I
under st and. I ' l l hur r y. "
But Syl vi e had not been abl e t o f i nd t he di r ect or . She had cal l ed hi s cel l l i ne
t hr ee t i mes and each t i me
got t en t he same message: " The mobi l e cust omer you ar e t r yi ng t o r each i s out of
r ange. " Out of r ange?
How f ar coul d he go? So Syl vi e had di al ed Kohl er ' s beeper . Twi ce. No r esponse.
Most unl i ke hi m. She' d
even E- mai l ed hi s mobi l e comput er . Not hi ng. I t was l i ke t he man had di sappear ed
of f t he f ace of t he ear t h.
So what do I do? she now wonder ed.
Shor t of sear chi ng CERN' s ent i r e compl ex her sel f , Syl vi e knew t her e was onl y one
ot her way t o get t he
di r ect or ' s at t ent i on. He woul d not be pl eased, but t he man on t he phone was not
Sei t e 49
someone t he di r ect or
shoul d keep wai t i ng. Nor di d i t sound l i ke t he cal l er was i n any mood t o be t ol d
t he di r ect or was
unavai l abl e.
St ar t l ed wi t h her own bol dness, Syl vi e made her deci si on. She wal ked i nt o
Kohl er ' s of f i ce and went t o t he
met al box on hi s wal l behi nd hi s desk. She opened t he cover , st ar ed at t he
cont r ol s, and f ound t he cor r ect
but t on.
Then she t ook a deep br eat h and gr abbed t he mi cr ophone.
29
V i t t or i a di d not r emember how t hey had got t en t o t he mai n el evat or , but t hey
wer e t her e. Ascendi ng.
Kohl er was behi nd her , hi s br eat hi ng l abor ed now. Langdon' s concer ned gaze
passed t hr ough her l i ke a
ghost . He had t aken t he f ax f r omher hand and sl i pped i t i n hi s j acket pocket
away f r omher si ght , but t he
i mage was st i l l bur ned i nt o her memor y.
As t he el evat or cl i mbed, Vi t t or i a' s wor l d swi r l ed i nt o dar kness. Papa! I n her
mi nd she r eached f or hi m. For
j ust a moment , i n t he oasi s of her memor y, Vi t t or i a was wi t h hi m. She was ni ne
year s ol d, r ol l i ng down
hi l l s of edel wei ss f l ower s, t he Swi ss sky spi nni ng over head.
Papa! Papa!
Leonar do Vet r a was l aughi ng besi de her , beami ng. " What i s i t , angel ?"
" Papa! " she gi ggl ed, nuzzl i ng cl ose t o hi m. " Ask me what ' s t he mat t er ! "
" But you l ook happy, sweet i e. Why woul d I ask you what ' s t he mat t er ?"
" J ust ask me. "
He shr ugged. " What ' s t he mat t er ?"
She i mmedi at el y st ar t ed l aughi ng. " What ' s t he mat t er ? Ever yt hi ng i s t he mat t er !
Rocks! Tr ees! At oms!
Even ant eat er s! Ever yt hi ng i s t he mat t er ! "
He l aughed. " Di d you make t hat up?"
" Pr et t y smar t , huh?"
" My l i t t l e Ei nst ei n. "
She f r owned. " He has st upi d hai r . I saw hi s pi ct ur e. "
" He' s got a smar t head, t hough. I t ol d you what he pr oved, r i ght ?"
Her eyes wi dened wi t h dr ead. " Dad! No! You pr omi sed! "
" E=MC2! " He t i ckl ed her pl ayf ul l y. " E=MC2! "
" No mat h! I t ol d you! I hat e i t ! "
" I ' mgl ad you hat e i t . Because gi r l s ar en' t even al l owed t o do mat h. "
Vi t t or i a st opped shor t . " They ar en' t ?"
" Of cour se not . Ever yone knows t hat . Gi r l s pl ay wi t h dol l i es. Boys do mat h. No
mat h f or gi r l s. I ' mnot
even per mi t t ed t o t al k t o l i t t l e gi r l s about mat h. "
" What ! But t hat ' s not f ai r ! "
" Rul es ar e r ul es. Absol ut el y no mat h f or l i t t l e gi r l s. "
Vi t t or i a l ooked hor r i f i ed. " But dol l s ar e bor i ng! "
" I ' msor r y, " her f at her sai d. " I coul d t el l you about mat h, but i f I got caught
. . . " He l ooked ner vousl y
ar ound t he deser t ed hi l l s.
Vi t t or i a f ol l owed hi s gaze. " Okay, " she whi sper ed, " j ust t el l me qui et l y. "
The mot i on of t he el evat or st ar t l ed her . Vi t t or i a opened her eyes. He was gone.
Real i t y r ushed i n, wr appi ng a f r ost y gr i p ar ound her . She l ooked t o Langdon. The
ear nest concer n i n hi s
gaze f el t l i ke t he war mt h of a guar di an angel , especi al l y i n t he aur a of
Kohl er ' s chi l l .
A si ngl e sent i ent t hought began poundi ng at Vi t t or i a wi t h unr el ent i ng f or ce.
Wher e i s t he ant i mat t er ?
The hor r i f yi ng answer was onl y a moment away.
30
M axi mi l i an Kohl er . Ki ndl y cal l your of f i ce i mmedi at el y. "
Bl azi ng sunbeams f l ooded Langdon' s eyes as t he el evat or door s opened i nt o t he
mai n at r i um. Bef or e t he
echo of t he announcement on t he i nt er comover head f aded, ever y el ect r oni c devi ce
on Kohl er ' s wheel chai r
st ar t ed beepi ng and buzzi ng si mul t aneousl y. Hi s pager . Hi s phone. Hi s E- mai l .
Kohl er gl anced down at t he
Sei t e 50
bl i nki ng l i ght s i n appar ent bewi l der ment . The di r ect or had r esur f aced, and he
was back i n r ange.
" Di r ect or Kohl er . Pl ease cal l your of f i ce. "
The sound of hi s name on t he PA seemed t o st ar t l e Kohl er .
He gl anced up, l ooki ng anger ed and t hen al most i mmedi at el y concer ned. Langdon' s
eyes met hi s, and
Vi t t or i a' s t oo. The t hr ee of t hemwer e mot i onl ess a moment , as i f al l t he
t ensi on bet ween t hemhad been
er ased and r epl aced by a si ngl e, uni f yi ng f or ebodi ng.
Kohl er t ook hi s cel l phone f r omt he ar mr est . He di al ed an ext ensi on and f ought
of f anot her coughi ng f i t .
Vi t t or i a and Langdon wai t ed.
" Thi s i s . . . Di r ect or Kohl er , " he sai d, wheezi ng. " Yes? I was subt er r anean,
out of r ange. " He l i st ened, hi s
gr ay eyes wi deni ng. " Who? Yes, pat ch i t t hr ough. " Ther e was a pause. " Hel l o?
Thi s i s Maxi mi l i an Kohl er .
I amt he di r ect or of CERN. Wi t h whomamI speaki ng?"
Vi t t or i a and Langdon wat ched i n si l ence as Kohl er l i st ened.
" I t woul d be unwi se, " Kohl er f i nal l y sai d, " t o speak of t hi s by phone. I wi l l be
t her e i mmedi at el y. " He was
coughi ng agai n. " Meet me . . . at Leonar do da Vi nci Ai r por t . For t y mi nut es. "
Kohl er ' s br eat h seemed t o be
f ai l i ng hi mnow. He descended i nt o a f i t of coughi ng and bar el y managed t o choke
out t he wor ds, " Locat e
t he cani st er i mmedi at el y . . . I amcomi ng. " Then he cl i cked of f hi s phone.
Vi t t or i a r an t o Kohl er ' s si de, but Kohl er coul d no l onger speak. Langdon wat ched
as Vi t t or i a pul l ed out her
cel l phone and paged CERN' s i nf i r mar y. Langdon f el t l i ke a shi p on t he per i pher y
of a st or m. . . t ossed but
det ached.
Meet me at Leonar do da Vi nci Ai r por t . Kohl er ' s wor ds echoed.
The uncer t ai n shadows t hat had f ogged Langdon' s mi nd al l mor ni ng, i n a si ngl e
i nst ant , sol i di f i ed i nt o a
vi vi d i mage. As he st ood t her e i n t he swi r l of conf usi on, he f el t a door i nsi de
hi mopen . . . as i f some
myst i c t hr eshol d had j ust been br eached. The ambi gr am. The mur der ed
pr i est / sci ent i st . The ant i mat t er . And
now . . . t he t ar get . Leonar do da Vi nci Ai r por t coul d onl y mean one t hi ng. I n a
moment of st ar k r eal i zat i on,
Langdon knew he had j ust cr ossed over . He had become a bel i ever .
Fi ve ki l ot ons. Let t her e be l i ght .
Two par amedi cs mat er i al i zed, r aci ng acr oss t he at r i umi n whi t e smocks. They
knel t by Kohl er , put t i ng an
oxygen mask on hi s f ace. Sci ent i st s i n t he hal l st opped and st ood back.
Kohl er t ook t wo l ong pul l s, pushed t he mask asi de, and st i l l gaspi ng f or ai r ,
l ooked up at Vi t t or i a and
Langdon. " Rome. "
" Rome?" Vi t t or i a demanded. " The ant i mat t er i s i n Rome? Who cal l ed?"
Kohl er ' s f ace was t wi st ed, hi s gr ay eyes wat er i ng. " The Swi ss . . . " He choked
on t he wor ds, and t he
par amedi cs put t he mask back over hi s f ace. As t hey pr epar ed t o t ake hi maway,
Kohl er r eached up and
gr abbed Langdon' s ar m.
Langdon nodded. He knew.
" Go . . . " Kohl er wheezed beneat h hi s mask. " Go . . . cal l me . . . " Then t he
par amedi cs wer e r ol l i ng hi m
away.
Vi t t or i a st ood r i vet ed t o t he f l oor , wat chi ng hi mgo. Then she t ur ned t o
Langdon. " Rome? But . . . what
was t hat about t he Swi ss?"
Langdon put a hand on her shoul der , bar el y whi sper i ng t he wor ds. " The Swi ss
Guar d, " he sai d. " The swor n
sent i nel s of Vat i can Ci t y. "
31
T he X- 33 space pl ane r oar ed i nt o t he sky and ar ched sout h t owar d Rome. On
boar d, Langdon sat i n
si l ence. The l ast f i f t een mi nut es had been a bl ur . Now t hat he had f i ni shed
br i ef i ng Vi t t or i a on t he
I l l umi nat i and t hei r covenant agai nst t he Vat i can, t he scope of t hi s si t uat i on
Sei t e 51
was st ar t i ng t o si nk i n.
What t he hel l amI doi ng? Langdon wonder ed. I shoul d have gone home when I had
t he chance! Deep
down, t hough, he knew he' d never had t he chance.
Langdon' s bet t er j udgment had scr eamed at hi mt o r et ur n t o Bost on. Nonet hel ess,
academi c ast oni shment
had somehow vet oed pr udence. Ever yt hi ng he had ever bel i eved about t he demi se of
t he I l l umi nat i was
suddenl y l ooki ng l i ke a br i l l i ant sham. Par t of hi mcr aved pr oof . Conf i r mat i on.
Ther e was al so a quest i on
of consci ence. Wi t h Kohl er ai l i ng and Vi t t or i a on her own, Langdon knew t hat i f
hi s knowl edge of t he
I l l umi nat i coul d assi st i n any way, he had a mor al obl i gat i on t o be her e.
Ther e was mor e, t hough. Al t hough Langdon was ashamed t o admi t i t , hi s i ni t i al
hor r or on hear i ng about t he
ant i mat t er ' s l ocat i on was not onl y t he danger t o human l i f e i n Vat i can Ci t y, but
f or somet hi ng el se as wel l .
Ar t .
The wor l d' s l ar gest ar t col l ect i on was now si t t i ng on a t i me bomb. The Vat i can
Museumhoused over
60, 000 pr i cel ess pi eces i n 1, 407 r ooms- Mi chel angel o, da Vi nci , Ber ni ni ,
Bot t i cel l i . Langdon wonder ed i f
al l of t he ar t coul d possi bl y be evacuat ed i f necessar y. He knew i t was
i mpossi bl e. Many of t he pi eces wer e
scul pt ur es wei ghi ng t ons. Not t o ment i on, t he gr eat est t r easur es wer e
ar chi t ect ur al - t he Si st i ne Chapel , St .
Pet er ' s Basi l i ca, Mi chel angel o' s f amed spi r al st ai r case l eadi ng t o t he Muso
Vat i cano- pr i cel ess t est ament s
t o man' s cr eat i ve geni us. Langdon wonder ed how much t i me was l ef t on t he
cani st er .
" Thanks f or comi ng, " Vi t t or i a sai d, her voi ce qui et .
Langdon emer ged f r omhi s daydr eamand l ooked up. Vi t t or i a was si t t i ng acr oss t he
ai sl e. Even i n t he st ar k
f l uor escent l i ght of t he cabi n, t her e was an aur a of composur e about her - an
al most magnet i c r adi ance of
whol eness. Her br eat hi ng seemed deeper now, as i f a spar k of sel f - pr eser vat i on
had i gni t ed wi t hi n her . . . a
cr avi ng f or j ust i ce and r et r i but i on, f uel ed by a daught er ' s l ove.
Vi t t or i a had not had t i me t o change f r omher shor t s and sl eevel ess t op, and her
t awny l egs wer e now goose-
bumped i n t he col d of t he pl ane. I nst i nct i vel y Langdon r emoved hi s j acket and
of f er ed i t t o her .
" Amer i can chi val r y?" She accept ed, her eyes t hanki ng hi msi l ent l y.
The pl ane j ost l ed acr oss some t ur bul ence, and Langdon f el t a sur ge of danger .
The wi ndowl ess cabi n f el t
cr amped agai n, and he t r i ed t o i magi ne hi msel f i n an open f i el d. The not i on, he
r eal i zed, was i r oni c. He had
been i n an open f i el d when i t had happened. Cr ushi ng dar kness. He pushed t he
memor y f r omhi s mi nd.
Anci ent hi st or y.
Vi t t or i a was wat chi ng hi m. " Do you bel i eve i n God, Mr . Langdon?"
The quest i on st ar t l ed hi m. The ear nest ness i n Vi t t or i a' s voi ce was even mor e
di sar mi ng t han t he i nqui r y.
Do I bel i eve i n God? He had hoped f or a l i ght er t opi c of conver sat i on t o pass
t he t r i p.
A spi r i t ual conundr um, Langdon t hought . That ' s what my f r i ends cal l me. Al t hough
he st udi ed r el i gi on f or
year s, Langdon was not a r el i gi ous man. He r espect ed t he power of f ai t h, t he
benevol ence of chur ches, t he
st r engt h r el i gi on gave so many peopl e . . . and yet , f or hi m, t he i nt el l ect ual
suspensi on of di sbel i ef t hat was
i mper at i ve i f one wer e t r ul y goi ng t o " bel i eve" had al ways pr oved t oo bi g an
obst acl e f or hi s academi c
mi nd. " I want t o bel i eve, " he hear d hi msel f say.
Vi t t or i a' s r epl y car r i ed no j udgment or chal l enge. " So why don' t you?"
He chuckl ed. " Wel l , i t ' s not t hat easy. Havi ng f ai t h r equi r es l eaps of f ai t h,
cer ebr al accept ance of mi r acl es-
i mmacul at e concept i ons and di vi ne i nt er vent i ons. And t hen t her e ar e t he codes of
conduct . The Bi bl e, t he
Sei t e 52
Kor an, Buddhi st scr i pt ur e . . . t hey al l car r y si mi l ar r equi r ement s- and si mi l ar
penal t i es. They cl ai mt hat i f I
don' t l i ve by a speci f i c code I wi l l go t o hel l . I can' t i magi ne a God who woul d
r ul e t hat way. "
" I hope you don' t l et your st udent s dodge quest i ons t hat shamel essl y. "
The comment caught hi mof f guar d. " What ?"
" Mr . Langdon, I di d not ask i f you bel i eve what man says about God. I asked i f
you bel i eved i n God. Ther e
i s a di f f er ence. Hol y scr i pt ur e i s st or i es . . . l egends and hi st or y of man' s
quest t o under st and hi s own need
f or meani ng. I amnot aski ng you t o pass j udgment on l i t er at ur e. I amaski ng i f
you bel i eve i n God. When
you l i e out under t he st ar s, do you sense t he di vi ne? Do you f eel i n your gut
t hat you ar e st ar i ng up at t he
wor k of God' s hand?"
Langdon t ook a l ong moment t o consi der i t .
" I ' mpr yi ng, " Vi t t or i a apol ogi zed.
" No, I j ust . . . "
" Cer t ai nl y you must debat e i ssues of f ai t h wi t h your cl asses. "
" Endl essl y. "
" And you pl ay devi l ' s advocat e, I i magi ne. Al ways f uel i ng t he debat e. "
Langdon smi l ed. " You must be a t eacher t oo. "
" No, but I l ear ned f r oma mast er . My f at her coul d ar gue t wo si des of a Mbi us
St r i p. "
Langdon l aughed, pi ct ur i ng t he ar t f ul cr af t i ng of a Mbi us St r i p- a t wi st ed r i ng
of paper , whi ch t echni cal l y
possessed onl y one si de. Langdon had f i r st seen t he si ngl e- si ded shape i n t he
ar t wor k of M. C. Escher .
" May I ask you a quest i on, Ms. Vet r a?"
" Cal l me Vi t t or i a. Ms. Vet r a makes me f eel ol d. "
He si ghed i nwar dl y, suddenl y sensi ng hi s own age. " Vi t t or i a, I ' mRober t . "
" You had a quest i on. "
" Yes. As a sci ent i st and t he daught er of a Cat hol i c pr i est , what do you t hi nk of
r el i gi on?"
Vi t t or i a paused, br ushi ng a l ock of hai r f r omher eyes. " Rel i gi on i s l i ke
l anguage or dr ess. We gr avi t at e
t owar d t he pr act i ces wi t h whi ch we wer e r ai sed. I n t he end, t hough, we ar e al l
pr ocl ai mi ng t he same t hi ng.
That l i f e has meani ng. That we ar e gr at ef ul f or t he power t hat cr eat ed us. "
Langdon was i nt r i gued. " So you' r e sayi ng t hat whet her you ar e a Chr i st i an or a
Musl i msi mpl y depends on
wher e you wer e bor n?"
" I sn' t i t obvi ous? Look at t he di f f usi on of r el i gi on ar ound t he gl obe. "
" So f ai t h i s r andom?"
" Har dl y. Fai t h i s uni ver sal . Our speci f i c met hods f or under st andi ng i t ar e
ar bi t r ar y. Some of us pr ay t o
J esus, some of us go t o Mecca, some of us st udy subat omi c par t i cl es. I n t he end
we ar e al l j ust sear chi ng
f or t r ut h, t hat whi ch i s gr eat er t han our sel ves. "
Langdon wi shed hi s st udent s coul d expr ess t hemsel ves so cl ear l y. Hel l , he wi shed
he coul d expr ess hi msel f
so cl ear l y. " And God?" he asked. " Do you bel i eve i n God?"
Vi t t or i a was si l ent f or a l ong t i me. " Sci ence t el l s me God must exi st . My mi nd
t el l s me I wi l l never
under st and God. And my hear t t el l s me I amnot meant t o. "
How' s t hat f or conci se, he t hought . " So you bel i eve God i s f act , but we wi l l
never under st and Hi m. "
" Her , " she sai d wi t h a smi l e. " Your Nat i ve Amer i cans had i t r i ght . "
Langdon chuckl ed. " Mot her Ear t h. "
" Gaea. The pl anet i s an or gani sm. Al l of us ar e cel l s wi t h di f f er ent pur poses.
And yet we ar e i nt er t wi ned.
Ser vi ng each ot her . Ser vi ng t he whol e. "
Looki ng at her , Langdon f el t somet hi ng st i r wi t hi n hi mt hat he had not f el t i n a
l ong t i me. Ther e was a
bewi t chi ng cl ar i t y i n her eyes . . . a pur i t y i n her voi ce. He f el t dr awn.
" Mr . Langdon, l et me ask you anot her quest i on. "
" Rober t , " he sai d. Mr . Langdon makes me f eel ol d. I amol d!
" I f you don' t mi nd my aski ng, Rober t , how di d you get i nvol ved wi t h t he
I l l umi nat i ?"
Sei t e 53
Langdon t hought back. " Act ual l y, i t was money. "
Vi t t or i a l ooked di sappoi nt ed. " Money? Consul t i ng, you mean?"
Langdon l aughed, r eal i zi ng how i t must have sounded. " No. Money as i n cur r ency. "
He r eached i n hi s
pant s pocket and pul l ed out some money. He f ound a one- dol l ar bi l l . " I became
f asci nat ed wi t h t he cul t
when I f i r st l ear ned t hat U. S. cur r ency i s cover ed wi t h I l l umi nat i symbol ogy. "
Vi t t or i a' s eyes nar r owed, appar ent l y not knowi ng whet her or not t o t ake hi m
ser i ousl y.
Langdon handed her t he bi l l . " Look at t he back. See t he Gr eat Seal on t he l ef t ?"
Vi t t or i a t ur ned t he one- dol l ar bi l l over . " You mean t he pyr ami d?"
" The pyr ami d. Do you know what pyr ami ds have t o do wi t h U. S. hi st or y?"
Vi t t or i a shr ugged.
" Exact l y, " Langdon sai d. " Absol ut el y not hi ng. "
Vi t t or i a f r owned. " So why i s i t t he cent r al symbol of your Gr eat Seal ?"
" An eer i e bi t of hi st or y, " Langdon sai d. " The pyr ami d i s an occul t symbol
r epr esent i ng a conver gence
upwar d, t owar d t he ul t i mat e sour ce of I l l umi nat i on. See what ' s above i t ?"
Vi t t or i a st udi ed t he bi l l . " An eye i nsi de a t r i angl e. "
" I t ' s cal l ed t he t r i nacr i a. Have you ever seen t hat eye i n a t r i angl e anywher e
el se?"
Vi t t or i a was si l ent a moment . " Act ual l y, yes, but I ' mnot sur e . . . "
" I t ' s embl azoned on Masoni c l odges ar ound t he wor l d. "
" The symbol i s Masoni c?"
" Act ual l y, no. I t ' s I l l umi nat i . They cal l ed i t t hei r ' shi ni ng del t a. ' A cal l f or
enl i ght ened change. The eye
si gni f i es t he I l l umi nat i ' s abi l i t y t o i nf i l t r at e and wat ch al l t hi ngs. The
shi ni ng t r i angl e r epr esent s
enl i ght enment . And t he t r i angl e i s al so t he Gr eek l et t er del t a, whi ch i s t he
mat hemat i cal symbol f or - "
" Change. Tr ansi t i on. "
Langdon smi l ed. " I f or got I was t al ki ng t o a sci ent i st . "
" So you' r e sayi ng t he U. S. Gr eat Seal i s a cal l f or enl i ght ened, al l - seei ng
change?"
" Some woul d cal l i t a New Wor l d Or der . "
Vi t t or i a seemed st ar t l ed. She gl anced down at t he bi l l agai n. " The wr i t i ng under
t he pyr ami d says Novus . .
. Or do . . . "
" Novus Or do Secul or um, " Langdon sai d. " I t means New Secul ar Or der . "
" Secul ar as i n nonr el i gi ous?"
" Nonr el i gi ous. The phr ase not onl y cl ear l y st at es t he I l l umi nat i obj ect i ve, but
i t al so bl at ant l y cont r adi ct s
t he phr ase besi de i t . I n God We Tr ust . "
Vi t t or i a seemed t r oubl ed. " But how coul d al l t hi s symbol ogy end up on t he most
power f ul cur r ency i n t he
wor l d?"
" Most academi cs bel i eve i t was t hr ough Vi ce Pr esi dent Henr y Wal l ace. He was an
upper echel on Mason
and cer t ai nl y had t i es t o t he I l l umi nat i . Whet her i t was as a member or
i nnocent l y under t hei r i nf l uence,
nobody knows. But i t was Wal l ace who sol d t he desi gn of t he Gr eat Seal t o t he
pr esi dent . "
" How? Why woul d t he pr esi dent have agr eed t o- "
" The pr esi dent was Fr ankl i n D. Roosevel t . Wal l ace si mpl y t ol d hi mNovus Or do
Secul or ummeant New
Deal . "
Vi t t or i a seemed skept i cal . " And Roosevel t di dn' t have anyone el se l ook at t he
symbol bef or e t el l i ng t he
Tr easur y t o pr i nt i t ?"
" No need. He and Wal l ace wer e l i ke br ot her s. "
" Br ot her s?"
" Check your hi st or y books, " Langdon sai d wi t h a smi l e. " Fr ankl i n D. Roosevel t
was a wel l - known
Mason. "
32
L angdon hel d hi s br eat h as t he X- 33 spi r al ed i nt o Rome' s Leonar do da Vi nci
I nt er nat i onal Ai r por t .
Vi t t or i a sat acr oss f r omhi m, eyes cl osed as i f t r yi ng t o wi l l t he si t uat i on
i nt o cont r ol . The cr af t t ouched
Sei t e 54
down and t axi ed t o a pr i vat e hangar .
" Sor r y f or t he sl ow f l i ght , " t he pi l ot apol ogi zed, emer gi ng f r omt he cockpi t .
" Had t o t r i mher back. Noi se
r egul at i ons over popul at ed ar eas. "
Langdon checked hi s wat ch. They had been ai r bor ne t hi r t y- seven mi nut es.
The pi l ot popped t he out er door . " Anybody want t o t el l me what ' s goi ng on?"
Nei t her Vi t t or i a nor Langdon r esponded.
" Fi ne, " he sai d, st r et chi ng. " I ' l l be i n t he cockpi t wi t h t he ai r - condi t i oni ng
and my musi c. J ust me and
Gar t h. "
The l at e- af t er noon sun bl azed out si de t he hangar . Langdon car r i ed hi s t weed
j acket over hi s shoul der .
Vi t t or i a t ur ned her f ace skywar d and i nhal ed deepl y, as i f t he sun' s r ays
somehow t r ansf er r ed t o her some
myst i cal r epl eni shi ng ener gy.
Medi t er r aneans, Langdon mused, al r eady sweat i ng.
" Li t t l e ol d f or car t oons, ar en' t you?" Vi t t or i a asked, wi t hout openi ng her eyes.
" I ' msor r y?"
" Your wr i st wat ch. I saw i t on t he pl ane. "
Langdon f l ushed sl i ght l y. He was accust omed t o havi ng t o def end hi s t i mepi ece.
The col l ect or ' s edi t i on
Mi ckey Mouse wat ch had been a chi l dhood gi f t f r omhi s par ent s. Despi t e t he
cont or t ed f ool i shness of
Mi ckey' s out st r et ched ar ms desi gnat i ng t he hour , i t was t he onl y wat ch Langdon
had ever wor n.
Wat er pr oof and gl ow- i n- t he- dar k, i t was per f ect f or swi mmi ng l aps or wal ki ng
unl i t col l ege pat hs at ni ght .
When Langdon' s st udent s quest i oned hi s f ashi on sense, he t ol d t hemhe wor e
Mi ckey as a dai l y r emi nder
t o st ay young at hear t .
" I t ' s si x o' cl ock, " he sai d.
Vi t t or i a nodded, eyes st i l l cl osed. " I t hi nk our r i de' s her e. "
Langdon hear d t he di st ant whi ne, l ooked up, and f el t a si nki ng f eel i ng.
Appr oachi ng f r omt he nor t h was a
hel i copt er , sl i ci ng l ow acr oss t he r unway. Langdon had been on a hel i copt er once
i n t he Andean Pal pa
Val l ey l ooki ng at t he Nazca sand dr awi ngs and had not enj oyed i t one bi t . A
f l yi ng shoebox. Af t er a
mor ni ng of space pl ane r i des, Langdon had hoped t he Vat i can woul d send a car .
Appar ent l y not .
The chopper sl owed over head, hover ed a moment , and dr opped t owar d t he r unway i n
f r ont of t hem. The
cr af t was whi t e and car r i ed a coat of ar ms embl azoned on t he si de- t wo skel et on
keys cr ossi ng a shi el d and
papal cr own. He knew t he symbol wel l . I t was t he t r adi t i onal seal of t he
Vat i can- t he sacr ed symbol of t he
Hol y See or " hol y seat " of gover nment , t he seat bei ng l i t er al l y t he anci ent
t hr one of St . Pet er .
The Hol y Chopper , Langdon gr oaned, wat chi ng t he cr af t l and. He' d f or got t en t he
Vat i can owned one of
t hese t hi ngs, used f or t r anspor t i ng t he Pope t o t he ai r por t , t o meet i ngs, or t o
hi s summer pal ace i n
Gandol f o. Langdon def i ni t el y woul d have pr ef er r ed a car .
The pi l ot j umped f r omt he cockpi t and st r ode t owar d t hemacr oss t he t ar mac.
Now i t was Vi t t or i a who l ooked uneasy. " That ' s our pi l ot ?"
Langdon shar ed her concer n. " To f l y, or not t o f l y. That i s t he quest i on. "
The pi l ot l ooked l i ke he was f est ooned f or a Shakespear ean mel odr ama. Hi s puf f y
t uni c was ver t i cal l y
st r i ped i n br i l l i ant bl ue and gol d. He wor e mat chi ng pant al oons and spat s. On
hi s f eet wer e bl ack f l at s t hat
l ooked l i ke sl i pper s. On t op of i t al l , he wor e a bl ack f el t ber et .
" Tr adi t i onal Swi ss Guar d uni f or ms, " Langdon expl ai ned. " Desi gned by Mi chel angel o
hi msel f . " As t he man
dr ew cl oser , Langdon wi nced. " I admi t , not one of Mi chel angel o' s bet t er
ef f or t s. "
Despi t e t he man' s gar i sh at t i r e, Langdon coul d t el l t he pi l ot meant busi ness. He
moved t owar d t hemwi t h
al l t he r i gi di t y and di gni t y of a U. S. Mar i ne. Langdon had r ead many t i mes about
Sei t e 55
t he r i gor ous r equi r ement s
f or becomi ng one of t he el i t e Swi ss Guar d. Recr ui t ed f r omone of Swi t zer l and' s
f our Cat hol i c cant ons,
appl i cant s had t o be Swi ss mal es bet ween ni net een and t hi r t y year s ol d, at l east
5 f eet 6 i nches, t r ai ned by
t he Swi ss Ar my, and unmar r i ed. Thi s i mper i al cor ps was envi ed by wor l d
gover nment s as t he most
al l egi ant and deadl y secur i t y f or ce i n t he wor l d.
" You ar e f r omCERN?" t he guar d asked, ar r i vi ng bef or e t hem. Hi s voi ce was
st eel y.
" Yes, si r , " Langdon r epl i ed.
" You made r emar kabl e t i me, " he sai d, gi vi ng t he X- 33 a myst i f i ed st ar e. He
t ur ned t o Vi t t or i a. " Ma' am, do
you have any ot her cl ot hi ng?"
" I beg your par don?"
He mot i oned t o her l egs. " Shor t pant s ar e not per mi t t ed i nsi de Vat i can Ci t y. "
Langdon gl anced down at Vi t t or i a' s l egs and f r owned. He had f or got t en. Vat i can
Ci t y had a st r i ct ban on
vi si bl e l egs above t he knee- bot h mal e and f emal e. The r egul at i on was a way of
showi ng r espect f or t he
sanct i t y of God' s ci t y.
" Thi s i s al l I have, " she sai d. " We came i n a hur r y. "
The guar d nodded, cl ear l y di spl eased. He t ur ned next t o Langdon. " Ar e you
car r yi ng any weapons?"
Weapons? Langdon t hought . I ' mnot even car r yi ng a change of under wear ! He shook
hi s head.
The of f i cer cr ouched at Langdon' s f eet and began pat t i ng hi mdown, st ar t i ng at
hi s socks. Tr ust i ng guy,
Langdon t hought . The guar d' s st r ong hands moved up Langdon' s l egs, comi ng
uncomf or t abl y cl ose t o hi s
gr oi n. Fi nal l y t hey moved up t o hi s chest and shoul der s. Appar ent l y cont ent
Langdon was cl ean, t he guar d
t ur ned t o Vi t t or i a. He r an hi s eyes up her l egs and t or so.
Vi t t or i a gl ar ed. " Don' t even t hi nk about i t . "
The guar d f i xed Vi t t or i a wi t h a gaze cl ear l y i nt ended t o i nt i mi dat e. Vi t t or i a
di d not f l i nch.
" What ' s t hat ?" t he guar d sai d, poi nt i ng t o a f ai nt squar e bul ge i n t he f r ont
pocket of her shor t s.
Vi t t or i a r emoved an ul t r at hi n cel l phone. The guar d t ook i t , cl i cked i t on,
wai t ed f or a di al t one, and t hen,
appar ent l y sat i sf i ed t hat i t was i ndeed not hi ng mor e t han a phone, r et ur ned i t
t o her . Vi t t or i a sl i d i t back
i nt o her pocket .
" Tur n ar ound, pl ease, " t he guar d sai d.
Vi t t or i a obl i ged, hol di ng her ar ms out and r ot at i ng a f ul l 360 degr ees.
The guar d car ef ul l y st udi ed her . Langdon had al r eady deci ded t hat Vi t t or i a' s
f or m- f i t t i ng shor t s and bl ouse
wer e not bul gi ng anywher e t hey shoul dn' t have been. Appar ent l y t he guar d came t o
t he same concl usi on.
" Thank you. Thi s way pl ease. "
The Swi ss Guar d chopper chur ned i n neut r al as Langdon and Vi t t or i a appr oached.
Vi t t or i a boar ded f i r st ,
l i ke a seasoned pr o, bar el y even st oopi ng as she passed beneat h t he whi r l i ng
r ot or s. Langdon hel d back a
moment .
" No chance of a car ?" he yel l ed, hal f - j oki ng t o t he Swi ss Guar d, who was
cl i mbi ng i n t he pi l ot ' s seat .
The man di d not answer .
Langdon knew t hat wi t h Rome' s mani acal dr i ver s, f l yi ng was pr obabl y saf er
anyway. He t ook a deep
br eat h and boar ded, st oopi ng caut i ousl y as he passed beneat h t he spi nni ng
r ot or s.
As t he guar d f i r ed up t he engi nes, Vi t t or i a cal l ed out , " Have you l ocat ed t he
cani st er ?"
The guar d gl anced over hi s shoul der , l ooki ng conf used. " The what ?"
" The cani st er . You cal l ed CERN about a cani st er ?"
The man shr ugged. " No i dea what you' r e t al ki ng about . We' ve been ver y busy
t oday. My commander t ol d
Sei t e 56
me t o pi ck you up. That ' s al l I know. "
Vi t t or i a gave Langdon an unset t l ed l ook.
" Buckl e up, pl ease, " t he pi l ot sai d as t he engi ne r evved.
Langdon r eached f or hi s seat bel t and st r apped hi msel f i n. The t i ny f usel age
seemed t o shr i nk ar ound hi m.
Then wi t h a r oar , t he cr af t shot up and banked shar pl y nor t h t owar d Rome.
Rome . . . t he caput mundi , wher e Caesar once r ul ed, wher e St . Pet er was
cr uci f i ed. The cr adl e of moder n
ci vi l i zat i on. And at i t s cor e . . . a t i cki ng bomb.
33
R ome f r omt he ai r i s a l abyr i nt h- an i ndeci pher abl e maze of anci ent r oadways
wi ndi ng ar ound bui l di ngs,
f ount ai ns, and cr umbl i ng r ui ns.
The Vat i can chopper st ayed l ow i n t he sky as i t sl i ced nor t hwest t hr ough t he
per manent smog l ayer
coughed up by t he congest i on bel ow. Langdon gazed down at t he mopeds,
si ght - seei ng buses, and ar mi es
of mi ni at ur e Fi at sedans buzzi ng ar ound r ot ar i es i n al l di r ect i ons.
Koyaani sqat si , he t hought , r ecal l i ng t he
Hopi t er mf or " l i f e out of bal ance. "
Vi t t or i a sat i n si l ent det er mi nat i on i n t he seat besi de hi m.
The chopper banked har d.
Hi s st omach dr oppi ng, Langdon gazed f ar t her i nt o t he di st ance. Hi s eyes f ound
t he cr umbl i ng r ui ns of t he
Roman Col i seum. The Col i seum, Langdon had al ways t hought , was one of hi st or y' s
gr eat est i r oni es. Now
a di gni f i ed symbol f or t he r i se of human cul t ur e and ci vi l i zat i on, t he st adi um
had been bui l t t o host
cent ur i es of bar bar i c event s- hungr y l i ons shr eddi ng pr i soner s, ar mi es of sl aves
bat t l i ng t o t he deat h, gang
r apes of exot i c women capt ur ed f r omf ar - of f l ands, as wel l as publ i c beheadi ngs
and cast r at i ons. I t was
i r oni c, Langdon t hought , or per haps f i t t i ng, t hat t he Col i seumhad ser ved as t he
ar chi t ect ur al bl uepr i nt f or
Har var d' s Sol di er Fi el d- t he f oot bal l st adi umwher e t he anci ent t r adi t i ons of
savager y wer e r eenact ed ever y
f al l . . . cr azed f ans scr eami ng f or bl oodshed as Har var d bat t l ed Yal e.
As t he chopper headed nor t h, Langdon spi ed t he Roman For um- t he hear t of
pr e- Chr i st i an Rome. The
decayi ng col umns l ooked l i ke t oppl ed gr avest ones i n a cemet er y t hat had somehow
avoi ded bei ng
swal l owed by t he met r opol i s sur r oundi ng i t .
To t he west t he wi de basi n of t he Ti ber Ri ver wound enor mous ar cs acr oss t he
ci t y. Even f r omt he ai r
Langdon coul d t el l t he wat er was deep. The chur ni ng cur r ent s wer e br own, f i l l ed
wi t h si l t and f oamf r om
heavy r ai ns.
" St r ai ght ahead, " t he pi l ot sai d, cl i mbi ng hi gher .
Langdon and Vi t t or i a l ooked out and saw i t . Li ke a mount ai n par t i ng t he mor ni ng
f og, t he col ossal dome
r ose out of t he haze bef or e t hem: St . Pet er ' s Basi l i ca.
" Now t hat , " Langdon sai d t o Vi t t or i a, " i s somet hi ng Mi chel angel o got r i ght . "
Langdon had never seen St . Pet er ' s f r omt he ai r . The mar bl e f aade bl azed l i ke
f i r e i n t he af t er noon sun.
Ador ned wi t h 140 st at ues of sai nt s, mar t yr s, and angel s, t he Her cul ean edi f i ce
st r et ched t wo f oot bal l f i el ds
wi de and a st agger i ng si x l ong. The caver nous i nt er i or of t he basi l i ca had r oom
f or over 60, 000 wor shi per s .
. . over one hundr ed t i mes t he popul at i on of Vat i can Ci t y, t he smal l est count r y
i n t he wor l d.
I ncr edi bl y, t hough, not even a ci t adel of t hi s magni t ude coul d dwar f t he pi azza
bef or e i t . A spr awl i ng
expanse of gr ani t e, St . Pet er ' s Squar e was a st agger i ng open space i n t he
congest i on of Rome, l i ke a
cl assi cal Cent r al Par k. I n f r ont of t he basi l i ca, bor der i ng t he vast oval
common, 284 col umns swept
out war d i n f our concent r i c ar cs of di mi ni shi ng si ze . . . an ar chi t ect ur al
t r ompe de l ' oi el used t o hei ght en
t he pi azza' s sense of gr andeur .
Sei t e 57
As he st ar ed at t he magni f i cent shr i ne bef or e hi m, Langdon wonder ed what St .
Pet er woul d t hi nk i f he wer e
her e now. The Sai nt had di ed a gr uesome deat h, cr uci f i ed upsi de down on t hi s
ver y spot . Now he r est ed i n
t he most sacr ed of t ombs, bur i ed f i ve st or i es down, di r ect l y beneat h t he cent r al
cupol a of t he basi l i ca.
" Vat i can Ci t y, " t he pi l ot sai d, soundi ng anyt hi ng but wel comi ng.
Langdon l ooked out at t he t ower i ng st one bast i ons t hat l oomed ahead- i mpenet r abl e
f or t i f i cat i ons
sur r oundi ng t he compl ex . . . a st r angel y ear t hl y def ense f or a spi r i t ual wor l d
of secr et s, power , and
myst er y.
" Look! " Vi t t or i a sai d suddenl y, gr abbi ng Langdon' s ar m. She mot i oned f r ant i cal l y
downwar d t owar d St .
Pet er ' s Squar e di r ect l y beneat h t hem. Langdon put hi s f ace t o t he wi ndow and
l ooked.
" Over t her e, " she sai d, poi nt i ng.
Langdon l ooked. The r ear of t he pi azza l ooked l i ke a par ki ng l ot cr owded wi t h a
dozen or so t r ai l er t r ucks.
Huge sat el l i t e di shes poi nt ed skywar d f r omt he r oof of ever y t r uck. The di shes
wer e embl azoned wi t h
f ami l i ar names:
TELEVI SOR EUROPEA
VI DEO I TALI A
BBC
UNI TED PRESS I NTERNATI ONAL
Langdon f el t suddenl y conf used, wonder i ng i f t he news of t he ant i mat t er had
al r eady l eaked out .
Vi t t or i a seemed suddenl y t ense. " Why i s t he pr ess her e? What ' s goi ng on?"
The pi l ot t ur ned and gave her an odd l ook over hi s shoul der . " What ' s goi ng on?
You don' t know?"
" No, " she f i r ed back, her accent husky and st r ong.
" I l Concl avo, " he sai d. " I t i s t o be seal ed i n about an hour . The whol e wor l d i s
wat chi ng. "
I l Concl avo.
The wor d r ang a l ong moment i n Langdon' s ear s bef or e dr oppi ng l i ke a br i ck t o
t he pi t of hi s st omach. I l
Concl avo. The Vat i can Concl ave. How coul d he have f or got t en? I t had been i n t he
news r ecent l y.
Fi f t een days ago, t he Pope, af t er a t r emendousl y popul ar t wel ve- year r ei gn, had
passed away. Ever y paper
i n t he wor l d had car r i ed t he st or y about t he Pope' s f at al st r oke whi l e
sl eepi ng- a sudden and unexpect ed
deat h many whi sper ed was suspi ci ous. But now, i n keepi ng wi t h t he sacr ed
t r adi t i on, f i f t een days af t er t he
deat h of a Pope, t he Vat i can was hol di ng I l Concl avo- t he sacr ed cer emony i n
whi ch t he 165 car di nal s of
t he wor l d- t he most power f ul men i n Chr i st endom- gat her ed i n Vat i can Ci t y t o el ect
t he new Pope.
Ever y car di nal on t he pl anet i s her e t oday, Langdon t hought as t he chopper
passed over St . Pet er ' s
Basi l i ca. The expansi ve i nner wor l d of Vat i can Ci t y spr ead out beneat h hi m. The
ent i r e power st r uct ur e of
t he Roman Cat hol i c Chur ch i s si t t i ng on a t i me bomb.
34
C ar di nal Mor t at i gazed up at t he l avi sh cei l i ng of t he Si st i ne Chapel and t r i ed
t o f i nd a moment of qui et
r ef l ect i on. The f r escoed wal l s echoed wi t h t he voi ces of car di nal s f r omnat i ons
ar ound t he gl obe. The men
j ost l ed i n t he candl el i t t aber nacl e, whi sper i ng exci t edl y and consul t i ng wi t h
one anot her i n numer ous
l anguages, t he uni ver sal t ongues bei ng Engl i sh, I t al i an, and Spani sh.
The l i ght i n t he chapel was usual l y subl i me- l ong r ays of t i nt ed sun sl i ci ng
t hr ough t he dar kness l i ke r ays
f r omheaven- but not t oday. As was t he cust om, al l of t he chapel ' s wi ndows had
been cover ed i n bl ack
Sei t e 58
vel vet i n t he name of secr ecy. Thi s ensur ed t hat no one on t he i nsi de coul d send
si gnal s or communi cat e i n
any way wi t h t he out si de wor l d. The r esul t was a pr of ound dar kness l i t onl y by
candl es . . . a shi mmer i ng
r adi ance t hat seemed t o pur i f y ever yone i t t ouched, maki ng t hemal l ghost l y . .
. l i ke sai nt s.
What pr i vi l ege, Mor t at i t hought , t hat I amt o over see t hi s sanct i f i ed event .
Car di nal s over ei ght y year s of
age wer e t oo ol d t o be el i gi bl e f or el ect i on and di d not at t end concl ave, but at
sevent y- ni ne year s ol d,
Mor t at i was t he most seni or car di nal her e and had been appoi nt ed t o over see t he
pr oceedi ngs.
Fol l owi ng t r adi t i on, t he car di nal s gat her ed her e t wo hour s bef or e concl ave t o
cat ch up wi t h f r i ends and
engage i n l ast - mi nut e di scussi on. At 7 P. M. , t he l at e Pope' s chamber l ai n woul d
ar r i ve, gi ve openi ng pr ayer ,
and t hen l eave. Then t he Swi ss Guar d woul d seal t he door s and l ock al l t he
car di nal s i nsi de. I t was t hen t hat
t he ol dest and most secr et i ve pol i t i cal r i t ual i n t he wor l d woul d begi n. The
car di nal s woul d not be r el eased
unt i l t hey deci ded who among t hemwoul d be t he next Pope.
Concl ave. Even t he name was secr et i ve. " Con cl ave" l i t er al l y meant " l ocked wi t h
a key. " The car di nal s
wer e per mi t t ed no cont act what soever wi t h t he out si de wor l d. No phone cal l s. No
messages. No whi sper s
t hr ough door ways. Concl ave was a vacuum, not t o be i nf l uenced by anyt hi ng i n t he
out si de wor l d. Thi s
woul d ensur e t hat t he car di nal s kept Sol umDumpr ae ocul i s . . . onl y God bef or e
t hei r eyes.
Out si de t he wal l s of t he chapel , of cour se, t he medi a wat ched and wai t ed,
specul at i ng as t o whi ch of t he
car di nal s woul d become t he r ul er of one bi l l i on Cat hol i cs wor l dwi de. Concl aves
cr eat ed an i nt ense,
pol i t i cal l y char ged at mospher e, and over t he cent ur i es t hey had t ur ned deadl y;
poi soni ngs, f i st f i ght s, and
even mur der had er upt ed wi t hi n t he sacr ed wal l s. Anci ent hi st or y, Mor t at i
t hought . Toni ght ' s concl ave wi l l
be uni f i ed, bl i ssf ul , and above al l . . . br i ef .
Or at l east t hat had been hi s specul at i on.
Now, however , an unexpect ed devel opment had emer ged. Myst i f yi ngl y, f our
car di nal s wer e absent f r om
t he chapel . Mor t at i knew t hat al l t he exi t s t o Vat i can Ci t y wer e guar ded, and
t he mi ssi ng car di nal s coul d
not have gone f ar , but st i l l , wi t h l ess t han an hour bef or e openi ng pr ayer , he
was f eel i ng di sconcer t ed. Af t er
al l , t he f our mi ssi ng men wer e no or di nar y car di nal s. They wer e t he car di nal s.
The chosen f our .
As over seer of t he concl ave, Mor t at i had al r eady sent wor d t hr ough t he pr oper
channel s t o t he Swi ss Guar d
al er t i ng t hemt o t he car di nal s' absence. He had yet t o hear back. Ot her
car di nal s had now not i ced t he
puzzl i ng absence. The anxi ous whi sper s had begun. Of al l car di nal s, t hese f our
shoul d be on t i me! Car di nal
Mor t at i was st ar t i ng t o f ear i t mi ght be a l ong eveni ng af t er al l .
He had no i dea.
35
T he Vat i can' s hel i pad, f or r easons of saf et y and noi se cont r ol , i s l ocat ed i n
t he nor t hwest t i p of Vat i can
Ci t y, as f ar f r omSt . Pet er ' s Basi l i ca as possi bl e.
" Ter r a f i r ma, " t he pi l ot announced as t hey t ouched down. He exi t ed and opened
t he sl i di ng door f or
Langdon and Vi t t or i a.
Langdon descended f r omt he cr af t and t ur ned t o hel p Vi t t or i a, but she had
al r eady dr opped ef f or t l essl y t o
t he gr ound. Ever y muscl e i n her body seemed t uned t o one obj ect i ve- f i ndi ng t he
ant i mat t er bef or e i t l ef t a
hor r i f i c l egacy.
Af t er st r et chi ng a r ef l ect i ve sun t ar p acr oss t he cockpi t wi ndow, t he pi l ot
usher ed t hemt o an over si zed
Sei t e 59
el ect r i c gol f car t wai t i ng near t he hel i pad. The car t whi sked t hemsi l ent l y
al ongsi de t he count r y' s west er n
bor der - a f i f t y- f oot - t al l cement bul war k t hi ck enough t o war d of f at t acks even by
t anks. Li ni ng t he i nt er i or
of t he wal l , post ed at f i f t y- met er i nt er val s, Swi ss Guar ds st ood at at t ent i on,
sur veyi ng t he i nt er i or of t he
gr ounds. The car t t ur ned shar pl y r i ght ont o Vi a del l a Osser vat or i o. Si gns
poi nt ed i n al l di r ect i ons:
PALAZZI O GOVERNATORI O
COLLEGI O ETHI OPI ANA
BASI LI CA SAN PI ETRO
CAPELLA SI STI NA
They accel er at ed up t he mani cur ed r oad past a squat bui l di ng mar ked RADI O
VATI CANA. Thi s, Langdon
r eal i zed t o hi s amazement , was t he hub of t he wor l d' s most l i st ened- t o r adi o
pr ogr ammi ng- Radi o Vat i cana-
spr eadi ng t he wor d of God t o mi l l i ons of l i st ener s ar ound t he gl obe.
" At t enzi one, " t he pi l ot sai d, t ur ni ng shar pl y i nt o a r ot ar y.
As t he car t wound r ound, Langdon coul d bar el y bel i eve t he si ght now comi ng i nt o
vi ew. Gi ar di ni Vat i cani ,
he t hought . The hear t of Vat i can Ci t y. Di r ect l y ahead r ose t he r ear of St .
Pet er ' s Basi l i ca, a vi ew, Langdon
r eal i zed, most peopl e never saw. To t he r i ght l oomed t he Pal ace of t he Tr i bunal ,
t he l ush papal r esi dence
r i val ed onl y by Ver sai l l es i n i t s bar oque embel l i shment . The sever e- l ooki ng
Gover nat or at o bui l di ng was
now behi nd t hem, housi ng Vat i can Ci t y' s admi ni st r at i on. And up ahead on t he
l ef t , t he massi ve r ect angul ar
edi f i ce of t he Vat i can Museum. Langdon knew t her e woul d be no t i me f or a museum
vi si t t hi s t r i p.
" Wher e i s ever yone?" Vi t t or i a asked, sur veyi ng t he deser t ed l awns and wal kways.
The guar d checked hi s bl ack, mi l i t ar y- st yl e chr onogr aph- an odd anachr oni sm
beneat h hi s puf f y sl eeve.
" The car di nal s ar e convened i n t he Si st i ne Chapel . Concl ave begi ns i n a l i t t l e
under an hour . "
Langdon nodded, vaguel y r ecal l i ng t hat bef or e concl ave t he car di nal s spent t wo
hour s i nsi de t he Si st i ne
Chapel i n qui et r ef l ect i on and vi si t at i ons wi t h t hei r f el l ow car di nal s f r om
ar ound t he gl obe. The t i me was
meant t o r enew ol d f r i endshi ps among t he car di nal s and f aci l i t at e a l ess heat ed
el ect i on pr ocess. " And t he
r est of t he r esi dent s and st af f ?"
" Banned f r omt he ci t y f or secr ecy and secur i t y unt i l t he concl ave concl udes. "
" And when does i t concl ude?"
The guar d shr ugged. " God onl y knows. " The wor ds sounded oddl y l i t er al .
Af t er par ki ng t he car t on t he wi de l awn di r ect l y behi nd St . Pet er ' s Basi l i ca,
t he guar d escor t ed Langdon and
Vi t t or i a up a st one escar pment t o a mar bl e pl aza of f t he back of t he basi l i ca.
Cr ossi ng t he pl aza, t hey
appr oached t he r ear wal l of t he basi l i ca and f ol l owed i t t hr ough a t r i angul ar
cour t yar d, acr oss Vi a
Bel veder e, and i nt o a ser i es of bui l di ngs cl osel y huddl ed t oget her . Langdon' s
ar t hi st or y had t aught hi m
enough I t al i an t o pi ck out si gns f or t he Vat i can Pr i nt i ng Of f i ce, t he Tapest r y
Rest or at i on Lab, Post Of f i ce
Management , and t he Chur ch of St . Ann. They cr ossed anot her smal l squar e and
ar r i ved at t hei r
dest i nat i on.
The Of f i ce of t he Swi ss Guar d i s housed adj acent t o I l Cor po di Vi gi l anza,
di r ect l y nor t heast of St . Pet er ' s
Basi l i ca. The of f i ce i s a squat , st one bui l di ng. On ei t her si de of t he ent r ance,
l i ke t wo st one st at ues, st ood a
pai r of guar ds.
Langdon had t o admi t , t hese guar ds di d not l ook qui t e so comi cal . Al t hough t hey
al so wor e t he bl ue and
gol d uni f or m, each wi el ded t he t r adi t i onal " Vat i can l ong swor d" - an ei ght - f oot
Sei t e 60
spear wi t h a r azor - shar p
scyt he- r umor ed t o have decapi t at ed count l ess Musl i ms whi l e def endi ng t he
Chr i st i an cr usader s i n t he
f i f t eent h cent ur y.
As Langdon and Vi t t or i a appr oached, t he t wo guar ds st epped f or war d, cr ossi ng
t hei r l ong swor ds, bl ocki ng
t he ent r ance. One l ooked up at t he pi l ot i n conf usi on. " I pant al oni , " he sai d,
mot i oni ng t o Vi t t or i a' s shor t s.
The pi l ot waved t hemof f . " I l comandant e vuol e veder l i subi t o. "
The guar ds f r owned. Rel uct ant l y t hey st epped asi de.
I nsi de, t he ai r was cool . I t l ooked not hi ng l i ke t he admi ni st r at i ve secur i t y
of f i ces Langdon woul d have
i magi ned. Or nat e and i mpeccabl y f ur ni shed, t he hal l ways cont ai ned pai nt i ngs
Langdon was cer t ai n any
museumwor l dwi de woul d gl adl y have f eat ur ed i n i t s mai n gal l er y.
The pi l ot poi nt ed down a st eep set of st ai r s. " Down, pl ease. "
Langdon and Vi t t or i a f ol l owed t he whi t e mar bl e t r eads as t hey descended bet ween
a gaunt l et of nude mal e
scul pt ur es. Each st at ue wor e a f i g l eaf t hat was l i ght er i n col or t han t he r est
of t he body.
The Gr eat Cast r at i on, Langdon t hought .
I t was one of t he most hor r i f i c t r agedi es i n Renai ssance ar t . I n 1857, Pope Pi us
I X deci ded t hat t he accur at e
r epr esent at i on of t he mal e f or mmi ght i nci t e l ust i nsi de t he Vat i can. So he got
a chi sel and mal l et and
hacked of f t he geni t al i a of ever y si ngl e mal e st at ue i nsi de Vat i can Ci t y. He
def aced wor ks by
Mi chel angel o, Br amant e, and Ber ni ni . Pl ast er f i g l eaves wer e used t o pat ch t he
damage. Hundr eds of
scul pt ur es had been emascul at ed. Langdon had of t en wonder ed i f t her e was a huge
cr at e of st one peni ses
somepl ace.
" Her e, " t he guar d announced.
They r eached t he bot t omof t he st ai r s and dead- ended at a heavy, st eel door . The
guar d t yped an ent r y code,
and t he door sl i d open. Langdon and Vi t t or i a ent er ed.
Beyond t he t hr eshol d was absol ut e mayhem.
36
T he Of f i ce of t he Swi ss Guar d.
Langdon st ood i n t he door way, sur veyi ng t he col l i si on of cent ur i es bef or e t hem.
Mi xed medi a. The r oom
was a l ushl y ador ned Renai ssance l i br ar y compl et e wi t h i nl ai d bookshel ves,
or i ent al car pet s, and col or f ul
t apest r i es . . . and yet t he r oombr i st l ed wi t h hi gh- t ech gear - banks of
comput er s, f axes, el ect r oni c maps of
t he Vat i can compl ex, and t el evi si ons t uned t o CNN. Men i n col or f ul pant al oons
t yped f ever i shl y on
comput er s and l i st ened i nt ent l y i n f ut ur i st i c headphones.
" Wai t her e, " t he guar d sai d.
Langdon and Vi t t or i a wai t ed as t he guar d cr ossed t he r oomt o an except i onal l y
t al l , wi r y man i n a dar k bl ue
mi l i t ar y uni f or m. He was t al ki ng on a cel l ul ar phone and st ood so st r ai ght he
was al most bent backwar d.
The guar d sai d somet hi ng t o hi m, and t he man shot a gl ance over at Langdon and
Vi t t or i a. He nodded, t hen
t ur ned hi s back on t hemand cont i nued hi s phone cal l .
The guar d r et ur ned. " Commander Ol i vet t i wi l l be wi t h you i n a moment . "
" Thank you. "
The guar d l ef t and headed back up t he st ai r s.
Langdon st udi ed Commander Ol i vet t i acr oss t he r oom, r eal i zi ng he was act ual l y
t he Commander i n Chi ef
of t he ar med f or ces of an ent i r e count r y. Vi t t or i a and Langdon wai t ed, obser vi ng
t he act i on bef or e t hem.
Br i ght l y dr essed guar ds bust l ed about yel l i ng or der s i n I t al i an.
" Cont i nua cer cando! " one yel l ed i nt o a t el ephone.
" Pr obast i i l museo?" anot her asked.
Langdon di d not need f l uent I t al i an t o di scer n t hat t he secur i t y cent er was
cur r ent l y i n i nt ense sear ch mode.
Sei t e 61
Thi s was t he good news. The bad news was t hat t hey obvi ousl y had not yet f ound
t he ant i mat t er .
" You okay?" Langdon asked Vi t t or i a.
She shr ugged, of f er i ng a t i r ed smi l e.
When t he commander f i nal l y cl i cked of f hi s phone and appr oached acr oss t he r oom,
he seemed t o gr ow
wi t h each st ep. Langdon was t al l hi msel f and not accust omed t o l ooki ng up at
many peopl e, but
Commander Ol i vet t i demanded i t . Langdon sensed i mmedi at el y t hat t he commander
was a man who had
weat her ed t empest s, hi s f ace hal e and st eel ed. Hi s dar k hai r was cr opped i n a
mi l i t ar y buzz cut , and hi s
eyes bur ned wi t h t he ki nd of har dened det er mi nat i on onl y at t ai nabl e t hr ough
year s of i nt ense t r ai ni ng. He
moved wi t h r amr od exact ness, t he ear pi ece hi dden di scr eet l y behi nd one ear
maki ng hi ml ook mor e l i ke
U. S. Secr et Ser vi ce t han Swi ss Guar d.
The commander addr essed t hemi n accent ed Engl i sh. Hi s voi ce was st ar t l i ngl y
qui et f or such a l ar ge man,
bar el y a whi sper . I t bi t wi t h a t i ght , mi l i t ar y ef f i ci ency. " Good af t er noon, " he
sai d. " I amCommander
Ol i vet t i - Comandant e Pr i nci pal e of t he Swi ss Guar d. I ' mt he one who cal l ed your
di r ect or . "
Vi t t or i a gazed upwar d. " Thank you f or seei ng us, si r . "
The commander di d not r espond. He mot i oned f or t hemt o f ol l ow and l ed t hem
t hr ough t he t angl e of
el ect r oni cs t o a door i n t he si de wal l of t he chamber . " Ent er , " he sai d, hol di ng
t he door f or t hem.
Langdon and Vi t t or i a wal ked t hr ough and f ound t hemsel ves i n a dar kened cont r ol
r oomwher e a wal l of
vi deo moni t or s was cycl i ng l azi l y t hr ough a ser i es of bl ack- and- whi t e i mages of
t he compl ex. A young
guar d sat wat chi ng t he i mages i nt ent l y.
" Fuor i , " Ol i vet t i sai d.
The guar d packed up and l ef t .
Ol i vet t i wal ked over t o one of t he scr eens and poi nt ed t o i t . Then he t ur ned
t owar d hi s guest s. " Thi s i mage
i s f r oma r emot e camer a hi dden somewher e i nsi de Vat i can Ci t y. I ' d l i ke an
expl anat i on. "
Langdon and Vi t t or i a l ooked at t he scr een and i nhal ed i n uni son. The i mage was
absol ut e. No doubt . I t was
CERN' s ant i mat t er cani st er . I nsi de, a shi mmer i ng dr opl et of met al l i c l i qui d hung
omi nousl y i n t he ai r , l i t
by t he r hyt hmi c bl i nki ng of t he LED di gi t al cl ock. Eer i l y, t he ar ea ar ound t he
cani st er was al most ent i r el y
dar k, as i f t he ant i mat t er wer e i n a cl oset or dar kened r oom. At t he t op of t he
moni t or f l ashed super i mposed
t ext : LI VE FEED- CAMERA #86.
Vi t t or i a l ooked at t he t i me r emai ni ng on t he f l ashi ng i ndi cat or on t he cani st er .
" Under si x hour s, " she
whi sper ed t o Langdon, her f ace t ense.
Langdon checked hi s wat ch. " So we have unt i l . . . " He st opped, a knot
t i ght eni ng i n hi s st omach.
" Mi dni ght , " Vi t t or i a sai d, wi t h a wi t her i ng l ook.
Mi dni ght , Langdon t hought . A f l ai r f or t he dr amat i c. Appar ent l y whoever st ol e
t he cani st er l ast ni ght had
t i med i t per f ect l y. A st ar k f or ebodi ng set i n as he r eal i zed he was cur r ent l y
si t t i ng at gr ound zer o.
Ol i vet t i ' s whi sper now sounded mor e l i ke a hi ss. " Does t hi s obj ect bel ong t o
your f aci l i t y?"
Vi t t or i a nodded. " Yes, si r . I t was st ol en f r omus. I t cont ai ns an ext r emel y
combust i bl e subst ance cal l ed
ant i mat t er . "
Ol i vet t i l ooked unmoved. " I amqui t e f ami l i ar wi t h i ncendi ar i es, Ms. Vet r a. I
have not hear d of ant i mat t er . "
" I t ' s new t echnol ogy. We need t o l ocat e i t i mmedi at el y or evacuat e Vat i can
Ci t y. "
Ol i vet t i cl osed hi s eyes sl owl y and r eopened t hem, as i f r ef ocusi ng on Vi t t or i a
mi ght change what he j ust
Sei t e 62
hear d. " Evacuat e? Ar e you awar e what i s goi ng on her e t hi s eveni ng?"
" Yes, si r . And t he l i ves of your car di nal s ar e i n danger . We have about si x
hour s. Have you made any
headway l ocat i ng t he cani st er ?"
Ol i vet t i shook hi s head. " We haven' t st ar t ed l ooki ng. "
Vi t t or i a choked. " What ? But we expr essl y hear d your guar ds t al ki ng about
sear chi ng t he- "
" Sear chi ng, yes, " Ol i vet t i sai d, " but not f or your cani st er . My men ar e l ooki ng
f or somet hi ng el se t hat does
not concer n you. "
Vi t t or i a' s voi ce cr acked. " You haven' t even begun l ooki ng f or t hi s cani st er ?"
Ol i vet t i ' s pupi l s seemed t o r ecede i nt o hi s head. He had t he passi onl ess l ook of
an i nsect . " Ms. Vet r a, i s i t ?
Let me expl ai n somet hi ng t o you. The di r ect or of your f aci l i t y r ef used t o shar e
any det ai l s about t hi s obj ect
wi t h me over t he phone except t o say t hat I needed t o f i nd i t i mmedi at el y. We
ar e except i onal l y busy, and I
do not have t he l uxur y of dedi cat i ng manpower t o a si t uat i on unt i l I get some
f act s. "
" Ther e i s onl y one r el evant f act at t hi s moment , si r , " Vi t t or i a sai d, " t hat
bei ng t hat i n si x hour s t hat devi ce
i s goi ng t o vapor i ze t hi s ent i r e compl ex. "
Ol i vet t i st ood mot i onl ess. " Ms. Vet r a, t her e i s somet hi ng you need t o know. " Hi s
t one hi nt ed at
pat r oni zi ng. " Despi t e t he ar chai c appear ance of Vat i can Ci t y, ever y si ngl e
ent r ance, bot h publ i c and
pr i vat e, i s equi pped wi t h t he most advanced sensi ng equi pment known t o man. I f
someone t r i ed t o ent er
wi t h any sor t of i ncendi ar y devi ce i t woul d be det ect ed i nst ant l y. We have
r adi oact i ve i sot ope scanner s,
ol f act or y f i l t er s desi gned by t he Amer i can DEA t o det ect t he f ai nt est chemi cal
si gnat ur es of combust i bl es
and t oxi ns. We al so use t he most advanced met al det ect or s and X- r ay scanner s
avai l abl e. "
" Ver y i mpr essi ve, " Vi t t or i a sai d, mat chi ng Ol i vet t i ' s cool . " Unf or t unat el y,
ant i mat t er i s nonr adi oact i ve, i t s
chemi cal si gnat ur e i s t hat of pur e hydr ogen, and t he cani st er i s pl ast i c. None
of t hose devi ces woul d have
det ect ed i t . "
" But t he devi ce has an ener gy sour ce, " Ol i vet t i sai d, mot i oni ng t o t he bl i nki ng
LED. " Even t he smal l est
t r ace of ni ckel - cadmi umwoul d r egi st er as- "
" The bat t er i es ar e al so pl ast i c. "
Ol i vet t i ' s pat i ence was cl ear l y st ar t i ng t o wane. " Pl ast i c bat t er i es?"
" Pol ymer gel el ect r ol yt e wi t h Tef l on. "
Ol i vet t i l eaned t owar d her , as i f t o accent uat e hi s hei ght advant age.
" Si gnor i na, t he Vat i can i s t he t ar get of
dozens of bomb t hr eat s a mont h. I per sonal l y t r ai n ever y Swi ss Guar d i n moder n
expl osi ve t echnol ogy. I
amwel l awar e t hat t her e i s no subst ance on ear t h power f ul enough t o do what you
ar e descr i bi ng unl ess
you ar e t al ki ng about a nucl ear war head wi t h a f uel cor e t he si ze of a
basebal l . "
Vi t t or i a f r amed hi mwi t h a f er vent st ar e. " Nat ur e has many myst er i es yet t o
unvei l . "
Ol i vet t i l eaned cl oser . " Mi ght I ask exact l y who you ar e? What i s your posi t i on
at CERN?"
" I ama seni or member of t he r esear ch st af f and appoi nt ed l i ai son t o t he Vat i can
f or t hi s cr i si s. "
" Excuse me f or bei ng r ude, but i f t hi s i s i ndeed a cr i si s, why amI deal i ng wi t h
you and not your di r ect or ?
And what di sr espect do you i nt end by comi ng i nt o Vat i can Ci t y i n shor t pant s?"
Langdon gr oaned. He coul dn' t bel i eve t hat under t he ci r cumst ances t he man was
bei ng a st i ckl er f or dr ess
code. Then agai n, he r eal i zed, i f st one peni ses coul d i nduce l ust f ul t hought s i n
Vat i can r esi dent s, Vi t t or i a
Vet r a i n shor t s coul d cer t ai nl y be a t hr eat t o nat i onal secur i t y.
" Commander Ol i vet t i , " Langdon i nt er vened, t r yi ng t o di f f use what l ooked l i ke a
second bomb about t o
Sei t e 63
expl ode. " My name i s Rober t Langdon. I ' ma pr of essor of r el i gi ous st udi es i n t he
U. S. and unaf f i l i at ed wi t h
CERN. I have seen an ant i mat t er demonst r at i on and wi l l vouch f or Ms. Vet r a' s
cl ai mt hat i t i s
except i onal l y danger ous. We have r eason t o bel i eve i t was pl aced i nsi de your
compl ex by an ant i r el i gi ous
cul t hopi ng t o di sr upt your concl ave. "
Ol i vet t i t ur ned, peer i ng down at Langdon. " I have a woman i n shor t s t el l i ng me
t hat a dr opl et of l i qui d i s
goi ng t o bl ow up Vat i can Ci t y, and I have an Amer i can pr of essor t el l i ng me we
ar e bei ng t ar get ed by some
ant i r el i gi ous cul t . What exact l y i s i t you expect me t o do?"
" Fi nd t he cani st er , " Vi t t or i a sai d. " Ri ght away. "
" I mpossi bl e. That devi ce coul d be anywher e. Vat i can Ci t y i s enor mous. "
" Your camer as don' t have GPS l ocat or s on t hem?"
" They ar e not gener al l y st ol en. Thi s mi ssi ng camer a wi l l t ake days t o l ocat e. "
" We don' t have days, " Vi t t or i a sai d adamant l y. " We have si x hour s. "
" Si x hour s unt i l what , Ms. Vet r a?" Ol i vet t i ' s voi ce gr ew l ouder suddenl y. He
poi nt ed t o t he i mage on t he
scr een. " Unt i l t hese number s count down? Unt i l Vat i can Ci t y di sappear s? Bel i eve
me, I do not t ake ki ndl y
t o peopl e t amper i ng wi t h my secur i t y syst em. Nor do I l i ke mechani cal
cont r apt i ons appear i ng
myst er i ousl y i nsi de my wal l s. I amconcer ned. I t i s my j ob t o be concer ned. But
what you have t ol d me
her e i s unaccept abl e. "
Langdon spoke bef or e he coul d st op hi msel f . " Have you hear d of t he I l l umi nat i ?"
The commander ' s i cy ext er i or cr acked. Hi s eyes went whi t e, l i ke a shar k about t o
at t ack. " I amwar ni ng
you. I do not have t i me f or t hi s. "
" So you have hear d of t he I l l umi nat i ?"
Ol i vet t i ' s eyes st abbed l i ke bayonet s. " I ama swor n def endant of t he Cat hol i c
Chur ch. Of cour se I have
hear d of t he I l l umi nat i . They have been dead f or decades. "
Langdon r eached i n hi s pocket and pul l ed out t he f ax i mage of Leonar do Vet r a' s
br anded body. He handed
i t t o Ol i vet t i .
" I aman I l l umi nat i schol ar , " Langdon sai d as Ol i vet t i st udi ed t he pi ct ur e. " I
amhavi ng a di f f i cul t t i me
accept i ng t hat t he I l l umi nat i ar e st i l l act i ve, and yet t he appear ance of t hi s
br and combi ned wi t h t he f act
t hat t he I l l umi nat i have a wel l - known covenant agai nst Vat i can Ci t y has changed
my mi nd. "
" A comput er - gener at ed hoax. " Ol i vet t i handed t he f ax back t o Langdon.
Langdon st ar ed, i ncr edul ous. " Hoax? Look at t he symmet r y! You of al l peopl e
shoul d r eal i ze t he
aut hent i ci t y of - "
" Aut hent i ci t y i s pr eci sel y what you l ack. Per haps Ms. Vet r a has not i nf or med
you, but CERN sci ent i st s
have been cr i t i ci zi ng Vat i can pol i ci es f or decades. They r egul ar l y pet i t i on us
f or r et r act i on of Cr eat i oni st
t heor y, f or mal apol ogi es f or Gal i l eo and Coper ni cus, r epeal of our cr i t i ci sm
agai nst danger ous or i mmor al
r esear ch. What scenar i o seems mor e l i kel y t o you- t hat a f our - hundr ed- year - ol d
sat ani c cul t has r esur f aced
wi t h an advanced weapon of mass dest r uct i on, or t hat some pr ankst er at CERN i s
t r yi ng t o di sr upt a sacr ed
Vat i can event wi t h a wel l - execut ed f r aud?"
" That phot o, " Vi t t or i a sai d, her voi ce l i ke boi l i ng l ava, " i s of my f at her .
Mur der ed. You t hi nk t hi s i s my
i dea of a j oke?"
" I don' t know, Ms. Vet r a. But I do know unt i l I get some answer s t hat make
sense, t her e i s no way I wi l l
r ai se any sor t of al ar m. Vi gi l ance and di scr et i on ar e my dut y . . . such t hat
spi r i t ual mat t er s can t ake pl ace
her e wi t h cl ar i t y of mi nd. Today of al l days. "
Langdon sai d, " At l east post pone t he event . "
" Post pone?" Ol i vet t i ' s j aw dr opped. " Such ar r ogance! A concl ave i s not some
Amer i can basebal l game you
Sei t e 64
cal l on account of r ai n. Thi s i s a sacr ed event wi t h a st r i ct code and pr ocess.
Never mi nd t hat one bi l l i on
Cat hol i cs i n t he wor l d ar e wai t i ng f or a l eader . Never mi nd t hat t he wor l d medi a
i s out si de. The pr ot ocol s
f or t hi s event ar e hol y- not subj ect t o modi f i cat i on. Si nce 1179, concl aves have
sur vi ved ear t hquakes,
f ami nes, and even t he pl ague. Bel i eve me, i t i s not about t o be cancel ed on
account of a mur der ed sci ent i st
and a dr opl et of God knows what . "
" Take me t o t he per son i n char ge, " Vi t t or i a demanded.
Ol i vet t i gl ar ed. " You' ve got hi m. "
" No, " she sai d. " Someone i n t he cl er gy. "
The vei ns on Ol i vet t i ' s br ow began t o show. " The cl er gy has gone. Wi t h t he
except i on of t he Swi ss Guar d,
t he onl y ones pr esent i n Vat i can Ci t y at t hi s t i me ar e t he Col l ege of Car di nal s.
And t hey ar e i nsi de t he
Si st i ne Chapel . "
" How about t he chamber l ai n?" Langdon st at ed f l at l y.
" Who?"
" The l at e Pope' s chamber l ai n. " Langdon r epeat ed t he wor d sel f - assur edl y, pr ayi ng
hi s memor y ser ved
hi m. He r ecal l ed r eadi ng once about t he cur i ous ar r angement of Vat i can aut hor i t y
f ol l owi ng t he deat h of a
Pope. I f Langdon was cor r ect , dur i ng t he i nt er i mbet ween Popes, compl et e
aut onomous power shi f t ed
t empor ar i l y t o t he l at e Pope' s per sonal assi st ant - hi s chamber l ai n- a secr et ar i al
under l i ng who over saw
concl ave unt i l t he car di nal s chose t he new Hol y Fat her . " I bel i eve t he
chamber l ai n i s t he man i n char ge at
t he moment . "
" I l camer l egno?" Ol i vet t i scowl ed. " The camer l egno i s onl y a pr i est her e. He i s
not even canoni zed. He i s
t he l at e Pope' s hand ser vant . "
" But he i s her e. And you answer t o hi m. "
Ol i vet t i cr ossed hi s ar ms. " Mr . Langdon, i t i s t r ue t hat Vat i can r ul e di ct at es
t he camer l egno assume chi ef
execut i ve of f i ce dur i ng concl ave, but i t i s onl y because hi s l ack of el i gi bi l i t y
f or t he papacy ensur es an
unbi ased el ect i on. I t i s as i f your pr esi dent di ed, and one of hi s ai des
t empor ar i l y sat i n t he oval of f i ce. The
camer l egno i s young, and hi s under st andi ng of secur i t y, or anyt hi ng el se f or
t hat mat t er , i s ext r emel y
l i mi t ed. For al l i nt ent s and pur poses, I ami n char ge her e. "
" Take us t o hi m, " Vi t t or i a sai d.
" I mpossi bl e. Concl ave begi ns i n f or t y mi nut es. The camer l egno i s i n t he Of f i ce
of t he Pope pr epar i ng. I
have no i nt ent i on of di st ur bi ng hi mwi t h mat t er s of secur i t y. "
Vi t t or i a opened her mout h t o r espond but was i nt er r upt ed by a knocki ng at t he
door . Ol i vet t i opened i t .
A guar d i n f ul l r egal i a st ood out si de, poi nt i ng t o hi s wat ch. " l ' or a,
comandant e. "
Ol i vet t i checked hi s own wat ch and nodded. He t ur ned back t o Langdon and
Vi t t or i a l i ke a j udge
ponder i ng t hei r f at e. " Fol l ow me. " He l ed t hemout of t he moni t or i ng r oomacr oss
t he secur i t y cent er t o a
smal l cl ear cubi cl e agai nst t he r ear wal l . " My of f i ce. " Ol i vet t i usher ed t hem
i nsi de. The r oomwas
unspeci al - a cl ut t er ed desk, f i l e cabi net s, f ol di ng chai r s, a wat er cool er . " I
wi l l be back i n t en mi nut es. I
suggest you use t he t i me t o deci de how you woul d l i ke t o pr oceed. "
Vi t t or i a wheel ed. " You can' t j ust l eave! That cani st er i s- "
" I do not have t i me f or t hi s, " Ol i vet t i seet hed. " Per haps I shoul d det ai n you
unt i l af t er t he concl ave when I
do have t i me. "
" Si gnor e, " t he guar d ur ged, poi nt i ng t o hi s wat ch agai n. " Spazzar e di capel l a. "
Ol i vet t i nodded and st ar t ed t o l eave.
" Spazzar e di capel l a?" Vi t t or i a demanded. " You' r e l eavi ng t o sweep t he chapel ?"
Ol i vet t i t ur ned, hi s eyes bor i ng t hr ough her . " We sweep f or el ect r oni c bugs,
Mi ss Vet r a- a mat t er of
Sei t e 65
di scr et i on. " He mot i oned t o her l egs. " Not somet hi ng I woul d expect you t o
under st and. "
Wi t h t hat he sl ammed t he door , r at t l i ng t he heavy gl ass. I n one f l ui d mot i on he
pr oduced a key, i nser t ed i t ,
and t wi st ed. A heavy deadbol t sl i d i nt o pl ace.
" I di t a! " Vi t t or i a yel l ed. " You can' t keep us i n her e! "
Thr ough t he gl ass, Langdon coul d see Ol i vet t i say somet hi ng t o t he guar d. The
sent i nel nodded. As Ol i vet t i
st r ode out of t he r oom, t he guar d spun and f aced t hemon t he ot her si de of t he
gl ass, ar ms cr ossed, a l ar ge
si dear mvi si bl e on hi s hi p.
Per f ect , Langdon t hought . J ust bl oody per f ect .
37
V i t t or i a gl ar ed at t he Swi ss Guar d st andi ng out si de Ol i vet t i ' s l ocked door . The
sent i nel gl ar ed back, hi s
col or f ul cost ume bel yi ng hi s deci dedl y omi nous ai r .
" Che f i asco, " Vi t t or i a t hought . Hel d host age by an ar med man i n paj amas.
Langdon had f al l en si l ent , and Vi t t or i a hoped he was usi ng t hat Har var d br ai n of
hi s t o t hi nk t hemout of
t hi s. She sensed, however , f r omt he l ook on hi s f ace, t hat he was mor e i n shock
t han i n t hought . She
r egr et t ed get t i ng hi mso i nvol ved.
Vi t t or i a' s f i r st i nst i nct was t o pul l out her cel l phone and cal l Kohl er , but
she knew i t was f ool i sh. Fi r st , t he
guar d woul d pr obabl y wal k i n and t ake her phone. Second, i f Kohl er ' s epi sode r an
i t s usual cour se, he was
pr obabl y st i l l i ncapaci t at ed. Not t hat i t mat t er ed . . . Ol i vet t i seemed
unl i kel y t o t ake anybody' s wor d on
anyt hi ng at t he moment .
Remember ! she t ol d her sel f . Remember t he sol ut i on t o t hi s t est !
Remembr ance was a Buddhi st phi l osopher ' s t r i ck. Rat her t han aski ng her mi nd t o
sear ch f or a sol ut i on t o a
pot ent i al l y i mpossi bl e chal l enge, Vi t t or i a asked her mi nd si mpl y t o r emember i t .
The pr esupposi t i on t hat
one once knew t he answer cr eat ed t he mi ndset t hat t he answer must exi st . . .
t hus el i mi nat i ng t he cr i ppl i ng
concept i on of hopel essness. Vi t t or i a of t en used t he pr ocess t o sol ve sci ent i f i c
quandar i es . . . t hose t hat
most peopl e t hought had no sol ut i on.
At t he moment , however , her r emembr ance t r i ck was dr awi ng a maj or bl ank. So she
measur ed her opt i ons .
. . her needs. She needed t o war n someone. Someone at t he Vat i can needed t o t ake
her ser i ousl y. But who?
The camer l egno? How? She was i n a gl ass box wi t h one exi t .
Tool s, she t ol d her sel f . Ther e ar e al ways t ool s. Reeval uat e your envi r onment .
I nst i nct i vel y she l ower ed her shoul der s, r el axed her eyes, and t ook t hr ee deep
br eat hs i nt o her l ungs. She
sensed her hear t r at e sl ow and her muscl es sof t en. The chaot i c pani c i n her mi nd
di ssol ved. Okay, she
t hought , l et your mi nd be f r ee. What makes t hi s si t uat i on posi t i ve? What ar e my
asset s?
The anal yt i cal mi nd of Vi t t or i a Vet r a, once cal med, was a power f ul f or ce. Wi t hi n
seconds she r eal i zed t hei r
i ncar cer at i on was act ual l y t hei r key t o escape.
" I ' mmaki ng a phone cal l , " she sai d suddenl y.
Langdon l ooked up. " I was about t o suggest you cal l Kohl er , but - "
" Not Kohl er . Someone el se. "
" Who?"
" The camer l egno. "
Langdon l ooked t ot al l y l ost . " You' r e cal l i ng t he chamber l ai n? How?"
" Ol i vet t i sai d t he camer l egno was i n t he Pope' s of f i ce. "
" Okay. You know t he Pope' s pr i vat e number ?"
" No. But I ' mnot cal l i ng on my phone. " She nodded t o a hi gh- t ech phone syst emon
Ol i vet t i ' s desk. I t was
r i ddl ed wi t h speed di al but t ons. " The head of secur i t y must have a di r ect l i ne
t o t he Pope' s of f i ce. "
" He al so has a wei ght l i f t er wi t h a gun pl ant ed si x f eet away. "
" And we' r e l ocked i n. "
" I was act ual l y awar e of t hat . "
Sei t e 66
" I mean t he guar d i s l ocked out . Thi s i s Ol i vet t i ' s pr i vat e of f i ce. I doubt
anyone el se has a key. "
Langdon l ooked out at t he guar d. " Thi s i s pr et t y t hi n gl ass, and t hat ' s a pr et t y
bi g gun. "
" What ' s he goi ng t o do, shoot me f or usi ng t he phone?"
" Who t he hel l knows! Thi s i s a pr et t y st r ange pl ace, and t he way t hi ngs ar e
goi ng- "
" Ei t her t hat , " Vi t t or i a sai d, " or we can spend t he next f i ve hour s and
f or t y- ei ght mi nut es i n Vat i can Pr i son.
At l east we' l l have a f r ont - r ow seat when t he ant i mat t er goes of f . "
Langdon pal ed. " But t he guar d wi l l get Ol i vet t i t he second you pi ck up t hat
phone. Besi des, t her e ar e
t went y but t ons on t her e. And I don' t see any i dent i f i cat i on. You goi ng t o t r y
t hemal l and hope t o get
l ucky?"
" Nope, " she sai d, st r i di ng t o t he phone. " J ust one. " Vi t t or i a pi cked up t he
phone and pr essed t he t op but t on.
" Number one. I bet you one of t hose I l l umi nat i U. S. dol l ar s you have i n your
pocket t hat t hi s i s t he Pope' s
of f i ce. What el se woul d t ake pr i mar y i mpor t ance f or a Swi ss Guar d commander ?"
Langdon di d not have t i me t o r espond. The guar d out si de t he door st ar t ed r appi ng
on t he gl ass wi t h t he but t
of hi s gun. He mot i oned f or her t o set down t he phone.
Vi t t or i a wi nked at hi m. The guar d seemed t o i nf l at e wi t h r age.
Langdon moved away f r omt he door and t ur ned back t o Vi t t or i a. " You damn wel l
bet t er be r i ght , ' cause
t hi s guy does not l ook amused! "
" Damn! " she sai d, l i st eni ng t o t he r ecei ver . " A r ecor di ng. "
" Recor di ng?" Langdon demanded. " The Pope has an answer i ng machi ne?"
" I t wasn' t t he Pope' s of f i ce, " Vi t t or i a sai d, hangi ng up. " I t was t he damn
weekl y menu f or t he Vat i can
commi ssar y. "
Langdon of f er ed a weak smi l e t o t he guar d out si de who was now gl ar i ng angr i l y
t hough t he gl ass whi l e he
hai l ed Ol i vet t i on hi s wal ki e- t al ki e.
38
T he Vat i can swi t chboar d i s l ocat ed i n t he Uf f i ci o di Communi cazi one behi nd t he
Vat i can post of f i ce. I t
i s a r el at i vel y smal l r oomcont ai ni ng an ei ght - l i ne Cor el co 141 swi t chboar d. The
of f i ce handl es over 2, 000
cal l s a day, most r out ed aut omat i cal l y t o t he r ecor di ng i nf or mat i on syst em.
Toni ght , t he sol e communi cat i ons oper at or on dut y sat qui et l y si ppi ng a cup of
caf f ei nat ed t ea. He f el t
pr oud t o be one of onl y a handf ul of empl oyees st i l l al l owed i nsi de Vat i can Ci t y
t oni ght . Of cour se t he
honor was t ai nt ed somewhat by t he pr esence of t he Swi ss Guar ds hover i ng out si de
hi s door . An escor t t o
t he bat hr oom, t he oper at or t hought . Ah, t he i ndi gni t i es we endur e i n t he name of
Hol y Concl ave.
For t unat el y, t he cal l s t hi s eveni ng had been l i ght . Or maybe i t was not so
f or t unat e, he t hought . Wor l d
i nt er est i n Vat i can event s seemed t o have dwi ndl ed i n t he l ast f ew year s. The
number of pr ess cal l s had
t hi nned, and even t he cr azi es wer en' t cal l i ng as of t en. The pr ess of f i ce had
hoped t oni ght ' s event woul d
have mor e of a f est i ve buzz about i t . Sadl y, t hough, despi t e St . Pet er ' s Squar e
bei ng f i l l ed wi t h pr ess t r ucks,
t he vans l ooked t o be most l y st andar d I t al i an and Eur o pr ess. Onl y a handf ul of
gl obal cover - al l net wor ks
wer e t her e . . . no doubt havi ng sent t hei r gi or nal i st i secundar i .
The oper at or gr i pped hi s mug and wonder ed how l ong t oni ght woul d l ast . Mi dni ght
or so, he guessed.
Nowadays, most i nsi der s al r eady knew who was f avor ed t o become Pope wel l bef or e
concl ave convened,
so t he pr ocess was mor e of a t hr ee- or f our - hour r i t ual t han an act ual el ect i on.
Of cour se, l ast - mi nut e
di ssensi on i n t he r anks coul d pr ol ong t he cer emony t hr ough dawn . . . or beyond.
The concl ave of 1831 had
l ast ed f i f t y- f our days. Not t oni ght , he t ol d hi msel f ; r umor was t hi s concl ave
Sei t e 67
woul d be a " smoke- wat ch. "
The oper at or ' s t hought s evapor at ed wi t h t he buzz of an i nsi de l i ne on hi s
swi t chboar d. He l ooked at t he
bl i nki ng r ed l i ght and scr at ched hi s head. That ' s odd, he t hought . The
zer o- l i ne. Who on t he i nsi de woul d be
cal l i ng oper at or i nf or mat i on t oni ght ? Who i s even i nsi de?
" Ci t t del Vat i cano, pr ego?" he sai d, pi cki ng up t he phone.
The voi ce on t he l i ne spoke i n r api d I t al i an. The oper at or vaguel y r ecogni zed
t he accent as t hat common t o
Swi ss Guar ds- f l uent I t al i an t ai nt ed by t he Fr anco- Swi ss i nf l uence. Thi s cal l er ,
however , was most
def i ni t el y not Swi ss Guar d.
On hear i ng t he woman' s voi ce, t he oper at or st ood suddenl y, al most spi l l i ng hi s
t ea. He shot a l ook back
down at t he l i ne. He had not been mi st aken. An i nt er nal ext ensi on. The cal l was
f r omt he i nsi de. Ther e must
be some mi st ake! he t hought . A woman i nsi de Vat i can Ci t y? Toni ght ?
The woman was speaki ng f ast and f ur i ousl y. The oper at or had spent enough year s
on t he phones t o know
when he was deal i ng wi t h a pazzo. Thi s woman di d not sound cr azy. She was ur gent
but r at i onal . Cal mand
ef f i ci ent . He l i st ened t o her r equest , bewi l der ed.
" I l camer l egno?" t he oper at or sai d, st i l l t r yi ng t o f i gur e out wher e t he hel l
t he cal l was comi ng f r om. " I
cannot possi bl y connect . . . yes, I amawar e he i s i n t he Pope' s of f i ce but . .
. who ar e you agai n? . . . and
you want t o war n hi mof . . . " He l i st ened, mor e and mor e unner ved. Ever yone i s
i n danger ? How? And
wher e ar e you cal l i ng f r om? " Per haps I shoul d cont act t he Swi ss . . . " The
oper at or st opped shor t . " You say
you' r e wher e? Wher e?"
He l i st ened i n shock, t hen made a deci si on. " Hol d, pl ease, " he sai d, put t i ng t he
woman on hol d bef or e she
coul d r espond. Then he cal l ed Commander Ol i vet t i ' s di r ect l i ne. Ther e i s no way
t hat woman i s r eal l y-
The l i ne pi cked up i nst ant l y.
" Per l ' amor e di Di o! " a f ami l i ar woman' s voi ce shout ed at hi m. " Pl ace t he damn
cal l ! "
The door of t he Swi ss Guar ds' secur i t y cent er hi ssed open. The guar ds par t ed as
Commander Ol i vet t i
ent er ed t he r ooml i ke a r ocket . Tur ni ng t he cor ner t o hi s of f i ce, Ol i vet t i
conf i r med what hi s guar d on t he
wal ki e- t al ki e had j ust t ol d hi m; Vi t t or i a Vet r a was st andi ng at hi s desk t al ki ng
on t he commander ' s pr i vat e
t el ephone.
Che cogl i oni che ha quest a! he t hought . The bal l s on t hi s one!
Li vi d, he st r ode t o t he door and r ammed t he key i nt o t he l ock. He pul l ed open
t he door and demanded,
" What ar e you doi ng! "
Vi t t or i a i gnor ed hi m. " Yes, " she was sayi ng i nt o t he phone. " And I must war n- "
Ol i vet t i r i pped t he r ecei ver f r omher hand, and r ai sed i t t o hi s ear . " Who t he
hel l i s t hi s! "
For t he t i ni est of an i nst ant , Ol i vet t i ' s i nel ast i c post ur e sl umped. " Yes,
camer l egno . . . " he sai d. " Cor r ect ,
si gnor e . . . but quest i ons of secur i t y demand . . . of cour se not . . . I am
hol di ng her her e f or . . . cer t ai nl y,
but . . . " He l i st ened. " Yes, si r , " he sai d f i nal l y. " I wi l l br i ng t hemup
i mmedi at el y. "
39
T he Apost ol i c Pal ace i s a congl omer at i on of bui l di ngs l ocat ed near t he Si st i ne
Chapel i n t he nor t heast
cor ner of Vat i can Ci t y. Wi t h a commandi ng vi ew of St . Pet er ' s Squar e, t he pal ace
houses bot h t he Papal
Apar t ment s and t he Of f i ce of t he Pope.
Vi t t or i a and Langdon f ol l owed i n si l ence as Commander Ol i vet t i l ed t hemdown a
l ong r ococo cor r i dor , t he
muscl es i n hi s neck pul si ng wi t h r age. Af t er cl i mbi ng t hr ee set s of st ai r s, t hey
ent er ed a wi de, di ml y l i t
Sei t e 68
hal l way.
Langdon coul d not bel i eve t he ar t wor k on t he wal l s- mi nt - condi t i on bust s,
t apest r i es, f r i ezes- wor ks wor t h
hundr eds of t housands of dol l ar s. Two- t hi r ds of t he way down t he hal l t hey
passed an al abast er f ount ai n.
Ol i vet t i t ur ned l ef t i nt o an al cove and st r ode t o one of t he l ar gest door s
Langdon had ever seen.
" Uf f i ci o di Papa, " t he commander decl ar ed, gi vi ng Vi t t or i a an acr i moni ous scowl .
Vi t t or i a di dn' t f l i nch.
She r eached over Ol i vet t i and knocked l oudl y on t he door .
Of f i ce of t he Pope, Langdon t hought , havi ng di f f i cul t y f at homi ng t hat he was
st andi ng out si de one of t he
most sacr ed r ooms i n al l of wor l d r el i gi on.
" Avant i ! " someone cal l ed f r omwi t hi n.
When t he door opened, Langdon had t o shi el d hi s eyes. The sunl i ght was bl i ndi ng.
Sl owl y, t he i mage
bef or e hi mcame i nt o f ocus.
The Of f i ce of t he Pope seemed mor e of a bal l r oomt han an of f i ce. Red mar bl e
f l oor s spr awl ed out i n al l
di r ect i ons t o wal l s ador ned wi t h vi vi d f r escoes. A col ossal chandel i er hung
over head, beyond whi ch a bank
of ar ched wi ndows of f er ed a st unni ng panor ama of t he sun- dr enched St . Pet er ' s
Squar e.
My God, Langdon t hought . Thi s i s a r oomwi t h a vi ew.
At t he f ar end of t he hal l , at a car ved desk, a man sat wr i t i ng f ur i ousl y.
" Avant i , " he cal l ed out agai n,
set t i ng down hi s pen and wavi ng t hemover .
Ol i vet t i l ed t he way, hi s gai t mi l i t ar y. " Si gnor e, " he sai d apol oget i cal l y. " No
ho pot ut o- "
The man cut hi mof f . He st ood and st udi ed hi s t wo vi si t or s.
The camer l egno was not hi ng l i ke t he i mages of f r ai l , beat i f i c ol d men Langdon
usual l y i magi ned r oami ng
t he Vat i can. He wor e no r osar y beads or pendant s. No heavy r obes. He was dr essed
i nst ead i n a si mpl e
bl ack cassock t hat seemed t o ampl i f y t he sol i di t y of hi s subst ant i al f r ame. He
l ooked t o be i n hi s l at e-
t hi r t i es, i ndeed a chi l d by Vat i can st andar ds. He had a sur pr i si ngl y handsome
f ace, a swi r l of coar se br own
hai r , and al most r adi ant gr een eyes t hat shone as i f t hey wer e somehow f uel ed by
t he myst er i es of t he
uni ver se. As t he man dr ew near er , t hough, Langdon saw i n hi s eyes a pr of ound
exhaust i on- l i ke a soul who
had been t hr ough t he t oughest f i f t een days of hi s l i f e.
" I amCar l o Vent r esca, " he sai d, hi s Engl i sh per f ect . " The l at e Pope' s
camer l egno. " Hi s voi ce was
unpr et ent i ous and ki nd, wi t h onl y t he sl i ght est hi nt of I t al i an i nf l ect i on.
" Vi t t or i a Vet r a, " she sai d, st eppi ng f or war d and of f er i ng her hand. " Thank you
f or seei ng us. "
Ol i vet t i t wi t ched as t he camer l egno shook Vi t t or i a' s hand.
" Thi s i s Rober t Langdon, " Vi t t or i a sai d. " A r el i gi ous hi st or i an f r omHar var d
Uni ver si t y. "
" Padr e, " Langdon sai d, i n hi s best I t al i an accent . He bowed hi s head as he
ext ended hi s hand.
" No, no, " t he camer l egno i nsi st ed, l i f t i ng Langdon back up. " Hi s Hol i ness' s
of f i ce does not make me hol y.
I ammer el y a pr i est - a chamber l ai n ser vi ng i n a t i me of need. "
Langdon st ood upr i ght .
" Pl ease, " t he camer l egno sai d, " ever yone si t . " He ar r anged some chai r s ar ound
hi s desk. Langdon and
Vi t t or i a sat . Ol i vet t i appar ent l y pr ef er r ed t o st and.
The camer l egno seat ed hi msel f at t he desk, f ol ded hi s hands, si ghed, and eyed
hi s vi si t or s.
" Si gnor e, " Ol i vet t i sai d. " The woman' s at t i r e i s my f aul t . I - "
" Her at t i r e i s not what concer ns me, " t he camer l egno r epl i ed, soundi ng t oo
exhaust ed t o be bot her ed.
" When t he Vat i can oper at or cal l s me a hal f hour bef or e I begi n concl ave t o t el l
me a woman i s cal l i ng f r om
your pr i vat e of f i ce t o war n me of some sor t of maj or secur i t y t hr eat of whi ch I
have not been i nf or med, t hat
Sei t e 69
concer ns me. "
Ol i vet t i st ood r i gi d, hi s back ar ched l i ke a sol di er under i nt ense i nspect i on.
Langdon f el t hypnot i zed by t he camer l egno' s pr esence. Young and wear i ed as he
was, t he pr i est had t he ai r
of some myt hi cal her o- r adi at i ng char i sma and aut hor i t y.
" Si gnor e, " Ol i vet t i sai d, hi s t one apol oget i c but st i l l unyi el di ng. " You shoul d
not concer n your sel f wi t h
mat t er s of secur i t y. You have ot her r esponsi bi l i t i es. "
" I amwel l awar e of my ot her r esponsi bi l i t i es. I amal so awar e t hat as di r et t or e
i nt er medi ar i o, I have a
r esponsi bi l i t y f or t he saf et y and wel l - bei ng of ever yone at t hi s concl ave. What
i s goi ng on her e?"
" I have t he si t uat i on under cont r ol . "
" Appar ent l y not . "
" Fat her , " Langdon i nt er r upt ed, t aki ng out t he cr umpl ed f ax and handi ng i t t o t he
camer l egno, " pl ease. "
Commander Ol i vet t i st epped f or war d, t r yi ng t o i nt er vene. " Fat her , pl ease do not
t r oubl e your t hought s
wi t h- "
The camer l egno t ook t he f ax, i gnor i ng Ol i vet t i f or a l ong moment . He l ooked at
t he i mage of t he mur der ed
Leonar do Vet r a and dr ew a st ar t l ed br eat h. " What i s t hi s?"
" That i s my f at her , " Vi t t or i a sai d, her voi ce waver i ng. " He was a pr i est and a
man of sci ence. He was
mur der ed l ast ni ght . "
The camer l egno' s f ace sof t ened i nst ant l y. He l ooked up at her . " My dear chi l d.
I ' mso sor r y. " He cr ossed
hi msel f and l ooked agai n at t he f ax, hi s eyes seemi ng t o pool wi t h waves of
abhor r ence. " Who woul d . . .
and t hi s bur n on hi s . . . " The camer l egno paused, squi nt i ng cl oser at t he
i mage.
" I t says I l l umi nat i , " Langdon sai d. " No doubt you ar e f ami l i ar wi t h t he name. "
An odd l ook came acr oss t he camer l egno' s f ace. " I have hear d t he name, yes, but
. . . "
" The I l l umi nat i mur der ed Leonar do Vet r a so t hey coul d st eal a new t echnol ogy he
was- "
" Si gnor e, " Ol i vet t i i nt er j ect ed. " Thi s i s absur d. The I l l umi nat i ? Thi s i s
cl ear l y some sor t of el abor at e hoax. "
The camer l egno seemed t o ponder Ol i vet t i ' s wor ds. Then he t ur ned and
cont empl at ed Langdon so f ul l y
t hat Langdon f el t t he ai r l eave hi s l ungs. " Mr . Langdon, I have spent my l i f e i n
t he Cat hol i c Chur ch. I am
f ami l i ar wi t h t he I l l umi nat i l or e . . . and t he l egend of t he br andi ngs. And yet
I must war n you, I ama man
of t he pr esent t ense. Chr i st i ani t y has enough r eal enemi es wi t hout r esur r ect i ng
ghost s. "
" The symbol i s aut hent i c, " Langdon sai d, a l i t t l e t oo def ensi vel y he t hought . He
r eached over and r ot at ed
t he f ax f or t he camer l egno.
The camer l egno f el l si l ent when he saw t he symmet r y.
" Even moder n comput er s, " Langdon added, " have been unabl e t o f or ge a symmet r i cal
ambi gr amof t hi s
wor d. "
The camer l egno f ol ded hi s hands and sai d not hi ng f or a l ong t i me. " The
I l l umi nat i ar e dead, " he f i nal l y
sai d. " Long ago. That i s hi st or i cal f act . "
Langdon nodded. " Yest er day, I woul d have agr eed wi t h you. "
" Yest er day?"
" Bef or e t oday' s chai n of event s. I bel i eve t he I l l umi nat i have r esur f aced t o
make good on an anci ent pact . "
" For gi ve me. My hi st or y i s r ust y. What anci ent pact i s t hi s?"
Langdon t ook a deep br eat h. " The dest r uct i on of Vat i can Ci t y. "
" Dest r oy Vat i can Ci t y?" The camer l egno l ooked l ess f r i ght ened t han conf used.
" But t hat woul d be
i mpossi bl e. "
Vi t t or i a shook her head. " I ' maf r ai d we have some mor e bad news. "
40
I s t hi s t r ue?" t he camer l egno demanded, l ooki ng amazed as he t ur ned f r om
Vi t t or i a t o Ol i vet t i .
Sei t e 70
" Si gnor e, " Ol i vet t i assur ed, " I ' l l admi t t her e i s some sor t of devi ce her e. I t
i s vi si bl e on one of our secur i t y
moni t or s, but as f or Ms. Vet r a' s cl ai ms as t o t he power of t hi s subst ance, I
cannot possi bl y- "
" Wai t a mi nut e, " t he camer l egno sai d. " You can see t hi s t hi ng?"
" Yes, si gnor e. On wi r el ess camer a #86. "
" Then why haven' t you r ecover ed i t ?" The camer l egno' s voi ce echoed anger now.
" Ver y di f f i cul t , si gnor e. " Ol i vet t i st ood st r ai ght as he expl ai ned t he
si t uat i on.
The camer l egno l i st ened, and Vi t t or i a sensed hi s gr owi ng concer n. " Ar e you
cer t ai n i t i s i nsi de Vat i can
Ci t y?" t he camer l egno asked. " Maybe someone t ook t he camer a out and i s
t r ansmi t t i ng f r omsomewher e
el se. "
" I mpossi bl e, " Ol i vet t i sai d. " Our ext er nal wal l s ar e shi el ded el ect r oni cal l y t o
pr ot ect our i nt er nal
communi cat i ons. Thi s si gnal can onl y be comi ng f r omt he i nsi de or we woul d not
be r ecei vi ng i t . "
" And I assume, " he sai d, " t hat you ar e now l ooki ng f or t hi s mi ssi ng camer a wi t h
al l avai l abl e r esour ces?"
Ol i vet t i shook hi s head. " No, si gnor e. Locat i ng t hat camer a coul d t ake hundr eds
of man hour s. We have a
number of ot her secur i t y concer ns at t he moment , and wi t h al l due r espect t o Ms.
Vet r a, t hi s dr opl et she
t al ks about i s ver y smal l . I t coul d not possi bl y be as expl osi ve as she cl ai ms. "
Vi t t or i a' s pat i ence evapor at ed. " That dr opl et i s enough t o l evel Vat i can Ci t y!
Di d you even l i st en t o a wor d
I t ol d you?"
" Ma' am, " Ol i vet t i sai d, hi s voi ce l i ke st eel , " my exper i ence wi t h expl osi ves i s
ext ensi ve. "
" Your exper i ence i s obsol et e, " she f i r ed back, equal l y t ough. " Despi t e my
at t i r e, whi ch I r eal i ze you f i nd
t r oubl esome, I ama seni or l evel physi ci st at t he wor l d' s most advanced
subat omi c r esear ch f aci l i t y. I
per sonal l y desi gned t he ant i mat t er t r ap t hat i s keepi ng t hat sampl e f r om
anni hi l at i ng r i ght now. And I am
war ni ng you t hat unl ess you f i nd t hat cani st er i n t he next si x hour s, your
guar ds wi l l have not hi ng t o pr ot ect
f or t he next cent ur y but a bi g hol e i n t he gr ound. "
Ol i vet t i wheel ed t o t he camer l egno, hi s i nsect eyes f l ashi ng r age. " Si gnor e, I
cannot i n good consci ence
al l ow t hi s t o go any f ur t her . Your t i me i s bei ng wast ed by pr ankst er s. The
I l l umi nat i ? A dr opl et t hat wi l l
dest r oy us al l ?"
" Bast a, " t he camer l egno decl ar ed. He spoke t he wor d qui et l y and yet i t seemed t o
echo acr oss t he
chamber . Then t her e was si l ence. He cont i nued i n a whi sper . " Danger ous or not ,
I l l umi nat i or no I l l umi nat i ,
what ever t hi s t hi ng i s, i t most cer t ai nl y shoul d not be i nsi de Vat i can Ci t y . .
. no l ess on t he eve of t he
concl ave. I want i t f ound and r emoved. Or gani ze a sear ch i mmedi at el y. "
Ol i vet t i per si st ed. " Si gnor e, even i f we used al l t he guar ds t o sear ch t he
compl ex, i t coul d t ake days t o f i nd
t hi s camer a. Al so, af t er speaki ng t o Ms. Vet r a, I had one of my guar ds consul t
our most advanced bal l i st i cs
gui de f or any ment i on of t hi s subst ance cal l ed ant i mat t er . I f ound no ment i on of
i t anywher e. Not hi ng. "
Pompous ass, Vi t t or i a t hought . A bal l i st i cs gui de? Di d you t r y an encycl opedi a?
Under A!
Ol i vet t i was st i l l t al ki ng. " Si gnor e, i f you ar e suggest i ng we make a naked- eye
sear ch of t he ent i r et y of
Vat i can Ci t y t hen I must obj ect . "
" Commander . " The camer l egno' s voi ce si mmer ed wi t h r age. " May I r emi nd you t hat
when you addr ess
me, you ar e addr essi ng t hi s of f i ce. I r eal i ze you do not t ake my posi t i on
ser i ousl y- nonet hel ess, by l aw, I am
i n char ge. I f I amnot mi st aken, t he car di nal s ar e now saf el y wi t hi n t he Si st i ne
Chapel , and your secur i t y
concer ns ar e at a mi ni mumunt i l t he concl ave br eaks. I do not under st and why you
Sei t e 71
ar e hesi t ant t o l ook f or
t hi s devi ce. I f I di d not know bet t er i t woul d appear t hat you ar e causi ng t hi s
concl ave i nt ent i onal danger . "
Ol i vet t i l ooked scor nf ul . " How dar e you! I have ser ved your Pope f or t wel ve
year s! And t he Pope bef or e
t hat f or f our t een year s! Si nce 1438 t he Swi ss Guar d have- "
The wal ki e- t al ki e on Ol i vet t i ' s bel t squawked l oudl y, cut t i ng hi mof f .
" Comandant e?"
Ol i vet t i snat ched i t up and pr essed t he t r ansmi t t er . " St o ocupat o! Cosa voi ! ! "
" Scusi , " t he Swi ss Guar d on t he r adi o sai d. " Communi cat i ons her e. I t hought you
woul d want t o be
i nf or med t hat we have r ecei ved a bomb t hr eat . "
Ol i vet t i coul d not have l ooked l ess i nt er est ed. " So handl e i t ! Run t he usual
t r ace, and wr i t e i t up. "
" We di d, si r , but t he cal l er . . . " The guar d paused. " I woul d not t r oubl e you,
commander , except t hat he
ment i oned t he subst ance you j ust asked me t o r esear ch. Ant i mat t er . "
Ever yone i n t he r oomexchanged st unned l ooks.
" He ment i oned what ?" Ol i vet t i st ammer ed.
" Ant i mat t er , si r . Whi l e we wer e t r yi ng t o r un a t r ace, I di d some addi t i onal
r esear ch on hi s cl ai m. The
i nf or mat i on on ant i mat t er i s . . . wel l , f r ankl y, i t ' s qui t e t r oubl i ng. "
" I t hought you sai d t he bal l i st i cs gui de showed no ment i on of i t . "
" I f ound i t on- l i ne. "
Al l el ui a, Vi t t or i a t hought .
" The subst ance appear s t o be qui t e expl osi ve, " t he guar d sai d. " I t ' s har d t o
i magi ne t hi s i nf or mat i on i s
accur at e but i t says her e t hat pound f or pound ant i mat t er car r i es about a
hundr ed t i mes mor e payl oad t han a
nucl ear war head. "
Ol i vet t i sl umped. I t was l i ke wat chi ng a mount ai n cr umbl e. Vi t t or i a' s f eel i ng of
t r i umph was er ased by t he
l ook of hor r or on t he camer l egno' s f ace.
" Di d you t r ace t he cal l ?" Ol i vet t i st ammer ed.
" No l uck. Cel l ul ar wi t h heavy encr ypt i on. The SAT l i nes ar e i nt er f used, so
t r i angul at i on i s out . The I F
si gnat ur e suggest s he' s somewher e i n Rome, but t her e' s r eal l y no way t o t r ace
hi m. "
" Di d he make demands?" Ol i vet t i sai d, hi s voi ce qui et .
" No, si r . J ust war ned us t hat t her e i s ant i mat t er hi dden i nsi de t he compl ex. He
seemed sur pr i sed I di dn' t
know. Asked me i f I ' d seen i t yet . You' d asked me about ant i mat t er , so I deci ded
t o advi se you. "
" You di d t he r i ght t hi ng, " Ol i vet t i sai d. " I ' l l be down i n a mi nut e. Al er t me
i mmedi at el y i f he cal l s back. "
Ther e was a moment of si l ence on t he wal ki e- t al ki e. " The cal l er i s st i l l on t he
l i ne, si r . "
Ol i vet t i l ooked l i ke he' d j ust been el ect r ocut ed. " The l i ne i s open?"
" Yes, si r . We' ve been t r yi ng t o t r ace hi mf or t en mi nut es, get t i ng not hi ng but
spl ayed f er r et i ng. He must
know we can' t t ouch hi mbecause he r ef uses t o hang up unt i l he speaks t o t he
camer l egno. "
" Pat ch hi mt hr ough, " t he camer l egno commanded. " Now! "
Ol i vet t i wheel ed. " Fat her , no. A t r ai ned Swi ss Guar d negot i at or i s much bet t er
sui t ed t o handl e t hi s. "
" Now! "
Ol i vet t i gave t he or der .
A moment l at er , t he phone on Camer l egno Vent r esca' s desk began t o r i ng. The
camer l egno r ammed hi s
f i nger down on t he speaker - phone but t on. " Who i n t he name of God do you t hi nk
you ar e?"
41
T he voi ce emanat i ng f r omt he camer l egno' s speaker phone was met al l i c and col d,
l aced wi t h ar r ogance.
Ever yone i n t he r ooml i st ened.
Langdon t r i ed t o pl ace t he accent . Mi ddl e East er n, per haps?
" I ama messenger of an anci ent br ot her hood, " t he voi ce announced i n an al i en
cadence. " A br ot her hood
you have wr onged f or cent ur i es. I ama messenger of t he I l l umi nat i . "
Sei t e 72
Langdon f el t hi s muscl es t i ght en, t he l ast shr eds of doubt wi t her i ng away. For
an i nst ant he f el t t he f ami l i ar
col l i si on of t hr i l l , pr i vi l ege, and dead f ear t hat he had exper i enced when he
f i r st saw t he ambi gr amt hi s
mor ni ng.
" What do you want ?" t he camer l egno demanded.
" I r epr esent men of sci ence. Men who l i ke your sel ves ar e sear chi ng f or t he
answer s. Answer s t o man' s
dest i ny, hi s pur pose, hi s cr eat or . "
" Whoever you ar e, " t he camer l egno sai d, " I - "
" Si l enzi o. You wi l l do bet t er t o l i st en. For t wo mi l l enni a your chur ch has
domi nat ed t he quest f or t r ut h.
You have cr ushed your opposi t i on wi t h l i es and pr ophesi es of doom. You have
mani pul at ed t he t r ut h t o
ser ve your needs, mur der i ng t hose whose di scover i es di d not ser ve your pol i t i cs.
Ar e you sur pr i sed you ar e
t he t ar get of enl i ght ened men f r omar ound t he gl obe?"
" Enl i ght ened men do not r esor t t o bl ackmai l t o f ur t her t hei r causes. "
" Bl ackmai l ?" The cal l er l aughed. " Thi s i s not bl ackmai l . We have no demands. The
abol i t i on of t he
Vat i can i s nonnegot i abl e. We have wai t ed f our hundr ed year s f or t hi s day. At
mi dni ght , your ci t y wi l l be
dest r oyed. Ther e i s not hi ng you can do. "
Ol i vet t i st or med t owar d t he speaker phone. " Access t o t hi s ci t y i s i mpossi bl e!
You coul d not possi bl y have
pl ant ed expl osi ves i n her e! "
" You speak wi t h t he i gnor ant devot i on of a Swi ss Guar d. Per haps even an of f i cer ?
Sur el y you ar e awar e
t hat f or cent ur i es t he I l l umi nat i have i nf i l t r at ed el i t i st or gani zat i ons acr oss
t he gl obe. Do you r eal l y bel i eve
t he Vat i can i s i mmune?"
J esus, Langdon t hought , t hey' ve got someone on t he i nsi de. I t was no secr et t hat
i nf i l t r at i on was t he
I l l umi nat i t r ademar k of power . They had i nf i l t r at ed t he Masons, maj or banki ng
net wor ks, gover nment
bodi es. I n f act , Chur chi l l had once t ol d r epor t er s t hat i f Engl i sh spi es had
i nf i l t r at ed t he Nazi s t o t he degr ee
t he I l l umi nat i had i nf i l t r at ed Engl i sh Par l i ament , t he war woul d have been over
i n one mont h.
" A t r anspar ent bl uf f , " Ol i vet t i snapped. " Your i nf l uence cannot possi bl y ext end
so f ar . "
" Why? Because your Swi ss Guar ds ar e vi gi l ant ? Because t hey wat ch ever y cor ner of
your pr i vat e wor l d?
How about t he Swi ss Guar ds t hemsel ves? Ar e t hey not men? Do you t r ul y bel i eve
t hey st ake t hei r l i ves on
a f abl e about a man who wal ks on wat er ? Ask your sel f how el se t he cani st er coul d
have ent er ed your ci t y.
Or how f our of your most pr eci ous asset s coul d have di sappear ed t hi s af t er noon. "
" Our asset s?" Ol i vet t i scowl ed. " What do you mean?"
" One, t wo, t hr ee, f our . You haven' t mi ssed t hemby now?"
" What t he hel l ar e you t al k- " Ol i vet t i st opped shor t , hi s eyes r ocket i ng wi de as
t hough he' d j ust been
punched i n t he gut .
" Li ght dawns, " t he cal l er sai d. " Shal l I r ead t hei r names?"
" What ' s goi ng on?" t he camer l egno sai d, l ooki ng bewi l der ed.
The cal l er l aughed. " Your of f i cer has not yet i nf or med you? How si nf ul . No
sur pr i se. Such pr i de. I i magi ne
t he di sgr ace of t el l i ng you t he t r ut h . . . t hat f our car di nal s he had swor n t o
pr ot ect seemt o have
di sappear ed . . . "
Ol i vet t i er upt ed. " Wher e di d you get t hi s i nf or mat i on! "
" Camer l egno, " t he cal l er gl oat ed, " ask your commander i f al l your car di nal s ar e
pr esent i n t he Si st i ne
Chapel . "
The camer l egno t ur ned t o Ol i vet t i , hi s gr een eyes demandi ng an expl anat i on.
" Si gnor e, " Ol i vet t i whi sper ed i n t he camer l egno' s ear , " i t i s t r ue t hat f our of
our car di nal s have not yet
r epor t ed t o t he Si st i ne Chapel , but t her e i s no need f or al ar m. Ever y one of
t hemchecked i nt o t he r esi dence
Sei t e 73
hal l t hi s mor ni ng, so we know t hey ar e saf el y i nsi de Vat i can Ci t y. You your sel f
had t ea wi t h t hemonl y
hour s ago. They ar e si mpl y l at e f or t he f el l owshi p pr ecedi ng concl ave. We ar e
sear chi ng, but I ' msur e t hey
j ust l ost t r ack of t i me and ar e st i l l out enj oyi ng t he gr ounds. "
" Enj oyi ng t he gr ounds?" The cal mdepar t ed f r omt he camer l egno' s voi ce. " They
wer e due i n t he chapel
over an hour ago! "
Langdon shot Vi t t or i a a l ook of amazement . Mi ssi ng car di nal s? So t hat ' s what
t hey wer e l ooki ng f or
downst ai r s?
" Our i nvent or y, " t he cal l er sai d, " you wi l l f i nd qui t e convi nci ng. Ther e i s
Car di nal Lamass f r omPar i s,
Car di nal Gui der a f r omBar cel ona, Car di nal Ebner f r omFr ankf ur t . . . "
Ol i vet t i seemed t o shr i nk smal l er and smal l er af t er each name was r ead.
The cal l er paused, as t hough t aki ng speci al pl easur e i n t he f i nal name. " And
f r omI t al y . . . Car di nal
Baggi a. "
The camer l egno l oosened l i ke a t al l shi p t hat had j ust r un sheet s f i r st i nt o a
dead cal m. Hi s f r ock bi l l owed,
and he col l apsed i n hi s chai r . " I pr ef er i t i , " he whi sper ed. " The f our f avor i t es
. . . i ncl udi ng Baggi a . . . t he
most l i kel y successor as Supr eme Pont i f f . . . how i s i t possi bl e?"
Langdon had r ead enough about moder n papal el ect i ons t o under st and t he l ook of
desper at i on on t he
camer l egno' s f ace. Al t hough t echni cal l y any car di nal under ei ght y year s ol d
coul d become Pope, onl y a
ver y f ew had t he r espect necessar y t o command a t wo- t hi r ds maj or i t y i n t he
f er oci ousl y par t i san bal l ot i ng
pr ocedur e. They wer e known as t he pr ef er i t i . And t hey wer e al l gone.
Sweat dr i pped f r omt he camer l egno' s br ow. " What do you i nt end wi t h t hese men?"
" What do you t hi nk I i nt end? I ama descendant of t he Hassassi n. "
Langdon f el t a shi ver . He knew t he name wel l . The chur ch had made some deadl y
enemi es t hr ough t he
year s- t he Hassassi n, t he Kni ght s Templ ar , ar mi es t hat had been ei t her hunt ed by
t he Vat i can or bet r ayed by
t hem.
" Let t he car di nal s go, " t he camer l egno sai d. " I sn' t t hr eat eni ng t o dest r oy t he
Ci t y of God enough?"
" For get your f our car di nal s. They ar e l ost t o you. Be assur ed t hei r deat hs wi l l
be r emember ed t hough . . . by
mi l l i ons. Ever y mar t yr ' s dr eam. I wi l l make t hemmedi a l umi nar i es. One by one.
By mi dni ght t he
I l l umi nat i wi l l have ever yone' s at t ent i on. Why change t he wor l d i f t he wor l d i s
not wat chi ng? Publ i c
ki l l i ngs have an i nt oxi cat i ng hor r or about t hem, don' t t hey? You pr oved t hat
l ong ago . . . t he i nqui si t i on,
t he t or t ur e of t he Kni ght s Templ ar , t he Cr usades. " He paused. " And of cour se, l a
pur ga. "
The camer l egno was si l ent .
" Do you not r ecal l l a pur ga?" t he cal l er asked. " Of cour se not , you ar e a chi l d.
Pr i est s ar e poor hi st or i ans,
anyway. Per haps because t hei r hi st or y shames t hem?"
" La pur ga, " Langdon hear d hi msel f say. " Si xt een si xt y- ei ght . The chur ch br anded
f our I l l umi nat i sci ent i st s
wi t h t he symbol of t he cr oss. To pur ge t hei r si ns. "
" Who i s speaki ng?" t he voi ce demanded, soundi ng mor e i nt r i gued t han concer ned.
" Who el se i s t her e?"
Langdon f el t shaky. " My name i s not i mpor t ant , " he sai d, t r yi ng t o keep hi s
voi ce f r omwaver i ng. Speaki ng
t o a l i vi ng I l l umi nat us was di sor i ent i ng f or hi m. . . l i ke speaki ng t o Geor ge
Washi ngt on. " I aman
academi c who has st udi ed t he hi st or y of your br ot her hood. "
" Super b, " t he voi ce r epl i ed. " I ampl eased t her e ar e st i l l t hose al i ve who
r emember t he cr i mes agai nst us. "
" Most of us t hi nk you ar e dead. "
" A mi sconcept i on t he br ot her hood has wor ked har d t o pr omot e. What el se do you
know of l a pur ga?"
Langdon hesi t at ed. What el se do I know? That t hi s whol e si t uat i on i s i nsani t y,
Sei t e 74
t hat ' s what I know! " Af t er
t he br andi ngs, t he sci ent i st s wer e mur der ed, and t hei r bodi es wer e dr opped i n
publ i c l ocat i ons ar ound
Rome as a war ni ng t o ot her sci ent i st s not t o j oi n t he I l l umi nat i . "
" Yes. So we shal l do t he same. Qui d pr o quo. Consi der i t symbol i c r et r i but i on
f or our sl ai n br ot her s. Your
f our car di nal s wi l l di e, one ever y hour st ar t i ng at ei ght . By mi dni ght t he whol e
wor l d wi l l be ent hr al l ed. "
Langdon moved t owar d t he phone. " You act ual l y i nt end t o br and and ki l l t hese
f our men?"
" Hi st or y r epeat s i t sel f , does i t not ? Of cour se, we wi l l be mor e el egant and
bol d t han t he chur ch was. They
ki l l ed pr i vat el y, dr oppi ng bodi es when no one was l ooki ng. I t seems so
cowar dl y. "
" What ar e you sayi ng?" Langdon asked. " That you ar e goi ng t o br and and ki l l
t hese men i n publ i c?"
" Ver y good. Al t hough i t depends what you consi der publ i c. I r eal i ze not many
peopl e go t o chur ch
anymor e. "
Langdon di d a doubl e t ake. " You' r e goi ng t o ki l l t hemi n chur ches?"
" A gest ur e of ki ndness. Enabl i ng God t o command t hei r soul s t o heaven mor e
expedi t i ousl y. I t seems onl y
r i ght . Of cour se t he pr ess wi l l enj oy i t t oo, I i magi ne. "
" You' r e bl uf f i ng, " Ol i vet t i sai d, t he cool back i n hi s voi ce. " You cannot ki l l a
man i n a chur ch and expect
t o get away wi t h i t . "
" Bl uf f i ng? We move among your Swi ss Guar d l i ke ghost s, r emove f our of your
car di nal s f r omwi t hi n your
wal l s, pl ant a deadl y expl osi ve at t he hear t of your most sacr ed shr i ne, and you
t hi nk t hi s i s a bl uf f ? As t he
ki l l i ngs occur and t he vi ct i ms ar e f ound, t he medi a wi l l swar m. By mi dni ght t he
wor l d wi l l know t he
I l l umi nat i cause. "
" And i f we st ake guar ds i n ever y chur ch?" Ol i vet t i sai d.
The cal l er l aughed. " I f ear t he pr ol i f i c nat ur e of your r el i gi on wi l l make t hat
a t r yi ng t ask. Have you not
count ed l at el y? Ther e ar e over f our hundr ed Cat hol i c chur ches i n Rome.
Cat hedr al s, chapel s, t aber nacl es,
abbeys, monast er i es, convent s, par ochi al school s . . . "
Ol i vet t i ' s f ace r emai ned har d.
" I n ni net y mi nut es i t begi ns, " t he cal l er sai d wi t h a not e of f i nal i t y. " One an
hour . A mat hemat i cal
pr ogr essi on of deat h. Now I must go. "
" Wai t ! " Langdon demanded. " Tel l me about t he br ands you i nt end t o use on t hese
men. "
The ki l l er sounded amused. " I suspect you know what t he br ands wi l l be al r eady.
Or per haps you ar e a
skept i c? You wi l l see t hemsoon enough. Pr oof t he anci ent l egends ar e t r ue. "
Langdon f el t l i ght - headed. He knew exact l y what t he man was cl ai mi ng. Langdon
pi ct ur ed t he br and on
Leonar do Vet r a' s chest . I l l umi nat i f ol kl or e spoke of f i ve br ands i n al l . Four
br ands ar e l ef t , Langdon
t hought , and f our mi ssi ng car di nal s.
" I amswor n, " t he camer l egno sai d, " t o br i ng a new Pope t oni ght . Swor n by God. "
" Camer l egno, " t he cal l er sai d, " t he wor l d does not need a new Pope. Af t er
mi dni ght he wi l l have not hi ng t o
r ul e over but a pi l e of r ubbl e. The Cat hol i c Chur ch i s f i ni shed. Your r un on
ear t h i s done. "
Si l ence hung.
The camer l egno l ooked si ncer el y sad. " You ar e mi sgui ded. A chur ch i s mor e t han
mor t ar and st one. You
cannot si mpl y er ase t wo t housand year s of f ai t h . . . any f ai t h. You cannot
cr ush f ai t h si mpl y by r emovi ng
i t s ear t hl y mani f est at i ons. The Cat hol i c Chur ch wi l l cont i nue wi t h or wi t hout
Vat i can Ci t y. "
" A nobl e l i e. But a l i e al l t he same. We bot h know t he t r ut h. Tel l me, why i s
Vat i can Ci t y a wal l ed
ci t adel ?"
" Men of God l i ve i n a danger ous wor l d, " t he camer l egno sai d.
Sei t e 75
" How young ar e you? The Vat i can i s a f or t r ess because t he Cat hol i c Chur ch hol ds
hal f of i t s equi t y i nsi de
i t s wal l s- r ar e pai nt i ngs, scul pt ur e, deval ued j ewel s, pr i cel ess books . . . t hen
t her e i s t he gol d bul l i on and
t he r eal est at e deeds i nsi de t he Vat i can Bank vaul t s. I nsi de est i mat es put t he
r aw val ue of Vat i can Ci t y at
48. 5 bi l l i on dol l ar s. Qui t e a nest egg you' r e si t t i ng on. Tomor r ow i t wi l l be
ash. Li qui dat ed asset s as i t
wer e. You wi l l be bankr upt . Not even men of cl ot h can wor k f or not hi ng. "
The accur acy of t he st at ement seemed t o be r ef l ect ed i n Ol i vet t i ' s and t he
camer l egno' s shel l - shocked
l ooks. Langdon wasn' t sur e what was mor e amazi ng, t hat t he Cat hol i c Chur ch had
t hat ki nd of money, or
t hat t he I l l umi nat i somehow knew about i t .
The camer l egno si ghed heavi l y. " Fai t h, not money, i s t he backbone of t hi s
chur ch. "
" Mor e l i es, " t he cal l er sai d. " Last year you spent 183 mi l l i on dol l ar s t r yi ng t o
suppor t your st r uggl i ng
di oceses wor l dwi de. Chur ch at t endance i s at an al l - t i me l ow- down f or t y- si x
per cent i n t he l ast decade.
Donat i ons ar e hal f what t hey wer e onl y seven year s ago. Fewer and f ewer men ar e
ent er i ng t he semi nar y.
Al t hough you wi l l not admi t i t , your chur ch i s dyi ng. Consi der t hi s a chance t o
go out wi t h a bang. "
Ol i vet t i st epped f or war d. He seemed l ess combat i ve now, as i f he now sensed t he
r eal i t y f aci ng hi m. He
l ooked l i ke a man sear chi ng f or an out . Any out . " And what i f some of t hat
bul l i on went t o f und your
cause?"
" Do not i nsul t us bot h. "
" We have money. "
" As do we. Mor e t han you can f at hom. "
Langdon f l ashed on t he al l eged I l l umi nat i f or t unes, t he anci ent weal t h of t he
Bavar i an st one masons, t he
Rot hschi l ds, t he Bi l der ber ger s, t he l egendar y I l l umi nat i Di amond.
" I pr ef er i t i , " t he camer l egno sai d, changi ng t he subj ect . Hi s voi ce was
pl eadi ng. " Spar e t hem. They ar e
ol d. They- "
" They ar e vi r gi n sacr i f i ces. " The cal l er l aughed. " Tel l me, do you t hi nk t hey
ar e r eal l y vi r gi ns? Wi l l t he
l i t t l e l ambs squeal when t hey di e? Sacr i f i ci ver gi ni nel l ' al t ar e di sci enza. "
The camer l egno was si l ent f or a l ong t i me. " They ar e men of f ai t h, " he f i nal l y
sai d. " They do not f ear
deat h. "
The cal l er sneer ed. " Leonar do Vet r a was a man of f ai t h, and yet I saw f ear i n
hi s eyes l ast ni ght . A f ear I
r emoved. "
Vi t t or i a, who had been si l ent , was suddenl y ai r bor ne, her body t aut wi t h hat r ed.
" Asi no! He was my
f at her ! "
A cackl e echoed f r omt he speaker . " Your f at her ? What i s t hi s? Vet r a has a
daught er ? You shoul d know
your f at her whi mper ed l i ke a chi l d at t he end. Pi t i f ul r eal l y. A pat het i c man. "
Vi t t or i a r eel ed as i f knocked backwar d by t he wor ds. Langdon r eached f or her ,
but she r egai ned her bal ance
and f i xed her dar k eyes on t he phone. " I swear on my l i f e, bef or e t hi s ni ght i s
over , I wi l l f i nd you. " Her
voi ce shar pened l i ke a l aser . " And when I do . . . "
The cal l er l aughed coar sel y. " A woman of spi r i t . I amar oused. Per haps bef or e
t hi s ni ght i s over , I wi l l f i nd
you. And when I do . . . "
The wor ds hung l i ke a bl ade. Then he was gone.
42
C ar di nal Mor t at i was sweat i ng now i n hi s bl ack r obe. Not onl y was t he Si st i ne
Chapel st ar t i ng t o f eel
l i ke a sauna, but concl ave was schedul ed t o begi n i n t went y mi nut es, and t her e
was st i l l no wor d on t he
f our mi ssi ng car di nal s. I n t hei r absence, t he i ni t i al whi sper s of conf usi on
among t he ot her car di nal s had
Sei t e 76
t ur ned t o out spoken anxi et y.
Mor t at i coul d not i magi ne wher e t he t r uant men coul d be. Wi t h t he camer l egno
per haps? He knew t he
camer l egno had hel d t he t r adi t i onal pr i vat e t ea f or t he f our pr ef er i t i ear l i er
t hat af t er noon, but t hat had been
hour s ago. Wer e t hey i l l ? Somet hi ng t hey at e? Mor t at i doubt ed i t . Even on t he
ver ge of deat h t he pr ef er i t i
woul d be her e. I t was once i n a l i f et i me, usual l y never , t hat a car di nal had t he
chance t o be el ect ed Supr eme
Pont i f f , and by Vat i can Law t he car di nal had t o be i nsi de t he Si st i ne Chapel
when t he vot e t ook pl ace.
Ot her wi se, he was i nel i gi bl e.
Al t hough t her e wer e f our pr ef er i t i , f ew car di nal s had any doubt who t he next
Pope woul d be. The past
f i f t een days had seen a bl i zzar d of f axes and phone cal l s di scussi ng pot ent i al
candi dat es. As was t he
cust om, f our names had been chosen as pr ef er i t i , each of t hemf ul f i l l i ng t he
unspoken r equi si t es f or
becomi ng Pope:
Mul t i l i ngual i n I t al i an, Spani sh, and Engl i sh.
No skel et ons i n hi s cl oset .
Bet ween si xt y- f i ve and ei ght y year s ol d.
As usual , one of t he pr ef er i t i had r i sen above t he ot her s as t he man t he col l ege
pr oposed t o el ect . Toni ght
t hat man was Car di nal Al do Baggi a f r omMi l an. Baggi a' s unt ai nt ed r ecor d of
ser vi ce, combi ned wi t h
unpar al l el ed l anguage ski l l s and t he abi l i t y t o communi cat e t he essence of
spi r i t ual i t y, had made hi mt he
cl ear f avor i t e.
So wher e t he devi l i s he? Mor t at i wonder ed.
Mor t at i was par t i cul ar l y unner ved by t he mi ssi ng car di nal s because t he t ask of
super vi si ng t hi s concl ave
had f al l en t o hi m. A week ago, t he Col l ege of Car di nal s had unani mousl y chosen
Mor t at i f or t he of f i ce
known as The Gr eat El ect or - t he concl ave' s i nt er nal mast er of cer emoni es. Even
t hough t he camer l egno
was t he chur ch' s r anki ng of f i ci al , t he camer l egno was onl y a pr i est and had
l i t t l e f ami l i ar i t y wi t h t he
compl ex el ect i on pr ocess, so one car di nal was sel ect ed t o over see t he cer emony
f r omwi t hi n t he Si st i ne
Chapel .
Car di nal s of t en j oked t hat bei ng appoi nt ed The Gr eat El ect or was t he cr uel est
honor i n Chr i st endom. The
appoi nt ment made one i nel i gi bl e as a candi dat e dur i ng t he el ect i on, and i t al so
r equi r ed one spend many
days pr i or t o concl ave por i ng over t he pages of t he Uni ver si Domi ni ci Gr egi s
r evi ewi ng t he subt l et i es of
concl ave' s ar cane r i t ual s t o ensur e t he el ect i on was pr oper l y admi ni st er ed.
Mor t at i hel d no gr udge, t hough. He knew he was t he l ogi cal choi ce. Not onl y was
he t he seni or car di nal ,
but he had al so been a conf i dant of t he l at e Pope, a f act t hat el evat ed hi s
est eem. Al t hough Mor t at i was
t echni cal l y st i l l wi t hi n t he l egal age wi ndow f or el ect i on, he was get t i ng a bi t
ol d t o be a ser i ous candi dat e.
At sevent y- ni ne year s ol d he had cr ossed t he unspoken t hr eshol d beyond whi ch t he
col l ege no l onger
t r ust ed one' s heal t h t o wi t hst and t he r i gor ous schedul e of t he papacy. A Pope
usual l y wor ked f our t een- hour
days, seven days a week, and di ed of exhaust i on i n an aver age of 6. 3 year s. The
i nsi de j oke was t hat
accept i ng t he papacy was a car di nal ' s " f ast est r out e t o heaven. "
Mor t at i , many bel i eved, coul d have been Pope i n hi s younger days had he not been
so br oad- mi nded. When
i t came t o pur sui ng t he papacy, t her e was a Hol y Tr i ni t y- Conser vat i ve.
Conser vat i ve. Conser vat i ve.
Mor t at i had al ways f ound i t pl easant l y i r oni c t hat t he l at e Pope, God r est hi s
soul , had r eveal ed hi msel f as
sur pr i si ngl y l i ber al once he had t aken of f i ce. Per haps sensi ng t he moder n wor l d
pr ogr essi ng away f r omt he
Sei t e 77
chur ch, t he Pope had made over t ur es, sof t eni ng t he chur ch' s posi t i on on t he
sci ences, even donat i ng money
t o sel ect i ve sci ent i f i c causes. Sadl y, i t had been pol i t i cal sui ci de.
Conser vat i ve Cat hol i cs decl ar ed t he Pope
" seni l e, " whi l e sci ent i f i c pur i st s accused hi mof t r yi ng t o spr ead t he chur ch' s
i nf l uence wher e i t di d not
bel ong.
" So wher e ar e t hey?"
Mor t at i t ur ned.
One of t he car di nal s was t appi ng hi mner vousl y on t he shoul der . " You know wher e
t hey ar e, don' t you?"
Mor t at i t r i ed not t o show t oo much concer n. " Per haps st i l l wi t h t he camer l egno. "
" At t hi s hour ? That woul d be hi ghl y unor t hodox! " The car di nal f r owned
mi st r ust i ngl y. " Per haps t he
camer l egno l ost t r ack of t i me?"
Mor t at i si ncer el y doubt ed i t , but he sai d not hi ng. He was wel l awar e t hat most
car di nal s di d not much car e
f or t he camer l egno, f eel i ng he was t oo young t o ser ve t he Pope so cl osel y.
Mor t at i suspect ed much of t he
car di nal s' di sl i ke was j eal ousy, and Mor t at i act ual l y admi r ed t he young man,
secr et l y appl audi ng t he l at e
Pope' s sel ect i on f or chamber l ai n. Mor t at i saw onl y convi ct i on when he l ooked i n
t he camer l egno' s eyes,
and unl i ke many of t he car di nal s, t he camer l egno put chur ch and f ai t h bef or e
pet t y pol i t i cs. He was t r ul y a
man of God.
Thr oughout hi s t enur e, t he camer l egno' s st eadf ast devot i on had become l egendar y.
Many at t r i but ed i t t o
t he mi r acul ous event i n hi s chi l dhood . . . an event t hat woul d have l ef t a
per manent i mpr essi on on any
man' s hear t . The mi r acl e and wonder of i t , Mor t at i t hought , of t en wi shi ng hi s
own chi l dhood had pr esent ed
an event t hat f ost er ed t hat ki nd of doubt l ess f ai t h.
Unf or t unat el y f or t he chur ch, Mor t at i knew, t he camer l egno woul d never become
Pope i n hi s el der year s.
At t ai ni ng t he papacy r equi r ed a cer t ai n amount of pol i t i cal ambi t i on, somet hi ng
t he young camer l egno
appar ent l y l acked; he had r ef used hi s Pope' s of f er s f or hi gher cl er i cal st at i ons
many t i mes, sayi ng he
pr ef er r ed t o ser ve t he chur ch as a si mpl e man.
" What next ?" The car di nal t apped Mor t at i , wai t i ng.
Mor t at i l ooked up. " I ' msor r y?"
" They' r e l at e! What shal l we do! "
" What can we do?" Mor t at i r epl i ed. " We wai t . And have f ai t h. "
Looki ng ent i r el y unsat i sf i ed wi t h Mor t at i ' s r esponse, t he car di nal shr unk back
i nt o t he shadows.
Mor t at i st ood a moment , dabbi ng hi s t empl es and t r yi ng t o cl ear hi s mi nd.
I ndeed, what shal l we do? He
gazed past t he al t ar up t o Mi chel angel o' s r enowned f r esco, " The Last J udgment . "
The pai nt i ng di d not hi ng
t o soot he hi s anxi et y. I t was a hor r i f yi ng, f i f t y- f oot - t al l depi ct i on of J esus
Chr i st separ at i ng manki nd i nt o
t he r i ght eous and si nner s, cast i ng t he si nner s i nt o hel l . Ther e was f l ayed
f l esh, bur ni ng bodi es, and even
one of Mi chel angel o' s r i val s si t t i ng i n hel l wear i ng ass' s ear s. Guy de
Maupassant had once wr i t t en t hat t he
pai nt i ng l ooked l i ke somet hi ng pai nt ed f or a car ni val wr est l i ng boot h by an
i gnor ant coal heaver .
Car di nal Mor t at i had t o agr ee.
43
L angdon st ood mot i onl ess at t he Pope' s bul l et pr oof wi ndow and gazed down at t he
bust l e of medi a
t r ai l er s i n St . Pet er ' s Squar e. The eer i e phone conver sat i on had l ef t hi m
f eel i ng t ur gi d . . . di st ended
somehow. Not hi msel f .
The I l l umi nat i , l i ke a ser pent f r omt he f or got t en dept hs of hi st or y, had r i sen
and wr apped t hemsel ves
ar ound an anci ent f oe. No demands. No negot i at i on. J ust r et r i but i on. Demoni cal l y
si mpl e. Squeezi ng. A
Sei t e 78
r evenge 400 year s i n t he maki ng. I t seemed t hat af t er cent ur i es of per secut i on,
sci ence had bi t t en back.
The camer l egno st ood at hi s desk, st ar i ng bl ankl y at t he phone. Ol i vet t i was t he
f i r st t o br eak t he si l ence.
" Car l o, " he sai d, usi ng t he camer l egno' s f i r st name and soundi ng mor e l i ke a
wear y f r i end t han an of f i cer .
" For t went y- si x year s, I have swor n my l i f e t o t he pr ot ect i on of t hi s of f i ce. I t
seems t oni ght I am
di shonor ed. "
The camer l egno shook hi s head. " You and I ser ve God i n di f f er ent capaci t i es, but
ser vi ce al ways br i ngs
honor . "
" These event s . . . I can' t i magi ne how . . . t hi s si t uat i on . . . " Ol i vet t i
l ooked over whel med.
" You r eal i ze we have onl y one possi bl e cour se of act i on. I have a r esponsi bi l i t y
f or t he saf et y of t he
Col l ege of Car di nal s. "
" I f ear t hat r esponsi bi l i t y was mi ne, si gnor e. "
" Then your men wi l l over see t he i mmedi at e evacuat i on. "
" Si gnor e?"
" Ot her opt i ons can be exer ci sed l at er - a sear ch f or t hi s devi ce, a manhunt f or
t he mi ssi ng car di nal s and t hei r
capt or s. But f i r st t he car di nal s must be t aken t o saf et y. The sanct i t y of human
l i f e wei ghs above al l . Those
men ar e t he f oundat i on of t hi s chur ch. "
" You suggest we cancel concl ave r i ght now?"
" Do I have a choi ce?"
" What about your char ge t o br i ng a new Pope?"
The young chamber l ai n si ghed and t ur ned t o t he wi ndow, hi s eyes dr i f t i ng out
ont o t he spr awl of Rome
bel ow. " Hi s Hol i ness once t ol d me t hat a Pope i s a man t or n bet ween t wo wor l ds .
. . t he r eal wor l d and t he
di vi ne. He war ned t hat any chur ch t hat i gnor ed r eal i t y woul d not sur vi ve t o
enj oy t he di vi ne. " Hi s voi ce
sounded suddenl y wi se f or i t s year s. " The r eal wor l d i s upon us t oni ght . We
woul d be vai n t o i gnor e i t .
Pr i de and pr ecedent cannot over shadow r eason. "
Ol i vet t i nodded, l ooki ng i mpr essed. " I have under est i mat ed you, si gnor e. "
The camer l egno di d not seemt o hear . Hi s gaze was di st ant on t he wi ndow.
" I wi l l speak openl y, si gnor e. The r eal wor l d i s my wor l d. I i mmer se mysel f i n
i t s ugl i ness ever y day such
t hat ot her s ar e unencumber ed t o seek somet hi ng mor e pur e. Let me advi se you on
t he pr esent si t uat i on. I t i s
what I amt r ai ned f or . Your i nst i nct s, t hough wor t hy . . . coul d be di sast r ous. "
The camer l egno t ur ned.
Ol i vet t i si ghed. " The evacuat i on of t he Col l ege of Car di nal s f r omt he Si st i ne
Chapel i s t he wor st possi bl e
t hi ng you coul d do r i ght now. "
The camer l egno di d not l ook i ndi gnant , onl y at a l oss. " What do you suggest ?"
" Say not hi ng t o t he car di nal s. Seal concl ave. I t wi l l buy us t i me t o t r y ot her
opt i ons. "
The camer l egno l ooked t r oubl ed. " Ar e you suggest i ng I l ock t he ent i r e Col l ege of
Car di nal s on t op of a
t i me bomb?"
" Yes, si gnor e. For now. Lat er , i f need be, we can ar r ange evacuat i on. "
The camer l egno shook hi s head. " Post poni ng t he cer emony bef or e i t st ar t s i s
gr ounds al one f or an i nqui r y,
but af t er t he door s ar e seal ed not hi ng i nt er venes. Concl ave pr ocedur e
obl i gat es- "
" Real wor l d, si gnor e. You' r e i n i t t oni ght . Li st en cl osel y. " Ol i vet t i spoke now
wi t h t he ef f i ci ent r at t l e of a
f i el d of f i cer . " Mar chi ng one hundr ed si xt y- f i ve car di nal s unpr epar ed and
unpr ot ect ed i nt o Rome woul d be
r eckl ess. I t woul d cause conf usi on and pani c i n some ver y ol d men, and f r ankl y,
one f at al st r oke t hi s mont h
i s enough. "
One f at al st r oke. The commander ' s wor ds r ecal l ed t he headl i nes Langdon had r ead
over di nner wi t h some
st udent s i n t he Har var d Commons: POPE SUFFERS STROKE. DI ES I N SLEEP.
Sei t e 79
" I n addi t i on, " Ol i vet t i sai d, " t he Si st i ne Chapel i s a f or t r ess. Al t hough we
don' t adver t i se t he f act , t he
st r uct ur e i s heavi l y r ei nf or ced and can r epel any at t ack shor t of mi ssi l es. As
pr epar at i on we sear ched ever y
i nch of t he chapel t hi s af t er noon, scanni ng f or bugs and ot her sur vei l l ance
equi pment . The chapel i s cl ean,
a saf e haven, and I amconf i dent t he ant i mat t er i s not i nsi de. Ther e i s no saf er
pl ace t hose men can be r i ght
now. We can al ways di scuss emer gency evacuat i on l at er i f i t comes t o t hat . "
Langdon was i mpr essed. Ol i vet t i ' s col d, smar t l ogi c r emi nded hi mof Kohl er .
" Commander , " Vi t t or i a sai d, her voi ce t ense, " t her e ar e ot her concer ns. Nobody
has ever cr eat ed t hi s much
ant i mat t er . The bl ast r adi us, I can onl y est i mat e. Some of sur r oundi ng Rome may
be i n danger . I f t he
cani st er i s i n one of your cent r al bui l di ngs or under gr ound, t he ef f ect out si de
t hese wal l s may be mi ni mal ,
but i f t he cani st er i s near t he per i met er . . . i n t hi s bui l di ng f or exampl e . .
. " She gl anced war i l y out t he
wi ndow at t he cr owd i n St . Pet er ' s Squar e.
" I amwel l awar e of my r esponsi bi l i t i es t o t he out si de wor l d, " Ol i vet t i r epl i ed,
" and i t makes t hi s si t uat i on
no mor e gr ave. The pr ot ect i on of t hi s sanct uar y has been my sol e char ge f or over
t wo decades. I have no
i nt ent i on of al l owi ng t hi s weapon t o det onat e. "
Camer l egno Vent r esca l ooked up. " You t hi nk you can f i nd i t ?"
" Let me di scuss our opt i ons wi t h some of my sur vei l l ance speci al i st s. Ther e i s a
possi bi l i t y, i f we ki l l
power t o Vat i can Ci t y, t hat we can el i mi nat e t he backgr ound RF and cr eat e a
cl ean enough envi r onment t o
get a r eadi ng on t hat cani st er ' s magnet i c f i el d. "
Vi t t or i a l ooked sur pr i sed, and t hen i mpr essed. " You want t o bl ack out Vat i can
Ci t y?"
" Possi bl y. I don' t yet know i f i t ' s possi bl e, but i t i s one opt i on I want t o
expl or e. "
" The car di nal s woul d cer t ai nl y wonder what happened, " Vi t t or i a r emar ked.
Ol i vet t i shook hi s head. " Concl aves ar e hel d by candl el i ght . The car di nal s woul d
never know. Af t er
concl ave i s seal ed, I coul d pul l al l except a f ew of my per i met er guar ds and
begi n a sear ch. A hundr ed men
coul d cover a l ot of gr ound i n f i ve hour s. "
" Four hour s, " Vi t t or i a cor r ect ed. " I need t o f l y t he cani st er back t o CERN.
Det onat i on i s unavoi dabl e
wi t hout r echar gi ng t he bat t er i es. "
" Ther e' s no way t o r echar ge her e?"
Vi t t or i a shook her head. " The i nt er f ace i s compl ex. I ' d have br ought i t i f I
coul d. "
" Four hour s t hen, " Ol i vet t i sai d, f r owni ng. " St i l l t i me enough. Pani c ser ves no
one. Si gnor e, you have t en
mi nut es. Go t o t he chapel , seal concl ave. Gi ve my men some t i me t o do t hei r j ob.
As we get cl oser t o t he
cr i t i cal hour , we wi l l make t he cr i t i cal deci si ons. "
Langdon wonder ed how cl ose t o " t he cr i t i cal hour " Ol i vet t i woul d l et t hi ngs get .
The camer l egno l ooked t r oubl ed. " But t he col l ege wi l l ask about t he pr ef er i t i .
. . especi al l y about Baggi a . .
. wher e t hey ar e. "
" Then you wi l l have t o t hi nk of somet hi ng, si gnor e. Tel l t hemyou ser ved t he
f our car di nal s somet hi ng at
t ea t hat di sagr eed wi t h t hem. "
The camer l egno l ooked r i l ed. " St and on t he al t ar of t he Si st i ne Chapel and l i e
t o t he Col l ege of Car di nal s?"
" For t hei r own saf et y. Una bugi a veni al e. A whi t e l i e. Your j ob wi l l be t o keep
t he peace. " Ol i vet t i headed
f or t he door . " Now i f you wi l l excuse me, I need t o get st ar t ed. "
" Comandant e, " t he camer l egno ur ged, " we cannot si mpl y t ur n our backs on mi ssi ng
car di nal s. "
Ol i vet t i st opped i n t he door way. " Baggi a and t he ot her s ar e cur r ent l y out si de
our spher e of i nf l uence. We
must l et t hemgo . . . f or t he good of t he whol e. The mi l i t ar y cal l s i t t r i age. "
Sei t e 80
" Don' t you mean abandonment ?"
Hi s voi ce har dened. " I f t her e wer e any way, si gnor e . . . any way i n heaven t o
l ocat e t hose f our car di nal s, I
woul d l ay down my l i f e t o do i t . And yet . . . " He poi nt ed acr oss t he r oomat
t he wi ndow wher e t he ear l y
eveni ng sun gl i nt ed of f an endl ess sea of Roman r oof t ops. " Sear chi ng a ci t y of
f i ve mi l l i on i s not wi t hi n my
power . I wi l l not wast e pr eci ous t i me t o appease my consci ence i n a f ut i l e
exer ci se. I ' msor r y. "
Vi t t or i a spoke suddenl y. " But i f we caught t he ki l l er , coul dn' t you make hi m
t al k?"
Ol i vet t i f r owned at her . " Sol di er s cannot af f or d t o be sai nt s, Ms. Vet r a.
Bel i eve me, I empat hi ze wi t h your
per sonal i ncent i ve t o cat ch t hi s man. "
" I t ' s not onl y per sonal , " she sai d. " The ki l l er knows wher e t he ant i mat t er i s .
. . and t he mi ssi ng car di nal s.
I f we coul d somehow f i nd hi m. . . "
" Pl ay i nt o t hei r hands?" Ol i vet t i sai d. " Bel i eve me, r emovi ng al l pr ot ect i on
f r omVat i can Ci t y i n or der t o
st ake out hundr eds of chur ches i s what t he I l l umi nat i hope we wi l l do . . .
wast i ng pr eci ous t i me and
manpower when we shoul d be sear chi ng . . . or wor se yet , l eavi ng t he Vat i can
Bank t ot al l y unpr ot ect ed.
Not t o ment i on t he r emai ni ng car di nal s. "
The poi nt hi t home.
" How about t he Roman Pol i ce?" t he camer l egno asked. " We coul d al er t ci t ywi de
enf or cement of t he cr i si s.
Enl i st t hei r hel p i n f i ndi ng t he car di nal s' capt or . "
" Anot her mi st ake, " Ol i vet t i sai d. " You know how t he Roman Car boni er i f eel about
us. We' d get a hal f -
hear t ed ef f or t of a f ew men i n exchange f or t hei r sel l i ng our cr i si s t o t he
gl obal medi a. Exact l y what our
enemi es want . We' l l have t o deal wi t h t he medi a soon enough as i t i s. "
I wi l l make your car di nal s medi a l umi nar i es, Langdon t hought , r ecal l i ng t he
ki l l er ' s wor ds. The f i r st
car di nal ' s body appear s at ei ght o' cl ock. Then one ever y hour . The pr ess wi l l
l ove i t .
The camer l egno was t al ki ng agai n, a t r ace of anger i n hi s voi ce. " Commander , we
cannot i n good
consci ence do not hi ng about t he mi ssi ng car di nal s! "
Ol i vet t i l ooked t he camer l egno dead i n t he eye. " The pr ayer of St . Fr anci s,
si gnor e. Do you r ecal l i t ?"
The young pr i est spoke t he si ngl e l i ne wi t h pai n i n hi s voi ce. " God, gr ant me
st r engt h t o accept t hose t hi ngs
I cannot change. "
" Tr ust me, " Ol i vet t i sai d. " Thi s i s one of t hose t hi ngs. " Then he was gone.
44
T he cent r al of f i ce of t he Br i t i sh Br oadcast Cor por at i on ( BBC) i s i n London j ust
west of Pi ccadi l l y
Ci r cus. The swi t chboar d phone r ang, and a j uni or cont ent edi t or pi cked up.
" BBC, " she sai d, st ubbi ng out her Dunhi l l ci gar et t e.
The voi ce on t he l i ne was r aspy, wi t h a Mi d- East accent . " I have a br eaki ng
st or y your net wor k mi ght be
i nt er est ed i n. "
The edi t or t ook out a pen and a st andar d Lead Sheet . " Regar di ng?"
" The papal el ect i on. "
She f r owned wear i l y. The BBC had r un a pr el i mi nar y st or y yest er day t o medi ocr e
r esponse. The publ i c, i t
seemed, had l i t t l e i nt er est i n Vat i can Ci t y. " What ' s t he angl e?"
" Do you have a TV r epor t er i n Rome cover i ng t he el ect i on?"
" I bel i eve so. "
" I need t o speak t o hi mdi r ect l y. "
" I ' msor r y, but I cannot gi ve you t hat number wi t hout some i dea- "
" Ther e i s a t hr eat t o t he concl ave. That i s al l I can t el l you. "
The edi t or t ook not es. " Your name?"
" My name i s i mmat er i al . "
The edi t or was not sur pr i sed. " And you have pr oof of t hi s cl ai m?"
" I do. "
" I woul d be happy t o t ake t he i nf or mat i on, but i t i s not our pol i cy t o gi ve out
Sei t e 81
our r epor t er s' number s unl ess-
"
" I under st and. I wi l l cal l anot her net wor k. Thank you f or your t i me. Good- b- "
" J ust a moment , " she sai d. " Can you hol d?"
The edi t or put t he cal l er on hol d and st r et ched her neck. The ar t of scr eeni ng
out pot ent i al cr ank cal l s was
by no means a per f ect sci ence, but t hi s cal l er had j ust passed t he BBC' s t wo
t aci t t est s f or aut hent i ci t y of a
phone sour ce. He had r ef used t o gi ve hi s name, and he was eager t o get of f t he
phone. Hacks and gl or y
hounds usual l y whi ned and pl eaded.
For t unat el y f or her , r epor t er s l i ved i n et er nal f ear of mi ssi ng t he bi g st or y,
so t hey sel domchast i sed her f or
passi ng al ong t he occasi onal del usi onal psychot i c. Wast i ng f i ve mi nut es of a
r epor t er ' s t i me was
f or gi vabl e. Mi ssi ng a headl i ne was not .
Yawni ng, she l ooked at her comput er and t yped i n t he keywor ds " Vat i can Ci t y. "
When she saw t he name
of t he f i el d r epor t er cover i ng t he papal el ect i on, she chuckl ed t o her sel f . He
was a new guy t he BBC had
j ust br ought up f r omsome t r ashy London t abl oi d t o handl e some of t he BBC' s mor e
mundane cover age.
Edi t or i al had obvi ousl y st ar t ed hi mat t he bot t omr ung.
He was pr obabl y bor ed out of hi s mi nd, wai t i ng al l ni ght t o r ecor d hi s l i ve
t en- second vi deo spot . He woul d
most l i kel y be gr at ef ul f or a br eak i n t he monot ony.
The BBC cont ent edi t or copi ed down t he r epor t er ' s sat el l i t e ext ensi on i n Vat i can
Ci t y. Then, l i ght i ng
anot her ci gar et t e, she gave t he anonymous cal l er t he r epor t er ' s number .
45
I t won' t wor k, " Vi t t or i a sai d, paci ng t he Pope' s of f i ce. She l ooked up at t he
camer l egno. " Even i f a
Swi ss Guar d t eamcan f i l t er el ect r oni c i nt er f er ence, t hey wi l l have t o be
pr act i cal l y on t op of t he cani st er
bef or e t hey det ect any si gnal . And t hat ' s i f t he cani st er i s even accessi bl e . .
. unencl osed by ot her bar r i er s.
What i f i t ' s bur i ed i n a met al box somewher e on your gr ounds? Or up i n a met al
vent i l at i ng duct . Ther e' s
no way t hey' l l t r ace i t . And what i f t he Swi ss Guar ds have been i nf i l t r at ed?
Who' s t o say t he sear ch wi l l be
cl ean?"
The camer l egno l ooked dr ai ned. " What ar e you pr oposi ng, Ms. Vet r a?"
Vi t t or i a f el t f l ust er ed. I sn' t i t obvi ous! " I ampr oposi ng, si r , t hat you t ake
ot her pr ecaut i ons i mmedi at el y.
We can hope agai nst al l hope t hat t he commander ' s sear ch i s successf ul . At t he
same t i me, l ook out t he
wi ndow. Do you see t hose peopl e? Those bui l di ngs acr oss t he pi azza? Those medi a
vans? The t our i st s?
They ar e qui t e possi bl y wi t hi n r ange of t he bl ast . You need t o act now. "
The camer l egno nodded vacant l y.
Vi t t or i a f el t f r ust r at ed. Ol i vet t i had convi nced ever yone t her e was pl ent y of
t i me. But Vi t t or i a knew i f news
of t he Vat i can pr edi cament l eaked out , t he ent i r e ar ea coul d f i l l wi t h onl ooker s
i n a mat t er of mi nut es. She
had seen i t once out si de t he Swi ss Par l i ament bui l di ng. Dur i ng a host age
si t uat i on i nvol vi ng a bomb,
t housands had congr egat ed out si de t he bui l di ng t o wi t ness t he out come. Despi t e
pol i ce war ni ngs t hat t hey
wer e i n danger , t he cr owd packed i n cl oser and cl oser . Not hi ng capt ur ed human
i nt er est l i ke human
t r agedy.
" Si gnor e, " Vi t t or i a ur ged, " t he man who ki l l ed my f at her i s out t her e somewher e.
Ever y cel l i n t hi s body
want s t o r un f r omher e and hunt hi mdown. But I amst andi ng i n your of f i ce . . .
because I have a
r esponsi bi l i t y t o you. To you and ot her s. Li ves ar e i n danger , si gnor e. Do you
hear me?"
The camer l egno di d not answer .
Vi t t or i a coul d hear her own hear t r aci ng. Why coul dn' t t he Swi ss Guar d t r ace
Sei t e 82
t hat damn cal l er ? The
I l l umi nat i assassi n i s t he key! He knows wher e t he ant i mat t er i s . . . hel l , he
knows wher e t he car di nal s ar e!
Cat ch t he ki l l er , and ever yt hi ng i s sol ved.
Vi t t or i a sensed she was st ar t i ng t o come unhi nged, an al i en di st r ess she
r ecal l ed onl y f ai nt l y f r om
chi l dhood, t he or phanage year s, f r ust r at i on wi t h no t ool s t o handl e i t . You have
t ool s, she t ol d her sel f , you
al ways have t ool s. But i t was no use. Her t hought s i nt r uded, st r angl i ng her . She
was a r esear cher and
pr obl emsol ver . But t hi s was a pr obl emwi t h no sol ut i on. What dat a do you
r equi r e? What do you want ?
She t ol d her sel f t o br eat he deepl y, but f or t he f i r st t i me i n her l i f e, she
coul d not . She was suf f ocat i ng.
Langdon' s head ached, and he f el t l i ke he was ski r t i ng t he edges of r at i onal i t y.
He wat ched Vi t t or i a and t he
camer l egno, but hi s vi si on was bl ur r ed by hi deous i mages: expl osi ons, pr ess
swar mi ng, camer as r ol l i ng,
f our br anded humans.
Shai t an . . . Luci f er . . . Br i nger of l i ght . . . Sat an . . .
He shook t he f i endi sh i mages f r omhi s mi nd. Cal cul at ed t er r or i sm, he r emi nded
hi msel f , gr aspi ng at
r eal i t y. Pl anned chaos. He t hought back t o a Radcl i f f e semi nar he had once
audi t ed whi l e r esear chi ng
pr aet or i an symbol i sm. He had never seen t er r or i st s t he same way si nce.
" Ter r or i sm, " t he pr of essor had l ect ur ed, " has a si ngul ar goal . What i s i t ?"
" Ki l l i ng i nnocent peopl e?" a st udent vent ur ed.
" I ncor r ect . Deat h i s onl y a bypr oduct of t er r or i sm. "
" A show of st r engt h?"
" No. A weaker per suasi on does not exi st . "
" To cause t er r or ?"
" Conci sel y put . Qui t e si mpl y, t he goal of t er r or i smi s t o cr eat e t er r or and
f ear . Fear under mi nes f ai t h i n t he
est abl i shment . I t weakens t he enemy f r omwi t hi n . . . causi ng unr est i n t he
masses. Wr i t e t hi s down.
Ter r or i smi s not an expr essi on of r age. Ter r or i smi s a pol i t i cal weapon. Remove
a gover nment ' s f aade of
i nf al l i bi l i t y, and you r emove i t s peopl e' s f ai t h. "
Loss of f ai t h . . .
I s t hat what t hi s was al l about ? Langdon wonder ed how Chr i st i ans of t he wor l d
woul d r eact t o car di nal s
bei ng l ai d out l i ke mut i l at ed dogs. I f t he f ai t h of a canoni zed pr i est di d not
pr ot ect hi mf r omt he evi l s of
Sat an, what hope was t her e f or t he r est of us? Langdon' s head was poundi ng
l ouder now . . . t i ny voi ces
pl ayi ng t ug of war .
Fai t h does not pr ot ect you. Medi ci ne and ai r bags . . . t hose ar e t hi ngs t hat
pr ot ect you. God does not
pr ot ect you. I nt el l i gence pr ot ect s you. Enl i ght enment . Put your f ai t h i n
somet hi ng wi t h t angi bl e r esul t s.
How l ong has i t been si nce someone wal ked on wat er ? Moder n mi r acl es bel ong t o
sci ence . . . comput er s,
vacci nes, space st at i ons . . . even t he di vi ne mi r acl e of cr eat i on. Mat t er f r om
not hi ng . . . i n a l ab. Who
needs God? No! Sci ence i s God.
The ki l l er ' s voi ce r esonat ed i n Langdon' s mi nd. Mi dni ght . . . mat hemat i cal
pr ogr essi on of deat h . . .
sacr i f i ci ver gi ni nel l ' al t ar e di sci enza. "
Then suddenl y, l i ke a cr owd di sper sed by a si ngl e gunshot , t he voi ces wer e gone.
Rober t Langdon bol t ed t o hi s f eet . Hi s chai r f el l backwar d and cr ashed on t he
mar bl e f l oor .
Vi t t or i a and t he camer l egno j umped.
" I mi ssed i t , " Langdon whi sper ed, spel l bound. " I t was r i ght i n f r ont of me . .
. "
" Mi ssed what ?" Vi t t or i a demanded.
Langdon t ur ned t o t he pr i est . " Fat her , f or t hr ee year s I have pet i t i oned t hi s
of f i ce f or access t o t he Vat i can
Sei t e 83
Ar chi ves. I have been deni ed seven t i mes. "
" Mr . Langdon, I amsor r y, but t hi s har dl y seems t he moment t o r ai se such
compl ai nt s. "
" I need access i mmedi at el y. The f our mi ssi ng car di nal s. I may be abl e t o f i gur e
out wher e t hey' r e goi ng t o
be ki l l ed. "
Vi t t or i a st ar ed, l ooki ng cer t ai n she had mi sunder st ood.
The camer l egno l ooked t r oubl ed, as i f he wer e t he br unt of a cr uel j oke. " You
expect me t o bel i eve t hi s
i nf or mat i on i s i n our ar chi ves?"
" I can' t pr omi se I can l ocat e i t i n t i me, but i f you l et me i n . . . "
" Mr . Langdon, I amdue i n t he Si st i ne Chapel i n f our mi nut es. The ar chi ves ar e
acr oss Vat i can Ci t y. "
" You' r e ser i ous ar en' t you?" Vi t t or i a i nt er r upt ed, st ar i ng deep i nt o Langdon' s
eyes, seemi ng t o sense hi s
ear nest ness.
" Har dl y a j oki ng t i me, " Langdon sai d.
" Fat her , " Vi t t or i a sai d, t ur ni ng t o t he camer l egno, " i f t her e' s a chance . . .
any at al l of f i ndi ng wher e t hese
ki l l i ngs ar e goi ng t o happen, we coul d st ake out t he l ocat i ons and- "
" But t he ar chi ves?" t he camer l egno i nsi st ed. " How coul d t hey possi bl y cont ai n
any cl ue?"
" Expl ai ni ng i t , " Langdon sai d, " wi l l t ake l onger t han you' ve got . But i f I ' m
r i ght , we can use t he
i nf or mat i on t o cat ch t he Hassassi n. "
The camer l egno l ooked as t hough he want ed t o bel i eve but somehow coul d not .
" Chr i st i ani t y' s most sacr ed
codi ces ar e i n t hat ar chi ve. Tr easur es I mysel f amnot pr i vi l eged enough t o
see. "
" I amawar e of t hat . "
" Access i s per mi t t ed onl y by wr i t t en decr ee of t he cur at or and t he Boar d of
Vat i can Li br ar i ans. "
" Or , " Langdon decl ar ed, " by papal mandat e. I t says so i n ever y r ej ect i on l et t er
your cur at or ever sent me. "
The camer l egno nodded.
" Not t o be r ude, " Langdon ur ged, " but i f I ' mnot mi st aken a papal mandat e comes
f r omt hi s of f i ce. As f ar
as I can t el l , t oni ght you hol d t he t r ust of hi s st at i on. Consi der i ng t he
ci r cumst ances . . . "
The camer l egno pul l ed a pocket wat ch f r omhi s cassock and l ooked at i t . " Mr .
Langdon, I ampr epar ed t o
gi ve my l i f e t oni ght , qui t e l i t er al l y, t o save t hi s chur ch. "
Langdon sensed not hi ng but t r ut h i n t he man' s eyes.
" Thi s document , " t he camer l egno sai d, " do you t r ul y bel i eve i t i s her e? And t hat
i t can hel p us l ocat e t hese
f our chur ches?"
" I woul d not have made count l ess sol i ci t at i ons f or access i f I wer e not
convi nced. I t al y i s a bi t f ar t o come
on a l ar k when you make a t eacher ' s sal ar y. The document you have i s an
anci ent - "
" Pl ease, " t he camer l egno i nt er r upt ed. " For gi ve me. My mi nd cannot pr ocess any
mor e det ai l s at t he
moment . Do you know wher e t he secr et ar chi ves ar e l ocat ed?"
Langdon f el t a r ush of exci t ement . " J ust behi nd t he Sant a Ana Gat e. "
" I mpr essi ve. Most schol ar s bel i eve i t i s t hr ough t he secr et door behi nd St .
Pet er ' s Thr one. "
" No. That woul d be t he Ar chi vi o del l a Rever enda di Fabbr i ca di S. Pi et r o. A
common mi sconcept i on. "
" A l i br ar i an docent accompani es ever y ent r ant at al l t i mes. Toni ght , t he docent s
ar e gone. What you ar e
r equest i ng i s car t e bl anche access. Not even our car di nal s ent er al one. "
" I wi l l t r eat your t r easur es wi t h t he ut most r espect and car e. Your l i br ar i ans
wi l l f i nd not a t r ace t hat I was
t her e. "
Over head t he bel l s of St . Pet er ' s began t o t ol l . The camer l egno checked hi s
pocket wat ch. " I must go. " He
paused a t aut moment and l ooked up at Langdon. " I wi l l have a Swi ss Guar d meet
you at t he ar chi ves. I am
gi vi ng you my t r ust , Mr . Langdon. Go now. "
Sei t e 84
Langdon was speechl ess.
The young pr i est now seemed t o possess an eer i e poi se. Reachi ng over , he
squeezed Langdon' s shoul der
wi t h sur pr i si ng st r engt h. " I want you t o f i nd what you ar e l ooki ng f or . And f i nd
i t qui ckl y. "
46
T he Secr et Vat i can Ar chi ves ar e l ocat ed at t he f ar end of t he Bor gi a Cour t yar d
di r ect l y up a hi l l f r om
t he Gat e of Sant a Ana. They cont ai n over 20, 000 vol umes and ar e r umor ed t o hol d
such t r easur es as
Leonar do da Vi nci ' s mi ssi ng di ar i es and even unpubl i shed books of t he Hol y
Bi bl e.
Langdon st r ode power f ul l y up t he deser t ed Vi a del l a Fondament a t owar d t he
ar chi ves, hi s mi nd bar el y abl e
t o accept t hat he was about t o be gr ant ed access. Vi t t or i a was at hi s si de,
keepi ng pace ef f or t l essl y. Her
al mond- scent ed hai r t ossed l i ght l y i n t he br eeze, and Langdon br eat hed i t i n. He
f el t hi s t hought s st r ayi ng
and r eel ed hi msel f back.
Vi t t or i a sai d, " You goi ng t o t el l me what we' r e l ooki ng f or ?"
" A l i t t l e book wr i t t en by a guy named Gal i l eo. "
She sounded sur pr i sed. " You don' t mess ar ound. What ' s i n i t ?"
" I t i s supposed t o cont ai n somet hi ng cal l ed i l segno. "
" The si gn?"
" Si gn, cl ue, si gnal . . . depends on your t r ansl at i on. "
" Si gn t o what ?"
Langdon pi cked up t he pace. " A secr et l ocat i on. Gal i l eo' s I l l umi nat i needed t o
pr ot ect t hemsel ves f r omt he
Vat i can, so t hey f ounded an ul t r asecr et I l l umi nat i meet i ng pl ace her e i n Rome.
They cal l ed i t The Chur ch
of I l l umi nat i on. "
" Pr et t y bol d cal l i ng a sat ani c l ai r a chur ch. "
Langdon shook hi s head. " Gal i l eo' s I l l umi nat i wer e not t he l east bi t sat ani c.
They wer e sci ent i st s who
r ever ed enl i ght enment . Thei r meet i ng pl ace was si mpl y wher e t hey coul d saf el y
congr egat e and di scuss
t opi cs f or bi dden by t he Vat i can. Al t hough we know t he secr et l ai r exi st ed, t o
t hi s day nobody has ever
l ocat ed i t . "
" Sounds l i ke t he I l l umi nat i know how t o keep a secr et . "
" Absol ut el y. I n f act , t hey never r eveal ed t he l ocat i on of t hei r hi deaway t o
anyone out si de t he br ot her hood.
Thi s secr ecy pr ot ect ed t hem, but i t al so posed a pr obl emwhen i t came t o
r ecr ui t i ng new member s. "
" They coul dn' t gr ow i f t hey coul dn' t adver t i se, " Vi t t or i a sai d, her l egs and
mi nd keepi ng per f ect pace.
" Exact l y. Wor d of Gal i l eo' s br ot her hood st ar t ed t o spr ead i n t he 1630s, and
sci ent i st s f r omar ound t he
wor l d made secr et pi l gr i mages t o Rome hopi ng t o j oi n t he I l l umi nat i . . . eager
f or a chance t o l ook t hr ough
Gal i l eo' s t el escope and hear t he mast er ' s i deas. Unf or t unat el y, t hough, because
of t he I l l umi nat i ' s secr ecy,
sci ent i st s ar r i vi ng i n Rome never knew wher e t o go f or t he meet i ngs or t o whom
t hey coul d saf el y speak.
The I l l umi nat i want ed new bl ood, but t hey coul d not af f or d t o r i sk t hei r secr ecy
by maki ng t hei r
wher eabout s known. "
Vi t t or i a f r owned. " Sounds l i ke a si t uazi one senza sol uzi one. "
" Exact l y. A cat ch- 22, as we woul d say. "
" So what di d t hey do?"
" They wer e sci ent i st s. They exami ned t he pr obl emand f ound a sol ut i on. A
br i l l i ant one, act ual l y. The
I l l umi nat i cr eat ed a ki nd of i ngeni ous map di r ect i ng sci ent i st s t o t hei r
sanct uar y. "
Vi t t or i a l ooked suddenl y skept i cal and sl owed. " A map? Sounds car el ess. I f a
copy f el l i nt o t he wr ong
hands . . . "
" I t coul dn' t , " Langdon sai d. " No copi es exi st ed anywher e. I t was not t he ki nd of
map t hat f i t on paper . I t
Sei t e 85
was enor mous. A bl azed t r ai l of sor t s acr oss t he ci t y. "
Vi t t or i a sl owed even f ur t her . " Ar r ows pai nt ed on si dewal ks?"
" I n a sense, yes, but much mor e subt l e. The map consi st ed of a ser i es of
car ef ul l y conceal ed symbol i c
mar ker s pl aced i n publ i c l ocat i ons ar ound t he ci t y. One mar ker l ed t o t he next .
. . and t he next . . . a t r ai l . .
. event ual l y l eadi ng t o t he I l l umi nat i l ai r . "
Vi t t or i a eyed hi maskance. " Sounds l i ke a t r easur e hunt . "
Langdon chuckl ed. " I n a manner of speaki ng, i t i s. The I l l umi nat i cal l ed t hei r
st r i ng of mar ker s ' The Pat h
of I l l umi nat i on, ' and anyone who want ed t o j oi n t he br ot her hood had t o f ol l ow i t
al l t he way t o t he end. A
ki nd of t est . "
" But i f t he Vat i can want ed t o f i nd t he I l l umi nat i , " Vi t t or i a ar gued, " coul dn' t
t hey si mpl y f ol l ow t he
mar ker s?"
" No. The pat h was hi dden. A puzzl e, const r uct ed i n such a way t hat onl y cer t ai n
peopl e woul d have t he
abi l i t y t o t r ack t he mar ker s and f i gur e out wher e t he I l l umi nat i chur ch was
hi dden. The I l l umi nat i i nt ended
i t as a ki nd of i ni t i at i on, f unct i oni ng not onl y as a secur i t y measur e but al so
as a scr eeni ng pr ocess t o ensur e
t hat onl y t he br i ght est sci ent i st s ar r i ved at t hei r door . "
" I don' t buy i t . I n t he 1600s t he cl er gy wer e some of t he most educat ed men i n
t he wor l d. I f t hese mar ker s
wer e i n publ i c l ocat i ons, cer t ai nl y t her e exi st ed member s of t he Vat i can who
coul d have f i gur ed i t out . "
" Sur e, " Langdon sai d, " i f t hey had known about t he mar ker s. But t hey di dn' t . And
t hey never not i ced t hem
because t he I l l umi nat i desi gned t hemi n such a way t hat cl er i cs woul d never
suspect what t hey wer e. They
used a met hod known i n symbol ogy as di ssi mul at i on. "
" Camouf l age. "
Langdon was i mpr essed. " You know t he t er m. "
" Di ssi mul aci one, " she sai d. " Nat ur e' s best def ense. Tr y spot t i ng a t r umpet f i sh
f l oat i ng ver t i cal l y i n
seagr ass. "
" Okay, " Langdon sai d. " The I l l umi nat i used t he same concept . They cr eat ed
mar ker s t hat f aded i nt o t he
backdr op of anci ent Rome. They coul dn' t use ambi gr ams or sci ent i f i c symbol ogy
because i t woul d be f ar
t oo conspi cuous, so t hey cal l ed on an I l l umi nat i ar t i st - t he same anonymous
pr odi gy who had cr eat ed t hei r
ambi gr ammat i c symbol ' I l l umi nat i ' - and t hey commi ssi oned hi mt o car ve f our
scul pt ur es. "
" I l l umi nat i scul pt ur es?"
" Yes, scul pt ur es wi t h t wo st r i ct gui del i nes. Fi r st , t he scul pt ur es had t o l ook
l i ke t he r est of t he ar t wor k i n
Rome . . . ar t wor k t hat t he Vat i can woul d never suspect bel onged t o t he
I l l umi nat i . "
" Rel i gi ous ar t . "
Langdon nodded, f eel i ng a t i nge of exci t ement , t al ki ng f ast er now. " And t he
second gui del i ne was t hat t he
f our scul pt ur es had t o have ver y speci f i c t hemes. Each pi ece needed t o be a
subt l e t r i but e t o one of t he f our
el ement s of sci ence. "
" Four el ement s?" Vi t t or i a sai d. " Ther e ar e over a hundr ed. "
" Not i n t he 1600s, " Langdon r emi nded her . " Ear l y al chemi st s bel i eved t he ent i r e
uni ver se was made up of
onl y f our subst ances: Ear t h, Ai r , Fi r e, and Wat er . "
The ear l y cr oss, Langdon knew, was t he most common symbol of t he f our
el ement s- f our ar ms r epr esent i ng
Ear t h, Ai r , Fi r e, and Wat er . Beyond t hat , t hough, t her e exi st ed l i t er al l y dozens
of symbol i c occur r ences of
Ear t h, Ai r , Fi r e, and Wat er t hr oughout hi st or y- t he Pyt hagor ean cycl es of l i f e,
t he Chi nese Hong- Fan, t he
J ungi an mal e and f emal e r udi ment s, t he quadr ant s of t he Zodi ac, even t he Musl i ms
r ever ed t he f our anci ent
el ement s . . . al t hough i n I sl amt hey wer e known as " squar es, cl ouds, l i ght ni ng,
Sei t e 86
and waves. " For Langdon,
t hough, i t was a mor e moder n usage t hat al ways gave hi mchi l l s- t he Mason' s f our
myst i c gr ades of
Absol ut e I ni t i at i on: Ear t h, Ai r , Fi r e, and Wat er .
Vi t t or i a seemed myst i f i ed. " So t hi s I l l umi nat i ar t i st cr eat ed f our pi eces of ar t
t hat l ooked r el i gi ous, but wer e
act ual l y t r i but es t o Ear t h, Ai r , Fi r e, and Wat er ?"
" Exact l y, " Langdon sai d, qui ckl y t ur ni ng up Vi a Sent i nel t owar d t he ar chi ves.
" The pi eces bl ended i nt o t he
sea of r el i gi ous ar t wor k al l over Rome. By donat i ng t he ar t wor k anonymousl y t o
speci f i c chur ches and t hen
usi ng t hei r pol i t i cal i nf l uence, t he br ot her hood f aci l i t at ed pl acement of t hese
f our pi eces i n car ef ul l y chosen
chur ches i n Rome. Each pi ece of cour se was a mar ker . . . subt l y poi nt i ng t o t he
next chur ch . . . wher e t he
next mar ker awai t ed. I t f unct i oned as a t r ai l of cl ues di sgui sed as r el i gi ous
ar t . I f an I l l umi nat i candi dat e
coul d f i nd t he f i r st chur ch and t he mar ker f or Ear t h, he coul d f ol l ow i t t o Ai r
. . . and t hen t o Fi r e . . . and
t hen t o Wat er . . . and f i nal l y t o t he Chur ch of I l l umi nat i on. "
Vi t t or i a was l ooki ng l ess and l ess cl ear . " And t hi s has somet hi ng t o do wi t h
cat chi ng t he I l l umi nat i
assassi n?"
Langdon smi l ed as he pl ayed hi s ace. " Oh, yes. The I l l umi nat i cal l ed t hese f our
chur ches by a ver y speci al
name. The Al t ar s of Sci ence. "
Vi t t or i a f r owned. " I ' msor r y, t hat means not h- " She st opped shor t . " L' al t ar e di
sci enza?" she excl ai med.
" The I l l umi nat i assassi n. He war ned t hat t he car di nal s woul d be vi r gi n
sacr i f i ces on t he al t ar s of sci ence! "
Langdon gave her a smi l e. " Four car di nal s. Four chur ches. The f our al t ar s of
sci ence. "
She l ooked st unned. " You' r e sayi ng t he f our chur ches wher e t he car di nal s wi l l be
sacr i f i ced ar e t he same
f our chur ches t hat mar k t he anci ent Pat h of I l l umi nat i on?"
" I bel i eve so, yes. "
" But why woul d t he ki l l er have gi ven us t hat cl ue?"
" Why not ?" Langdon r epl i ed. " Ver y f ew hi st or i ans know about t hese scul pt ur es.
Even f ewer bel i eve t hey
exi st . And t hei r l ocat i ons have r emai ned secr et f or f our hundr ed year s. No doubt
t he I l l umi nat i t r ust ed t he
secr et f or anot her f i ve hour s. Besi des, t he I l l umi nat i don' t need t hei r Pat h of
I l l umi nat i on anymor e. Thei r
secr et l ai r i s pr obabl y l ong gone anyway. They l i ve i n t he moder n wor l d. They
meet i n bank boar dr ooms,
eat i ng cl ubs, pr i vat e gol f cour ses. Toni ght t hey want t o make t hei r secr et s
publ i c. Thi s i s t hei r moment .
Thei r gr and unvei l i ng. "
Langdon f ear ed t he I l l umi nat i unvei l i ng woul d have a speci al symmet r y t o i t t hat
he had not yet ment i oned.
The f our br ands. The ki l l er had swor n each car di nal woul d be br anded wi t h a
di f f er ent symbol . Pr oof t he
anci ent l egends ar e t r ue, t he ki l l er had sai d. The l egend of t he f our
ambi gr ammat i c br ands was as ol d as t he
I l l umi nat i i t sel f : ear t h, ai r , f i r e, wat er - f our wor ds cr af t ed i n per f ect
symmet r y. J ust l i ke t he wor d I l l umi nat i .
Each car di nal was t o be br anded wi t h one of t he anci ent el ement s of sci ence. The
r umor t hat t he f our
br ands wer e i n Engl i sh r at her t han I t al i an r emai ned a poi nt of debat e among
hi st or i ans. Engl i sh seemed a
r andomdevi at i on f r omt hei r nat ur al t ongue . . . and t he I l l umi nat i di d not hi ng
r andoml y.
Langdon t ur ned up t he br i ck pat hway bef or e t he ar chi ve bui l di ng. Ghast l y i mages
t hr ashed i n hi s mi nd.
The over al l I l l umi nat i pl ot was st ar t i ng t o r eveal i t s pat i ent gr andeur . The
br ot her hood had vowed t o st ay
si l ent as l ong as i t t ook, amassi ng enough i nf l uence and power t hat t hey coul d
r esur f ace wi t hout f ear , make
t hei r st and, f i ght t hei r cause i n br oad dayl i ght . The I l l umi nat i wer e no l onger
Sei t e 87
about hi di ng. They wer e
about f l aunt i ng t hei r power , conf i r mi ng t he conspi r at or i al myt hs as f act .
Toni ght was a gl obal publ i ci t y
st unt .
Vi t t or i a sai d, " Her e comes our escor t . " Langdon l ooked up t o see a Swi ss Guar d
hur r yi ng acr oss an
adj acent l awn t owar d t he f r ont door .
When t he guar d saw t hem, he st opped i n hi s t r acks. He st ar ed at t hem, as t hough
he t hought he was
hal l uci nat i ng. Wi t hout a wor d he t ur ned away and pul l ed out hi s wal ki e- t al ki e.
Appar ent l y i ncr edul ous at
what he was bei ng asked t o do, t he guar d spoke ur gent l y t o t he per son on t he
ot her end. The angr y bar k
comi ng back was i ndeci pher abl e t o Langdon, but i t s message was cl ear . The guar d
sl umped, put away t he
wal ki e- t al ki e, and t ur ned t o t hemwi t h a l ook of di scont ent .
Not a wor d was spoken as t he guar d gui ded t hemi nt o t he bui l di ng. They passed
t hr ough f our st eel door s,
t wo passkey ent r i es, down a l ong st ai r wel l , and i nt o a f oyer wi t h t wo
combi nat i on keypads. Passi ng
t hr ough a hi gh- t ech ser i es of el ect r oni c gat es, t hey ar r i ved at t he end of a
l ong hal l way out si de a set of wi de
oak doubl e door s. The guar d st opped, l ooked t hemover agai n and, mumbl i ng under
hi s br eat h, wal ked t o a
met al box on t he wal l . He unl ocked i t , r eached i nsi de, and pr essed a code. The
door s bef or e t hembuzzed,
and t he deadbol t f el l open.
The guar d t ur ned, speaki ng t o t hemf or t he f i r st t i me. " The ar chi ves ar e beyond
t hat door . I have been
i nst r uct ed t o escor t you t hi s f ar and r et ur n f or br i ef i ng on anot her mat t er . "
" You' r e l eavi ng?" Vi t t or i a demanded.
" Swi ss Guar ds ar e not cl ear ed f or access t o t he Secr et Ar chi ves. You ar e her e
onl y because my commander
r ecei ved a di r ect or der f r omt he camer l egno. "
" But how do we get out ?"
" Monodi r ect i onal secur i t y. You wi l l have no di f f i cul t i es. " That bei ng t he
ent i r et y of t he conver sat i on, t he
guar d spun on hi s heel and mar ched of f down t he hal l .
Vi t t or i a made some comment , but Langdon di d not hear . Hi s mi nd was f i xed on t he
doubl e door s bef or e
hi m, wonder i ng what myst er i es l ay beyond.
47
A l t hough he knew t i me was shor t , Camer l egno Car l o Vent r esca wal ked sl owl y. He
needed t he t i me
al one t o gat her hi s t hought s bef or e f aci ng openi ng pr ayer . So much was
happeni ng. As he moved i n di m
sol i t ude down t he Nor t her n Wi ng, t he chal l enge of t he past f i f t een days wei ghed
heavy i n hi s bones.
He had f ol l owed hi s hol y dut i es t o t he l et t er .
As was Vat i can t r adi t i on, f ol l owi ng t he Pope' s deat h t he camer l egno had
per sonal l y conf i r med expi r at i on
by pl aci ng hi s f i nger s on t he Pope' s car ot i d ar t er y, l i st eni ng f or br eat h, and
t hen cal l i ng t he Pope' s name
t hr ee t i mes. By l aw t her e was no aut opsy. Then he had seal ed t he Pope' s bedr oom,
dest r oyed t he papal
f i sher man' s r i ng, shat t er ed t he di e used t o make l ead seal s, and ar r anged f or
t he f uner al . That done, he
began pr epar at i ons f or t he concl ave.
Concl ave, he t hought . The f i nal hur dl e. I t was one of t he ol dest t r adi t i ons i n
Chr i st endom. Nowadays,
because t he out come of concl ave was usual l y known bef or e i t began, t he pr ocess
was cr i t i ci zed as obsol et e-
mor e of a bur l esque t han an el ect i on. The camer l egno knew, however , t hi s was
onl y a l ack of
under st andi ng. Concl ave was not an el ect i on. I t was an anci ent , myst i c
t r ansf er ence of power . The t r adi t i on
was t i mel ess . . . t he secr ecy, t he f ol ded sl i ps of paper , t he bur ni ng of t he
bal l ot s, t he mi xi ng of anci ent
chemi cal s, t he smoke si gnal s.
Sei t e 88
As t he camer l egno appr oached t hr ough t he Loggi as of Gr egor y XI I I , he wonder ed i f
Car di nal Mor t at i was
i n a pani c yet . Cer t ai nl y Mor t at i had not i ced t he pr ef er i t i wer e mi ssi ng.
Wi t hout t hem, t he vot i ng woul d go
on al l ni ght . Mor t at i ' s appoi nt ment as t he Gr eat El ect or , t he camer l egno assur ed
hi msel f , was a good one.
The man was a f r eet hi nker and coul d speak hi s mi nd. The concl ave woul d need a
l eader t oni ght mor e t han
ever .
As t he camer l egno ar r i ved at t he t op of t he Royal St ai r case, he f el t as t hough
he wer e st andi ng on t he
pr eci pi ce of hi s l i f e. Even f r omup her e he coul d hear t he r umbl e of act i vi t y i n
t he Si st i ne Chapel bel ow- t he
uneasy chat t er of 165 car di nal s.
One hundr ed si xt y- one car di nal s, he cor r ect ed.
For an i nst ant t he camer l egno was f al l i ng, pl ummet i ng t owar d hel l , peopl e
scr eami ng, f l ames engul f i ng
hi m, st ones and bl ood r ai ni ng f r omt he sky.
And t hen si l ence.
When t he chi l d awoke, he was i n heaven. Ever yt hi ng ar ound hi mwas whi t e. The
l i ght was bl i ndi ng and
pur e. Al t hough some woul d say a t en year ol d coul d not possi bl y under st and
heaven, t he young Car l o
Vent r esca under st ood heaven ver y wel l . He was i n heaven r i ght now. Wher e el se
woul d he be? Even i n hi s
shor t decade on ear t h Car l o had f el t t he maj est y of God- t he t hunder i ng pi pe
or gans, t he t ower i ng domes,
t he voi ces r ai sed i n song, t he st ai ned gl ass, shi mmer i ng br onze and gol d.
Car l o' s mot her , Mar i a, br ought
hi mt o Mass ever y day. The chur ch was Car l o' s home.
" Why do we come t o Mass ever y si ngl e day?" Car l o asked, not t hat he mi nded at
al l .
" Because I pr omi sed God I woul d, " she r epl i ed. " And a pr omi se t o God i s t he most
i mpor t ant pr omi se of
al l . Never br eak a pr omi se t o God. "
Car l o pr omi sed her he woul d never br eak a pr omi se t o God. He l oved hi s mot her
mor e t han anyt hi ng i n t he
wor l d. She was hi s hol y angel . Somet i mes he cal l ed her Mar i a benedet t a- t he
Bl essed Mar y- al t hough she
di d not l i ke t hat at al l . He knel t wi t h her as she pr ayed, smel l i ng t he sweet
scent of her f l esh and l i st eni ng t o
t he mur mur of her voi ce as she count ed t he r osar y. Hai l Mar y, Mot her of God . .
. pr ay f or us si nner s . . .
now and at t he hour of our deat h.
" Wher e i s my f at her ?" Car l o asked, al r eady knowi ng hi s f at her had di ed bef or e he
was bor n.
" God i s your f at her , now, " she woul d al ways r epl y. " You ar e a chi l d of t he
chur ch. "
Car l o l oved t hat .
" Whenever you f eel f r i ght ened, " she sai d, " r emember t hat God i s your f at her now.
He wi l l wat ch over you
and pr ot ect you f or ever . God has bi g pl ans f or you, Car l o. " The boy knew she was
r i ght . He coul d al r eady
f eel God i n hi s bl ood.
Bl ood . . .
Bl ood r ai ni ng f r omt he sky!
Si l ence. Then heaven.
Hi s heaven, Car l o l ear ned as t he bl i ndi ng l i ght s wer e t ur ned of f , was act ual l y
t he I nt ensi ve Car e Uni t i n
Sant a Cl ar a Hospi t al out si de of Pal er mo. Car l o had been t he sol e sur vi vor of a
t er r or i st bombi ng t hat had
col l apsed a chapel wher e he and hi s mot her had been at t endi ng Mass whi l e on
vacat i on. Thi r t y- seven
peopl e had di ed, i ncl udi ng Car l o' s mot her . The paper s cal l ed Car l o' s sur vi val
The Mi r acl e of St . Fr anci s.
Car l o had, f or some unknown r eason, onl y moment s bef or e t he bl ast , l ef t hi s
mot her ' s si de and vent ur ed
i nt o a pr ot ect ed al cove t o ponder a t apest r y depi ct i ng t he st or y of St . Fr anci s.
Sei t e 89
God cal l ed me t her e, he deci ded. He want ed t o save me.
Car l o was del i r i ous wi t h pai n. He coul d st i l l see hi s mot her , kneel i ng at t he
pew, bl owi ng hi ma ki ss, and
t hen wi t h a concussi ve r oar , her sweet - smel l i ng f l esh was t or n apar t . He coul d
st i l l t ast e man' s evi l . Bl ood
shower ed down. Hi s mot her ' s bl ood! The bl essed Mar i a!
God wi l l wat ch over you and pr ot ect you f or ever , hi s mot her had t ol d hi m.
But wher e was God now!
Then, l i ke a wor l dl y mani f est at i on of hi s mot her ' s t r ut h, a cl er gyman had come
t o t he hospi t al . He was not
any cl er gyman. He was a bi shop. He pr ayed over Car l o. The Mi r acl e of St .
Fr anci s. When Car l o r ecover ed,
t he bi shop ar r anged f or hi mt o l i ve i n a smal l monast er y at t ached t o t he
cat hedr al over whi ch t he bi shop
pr esi ded. Car l o l i ved and t ut or ed wi t h t he monks. He even became an al t ar boy
f or hi s new pr ot ect or . The
bi shop suggest ed Car l o ent er publ i c school , but Car l o r ef used. He coul d not have
been mor e happy wi t h hi s
new home. He now t r ul y l i ved i n t he house of God.
Ever y ni ght Car l o pr ayed f or hi s mot her .
God saved me f or a r eason, he t hought . What i s t he r eason?
When Car l o t ur ned si xt een, he was obl i ged by I t al i an l aw t o ser ve t wo year s of
r eser ve mi l i t ar y t r ai ni ng.
The bi shop t ol d Car l o t hat i f he ent er ed semi nar y he woul d be exempt f r omt hi s
dut y. Car l o t ol d t he pr i est
t hat he pl anned t o ent er semi nar y but t hat f i r st he needed t o under st and evi l .
The bi shop di d not under st and.
Car l o t ol d hi mt hat i f he was goi ng t o spend hi s l i f e i n t he chur ch f i ght i ng
evi l , f i r st he had t o under st and i t .
He coul d not t hi nk of any bet t er pl ace t o under st and evi l t han i n t he ar my. The
ar my used guns and bombs.
A bomb ki l l ed my Bl essed mot her !
The bi shop t r i ed t o di ssuade hi m, but Car l o' s mi nd was made up.
" Be car ef ul , my son, " t he bi shop had sai d. " And r emember t he chur ch awai t s you
when you r et ur n. "
Car l o' s t wo year s of mi l i t ar y ser vi ce had been dr eadf ul . Car l o' s yout h had been
one of si l ence and
r ef l ect i on. But i n t he ar my t her e was no qui et f or r ef l ect i on. Endl ess noi se.
Huge machi nes ever ywher e.
Not a moment of peace. Al t hough t he sol di er s went t o Mass once a week at t he
bar r acks, Car l o di d not
sense God' s pr esence i n any of hi s f el l ow sol di er s. Thei r mi nds wer e t oo f i l l ed
wi t h chaos t o see God.
Car l o hat ed hi s new l i f e and want ed t o go home. But he was det er mi ned t o st i ck
i t out . He had yet t o
under st and evi l . He r ef used t o f i r e a gun, so t he mi l i t ar y t aught hi mhow t o f l y
a medi cal hel i copt er . Car l o
hat ed t he noi se and t he smel l , but at l east i t l et hi mf l y up i n t he sky and be
cl oser t o hi s mot her i n heaven.
When he was i nf or med hi s pi l ot ' s t r ai ni ng i ncl uded l ear ni ng how t o par achut e,
Car l o was t er r i f i ed. St i l l , he
had no choi ce.
God wi l l pr ot ect me, he t ol d hi msel f .
Car l o' s f i r st par achut e j ump was t he most exhi l ar at i ng physi cal exper i ence of
hi s l i f e. I t was l i ke f l yi ng
wi t h God. Car l o coul d not get enough . . . t he si l ence . . . t he f l oat i ng . . .
seei ng hi s mot her ' s f ace i n t he
bi l l owi ng whi t e cl ouds as he soar ed t o ear t h. God has pl ans f or you, Car l o. When
he r et ur ned f r omt he
mi l i t ar y, Car l o ent er ed t he semi nar y.
That had been t went y- t hr ee year s ago.
Now, as Camer l egno Car l o Vent r esca descended t he Royal St ai r case, he t r i ed t o
compr ehend t he chai n of
event s t hat had del i ver ed hi mt o t hi s ext r aor di nar y cr ossr oads.
Abandon al l f ear , he t ol d hi msel f , and gi ve t hi s ni ght over t o God.
He coul d see t he gr eat br onze door of t he Si st i ne Chapel now, dut i f ul l y
pr ot ect ed by f our Swi ss Guar ds.
Sei t e 90
The guar ds unbol t ed t he door and pul l ed i t open. I nsi de, ever y head t ur ned. The
camer l egno gazed out at
t he bl ack r obes and r ed sashes bef or e hi m. He under st ood what God' s pl ans f or
hi mwer e. The f at e of t he
chur ch had been pl aced i n hi s hands.
The camer l egno cr ossed hi msel f and st epped over t he t hr eshol d.
48
B BC j our nal i st Gunt her Gl i ck sat sweat i ng i n t he BBC net wor k van par ked on t he
east er n edge of St .
Pet er ' s Squar e and cur sed hi s assi gnment edi t or . Al t hough Gl i ck' s f i r st mont hl y
r evi ew had come back
f i l l ed wi t h super l at i ves- r esour cef ul , shar p, dependabl e- her e he was i n Vat i can
Ci t y on " Pope- Wat ch. " He
r emi nded hi msel f t hat r epor t i ng f or t he BBC car r i ed a hel l of a l ot mor e
cr edi bi l i t y t han f abr i cat i ng f odder
f or t he Br i t i sh Tat t l er , but st i l l , t hi s was not hi s i dea of r epor t i ng.
Gl i ck' s assi gnment was si mpl e. I nsul t i ngl y si mpl e. He was t o si t her e wai t i ng
f or a bunch of ol d f ar t s t o
el ect t hei r next chi ef ol d f ar t , t hen he was t o st ep out si de and r ecor d a
f i f t een- second " l i ve" spot wi t h t he
Vat i can as a backdr op.
Br i l l i ant .
Gl i ck coul dn' t bel i eve t he BBC st i l l sent r epor t er s i nt o t he f i el d t o cover t hi s
schl ock. You don' t see t he
Amer i can net wor ks her e t oni ght . Hel l no! That was because t he bi g boys di d i t
r i ght . They wat ched CNN,
synopsi zed i t , and t hen f i l med t hei r " l i ve" r epor t i n f r ont of a bl ue scr een,
super i mposi ng st ock vi deo f or a
r eal i st i c backdr op. MSNBC even used i n- st udi o wi nd and r ai n machi nes t o gi ve
t hat on- t he- scene
aut hent i ci t y. Vi ewer s di dn' t want t r ut h anymor e; t hey want ed ent er t ai nment .
Gl i ck gazed out t hr ough t he wi ndshi el d and f el t mor e and mor e depr essed by t he
mi nut e. The i mper i al
mount ai n of Vat i can Ci t y r ose bef or e hi mas a di smal r emi nder of what men coul d
accompl i sh when t hey
put t hei r mi nds t o i t .
" What have I accompl i shed i n my l i f e?" he wonder ed al oud. " Not hi ng. "
" So gi ve up, " a woman' s voi ce sai d f r ombehi nd hi m.
Gl i ck j umped. He had al most f or got t en he was not al one. He t ur ned t o t he back
seat , wher e hi s
camer awoman, Chi ni t a Macr i , sat si l ent l y pol i shi ng her gl asses. She was al ways
pol i shi ng her gl asses.
Chi ni t a was bl ack, al t hough she pr ef er r ed Af r i can Amer i can, a l i t t l e heavy, and
smar t as hel l . She woul dn' t
l et you f or get i t ei t her . She was an odd bi r d, but Gl i ck l i ked her . And Gl i ck
coul d sur e as hel l use t he
company.
" What ' s t he pr obl em, Gunt h?" Chi ni t a asked.
" What ar e we doi ng her e?"
She kept pol i shi ng. " Wi t nessi ng an exci t i ng event . "
" Ol d men l ocked i n t he dar k i s exci t i ng?"
" You do know you' r e goi ng t o hel l , don' t you?"
" Al r eady t her e. "
" Tal k t o me. " She sounded l i ke hi s mot her .
" I j ust f eel l i ke I want t o l eave my mar k. "
" You wr ot e f or t he Br i t i sh Tat t l er . "
" Yeah, but not hi ng wi t h any r esonance. "
" Oh, come on, I hear d you di d a gr oundbr eaki ng ar t i cl e on t he queen' s secr et sex
l i f e wi t h al i ens. "
" Thanks. "
" Hey, t hi ngs ar e l ooki ng up. Toni ght you make your f i r st f i f t een seconds of TV
hi st or y. "
Gl i ck gr oaned. He coul d hear t he news anchor al r eady. " Thanks Gunt her , gr eat
r epor t . " Then t he anchor
woul d r ol l hi s eyes and move on t o t he weat her . " I shoul d have t r i ed f or an
anchor spot . "
Macr i l aughed. " Wi t h no exper i ence? And t hat bear d? For get i t . "
Gl i ck r an hi s hands t hr ough t he r eddi sh gob of hai r on hi s chi n. " I t hi nk i t
makes me l ook cl ever . "
Sei t e 91
The van' s cel l phone r ang, mer ci f ul l y i nt er r upt i ng yet anot her one of Gl i ck' s
f ai l ur es. " Maybe t hat ' s
edi t or i al , " he sai d, suddenl y hopef ul . " You t hi nk t hey want a l i ve updat e?"
" On t hi s st or y?" Macr i l aughed. " You keep dr eami ng. "
Gl i ck answer ed t he phone i n hi s best anchor man voi ce. " Gunt her Gl i ck, BBC, Li ve
i n Vat i can Ci t y. "
The man on t he l i ne had a t hi ck Ar abi c accent . " Li st en car ef ul l y, " he sai d. " I
amabout t o change your l i f e. "
49
L angdon and Vi t t or i a st ood al one now out si de t he doubl e door s t hat l ed t o t he
i nner sanct umof t he
Secr et Ar chi ves. The decor i n t he col onnade was an i ncongr uous mi x of
wal l - t o- wal l car pet s over mar bl e
f l oor s and wi r el ess secur i t y camer as gazi ng down f r ombesi de car ved cher ubs i n
t he cei l i ng. Langdon
dubbed i t St er i l e Renai ssance. Besi de t he ar ched i ngr ess hung a smal l br onze
pl aque.
ARCHI VI O VATI CANO
Cur at or e, Padr e J aqui Tomaso
Fat her J aqui Tomaso. Langdon r ecogni zed t he cur at or ' s name f r omt he r ej ect i on
l et t er s at home i n hi s
desk. Dear Mr . Langdon, I t i s wi t h r egr et t hat I amwr i t i ng t o deny . . .
Regr et . Bul l shi t . Si nce J aqui Tomaso' s r ei gn had begun, Langdon had never met a
si ngl e non- Cat hol i c
Amer i can schol ar who had been gi ven access t o t he Secr et Vat i can Ar chi ves. I l
gaur di ano, hi st or i ans cal l ed
hi m. J aqui Tomaso was t he t oughest l i br ar i an on ear t h.
As Langdon pushed t he door s open and st epped t hr ough t he vaul t ed por t al i nt o t he
i nner sanct um, he hal f
expect ed t o see Fat her J aqui i n f ul l mi l i t ar y f at i gues and hel met st andi ng guar d
wi t h a bazooka. The space,
however , was deser t ed.
Si l ence. Sof t l i ght i ng.
Ar chi vi o Vat i cano. One of hi s l i f e dr eams.
As Langdon' s eyes t ook i n t he sacr ed chamber , hi s f i r st r eact i on was one of
embar r assment . He r eal i zed
what a cal l ow r omant i c he was. The i mages he had hel d f or so many year s of t hi s
r oomcoul d not have been
mor e i naccur at e. He had i magi ned dust y bookshel ves pi l ed hi gh wi t h t at t er ed
vol umes, pr i est s cat al ogi ng
by t he l i ght of candl es and st ai ned- gl ass wi ndows, monks por i ng over scr ol l s . .
.
Not even cl ose.
At f i r st gl ance t he r oomappear ed t o be a dar kened ai r l i ne hangar i n whi ch
someone had bui l t a dozen f r ee-
st andi ng r acquet bal l cour t s. Langdon knew of cour se what t he gl ass- wal l ed
encl osur es wer e. He was not
sur pr i sed t o see t hem; humi di t y and heat er oded anci ent vel l ums and par chment s,
and pr oper pr eser vat i on
r equi r ed her mi t i c vaul t s l i ke t hese- ai r t i ght cubi cl es t hat kept out humi di t y and
nat ur al aci ds i n t he ai r .
Langdon had been i nsi de her met i c vaul t s many t i mes, but i t was al ways an
unset t l i ng exper i ence . . .
somet hi ng about ent er i ng an ai r t i ght cont ai ner wher e t he oxygen was r egul at ed by
a r ef er ence l i br ar i an.
The vaul t s wer e dar k, ghost l y even, f ai nt l y out l i ned by t i ny dome l i ght s at t he
end of each st ack. I n t he
bl ackness of each cel l , Langdon sensed t he phant omgi ant s, r ow upon r ow of
t ower i ng st acks, l aden wi t h
hi st or y. Thi s was one hel l of a col l ect i on.
Vi t t or i a al so seemed dazzl ed. She st ood besi de hi mst ar i ng mut el y at t he gi ant
t r anspar ent cubes.
Ti me was shor t , and Langdon wast ed none of i t scanni ng t he di ml y l i t r oomf or a
book cat al og- a bound
encycl opedi a t hat cat al oged t he l i br ar y' s col l ect i on. Al l he saw was t he gl ow of
a handf ul of comput er
t er mi nal s dot t i ng t he r oom. " Looks l i ke t hey' ve got a Bi bl i on. Thei r i ndex i s
Sei t e 92
comput er i zed. "
Vi t t or i a l ooked hopef ul . " That shoul d speed t hi ngs up. "
Langdon wi shed he shar ed her ent husi asm, but he sensed t hi s was bad news. He
wal ked t o a t er mi nal and
began t ypi ng. Hi s f ear s wer e i nst ant l y conf i r med. " The ol d- f ashi oned met hod
woul d have been bet t er . "
" Why?"
He st epped back f r omt he moni t or . " Because r eal books don' t have passwor d
pr ot ect i on. I don' t suppose
physi ci st s ar e nat ur al bor n hacker s?"
Vi t t or i a shook her head. " I can open oyst er s, t hat ' s about i t . "
Langdon t ook a deep br eat h and t ur ned t o f ace t he eer i e col l ect i on of di aphanous
vaul t s. He wal ked t o t he
near est one and squi nt ed i nt o t he di mi nt er i or . I nsi de t he gl ass wer e amor phous
shapes Langdon r ecogni zed
as t he usual bookshel ves, par chment bi ns, and exami nat i on t abl es. He l ooked up
at t he i ndi cat or t abs
gl owi ng at t he end of each st ack. As i n al l l i br ar i es, t he t abs i ndi cat ed t he
cont ent s of t hat r ow. He r ead t he
headi ngs as he moved down t he t r anspar ent bar r i er .
PI ETRO I L ERI MI TO . . . LE CROCI ATE . . . URBANO I I . . . LEVANT . . .
" They' r e l abel ed, " he sai d, st i l l wal ki ng. " But i t ' s not al pha- aut hor . " He
wasn' t sur pr i sed. Anci ent ar chi ves
wer e al most never cat al oged al phabet i cal l y because so many of t he aut hor s wer e
unknown. Ti t l es di dn' t
wor k ei t her because many hi st or i cal document s wer e unt i t l ed l et t er s or par chment
f r agment s. Most
cat al ogi ng was done chr onol ogi cal l y. Di sconcer t i ngl y, however , t hi s ar r angement
di d not appear t o be
chr onol ogi cal .
Langdon f el t pr eci ous t i me al r eady sl i ppi ng away. " Looks l i ke t he Vat i can has
i t s own syst em. "
" What a sur pr i se. "
He exami ned t he l abel s agai n. The document s spanned cent ur i es, but al l t he
keywor ds, he r eal i zed, wer e
i nt er r el at ed. " I t hi nk i t ' s a t hemat i c cl assi f i cat i on. "
" Themat i c?" Vi t t or i a sai d, soundi ng l i ke a di sappr ovi ng sci ent i st . " Sounds
i nef f i ci ent . "
Act ual l y . . . Langdon t hought , consi der i ng i t mor e cl osel y. Thi s may be t he
shr ewdest cat al ogi ng I ' ve ever
seen. He had al ways ur ged hi s st udent s t o under st and t he over al l t ones and
mot i f s of an ar t i st i c per i od
r at her t han get t i ng l ost i n t he mi nut i a of dat es and speci f i c wor ks. The Vat i can
Ar chi ves, i t seemed, wer e
cat al oged on a si mi l ar phi l osophy. Br oad st r okes . . .
" Ever yt hi ng i n t hi s vaul t , " Langdon sai d, f eel i ng mor e conf i dent now, " cent ur i es
of mat er i al , has t o do wi t h
t he Cr usades. That ' s t hi s vaul t ' s t heme. " I t was al l her e, he r eal i zed.
Hi st or i cal account s, l et t er s, ar t wor k,
soci o- pol i t i cal dat a, moder n anal yses. Al l i n one pl ace . . . encour agi ng a
deeper under st andi ng of a t opi c.
Br i l l i ant .
Vi t t or i a f r owned. " But dat a can r el at e t o mul t i pl e t hemes si mul t aneousl y. "
" Whi ch i s why t hey cr oss- r ef er ence wi t h pr oxy mar ker s. " Langdon poi nt ed t hr ough
t he gl ass t o t he col or f ul
pl ast i c t abs i nser t ed among t he document s. " Those i ndi cat e secondar y document s
l ocat ed el sewher e wi t h
t hei r pr i mar y t hemes. "
" Sur e, " she sai d, appar ent l y l et t i ng i t go. She put her hands on her hi ps and
sur veyed t he enor mous space.
Then she l ooked at Langdon. " So, Pr of essor , what ' s t he name of t hi s Gal i l eo
t hi ng we' r e l ooki ng f or ?"
Langdon coul dn' t hel p but smi l e. He st i l l coul dn' t f at homt hat he was st andi ng
i n t hi s r oom. I t ' s i n her e, he
t hought . Somewher e i n t he dar k, i t ' s wai t i ng.
" Fol l ow me, " Langdon sai d. He st ar t ed br i skl y down t he f i r st ai sl e, exami ni ng
t he i ndi cat or t abs of each
vaul t . " Remember how I t ol d you about t he Pat h of I l l umi nat i on? How t he
I l l umi nat i r ecr ui t ed new
Sei t e 93
member s usi ng an el abor at e t est ?"
" The t r easur e hunt , " Vi t t or i a sai d, f ol l owi ng cl osel y.
" The chal l enge t he I l l umi nat i had was t hat af t er t hey pl aced t he mar ker s, t hey
needed some way t o t el l t he
sci ent i f i c communi t y t he pat h exi st ed. "
" Logi cal , " Vi t t or i a sai d. " Ot her wi se nobody woul d know t o l ook f or i t . "
" Yes, and even i f t hey knew t he pat h exi st ed, sci ent i st s woul d have no way of
knowi ng wher e t he pat h
began. Rome i s huge. "
" Okay. "
Langdon pr oceeded down t he next ai sl e, scanni ng t he t abs as he t al ked. " About
f i f t een year s ago, some
hi st or i ans at t he Sor bonne and I uncover ed a ser i es of I l l umi nat i l et t er s f i l l ed
wi t h r ef er ences t o t he segno. "
" The si gn. The announcement about t he pat h and wher e i t began. "
" Yes. And si nce t hen, pl ent y of I l l umi nat i academi cs, mysel f i ncl uded, have
uncover ed ot her r ef er ences t o
t he segno. I t i s accept ed t heor y now t hat t he cl ue exi st s and t hat Gal i l eo mass
di st r i but ed i t t o t he sci ent i f i c
communi t y wi t hout t he Vat i can ever knowi ng. "
" How?"
" We' r e not sur e, but most l i kel y pr i nt ed publ i cat i ons. He publ i shed many books
and newsl et t er s over t he
year s. "
" That t he Vat i can no doubt saw. Sounds danger ous. "
" Tr ue. Nonet hel ess t he segno was di st r i but ed. "
" But nobody has ever act ual l y f ound i t ?"
" No. Oddl y t hough, wher ever al l usi ons t o t he segno appear - Masoni c di ar i es,
anci ent sci ent i f i c j our nal s,
I l l umi nat i l et t er s- i t i s of t en r ef er r ed t o by a number . "
" 666?"
Langdon smi l ed. " Act ual l y i t ' s 503. "
" Meani ng?"
" None of us coul d ever f i gur e i t out . I became f asci nat ed wi t h 503, t r yi ng
ever yt hi ng t o f i nd meani ng i n t he
number - numer ol ogy, map r ef er ences, l at i t udes. " Langdon r eached t he end of t he
ai sl e, t ur ned t he cor ner ,
and hur r i ed t o scan t he next r ow of t abs as he spoke. " For many year s t he onl y
cl ue seemed t o be t hat 503
began wi t h t he number f i ve . . . one of t he sacr ed I l l umi nat i di gi t s. " He
paused.
" Somet hi ng t el l s me you r ecent l y f i gur ed i t out , and t hat ' s why we' r e her e. "
" Cor r ect , " Langdon sai d, al l owi ng hi msel f a r ar e moment of pr i de i n hi s wor k.
" Ar e you f ami l i ar wi t h a
book by Gal i l eo cal l ed Di l ogo?"
" Of cour se. Famous among sci ent i st s as t he ul t i mat e sci ent i f i c sel l out . "
Sel l out wasn' t qui t e t he wor d Langdon woul d have used, but he knew what Vi t t or i a
meant . I n t he ear l y
1630s, Gal i l eo had want ed t o publ i sh a book endor si ng t he Coper ni can
hel i ocent r i c model of t he sol ar
syst em, but t he Vat i can woul d not per mi t t he book' s r el ease unl ess Gal i l eo
i ncl uded equal l y per suasi ve
evi dence f or t he chur ch' s geocent r i c model - a model Gal i l eo knew t o be dead
wr ong. Gal i l eo had no choi ce
but t o acqui esce t o t he chur ch' s demands and publ i sh a book gi vi ng equal t i me t o
bot h t he accur at e and
i naccur at e model s.
" As you pr obabl y know, " Langdon sai d, " despi t e Gal i l eo' s compr omi se, Di l ogo was
st i l l seen as
her et i cal , and t he Vat i can pl aced hi munder house ar r est . "
" No good deed goes unpuni shed. "
Langdon smi l ed. " So t r ue. And yet Gal i l eo was per si st ent . Whi l e under house
ar r est , he secr et l y wr ot e a
l esser - known manuscr i pt t hat schol ar s of t en conf use wi t h Di l ogo. That book i s
cal l ed Di scor si . "
Vi t t or i a nodded. " I ' ve hear d of i t . Di scour ses on t he Ti des. "
Langdon st opped shor t , amazed she had hear d of t he obscur e publ i cat i on about
pl anet ar y mot i on and i t s
ef f ect on t he t i des.
Sei t e 94
" Hey, " she sai d, " you' r e t al ki ng t o an I t al i an mar i ne physi ci st whose f at her
wor shi ped Gal i l eo. "
Langdon l aughed. Di scor si however was not what t hey wer e l ooki ng f or . Langdon
expl ai ned t hat Di scor si
had not been Gal i l eo' s onl y wor k whi l e under house ar r est . Hi st or i ans bel i eved
he had al so wr i t t en an
obscur e bookl et cal l ed Di agr amma.
" Di agr amma del l a Ver i t , " Langdon sai d. " Di agr amof Tr ut h. "
" Never hear d of i t . "
" I ' mnot sur pr i sed. Di agr amma was Gal i l eo' s most secr et i ve wor k- supposedl y some
sor t of t r eat i se on
sci ent i f i c f act s he hel d t o be t r ue but was not al l owed t o shar e. Li ke some of
Gal i l eo' s pr evi ous
manuscr i pt s, Di agr amma was smuggl ed out of Rome by a f r i end and qui et l y
publ i shed i n Hol l and. The
bookl et became wi l dl y popul ar i n t he Eur opean sci ent i f i c under gr ound. Then t he
Vat i can caught wi nd of i t
and went on a book- bur ni ng campai gn. "
Vi t t or i a now l ooked i nt r i gued. " And you t hi nk Di agr amma cont ai ned t he cl ue? The
segno. The i nf or mat i on
about t he Pat h of I l l umi nat i on. "
" Di agr amma i s how Gal i l eo got t he wor d out . That I ' msur e of . " Langdon ent er ed
t he t hi r d r ow of vaul t s
and cont i nued sur veyi ng t he i ndi cat or t abs. " Ar chi vi st s have been l ooki ng f or a
copy of Di agr amma f or
year s. But bet ween t he Vat i can bur ni ngs and t he bookl et ' s l ow per manence r at i ng,
t he bookl et has
di sappear ed of f t he f ace of t he ear t h. "
" Per manence r at i ng?"
" Dur abi l i t y. Ar chi vi st s r at e document s one t hr ough t en f or t hei r st r uct ur al
i nt egr i t y. Di agr amma was
pr i nt ed on sedge papyr us. I t ' s l i ke t i ssue paper . Li f e span of no mor e t han a
cent ur y. "
" Why not somet hi ng st r onger ?"
" Gal i l eo' s behest . To pr ot ect hi s f ol l ower s. Thi s way any sci ent i st s caught wi t h
a copy coul d si mpl y dr op i t
i n wat er and t he bookl et woul d di ssol ve. I t was gr eat f or dest r uct i on of
evi dence, but t er r i bl e f or ar chi vi st s.
I t i s bel i eved t hat onl y one copy of Di agr amma sur vi ved beyond t he ei ght eent h
cent ur y. "
" One?" Vi t t or i a l ooked moment ar i l y st ar st r uck as she gl anced ar ound t he r oom.
" And i t ' s her e?"
" Conf i scat ed f r omt he Net her l ands by t he Vat i can shor t l y af t er Gal i l eo' s deat h.
I ' ve been pet i t i oni ng t o see
i t f or year s now. Ever si nce I r eal i zed what was i n i t . "
As i f r eadi ng Langdon' s mi nd, Vi t t or i a moved acr oss t he ai sl e and began scanni ng
t he adj acent bay of
vaul t s, doubl i ng t hei r pace.
" Thanks, " he sai d. " Look f or r ef er ence t abs t hat have anyt hi ng t o do wi t h
Gal i l eo, sci ence, sci ent i st s.
You' l l know i t when you see i t . "
" Okay, but you st i l l haven' t t ol d me how you f i gur ed out Di agr amma cont ai ned t he
cl ue. I t had somet hi ng
t o do wi t h t he number you kept seei ng i n I l l umi nat i l et t er s? 503?"
Langdon smi l ed. " Yes. I t t ook some t i me, but I f i nal l y f i gur ed out t hat 503 i s a
si mpl e code. I t cl ear l y
poi nt s t o Di agr amma. "
For an i nst ant Langdon r el i ved hi s moment of unexpect ed r evel at i on: August 16.
Two year s ago. He was
st andi ng l akesi de at t he weddi ng of t he son of a col l eague. Bagpi pes dr oned on
t he wat er as t he weddi ng
par t y made t hei r uni que ent r ance . . . acr oss t he l ake on a bar ge. The cr af t was
f est ooned wi t h f l ower s and
wr eat hs. I t car r i ed a Roman numer al pai nt ed pr oudl y on t he hul l - DCI I .
Puzzl ed by t he mar ki ng Langdon asked t he f at her of t he br i de, " What ' s wi t h 602?"
" 602?"
Langdon poi nt ed t o t he bar ge. " DCI I i s t he Roman numer al f or 602. "
The man l aughed. " That ' s not a Roman numer al . That ' s t he name of t he bar ge. "
" The DCI I ?"
Sei t e 95
The man nodded. " The Di ck and Conni e I I . "
Langdon f el t sheepi sh. Di ck and Conni e wer e t he weddi ng coupl e. The bar ge
obvi ousl y had been named i n
t hei r honor . " What happened t o t he DCI ?"
The man gr oaned. " I t sank yest er day dur i ng t he r ehear sal l uncheon. "
Langdon l aughed. " Sor r y t o hear t hat . " He l ooked back out at t he bar ge. The
DCI I , he t hought . Li ke a
mi ni at ur e QEI I . A second l at er , i t had hi t hi m.
Now Langdon t ur ned t o Vi t t or i a. " 503, " he sai d, " as I ment i oned, i s a code. I t ' s
an I l l umi nat i t r i ck f or
conceal i ng what was act ual l y i nt ended as a Roman numer al . The number 503 i n
Roman numer al s i s- "
" DI I I . "
Langdon gl anced up. " That was f ast . Pl ease don' t t el l me you' r e an I l l umi nat a. "
She l aughed. " I use Roman numer al s t o codi f y pel agi c st r at a. "
Of cour se, Langdon t hought . Don' t we al l .
Vi t t or i a l ooked over . " So what i s t he meani ng of DI I I ?"
" DI and DI I and DI I I ar e ver y ol d abbr evi at i ons. They wer e used by anci ent
sci ent i st s t o di st i ngui sh
bet ween t he t hr ee Gal i l ean document s most commonl y conf used.
Vi t t or i a dr ew a qui ck br eat h. " Di l ogo . . . Di scor si . . . Di agr amma. "
" D- one. D- t wo. D- t hr ee. Al l sci ent i f i c. Al l cont r over si al . 503 i s DI I I .
Di agr amma. The t hi r d of hi s books. "
Vi t t or i a l ooked t r oubl ed. " But one t hi ng st i l l doesn' t make sense. I f t hi s
segno, t hi s cl ue, t hi s adver t i sement
about t he Pat h of I l l umi nat i on was r eal l y i n Gal i l eo' s Di agr amma, why di dn' t t he
Vat i can see i t when t hey
r epossessed al l t he copi es?"
" They may have seen i t and not not i ced. Remember t he I l l umi nat i mar ker s? Hi di ng
t hi ngs i n pl ai n vi ew?
Di ssi mul at i on? The segno appar ent l y was hi dden t he same way- i n pl ai n vi ew.
I nvi si bl e t o t hose who wer e
not l ooki ng f or i t . And al so i nvi si bl e t o t hose who di dn' t under st and i t . "
" Meani ng?"
" Meani ng Gal i l eo hi d i t wel l . Accor di ng t o hi st or i c r ecor d, t he segno was
r eveal ed i n a mode t he I l l umi nat i
cal l ed l i ngua pur a. "
" The pur e l anguage?"
" Yes. "
" Mat hemat i cs?"
" That ' s my guess. Seems pr et t y obvi ous. Gal i l eo was a sci ent i st af t er al l , and
he was wr i t i ng f or sci ent i st s.
Mat h woul d be a l ogi cal l anguage i n whi ch t o l ay out t he cl ue. The bookl et i s
cal l ed Di agr amma, so
mat hemat i cal di agr ams may al so be par t of t he code. "
Vi t t or i a sounded onl y sl i ght l y mor e hopef ul . " I suppose Gal i l eo coul d have
cr eat ed some sor t of
mat hemat i cal code t hat went unnot i ced by t he cl er gy. "
" You don' t sound sol d, " Langdon sai d, movi ng down t he r ow.
" I ' mnot . Mai nl y because you ar en' t . I f you wer e so sur e about DI I I , why di dn' t
you publ i sh? Then
someone who di d have access t o t he Vat i can Ar chi ves coul d have come i n her e and
checked out
Di agr amma a l ong t i me ago. "
" I di dn' t want t o publ i sh, " Langdon sai d. " I had wor ked har d t o f i nd t he
i nf or mat i on and- " He st opped
hi msel f , embar r assed.
" You want ed t he gl or y. "
Langdon f el t hi msel f f l ush. " I n a manner of speaki ng. I t ' s j ust t hat - "
" Don' t l ook so embar r assed. You' r e t al ki ng t o a sci ent i st . Publ i sh or per i sh. At
CERN we cal l i t
' Subst ant i at e or suf f ocat e. ' "
" I t wasn' t onl y want i ng t o be t he f i r st . I was al so concer ned t hat i f t he wr ong
peopl e f ound out about t he
i nf or mat i on i n Di agr amma, i t mi ght di sappear . "
" The wr ong peopl e bei ng t he Vat i can?"
" Not t hat t hey ar e wr ong, per se, but t he chur ch has al ways downpl ayed t he
I l l umi nat i t hr eat . I n t he ear l y
1900s t he Vat i can went so f ar as t o say t he I l l umi nat i wer e a f i gment of
Sei t e 96
over act i ve i magi nat i ons. The
cl er gy f el t , and per haps r i ght l y so, t hat t he l ast t hi ng Chr i st i ans needed t o
know was t hat t her e was a ver y
power f ul ant i - Chr i st i an movement i nf i l t r at i ng t hei r banks, pol i t i cs, and
uni ver si t i es. " Pr esent t ense, Rober t ,
he r emi nded hi msel f . Ther e I S a power f ul ant i - Chr i st i an f or ce i nf i l t r at i ng t hei r
banks, pol i t i cs, and
uni ver si t i es.
" So you t hi nk t he Vat i can woul d have bur i ed any evi dence cor r obor at i ng t he
I l l umi nat i t hr eat ?"
" Qui t e possi bl y. Any t hr eat , r eal or i magi ned, weakens f ai t h i n t he chur ch' s
power . "
" One mor e quest i on. " Vi t t or i a st opped shor t and l ooked at hi ml i ke he was an
al i en. " Ar e you ser i ous?"
Langdon st opped. " What do you mean?"
" I mean i s t hi s r eal l y your pl an t o save t he day?"
Langdon wasn' t sur e whet her he saw amused pi t y or sheer t er r or i n her eyes. " You
mean f i ndi ng
Di agr amma?"
" No, I mean f i ndi ng Di agr amma, l ocat i ng a f our - hundr ed- year - ol d segno,
deci pher i ng some mat hemat i cal
code, and f ol l owi ng an anci ent t r ai l of ar t t hat onl y t he most br i l l i ant
sci ent i st s i n hi st or y have ever been
abl e t o f ol l ow . . . al l i n t he next f our hour s. "
Langdon shr ugged. " I ' mopen t o ot her suggest i ons. "
50
R ober t Langdon st ood out si de Ar chi ve Vaul t 9 and r ead t he l abel s on t he st acks.
BRAHE . . . CLAVI US . . . COPERNI CUS . . . KEPLER . . . NEWTON . . .
As he r ead t he names agai n, he f el t a sudden uneasi ness. Her e ar e t he sci ent i st s
. . . but wher e i s Gal i l eo?
He t ur ned t o Vi t t or i a, who was checki ng t he cont ent s of a near by vaul t . " I f ound
t he r i ght t heme, but
Gal i l eo' s mi ssi ng. "
" No he i sn' t , " she sai d, f r owni ng as she mot i oned t o t he next vaul t . " He' s over
her e. But I hope you
br ought your r eadi ng gl asses, because t hi s ent i r e vaul t i s hi s. "
Langdon r an over . Vi t t or i a was r i ght . Ever y i ndi ct or t ab i n Vaul t 10 car r i ed t he
same keywor d.
I L PROCESO GALI LEANO
Langdon l et out a l ow whi st l e, now r eal i zi ng why Gal i l eo had hi s own vaul t . " The
Gal i l eo Af f ai r , " he
mar vel ed, peer i ng t hr ough t he gl ass at t he dar k out l i nes of t he st acks. " The
l ongest and most expensi ve
l egal pr oceedi ng i n Vat i can hi st or y. Four t een year s and si x hundr ed mi l l i on
l i r e. I t ' s al l her e. "
" Have a f ew l egal document s. "
" I guess l awyer s haven' t evol ved much over t he cent ur i es. "
" Nei t her have shar ks. "
Langdon st r ode t o a l ar ge yel l ow but t on on t he si de of t he vaul t . He pr essed i t ,
and a bank of over head
l i ght s hummed on i nsi de. The l i ght s wer e deep r ed, t ur ni ng t he cube i nt o a
gl owi ng cr i mson cel l . . . a maze
of t ower i ng shel ves.
" My God, " Vi t t or i a sai d, l ooki ng spooked. " Ar e we t anni ng or wor ki ng?"
" Par chment and vel l umf ades, so vaul t l i ght i ng i s al ways done wi t h dar k l i ght s. "
" You coul d go mad i n her e. "
Or wor se, Langdon t hought , movi ng t owar d t he vaul t ' s sol e ent r ance. " A qui ck
wor d of war ni ng. Oxygen
i s an oxi dant , so her met i c vaul t s cont ai n ver y l i t t l e of i t . I t ' s a par t i al
vacuumi nsi de. Your br eat hi ng wi l l
f eel st r ai ned. "
" Hey, i f ol d car di nal s can sur vi ve i t . "
Tr ue, Langdon t hought . May we be as l ucky.
The vaul t ent r ance was a si ngl e el ect r oni c r evol vi ng door . Langdon not ed t he
common ar r angement of f our
access but t ons on t he door ' s i nner shaf t , one accessi bl e f r omeach compar t ment .
Sei t e 97
When a but t on was
pr essed, t he mot or i zed door woul d ki ck i nt o gear and make t he convent i onal hal f
r ot at i on bef or e gr i ndi ng
t o a hal t - a st andar d pr ocedur e t o pr eser ve t he i nt egr i t y of t he i nner
at mospher e.
" Af t er I ' mi n, " Langdon sai d, " j ust pr ess t he but t on and f ol l ow me t hr ough.
Ther e' s onl y ei ght per cent
humi di t y i nsi de, so be pr epar ed t o f eel some dr y mout h. "
Langdon st epped i nt o t he r ot at i ng compar t ment and pr essed t he but t on. The door
buzzed l oudl y and began
t o r ot at e. As he f ol l owed i t s mot i on, Langdon pr epar ed hi s body f or t he physi cal
shock t hat al ways
accompani ed t he f i r st f ew seconds i n a her met i c vaul t . Ent er i ng a seal ed ar chi ve
was l i ke goi ng f r omsea
l evel t o 20, 000 f eet i n an i nst ant . Nausea and l i ght - headedness wer e not
uncommon. Doubl e vi si on, doubl e
over , he r emi nded hi msel f , quot i ng t he ar chi vi st ' s mant r a. Langdon f el t hi s ear s
pop. Ther e was a hi ss of
ai r , and t he door spun t o a st op.
He was i n.
Langdon' s f i r st r eal i zat i on was t hat t he ai r i nsi de was t hi nner t han he had
ant i ci pat ed. The Vat i can, i t
seemed, t ook t hei r ar chi ves a bi t mor e ser i ousl y t han most . Langdon f ought t he
gag r ef l ex and r el axed hi s
chest whi l e hi s pul monar y capi l l ar i es di l at ed. The t i ght ness passed qui ckl y.
Ent er t he Dol phi n, he mused,
gr at i f i ed hi s f i f t y l aps a day wer e good f or somet hi ng. Br eat hi ng mor e nor mal l y
now, he l ooked ar ound t he
vaul t . Despi t e t he t r anspar ent out er wal l s, he f el t a f ami l i ar anxi et y. I ' mi n a
box, he t hought . A bl ood r ed
box.
The door buzzed behi nd hi m, and Langdon t ur ned t o wat ch Vi t t or i a ent er . When she
ar r i ved i nsi de, her
eyes i mmedi at el y began wat er i ng, and she st ar t ed br eat hi ng heavi l y.
" Gi ve i t a mi nut e, " Langdon sai d. " I f you get l i ght - headed, bend over . "
" I . . . f eel . . . " Vi t t or i a choked, " l i ke I ' m. . . scuba di vi ng . . . wi t h
t he wr ong . . . mi xt ur e. "
Langdon wai t ed f or her t o accl i mat i ze. He knew she woul d be f i ne. Vi t t or i a Vet r a
was obvi ousl y i n t er r i f i c
shape, not hi ng l i ke t he dodder i ng anci ent Radcl i f f e al umnae Langdon had once
squi r ed t hr ough Wi dener
Li br ar y' s her met i c vaul t . The t our had ended wi t h Langdon gi vi ng mout h- t o- mout h
t o an ol d woman who' d
al most aspi r at ed her f al se t eet h.
" Feel i ng bet t er ?" he asked.
Vi t t or i a nodded.
" I r ode your damn space pl ane, so I t hought I owed you. "
Thi s br ought a smi l e. " Touch. "
Langdon r eached i nt o t he box besi de t he door and ext r act ed some whi t e cot t on
gl oves.
" For mal af f ai r ?" Vi t t or i a asked.
" Fi nger aci d. We can' t handl e t he document s wi t hout t hem. You' l l need a pai r . "
Vi t t or i a donned some gl oves. " How l ong do we have?"
Langdon checked hi s Mi ckey Mouse wat ch. " I t ' s j ust past seven. "
" We have t o f i nd t hi s t hi ng wi t hi n t he hour . "
" Act ual l y, " Langdon sai d, " we don' t have t hat ki nd of t i me. " He poi nt ed over head
t o a f i l t er ed duct .
" Nor mal l y t he cur at or woul d t ur n on a r eoxygenat i on syst emwhen someone i s
i nsi de t he vaul t . Not t oday.
Twent y mi nut es, we' l l bot h be sucki ng wi nd. "
Vi t t or i a bl anched not i ceabl y i n t he r eddi sh gl ow.
Langdon smi l ed and smoot hed hi s gl oves. " Subst ant i at e or suf f ocat e, Ms. Vet r a.
Mi ckey' s t i cki ng. "
51
B BC r epor t er Gunt her Gl i ck st ar ed at t he cel l phone i n hi s hand f or t en seconds
bef or e he f i nal l y hung
up.
Chi ni t a Macr i st udi ed hi mf r omt he back of t he van. " What happened? Who was
t hat ?"
Sei t e 98
Gl i ck t ur ned, f eel i ng l i ke a chi l d who had j ust r ecei ved a Chr i st mas gi f t he
f ear ed was not r eal l y f or hi m. " I
j ust got a t i p. Somet hi ng' s goi ng on i nsi de t he Vat i can. "
" I t ' s cal l ed concl ave, " Chi ni t a sai d. " Hel l uva t i p. "
" No, somet hi ng el se. " Somet hi ng bi g. He wonder ed i f t he st or y t he cal l er had
j ust t ol d hi mcoul d possi bl y
be t r ue. Gl i ck f el t ashamed when he r eal i zed he was pr ayi ng i t was. " What i f I
t ol d you f our car di nal s have
been ki dnapped and ar e goi ng t o be mur der ed at di f f er ent chur ches t oni ght . "
" I ' d say you' r e bei ng hazed by someone at t he of f i ce wi t h a si ck sense of
humor . "
" What i f I t ol d you we wer e goi ng t o be gi ven t he exact l ocat i on of t he f i r st
mur der ?"
" I ' d want t o know who t he hel l you j ust t al ked t o. "
" He di dn' t say. "
" Per haps because he' s f ul l of shi t ?"
Gl i ck had come t o expect Macr i ' s cyni ci sm, but what she was f or get t i ng was t hat
l i ar s and l unat i cs had
been Gl i ck' s busi ness f or al most a decade at t he Br i t i sh Tat t l er . Thi s cal l er
had been nei t her . Thi s man had
been col dl y sane. Logi cal . I wi l l cal l you j ust bef or e ei ght , t he man had sai d,
and t el l you wher e t he f i r st
ki l l i ng wi l l occur . The i mages you r ecor d wi l l make you f amous. When Gl i ck had
demanded why t he cal l er
was gi vi ng hi mt hi s i nf or mat i on, t he answer had been as i cy as t he man' s
Mi deast er n accent . The medi a i s
t he r i ght ar mof anar chy.
" He t ol d me somet hi ng el se t oo, " Gl i ck sai d.
" What ? That El vi s Pr esl ey was j ust el ect ed Pope?"
" Di al i nt o t he BBC dat abase, wi l l you?" Gl i ck' s adr enal i ne was pumpi ng now. " I
want t o see what ot her
st or i es we' ve r un on t hese guys. "
" What guys?"
" I ndul ge me. "
Macr i si ghed and pul l ed up t he connect i on t o t he BBC dat abase. " Thi s' l l t ake a
mi nut e. "
Gl i ck' s mi nd was swi mmi ng. " The cal l er was ver y i nt ent t o know i f I had a
camer aman. "
" Vi deogr apher . "
" And i f we coul d t r ansmi t l i ve. "
" One poi nt f i ve t hr ee seven megaher t z. What i s t hi s about ?" The dat abase beeped.
" Okay, we' r e i n. Who i s
i t you' r e l ooki ng f or ?"
Gl i ck gave her t he keywor d.
Macr i t ur ned and st ar ed. " I sur e as hel l hope you' r e ki ddi ng. "
52
T he i nt er nal or gani zat i on of Ar chi val Vaul t 10 was not as i nt ui t i ve as Langdon
had hoped, and t he
Di agr amma manuscr i pt di d not appear t o be l ocat ed wi t h ot her si mi l ar Gal i l ean
publ i cat i ons. Wi t hout
access t o t he comput er i zed Bi bl i on and a r ef er ence l ocat or , Langdon and Vi t t or i a
wer e st uck.
" You' r e sur e Di agr amma i s i n her e?" Vi t t or i a asked.
" Posi t i ve. I t ' s a conf i r med l i st i ng i n bot h t he Uf i cci o del l a Pr opaganda del l e
Fede- "
" Fi ne. As l ong as you' r e sur e. " She headed l ef t , whi l e he went r i ght .
Langdon began hi s manual sear ch. He needed ever y bi t of sel f - r est r ai nt not t o
st op and r ead ever y t r easur e
he passed. The col l ect i on was st agger i ng. The Assayer . . . The St ar r y Messenger
. . . The Sunspot Let t er s . .
. Let t er t o t he Gr and Duchess Chr i st i na . . . Apol ogi a pr o Gal i l eo . . . On and
on.
I t was Vi t t or i a who f i nal l y st r uck gol d near t he back of t he vaul t . Her t hr oat y
voi ce cal l ed out ,
" Di agr amma del l a Ver i t ! "
Langdon dashed t hr ough t he cr i mson haze t o j oi n her . " Wher e?"
Vi t t or i a poi nt ed, and Langdon i mmedi at el y r eal i zed why t hey had not f ound i t
ear l i er . The manuscr i pt was
i n a f ol i o bi n, not on t he shel ves. Fol i o bi ns wer e a common means of st or i ng
Sei t e 99
unbound pages. The l abel on
t he f r ont of t he cont ai ner l ef t no doubt about t he cont ent s.
DI AGRAMMA DELLA VERI TA
Gal i l eo Gal i l ei , 1639
Langdon dr opped t o hi s knees, hi s hear t poundi ng. " Di agr amma. " He gave her a
gr i n. " Ni ce wor k. Hel p
me pul l out t hi s bi n. "
Vi t t or i a knel t besi de hi m, and t hey heaved. The met al t r ay on whi ch t he bi n was
si t t i ng r ol l ed t owar d t hem
on cast or s, r eveal i ng t he t op of t he cont ai ner .
" No l ock?" Vi t t or i a sai d, soundi ng sur pr i sed at t he si mpl e l at ch.
" Never . Document s somet i mes need t o be evacuat ed qui ckl y. Fl oods and f i r es. "
" So open i t . "
Langdon di dn' t need any encour agement . Wi t h hi s academi c l i f e' s dr eamr i ght i n
f r ont of hi mand t he
t hi nni ng ai r i n t he chamber , he was i n no mood t o dawdl e. He unsnapped t he l at ch
and l i f t ed t he l i d. I nsi de,
f l at on t he f l oor of t he bi n, l ay a bl ack, duck- cl ot h pouch. The cl ot h' s
br eat habi l i t y was cr i t i cal t o t he
pr eser vat i on of i t s cont ent s. Reachi ng i n wi t h bot h hands and keepi ng t he pouch
hor i zont al , Langdon l i f t ed
i t out of t he bi n.
" I expect ed a t r easur e chest , " Vi t t or i a sai d. " Looks mor e l i ke a pi l l owcase. "
" Fol l ow me, " he sai d. Hol di ng t he bag bef or e hi ml i ke a sacr ed of f er i ng, Langdon
wal ked t o t he cent er of
t he vaul t wher e he f ound t he cust omar y gl ass- t opped ar chi val examt abl e.
Al t hough t he cent r al l ocat i on
was i nt ended t o mi ni mi ze i n- vaul t t r avel of document s, r esear cher s appr eci at ed
t he pr i vacy t he sur r oundi ng
st acks af f or ded. Car eer - maki ng di scover i es wer e uncover ed i n t he t op vaul t s of
t he wor l d, and most
academi cs di d not l i ke r i val s peer i ng t hr ough t he gl ass as t hey wor ked.
Langdon l ay t he pouch on t he t abl e and unbut t oned t he openi ng. Vi t t or i a st ood
by. Rummagi ng t hr ough a
t r ay of ar chi vi st t ool s, Langdon f ound t he f el t - pad pi ncer s ar chi vi st s cal l ed
f i nger cymbal s- over si zed
t weezer s wi t h f l at t ened di sks on each ar m. As hi s exci t ement mount ed, Langdon
f ear ed at any moment he
mi ght awake back i n Cambr i dge wi t h a pi l e of t est paper s t o gr ade. I nhal i ng
deepl y, he opened t he bag.
Fi nger s t r embl i ng i n t hei r cot t on gl oves, he r eached i n wi t h hi s t ongs.
" Rel ax, " Vi t t or i a sai d. " I t ' s paper , not pl ut oni um. "
Langdon sl i d t he t ongs ar ound t he st ack of document s i nsi de and was car ef ul t o
appl y even pr essur e. Then,
r at her t han pul l i ng out t he document s, he hel d t hemi n pl ace whi l e he sl i d of f
t he bag- an ar chi vi st ' s
pr ocedur e f or mi ni mi zi ng t or que on t he ar t i f act . Not unt i l t he bag was r emoved
and Langdon had t ur ned on
t he examdar kl i ght beneat h t he t abl e di d he begi n br eat hi ng agai n.
Vi t t or i a l ooked l i ke a spect er now, l i t f r ombel ow by t he l amp beneat h t he
gl ass. " Smal l sheet s, " she sai d,
her voi ce r ever ent .
Langdon nodded. The st ack of f ol i os bef or e t heml ooked l i ke l oose pages f r oma
smal l paper back novel .
Langdon coul d see t hat t he t op sheet was an or nat e pen and i nk cover sheet wi t h
t he t i t l e, t he dat e, and
Gal i l eo' s name i n hi s own hand.
I n t hat i nst ant , Langdon f or got t he cr amped quar t er s, f or got hi s exhaust i on,
f or got t he hor r i f yi ng si t uat i on
t hat had br ought hi mher e. He si mpl y st ar ed i n wonder . Cl ose encount er s wi t h
hi st or y al ways l ef t Langdon
numbed wi t h r ever ence . . . l i ke seei ng t he br ushst r okes on t he Mona Li sa.
The mut ed, yel l ow papyr us l ef t no doubt i n Langdon' s mi nd as t o i t s age and
aut hent i ci t y, but excl udi ng
t he i nevi t abl e f adi ng, t he document was i n super b condi t i on. Sl i ght bl eachi ng of
t he pi gment . Mi nor
sunder i ng and cohesi on of t he papyr us. But al l i n al l . . . i n damn f i ne
Sei t e 100
condi t i on. He st udi ed t he or nat e hand
et chi ng of t he cover , hi s vi si on bl ur r i ng i n t he l ack of humi di t y. Vi t t or i a was
si l ent .
" Hand me a spat ul a, pl ease. " Langdon mot i oned besi de Vi t t or i a t o a t r ay f i l l ed
wi t h st ai nl ess- st eel ar chi val
t ool s. She handed i t t o hi m. Langdon t ook t he t ool i n hi s hand. I t was a good
one. He r an hi s f i nger s acr oss
t he f ace t o r emove any st at i c char ge and t hen, ever so car ef ul l y, sl i d t he bl ade
beneat h t he cover . Then,
l i f t i ng t he spat ul a, he t ur ned over t he cover sheet .
The f i r st page was wr i t t en i n l onghand, t he t i ny, st yl i zed cal l i gr aphy al most
i mpossi bl e t o r ead. Langdon
i mmedi at el y not i ced t hat t her e wer e no di agr ams or number s on t he page. I t was
an essay.
" Hel i ocent r i ci t y, " Vi t t or i a sai d, t r ansl at i ng t he headi ng on f ol i o one. She
scanned t he t ext . " Looks l i ke
Gal i l eo r enounci ng t he geocent r i c model once and f or al l . Anci ent I t al i an,
t hough, so no pr omi ses on t he
t r ansl at i on. "
" For get i t , " Langdon sai d. " We' r e l ooki ng f or mat h. The pur e l anguage. " He used
t he spat ul a t ool t o f l i p
t he next page. Anot her essay. No mat h or di agr ams. Langdon' s hands began t o
sweat i nsi de hi s gl oves.
" Movement of t he Pl anet s, " Vi t t or i a sai d, t r ansl at i ng t he t i t l e.
Langdon f r owned. On any ot her day, he woul d have been f asci nat ed t o r ead i t ;
i ncr edi bl y NASA' s cur r ent
model of pl anet ar y or bi t s, obser ved t hr ough hi gh- power ed t el escopes, was
supposedl y al most i dent i cal t o
Gal i l eo' s or i gi nal pr edi ct i ons.
" No mat h, " Vi t t or i a sai d. " He' s t al ki ng about r et r ogr ade mot i ons and el l i pt i cal
or bi t s or somet hi ng. "
El l i pt i cal or bi t s. Langdon r ecal l ed t hat much of Gal i l eo' s l egal t r oubl e had
begun when he descr i bed
pl anet ar y mot i on as el l i pt i cal . The Vat i can exal t ed t he per f ect i on of t he ci r cl e
and i nsi st ed heavenl y mot i on
must be onl y ci r cul ar . Gal i l eo' s I l l umi nat i , however , saw per f ect i on i n t he
el l i pse as wel l , r ever i ng t he
mat hemat i cal dual i t y of i t s t wi n f oci . The I l l umi nat i ' s el l i pse was pr omi nent
even t oday i n moder n Masoni c
t r aci ng boar ds and f oot i ng i nl ays.
" Next , " Vi t t or i a sai d.
Langdon f l i pped.
" Lunar phases and t i dal mot i on, " she sai d. " No number s. No di agr ams. "
Langdon f l i pped agai n. Not hi ng. He kept f l i ppi ng t hr ough a dozen or so pages.
Not hi ng. Not hi ng. Not hi ng.
" I t hought t hi s guy was a mat hemat i ci an, " Vi t t or i a sai d. " Thi s i s al l t ext . "
Langdon f el t t he ai r i n hi s l ungs begi nni ng t o t hi n. Hi s hopes wer e t hi nni ng
t oo. The pi l e was wani ng.
" Not hi ng her e, " Vi t t or i a sai d. " No mat h. A f ew dat es, a f ew st andar d f i gur es,
but not hi ng t hat l ooks l i ke i t
coul d be a cl ue. "
Langdon f l i pped over t he l ast f ol i o and si ghed. I t , t oo, was an essay.
" Shor t book, " Vi t t or i a sai d, f r owni ng.
Langdon nodded.
" Mer da, as we say i n Rome. "
Shi t i s r i ght , Langdon t hought . Hi s r ef l ect i on i n t he gl ass seemed mocki ng, l i ke
t he i mage st ar i ng back at
hi mt hi s mor ni ng f r omhi s bay wi ndow. An agi ng ghost . " Ther e' s got t o be
somet hi ng, " he sai d, t he hoar se
desper at i on i n hi s voi ce sur pr i si ng hi m. " The segno i s her e somewher e. I know
i t ! "
" Maybe you wer e wr ong about DI I I ?"
Langdon t ur ned and st ar ed at her .
" Okay, " she agr eed, " DI I I makes per f ect sense. But maybe t he cl ue i sn' t
mat hemat i cal ?"
" Li ngua pur a. What el se woul d i t be?"
" Ar t ?"
" Except t her e ar e no di agr ams or pi ct ur es i n t he book. "
" Al l I know i s t hat l i ngua pur a r ef er s t o somet hi ng ot her t han I t al i an. Mat h
Sei t e 101
j ust seems l ogi cal . "
" I agr ee. "
Langdon r ef used t o accept def eat so qui ckl y. " The number s must be wr i t t en
l onghand. The mat h must be i n
wor ds r at her t han equat i ons. "
" I t ' l l t ake some t i me t o r ead al l t he pages. "
" Ti me' s somet hi ng we don' t have. We' l l have t o spl i t t he wor k. " Langdon f l i pped
t he st ack back over t o
t he begi nni ng. " I know enough I t al i an t o spot number s. " Usi ng hi s spat ul a, he
cut t he st ack l i ke a deck of
car ds and l ay t he f i r st hal f - dozen pages i n f r ont of Vi t t or i a. " I t ' s i n her e
somewher e. I ' msur e. "
Vi t t or i a r eached down and f l i pped her f i r st page by hand.
" Spat ul a! " Langdon sai d, gr abbi ng her an ext r a t ool f r omt he t r ay. " Use t he
spat ul a. "
" I ' mwear i ng gl oves, " she gr umbl ed. " How much damage coul d I cause?"
" J ust use i t . "
Vi t t or i a pi cked up t he spat ul a. " You f eel i ng what I ' mf eel i ng?"
" Tense?"
" No. Shor t of br eat h. "
Langdon was def i ni t el y st ar t i ng t o f eel i t t oo. The ai r was t hi nni ng f ast er t han
he had i magi ned. He knew
t hey had t o hur r y. Ar chi val conundr ums wer e not hi ng new f or hi m, but usual l y he
had mor e t han a f ew
mi nut es t o wor k t hemout . Wi t hout anot her wor d, Langdon bowed hi s head and began
t r ansl at i ng t he f i r st
page i n hi s st ack.
Show your sel f , damn i t ! Show your sel f !
53
S omewher e beneat h Rome t he dar k f i gur e pr owl ed down a st one r amp i nt o t he
under gr ound t unnel . The
anci ent passageway was l i t onl y by t or ches, maki ng t he ai r hot and t hi ck. Up
ahead t he f r i ght ened voi ces of
gr own men cal l ed out i n vai n, echoi ng i n t he cr amped spaces.
As he r ounded t he cor ner he saw t hem, exact l y as he had l ef t t hem- f our ol d men,
t er r i f i ed, seal ed behi nd
r ust ed i r on bar s i n a st one cubi cl e.
" Qui t es- vous?" one of t he men demanded i n Fr ench. " What do you want wi t h us?"
" Hi l f e! " anot her sai d i n Ger man. " Let us go! "
" Ar e you awar e who we ar e?" one asked i n Engl i sh, hi s accent Spani sh.
" Si l ence, " t he r aspy voi ce commanded. Ther e was a f i nal i t y about t he wor d.
The f our t h pr i soner , an I t al i an, qui et and t hought f ul , l ooked i nt o t he i nky voi d
of hi s capt or ' s eyes and
swor e he saw hel l i t sel f . God hel p us, he t hought .
The ki l l er checked hi s wat ch and t hen r et ur ned hi s gaze t o t he pr i soner s. " Now
t hen, " he sai d. " Who wi l l be
f i r st ?"
54
I nsi de Ar chi ve Vaul t 10 Rober t Langdon r eci t ed I t al i an number s as he scanned
t he cal l i gr aphy bef or e
hi m. Mi l l e . . . cent i . . . uno, duo, t r e . . . ci ncuant a. I need a numer i cal
r ef er ence! Anyt hi ng, damni t !
When he r eached t he end of hi s cur r ent f ol i o, he l i f t ed t he spat ul a t o f l i p t he
page. As he al i gned t he bl ade
wi t h t he next page, he f umbl ed, havi ng di f f i cul t y hol di ng t he t ool st eady.
Mi nut es l at er , he l ooked down
and r eal i zed he had abandoned hi s spat ul a and was t ur ni ng pages by hand. Oops,
he t hought , f eel i ng
vaguel y cr i mi nal . The l ack of oxygen was af f ect i ng hi s i nhi bi t i ons. Looks l i ke
I ' l l bur n i n ar chi vi st ' s hel l .
" About damn t i me, " Vi t t or i a choked when she saw Langdon t ur ni ng pages by hand.
She dr opped her
spat ul a and f ol l owed sui t .
" Any l uck?"
Vi t t or i a shook her head. " Not hi ng t hat l ooks pur el y mat hemat i cal . I ' mski mmi ng .
. . but none of t hi s r eads
l i ke a cl ue. "
Langdon cont i nued t r ansl at i ng hi s f ol i os wi t h i ncr easi ng di f f i cul t y. Hi s I t al i an
ski l l s wer e r ocky at best , and
Sei t e 102
t he t i ny penmanshi p and ar chai c l anguage was maki ng i t sl ow goi ng. Vi t t or i a
r eached t he end of her st ack
bef or e Langdon and l ooked di shear t ened as she f l i pped t he pages back over . She
hunker ed down f or
anot her mor e i nt ense i nspect i on.
When Langdon f i ni shed hi s f i nal page, he cur sed under hi s br eat h and l ooked over
at Vi t t or i a. She was
scowl i ng, squi nt i ng at somet hi ng on one of her f ol i os. " What i s i t ?" he asked.
Vi t t or i a di d not l ook up. " Di d you have any f oot not es on your pages?"
" Not t hat I not i ced. Why?"
" Thi s page has a f oot not e. I t ' s obscur ed i n a cr ease. "
Langdon t r i ed t o see what she was l ooki ng at , but al l he coul d make out was t he
page number i n t he upper
r i ght - hand cor ner of t he sheet . Fol i o 5. I t t ook a moment f or t he coi nci dence t o
r egi st er , and even when i t
di d t he connect i on seemed vague. Fol i o Fi ve. Fi ve, Pyt hagor as, pent agr ams,
I l l umi nat i . Langdon
wonder ed i f t he I l l umi nat i woul d have chosen page f i ve on whi ch t o hi de t hei r
cl ue. Thr ough t he r eddi sh
f og sur r oundi ng t hem, Langdon sensed a t i ny r ay of hope. " I s t he f oot not e
mat hemat i cal ?"
Vi t t or i a shook her head. " Text . One l i ne. Ver y smal l pr i nt i ng. Al most
i l l egi bl e. "
Hi s hopes f aded. " I t ' s supposed t o be mat h. Li ngua pur a. "
" Yeah, I know. " She hesi t at ed. " I t hi nk you' l l want t o hear t hi s, t hough. "
Langdon sensed exci t ement i n her
voi ce.
" Go ahead. "
Squi nt i ng at t he f ol i o, Vi t t or i a r ead t he l i ne. " The pat h of l i ght i s l ai d, t he
sacr ed t est . "
The wor ds wer e not hi ng l i ke what Langdon had i magi ned. " I ' msor r y?"
Vi t t or i a r epeat ed t he l i ne. " The pat h of l i ght i s l ai d, t he sacr ed t est . "
" Pat h of l i ght ?" Langdon f el t hi s post ur e st r ai ght eni ng.
" That ' s what i t says. Pat h of l i ght . "
As t he wor ds sank i n, Langdon f el t hi s del i r i umpi er ced by an i nst ant of
cl ar i t y. The pat h of l i ght i s l ai d, t he
sacr ed t est . He had no i dea how i t hel ped t hem, but t he l i ne was as di r ect a
r ef er ence t o t he Pat h of
I l l umi nat i on as he coul d i magi ne. Pat h of l i ght . Sacr ed t est . Hi s head f el t l i ke
an engi ne r evvi ng on bad
f uel . " Ar e you sur e of t he t r ansl at i on?"
Vi t t or i a hesi t at ed. " Act ual l y . . . " She gl anced over at hi mwi t h a st r ange
l ook. " I t ' s not t echni cal l y a
t r ansl at i on. The l i ne i s wr i t t en i n Engl i sh. "
For an i nst ant , Langdon t hought t he acoust i cs i n t he chamber had af f ect ed hi s
hear i ng. " Engl i sh?"
Vi t t or i a pushed t he document over t o hi m, and Langdon r ead t he mi nuscul e
pr i nt i ng at t he bot t omof t he
page. " The pat h of l i ght i s l ai d, t he sacr ed t est . Engl i sh? What i s Engl i sh
doi ng i n an I t al i an book?"
Vi t t or i a shr ugged. She t oo was l ooki ng t i psy. " Maybe Engl i sh i s what t hey meant
by t he l i ngua pur a? I t ' s
consi der ed t he i nt er nat i onal l anguage of sci ence. I t ' s al l we speak at CERN. "
" But t hi s was i n t he 1600s, " Langdon ar gued. " Nobody spoke Engl i sh i n I t al y, not
even- " He st opped shor t ,
r eal i zi ng what he was about t o say. " Not even . . . t he cl er gy. " Langdon' s
academi c mi nd hummed i n hi gh
gear . " I n t he 1600s, " he sai d, t al ki ng f ast er now, " Engl i sh was one l anguage t he
Vat i can had not yet
embr aced. They deal t i n I t al i an, Lat i n, Ger man, even Spani sh and Fr ench, but
Engl i sh was t ot al l y f or ei gn
i nsi de t he Vat i can. They consi der ed Engl i sh a pol l ut ed, f r ee- t hi nker s l anguage
f or pr of ane men l i ke
Chaucer and Shakespear e. " Langdon f l ashed suddenl y on t he I l l umi nat i br ands of
Ear t h, Ai r , Fi r e, Wat er .
The l egend t hat t he br ands wer e i n Engl i sh now made a bi zar r e ki nd of sense.
" So you' r e sayi ng maybe Gal i l eo consi der ed Engl i sh l a l i ngua pur a because i t was
t he one l anguage t he
Vat i can di d not cont r ol ?"
Sei t e 103
" Yes. Or maybe by put t i ng t he cl ue i n Engl i sh, Gal i l eo was subt l y r est r i ct i ng
t he r eader shi p away f r omt he
Vat i can. "
" But i t ' s not even a cl ue, " Vi t t or i a ar gued. " The pat h of l i ght i s l ai d, t he
sacr ed t est ? What t he hel l does
t hat mean?"
She' s r i ght , Langdon t hought . The l i ne di dn' t hel p i n any way. But as he spoke
t he phr ase agai n i n hi s
mi nd, a st r ange f act hi t hi m. Now t hat ' s odd, he t hought . What ar e t he chances
of t hat ?
" We need t o get out of her e, " Vi t t or i a sai d, soundi ng hoar se.
Langdon wasn' t l i st eni ng. The pat h of l i ght i s l ai d, t he sacr ed t est . " I t ' s a
damn l i ne of i ambi c pent amet er , "
he sai d suddenl y, count i ng t he syl l abl es agai n. " Fi ve coupl et s of al t er nat i ng
st r essed and unst r essed
syl l abl es. "
Vi t t or i a l ooked l ost . " I ambi c who?"
For an i nst ant Langdon was back at Phi l l i ps Exet er Academy si t t i ng i n a Sat ur day
mor ni ng Engl i sh cl ass.
Hel l on ear t h. The school basebal l st ar , Pet er Gr eer , was havi ng t r oubl e
r emember i ng t he number of
coupl et s necessar y f or a l i ne of Shakespear ean i ambi c pent amet er . Thei r
pr of essor , an ani mat ed
school mast er named Bi ssel l , l eapt ont o t he t abl e and bel l owed, " Pent a- met er ,
Gr eer ! Thi nk of home pl at e!
A pent a- gon! Fi ve si des! Pent a! Pent a! Pent a! J eeeesh! "
Fi ve coupl et s, Langdon t hought . Each coupl et , by def i ni t i on, havi ng t wo
syl l abl es. He coul d not bel i eve i n
hi s ent i r e car eer he had never made t he connect i on. I ambi c pent amet er was a
symmet r i cal met er based on
t he sacr ed I l l umi nat i number s of 5 and 2!
You' r e r eachi ng! Langdon t ol d hi msel f , t r yi ng t o push i t f r omhi s mi nd. A
meani ngl ess coi nci dence! But
t he t hought st uck. Fi ve . . . f or Pyt hagor as and t he pent agr am. Two . . . f or
t he dual i t y of al l t hi ngs.
A moment l at er , anot her r eal i zat i on sent a numbi ng sensat i on down hi s l egs.
I ambi c pent amet er , on account
of i t s si mpl i ci t y, was of t en cal l ed " pur e ver se" or " pur e met er . " La l i ngua
pur a? Coul d t hi s have been t he
pur e l anguage t he I l l umi nat i had been r ef er r i ng t o? The pat h of l i ght i s l ai d,
t he sacr ed t est . . .
" Uh oh, " Vi t t or i a sai d.
Langdon wheel ed t o see her r ot at i ng t he f ol i o upsi de down. He f el t a knot i n hi s
gut . Not agai n. " Ther e' s no
way t hat l i ne i s an ambi gr am! "
" No, i t ' s not an ambi gr am. . . but i t ' s . . . " She kept t ur ni ng t he document ,
90 degr ees at ever y t ur n.
" I t ' s what ?"
Vi t t or i a l ooked up. " I t ' s not t he onl y l i ne. "
" Ther e' s anot her ?"
" Ther e' s a di f f er ent l i ne on ever y mar gi n. Top, bot t om, l ef t , and r i ght . I t hi nk
i t ' s a poem. "
" Four l i nes?" Langdon br i st l ed wi t h exci t ement . Gal i l eo was a poet ? " Let me
see! "
Vi t t or i a di d not r el i nqui sh t he page. She kept t ur ni ng t he page i n quar t er
t ur ns. " I di dn' t see t he l i nes bef or e
because t hey' r e on t he edges. " She cocked her head over t he l ast l i ne. " Huh. You
know what ? Gal i l eo
di dn' t even wr i t e t hi s. "
" What ! "
" The poemi s si gned J ohn Mi l t on. "
" J ohn Mi l t on?" The i nf l uent i al Engl i sh poet who wr ot e Par adi se Lost was a
cont empor ar y of Gal i l eo' s and
a savant who conspi r acy buf f s put at t he t op of t hei r l i st of I l l umi nat i
suspect s. Mi l t on' s al l eged af f i l i at i on
wi t h Gal i l eo' s I l l umi nat i was one l egend Langdon suspect ed was t r ue. Not onl y
had Mi l t on made a wel l -
document ed 1638 pi l gr i mage t o Rome t o " commune wi t h enl i ght ened men, " but he had
hel d meet i ngs wi t h
Sei t e 104
Gal i l eo dur i ng t he sci ent i st ' s house ar r est , meet i ngs por t r ayed i n many
Renai ssance pai nt i ngs, i ncl udi ng
Anni bal e Gat t i ' s f amous Gal i l eo and Mi l t on, whi ch hung even now i n t he I MSS
Museumi n Fl or ence.
" Mi l t on knew Gal i l eo, di dn' t he?" Vi t t or i a sai d, f i nal l y pushi ng t he f ol i o over
t o Langdon. " Maybe he
wr ot e t he poemas a f avor ?"
Langdon cl enched hi s t eet h as he t ook t he sheat hed document . Leavi ng i t f l at on
t he t abl e, he r ead t he l i ne
at t he t op. Then he r ot at ed t he page 90 degr ees, r eadi ng t he l i ne i n t he r i ght
mar gi n. Anot her t wi st , and he
r ead t he bot t om. Anot her t wi st , t he l ef t . A f i nal t wi st compl et ed t he ci r cl e.
Ther e wer e f our l i nes i n al l . The
f i r st l i ne Vi t t or i a had f ound was act ual l y t he t hi r d l i ne of t he poem. Ut t er l y
agape, he r ead t he f our l i nes
agai n, cl ockwi se i n sequence: t op, r i ght , bot t om, l ef t . When he was done, he
exhal ed. Ther e was no doubt
i n hi s mi nd. " You f ound i t , Ms. Vet r a. "
She smi l ed t i ght l y. " Good, now can we get t he hel l out of her e?"
" I have t o copy t hese l i nes down. I need t o f i nd a penci l and paper . "
Vi t t or i a shook her head. " For get i t , pr of essor . No t i me t o pl ay scr i be. Mi ckey' s
t i cki ng. " She t ook t he page
f r omhi mand headed f or t he door .
Langdon st ood up. " You can' t t ake t hat out si de! I t ' s a- "
But Vi t t or i a was al r eady gone.
55
L angdon and Vi t t or i a expl oded ont o t he cour t yar d out si de t he Secr et Ar chi ves.
The f r esh ai r f el t l i ke a
dr ug as i t f l owed i nt o Langdon' s l ungs. The pur pl e spot s i n hi s vi si on qui ckl y
f aded. The gui l t , however ,
di d not . He had j ust been accompl i ce t o st eal i ng a pr i cel ess r el i c f r omt he
wor l d' s most pr i vat e vaul t . The
camer l egno had sai d, I amgi vi ng you my t r ust .
" Hur r y, " Vi t t or i a sai d, st i l l hol di ng t he f ol i o i n her hand and st r i di ng at a
hal f - j og acr oss Vi a Bor gi a i n t he
di r ect i on of Ol i vet t i ' s of f i ce.
" I f any wat er get s on t hat papyr us- "
" Cal mdown. When we deci pher t hi s t hi ng, we can r et ur n t hei r sacr ed Fol i o 5. "
Langdon accel er at ed t o keep up. Beyond f eel i ng l i ke a cr i mi nal , he was st i l l
dazed over t he document ' s
spel l bi ndi ng i mpl i cat i ons. J ohn Mi l t on was an I l l umi nat us. He composed t he poem
f or Gal i l eo t o publ i sh i n
Fol i o 5 . . . f ar f r omt he eyes of t he Vat i can.
As t hey l ef t t he cour t yar d, Vi t t or i a hel d out t he f ol i o f or Langdon. " You t hi nk
you can deci pher t hi s t hi ng?
Or di d we j ust ki l l al l t hose br ai n cel l s f or ki cks?"
Langdon t ook t he document car ef ul l y i n hi s hands. Wi t hout hesi t at i on he sl i pped
i t i nt o one of t he br east
pocket s of hi s t weed j acket , out of t he sunl i ght and danger s of moi st ur e. " I
deci pher ed i t al r eady. "
Vi t t or i a st opped shor t . " You what ?"
Langdon kept movi ng.
Vi t t or i a hust l ed t o cat ch up. " You r ead i t once! I t hought i t was supposed t o be
har d! "
Langdon knew she was r i ght , and yet he had deci pher ed t he segno i n a si ngl e
r eadi ng. A per f ect st anza of
i ambi c pent amet er , and t he f i r st al t ar of sci ence had r eveal ed i t sel f i n
pr i st i ne cl ar i t y. Admi t t edl y, t he ease
wi t h whi ch he had accompl i shed t he t ask l ef t hi mwi t h a naggi ng di squi et ude. He
was a chi l d of t he Pur i t an
wor k et hi c. He coul d st i l l hear hi s f at her speaki ng t he ol d New Engl and
aphor i sm: I f i t wasn' t pai nf ul l y
di f f i cul t , you di d i t wr ong. Langdon hoped t he sayi ng was f al se. " I deci pher ed
i t , " he sai d, movi ng f ast er
now. " I know wher e t he f i r st ki l l i ng i s goi ng t o happen. We need t o war n
Ol i vet t i . "
Vi t t or i a cl osed i n on hi m. " How coul d you al r eady know? Let me see t hat t hi ng
agai n. " Wi t h t he sl ei ght of
a boxer , she sl i pped a l i ssome hand i nt o hi s pocket and pul l ed out t he f ol i o
Sei t e 105
agai n.
" Car ef ul ! " Langdon sai d. " You can' t - "
Vi t t or i a i gnor ed hi m. Fol i o i n hand, she f l oat ed besi de hi m, hol di ng t he
document up t o t he eveni ng l i ght ,
exami ni ng t he mar gi ns. As she began r eadi ng al oud, Langdon moved t o r et r i eve t he
f ol i o but i nst ead f ound
hi msel f bewi t ched by Vi t t or i a' s accent ed al t o speaki ng t he syl l abl es i n per f ect
r hyt hmwi t h her gai t .
For a moment , hear i ng t he ver se al oud, Langdon f el t t r anspor t ed i n t i me . . . as
t hough he wer e one of
Gal i l eo' s cont empor ar i es, l i st eni ng t o t he poemf or t he f i r st t i me . . . knowi ng
i t was a t est , a map, a cl ue
unvei l i ng t he f our al t ar s of sci ence . . . t he f our mar ker s t hat bl azed a secr et
pat h acr oss Rome. The ver se
f l owed f r omVi t t or i a' s l i ps l i ke a song.
Fr omSant i ' s ear t hl y t omb wi t h demon' s hol e,
' Cr oss Rome t he myst i c el ement s unf ol d.
The pat h of l i ght i s l ai d, t he sacr ed t est ,
Let angel s gui de you on your l of t y quest .
Vi t t or i a r ead i t t wi ce and t hen f el l si l ent , as i f l et t i ng t he anci ent wor ds
r esonat e on t hei r own.
Fr omSant i ' s ear t hl y t omb, Langdon r epeat ed i n hi s mi nd. The poemwas cr yst al
cl ear about t hat . The Pat h
of I l l umi nat i on began at Sant i ' s t omb. Fr omt her e, acr oss Rome, t he mar ker s
bl azed t he t r ai l .
Fr omSant i ' s ear t hl y t omb wi t h demon' s hol e,
' Cr oss Rome t he myst i c el ement s unf ol d.
Myst i c el ement s. Al so cl ear . Ear t h, Ai r , Fi r e, Wat er . El ement s of sci ence, t he
f our I l l umi nat i mar ker s
di sgui sed as r el i gi ous scul pt ur e.
" The f i r st mar ker , " Vi t t or i a sai d, " sounds l i ke i t ' s at Sant i ' s t omb. "
Langdon smi l ed. " I t ol d you i t wasn' t t hat t ough. "
" So who i s Sant i ?" she asked, soundi ng suddenl y exci t ed. " And wher e' s hi s t omb?"
Langdon chuckl ed t o hi msel f . He was amazed how f ew peopl e knew Sant i , t he l ast
name of one of t he most
f amous Renai ssance ar t i st s ever t o l i ve. Hi s f i r st name was wor l d r enowned . . .
t he chi l d pr odi gy who at
t he age of t went y- f i ve was al r eady doi ng commi ssi ons f or Pope J ul i us I I , and
when he di ed at onl y t hi r t y-
ei ght , l ef t behi nd t he gr eat est col l ect i on of f r escoes t he wor l d had ever seen.
Sant i was a behemot h i n t he
ar t wor l d, and bei ng known sol el y by one' s f i r st name was a l evel of f ame
achi eved onl y by an el i t e f ew . . .
peopl e l i ke Napol eon, Gal i l eo, and J esus . . . and, of cour se, t he demi gods
Langdon now hear d bl ar i ng f r om
Har var d dor mi t or i es- St i ng, Madonna, J ewel , and t he ar t i st f or mer l y known as
Pr i nce, who had changed hi s
name t o t he symbol , causi ng Langdon t o dub hi m" The Tau Cr oss Wi t h
I nt er sect i ng Her maphr odi t i c
Ankh. "
" Sant i , " Langdon sai d, " i s t he l ast name of t he gr eat Renai ssance mast er ,
Raphael . "
Vi t t or i a l ooked sur pr i sed. " Raphael ? As i n t he Raphael ?"
" The one and onl y. " Langdon pushed on t owar d t he Of f i ce of t he Swi ss Guar d.
" So t he pat h st ar t s at Raphael ' s t omb?"
" I t act ual l y makes per f ect sense, " Langdon sai d as t hey r ushed on. " The
I l l umi nat i of t en consi der ed gr eat
ar t i st s and scul pt or s honor ar y br ot her s i n enl i ght enment . The I l l umi nat i coul d
have chosen Raphael ' s t omb
as a ki nd of t r i but e. " Langdon al so knew t hat Raphael , l i ke many ot her r el i gi ous
ar t i st s, was a suspect ed
cl oset at hei st .
Vi t t or i a sl i pped t he f ol i o car ef ul l y back i n Langdon' s pocket . " So wher e i s he
bur i ed?"
Langdon t ook a deep br eat h. " Bel i eve i t or not , Raphael ' s bur i ed i n t he
Sei t e 106
Pant heon. "
Vi t t or i a l ooked skept i cal . " The Pant heon?"
" The Raphael at t he Pant heon. " Langdon had t o admi t , t he Pant heon was not what
he had expect ed f or t he
pl acement of t he f i r st mar ker . He woul d have guessed t he f i r st al t ar of sci ence
t o be at some qui et , out of
t he way chur ch, somet hi ng subt l e. Even i n t he 1600s, t he Pant heon, wi t h i t s
t r emendous, hol ed dome, was
one of t he best known si t es i n Rome.
" I s t he Pant heon even a chur ch?" Vi t t or i a asked.
" Ol dest Cat hol i c chur ch i n Rome. "
Vi t t or i a shook her head. " But do you r eal l y t hi nk t he f i r st car di nal coul d be
ki l l ed at t he Pant heon? That ' s
got t o be one of t he busi est t our i st spot s i n Rome. "
Langdon shr ugged. " The I l l umi nat i sai d t hey want ed t he whol e wor l d wat chi ng.
Ki l l i ng a car di nal at t he
Pant heon woul d cer t ai nl y open some eyes. "
" But how does t hi s guy expect t o ki l l someone at t he Pant heon and get away
unnot i ced? I t woul d be
i mpossi bl e. "
" As i mpossi bl e as ki dnappi ng f our car di nal s f r omVat i can Ci t y? The poemi s
pr eci se. "
" And you' r e cer t ai n Raphael i s bur i ed i nsi de t he Pant heon?"
" I ' ve seen hi s t omb many t i mes. "
Vi t t or i a nodded, st i l l l ooki ng t r oubl ed. " What t i me i s i t ?"
Langdon checked. " Seven- t hi r t y. "
" I s t he Pant heon f ar ?"
" A mi l e maybe. We' ve got t i me. "
" The poemsai d Sant i ' s ear t hl y t omb. Does t hat mean anyt hi ng t o you?"
Langdon hast ened di agonal l y acr oss t he Cour t yar d of t he Sent i nel . " Ear t hl y?
Act ual l y, t her e' s pr obabl y no
mor e ear t hl y pl ace i n Rome t han t he Pant heon. I t got i t s name f r omt he or i gi nal
r el i gi on pr act i ced t her e-
Pant hei sm- t he wor shi p of al l gods, speci f i cal l y t he pagan gods of Mot her Ear t h. "
As a st udent of ar chi t ect ur e, Langdon had been amazed t o l ear n t hat t he
di mensi ons of t he Pant heon' s mai n
chamber wer e a t r i but e t o Gaea- t he goddess of t he Ear t h. The pr opor t i ons wer e so
exact t hat a gi ant
spher i cal gl obe coul d f i t per f ect l y i nsi de t he bui l di ng wi t h l ess t han a
mi l l i met er t o spar e.
" Okay, " Vi t t or i a sai d, soundi ng mor e convi nced. " And demon' s hol e? Fr omSant i ' s
ear t hl y t omb wi t h
demon' s hol e?"
Langdon was not qui t e as sur e about t hi s. " Demon' s hol e must mean t he ocul us, "
he sai d, maki ng a l ogi cal
guess. " The f amous ci r cul ar openi ng i n t he Pant heon' s r oof . "
" But i t ' s a chur ch, " Vi t t or i a sai d, movi ng ef f or t l essl y besi de hi m. " Why woul d
t hey cal l t he openi ng a
demon' s hol e?"
Langdon had act ual l y been wonder i ng t hat hi msel f . He had never hear d t he t er m
" demon' s hol e, " but he
di d r ecal l a f amous si xt h- cent ur y cr i t i que of t he Pant heon whose wor ds seemed
oddl y appr opr i at e now. The
Vener abl e Bede had once wr i t t en t hat t he hol e i n t he Pant heon' s r oof had been
bor ed by demons t r yi ng t o
escape t he bui l di ng when i t was consecr at ed by Boni f ace I V.
" And why, " Vi t t or i a added as t hey ent er ed a smal l er cour t yar d, " why woul d t he
I l l umi nat i use t he name
Sant i i f he was r eal l y known as Raphael ?"
" You ask a l ot of quest i ons. "
" My dad used t o say t hat . "
" Two possi bl e r easons. One, t he wor d Raphael has t oo many syl l abl es. I t woul d
have dest r oyed t he poem' s
i ambi c pent amet er . "
" Sounds l i ke a st r et ch. "
Langdon agr eed. " Okay, t hen maybe usi ng ' Sant i ' was t o make t he cl ue mor e
obscur e, so onl y ver y
enl i ght ened men woul d r ecogni ze t he r ef er ence t o Raphael . "
Vi t t or i a di dn' t appear t o buy t hi s ei t her . " I ' msur e Raphael ' s l ast name was
Sei t e 107
ver y wel l known when he was
al i ve. "
" Sur pr i si ngl y not . Si ngl e name r ecogni t i on was a st at us symbol . Raphael shunned
hi s l ast name much l i ke
pop st ar s do t oday. Take Madonna, f or exampl e. She never uses her sur name,
Ci ccone. "
Vi t t or i a l ooked amused. " You know Madonna' s l ast name?"
Langdon r egr et t ed t he exampl e. I t was amazi ng t he ki nd of gar bage a mi nd pi cked
up l i vi ng wi t h 10, 000
adol escent s.
As he and Vi t t or i a passed t he f i nal gat e t owar d t he Of f i ce of t he Swi ss Guar d,
t hei r pr ogr ess was hal t ed
wi t hout war ni ng.
" Par a! " a voi ce bel l owed behi nd t hem.
Langdon and Vi t t or i a wheel ed t o f i nd t hemsel ves l ooki ng i nt o t he bar r el of a
r i f l e.
" At t ent o! " Vi t t or i a excl ai med, j umpi ng back. " Wat ch i t wi t h- "
" Non spor t ar t i ! " t he guar d snapped, cocki ng t he weapon.
" Sol dat o! " a voi ce commanded f r omacr oss t he cour t yar d. Ol i vet t i was emer gi ng
f r omt he secur i t y cent er .
" Let t hemgo! "
The guar d l ooked bewi l der ed. " Ma, si gnor e, una donna- "
" I nsi de! " he yel l ed at t he guar d.
" Si gnor e, non posso- "
" Now! You have new or der s. Capt ai n Rocher wi l l be br i ef i ng t he cor ps i n t wo
mi nut es. We wi l l be
or gani zi ng a sear ch. "
Looki ng bewi l der ed, t he guar d hur r i ed i nt o t he secur i t y cent er . Ol i vet t i mar ched
t owar d Langdon, r i gi d and
st eami ng. " Our most secr et ar chi ves? I ' l l want an expl anat i on. "
" We have good news, " Langdon sai d.
Ol i vet t i ' s eyes nar r owed. " I t bet t er be damn good. "
56
T he f our unmar ked Al pha Romeo 155 T- Spar ks r oar ed down Vi a dei Cor onar i l i ke
f i ght er j et s of f a
r unway. The vehi cl es car r i ed t wel ve pl ai ncl ot hed Swi ss Guar ds ar med wi t h
Cher chi - Par di ni
semi aut omat i cs, l ocal - r adi us ner ve gas cani st er s, and l ong- r ange st un guns. The
t hr ee shar pshoot er s car r i ed
l aser - si ght ed r i f l es.
Si t t i ng i n t he passenger seat of t he l ead car , Ol i vet t i t ur ned backwar d t owar d
Langdon and Vi t t or i a. Hi s
eyes wer e f i l l ed wi t h r age. " You assur ed me a sound expl anat i on, and t hi s i s
what I get ?"
Langdon f el t cr amped i n t he smal l car . " I under st and your - "
" No, you don' t under st and! " Ol i vet t i never r ai sed hi s voi ce, but hi s i nt ensi t y
t r i pl ed. " I have j ust r emoved a
dozen of my best men f r omVat i can Ci t y on t he eve of concl ave. And I have done
t hi s t o st ake out t he
Pant heon based on t he t est i mony of some Amer i can I have never met who has j ust
i nt er pr et ed a f our -
hundr ed- year - ol d poem. I have al so j ust l ef t t he sear ch f or t hi s ant i mat t er
weapon i n t he hands of secondar y
of f i cer s. "
Langdon r esi st ed t he ur ge t o pul l Fol i o 5 f r omhi s pocket and wave i t i n
Ol i vet t i ' s f ace. " Al l I know i s t hat
t he i nf or mat i on we f ound r ef er s t o Raphael ' s t omb, and Raphael ' s t omb i s i nsi de
t he Pant heon. "
The of f i cer behi nd t he wheel nodded. " He' s r i ght , commander . My wi f e and I - "
" Dr i ve, " Ol i vet t i snapped. He t ur ned back t o Langdon. " How coul d a ki l l er
accompl i sh an assassi nat i on i n
such a cr owded pl ace and escape unseen?"
" I don' t know, " Langdon sai d. " But t he I l l umi nat i ar e obvi ousl y hi ghl y
r esour cef ul . They' ve br oken i nt o
bot h CERN and Vat i can Ci t y. I t ' s onl y by l uck t hat we know wher e t he f i r st ki l l
zone i s. The Pant heon i s
your one chance t o cat ch t hi s guy. "
" Mor e cont r adi ct i ons, " Ol i vet t i sai d. " One chance? I t hought you sai d t her e was
some sor t of pat hway. A
Sei t e 108
ser i es of mar ker s. I f t he Pant heon i s t he r i ght spot , we can f ol l ow t he pat hway
t o t he ot her mar ker s. We wi l l
have f our chances t o cat ch t hi s guy. "
" I had hoped so, " Langdon sai d. " And we woul d have . . . a cent ur y ago. "
Langdon' s r eal i zat i on t hat t he Pant heon was t he f i r st al t ar of sci ence had been
a bi t t er sweet moment .
Hi st or y had a way of pl ayi ng cr uel t r i cks on t hose who chased i t . I t was a l ong
shot t hat t he Pat h of
I l l umi nat i on woul d be i nt act af t er al l of t hese year s, wi t h al l of i t s st at ues
i n pl ace, but par t of Langdon had
f ant asi zed about f ol l owi ng t he pat h al l t he way t o t he end and comi ng f ace t o
f ace wi t h t he sacr ed
I l l umi nat i l ai r . Al as, he r eal i zed, i t was not t o be. " The Vat i can had al l t he
st at ues i n t he Pant heon r emoved
and dest r oyed i n t he l at e 1800s. "
Vi t t or i a l ooked shocked. " Why?"
" The st at ues wer e pagan Ol ympi an Gods. Unf or t unat el y, t hat means t he f i r st
mar ker i s gone . . . and wi t h
i t - "
" Any hope, " Vi t t or i a sai d, " of f i ndi ng t he Pat h of I l l umi nat i on and addi t i onal
mar ker s?"
Langdon shook hi s head. " We have one shot . The Pant heon. Af t er t hat , t he pat h
di sappear s. "
Ol i vet t i st ar ed at t hembot h a l ong moment and t hen t ur ned and f aced f r ont .
" Pul l over , " he bar ked t o t he
dr i ver .
The dr i ver swer ved t he car t owar d t he cur b and put on t he br akes. Thr ee ot her
Al pha Romeos ski dded i n
behi nd t hem. The Swi ss Guar d convoy scr eeched t o a hal t .
" What ar e you doi ng! " Vi t t or i a demanded.
" My j ob, " Ol i vet t i sai d, t ur ni ng i n hi s seat , hi s voi ce l i ke st one. " Mr .
Langdon, when you t ol d me you
woul d expl ai n t he si t uat i on en r out e, I assumed I woul d be appr oachi ng t he
Pant heon wi t h a cl ear i dea of
why my men ar e her e. That i s not t he case. Because I amabandoni ng cr i t i cal
dut i es by bei ng her e, and
because I have f ound ver y l i t t l e t hat makes sense i n t hi s t heor y of your s about
vi r gi n sacr i f i ces and anci ent
poet r y, I cannot i n good consci ence cont i nue. I amr ecal l i ng t hi s mi ssi on
i mmedi at el y. " He pul l ed out hi s
wal ki e- t al ki e and cl i cked i t on.
Vi t t or i a r eached acr oss t he seat and gr abbed hi s ar m. " You can' t ! "
Ol i vet t i sl ammed down t he wal ki e- t al ki e and f i xed her wi t h a r ed- hot st ar e.
" Have you been t o t he
Pant heon, Ms. Vet r a?"
" No, but I - "
" Let me t el l you somet hi ng about i t . The Pant heon i s a si ngl e r oom. A ci r cul ar
cel l made of st one and
cement . I t has one ent r ance. No wi ndows. One nar r ow ent r ance. That ent r ance i s
f l anked at al l t i mes by no
l ess t han f our ar med Roman pol i cemen who pr ot ect t hi s shr i ne f r omar t def acer s,
ant i - Chr i st i an t er r or i st s,
and gypsy t our i st scams. "
" Your poi nt ?" she sai d cool l y.
" My poi nt ?" Ol i vet t i ' s knuckl es gr i pped t he seat . " My poi nt i s t hat what you
have j ust t ol d me i s goi ng t o
happen i s ut t er l y i mpossi bl e! Can you gi ve me one pl ausi bl e scenar i o of how
someone coul d ki l l a car di nal
i nsi de t he Pant heon? How does one even get a host age past t he guar ds i nt o t he
Pant heon i n t he f i r st pl ace?
Much l ess act ual l y ki l l hi mand get away?" Ol i vet t i l eaned over t he seat , hi s
cof f ee br eat h now i n
Langdon' s f ace. " How, Mr . Langdon? One pl ausi bl e scenar i o. "
Langdon f el t t he t i ny car shr i nk ar ound hi m. I have no i dea! I ' mnot an
assassi n! I don' t know how he wi l l
do i t ! I onl y know-
" One scenar i o?" Vi t t or i a qui pped, her voi ce unr uf f l ed. " How about t hi s? The
ki l l er f l i es over i n a
hel i copt er and dr ops a scr eami ng, br anded car di nal down t hr ough t he hol e i n t he
Sei t e 109
r oof . The car di nal hi t s t he
mar bl e f l oor and di es. "
Ever yone i n t he car t ur ned and st ar ed at Vi t t or i a. Langdon di dn' t know what t o
t hi nk. You' ve got one si ck
i magi nat i on, l ady, but you ar e qui ck.
Ol i vet t i f r owned. " Possi bl e, I admi t . . . but har dl y- "
" Or t he ki l l er dr ugs t he car di nal , " Vi t t or i a sai d, " br i ngs hi mt o t he Pant heon
i n a wheel chai r l i ke some ol d
t our i st . He wheel s hi mi nsi de, qui et l y sl i t s hi s t hr oat , and t hen wal ks out . "
Thi s seemed t o wake up Ol i vet t i a bi t .
Not bad! Langdon t hought .
" Or , " she sai d, " t he ki l l er coul d- "
" I hear d you, " Ol i vet t i sai d. " Enough. " He t ook a deep br eat h and bl ew i t out .
Someone r apped shar pl y on
t he wi ndow, and ever yone j umped. I t was a sol di er f r omone of t he ot her car s.
Ol i vet t i r ol l ed down t he
wi ndow.
" Ever yt hi ng al l r i ght , commander ?" The sol di er was dr essed i n st r eet cl ot hes. He
pul l ed back t he sl eeve of
hi s deni mshi r t t o r eveal a bl ack chr onogr aph mi l i t ar y wat ch. " Seven- f or t y,
commander . We' l l need t i me t o
get i n posi t i on. "
Ol i vet t i nodded vaguel y but sai d not hi ng f or many moment s. He r an a f i nger back
and f or t h acr oss t he
dash, maki ng a l i ne i n t he dust . He st udi ed Langdon i n t he si devi ew mi r r or , and
Langdon f el t hi msel f
bei ng measur ed and wei ghed. Fi nal l y Ol i vet t i t ur ned back t o t he guar d. Ther e was
r el uct ance i n hi s voi ce.
" I ' l l want separ at e appr oaches. Car s t o Pi azza del l a Rot unda, Vi a del gi Or f ani ,
Pi azza Sant ' I gnaci o, and
Sant ' Eust achi o. No cl oser t han t wo bl ocks. Once you' r e par ked, gear up and awai t
my or der s. Thr ee
mi nut es. "
" Ver y good, si r . " The sol di er r et ur ned t o hi s car .
Langdon gave Vi t t or i a an i mpr essed nod. She smi l ed back, and f or an i nst ant
Langdon f el t an unexpect ed
connect i on . . . a t hr ead of magnet i smbet ween t hem.
The commander t ur ned i n hi s seat and l ocked eyes wi t h Langdon. " Mr . Langdon,
t hi s had bet t er not bl ow
up i n our f aces. "
Langdon smi l ed uneasi l y. How coul d i t ?
57
T he di r ect or of CERN, Maxi mi l i an Kohl er , opened hi s eyes t o t he cool r ush of
cr omol yn and
l eukot r i ene i n hi s body, di l at i ng hi s br onchi al t ubes and pul monar y capi l l ar i es.
He was br eat hi ng nor mal l y
agai n. He f ound hi msel f l yi ng i n a pr i vat e r oomi n t he CERN i nf i r mar y, hi s
wheel chai r besi de t he bed.
He t ook st ock, exami ni ng t he paper r obe t hey had put hi mi n. Hi s cl ot hi ng was
f ol ded on t he chai r besi de
t he bed. Out si de he coul d hear a nur se maki ng t he r ounds. He l ay t her e a l ong
mi nut e l i st eni ng. Then, as
qui et l y as possi bl e, he pul l ed hi msel f t o t he edge of t he bed and r et r i eved hi s
cl ot hi ng. St r uggl i ng wi t h hi s
dead l egs, he dr essed hi msel f . Then he dr agged hi s body ont o hi s wheel chai r .
Muf f l i ng a cough, he wheel ed hi msel f t o t he door . He moved manual l y, car ef ul not
t o engage t he mot or .
When he ar r i ved at t he door he peer ed out . The hal l was empt y.
Si l ent l y, Maxi mi l i an Kohl er sl i pped out of t he i nf i r mar y.
58
S even- f or t y- si x and t hi r t y . . . mar k. " Even speaki ng i nt o hi s wal ki e- t al ki e,
Ol i vet t i ' s voi ce never
seemed t o r i se above a whi sper .
Langdon f el t hi msel f sweat i ng now i n hi s Har r i s t weed i n t he backseat of t he
Al pha Romeo, whi ch was
i dl i ng i n Pi azza de l a Concor de, t hr ee bl ocks f r omt he Pant heon. Vi t t or i a sat
besi de hi m, l ooki ng engr ossed
by Ol i vet t i , who was t r ansmi t t i ng hi s f i nal or der s.
" Depl oyment wi l l be an ei ght - poi nt hem, " t he commander sai d. " Ful l per i met er
Sei t e 110
wi t h a bi as on t he ent r y.
Tar get may know you vi sual l y, so you wi l l be pas- vi si bl e. Nonmor t al f or ce onl y.
We' l l need someone t o
spot t he r oof . Tar get i s pr i mar y. Asset secondar y. "
J esus, Langdon t hought , chi l l ed by t he ef f i ci ency wi t h whi ch Ol i vet t i had j ust
t ol d hi s men t he car di nal was
expendabl e. Asset secondar y.
" I r epeat . Nonmor t al pr ocur ement . We need t he t ar get al i ve. Go. " Ol i vet t i
snapped of f hi s wal ki e- t al ki e.
Vi t t or i a l ooked st unned, al most angr y. " Commander , i sn' t anyone goi ng i nsi de?"
Ol i vet t i t ur ned. " I nsi de?"
" I nsi de t he Pant heon! Wher e t hi s i s supposed t o happen?"
" At t ent o, " Ol i vet t i sai d, hi s eyes f ossi l i zi ng. " I f my r anks have been
i nf i l t r at ed, my men may be known by
si ght . Your col l eague has j ust f i ni shed war ni ng me t hat t hi s wi l l be our sol e
chance t o cat ch t he t ar get . I
have no i nt ent i on of scar i ng anyone of f by mar chi ng my men i nsi de. "
" But what i f t he ki l l er i s al r eady i nsi de?"
Ol i vet t i checked hi s wat ch. " The t ar get was speci f i c. Ei ght o' cl ock. We have
f i f t een mi nut es. "
" He sai d he woul d ki l l t he car di nal at ei ght o' cl ock. But he may al r eady have
got t en t he vi ct i mi nsi de
somehow. What i f your men see t he t ar get come out but don' t know who he i s?
Someone needs t o make
sur e t he i nsi de i s cl ean. "
" Too r i sky at t hi s poi nt . "
" Not i f t he per son goi ng i n was unr ecogni zabl e. "
" Di sgui si ng oper at i ves i s t i me consumi ng and- "
" I meant me, " Vi t t or i a sai d.
Langdon t ur ned and st ar ed at her .
Ol i vet t i shook hi s head. " Absol ut el y not . "
" He ki l l ed my f at her . "
" Exact l y, so he may know who you ar e. "
" You hear d hi mon t he phone. He had no i dea Leonar do Vet r a even had a daught er .
He sur e as hel l doesn' t
know what I l ook l i ke. I coul d wal k i n l i ke a t our i st . I f I see anyt hi ng
suspi ci ous, I coul d wal k i nt o t he
squar e and si gnal your men t o move i n. "
" I ' msor r y, I cannot al l ow t hat . "
" Comandant e?" Ol i vet t i ' s r ecei ver cr ackl ed. " We' ve got a si t uat i on f r omt he
nor t h poi nt . The f ount ai n i s
bl ocki ng our l i ne of si ght . We can' t see t he ent r ance unl ess we move i nt o pl ai n
vi ew on t he pi azza. What ' s
your cal l ? Do you want us bl i nd or vul ner abl e?"
Vi t t or i a appar ent l y had endur ed enough. " That ' s i t . I ' mgoi ng. " She opened her
door and got out .
Ol i vet t i dr opped hi s wal ki e- t al ki e and j umped out of t he car , ci r cl i ng i n f r ont
of Vi t t or i a.
Langdon got out t oo. What t he hel l i s she doi ng!
Ol i vet t i bl ocked Vi t t or i a' s way. " Ms. Vet r a, your i nst i nct s ar e good, but I
cannot l et a ci vi l i an i nt er f er e. "
" I nt er f er e? You' r e f l yi ng bl i nd. Let me hel p. "
" I woul d l ove t o have a r econ poi nt i nsi de, but . . . "
" But what ?" Vi t t or i a demanded. " But I ' ma woman?"
Ol i vet t i sai d not hi ng.
" That had bet t er not be what you wer e goi ng t o say, Commander , because you know
damn wel l t hi s i s a
good i dea, and i f you l et some ar chai c macho bul l shi t - "
" Let us do our j ob. "
" Let me hel p. "
" Too danger ous. We woul d have no l i nes of communi cat i on wi t h you. I can' t l et
you car r y a wal ki e- t al ki e,
i t woul d gi ve you away. "
Vi t t or i a r eached i n her shi r t pocket and pr oduced her cel l phone. " Pl ent y of
t our i st s car r y phones. "
Ol i vet t i f r owned.
Vi t t or i a unsnapped t he phone and mi mi cked a cal l . " Hi , honey, I ' mst andi ng i n
t he Pant heon. You shoul d
see t hi s pl ace! " She snapped t he phone shut and gl ar ed at Ol i vet t i . " Who t he
Sei t e 111
hel l i s goi ng t o know? I t i s a
no- r i sk si t uat i on. Let me be your eyes! " She mot i oned t o t he cel l phone on
Ol i vet t i ' s bel t . " What ' s your
number ?"
Ol i vet t i di d not r epl y.
The dr i ver had been l ooki ng on and seemed t o have some t hought s of hi s own. He
got out of t he car and
t ook t he commander asi de. They spoke i n hushed t ones f or t en seconds. Fi nal l y
Ol i vet t i nodded and
r et ur ned. " Pr ogr amt hi s number . " He began di ct at i ng di gi t s.
Vi t t or i a pr ogr ammed her phone.
" Now cal l t he number . "
Vi t t or i a pr essed t he aut o di al . The phone on Ol i vet t i ' s bel t began r i ngi ng. He
pi cked i t up and spoke i nt o
t he r ecei ver . " Go i nt o t he bui l di ng, Ms. Vet r a, l ook ar ound, exi t t he bui l di ng,
t hen cal l and t el l me what you
see. "
Vi t t or i a snapped t he phone shut . " Thank you, si r . "
Langdon f el t a sudden, unexpect ed sur ge of pr ot ect i ve i nst i nct . " Wai t a mi nut e, "
he sai d t o Ol i vet t i .
" You' r e sendi ng her i n t her e al one. "
Vi t t or i a scowl ed at hi m. " Rober t , I ' l l be f i ne. "
The Swi ss Guar d dr i ver was t al ki ng t o Ol i vet t i agai n.
" I t ' s danger ous, " Langdon sai d t o Vi t t or i a.
" He' s r i ght , " Ol i vet t i sai d. " Even my best men don' t wor k al one. My l i eut enant
has j ust poi nt ed out t hat t he
masquer ade wi l l be mor e convi nci ng wi t h bot h of you anyway. "
Bot h of us? Langdon hesi t at ed. Act ual l y, what I meant -
" Bot h of you ent er i ng t oget her , " Ol i vet t i sai d, " wi l l l ook l i ke a coupl e on
hol i day. You can al so back each
ot her up. I ' mmor e comf or t abl e wi t h t hat . "
Vi t t or i a shr ugged. " Fi ne, but we' l l need t o go f ast . "
Langdon gr oaned. Ni ce move, cowboy.
Ol i vet t i poi nt ed down t he st r eet . " Fi r st st r eet you hi t wi l l be Vi a degl i
Or f ani . Go l ef t . I t t akes you di r ect l y
t o t he Pant heon. Two- mi nut e wal k, t ops. I ' l l be her e, di r ect i ng my men and
wai t i ng f or your cal l . I ' d l i ke
you t o have pr ot ect i on. " He pul l ed out hi s pi st ol . " Do ei t her of you know how t o
use a gun?"
Langdon' s hear t ski pped. We don' t need a gun!
Vi t t or i a hel d her hand out . " I can t ag a br eachi ng por poi se f r omf or t y met er s
of f t he bow of a r ocki ng shi p. "
" Good. " Ol i vet t i handed t he gun t o her . " You' l l have t o conceal i t . "
Vi t t or i a gl anced down at her shor t s. Then she l ooked at Langdon.
Oh no you don' t ! Langdon t hought , but Vi t t or i a was t oo f ast . She opened hi s
j acket , and i nser t ed t he
weapon i nt o one of hi s br east pocket s. I t f el t l i ke a r ock dr oppi ng i nt o hi s
coat , hi s onl y consol at i on bei ng
t hat Di agr amma was i n t he ot her pocket .
" We l ook har ml ess, " Vi t t or i a sai d. " We' r e l eavi ng. " She t ook Langdon' s ar mand
headed down t he st r eet .
The dr i ver cal l ed out , " Ar mi n ar mi s good. Remember , you' r e t our i st s. Newl yweds
even. Per haps i f you
hel d hands?"
As t hey t ur ned t he cor ner Langdon coul d have swor n he saw on Vi t t or i a' s f ace t he
hi nt of a smi l e.
59
T he Swi ss Guar d " st agi ng r oom" i s l ocat ed adj acent t o t he Cor po di Vi gi l anza
bar r acks and i s used
pr i mar i l y f or pl anni ng t he secur i t y sur r oundi ng papal appear ances and publ i c
Vat i can event s. Today,
however , i t was bei ng used f or somet hi ng el se.
The man addr essi ng t he assembl ed t ask f or ce was t he second- i n- command of t he
Swi ss Guar d, Capt ai n
El i as Rocher . Rocher was a bar r el - chest ed man wi t h sof t , put t yl i ke f eat ur es. He
wor e t he t r adi t i onal bl ue
capt ai n' s uni f or mwi t h hi s own per sonal f l ai r - a r ed ber et cocked si deways on hi s
head. Hi s voi ce was
sur pr i si ngl y cr yst al l i ne f or such a l ar ge man, and when he spoke, hi s t one had
Sei t e 112
t he cl ar i t y of a musi cal
i nst r ument . Despi t e t he pr eci si on of hi s i nf l ect i on, Rocher ' s eyes wer e cl oudy
l i ke t hose of some noct ur nal
mammal . Hi s men cal l ed hi m" or so" - gr i zzl y bear . They somet i mes j oked t hat Rocher
was " t he bear who
wal ked i n t he vi per ' s shadow. " Commander Ol i vet t i was t he vi per . Rocher was j ust
as deadl y as t he vi per ,
but at l east you coul d see hi mcomi ng.
Rocher ' s men st ood at shar p at t ent i on, nobody movi ng a muscl e, al t hough t he
i nf or mat i on t hey had j ust
r ecei ved had i ncr eased t hei r aggr egat e bl ood pr essur e by a f ew t housand poi nt s.
Rooki e Li eut enant Char t r and st ood i n t he back of t he r oomwi shi ng he had been
among t he 99 per cent of
appl i cant s who had not qual i f i ed t o be her e. At t went y year s ol d, Char t r and was
t he youngest guar d on t he
f or ce. He had been i n Vat i can Ci t y onl y t hr ee mont hs. Li ke ever y man t her e,
Char t r and was Swi ss Ar my
t r ai ned and had endur ed t wo year s of addi t i onal ausbi l di ng i n Ber n bef or e
qual i f yi ng f or t he gr uel i ng
Vat i can pr va hel d i n a secr et bar r acks out si de of Rome. Not hi ng i n hi s
t r ai ni ng, however , had pr epar ed
hi mf or a cr i si s l i ke t hi s.
At f i r st Char t r and t hought t he br i ef i ng was some sor t of bi zar r e t r ai ni ng
exer ci se. Fut ur i st i c weapons?
Anci ent cul t s? Ki dnapped car di nal s? Then Rocher had shown t hemt he l i ve vi deo
f eed of t he weapon i n
quest i on. Appar ent l y t hi s was no exer ci se.
" We wi l l be ki l l i ng power i n sel ect ed ar eas, " Rocher was sayi ng, " t o er adi cat e
ext r aneous magnet i c
i nt er f er ence. We wi l l move i n t eams of f our . We wi l l wear i nf r ar ed goggl es f or
vi si on. Reconnai ssance wi l l
be done wi t h t r adi t i onal bug sweeper s, r ecal i br at ed f or sub- t hr ee- ohmf l ux
f i el ds. Any quest i ons?"
None.
Char t r and' s mi nd was on over l oad. " What i f we don' t f i nd i t i n t i me?" he asked,
i mmedi at el y wi shi ng he
had not .
The gr i zzl y bear gazed out at hi mf r ombeneat h hi s r ed ber et . Then he di smi ssed
t he gr oup wi t h a somber
sal ut e. " Godspeed, men. "
60
T wo bl ocks f r omt he Pant heon, Langdon and Vi t t or i a appr oached on f oot past a
l i ne of t axi s, t hei r
dr i ver s sl eepi ng i n t he f r ont seat s. Nap t i me was et er nal i n t he Et er nal
Ci t y- t he ubi qui t ous publ i c dozi ng a
per f ect ed ext ensi on of t he af t er noon si est as bor n of anci ent Spai n.
Langdon f ought t o f ocus hi s t hought s, but t he si t uat i on was t oo bi zar r e t o gr asp
r at i onal l y. Si x hour s ago he
had been sound asl eep i n Cambr i dge. Now he was i n Eur ope, caught up i n a sur r eal
bat t l e of anci ent t i t ans,
packi ng a semi aut omat i c i n hi s Har r i s t weed, and hol di ng hands wi t h a woman he
had onl y j ust met .
He l ooked at Vi t t or i a. She was f ocused st r ai ght ahead. Ther e was a st r engt h i n
her gr asp- t hat of an
i ndependent and det er mi ned woman. Her f i nger s wr apped ar ound hi s wi t h t he
comf or t of i nnat e
accept ance. No hesi t at i on. Langdon f el t a gr owi ng at t r act i on. Get r eal , he t ol d
hi msel f .
Vi t t or i a seemed t o sense hi s uneasi ness. " Rel ax, " she sai d, wi t hout t ur ni ng her
head. " We' r e supposed t o
l ook l i ke newl yweds. "
" I ' mr el axed. "
" You' r e cr ushi ng my hand. "
Langdon f l ushed and l oosened up.
" Br eat he t hr ough your eyes, " she sai d.
" I ' msor r y?"
" I t r el axes t he muscl es. I t ' s cal l ed pr anayama. "
" Pi r anha?"
" Not t he f i sh. Pr anayama. Never mi nd. "
Sei t e 113
As t hey r ounded t he cor ner i nt o Pi azza del l a Rot unda, t he Pant heon r ose bef or e
t hem. Langdon admi r ed i t ,
as al ways, wi t h awe. The Pant heon. Templ e t o al l gods. Pagan gods. Gods of
Nat ur e and Ear t h. The
st r uct ur e seemed boxi er f r omt he out si de t han he r emember ed. The ver t i cal
pi l l ar s and t r i angul ar pr onaus
al l but obscur ed t he ci r cul ar dome behi nd i t . St i l l , t he bol d and i mmodest
i nscr i pt i on over t he ent r ance
assur ed hi mt hey wer e i n t he r i ght spot . M AGRI PPA L F COS TERTI UM FECI T.
Langdon t r ansl at ed i t ,
as al ways, wi t h amusement . Mar cus Agr i ppa, Consul f or t he t hi r d t i me, bui l t
t hi s.
So much f or humi l i t y, he t hought , t ur ni ng hi s eyes t o t he sur r oundi ng ar ea. A
scat t er i ng of t our i st s wi t h
vi deo camer as wander ed t he ar ea. Ot her s sat enj oyi ng Rome' s best i ced cof f ee at
La Tazza di Or o' s
out door caf e. Out si de t he ent r ance t o t he Pant heon, f our ar med Roman pol i cemen
st ood at at t ent i on j ust as
Ol i vet t i had pr edi ct ed.
" Looks pr et t y qui et , " Vi t t or i a sai d.
Langdon nodded, but he f el t t r oubl ed. Now t hat he was st andi ng her e i n per son,
t he whol e scenar i o seemed
sur r eal . Despi t e Vi t t or i a' s appar ent f ai t h t hat he was r i ght , Langdon r eal i zed
he had put ever yone on t he
l i ne her e. The I l l umi nat i poeml i nger ed. Fr omSant i ' s ear t hl y t omb wi t h demon' s
hol e. YES, he t ol d
hi msel f . Thi s was t he spot . Sant i ' s t omb. He had been her e many t i mes beneat h
t he Pant heon' s ocul us and
st ood bef or e t he gr ave of t he gr eat Raphael .
" What t i me i s i t ?" Vi t t or i a asked.
Langdon checked hi s wat ch. " Seven- f i f t y. Ten mi nut es t i l l show t i me. "
" Hope t hese guys ar e good, " Vi t t or i a sai d, eyei ng t he scat t er ed t our i st s
ent er i ng t he Pant heon. " I f anyt hi ng
happens i nsi de t hat dome, we' l l al l be i n t he cr ossf i r e. "
Langdon exhal ed heavi l y as t hey moved t owar d t he ent r ance. The gun f el t heavy i n
hi s pocket . He
wonder ed what woul d happen i f t he pol i cemen f r i sked hi mand f ound t he weapon,
but t he of f i cer s di d not
gi ve t hema second l ook. Appar ent l y t he di sgui se was convi nci ng.
Langdon whi sper ed t o Vi t t or i a. " Ever f i r e anyt hi ng ot her t han a t r anqui l i zer
gun?"
" Don' t you t r ust me?"
" Tr ust you? I bar el y know you. "
Vi t t or i a f r owned. " And her e I t hought we wer e newl yweds. "
61
T he ai r i nsi de t he Pant heon was cool and damp, heavy wi t h hi st or y. The
spr awl i ng cei l i ng hover ed
over head as t hough wei ght l ess- t he 141- f oot unsuppor t ed span l ar ger even t han t he
cupol a at St . Pet er ' s. As
al ways, Langdon f el t a chi l l as he ent er ed t he caver nous r oom. I t was a
r emar kabl e f usi on of engi neer i ng
and ar t . Above t hemt he f amous ci r cul ar hol e i n t he r oof gl owed wi t h a nar r ow
shaf t of eveni ng sun. The
ocul us, Langdon t hought . The demon' s hol e.
They had ar r i ved.
Langdon' s eyes t r aced t he ar ch of t he cei l i ng sl opi ng out war d t o t he col umned
wal l s and f i nal l y down t o
t he pol i shed mar bl e f l oor beneat h t hei r f eet . The f ai nt echo of f oot f al l s and
t our i st mur mur s r ever ber at ed
ar ound t he dome. Langdon scanned t he dozen or so t our i st s wander i ng ai ml essl y i n
t he shadows. Ar e you
her e?
" Looks pr et t y qui et , " Vi t t or i a sai d, st i l l hol di ng hi s hand.
Langdon nodded.
" Wher e' s Raphael ' s t omb?"
Langdon t hought f or a moment , t r yi ng t o get hi s bear i ngs. He sur veyed t he
ci r cumf er ence of t he r oom.
Tombs. Al t ar s. Pi l l ar s. Ni ches. He mot i oned t o a par t i cul ar l y or nat e f uner ar y
acr oss t he dome and t o t he
Sei t e 114
l ef t . " I t hi nk t hat ' s Raphael ' s over t her e. "
Vi t t or i a scanned t he r est of t he r oom. " I don' t see anyone who l ooks l i ke an
assassi n about t o ki l l a
car di nal . Shal l we l ook ar ound?"
Langdon nodded. " Ther e' s onl y one spot i n her e wher e anyone coul d be hi di ng. We
bet t er check t he
r i ent r anze. "
" The r ecesses?"
" Yes. " Langdon poi nt ed. " The r ecesses i n t he wal l . "
Ar ound t he per i met er , i nt er sper sed wi t h t he t ombs, a ser i es of semi ci r cul ar
ni ches wer e hewn i n t he wal l .
The ni ches, al t hough not enor mous, wer e bi g enough t o hi de someone i n t he
shadows. Sadl y, Langdon
knew t hey once cont ai ned st at ues of t he Ol ympi an gods, but t he pagan scul pt ur es
had been dest r oyed when
t he Vat i can conver t ed t he Pant heon t o a Chr i st i an chur ch. He f el t a pang of
f r ust r at i on t o know he was
st andi ng at t he f i r st al t ar of sci ence, and t he mar ker was gone. He wonder ed
whi ch st at ue i t had been, and
wher e i t had poi nt ed. Langdon coul d i magi ne no gr eat er t hr i l l t han f i ndi ng an
I l l umi nat i mar ker - a st at ue
t hat sur r ept i t i ousl y poi nt ed t he way down t he Pat h of I l l umi nat i on. Agai n he
wonder ed who t he anonymous
I l l umi nat i scul pt or had been.
" I ' l l t ake t he l ef t ar c, " Vi t t or i a sai d, i ndi cat i ng t he l ef t hal f of t he
ci r cumf er ence. " You go r i ght . See you i n
a hundr ed and ei ght y degr ees. "
Langdon smi l ed gr i ml y.
As Vi t t or i a moved of f , Langdon f el t t he eer i e hor r or of t he si t uat i on seepi ng
back i nt o hi s mi nd. As he
t ur ned and made hi s way t o t he r i ght , t he ki l l er ' s voi ce seemed t o whi sper i n
t he dead space ar ound hi m.
Ei ght o' cl ock. Vi r gi n sacr i f i ces on t he al t ar s of sci ence. A mat hemat i cal
pr ogr essi on of deat h. Ei ght , ni ne,
t en, el even . . . and at mi dni ght . Langdon checked hi s wat ch: 7: 52. Ei ght
mi nut es.
As Langdon moved t owar d t he f i r st r ecess, he passed t he t omb of one of I t al y' s
Cat hol i c ki ngs. The
sar cophagus, l i ke many i n Rome, was askew wi t h t he wal l , posi t i oned awkwar dl y. A
gr oup of vi si t or s
seemed conf used by t hi s. Langdon di d not st op t o expl ai n. For mal Chr i st i an t ombs
wer e of t en mi sal i gned
wi t h t he ar chi t ect ur e so t hey coul d l i e f aci ng east . I t was an anci ent
super st i t i on t hat Langdon' s Symbol ogy
212 cl ass had di scussed j ust l ast mont h.
" That ' s t ot al l y i ncongr uous! " a f emal e st udent i n t he f r ont had bl ur t ed when
Langdon expl ai ned t he r eason
f or east - f aci ng t ombs. " Why woul d Chr i st i ans want t hei r t ombs t o f ace t he r i si ng
sun? We' r e t al ki ng about
Chr i st i ani t y . . . not sun wor shi p! "
Langdon smi l ed, paci ng bef or e t he bl ackboar d, chewi ng an appl e. " Mr . Hi t zr ot ! "
he shout ed.
A young man dozi ng i n back sat up wi t h a st ar t . " What ! Me?"
Langdon poi nt ed t o a Renai ssance ar t post er on t he wal l . " Who i s t hat man
kneel i ng bef or e God?"
" Um. . . some sai nt ?"
" Br i l l i ant . And how do you know he' s a sai nt ?"
" He' s got a hal o?"
" Excel l ent , and does t hat gol den hal o r emi nd you of anyt hi ng?"
Hi t zr ot br oke i nt o a smi l e. " Yeah! Those Egypt i an t hi ngs we st udi ed l ast t er m.
Those . . . um. . . sun
di sks! "
" Thank you, Hi t zr ot . Go back t o sl eep. " Langdon t ur ned back t o t he cl ass.
" Hal os, l i ke much of Chr i st i an
symbol ogy, wer e bor r owed f r omt he anci ent Egypt i an r el i gi on of sun wor shi p.
Chr i st i ani t y i s f i l l ed wi t h
exampl es of sun wor shi p. "
" Excuse me?" t he gi r l i n f r ont sai d. " I go t o chur ch al l t he t i me, and I don' t
see much sun wor shi pi ng goi ng
Sei t e 115
on! "
" Real l y? What do you cel ebr at e on December t went y- f i f t h?"
" Chr i st mas. The bi r t h of J esus Chr i st . "
" And yet accor di ng t o t he Bi bl e, Chr i st was bor n i n Mar ch, so what ar e we doi ng
cel ebr at i ng i n l at e
December ?"
Si l ence.
Langdon smi l ed. " December t went y- f i f t h, my f r i ends, i s t he anci ent pagan hol i day
of sol i nvi ct us-
Unconquer ed Sun- coi nci di ng wi t h t he wi nt er sol st i ce. I t ' s t hat wonder f ul t i me of
year when t he sun r et ur ns,
and t he days st ar t get t i ng l onger . "
Langdon t ook anot her bi t e of appl e.
" Conquer i ng r el i gi ons, " he cont i nued, " of t en adopt exi st i ng hol i days t o make
conver si on l ess shocki ng. I t ' s
cal l ed t r ansmut at i on. I t hel ps peopl e accl i mat i ze t o t he new f ai t h. Wor shi per s
keep t he same hol y dat es,
pr ay i n t he same sacr ed l ocat i ons, use a si mi l ar symbol ogy . . . and t hey si mpl y
subst i t ut e a di f f er ent god. "
Now t he gi r l i n f r ont l ooked f ur i ous. " You' r e i mpl yi ng Chr i st i ani t y i s j ust some
ki nd of . . . r epackaged sun
wor shi p! "
" Not at al l . Chr i st i ani t y di d not bor r ow onl y f r omsun wor shi p. The r i t ual of
Chr i st i an canoni zat i on i s t aken
f r omt he anci ent ' god- maki ng' r i t e of Euhemer us. The pr act i ce of
' god- eat i ng' - t hat i s, Hol y Communi on-
was bor r owed f r omt he Azt ecs. Even t he concept of Chr i st dyi ng f or our si ns i s
ar guabl y not excl usi vel y
Chr i st i an; t he sel f - sacr i f i ce of a young man t o absol ve t he si ns of hi s peopl e
appear s i n t he ear l i est t r adi t i on
of t he Quet zal coat l . "
The gi r l gl ar ed. " So, i s anyt hi ng i n Chr i st i ani t y or i gi nal ?"
" Ver y l i t t l e i n any or gani zed f ai t h i s t r ul y or i gi nal . Rel i gi ons ar e not bor n
f r omscr at ch. They gr ow f r om
one anot her . Moder n r el i gi on i s a col l age . . . an assi mi l at ed hi st or i cal r ecor d
of man' s quest t o under st and
t he di vi ne. "
" Um. . . hol d on, " Hi t zr ot vent ur ed, soundi ng awake now. " I know somet hi ng
Chr i st i an t hat ' s or i gi nal .
How about our i mage of God? Chr i st i an ar t never por t r ays God as t he hawk sun
god, or as an Azt ec, or as
anyt hi ng wei r d. I t al ways shows God as an ol d man wi t h a whi t e bear d. So our
i mage of God i s or i gi nal ,
r i ght ?"
Langdon smi l ed. " When t he ear l y Chr i st i an conver t s abandoned t hei r f or mer
dei t i es- pagan gods, Roman
gods, Gr eek, sun, Mi t hr ai c, what ever - t hey asked t he chur ch what t hei r new
Chr i st i an God l ooked l i ke.
Wi sel y, t he chur ch chose t he most f ear ed, power f ul . . . and f ami l i ar f ace i n
al l of r ecor ded hi st or y. "
Hi t zr ot l ooked skept i cal . " An ol d man wi t h a whi t e, f l owi ng bear d?"
Langdon poi nt ed t o a hi er ar chy of anci ent gods on t he wal l . At t he t op sat an
ol d man wi t h a whi t e, f l owi ng
bear d. " Does Zeus l ook f ami l i ar ?"
The cl ass ended r i ght on cue.
" Good eveni ng, " a man' s voi ce sai d.
Langdon j umped. He was back i n t he Pant heon. He t ur ned t o f ace an el der l y man i n
a bl ue cape wi t h a r ed
cr oss on t he chest . The man gave hi ma gr ay- t oot hed smi l e.
" You' r e Engl i sh, r i ght ?" The man' s accent was t hi ck Tuscan.
Langdon bl i nked, conf used. " Act ual l y, no. I ' mAmer i can. "
The man l ooked embar r assed. " Oh heavens, f or gi ve me. You wer e so ni cel y dr essed,
I j ust f i gur ed . . . my
apol ogi es. "
" Can I hel p you?" Langdon asked, hi s hear t beat i ng wi l dl y.
" Act ual l y I t hought per haps I coul d hel p you. I amt he ci cer one her e. " The man
poi nt ed pr oudl y t o hi s ci t y-
i ssued badge. " I t i s my j ob t o make your vi si t t o Rome mor e i nt er est i ng. "
Sei t e 116
Mor e i nt er est i ng? Langdon was cer t ai n t hi s par t i cul ar vi si t t o Rome was pl ent y
i nt er est i ng.
" You l ook l i ke a man of di st i nct i on, " t he gui de f awned, " no doubt mor e
i nt er est ed i n cul t ur e t han most .
Per haps I can gi ve you some hi st or y on t hi s f asci nat i ng bui l di ng. "
Langdon smi l ed pol i t el y. " Ki nd of you, but I ' mact ual l y an ar t hi st or i an mysel f ,
and- "
" Super b! " The man' s eyes l i t up l i ke he' d hi t t he j ackpot . " Then you wi l l no
doubt f i nd t hi s del i ght f ul ! "
" I t hi nk I ' d pr ef er t o- "
" The Pant heon, " t he man decl ar ed, l aunchi ng i nt o hi s memor i zed spi el , " was bui l t
by Mar cus Agr i ppa i n 27
B. C. "
" Yes, " Langdon i nt er j ect ed, " and r ebui l t by Hadr i an i n 119 A. D. "
" I t was t he wor l d' s l ar gest f r eest andi ng dome unt i l 1960 when i t was ecl i psed
by t he Super dome i n New
Or l eans! "
Langdon gr oaned. The man was unst oppabl e.
" And a f i f t h- cent ur y t heol ogi an once cal l ed t he Pant heon t he House of t he Devi l ,
war ni ng t hat t he hol e i n
t he r oof was an ent r ance f or demons! "
Langdon bl ocked hi mout . Hi s eyes cl i mbed skywar d t o t he ocul us, and t he memor y
of Vi t t or i a' s suggest ed
pl ot f l ashed a bone- numbi ng i mage i n hi s mi nd . . . a br anded car di nal f al l i ng
t hr ough t he hol e and hi t t i ng
t he mar bl e f l oor . Now t hat woul d be a medi a event . Langdon f ound hi msel f
scanni ng t he Pant heon f or
r epor t er s. None. He i nhal ed deepl y. I t was an absur d i dea. The l ogi st i cs of
pul l i ng of f a st unt l i ke t hat
woul d be r i di cul ous.
As Langdon moved of f t o cont i nue hi s i nspect i on, t he babbl i ng docent f ol l owed
l i ke a l ove- st ar ved puppy.
Remi nd me, Langdon t hought t o hi msel f , t her e' s not hi ng wor se t han a gung ho ar t
hi st or i an.
Acr oss t he r oom, Vi t t or i a was i mmer sed i n her own sear ch. St andi ng al l al one f or
t he f i r st t i me si nce she
had hear d t he news of her f at her , she f el t t he st ar k r eal i t y of t he l ast ei ght
hour s cl osi ng i n ar ound her . Her
f at her had been mur der ed- cr uel l y and abr upt l y. Al most equal l y pai nf ul was t hat
her f at her ' s cr eat i on had
been cor r upt ed- now a t ool of t er r or i st s. Vi t t or i a was pl agued wi t h gui l t t o
t hi nk t hat i t was her i nvent i on
t hat had enabl ed t he ant i mat t er t o be t r anspor t ed . . . her cani st er t hat was
now count i ng down i nsi de t he
Vat i can. I n an ef f or t t o ser ve her f at her ' s quest f or t he si mpl i ci t y of t r ut h .
. . she had become a conspi r at or
of chaos.
Oddl y, t he onl y t hi ng t hat f el t r i ght i n her l i f e at t he moment was t he pr esence
of a t ot al st r anger . Rober t
Langdon. She f ound an i nexpl i cabl e r ef uge i n hi s eyes . . . l i ke t he har mony of
t he oceans she had l ef t
behi nd ear l y t hat mor ni ng. She was gl ad he was t her e. Not onl y had he been a
sour ce of st r engt h and hope
f or her , Langdon had used hi s qui ck mi nd t o r ender t hi s one chance t o cat ch her
f at her ' s ki l l er .
Vi t t or i a br eat hed deepl y as she cont i nued her sear ch, movi ng ar ound t he
per i met er . She was over whel med
by t he unexpect ed i mages of per sonal r evenge t hat had domi nat ed her t hought s al l
day. Even as a swor n
l over of al l l i f e . . . she want ed t hi s execut i oner dead. No amount of good
kar ma coul d make her t ur n t he
ot her cheek t oday. Al ar med and el ect r i f i ed, she sensed somet hi ng cour si ng
t hr ough her I t al i an bl ood t hat
she had never f el t bef or e . . . t he whi sper s of Si ci l i an ancest or s def endi ng
f ami l y honor wi t h br ut al j ust i ce.
Vendet t a, Vi t t or i a t hought , and f or t he f i r st t i me i n her l i f e under st ood.
Vi si ons of r epr i sal spur r ed her on. She appr oached t he t omb of Raphael Sant i .
Even f r oma di st ance she
Sei t e 117
coul d t el l t hi s guy was speci al . Hi s casket , unl i ke t he ot her s, was pr ot ect ed by
a Pl exi gl as shi el d and
r ecessed i nt o t he wal l . Thr ough t he bar r i er she coul d see t he f r ont of t he
sar cophagus.
RAPHAEL SANTI , 1483- 1520
Vi t t or i a st udi ed t he gr ave and t hen r ead t he one- sent ence descr i pt i ve pl aque
besi de Raphael ' s t omb.
Then she r ead i t agai n.
Then . . . she r ead i t agai n.
A moment l at er , she was dashi ng i n hor r or acr oss t he f l oor . " Rober t ! Rober t ! "
62
L angdon' s pr ogr ess ar ound hi s si de of t he Pant heon was bei ng hamper ed somewhat
by t he gui de on hi s
heel s, now cont i nui ng hi s t i r el ess nar r at i on as Langdon pr epar ed t o check t he
f i nal al cove.
" You cer t ai nl y seemt o be enj oyi ng t hose ni ches! " t he docent sai d, l ooki ng
del i ght ed. " Wer e you awar e t hat
t he t aper i ng t hi ckness of t he wal l s i s t he r eason t he dome appear s wei ght l ess?"
Langdon nodded, not hear i ng a wor d as he pr epar ed t o exami ne anot her ni che.
Suddenl y someone gr abbed
hi mf r ombehi nd. I t was Vi t t or i a. She was br eat hl ess and t uggi ng at hi s ar m.
Fr omt he l ook of t er r or on her
f ace, Langdon coul d onl y i magi ne one t hi ng. She f ound a body. He f el t an
upswel l i ng of dr ead.
" Ah, your wi f e! " t he docent excl ai med, cl ear l y t hr i l l ed t o have anot her guest .
He mot i oned t o her shor t
pant s and hi ki ng boot s. " Now you I can t el l ar e Amer i can! "
Vi t t or i a' s eyes nar r owed. " I ' mI t al i an. "
The gui de' s smi l e di mmed. " Oh, dear . "
" Rober t , " Vi t t or i a whi sper ed, t r yi ng t o t ur n her back on t he gui de. " Gal i l eo' s
Di agr amma. I need t o see i t . "
" Di agr amma?" t he docent sai d, wheedl i ng back i n. " My! You t wo cer t ai nl y know
your hi st or y!
Unf or t unat el y t hat document i s not vi ewabl e. I t i s under secr et pr eser vat i on i n
t he Vat i can Ar c- "
" Coul d you excuse us?" Langdon sai d. He was conf used by Vi t t or i a' s pani c. He
t ook her asi de and r eached
i n hi s pocket , car ef ul l y ext r act i ng t he Di agr amma f ol i o. " What ' s goi ng on?"
" What ' s t he dat e on t hi s t hi ng?" Vi t t or i a demanded, scanni ng t he sheet .
The docent was on t hemagai n, st ar i ng at t he f ol i o, mout h agape. " That ' s not . .
. r eal l y . . . "
" Tour i st r epr oduct i on, " Langdon qui pped. " Thank you f or your hel p. Pl ease, my
wi f e and I woul d l i ke a
moment al one. "
The docent backed of f , eyes never l eavi ng t he paper .
" Dat e, " Vi t t or i a r epeat ed t o Langdon. " When di d Gal i l eo publ i sh . . . "
Langdon poi nt ed t o t he Roman numer al i n t he l ower l i ner . " That ' s t he pub dat e.
What ' s goi ng on?"
Vi t t or i a deci pher ed t he number . " 1639?"
" Yes. What ' s wr ong?"
Vi t t or i a' s eyes f i l l ed wi t h f or ebodi ng. " We' r e i n t r oubl e, Rober t . Bi g t r oubl e.
The dat es don' t mat ch. "
" What dat es don' t mat ch?"
" Raphael ' s t omb. He wasn' t bur i ed her e unt i l 1759. A cent ur y af t er Di agr amma was
publ i shed. "
Langdon st ar ed at her , t r yi ng t o make sense of t he wor ds. " No, " he r epl i ed.
" Raphael di ed i n 1520, l ong
bef or e Di agr amma. "
" Yes, but he wasn' t bur i ed her e unt i l much l at er . "
Langdon was l ost . " What ar e you t al ki ng about ?"
" I j ust r ead i t . Raphael ' s body was r el ocat ed t o t he Pant heon i n 1758. I t was
par t of some hi st or i c t r i but e t o
emi nent I t al i ans. "
As t he wor ds set t l ed i n, Langdon f el t l i ke a r ug had j ust been yanked out f r om
under hi m.
" When t hat poemwas wr i t t en, " Vi t t or i a decl ar ed, " Raphael ' s t omb was somewher e
el se. Back t hen, t he
Pant heon had not hi ng at al l t o do wi t h Raphael ! "
Langdon coul d not br eat he. " But t hat . . . means . . . "
Sei t e 118
" Yes! I t means we' r e i n t he wr ong pl ace! "
Langdon f el t hi msel f sway. I mpossi bl e . . . I was cer t ai n . . .
Vi t t or i a r an over and gr abbed t he docent , pul l i ng hi mback. " Si gnor e, excuse us.
Wher e was Raphael ' s
body i n t he 1600s?"
" Ur b . . . Ur bi no, " he st ammer ed, now l ooki ng bewi l der ed. " Hi s bi r t hpl ace. "
" I mpossi bl e! " Langdon cur sed t o hi msel f . " The I l l umi nat i al t ar s of sci ence wer e
her e i n Rome. I ' mcer t ai n
of i t ! "
" I l l umi nat i ?" The docent gasped, l ooki ng agai n at t he document i n Langdon' s
hand. " Who ar e you
peopl e?"
Vi t t or i a t ook char ge. " We' r e l ooki ng f or somet hi ng cal l ed Sant i ' s ear t hl y t omb.
I n Rome. Can you t el l us
what t hat mi ght be?"
The docent l ooked unset t l ed. " Thi s was Raphael ' s onl y t omb i n Rome. "
Langdon t r i ed t o t hi nk, but hi s mi nd r ef used t o engage. I f Raphael ' s t omb wasn' t
i n Rome i n 1655, t hen
what was t he poemr ef er r i ng t o? Sant i ' s ear t hl y t omb wi t h demon' s hol e? What t he
hel l i s i t ? Thi nk!
" Was t her e anot her ar t i st cal l ed Sant i ?" Vi t t or i a asked.
The docent shr ugged. " Not t hat I know of . "
" How about anyone f amous at al l ? Maybe a sci ent i st or a poet or an ast r onomer
named Sant i ?"
The docent now l ooked l i ke he want ed t o l eave. " No, ma' am. The onl y Sant i I ' ve
ever hear d of i s Raphael
t he ar chi t ect . "
" Ar chi t ect ?" Vi t t or i a sai d. " I t hought he was a pai nt er ! "
" He was bot h, of cour se. They al l wer e. Mi chel angel o, da Vi nci , Raphael . "
Langdon di dn' t know whet her i t was t he docent ' s wor ds or t he or nat e t ombs ar ound
t hemt hat br ought t he
r evel at i on t o mi nd, but i t di dn' t mat t er . The t hought occur r ed. Sant i was an
ar chi t ect . Fr omt her e t he
pr ogr essi on of t hought s f el l l i ke domi noes. Renai ssance ar chi t ect s l i ved f or
onl y t wo r easons- t o gl or i f y God
wi t h bi g chur ches, and t o gl or i f y di gni t ar i es wi t h l avi sh t ombs. Sant i ' s t omb.
Coul d i t be? The i mages came
f ast er now . . .
da Vi nci ' s Mona Li sa.
Monet ' s Wat er Li l i es.
Mi chel angel o' s Davi d.
Sant i ' s ear t hl y t omb . . .
" Sant i desi gned t he t omb, " Langdon sai d.
Vi t t or i a t ur ned. " What ?"
" I t ' s not a r ef er ence t o wher e Raphael i s bur i ed, i t ' s r ef er r i ng t o a t omb he
desi gned. "
" What ar e you t al ki ng about ?"
" I mi sunder st ood t he cl ue. I t ' s not Raphael ' s bur i al si t e we' r e l ooki ng f or ,
i t ' s a t omb Raphael desi gned f or
someone el se. I can' t bel i eve I mi ssed i t . Hal f of t he scul pt i ng done i n
Renai ssance and Bar oque Rome was
f or t he f uner ar i es. " Langdon smi l ed wi t h t he r evel at i on. " Raphael must have
desi gned hundr eds of t ombs! "
Vi t t or i a di d not l ook happy. " Hundr eds?"
Langdon' s smi l e f aded. " Oh. "
" Any of t hemear t hl y, pr of essor ?"
Langdon f el t suddenl y i nadequat e. He knew embar r assi ngl y l i t t l e about Raphael ' s
wor k. Mi chel angel o he
coul d have hel ped wi t h, but Raphael ' s wor k had never capt i vat ed hi m. Langdon
coul d onl y name a coupl e
of Raphael ' s mor e f amous t ombs, but he wasn' t sur e what t hey l ooked l i ke.
Appar ent l y sensi ng Langdon' s st ymi e, Vi t t or i a t ur ned t o t he docent , who was now
i nchi ng away. She
gr abbed hi s ar mand r eel ed hi mi n. " I need a t omb. Desi gned by Raphael . A t omb
t hat coul d be consi der ed
ear t hl y. "
The docent now l ooked di st r essed. " A t omb of Raphael ' s? I don' t know. He
desi gned so many. And you
pr obabl y woul d mean a chapel by Raphael , not a t omb. Ar chi t ect s al ways desi gned
Sei t e 119
t he chapel s i n
conj unct i on wi t h t he t omb. "
Langdon r eal i zed t he man was r i ght .
" Ar e any of Raphael ' s t ombs or chapel s consi der ed ear t hl y?"
The man shr ugged. " I ' msor r y. I don' t know what you mean. Ear t hl y r eal l y doesn' t
descr i be anyt hi ng I
know of . I shoul d be goi ng. "
Vi t t or i a hel d hi s ar mand r ead f r omt he t op l i ne of t he f ol i o. " Fr omSant i ' s
ear t hl y t omb wi t h demon' s hol e.
Does t hat mean anyt hi ng t o you?"
" Not a t hi ng. "
Langdon l ooked up suddenl y. He had moment ar i l y f or got t en t he second par t of t he
l i ne. Demon' s hol e?
" Yes! " he sai d t o t he docent . " That ' s i t ! Do any of Raphael ' s chapel s have an
ocul us i n t hem?"
The docent shook hi s head. " To my knowl edge t he Pant heon i s uni que. " He paused.
" But . . . "
" But what ! " Vi t t or i a and Langdon sai d i n uni son.
Now t he docent cocked hi s head, st eppi ng t owar d t hemagai n. " A demon' s hol e?" He
mut t er ed t o hi msel f
and pi cked at hi s t eet h. " Demon' s hol e . . . t hat i s . . . buco di vol o?"
Vi t t or i a nodded. " Li t er al l y, yes. "
The docent smi l ed f ai nt l y. " Now t her e' s a t er mI have not hear d i n a whi l e. I f
I ' mnot mi st aken, a buco
di vol o r ef er s t o an under cr of t . "
" An under cr of t ?" Langdon asked. " As i n a cr ypt ?"
" Yes, but a speci f i c ki nd of cr ypt . I bel i eve a demon' s hol e i s an anci ent t er m
f or a massi ve bur i al cavi t y
l ocat ed i n a chapel . . . under neat h anot her t omb. "
" An ossuar y annex?" Langdon demanded, i mmedi at el y r ecogni zi ng what t he man was
descr i bi ng.
The docent l ooked i mpr essed. " Yes! That i s t he t er mI was l ooki ng f or ! "
Langdon consi der ed i t . Ossuar y annexes wer e a cheap eccl esi ast i c f i x t o an
awkwar d di l emma. When
chur ches honor ed t hei r most di st i ngui shed member s wi t h or nat e t ombs i nsi de t he
sanct uar y, sur vi vi ng
f ami l y member s of t en demanded t he f ami l y be bur i ed t oget her . . . t hus ensur i ng
t hey t oo woul d have a
covet ed bur i al spot i nsi de t he chur ch. However , i f t he chur ch di d not have space
or f unds t o cr eat e t ombs
f or an ent i r e f ami l y, t hey somet i mes dug an ossuar y annex- a hol e i n t he f l oor
near t he t omb wher e t hey
bur i ed t he l ess wor t hy f ami l y member s. The hol e was t hen cover ed wi t h t he
Renai ssance equi val ent of a
manhol e cover . Al t hough conveni ent , t he ossuar y annex went out of st yl e qui ckl y
because of t he st ench
t hat of t en waf t ed up i nt o t he cat hedr al . Demon' s hol e, Langdon t hought . He had
never hear d t he t er m. I t
seemed eer i l y f i t t i ng.
Langdon' s hear t was now poundi ng f i er cel y. Fr omSant i ' s ear t hl y t omb wi t h
demon' s hol e. Ther e seemed
t o be onl y one quest i on l ef t t o ask. " Di d Raphael desi gn any t ombs t hat had one
of t hese demon' s hol es?"
The docent scr at ched hi s head. " Act ual l y. I ' msor r y . . . I can onl y t hi nk of
one. "
Onl y one? Langdon coul d not have dr eamed of a bet t er r esponse.
" Wher e! " Vi t t or i a al most shout ed.
The docent eyed t hemst r angel y. " I t ' s cal l ed t he Chi gi Chapel . Tomb of Agost i no
Chi gi and hi s br ot her ,
weal t hy pat r ons of t he ar t s and sci ences. "
" Sci ences?" Langdon sai d, exchangi ng l ooks wi t h Vi t t or i a.
" Wher e?" Vi t t or i a asked agai n.
The docent i gnor ed t he quest i on, seemi ng ent husi ast i c agai n t o be of ser vi ce.
" As f or whet her or not t he
t omb i s ear t hl y, I don' t know, but cer t ai nl y i t i s . . . shal l we say
di f f er nt e. "
" Di f f er ent ?" Langdon sai d. " How?"
" I ncoher ent wi t h t he ar chi t ect ur e. Raphael was onl y t he ar chi t ect . Some ot her
scul pt or di d t he i nt er i or
Sei t e 120
ador nment s. I can' t r emember who. "
Langdon was now al l ear s. The anonymous I l l umi nat i mast er , per haps?
" Whoever di d t he i nt er i or monument s l acked t ast e, " t he docent sai d. " Di o mi o!
At r oci t s! Who woul d want
t o be bur i ed beneat h pi r mi des?"
Langdon coul d scar cel y bel i eve hi s ear s. " Pyr ami ds? The chapel cont ai ns
pyr ami ds?"
" I know, " t he docent scof f ed. " Ter r i bl e, i sn' t i t ?"
Vi t t or i a gr abbed t he docent ' s ar m. " Si gnor e, wher e i s t hi s Chi gi Chapel ?"
" About a mi l e nor t h. I n t he chur ch of Sant a Mar i a del Popol o. "
Vi t t or i a exhal ed. " Thank you. Let ' s- "
" Hey, " t he docent sai d, " I j ust t hought of somet hi ng. What a f ool I am. "
Vi t t or i a st opped shor t . " Pl ease don' t t el l me you made a mi st ake. "
He shook hi s head. " No, but i t shoul d have dawned on me ear l i er . The Chi gi
Chapel was not al ways known
as t he Chi gi . I t used t o be cal l ed Capel l a del l a Ter r a. "
" Chapel of t he Land?" Langdon asked.
" No, " Vi t t or i a sai d, headi ng f or t he door . " Chapel of t he Ear t h. "
Vi t t or i a Vet r a whi pped out her cel l phone as she dashed i nt o Pi azza del l a
Rot unda. " Commander Ol i vet t i , "
she sai d. " Thi s i s t he wr ong pl ace! "
Ol i vet t i sounded bewi l der ed. " Wr ong? What do you mean?"
" The f i r st al t ar of sci ence i s at t he Chi gi Chapel ! "
" Wher e?" Now Ol i vet t i sounded angr y. " But Mr . Langdon sai d- "
" Sant a Mar i a del Popol o! One mi l e nor t h. Get your men over t her e now! We' ve got
f our mi nut es! "
" But my men ar e i n posi t i on her e! I can' t possi bl y- "
" Move! " Vi t t or i a snapped t he phone shut .
Behi nd her , Langdon emer ged f r omt he Pant heon, dazed.
She gr abbed hi s hand and pul l ed hi mt owar d t he queue of seemi ngl y dr i ver l ess
t axi s wai t i ng by t he cur b.
She pounded on t he hood of t he f i r st car i n l i ne. The sl eepi ng dr i ver bol t ed
upr i ght wi t h a st ar t l ed yel p.
Vi t t or i a yanked open t he r ear door and pushed Langdon i nsi de. Then she j umped i n
behi nd hi m.
" Sant a Mar i a del Popol o, " she or der ed. " Pr est o! "
Looki ng del i r i ous and hal f t er r i f i ed, t he dr i ver hi t t he accel er at or , peel i ng
out down t he st r eet .
63
G unt her Gl i ck had assumed cont r ol of t he comput er f r omChi ni t a Macr i , who now
st ood hunched i n t he
back of t he cr amped BBC van st ar i ng i n conf usi on over Gl i ck' s shoul der .
" I t ol d you, " Gl i ck sai d, t ypi ng some mor e keys. " The Br i t i sh Tat t l er i sn' t t he
onl y paper t hat r uns st or i es
on t hese guys. "
Macr i peer ed cl oser . Gl i ck was r i ght . The BBC dat abase showed t hei r
di st i ngui shed net wor k as havi ng
pi cked up and r un si x st or i es i n t he past t en year s on t he br ot her hood cal l ed
t he I l l umi nat i . Wel l , pai nt me
pur pl e, she t hought . " Who ar e t he j our nal i st s who r an t he st or i es, " Macr i asked.
" Schl ock j ocks?"
" BBC doesn' t hi r e schl ock j ocks. "
" They hi r ed you. "
Gl i ck scowl ed. " I don' t know why you' r e such a skept i c. The I l l umi nat i ar e wel l
document ed t hr oughout
hi st or y. "
" So ar e wi t ches, UFOs, and t he Loch Ness Monst er . "
Gl i ck r ead t he l i st of st or i es. " You ever hear d of a guy cal l ed Wi nst on
Chur chi l l ?"
" Ri ngs a bel l . "
" BBC di d a hi st or i cal a whi l e back on Chur chi l l ' s l i f e. St aunch Cat hol i c by t he
way. Di d you know t hat i n
1920 Chur chi l l publ i shed a st at ement condemni ng t he I l l umi nat i and war ni ng Br i t s
of a wor l dwi de
conspi r acy agai nst mor al i t y?"
Macr i was dubi ous. " Wher e di d i t r un? I n t he Br i t i sh Tat t l er ?"
Gl i ck smi l ed. " London Her al d. Febr uar y 8, 1920. "
" No way. "
Sei t e 121
" Feast your eyes. "
Macr i l ooked cl oser at t he cl i p. London Her al d. Feb. 8, 1920. I had no i dea.
" Wel l , Chur chi l l was a
par anoi d. "
" He wasn' t al one, " Gl i ck sai d, r eadi ng f ur t her . " Looks l i ke Woodr ow Wi l son gave
t hr ee r adi o br oadcast s
i n 1921 war ni ng of gr owi ng I l l umi nat i cont r ol over t he U. S. banki ng syst em. You
want a di r ect quot e f r om
t he r adi o t r anscr i pt ?"
" Not r eal l y. "
Gl i ck gave her one anyway. " He sai d, ' Ther e i s a power so or gani zed, so subt l e,
so compl et e, so per vasi ve,
t hat none had bet t er speak above t hei r br eat h when t hey speak i n condemnat i on of
i t . ' "
" I ' ve never hear d anyt hi ng about t hi s. "
" Maybe because i n 1921 you wer e j ust a ki d. "
" Char mi ng. " Macr i t ook t he j ab i n st r i de. She knew her year s wer e showi ng. At
f or t y- t hr ee, her bushy
bl ack cur l s wer e st r eaked wi t h gr ay. She was t oo pr oud f or dye. Her mom, a
Sout her n Bapt i st , had t aught
Chi ni t a cont ent edness and sel f - r espect . When you' r e a bl ack woman, her mot her
sai d, ai n' t no hi di ng what
you ar e. Day you t r y, i s t he day you di e. St and t al l , smi l e br i ght , and l et ' em
wonder what secr et ' s maki ng
you l augh.
" Ever hear d of Ceci l Rhodes?" Gl i ck asked.
Macr i l ooked up. " The Br i t i sh f i nanci er ?"
" Yeah. Founded t he Rhodes Schol ar shi ps. "
" Don' t t el l me- "
" I l l umi nat us. "
" BS. "
" BBC, act ual l y. November 16, 1984. "
" We wr ot e t hat Ceci l Rhodes was I l l umi nat i ?"
" Sur e di d. And accor di ng t o our net wor k, t he Rhodes Schol ar shi ps wer e f unds set
up cent ur i es ago t o
r ecr ui t t he wor l d' s br i ght est young mi nds i nt o t he I l l umi nat i . "
" That ' s r i di cul ous! My uncl e was a Rhodes Schol ar ! "
Gl i ck wi nked. " So was Bi l l Cl i nt on. "
Macr i was get t i ng mad now. She had never had t ol er ance f or shoddy, al ar mi st
r epor t i ng. St i l l , she knew
enough about t he BBC t o know t hat ever y st or y t hey r an was car ef ul l y r esear ched
and conf i r med.
" Her e' s one you' l l r emember , " Gl i ck sai d. " BBC, Mar ch 5, 1998. Par l i ament
Commi t t ee Chai r , Chr i s
Mul l i n, r equi r ed al l member s of Br i t i sh Par l i ament who wer e Masons t o decl ar e
t hei r af f i l i at i on. "
Macr i r emember ed i t . The decr ee had event ual l y ext ended t o i ncl ude pol i cemen and
j udges as wel l . " Why
was i t agai n?"
Gl i ck r ead. " . . . concer n t hat secr et f act i ons wi t hi n t he Masons exer t ed
consi der abl e cont r ol over pol i t i cal
and f i nanci al syst ems. "
" That ' s r i ght . "
" Caused qui t e a bust l e. The Masons i n par l i ament wer e f ur i ous. Had a r i ght t o
be. The vast maj or i t y t ur ned
out t o be i nnocent men who j oi ned t he Masons f or net wor ki ng and char i t y wor k.
They had no cl ue about
t he br ot her hood' s past af f i l i at i ons. "
" Al l eged af f i l i at i ons. "
" What ever . " Gl i ck scanned t he ar t i cl es. " Look at t hi s st uf f . Account s t r aci ng
t he I l l umi nat i back t o Gal i l eo,
t he Guer enet s of Fr ance, t he Al umbr ados of Spai n. Even Kar l Mar x and t he Russi an
Revol ut i on. "
" Hi st or y has a way of r ewr i t i ng i t sel f . "
" Fi ne, you want somet hi ng cur r ent ? Have a l ook at t hi s. Her e' s an I l l umi nat i
r ef er ence f r oma r ecent Wal l
St r eet J our nal . "
Thi s caught Macr i ' s ear . " The J our nal ?"
" Guess what t he most popul ar I nt er net comput er game i n Amer i ca i s r i ght now?"
Sei t e 122
" Pi n t he t ai l on Pamel a Ander son. "
" Cl ose. I t ' s cal l ed, I l l umi nat i : New Wor l d Or der . "
Macr i l ooked over hi s shoul der at t he bl ur b. " St eve J ackson Games has a r unaway
hi t . . . a quasi -
hi st or i cal advent ur e i n whi ch an anci ent sat ani c br ot her hood f r omBavar i a set s
out t o t ake over t he wor l d.
You can f i nd t hemon- l i ne at . . . " Macr i l ooked up, f eel i ng i l l . " What do t hese
I l l umi nat i guys have agai nst
Chr i st i ani t y?"
" Not j ust Chr i st i ani t y, " Gl i ck sai d. " Rel i gi on i n gener al . " Gl i ck cocked hi s
head and gr i nned. " Al t hough
f r omt he phone cal l we j ust got , i t appear s t hey do have a speci al spot i n t hei r
hear t s f or t he Vat i can. "
" Oh, come on. You don' t r eal l y t hi nk t hat guy who cal l ed i s who he cl ai ms t o be,
do you?"
" A messenger of t he I l l umi nat i ? Pr epar i ng t o ki l l f our car di nal s?" Gl i ck smi l ed.
" I sur e hope so. "
64
L angdon and Vi t t or i a' s t axi compl et ed t he one- mi l e spr i nt up t he wi de Vi a del l a
Scr of a i n j ust over a
mi nut e. They ski dded t o a st op on t he sout h si de of t he Pi azza del Popol o j ust
bef or e ei ght . Not havi ng any
l i r e, Langdon over pai d t he dr i ver i n U. S. dol l ar s. He and Vi t t or i a j umped out .
The pi azza was qui et except
f or t he l aught er of a handf ul of l ocal s seat ed out si de t he popul ar Rosat i Caf - a
hot spot of t he I t al i an
l i t er at i . The br eeze smel l ed of espr esso and past r y.
Langdon was st i l l i n shock over hi s mi st ake at t he Pant heon. Wi t h a cur sor y
gl ance at t hi s squar e, however ,
hi s si xt h sense was al r eady t i ngl i ng. The pi azza seemed subt l y f i l l ed wi t h
I l l umi nat i si gni f i cance. Not onl y
was i t l ai d out i n a per f ect l y el l i pt i cal shape, but dead cent er st ood a
t ower i ng Egypt i an obel i sk- a squar e
pi l l ar of st one wi t h a di st i nct i vel y pyr ami dal t i p. Spoi l s of Rome' s i mper i al
pl under i ng, obel i sks wer e
scat t er ed acr oss Rome and r ef er r ed t o by symbol ogi st s as " Lof t y
Pyr ami ds" - skywar d ext ensi ons of t he
sacr ed pyr ami dal f or m.
As Langdon' s eyes moved up t he monol i t h, t hough, hi s si ght was suddenl y dr awn t o
somet hi ng el se i n t he
backgr ound. Somet hi ng even mor e r emar kabl e.
" We' r e i n t he r i ght pl ace, " he sai d qui et l y, f eel i ng a sudden exposed war i ness.
" Have a l ook at t hat . "
Langdon poi nt ed t o t he i mposi ng Por t a del Popol o- t he hi gh st one ar chway at t he
f ar end of t he pi azza. The
vaul t ed st r uct ur e had been over l ooki ng t he pi azza f or cent ur i es. Dead cent er of
t he ar chway' s hi ghest poi nt
was a symbol i c engr avi ng. " Look f ami l i ar ?"
Vi t t or i a l ooked up at t he huge car vi ng. " A shi ni ng st ar over a t r i angul ar pi l e
of st ones?"
Langdon shook hi s head. " A sour ce of I l l umi nat i on over a pyr ami d. "
Vi t t or i a t ur ned, her eyes suddenl y wi de. " Li ke . . . t he Gr eat Seal of t he
Uni t ed St at es?"
" Exact l y. The Masoni c symbol on t he one- dol l ar bi l l . "
Vi t t or i a t ook a deep br eat h and scanned t he pi azza. " So wher e' s t hi s damn
chur ch?"
The Chur ch of Sant a Mar i a del Popol o st ood out l i ke a mi spl aced bat t l eshi p,
askew at t he base of a hi l l on
t he sout heast cor ner of t he pi azza. The el event h- cent ur y st one aer i e was made
even mor e cl umsy by t he
t ower of scaf f ol di ng cover i ng t he f aade.
Langdon' s t hought s wer e a bl ur as t hey r aced t owar d t he edi f i ce. He st ar ed up at
t he chur ch i n wonder .
Coul d a mur der r eal l y be about t o t ake pl ace i nsi de? He wi shed Ol i vet t i woul d
hur r y. The gun f el t awkwar d
i n hi s pocket .
The chur ch' s f r ont st ai r s wer e vent agl i o- a wel comi ng, cur ved f an- i r oni c i n t hi s
case because t hey wer e
Sei t e 123
bl ocked wi t h scaf f ol di ng, const r uct i on equi pment , and a si gn war ni ng:
CONSTRUZZI ONE. NON
ENTRARE.
Langdon r eal i zed t hat a chur ch cl osed f or r enovat i on meant t ot al pr i vacy f or a
ki l l er . Not l i ke t he Pant heon.
No f ancy t r i cks needed her e. Onl y t o f i nd a way i n.
Vi t t or i a sl i pped wi t hout hesi t at i on bet ween t he sawhor ses and headed up t he
st ai r case.
" Vi t t or i a, " Langdon caut i oned. " I f he' s st i l l i n t her e . . . "
Vi t t or i a di d not seemt o hear . She ascended t he mai n por t i co t o t he chur ch' s
sol e wooden door . Langdon
hur r i ed up t he st ai r s behi nd her . Bef or e he coul d say a wor d she had gr asped t he
handl e and pul l ed.
Langdon hel d hi s br eat h. The door di d not budge.
" Ther e must be anot her ent r ance, " Vi t t or i a sai d.
" Pr obabl y, " Langdon sai d, exhal i ng, " but Ol i vet t i wi l l be her e i n a mi nut e. I t ' s
t oo danger ous t o go i n. We
shoul d cover t he chur ch f r omout her e unt i l - "
Vi t t or i a t ur ned, her eyes bl azi ng. " I f t her e' s anot her way i n, t her e' s anot her
way out . I f t hi s guy di sappear s,
we' r e f ungi t o. "
Langdon knew enough I t al i an t o know she was r i ght .
The al l ey on t he r i ght si de of t he chur ch was pi nched and dar k, wi t h hi gh wal l s
on bot h si des. I t smel l ed of
ur i ne- a common ar oma i n a ci t y wher e bar s out number ed publ i c r est r ooms t went y
t o one.
Langdon and Vi t t or i a hur r i ed i nt o t he f et i d di mness. They had gone about f i f t een
yar ds down when Vi t t or i a
t ugged Langdon' s ar mand poi nt ed.
Langdon saw i t t oo. Up ahead was an unassumi ng wooden door wi t h heavy hi nges.
Langdon r ecogni zed i t
as t he st andar d por t a sacr a- a pr i vat e ent r ance f or cl er gy. Most of t hese
ent r ances had gone out of use year s
ago as encr oachi ng bui l di ngs and l i mi t ed r eal est at e r el egat ed si de ent r ances t o
i nconveni ent al l eyways.
Vi t t or i a hur r i ed t o t he door . She ar r i ved and st ar ed down at t he door knob,
appar ent l y per pl exed. Langdon
ar r i ved behi nd her and eyed t he pecul i ar donut - shaped hoop hangi ng wher e t he
door knob shoul d have been.
" An annul us, " he whi sper ed. Langdon r eached out and qui et l y l i f t ed t he r i ng i n
hi s hand. He pul l ed t he r i ng
t owar d hi m. The f i xt ur e cl i cked. Vi t t or i a shi f t ed, l ooki ng suddenl y uneasy.
Qui et l y, Langdon t wi st ed t he
r i ng cl ockwi se. I t spun l oosel y 360 degr ees, not engagi ng. Langdon f r owned and
t r i ed t he ot her di r ect i on
wi t h t he same r esul t .
Vi t t or i a l ooked down t he r emai nder of t he al l ey. " You t hi nk t her e' s anot her
ent r ance?"
Langdon doubt ed i t . Most Renai ssance cat hedr al s wer e desi gned as makeshi f t
f or t r esses i n t he event a ci t y
was st or med. They had as f ew ent r ances as possi bl e. " I f t her e i s anot her way
i n, " he sai d, " i t ' s pr obabl y
r ecessed i n t he r ear bast i on- mor e of an escape r out e t han an ent r ance. "
Vi t t or i a was al r eady on t he move.
Langdon f ol l owed deeper i nt o t he al l ey. The wal l s shot skywar d on bot h si des of
hi m. Somewher e a bel l
began r i ngi ng ei ght o' cl ock . . .
Rober t Langdon di d not hear Vi t t or i a t he f i r st t i me she cal l ed t o hi m. He had
sl owed at a st ai ned- gl ass
wi ndow cover ed wi t h bar s and was t r yi ng t o peer i nsi de t he chur ch.
" Rober t ! " Her voi ce was a l oud whi sper .
Langdon l ooked up. Vi t t or i a was at t he end of t he al l ey. She was poi nt i ng ar ound
t he back of t he chur ch
and wavi ng t o hi m. Langdon j ogged r el uct ant l y t owar d her . At t he base of t he
r ear wal l , a st one bul war k
j ut t ed out conceal i ng a nar r ow gr ot t o- a ki nd of compr essed passageway cut t i ng
di r ect l y i nt o t he f oundat i on
of t he chur ch.
Sei t e 124
" An ent r ance?" Vi t t or i a asked.
Langdon nodded. Act ual l y an exi t , but we won' t get t echni cal .
Vi t t or i a knel t and peer ed i nt o t he t unnel . " Let ' s check t he door . See i f i t ' s
open. "
Langdon opened hi s mout h t o obj ect , but Vi t t or i a t ook hi s hand and pul l ed hi m
i nt o t he openi ng.
" Wai t , " Langdon sai d.
She t ur ned i mpat i ent l y t owar d hi m.
Langdon si ghed. " I ' l l go f i r st . "
Vi t t or i a l ooked sur pr i sed. " Mor e chi val r y?"
" Age bef or e beaut y. "
" Was t hat a compl i ment ?"
Langdon smi l ed and moved past her i nt o t he dar k. " Car ef ul on t he st ai r s. "
He i nched sl owl y i nt o t he dar kness, keepi ng one hand on t he wal l . The st one f el t
shar p on hi s f i nger t i ps.
For an i nst ant Langdon r ecal l ed t he anci ent myt h of Daedel us, how t he boy kept
one hand on t he wal l as he
moved t hr ough t he Mi not aur ' s l abyr i nt h, knowi ng he was guar ant eed t o f i nd t he
end i f he never br oke
cont act wi t h t he wal l . Langdon moved f or war d, not ent i r el y cer t ai n he want ed t o
f i nd t he end.
The t unnel nar r owed sl i ght l y, and Langdon sl owed hi s pace. He sensed Vi t t or i a
cl ose behi nd hi m. As t he
wal l cur ved l ef t , t he t unnel opened i nt o a semi ci r cul ar al cove. Oddl y, t her e was
f ai nt l i ght her e. I n t he
di mness Langdon saw t he out l i ne of a heavy wooden door .
" Uh oh, " he sai d.
" Locked?"
" I t was. "
" Was?" Vi t t or i a ar r i ved at hi s si de.
Langdon poi nt ed. Li t by a shaf t of l i ght comi ng f r omwi t hi n, t he door hung aj ar
. . . i t s hi nges spl i nt er ed by
a wr ecki ng bar st i l l l odged i n t he wood.
They st ood a moment i n si l ence. Then, i n t he dar k, Langdon f el t Vi t t or i a' s hands
on hi s chest , gr opi ng,
sl i di ng beneat h hi s j acket .
" Rel ax, pr of essor , " she sai d. " I ' mj ust get t i ng t he gun. "
At t hat moment , i nsi de t he Vat i can Museums, a t ask f or ce of Swi ss Guar ds spr ead
out i n al l di r ect i ons. The
museumwas dar k, and t he guar ds wor e U. S. Mar i ne i ssue i nf r ar ed goggl es. The
goggl es made ever yt hi ng
appear an eer i e shade of gr een. Ever y guar d wor e headphones connect ed t o an
ant ennal i ke det ect or t hat he
waved r hyt hmi cal l y i n f r ont of hi m- t he same devi ces t hey used t wi ce a week t o
sweep f or el ect r oni c bugs
i nsi de t he Vat i can. They moved met hodi cal l y, checki ng behi nd st at ues, i nsi de
ni ches, cl oset s, under
f ur ni t ur e. The ant ennae woul d sound i f t hey det ect ed even t he t i ni est magnet i c
f i el d.
Toni ght , however , t hey wer e get t i ng no r eadi ngs at al l .
65
T he i nt er i or of Sant a Mar i a del Popol o was a mur ky cave i n t he di mmi ng l i ght .
I t l ooked mor e l i ke a
hal f - f i ni shed subway st at i on t han a cat hedr al . The mai n sanct uar y was an
obst acl e cour se of t or n- up
f l oor i ng, br i ck pal l et s, mounds of di r t , wheel bar r ows, and even a r ust y backhoe.
Mammot h col umns r ose
t hr ough t he f l oor , suppor t i ng a vaul t ed r oof . I n t he ai r , si l t dr i f t ed l azi l y i n
t he mut ed gl ow of t he st ai ned
gl ass. Langdon st ood wi t h Vi t t or i a beneat h a spr awl i ng Pi nt ur i cchi o f r esco and
scanned t he gut t ed shr i ne.
Not hi ng moved. Dead si l ence.
Vi t t or i a hel d t he gun out i n f r ont of her wi t h bot h hands. Langdon checked hi s
wat ch: 8: 04 P. M. We' r e
cr azy t o be i n her e, he t hought . I t ' s t oo danger ous. St i l l he knew i f t he ki l l er
wer e i nsi de, t he man coul d
l eave t hr ough any door he want ed, maki ng a one- gun out si de st akeout t ot al l y
f r ui t l ess. Cat chi ng hi mi nsi de
Sei t e 125
was t he onl y way . . . t hat was, i f he was even st i l l her e. Langdon f el t
gui l t - r i dden over t he bl under t hat had
cost ever yone t hei r chance at t he Pant heon. He was i n no posi t i on t o i nsi st on
pr ecaut i on now; he was t he
one who had backed t hemi nt o t hi s cor ner .
Vi t t or i a l ooked har r owed as she scanned t he chur ch. " So, " she whi sper ed. " Wher e
i s t hi s Chi gi Chapel ?"
Langdon gazed t hr ough t he dusky ghost l i ness t owar d t he back of t he cat hedr al and
st udi ed t he out er wal l s.
Cont r ar y t o common per cept i on, Renai ssance cat hedr al s i nvar i abl y cont ai ned
mul t i pl e chapel s, huge
cat hedr al s l i ke Not r e Dame havi ng dozens. Chapel s wer e l ess r ooms t han t hey wer e
hol l ows- semi ci r cul ar
ni ches hol di ng t ombs ar ound a chur ch' s per i met er wal l .
Bad news, Langdon t hought , seei ng t he f our r ecesses on each si de wal l . Ther e
wer e ei ght chapel s i n al l .
Al t hough ei ght was not a par t i cul ar l y over whel mi ng number , al l ei ght openi ngs
wer e cover ed wi t h huge
sheet s of cl ear pol yur et hane due t o t he const r uct i on, t he t r ansl ucent cur t ai ns
appar ent l y i nt ended t o keep
dust of f t he t ombs i nsi de t he al coves.
" I t coul d be any of t hose dr aped r ecesses, " Langdon sai d. " No way t o know whi ch
i s t he Chi gi wi t hout
l ooki ng i nsi de ever y one. Coul d be a good r eason t o wai t f or Ol i v- "
" Whi ch i s t he secondar y l ef t apse?" she asked.
Langdon st udi ed her , sur pr i sed by her command of ar chi t ect ur al t er mi nol ogy.
" Secondar y l ef t apse?"
Vi t t or i a poi nt ed at t he wal l behi nd hi m. A decor at i ve t i l e was embedded i n t he
st one. I t was engr aved wi t h
t he same symbol t hey had seen out si de- a pyr ami d beneat h a shi ni ng st ar . The
gr i me- cover ed pl aque besi de
i t r ead:
COAT OF ARMS OF ALEXANDER CHI GI
WHOSE TOMB I S LOCATED I N THE
SECONDARY LEFT APSE OF THI S CATHEDRAL
Langdon nodded. Chi gi ' s coat of ar ms was a pyr ami d and st ar ? He suddenl y f ound
hi msel f wonder i ng i f
t he weal t hy pat r on Chi gi had been an I l l umi nat us. He nodded t o Vi t t or i a. " Ni ce
wor k, Nancy Dr ew. "
" What ?"
" Never mi nd. I - "
A pi ece of met al cl at t er ed t o t he f l oor onl y yar ds away. The cl ang echoed
t hr ough t he ent i r e chur ch.
Langdon pul l ed Vi t t or i a behi nd a pi l l ar as she whi pped t he gun t owar d t he sound
and hel d i t t her e. Si l ence.
They wai t ed. Agai n t her e was sound, t hi s t i me a r ust l i ng. Langdon hel d hi s
br eat h. I never shoul d have l et
us come i n her e! The sound moved cl oser , an i nt er mi t t ent scuf f l i ng, l i ke a man
wi t h a l i mp. Suddenl y
ar ound t he base of t he pi l l ar , an obj ect came i nt o vi ew.
" Fi gl i o di put t ana! " Vi t t or i a cur sed under her br eat h, j umpi ng back. Langdon
f el l back wi t h her .
Besi de t he pi l l ar , dr aggi ng a hal f - eat en sandwi ch i n paper , was an enor mous r at .
The cr eat ur e paused when
i t saw t hem, st ar i ng a l ong moment down t he bar r el of Vi t t or i a' s weapon, and
t hen, appar ent l y unmoved,
cont i nued dr aggi ng i t s pr i ze of f t o t he r ecesses of t he chur ch.
" Son of a . . . " Langdon gasped, hi s hear t r aci ng.
Vi t t or i a l ower ed t he gun, qui ckl y r egai ni ng her composur e. Langdon peer ed ar ound
t he si de of t he col umn
t o see a wor kman' s l unchbox spl ayed on t he f l oor , appar ent l y knocked of f a
sawhor se by t he r esour cef ul
r odent .
Langdon scanned t he basi l i ca f or movement and whi sper ed, " I f t hi s guy' s her e, he
sur e as hel l hear d t hat .
You sur e you don' t want t o wai t f or Ol i vet t i ?"
" Secondar y l ef t apse, " Vi t t or i a r epeat ed. " Wher e i s i t ?"
Sei t e 126
Rel uct ant l y Langdon t ur ned and t r i ed t o get hi s bear i ngs. Cat hedr al t er mi nol ogy
was l i ke st age di r ect i ons-
t ot al l y count er i nt ui t i ve. He f aced t he mai n al t ar . St age cent er . Then he poi nt ed
wi t h hi s t humb backwar d
over hi s shoul der .
They bot h t ur ned and l ooked wher e he was poi nt i ng.
I t seemed t he Chi gi Chapel was l ocat ed i n t he t hi r d of f our r ecessed al coves t o
t hei r r i ght . The good news
was t hat Langdon and Vi t t or i a wer e on t he cor r ect si de of t he chur ch. The bad
news was t hat t hey wer e at
t he wr ong end. They woul d have t o t r aver se t he l engt h of t he cat hedr al , passi ng
t hr ee ot her chapel s, each of
t hem, l i ke t he Chi gi Chapel , cover ed wi t h t r ansl ucent pl ast i c shr ouds.
" Wai t , " Langdon sai d. " I ' l l go f i r st . "
" For get i t . "
" I ' mt he one who scr ewed up at t he Pant heon. "
She t ur ned. " But I ' mt he one wi t h t he gun. "
I n her eyes Langdon coul d see what she was r eal l y t hi nki ng . . . I ' mt he one who
l ost my f at her . I ' mt he one
who hel ped bui l d a weapon of mass dest r uct i on. Thi s guy' s kneecaps ar e mi ne. . .
Langdon sensed t he f ut i l i t y and l et her go. He moved besi de her , caut i ousl y,
down t he east si de of t he
basi l i ca. As t hey passed t he f i r st shr ouded al cove, Langdon f el t t aut , l i ke a
cont est ant on some sur r eal game
show. I ' l l t ake cur t ai n number t hr ee, he t hought .
The chur ch was qui et , t he t hi ck st one wal l s bl ocki ng out al l hi nt s of t he
out si de wor l d. As t hey hur r i ed past
one chapel af t er t he ot her , pal e humanoi d f or ms waver ed l i ke ghost s behi nd t he
r ust l i ng pl ast i c. Car ved
mar bl e, Langdon t ol d hi msel f , hopi ng he was r i ght . I t was 8: 06 P. M. Had t he
ki l l er been punct ual and
sl i pped out bef or e Langdon and Vi t t or i a had ent er ed? Or was he st i l l her e?
Langdon was unsur e whi ch
scenar i o he pr ef er r ed.
They passed t he second apse, omi nous i n t he sl owl y dar keni ng cat hedr al . Ni ght
seemed t o be f al l i ng
qui ckl y now, accent uat ed by t he must y t i nt of t he st ai ned- gl ass wi ndows. As t hey
pr essed on, t he pl ast i c
cur t ai n besi de t hembi l l owed suddenl y, as i f caught i n a dr af t . Langdon wonder ed
i f someone somewher e
had opened a door .
Vi t t or i a sl owed as t he t hi r d ni che l oomed bef or e t hem. She hel d t he gun bef or e
her , mot i oni ng wi t h her
head t o t he st el e besi de t he apse. Car ved i n t he gr ani t e bl ock wer e t wo wor ds:
CAPELLA CHI GI
Langdon nodded. Wi t hout a sound t hey moved t o t he cor ner of t he openi ng,
posi t i oni ng t hemsel ves behi nd
a wi de pi l l ar . Vi t t or i a l evel ed t he gun ar ound a cor ner at t he pl ast i c. Then she
si gnal ed f or Langdon t o pul l
back t he shr oud.
A good t i me t o st ar t pr ayi ng, he t hought . Rel uct ant l y, he r eached over her
shoul der . As car ef ul l y as
possi bl e, he began t o pul l t he pl ast i c asi de. I t moved an i nch and t hen cr i nkl ed
l oudl y. They bot h f r oze.
Si l ence. Af t er a moment , movi ng i n sl ow mot i on, Vi t t or i a l eaned f or war d and
peer ed t hr ough t he nar r ow
sl i t . Langdon l ooked over her shoul der .
For a moment , nei t her one of t hembr eat hed.
" Empt y, " Vi t t or i a f i nal l y sai d, l ower i ng t he gun. " We' r e t oo l at e. "
Langdon di d not hear . He was i n awe, t r anspor t ed f or an i nst ant t o anot her
wor l d. I n hi s l i f e, he had never
i magi ned a chapel t hat l ooked l i ke t hi s. Fi ni shed ent i r el y i n chest nut mar bl e,
t he Chi gi Chapel was
br eat ht aki ng. Langdon' s t r ai ned eye devour ed i t i n gul ps. I t was as ear t hl y a
chapel as Langdon coul d
f at hom, al most as i f Gal i l eo and t he I l l umi nat i had desi gned i t t hemsel ves.
Sei t e 127
Over head, t he domed cupol a shone wi t h a f i el d of i l l umi nat ed st ar s and t he seven
ast r onomi cal pl anet s.
Bel ow t hat t he t wel ve si gns of t he zodi ac- pagan, ear t hl y symbol s r oot ed i n
ast r onomy. The zodi ac was al so
t i ed di r ect l y t o Ear t h, Ai r , Fi r e, Wat er . . . t he quadr ant s r epr esent i ng power ,
i nt el l ect , ar dor , emot i on. Ear t h
i s f or power , Langdon r ecal l ed.
Far t her down t he wal l , Langdon saw t r i but es t o t he Ear t h' s f our t empor al
seasons- pr i maver a, est at e,
aut unno, i nvr no. But f ar mor e i ncr edi bl e t han any of t hi s wer e t he t wo huge
st r uct ur es domi nat i ng t he
r oom. Langdon st ar ed at t hemi n si l ent wonder . I t can' t be, he t hought . I t j ust
can' t be! But i t was. On ei t her
si de of t he chapel , i n per f ect symmet r y, wer e t wo t en- f oot - hi gh mar bl e pyr ami ds.
" I don' t see a car di nal , " Vi t t or i a whi sper ed. " Or an assassi n. " She pul l ed asi de
t he pl ast i c and st epped i n.
Langdon' s eyes wer e t r ansf i xed on t he pyr ami ds. What ar e pyr ami ds doi ng i nsi de a
Chr i st i an chapel ? And
i ncr edi bl y, t her e was mor e. Dead cent er of each pyr ami d, embedded i n t hei r
ant er i or f aades, wer e gol d
medal l i ons . . . medal l i ons l i ke f ew Langdon had ever seen . . . per f ect
el l i pses. The bur ni shed di sks
gl i mmer ed i n t he set t i ng sun as i t si f t ed t hr ough t he cupol a. Gal i l eo' s
el l i pses? Pyr ami ds? A cupol a of
st ar s? The r oomhad mor e I l l umi nat i si gni f i cance t han any r oomLangdon coul d
have f abr i cat ed i n hi s
mi nd.
" Rober t , " Vi t t or i a bl ur t ed, her voi ce cr acki ng. " Look! "
Langdon wheel ed, r eal i t y r et ur ni ng as hi s eyes dr opped t o wher e she was
poi nt i ng. " Bl oody hel l ! " he
shout ed, j umpi ng backwar d.
Sneer i ng up at t hemf r omt he f l oor was t he i mage of a skel et on- an i nt r i cat el y
det ai l ed, mar bl e mosai c
depi ct i ng " deat h i n f l i ght . " The skel et on was car r yi ng a t abl et por t r ayi ng t he
same pyr ami d and st ar s t hey
had seen out si de. I t was not t he i mage, however , t hat had t ur ned Langdon' s bl ood
col d. I t was t he f act t hat
t he mosai c was mount ed on a ci r cul ar st one- a cuper ment o- t hat had been l i f t ed out
of t he f l oor l i ke a
manhol e cover and was now si t t i ng of f t o one si de of a dar k openi ng i n t he
f l oor .
" Demon' s hol e, " Langdon gasped. He had been so t aken wi t h t he cei l i ng he had not
even seen i t .
Tent at i vel y he moved t owar d t he pi t . The st ench comi ng up was over whel mi ng.
Vi t t or i a put a hand over her mout h. " Che puzzo. "
" Ef f l uvi um, " Langdon sai d. " Vapor s f r omdecayi ng bone. " He br eat hed t hr ough hi s
sl eeve as he l eaned out
over t he hol e, peer i ng down. Bl ackness. " I can' t see a t hi ng. "
" You t hi nk anybody' s down t her e?"
" No way t o know. "
Vi t t or i a mot i oned t o t he f ar si de of t he hol e wher e a r ot t i ng, wooden l adder
descended i nt o t he dept hs.
Langdon shook hi s head. " Li ke hel l . "
" Maybe t her e' s a f l ashl i ght out si de i n t hose t ool s. " She sounded eager f or an
excuse t o escape t he smel l .
" I ' l l l ook. "
" Car ef ul ! " Langdon war ned. " We don' t know f or sur e t hat t he Hassassi n- "
But Vi t t or i a was al r eady gone.
One st r ong- wi l l ed woman, Langdon t hought .
As he t ur ned back t o t he pi t , he f el t l i ght - headed f r omt he f umes. Hol di ng hi s
br eat h, he dr opped hi s head
bel ow t he r i mand peer ed deep i nt o t he dar kness. Sl owl y, as hi s eyes adj ust ed,
he began t o see f ai nt shapes
bel ow. The pi t appear ed t o open i nt o a smal l chamber . Demon' s hol e. He wonder ed
how many gener at i ons
of Chi gi s had been uncer emoni ousl y dumped i n. Langdon cl osed hi s eyes and
wai t ed, f or ci ng hi s pupi l s t o
di l at e so he coul d see bet t er i n t he dar k. When he opened hi s eyes agai n, a pal e
Sei t e 128
mut ed f i gur e hover ed bel ow
i n t he dar kness. Langdon shi ver ed but f ought t he i nst i nct t o pul l out . AmI
seei ng t hi ngs? I s t hat a body?
The f i gur e f aded. Langdon cl osed hi s eyes agai n and wai t ed, l onger t hi s t i me, so
hi s eyes woul d pi ck up t he
f ai nt est l i ght .
Di zzi ness st ar t ed t o set i n, and hi s t hought s wander ed i n t he bl ackness. J ust a
f ew mor e seconds. He wasn' t
sur e i f i t was br eat hi ng t he f umes or hol di ng hi s head at a l ow i ncl i nat i on, but
Langdon was def i ni t el y
st ar t i ng t o f eel squeami sh. When he f i nal l y opened hi s eyes agai n, t he i mage
bef or e hi mwas t ot al l y
i nexpl i cabl e.
He was now st ar i ng at a cr ypt bat hed i n an eer i e bl ui sh l i ght . A f ai nt hi ssi ng
sound r ever ber at ed i n hi s ear s.
Li ght f l i cker ed on t he st eep wal l s of t he shaf t . Suddenl y, a l ong shadow
mat er i al i zed over hi m. St ar t l ed,
Langdon scr ambl ed up.
" Look out ! " someone excl ai med behi nd hi m.
Bef or e Langdon coul d t ur n, he f el t a shar p pai n on t he back of hi s neck. He spun
t o see Vi t t or i a t wi st i ng a
l i t bl owt or ch away f r omhi m, t he hi ssi ng f l ame t hr owi ng bl ue l i ght ar ound t he
chapel .
Langdon gr abbed hi s neck. " What t he hel l ar e you doi ng?"
" I was gi vi ng you some l i ght , " she sai d. " You backed r i ght i nt o me. "
Langdon gl ar ed at t he por t abl e bl owt or ch i n her hand.
" Best I coul d do, " she sai d. " No f l ashl i ght s. "
Langdon r ubbed hi s neck. " I di dn' t hear you come i n. "
Vi t t or i a handed hi mt he t or ch, wi nci ng agai n at t he st ench of t he cr ypt . " You
t hi nk t hose f umes ar e
combust i bl e?"
" Let ' s hope not . "
He t ook t he t or ch and moved sl owl y t owar d t he hol e. Caut i ousl y, he advanced t o
t he r i mand poi nt ed t he
f l ame down i nt o t he hol e, l i ght i ng t he si de wal l . As he di r ect ed t he l i ght , hi s
eyes t r aced t he out l i ne of t he
wal l downwar d. The cr ypt was ci r cul ar and about t went y f eet acr oss. Thi r t y f eet
down, t he gl ow f ound t he
f l oor . The gr ound was dar k and mot t l ed. Ear t hy. Then Langdon saw t he body.
Hi s i nst i nct was t o r ecoi l . " He' s her e, " Langdon sai d, f or ci ng hi msel f not t o
t ur n away. The f i gur e was a
pal l i d out l i ne agai nst t he ear t hen f l oor . " I t hi nk he' s been st r i pped naked. "
Langdon f l ashed on t he nude
cor pse of Leonar do Vet r a.
" I s i t one of t he car di nal s?"
Langdon had no i dea, but he coul dn' t i magi ne who t he hel l el se i t woul d be. He
st ar ed down at t he pal e
bl ob. Unmovi ng. Li f el ess. And yet . . . Langdon hesi t at ed. Ther e was somet hi ng
ver y st r ange about t he way
t he f i gur e was posi t i oned. He seemed t o be . . .
Langdon cal l ed out . " Hel l o?"
" You t hi nk he' s al i ve?"
Ther e was no r esponse f r ombel ow.
" He' s not movi ng, " Langdon sai d. " But he l ooks . . . " No, i mpossi bl e.
" He l ooks what ?" Vi t t or i a was peer i ng over t he edge now t oo.
Langdon squi nt ed i nt o t he dar kness. " He l ooks l i ke he' s st andi ng up. "
Vi t t or i a hel d her br eat h and l ower ed her f ace over t he edge f or a bet t er l ook.
Af t er a moment , she pul l ed
back. " You' r e r i ght . He' s st andi ng up! Maybe he' s al i ve and needs hel p! " She
cal l ed i nt o t he hol e. " Hel l o?!
Mi pu sent i r e?"
Ther e was no echo of f t he mossy i nt er i or . Onl y si l ence.
Vi t t or i a headed f or t he r i cket y l adder . " I ' mgoi ng down. "
Langdon caught her ar m. " No. I t ' s danger ous. I ' l l go. "
Thi s t i me Vi t t or i a di dn' t ar gue.
66
C hi ni t a Macr i was mad. She sat i n t he passenger ' s seat of t he BBC van as i t
i dl ed at a cor ner on Vi a
Tomacel l i . Gunt her Gl i ck was checki ng hi s map of Rome, appar ent l y l ost . As she
Sei t e 129
had f ear ed, hi s myst er y
cal l er had phoned back, t hi s t i me wi t h i nf or mat i on.
" Pi azza del Popol o, " Gl i ck i nsi st ed. " That ' s what we' r e l ooki ng f or . Ther e' s a
chur ch t her e. And i nsi de i s
pr oof . "
" Pr oof . " Chi ni t a st opped pol i shi ng t he l ens i n her hand and t ur ned t o hi m.
" Pr oof t hat a car di nal has been
mur der ed?"
" That ' s what he sai d. "
" You bel i eve ever yt hi ng you hear ?" Chi ni t a wi shed, as she of t en di d, t hat she
was t he one i n char ge.
Vi deogr apher s, however , wer e at t he whi mof t he cr azy r epor t er s f or whomt hey
shot f oot age. I f Gunt her
Gl i ck want ed t o f ol l ow a f eebl e phone t i p, Macr i was hi s dog on a l eash.
She l ooked at hi m, si t t i ng t her e i n t he dr i ver ' s seat , hi s j aw set i nt ent l y. The
man' s par ent s, she deci ded,
must have been f r ust r at ed comedi ans t o have gi ven hi ma name l i ke Gunt her Gl i ck.
No wonder t he guy f el t
l i ke he had somet hi ng t o pr ove. Nonet hel ess, despi t e hi s unf or t unat e appel l at i ve
and annoyi ng eager ness t o
make a mar k, Gl i ck was sweet . . . char mi ng i n a past y, Br i ddi sh, unst r ung sor t
of way. Li ke Hugh Gr ant on
l i t hi um.
" Shoul dn' t we be back at St . Pet er ' s?" Macr i sai d as pat i ent l y as possi bl e. " We
can check t hi s myst er y
chur ch out l at er . Concl ave st ar t ed an hour ago. What i f t he car di nal s come t o a
deci si on whi l e we' r e gone?"
Gl i ck di d not seemt o hear . " I t hi nk we go t o t he r i ght , her e. " He t i l t ed t he
map and st udi ed i t agai n. " Yes,
i f I t ake a r i ght . . . and t hen an i mmedi at e l ef t . " He began t o pul l out ont o
t he nar r ow st r eet bef or e t hem.
" Look out ! " Macr i yel l ed. She was a vi deo t echni ci an, and her eyes wer e shar p.
For t unat el y, Gl i ck was
pr et t y f ast t oo. He sl ammed on t he br akes and avoi ded ent er i ng t he i nt er sect i on
j ust as a l i ne of f our Al pha
Romeos appear ed out of nowher e and t or e by i n a bl ur . Once past , t he car s
ski dded, decel er at i ng, and cut
shar pl y l ef t one bl ock ahead, t aki ng t he exact r out e Gl i ck had i nt ended t o t ake.
" Mani acs! " Macr i shout ed.
Gl i ck l ooked shaken. " Di d you see t hat ?"
" Yeah, I saw t hat ! They al most ki l l ed us! "
" No, I mean t he car s, " Gl i ck sai d, hi s voi ce suddenl y exci t ed. " They wer e al l
t he same. "
" So t hey wer e mani acs wi t h no i magi nat i on. "
" The car s wer e al so f ul l . "
" So what ?"
" Four i dent i cal car s, al l wi t h f our passenger s?"
" You ever hear d of car pool i ng?"
" I n I t al y?" Gl i ck checked t he i nt er sect i on. " They haven' t even hear d of unl eaded
gas. " He hi t t he
accel er at or and peel ed out af t er t he car s.
Macr i was t hr own back i n her seat . " What t he hel l ar e you doi ng?"
Gl i ck accel er at ed down t he st r eet and hung a l ef t af t er t he Al pha Romeos.
" Somet hi ng t el l s me you and I
ar e not t he onl y ones goi ng t o chur ch r i ght now. "
67
T he descent was sl ow.
Langdon dr opped r ung by r ung down t he cr eaki ng l adder . . . deeper and deeper
beneat h t he f l oor of t he
Chi gi Chapel . I nt o t he Demon' s hol e, he t hought . He was f aci ng t he si de wal l ,
hi s back t o t he chamber , and
he wonder ed how many mor e dar k, cr amped spaces one day coul d pr ovi de. The l adder
gr oaned wi t h ever y
st ep, and t he pungent smel l of r ot t i ng f l esh and dampness was al most
asphyxi at i ng. Langdon wonder ed
wher e t he hel l Ol i vet t i was.
Vi t t or i a' s out l i ne was st i l l vi si bl e above, hol di ng t he bl owt or ch i nsi de t he
hol e, l i ght i ng Langdon' s way. As
Sei t e 130
he l ower ed hi msel f deeper i nt o t he dar kness, t he bl ui sh gl ow f r omabove got
f ai nt er . The onl y t hi ng t hat got
st r onger was t he st ench.
Twel ve r ungs down, i t happened. Langdon' s f oot hi t a spot t hat was sl i pper y wi t h
decay, and he f al t er ed.
Lungi ng f or war d, he caught t he l adder wi t h hi s f or ear ms t o avoi d pl ummet i ng t o
t he bot t om. Cur si ng t he
br ui ses now t hr obbi ng on hi s ar ms, he dr agged hi s body back ont o t he l adder and
began hi s descent agai n.
Thr ee r ungs deeper , he al most f el l agai n, but t hi s t i me i t was not a r ung t hat
caused t he mi shap. I t was a
bol t of f ear . He had descended past a hol l owed ni che i n t he wal l bef or e hi mand
suddenl y f ound hi msel f
f ace t o f ace wi t h a col l ect i on of skul l s. As he caught hi s br eat h and l ooked
ar ound hi m, he r eal i zed t he wal l
at t hi s l evel was honeycombed wi t h shel f l i ke openi ngs- bur i al ni ches- al l f i l l ed
wi t h skel et ons. I n t he
phosphor escent l i ght , i t made f or an eer i e col l age of empt y socket s and decayi ng
r i b cages f l i cker i ng
ar ound hi m.
Skel et ons by f i r el i ght , he gr i maced wr yl y, r eal i zi ng he had qui t e coi nci dent al l y
endur ed a si mi l ar eveni ng
j ust l ast mont h. An eveni ng of bones and f l ames. The New Yor k Museumof
Ar cheol ogy' s candl el i ght
benef i t di nner - sal mon f l amb i n t he shadow of a br ont osaur us skel et on. He had
at t ended at t he i nvi t at i on of
Rebecca St r auss- one- t i me f ashi on model now ar t cr i t i c f r omt he Ti mes, a
whi r l wi nd of bl ack vel vet ,
ci gar et t es, and not - so- subt l y enhanced br east s. She' d cal l ed hi mt wi ce si nce.
Langdon had not r et ur ned her
cal l s. Most ungent l emanl y, he chi ded, wonder i ng how l ong Rebecca St r auss woul d
l ast i n a st i nk- pi t l i ke
t hi s.
Langdon was r el i eved t o f eel t he f i nal r ung gi ve way t o t he spongy ear t h at t he
bot t om. The gr ound beneat h
hi s shoes f el t damp. Assur i ng hi msel f t he wal l s wer e not goi ng t o cl ose i n on
hi m, he t ur ned i nt o t he cr ypt .
I t was ci r cul ar , about t went y f eet acr oss. Br eat hi ng t hr ough hi s sl eeve agai n,
Langdon t ur ned hi s eyes t o t he
body. I n t he gl oom, t he i mage was hazy. A whi t e, f l eshy out l i ne. Faci ng t he
ot her di r ect i on. Mot i onl ess.
Si l ent .
Advanci ng t hr ough t he mur ki ness of t he cr ypt , Langdon t r i ed t o make sense of
what he was l ooki ng at . The
man had hi s back t o Langdon, and Langdon coul d not see hi s f ace, but he di d
i ndeed seemt o be st andi ng.
" Hel l o?" Langdon choked t hr ough hi s sl eeve. Not hi ng. As he dr ew near er , he
r eal i zed t he man was ver y
shor t . Too shor t . . .
" What ' s happeni ng?" Vi t t or i a cal l ed f r omabove, shi f t i ng t he l i ght .
Langdon di d not answer . He was now cl ose enough t o see i t al l . Wi t h a t r emor of
r epul si on, he under st ood.
The chamber seemed t o cont r act ar ound hi m. Emer gi ng l i ke a demon f r omt he
ear t hen f l oor was an ol d
man . . . or at l east hal f of hi m. He was bur i ed up t o hi s wai st i n t he ear t h.
St andi ng upr i ght wi t h hal f of hi m
bel ow gr ound. St r i pped naked. Hi s hands t i ed behi nd hi s back wi t h a r ed
car di nal ' s sash. He was pr opped
l i mpl y upwar d, spi ne ar ched backwar d l i ke some sor t of hi deous punchi ng bag. The
man' s head l ay
backwar d, eyes t owar d t he heavens as i f pl eadi ng f or hel p f r omGod hi msel f .
" I s he dead?" Vi t t or i a cal l ed.
Langdon moved t owar d t he body. I hope so, f or hi s sake. As he dr ew t o wi t hi n a
f ew f eet , he l ooked down
at t he upt ur ned eyes. They bul ged out war d, bl ue and bl oodshot . Langdon l eaned
down t o l i st en f or br eat h
but i mmedi at el y r ecoi l ed. " For Chr i st ' s sake! "
" What ! "
Langdon al most gagged. " He' s dead al l r i ght . I j ust saw t he cause of deat h. " The
Sei t e 131
si ght was gr uesome. The
man' s mout h had been j ammed open and packed sol i d wi t h di r t . " Somebody st uf f ed a
f i st f ul of di r t down
hi s t hr oat . He suf f ocat ed. "
" Di r t ?" Vi t t or i a sai d. " As i n . . . ear t h?"
Langdon di d a doubl e t ake. Ear t h. He had al most f or got t en. The br ands. Ear t h,
Ai r , Fi r e, Wat er . The ki l l er
had t hr eat ened t o br and each vi ct i mwi t h one of t he anci ent el ement s of sci ence.
The f i r st el ement was
Ear t h. Fr omSant i ' s ear t hl y t omb. Di zzy f r omt he f umes, Langdon ci r cl ed t o t he
f r ont of t he body. As he
di d, t he symbol ogi st wi t hi n hi ml oudl y r easser t ed t he ar t i st i c chal l enge of
cr eat i ng t he myt hi cal ambi gr am.
Ear t h? How? And yet , an i nst ant l at er , i t was bef or e hi m. Cent ur i es of
I l l umi nat i l egend whi r l ed i n hi s
mi nd. The mar ki ng on t he car di nal ' s chest was char r ed and oozi ng. The f l esh was
sear ed bl ack. La l i ngua
pur a . . .
Langdon st ar ed at t he br and as t he r oombegan t o spi n.

" Ear t h, " he whi sper ed, t i l t i ng hi s head t o see t he symbol upsi de down. " Ear t h. "
Then, i n a wave of hor r or , he had one f i nal cogni t i on. Ther e ar e t hr ee mor e.
68
D espi t e t he sof t gl ow of candl el i ght i n t he Si st i ne Chapel , Car di nal Mor t at i
was on edge. Concl ave had
of f i ci al l y begun. And i t had begun i n a most i nauspi ci ous f ashi on.
Hal f an hour ago, at t he appoi nt ed hour , Camer l egno Car l o Vent r esca had ent er ed
t he chapel . He wal ked t o
t he f r ont al t ar and gave openi ng pr ayer . Then, he unf ol ded hi s hands and spoke
t o t hemi n a t one as di r ect
as anyt hi ng Mor t at i had ever hear d f r omt he al t ar of t he Si st i ne.
" You ar e wel l awar e, " t he camer l egno sai d, " t hat our f our pr ef er i t i ar e not
pr esent i n concl ave at t hi s
moment . I ask, i n t he name of hi s l at e Hol i ness, t hat you pr oceed as you must .
. . wi t h f ai t h and pur pose.
May you have onl y God bef or e your eyes. " Then he t ur ned t o go.
" But , " one car di nal bl ur t ed out , " wher e ar e t hey?"
The camer l egno paused. " That I cannot honest l y say. "
" When wi l l t hey r et ur n?"
" That I cannot honest l y say. "
" Ar e t hey okay?"
" That I cannot honest l y say. "
" Wi l l t hey r et ur n?"
Ther e was a l ong pause.
" Have f ai t h, " t he camer l egno sai d. Then he wal ked out of t he r oom.
The door s t o t he Si st i ne Chapel had been seal ed, as was t he cust om, wi t h t wo
heavy chai ns on t he out si de.
Four Swi ss Guar ds st ood wat ch i n t he hal l way beyond. Mor t at i knew t he onl y way
t he door s coul d be
opened now, pr i or t o el ect i ng a Pope, was i f someone i nsi de f el l deat hl y i l l , or
i f t he pr ef er i t i ar r i ved.
Mor t at i pr ayed i t woul d be t he l at t er , al t hough f r omt he knot i n hi s st omach he
was not so sur e.
Pr oceed as we must , Mor t at i deci ded, t aki ng hi s l ead f r omt he r esol ve i n t he
camer l egno' s voi ce. So he had
cal l ed f or a vot e. What el se coul d he do?
I t had t aken t hi r t y mi nut es t o compl et e t he pr epar at or y r i t ual s l eadi ng up t o
t hi s f i r st vot e. Mor t at i had
wai t ed pat i ent l y at t he mai n al t ar as each car di nal , i n or der of seni or i t y, had
appr oached and per f or med t he
speci f i c bal l ot i ng pr ocedur e.
Now, at l ast , t he f i nal car di nal had ar r i ved at t he al t ar and was kneel i ng
bef or e hi m.
" I cal l as my wi t ness, " t he car di nal decl ar ed, exact l y as t hose bef or e hi m,
" Chr i st t he Lor d, who wi l l be my
j udge t hat my vot e i s gi ven t o t he one who bef or e God I t hi nk shoul d be
Sei t e 132
el ect ed. "
The car di nal st ood up. He hel d hi s bal l ot hi gh over hi s head f or ever yone t o
see. Then he l ower ed t he bal l ot
t o t he al t ar , wher e a pl at e sat at op a l ar ge chal i ce. He pl aced t he bal l ot on
t he pl at e. Next he pi cked up t he
pl at e and used i t t o dr op t he bal l ot i nt o t he chal i ce. Use of t he pl at e was t o
ensur e no one secr et l y dr opped
mul t i pl e bal l ot s.
Af t er he had submi t t ed hi s bal l ot , he r epl aced t he pl at e over t he chal i ce, bowed
t o t he cr oss, and r et ur ned t o
hi s seat .
The f i nal bal l ot had been cast .
Now i t was t i me f or Mor t at i t o go t o wor k.
Leavi ng t he pl at e on t op of t he chal i ce, Mor t at i shook t he bal l ot s t o mi x t hem.
Then he r emoved t he pl at e
and ext r act ed a bal l ot at r andom. He unf ol ded i t . The bal l ot was exact l y t wo
i nches wi de. He r ead al oud f or
ever yone t o hear .
" El i go i n summumpont i f i cem. . . " he decl ar ed, r eadi ng t he t ext t hat was
embossed at t he t op of ever y
bal l ot . I el ect as Supr eme Pont i f f . . . Then he announced t he nomi nee' s name
t hat had been wr i t t en beneat h
i t . Af t er he r ead t he name, he r ai sed a t hr eaded needl e and pi er ced t he bal l ot
t hr ough t he wor d El i go,
car ef ul l y sl i di ng t he bal l ot ont o t he t hr ead. Then he made not e of t he vot e i n a
l ogbook.
Next , he r epeat ed t he ent i r e pr ocedur e. He chose a bal l ot f r omt he chal i ce, r ead
i t al oud, t hr eaded i t ont o t he
l i ne, and made not e i n hi s l og. Al most i mmedi at el y, Mor t at i sensed t hi s f i r st
vot e woul d be f ai l ed. No
consensus. Af t er onl y seven bal l ot s, al r eady seven di f f er ent car di nal s had been
named. As was nor mal , t he
handwr i t i ng on each bal l ot was di sgui sed by bl ock pr i nt i ng or f l amboyant scr i pt .
The conceal ment was
i r oni c i n t hi s case because t he car di nal s wer e obvi ousl y submi t t i ng vot es f or
t hemsel ves. Thi s appar ent
concei t , Mor t at i knew, had not hi ng t o do wi t h sel f - cent er ed ambi t i on. I t was a
hol di ng pat t er n. A def ensi ve
maneuver . A st al l t act i c t o ensur e no car di nal r ecei ved enough vot es t o wi n . .
. and anot her vot e woul d be
f or ced.
The car di nal s wer e wai t i ng f or t hei r pr ef er i t i . . .
When t he l ast of t he bal l ot s had been t al l i ed, Mor t at i decl ar ed t he vot e
" f ai l ed. "
He t ook t he t hr ead car r yi ng al l t he bal l ot s and t i ed t he ends t oget her t o cr eat e
a r i ng. Then he l ay t he r i ng of
bal l ot s on a si l ver t r ay. He added t he pr oper chemi cal s and car r i ed t he t r ay t o
a smal l chi mney behi nd hi m.
Her e he l i t t he bal l ot s. As t he bal l ot s bur ned, t he chemi cal s he' d added cr eat ed
bl ack smoke. The smoke
f l owed up a pi pe t o a hol e i n t he r oof wher e i t r ose above t he chapel f or al l t o
see. Car di nal Mor t at i had j ust
sent hi s f i r st communi cat i on t o t he out si de wor l d.
One bal l ot i ng. No Pope.
69
N ear l y asphyxi at ed by f umes, Langdon st r uggl ed up t he l adder t owar d t he l i ght
at t he t op of t he pi t .
Above hi mhe hear d voi ces, but not hi ng was maki ng sense. Hi s head was spi nni ng
wi t h i mages of t he
br anded car di nal .
Ear t h . . . Ear t h . . .
As he pushed upwar d, hi s vi si on nar r owed and he f ear ed consci ousness woul d sl i p
away. Two r ungs f r om
t he t op, hi s bal ance f al t er ed. He l unged upwar d t r yi ng t o f i nd t he l i p, but i t
was t oo f ar . He l ost hi s gr i p on
t he l adder and al most t umbl ed backwar d i nt o t he dar k. Ther e was a shar p pai n
under hi s ar ms, and
suddenl y Langdon was ai r bor ne, l egs swi ngi ng wi l dl y out over t he chasm.
Sei t e 133
The st r ong hands of t wo Swi ss Guar ds hooked hi munder t he ar mpi t s and dr agged
hi mskywar d. A moment
l at er Langdon' s head emer ged f r omt he Demon' s hol e, choki ng and gaspi ng f or ai r .
The guar ds dr agged
hi mover t he l i p of t he openi ng, acr oss t he f l oor , and l ay hi mdown, back
agai nst t he col d mar bl e f l oor .
For a moment , Langdon was unsur e wher e he was. Over head he saw st ar s . . .
or bi t i ng pl anet s. Hazy f i gur es
r aced past hi m. Peopl e wer e shout i ng. He t r i ed t o si t up. He was l yi ng at t he
base of a st one pyr ami d. The
f ami l i ar bi t e of an angr y t ongue echoed i nsi de t he chapel , and t hen Langdon
knew.
Ol i vet t i was scr eami ng at Vi t t or i a. " Why t he hel l di dn' t you f i gur e t hat out i n
t he f i r st pl ace! "
Vi t t or i a was t r yi ng t o expl ai n t he si t uat i on.
Ol i vet t i cut her of f mi dsent ence and t ur ned t o bar k or der s t o hi s men. " Get t hat
body out of t her e! Sear ch
t he r est of t he bui l di ng! "
Langdon t r i ed t o si t up. The Chi gi Chapel was packed wi t h Swi ss Guar ds. The
pl ast i c cur t ai n over t he
chapel openi ng had been t or n of f t he ent r yway, and f r esh ai r f i l l ed Langdon' s
l ungs. As hi s senses sl owl y
r et ur ned, Langdon saw Vi t t or i a comi ng t owar d hi m. She knel t down, her f ace l i ke
an angel .
" You okay?" Vi t t or i a t ook hi s ar mand f el t hi s pul se. Her hands wer e t ender on
hi s ski n.
" Thanks. " Langdon sat up f ul l y. " Ol i vet t i ' s mad. "
Vi t t or i a nodded. " He has a r i ght t o be. We bl ew i t . "
" You mean I bl ew i t . "
" So r edeemyour sel f . Get hi mnext t i me. "
Next t i me? Langdon t hought i t was a cr uel comment . Ther e i s no next t i me! We
mi ssed our shot !
Vi t t or i a checked Langdon' s wat ch. " Mi ckey says we' ve got f or t y mi nut es. Get your
head t oget her and hel p
me f i nd t he next mar ker . "
" I t ol d you, Vi t t or i a, t he scul pt ur es ar e gone. The Pat h of I l l umi nat i on i s- "
Langdon hal t ed.
Vi t t or i a smi l ed sof t l y.
Suddenl y Langdon was st agger i ng t o hi s f eet . He t ur ned di zzyi ng ci r cl es, st ar i ng
at t he ar t wor k ar ound hi m.
Pyr ami ds, st ar s, pl anet s, el l i pses. Suddenl y ever yt hi ng came back. Thi s i s t he
f i r st al t ar of sci ence! Not t he
Pant heon! I t dawned on hi mnow how per f ect l y I l l umi nat i t he chapel was, f ar mor e
subt l e and sel ect i ve
t han t he wor l d f amous Pant heon. The Chi gi was an out of t he way al cove, a
l i t er al hol e- i n- t he- wal l , a
t r i but e t o a gr eat pat r on of sci ence, decor at ed wi t h ear t hl y symbol ogy. Per f ect .
Langdon st eadi ed hi msel f agai nst t he wal l and gazed up at t he enor mous pyr ami d
scul pt ur es. Vi t t or i a was
dead r i ght . I f t hi s chapel was t he f i r st al t ar of sci ence, i t mi ght st i l l
cont ai n t he I l l umi nat i scul pt ur e t hat
ser ved as t he f i r st mar ker . Langdon f el t an el ect r i f yi ng r ush of hope t o r eal i ze
t her e was st i l l a chance. I f t he
mar ker wer e i ndeed her e, and t hey coul d f ol l ow i t t o t he next al t ar of sci ence,
t hey mi ght have anot her
chance t o cat ch t he ki l l er .
Vi t t or i a moved cl oser . " I f ound out who t he unknown I l l umi nat i scul pt or was. "
Langdon' s head whi pped ar ound. " You what ?"
" Now we j ust need t o f i gur e out whi ch scul pt ur e i n her e i s t he- "
" Wai t a mi nut e! You know who t he I l l umi nat i scul pt or was?" He had spent year s
t r yi ng t o f i nd t hat
i nf or mat i on.
Vi t t or i a smi l ed. " I t was Ber ni ni . " She paused. " The Ber ni ni . "
Langdon i mmedi at el y knew she was mi st aken. Ber ni ni was an i mpossi bi l i t y.
Gi anl or enzo Ber ni ni was t he
second most f amous scul pt or of al l t i me, hi s f ame ecl i psed onl y by Mi chel angel o
hi msel f . Dur i ng t he 1600s
Ber ni ni cr eat ed mor e scul pt ur es t han any ot her ar t i st . Unf or t unat el y, t he man
Sei t e 134
t hey wer e l ooki ng f or was
supposedl y an unknown, a nobody.
Vi t t or i a f r owned. " You don' t l ook exci t ed. "
" Ber ni ni i s i mpossi bl e. "
" Why? Ber ni ni was a cont empor ar y of Gal i l eo. He was a br i l l i ant scul pt or . "
" He was a ver y f amous man and a Cat hol i c. "
" Yes, " Vi t t or i a sai d. " Exact l y l i ke Gal i l eo. "
" No, " Langdon ar gued. " Not hi ng l i ke Gal i l eo. Gal i l eo was a t hor n i n t he
Vat i can' s si de. Ber ni ni was t he
Vat i can' s wonder boy. The chur ch l oved Ber ni ni . He was el ect ed t he Vat i can' s
over al l ar t i st i c aut hor i t y. He
pr act i cal l y l i ved i nsi de Vat i can Ci t y hi s ent i r e l i f e! "
" A per f ect cover . I l l umi nat i i nf i l t r at i on. "
Langdon f el t f l ust er ed. " Vi t t or i a, t he I l l umi nat i member s r ef er r ed t o t hei r
secr et ar t i st as i l maest r o i gnot o-
t he unknown mast er . "
" Yes, unknown t o t hem. Thi nk of t he secr ecy of t he Masons- onl y t he upper - echel on
member s knew t he
whol e t r ut h. Gal i l eo coul d have kept Ber ni ni ' s t r ue i dent i t y secr et f r ommost
member s . . . f or Ber ni ni ' s
own saf et y. That way, t he Vat i can woul d never f i nd out . "
Langdon was unconvi nced but had t o admi t Vi t t or i a' s l ogi c made st r ange sense.
The I l l umi nat i wer e
f amous f or keepi ng secr et i nf or mat i on compar t ment al i zed, onl y r eveal i ng t he
t r ut h t o upper - l evel member s.
I t was t he cor ner st one of t hei r abi l i t y t o st ay secr et . . . ver y f ew knew t he
whol e st or y.
" And Ber ni ni ' s af f i l i at i on wi t h t he I l l umi nat i , " Vi t t or i a added wi t h a smi l e,
" expl ai ns why he desi gned
t hose t wo pyr ami ds. "
Langdon t ur ned t o t he huge scul pt ed pyr ami ds and shook hi s head. " Ber ni ni was a
r el i gi ous scul pt or .
Ther e' s no way he car ved t hose pyr ami ds. "
Vi t t or i a shr ugged. " Tel l t hat t o t he si gn behi nd you. "
Langdon t ur ned t o t he pl aque:
ART OF THE CHI GI CHAPEL
Whi l e t he ar chi t ect ur e i s Raphael ' s,
al l i nt er i or ador nment s ar e t hose of Gi anl or enzo Ber ni ni .
Langdon r ead t he pl aque t wi ce, and st i l l he was not convi nced. Gi anl or enzo
Ber ni ni was cel ebr at ed f or hi s
i nt r i cat e, hol y scul pt ur es of t he Vi r gi n Mar y, angel s, pr ophet s, Popes. What was
he doi ng car vi ng
pyr ami ds?
Langdon l ooked up at t he t ower i ng monument s and f el t t ot al l y di sor i ent ed. Two
pyr ami ds, each wi t h a
shi ni ng, el l i pt i cal medal l i on. They wer e about as un- Chr i st i an as scul pt ur e
coul d get . The pyr ami ds, t he
st ar s above, t he si gns of t he Zodi ac. Al l i nt er i or ador nment s ar e t hose of
Gi anl or enzo Ber ni ni . I f t hat wer e
t r ue, Langdon r eal i zed, i t meant Vi t t or i a had t o be r i ght . By def aul t , Ber ni ni
was t he I l l umi nat i ' s unknown
mast er ; nobody el se had cont r i but ed ar t wor k t o t hi s chapel ! The i mpl i cat i ons
came al most t oo f ast f or
Langdon t o pr ocess.
Ber ni ni was an I l l umi nat us.
Ber ni ni desi gned t he I l l umi nat i ambi gr ams.
Ber ni ni l ai d out t he pat h of I l l umi nat i on.
Langdon coul d bar el y speak. Coul d i t be t hat her e i n t hi s t i ny Chi gi Chapel , t he
wor l d- r enowned Ber ni ni
had pl aced a scul pt ur e t hat poi nt ed acr oss Rome t owar d t he next al t ar of
sci ence?
" Ber ni ni , " he sai d. " I never woul d have guessed. "
" Who ot her t han a f amous Vat i can ar t i st woul d have had t he cl out t o put hi s
ar t wor k i n speci f i c Cat hol i c
chapel s ar ound Rome and cr eat e t he Pat h of I l l umi nat i on? Cer t ai nl y not an
unknown. "
Langdon consi der ed i t . He l ooked at t he pyr ami ds, wonder i ng i f one of t hemcoul d
Sei t e 135
somehow be t he
mar ker . Maybe bot h of t hem? " The pyr ami ds f ace opposi t e di r ect i ons, " Langdon
sai d, not sur e what t o
make of t hem. " They ar e al so i dent i cal , so I don' t know whi ch . . . "
" I don' t t hi nk t he pyr ami ds ar e what we' r e l ooki ng f or . "
" But t hey' r e t he onl y scul pt ur es her e. "
Vi t t or i a cut hi mof f by poi nt i ng t owar d Ol i vet t i and some of hi s guar ds who wer e
gat her ed near t he
demon' s hol e.
Langdon f ol l owed t he l i ne of her hand t o t he f ar wal l . At f i r st he saw not hi ng.
Then someone moved and he
caught a gl i mpse. Whi t e mar bl e. An ar m. A t or so. And t hen a scul pt ed f ace.
Par t i al l y hi dden i n i t s ni che.
Two l i f e- si ze human f i gur es i nt er t wi ned. Langdon' s pul se accel er at ed. He had
been so t aken wi t h t he
pyr ami ds and demon' s hol e, he had not even seen t hi s scul pt ur e. He moved acr oss
t he r oom, t hr ough t he
cr owd. As he dr ew near , Langdon r ecogni zed t he wor k was pur e Ber ni ni - t he
i nt ensi t y of t he ar t i st i c
composi t i on, t he i nt r i cat e f aces and f l owi ng cl ot hi ng, al l f r omt he pur est whi t e
mar bl e Vat i can money
coul d buy. I t was not unt i l he was al most di r ect l y i n f r ont of i t t hat Langdon
r ecogni zed t he scul pt ur e i t sel f .
He st ar ed up at t he t wo f aces and gasped.
" Who ar e t hey?" Vi t t or i a ur ged, ar r i vi ng behi nd hi m.
Langdon st ood ast oni shed. " Habakkuk and t he Angel , " he sai d, hi s voi ce al most
i naudi bl e. The pi ece was a
f ai r l y wel l - known Ber ni ni wor k t hat was i ncl uded i n some ar t hi st or y t ext s.
Langdon had f or got t en i t was
her e.
" Habakkuk?"
" Yes. The pr ophet who pr edi ct ed t he anni hi l at i on of t he ear t h. "
Vi t t or i a l ooked uneasy. " You t hi nk t hi s i s t he mar ker ?"
Langdon nodded i n amazement . Never i n hi s l i f e had he been so sur e of anyt hi ng.
Thi s was t he f i r st
I l l umi nat i mar ker . No doubt . Al t hough Langdon had f ul l y expect ed t he scul pt ur e
t o somehow " poi nt " t o t he
next al t ar of sci ence, he di d not expect i t t o be l i t er al . Bot h t he angel and
Habakkuk had t hei r ar ms
out st r et ched and wer e poi nt i ng i nt o t he di st ance.
Langdon f ound hi msel f suddenl y smi l i ng. " Not t oo subt l e, i s i t ?"
Vi t t or i a l ooked exci t ed but conf used. " I see t hempoi nt i ng, but t hey ar e
cont r adi ct i ng each ot her . The angel
i s poi nt i ng one way, and t he pr ophet t he ot her . "
Langdon chuckl ed. I t was t r ue. Al t hough bot h f i gur es wer e poi nt i ng i nt o t he
di st ance, t hey wer e poi nt i ng i n
t ot al l y opposi t e di r ect i ons. Langdon, however , had al r eady sol ved t hat pr obl em.
Wi t h a bur st of ener gy he
headed f or t he door .
" Wher e ar e you goi ng?" Vi t t or i a cal l ed.
" Out si de t he bui l di ng! " Langdon' s l egs f el t l i ght agai n as he r an t owar d t he
door . " I need t o see what
di r ect i on t hat scul pt ur e i s poi nt i ng! "
" Wai t ! How do you know whi ch f i nger t o f ol l ow?"
" The poem, " he cal l ed over hi s shoul der . " The l ast l i ne! "
" ' Let angel s gui de you on your l of t y quest ?' " She gazed upwar d at t he
out st r et ched f i nger of t he angel .
Her eyes mi st ed unexpect edl y. " Wel l I ' l l be damned! "
70
G unt her Gl i ck and Chi ni t a Macr i sat par ked i n t he BBC van i n t he shadows at t he
f ar end of Pi azza del
Popol o. They had ar r i ved shor t l y af t er t he f our Al pha Romeos, j ust i n t i me t o
wi t ness an i nconcei vabl e
chai n of event s. Chi ni t a st i l l had no i dea what i t al l meant , but she' d made
sur e t he camer a was r ol l i ng.
As soon as t hey' d ar r i ved, Chi ni t a and Gl i ck had seen a ver i t abl e ar my of young
men pour out of t he Al pha
Romeos and sur r ound t he chur ch. Some had weapons dr awn. One of t hem, a st i f f
ol der man, l ed a t eamup
Sei t e 136
t he f r ont st eps of t he chur ch. The sol di er s dr ew guns and bl ew t he l ocks of f t he
f r ont door s. Macr i hear d
not hi ng and f i gur ed t hey must have had si l encer s. Then t he sol di er s ent er ed.
Chi ni t a had r ecommended t hey si t t i ght and f i l mf r omt he shadows. Af t er al l ,
guns wer e guns, and t hey had
a cl ear vi ew of t he act i on f r omt he van. Gl i ck had not ar gued. Now, acr oss t he
pi azza, men moved i n and
out of t he chur ch. They yel l ed t o each ot her . Chi ni t a adj ust ed her camer a t o
f ol l ow a t eamas t hey sear ched
t he sur r oundi ng ar ea. Al l of t hem, t hough dr essed i n ci vi l i an cl ot hes, seemed t o
move wi t h mi l i t ar y
pr eci si on. " Who do you t hi nk t hey ar e?" she asked.
" Hel l i f I know. " Gl i ck l ooked r i vet ed. " You get t i ng al l t hi s?"
" Ever y f r ame. "
Gl i ck sounded smug. " St i l l t hi nk we shoul d go back t o Pope- Wat ch?"
Chi ni t a wasn' t sur e what t o say. Ther e was obvi ousl y somet hi ng goi ng on her e,
but she had been i n
j our nal i sml ong enough t o know t hat t her e was of t en a ver y dul l expl anat i on f or
i nt er est i ng event s. " Thi s
coul d be not hi ng, " she sai d. " These guys coul d have got t en t he same t i p you got
and ar e j ust checki ng i t
out . Coul d be a f al se al ar m. "
Gl i ck gr abbed her ar m. " Over t her e! Focus. " He poi nt ed back t o t he chur ch.
Chi ni t a swung t he camer a back t o t he t op of t he st ai r s. " Hel l o t her e, " she sai d,
t r ai ni ng on t he man now
emer gi ng f r omt he chur ch.
" Who' s t he dapper ?"
Chi ni t a moved i n f or a cl ose- up. " Haven' t seen hi mbef or e. " She t i ght ened i n on
t he man' s f ace and smi l ed.
" But I woul dn' t mi nd seei ng hi magai n. "
Rober t Langdon dashed down t he st ai r s out si de t he chur ch and i nt o t he mi ddl e of
t he pi azza. I t was get t i ng
dar k now, t he spr i ngt i me sun set t i ng l at e i n sout her n Rome. The sun had dr opped
bel ow t he sur r oundi ng
bui l di ngs, and shadows st r eaked t he squar e.
" Okay, Ber ni ni , " he sai d al oud t o hi msel f . " Wher e t he hel l i s your angel
poi nt i ng?"
He t ur ned and exami ned t he or i ent at i on of t he chur ch f r omwhi ch he had j ust
come. He pi ct ur ed t he Chi gi
Chapel i nsi de, and t he scul pt ur e of t he angel i nsi de t hat . Wi t hout hesi t at i on he
t ur ned due west , i nt o t he
gl ow of t he i mpendi ng sunset . Ti me was evapor at i ng.
" Sout hwest , " he sai d, scowl i ng at t he shops and apar t ment s bl ocki ng hi s vi ew.
" The next mar ker i s out
t her e. "
Racki ng hi s br ai n, Langdon pi ct ur ed page af t er page of I t al i an ar t hi st or y.
Al t hough ver y f ami l i ar wi t h
Ber ni ni ' s wor k, Langdon knew t he scul pt or had been f ar t oo pr ol i f i c f or any
nonspeci al i st t o know al l of i t .
St i l l , consi der i ng t he r el at i ve f ame of t he f i r st mar ker - Habakkuk and t he
Angel - Langdon hoped t he second
mar ker was a wor k he mi ght know f r ommemor y.
Ear t h, Ai r , Fi r e, Wat er , he t hought . Ear t h t hey had f ound- i nsi de t he Chapel of
t he Ear t h- Habakkuk, t he
pr ophet who pr edi ct ed t he ear t h' s anni hi l at i on.
Ai r i s next . Langdon ur ged hi msel f t o t hi nk. A Ber ni ni scul pt ur e t hat has
somet hi ng t o do wi t h Ai r ! He was
dr awi ng a t ot al bl ank. St i l l he f el t ener gi zed. I ' mon t he pat h of I l l umi nat i on!
I t i s st i l l i nt act !
Looki ng sout hwest , Langdon st r ai ned t o see a spi r e or cat hedr al t ower j ut t i ng up
over t he obst acl es. He saw
not hi ng. He needed a map. I f t hey coul d f i gur e out what chur ches wer e sout hwest
of her e, maybe one of
t hemwoul d spar k Langdon' s memor y. Ai r , he pr essed. Ai r . Ber ni ni . Scul pt ur e.
Ai r . Thi nk!
Langdon t ur ned and headed back up t he cat hedr al st ai r s. He was met beneat h t he
scaf f ol di ng by Vi t t or i a
and Ol i vet t i .
Sei t e 137
" Sout hwest , " Langdon sai d, pant i ng. " The next chur ch i s sout hwest of her e. "
Ol i vet t i ' s whi sper was col d. " You sur e t hi s t i me?"
Langdon di dn' t bi t e. " We need a map. One t hat shows al l t he chur ches i n Rome. "
The commander st udi ed hi ma moment , hi s expr essi on never changi ng.
Langdon checked hi s wat ch. " We onl y have hal f an hour . "
Ol i vet t i moved past Langdon down t he st ai r s t owar d hi s car , par ked di r ect l y i n
f r ont of t he cat hedr al .
Langdon hoped he was goi ng f or a map.
Vi t t or i a l ooked exci t ed. " So t he angel ' s poi nt i ng sout hwest ? No i dea whi ch
chur ches ar e sout hwest ?"
" I can' t see past t he damn bui l di ngs. " Langdon t ur ned and f aced t he squar e
agai n. " And I don' t know
Rome' s chur ches wel l enou- " He st opped.
Vi t t or i a l ooked st ar t l ed. " What ?"
Langdon l ooked out at t he pi azza agai n. Havi ng ascended t he chur ch st ai r s, he
was now hi gher , and hi s
vi ew was bet t er . He st i l l coul dn' t see anyt hi ng, but he r eal i zed he was movi ng
i n t he r i ght di r ect i on. Hi s
eyes cl i mbed t he t ower of r i cket y scaf f ol di ng above hi m. I t r ose si x st or i es,
al most t o t he t op of t he
chur ch' s r ose wi ndow, f ar hi gher t han t he ot her bui l di ngs i n t he squar e. He knew
i n an i nst ant wher e he
was headed.
Acr oss t he squar e, Chi ni t a Macr i and Gunt her Gl i ck sat gl ued t o t he wi ndshi el d
of t he BBC van.
" You get t i ng t hi s?" Gunt her asked.
Macr i t i ght ened her shot on t he man now cl i mbi ng t he scaf f ol di ng. " He' s a l i t t l e
wel l dr essed t o be pl ayi ng
Spi der man i f you ask me. "
" And who' s Ms. Spi dey?"
Chi ni t a gl anced at t he at t r act i ve woman beneat h t he scaf f ol di ng. " Bet you' d l i ke
t o f i nd out . "
" Thi nk I shoul d cal l edi t or i al ?"
" Not yet . Let ' s wat ch. Bet t er t o have somet hi ng i n t he can bef or e we admi t we
abandoned concl ave. "
" You t hi nk somebody r eal l y ki l l ed one of t he ol d f ar t s i n t her e?"
Chi ni t a cl ucked. " You' r e def i ni t el y goi ng t o hel l . "
" And I ' l l be t aki ng t he Pul i t zer wi t h me. "
71
T he scaf f ol di ng seemed l ess st abl e t he hi gher Langdon cl i mbed. Hi s vi ew of
Rome, however , got bet t er
wi t h ever y st ep. He cont i nued upwar d.
He was br eat hi ng har der t han he expect ed when he r eached t he upper t i er . He
pul l ed hi msel f ont o t he l ast
pl at f or m, br ushed of f t he pl ast er , and st ood up. The hei ght di d not bot her hi m
at al l . I n f act , i t was
i nvi gor at i ng.
The vi ew was st agger i ng. Li ke an ocean on f i r e, t he r ed- t i l ed r oof t ops of Rome
spr ead out bef or e hi m,
gl owi ng i n t he scar l et sunset . Fr omt hat spot , f or t he f i r st t i me i n hi s l i f e,
Langdon saw beyond t he pol l ut i on
and t r af f i c of Rome t o i t s anci ent r oot s- Ci t t di Di o- The ci t y of God.
Squi nt i ng i nt o t he sunset , Langdon scanned t he r oof t ops f or a chur ch st eepl e or
bel l t ower . But as he l ooked
f ar t her and f ar t her t owar d t he hor i zon, he saw not hi ng. Ther e ar e hundr eds of
chur ches i n Rome, he
t hought . Ther e must be one sout hwest of her e! I f t he chur ch i s even vi si bl e, he
r emi nded hi msel f . Hel l , i f t he
chur ch i s even st i l l st andi ng!
For ci ng hi s eyes t o t r ace t he l i ne sl owl y, he at t empt ed t he sear ch agai n. He
knew, of cour se, t hat not al l
chur ches woul d have vi si bl e spi r es, especi al l y smal l er , out - of - t he- way
sanct uar i es. Not t o ment i on, Rome
had changed dr amat i cal l y si nce t he 1600s when chur ches wer e by l aw t he t al l est
bui l di ngs al l owed. Now,
as Langdon l ooked out , he saw apar t ment bui l di ngs, hi gh- r i ses, TV t ower s.
For t he second t i me, Langdon' s eye r eached t he hor i zon wi t hout seei ng anyt hi ng.
Not one si ngl e spi r e. I n
Sei t e 138
t he di st ance, on t he ver y edge of Rome, Mi chel angel o' s massi ve dome bl ot t ed t he
set t i ng sun. St . Pet er ' s
Basi l i ca. Vat i can Ci t y. Langdon f ound hi msel f wonder i ng how t he car di nal s wer e
f ar i ng, and i f t he Swi ss
Guar ds' sear ch had t ur ned up t he ant i mat t er . Somet hi ng t ol d hi mi t hadn' t . . .
and woul dn' t .
The poemwas r at t l i ng t hr ough hi s head agai n. He consi der ed i t , car ef ul l y, l i ne
by l i ne. Fr omSant i ' s
ear t hl y t omb wi t h demon' s hol e. They had f ound Sant i ' s t omb. ' Cr oss Rome t he
myst i c el ement s unf ol d.
The myst i c el ement s wer e Ear t h, Ai r , Fi r e, Wat er . The pat h of l i ght i s l ai d, t he
sacr ed t est . The pat h of
I l l umi nat i on f or med by Ber ni ni ' s scul pt ur es. Let angel s gui de you on your l of t y
quest .
The angel was poi nt i ng sout hwest . . .
" Fr ont st ai r s! " Gl i ck excl ai med, poi nt i ng wi l dl y t hr ough t he wi ndshi el d of t he
BBC van. " Somet hi ng' s
goi ng on! "
Macr i dr opped her shot back down t o t he mai n ent r ance. Somet hi ng was def i ni t el y
goi ng on. At t he bot t om
of t he st ai r s, t he mi l i t ar y- l ooki ng man had pul l ed one of t he Al pha Romeos cl ose
t o t he st ai r s and opened
t he t r unk. Now he was scanni ng t he squar e as i f checki ng f or onl ooker s. For a
moment , Macr i t hought t he
man had spot t ed t hem, but hi s eyes kept movi ng. Appar ent l y sat i sf i ed, he pul l ed
out a wal ki e- t al ki e and
spoke i nt o i t .
Al most i nst ant l y, i t seemed an ar my emer ged f r omt he chur ch. Li ke an Amer i can
f oot bal l t eambr eaki ng
f r oma huddl e, t he sol di er s f or med a st r ai ght l i ne acr oss t he t op of t he st ai r s.
Movi ng l i ke a human wal l ,
t hey began t o descend. Behi nd t hem, al most ent i r el y hi dden by t he wal l , f our
sol di er s seemed t o be
car r yi ng somet hi ng. Somet hi ng heavy. Awkwar d.
Gl i ck l eaned f or war d on t he dashboar d. " Ar e t hey st eal i ng somet hi ng f r omt he
chur ch?"
Chi ni t a t i ght ened her shot even mor e, usi ng t he t el ephot o t o pr obe t he wal l of
men, l ooki ng f or an openi ng.
One spl i t second, she wi l l ed. A si ngl e f r ame. That ' s al l I need. But t he men
moved as one. Come on! Macr i
st ayed wi t h t hem, and i t pai d of f . When t he sol di er s t r i ed t o l i f t t he obj ect
i nt o t he t r unk, Macr i f ound her
openi ng. I r oni cal l y, i t was t he ol der man who f al t er ed. Onl y f or an i nst ant , but
l ong enough. Macr i had her
f r ame. Act ual l y, i t was mor e l i ke t en f r ames.
" Cal l edi t or i al , " Chi ni t a sai d. " We' ve got a dead body. "
Far away, at CERN, Maxi mi l i an Kohl er maneuver ed hi s wheel chai r i nt o Leonar do
Vet r a' s st udy. Wi t h
mechani cal ef f i ci ency, he began si f t i ng t hr ough Vet r a' s f i l es. Not f i ndi ng what
he was af t er , Kohl er moved
t o Vet r a' s bedr oom. The t op dr awer of hi s bedsi de t abl e was l ocked. Kohl er pr i ed
i t open wi t h a kni f e f r om
t he ki t chen.
I nsi de Kohl er f ound exact l y what he was l ooki ng f or .
72
L angdon swung of f t he scaf f ol di ng and dr opped back t o t he gr ound. He br ushed
t he pl ast er dust f r om
hi s cl ot hes. Vi t t or i a was t her e t o gr eet hi m.
" No l uck?" she sai d.
He shook hi s head.
" They put t he car di nal i n t he t r unk. "
Langdon l ooked over t o t he par ked car wher e Ol i vet t i and a gr oup of sol di er s now
had a map spr ead out on
t he hood. " Ar e t hey l ooki ng sout hwest ?"
She nodded. " No chur ches. Fr omher e t he f i r st one you hi t i s St . Pet er ' s. "
Langdon gr unt ed. At l east t hey wer e i n agr eement . He moved t owar d Ol i vet t i . The
sol di er s par t ed t o l et
Sei t e 139
hi mt hr ough.
Ol i vet t i l ooked up. " Not hi ng. But t hi s doesn' t show ever y l ast chur ch. J ust t he
bi g ones. About f i f t y of
t hem. "
" Wher e ar e we?" Langdon asked.
Ol i vet t i poi nt ed t o Pi azza del Popol o and t r aced a st r ai ght l i ne exact l y
sout hwest . The l i ne mi ssed, by a
subst ant i al mar gi n, t he cl ust er of bl ack squar es i ndi cat i ng Rome' s maj or
chur ches. Unf or t unat el y, Rome' s
maj or chur ches wer e al so Rome' s ol der chur ches . . . t hose t hat woul d have been
ar ound i n t he 1600s.
" I ' ve got some deci si ons t o make, " Ol i vet t i sai d. " Ar e you cer t ai n of t he
di r ect i on?"
Langdon pi ct ur ed t he angel ' s out st r et ched f i nger , t he ur gency r i si ng i n hi m
agai n. " Yes, si r . Posi t i ve. "
Ol i vet t i shr ugged and t r aced t he st r ai ght l i ne agai n. The pat h i nt er sect ed t he
Mar gher i t a Br i dge, Vi a Col a di
Ri ezo, and passed t hr ough Pi azza del Ri sor gi ment o, hi t t i ng no chur ches at al l
unt i l i t dead- ended abr upt l y
at t he cent er of St . Pet er ' s Squar e.
" What ' s wr ong wi t h St . Pet er ' s?" one of t he sol di er s sai d. He had a deep scar
under hi s l ef t eye. " I t ' s a
chur ch. "
Langdon shook hi s head. " Needs t o be a publ i c pl ace. Har dl y seems publ i c at t he
moment . "
" But t he l i ne goes t hr ough St . Pet er ' s Squar e, " Vi t t or i a added, l ooki ng over
Langdon' s shoul der . " The
squar e i s publ i c. "
Langdon had al r eady consi der ed i t . " No st at ues, t hough. "
" I sn' t t her e a monol i t h i n t he mi ddl e?"
She was r i ght . Ther e was an Egypt i an monol i t h i n St . Pet er ' s Squar e. Langdon
l ooked out at t he monol i t h
i n t he pi azza i n f r ont of t hem. The l of t y pyr ami d. An odd coi nci dence, he
t hought . He shook i t of f . " The
Vat i can' s monol i t h i s not by Ber ni ni . I t was br ought i n by Cal i gul a. And i t has
not hi ng t o do wi t h Ai r . "
Ther e was anot her pr obl emas wel l . " Besi des, t he poemsays t he el ement s ar e
spr ead acr oss Rome. St .
Pet er ' s Squar e i s i n Vat i can Ci t y. Not Rome. "
" Depends who you ask, " a guar d i nt er j ect ed.
Langdon l ooked up. " What ?"
" Al ways a bone of cont ent i on. Most maps show St . Pet er ' s Squar e as par t of
Vat i can Ci t y, but because i t ' s
out si de t he wal l ed ci t y, Roman of f i ci al s f or cent ur i es have cl ai med i t as par t
of Rome. "
" You' r e ki ddi ng, " Langdon sai d. He had never known t hat .
" I onl y ment i on i t , " t he guar d cont i nued, " because Commander Ol i vet t i and Ms.
Vet r a wer e aski ng about a
scul pt ur e t hat had t o do wi t h Ai r . "
Langdon was wi de- eyed. " And you know of one i n St . Pet er ' s Squar e?"
" Not exact l y. I t ' s not r eal l y a scul pt ur e. Pr obabl y not r el evant . "
" Let ' s hear i t , " Ol i vet t i pr essed.
The guar d shr ugged. " The onl y r eason I know about i t i s because I ' musual l y on
pi azza dut y. I know ever y
cor ner of St . Pet er ' s Squar e. "
" The scul pt ur e, " Langdon ur ged. " What does i t l ook l i ke?" Langdon was st ar t i ng
t o wonder i f t he
I l l umi nat i coul d r eal l y have been gut sy enough t o posi t i on t hei r second mar ker
r i ght out si de St . Pet er ' s
Chur ch.
" I pat r ol past i t ever y day, " t he guar d sai d. " I t ' s i n t he cent er , di r ect l y
wher e t hat l i ne i s poi nt i ng. That ' s
what made me t hi nk of i t . As I sai d, i t ' s not r eal l y a scul pt ur e. I t ' s mor e of a
. . . bl ock. "
Ol i vet t i l ooked mad. " A bl ock?"
" Yes, si r . A mar bl e bl ock embedded i n t he squar e. At t he base of t he monol i t h.
But t he bl ock i s not a
r ect angl e. I t ' s an el l i pse. And t he bl ock i s car ved wi t h t he i mage of a
bi l l owi ng gust of wi nd. " He paused.
Sei t e 140
" Ai r , I suppose, i f you want ed t o get sci ent i f i c about i t . "
Langdon st ar ed at t he young sol di er i n amazement . " A r el i ef ! " he excl ai med
suddenl y.
Ever yone l ooked at hi m.
" Rel i ef , " Langdon sai d, " i s t he ot her hal f of scul pt ur e! " Scul pt ur e i s t he ar t
of shapi ng f i gur es i n t he r ound
and al so i n r el i ef . He had wr i t t en t he def i ni t i on on chal kboar ds f or year s.
Rel i ef s wer e essent i al l y t wo-
di mensi onal scul pt ur es, l i ke Abr ahamLi ncol n' s pr of i l e on t he penny. Ber ni ni ' s
Chi gi Chapel medal l i ons
wer e anot her per f ect exampl e.
" Bassor el i evo?" t he guar d asked, usi ng t he I t al i an ar t t er m.
" Yes! Bas- r el i ef ! " Langdon r apped hi s knuckl es on t he hood. " I wasn' t t hi nki ng
i n t hose t er ms! That t i l e
you' r e t al ki ng about i n St . Pet er ' s Squar e i s cal l ed t he West Ponent e- t he West
Wi nd. I t ' s al so known as
Respi r o di Di o. "
" Br eat h of God?"
" Yes! Ai r ! And i t was car ved and put t her e by t he or i gi nal ar chi t ect ! "
Vi t t or i a l ooked conf used. " But I t hought Mi chel angel o desi gned St . Pet er ' s. "
" Yes, t he basi l i ca! " Langdon excl ai med, t r i umph i n hi s voi ce. " But St . Pet er ' s
Squar e was desi gned by
Ber ni ni ! "
As t he car avan of Al pha Romeos t or e out of Pi azza del Popol o, ever yone was i n
t oo much of a hur r y t o
not i ce t he BBC van pul l i ng out behi nd t hem.
73
G unt her Gl i ck f l oor ed t he BBC van' s accel er at or and swer ved t hr ough t r af f i c as
he t ai l ed t he f our
speedi ng Al pha Romeos acr oss t he Ti ber Ri ver on Pont e Mar gher i t a. Nor mal l y Gl i ck
woul d have made an
ef f or t t o mai nt ai n an i nconspi cuous di st ance, but t oday he coul d bar el y keep up.
These guys wer e f l yi ng.
Macr i sat i n her wor k ar ea i n t he back of t he van f i ni shi ng a phone cal l wi t h
London. She hung up and
yel l ed t o Gl i ck over t he sound of t he t r af f i c. " You want t he good news or bad
news?"
Gl i ck f r owned. Not hi ng was ever si mpl e when deal i ng wi t h t he home of f i ce. " Bad
news. "
" Edi t or i al i s bur ned we abandoned our post . "
" Sur pr i se. "
" They al so t hi nk your t i pst er i s a f r aud. "
" Of cour se. "
" And t he boss j ust war ned me t hat you' r e a f ew cr umpet s shor t of a pr oper t ea. "
Gl i ck scowl ed. " Gr eat . And t he good news?"
" They agr eed t o l ook at t he f oot age we j ust shot . "
Gl i ck f el t hi s scowl sof t en i nt o a gr i n. I guess we' l l see who' s shor t a f ew
cr umpet s. " So f i r e i t of f . "
" Can' t t r ansmi t unt i l we st op and get a f i xed cel l r ead. "
Gl i ck gunned t he van ont o Vi a Col a di Ri enzo. " Can' t st op now. " He t ai l ed t he
Al pha Romeos t hr ough a
har d l ef t swer ve ar ound Pi azza Ri sor gi ment o.
Macr i hel d on t o her comput er gear i n back as ever yt hi ng sl i d. " Br eak my
t r ansmi t t er , " she war ned, " and
we' l l have t o wal k t hi s f oot age t o London. "
" Si t t i ght , l ove. Somet hi ng t el l s me we' r e al most t her e. "
Macr i l ooked up. " Wher e?"
Gl i ck gazed out at t he f ami l i ar dome now l oomi ng di r ect l y i n f r ont of t hem. He
smi l ed. " Ri ght back wher e
we st ar t ed. "
The f our Al pha Romeos sl i pped def t l y i nt o t r af f i c sur r oundi ng St . Pet er ' s
Squar e. They spl i t up and spr ead
out al ong t he pi azza per i met er , qui et l y unl oadi ng men at sel ect poi nt s. The
debar ki ng guar ds moved i nt o
t he t hr ong of t our i st s and medi a vans on t he edge of t he squar e and i nst ant l y
became i nvi si bl e. Some of t he
guar ds ent er ed t he f or est of pi l l ar s encompassi ng t he col onnade. They t oo seemed
t o evapor at e i nt o t he
Sei t e 141
sur r oundi ngs. As Langdon wat ched t hr ough t he wi ndshi el d, he sensed a noose
t i ght eni ng ar ound St .
Pet er ' s.
I n addi t i on t o t he men Ol i vet t i had j ust di spat ched, t he commander had r adi oed
ahead t o t he Vat i can and
sent addi t i onal under cover guar ds t o t he cent er wher e Ber ni ni ' s West Ponent e was
l ocat ed. As Langdon
l ooked out at t he wi de- open spaces of St . Pet er ' s Squar e, a f ami l i ar quest i on
nagged. How does t he
I l l umi nat i assassi n pl an t o get away wi t h t hi s? How wi l l he get a car di nal
t hr ough al l t hese peopl e and ki l l
hi mi n pl ai n vi ew? Langdon checked hi s Mi ckey Mouse wat ch. I t was 8: 54 P. M. Si x
mi nut es.
I n t he f r ont seat , Ol i vet t i t ur ned and f aced Langdon and Vi t t or i a. " I want you
t wo r i ght on t op of t hi s
Ber ni ni br i ck or bl ock or what ever t he hel l i t i s. Same dr i l l . You' r e t our i st s.
Use t he phone i f you see
anyt hi ng. "
Bef or e Langdon coul d r espond, Vi t t or i a had hi s hand and was pul l i ng hi mout of
t he car .
The spr i ngt i me sun was set t i ng behi nd St . Pet er ' s Basi l i ca, and a massi ve shadow
spr ead, engul f i ng t he
pi azza. Langdon f el t an omi nous chi l l as he and Vi t t or i a moved i nt o t he cool ,
bl ack umbr a. Snaki ng
t hr ough t he cr owd, Langdon f ound hi msel f sear chi ng ever y f ace t hey passed,
wonder i ng i f t he ki l l er was
among t hem. Vi t t or i a' s hand f el t war m.
As t hey cr ossed t he open expanse of St . Pet er ' s Squar e, Langdon sensed Ber ni ni ' s
spr awl i ng pi azza havi ng
t he exact ef f ect t he ar t i st had been commi ssi oned t o cr eat e- t hat of " humbl i ng
al l t hose who ent er ed. "
Langdon cer t ai nl y f el t humbl ed at t he moment . Humbl ed and hungr y, he r eal i zed,
sur pr i sed such a
mundane t hought coul d ent er hi s head at a moment l i ke t hi s.
" To t he obel i sk?" Vi t t or i a asked.
Langdon nodded, ar chi ng l ef t acr oss t he pi azza.
" Ti me?" Vi t t or i a asked, wal ki ng br i skl y, but casual l y.
" Fi ve of . "
Vi t t or i a sai d not hi ng, but Langdon f el t her gr i p t i ght en. He was st i l l car r yi ng
t he gun. He hoped Vi t t or i a
woul d not deci de she needed i t . He coul d not i magi ne her whi ppi ng out a weapon
i n St . Pet er ' s Squar e and
bl owi ng away t he kneecaps of some ki l l er whi l e t he gl obal medi a l ooked on. Then
agai n, an i nci dent l i ke
t hat woul d be not hi ng compar ed t o t he br andi ng and mur der of a car di nal out
her e.
Ai r , Langdon t hought . The second el ement of sci ence. He t r i ed t o pi ct ur e t he
br and. The met hod of mur der .
Agai n he scanned t he spr awl i ng expanse of gr ani t e beneat h hi s f eet - St . Pet er ' s
Squar e- an open deser t
sur r ounded by Swi ss Guar d. I f t he Hassassi n r eal l y dar ed at t empt t hi s, Langdon
coul d not i magi ne how he
woul d escape.
I n t he cent er of t he pi azza r ose Cal i gul a' s 350- t on Egypt i an obel i sk. I t
st r et ched ei ght y- one f eet skywar d t o
t he pyr ami dal apex ont o whi ch was af f i xed a hol l ow i r on cr oss. Suf f i ci ent l y hi gh
t o cat ch t he l ast of t he
eveni ng sun, t he cr oss shone as i f magi c . . . pur por t edl y cont ai ni ng r el i cs of
t he cr oss on whi ch Chr i st was
cr uci f i ed.
Two f ount ai ns f l anked t he obel i sk i n per f ect symmet r y. Ar t hi st or i ans knew t he
f ount ai ns mar ked t he exact
geomet r i c f ocal poi nt s of Ber ni ni ' s el l i pt i cal pi azza, but i t was an
ar chi t ect ur al oddi t y Langdon had never
r eal l y consi der ed unt i l t oday. I t seemed Rome was suddenl y f i l l ed wi t h el l i pses,
pyr ami ds, and st ar t l i ng
geomet r y.
As t hey near ed t he obel i sk, Vi t t or i a sl owed. She exhal ed heavi l y, as i f coaxi ng
Langdon t o r el ax al ong wi t h
Sei t e 142
her . Langdon made t he ef f or t , l ower i ng hi s shoul der s and l ooseni ng hi s cl enched
j aw.
Somewher e ar ound t he obel i sk, bol dl y posi t i oned out si de t he l ar gest chur ch i n
t he wor l d, was t he second
al t ar of sci ence- Ber ni ni ' s West Ponent e- an el l i pt i cal bl ock i n St . Pet er ' s
Squar e.
Gunt her Gl i ck wat ched f r omt he shadows of t he pi l l ar s sur r oundi ng St . Pet er ' s
Squar e. On any ot her day
t he man i n t he t weed j acket and t he woman i n khaki shor t s woul d not have
i nt er est ed hi mi n t he l east . They
appear ed t o be not hi ng but t our i st s enj oyi ng t he squar e. But t oday was not any
ot her day. Today had been a
day of phone t i ps, cor pses, unmar ked car s r aci ng t hr ough Rome, and men i n t weed
j acket s cl i mbi ng
scaf f ol di ng i n sear ch of God onl y knew what . Gl i ck woul d st ay wi t h t hem.
He l ooked out acr oss t he squar e and saw Macr i . She was exact l y wher e he had t ol d
her t o go, on t he f ar
si de of t he coupl e, hover i ng on t hei r f l ank. Macr i car r i ed her vi deo camer a
casual l y, but despi t e her
i mi t at i on of a bor ed member of t he pr ess, she st ood out mor e t han Gl i ck woul d
have l i ked. No ot her
r epor t er s wer e i n t hi s f ar cor ner of t he squar e, and t he acr onym" BBC" st enci l ed
on her camer a was
dr awi ng some l ooks f r omt our i st s.
The t ape Macr i had shot ear l i er of t he naked body dumped i n t he t r unk was
pl ayi ng at t hi s ver y moment on
t he VCR t r ansmi t t er back i n t he van. Gl i ck knew t he i mages wer e sai l i ng over hi s
head r i ght now en r out e
t o London. He wonder ed what edi t or i al woul d say.
He wi shed he and Macr i had r eached t he body sooner , bef or e t he ar my of
pl ai ncl ot hed sol di er s had
i nt er vened. The same ar my, he knew, had now f anned out and sur r ounded t hi s
pi azza. Somet hi ng bi g was
about t o happen.
The medi a i s t he r i ght ar mof anar chy, t he ki l l er had sai d. Gl i ck wonder ed i f he
had mi ssed hi s chance f or a
bi g scoop. He l ooked out at t he ot her medi a vans i n t he di st ance and wat ched
Macr i t ai l i ng t he myst er i ous
coupl e acr oss t he pi azza. Somet hi ng t ol d Gl i ck he was st i l l i n t he game . . .
74
L angdon saw what he was l ooki ng f or a good t en yar ds bef or e t hey r eached i t .
Thr ough t he scat t er ed
t our i st s, t he whi t e mar bl e el l i pse of Ber ni ni ' s West Ponent e st ood out agai nst
t he gr ay gr ani t e cubes t hat
made up t he r est of t he pi azza. Vi t t or i a appar ent l y saw i t t oo. Her hand t ensed.
" Rel ax, " Langdon whi sper ed. " Do your pi r anha t hi ng. "
Vi t t or i a l oosened her gr i p.
As t hey dr ew near er , ever yt hi ng seemed f or bi ddi ngl y nor mal . Tour i st s wander ed,
nuns chat t ed al ong t he
per i met er of t he pi azza, a gi r l f ed pi geons at t he base of t he obel i sk.
Langdon r ef r ai ned f r omchecki ng hi s wat ch. He knew i t was al most t i me.
The el l i pt i cal st one ar r i ved beneat h t hei r f eet , and Langdon and Vi t t or i a sl owed
t o a st op- not over eager l y-
j ust t wo t our i st s pausi ng dut i f ul l y at a poi nt of mi l d i nt er est .
" West Ponent e, " Vi t t or i a sai d, r eadi ng t he i nscr i pt i on on t he st one.
Langdon gazed down at t he mar bl e r el i ef and f el t suddenl y na ve. Not i n hi s ar t
books, not i n hi s numer ous
t r i ps t o Rome, not ever had West Ponent e' s si gni f i cance j umped out at hi m.
Not unt i l now.
The r el i ef was el l i pt i cal , about t hr ee f eet l ong, and car ved wi t h a r udi ment ar y
f ace- a depi ct i on of t he West
Wi nd as an angel - l i ke count enance. Gust i ng f r omt he angel ' s mout h, Ber ni ni had
dr awn a power f ul br eat h
of ai r bl owi ng out war d away f r omt he Vat i can . . . t he br eat h of God. Thi s was
Ber ni ni ' s t r i but e t o t he
second el ement . . . Ai r . . . an et her eal zephyr bl own f r omangel ' s l i ps. As
Langdon st ar ed, he r eal i zed t he
si gni f i cance of t he r el i ef went deeper st i l l . Ber ni ni had car ved t he ai r i n f i ve
Sei t e 143
di st i nct gust s . . . f i ve! What
was mor e, f l anki ng t he medal l i on wer e t wo shi ni ng st ar s. Langdon t hought of
Gal i l eo. Two st ar s, f i ve gust s,
el l i pses, symmet r y . . . He f el t hol l ow. Hi s head hur t .
Vi t t or i a began wal ki ng agai n al most i mmedi at el y, l eadi ng Langdon away f r omt he
r el i ef . " I t hi nk
someone' s f ol l owi ng us, " she sai d.
Langdon l ooked up. " Wher e?"
Vi t t or i a moved a good t hi r t y yar ds bef or e speaki ng. She poi nt ed up at t he
Vat i can as i f showi ng Langdon
somet hi ng on t he dome. " The same per son has been behi nd us al l t he way acr oss
t he squar e. " Casual l y,
Vi t t or i a gl anced over her shoul der . " St i l l on us. Keep movi ng. "
" You t hi nk i t ' s t he Hassassi n?"
Vi t t or i a shook her head. " Not unl ess t he I l l umi nat i hi r es women wi t h BBC
camer as. "
When t he bel l s of St . Pet er ' s began t hei r deaf eni ng cl amor , bot h Langdon and
Vi t t or i a j umped. I t was t i me.
They had ci r cl ed away f r omWest Ponent e i n an at t empt t o l ose t he r epor t er but
wer e now movi ng back
t owar d t he r el i ef .
Despi t e t he cl angi ng bel l s, t he ar ea seemed per f ect l y cal m. Tour i st s wander ed. A
homel ess dr unk dozed
awkwar dl y at t he base of t he obel i sk. A l i t t l e gi r l f ed pi geons. Langdon
wonder ed i f t he r epor t er had scar ed
t he ki l l er of f . Doubt f ul , he deci ded, r ecal l i ng t he ki l l er ' s pr omi se. I wi l l
make your car di nal s medi a
l umi nar i es.
As t he echo of t he ni nt h bel l f aded away, a peacef ul si l ence descended acr oss
t he squar e.
Then . . . t he l i t t l e gi r l began t o scr eam.
75
L angdon was t he f i r st t o r each t he scr eami ng gi r l .
The t er r i f i ed youngst er st ood f r ozen, poi nt i ng at t he base of t he obel i sk wher e
a shabby, decr epi t dr unk sat
sl umped on t he st ai r s. The man was a mi ser abl e si ght . . . appar ent l y one of
Rome' s homel ess. Hi s gr ay hai r
hung i n gr easy st r ands i n f r ont of hi s f ace, and hi s ent i r e body was wr apped i n
some sor t of di r t y cl ot h. The
gi r l kept scr eami ng as she scamper ed of f i nt o t he cr owd.
Langdon f el t an upsur ge of dr ead as he dashed t owar d t he i nval i d. Ther e was a
dar k, wi deni ng st ai n
spr eadi ng acr oss t he man' s r ags. Fr esh, f l owi ng bl ood.
Then, i t was as i f ever yt hi ng happened at once.
The ol d man seemed t o cr umpl e i n t he mi ddl e, t ot t er i ng f or war d. Langdon l unged,
but he was t oo l at e. The
man pi t ched f or war d, t oppl ed of f t he st ai r s, and hi t t he pavement f acedown.
Mot i onl ess.
Langdon dr opped t o hi s knees. Vi t t or i a ar r i ved besi de hi m. A cr owd was
gat her i ng.
Vi t t or i a put her f i nger s on t he man' s t hr oat f r ombehi nd. " Ther e' s a pul se, " she
decl ar ed. " Rol l hi m. "
Langdon was al r eady i n mot i on. Gr aspi ng t he man' s shoul der s, he r ol l ed t he body.
As he di d, t he l oose r ags
seemed t o sl ough away l i ke dead f l esh. The man f l opped l i mp ont o hi s back. Dead
cent er of hi s naked chest
was a wi de ar ea of char r ed f l esh.
Vi t t or i a gasped and pul l ed back.
Langdon f el t par al yzed, pi nned somewher e bet ween nausea and awe. The symbol had
a t er r i f yi ng
si mpl i ci t y t o i t .

" Ai r , " Vi t t or i a choked. " I t ' s . . . hi m. "
Swi ss Guar ds appear ed f r omout of nowher e, shout i ng or der s, r aci ng af t er an
unseen assassi n.
Near by, a t our i st expl ai ned t hat onl y mi nut es ago, a dar k- ski nned man had been
Sei t e 144
ki nd enough t o hel p t hi s
poor , wheezi ng, homel ess man acr oss t he squar e . . . even si t t i ng a moment on
t he st ai r s wi t h t he i nval i d
bef or e di sappear i ng back i nt o t he cr owd.
Vi t t or i a r i pped t he r est of t he r ags of f t he man' s abdomen. He had t wo deep
punct ur e wounds, one on ei t her
si de of t he br and, j ust bel ow hi s r i b cage. She cocked t he man' s head back and
began t o admi ni st er mout h
t o mout h. Langdon was not pr epar ed f or what happened next . As Vi t t or i a bl ew, t he
wounds on ei t her si de
of t he man' s mi dsect i on hi ssed and spr ayed bl ood i nt o t he ai r l i ke bl owhol es on
a whal e. The sal t y l i qui d
hi t Langdon i n t he f ace.
Vi t t or i a st opped shor t , l ooki ng hor r i f i ed. " Hi s l ungs . . . " she st ammer ed.
" They' r e . . . punct ur ed. "
Langdon wi ped hi s eyes as he l ooked down at t he t wo per f or at i ons. The hol es
gur gl ed. The car di nal ' s l ungs
wer e dest r oyed. He was gone.
Vi t t or i a cover ed t he body as t he Swi ss Guar ds moved i n.
Langdon st ood, di sor i ent ed. As he di d, he saw her . The woman who had been
f ol l owi ng t hemear l i er was
cr ouched near by. Her BBC vi deo camer a was shoul der ed, ai med, and r unni ng. She
and Langdon l ocked
eyes, and he knew she' d got t en i t al l . Then, l i ke a cat , she bol t ed.
76
C hi ni t a Macr i was on t he r un. She had t he st or y of her l i f e.
Her vi deo camer a f el t l i ke an anchor as she l umber ed acr oss St . Pet er ' s Squar e,
pushi ng t hr ough t he
gat her i ng cr owd. Ever yone seemed t o be movi ng i n t he opposi t e di r ect i on t han her
. . . t owar d t he
commot i on. Macr i was t r yi ng t o get as f ar away as possi bl e. The man i n t he t weed
j acket had seen her , and
now she sensed ot her s wer e af t er her , men she coul d not see, cl osi ng i n f r omal l
si des.
Macr i was st i l l aghast f r omt he i mages she had j ust r ecor ded. She wonder ed i f
t he dead man was r eal l y who
she f ear ed he was. Gl i ck' s myst er i ous phone cont act suddenl y seemed a l i t t l e
l ess cr azy.
As she hur r i ed i n t he di r ect i on of t he BBC van, a young man wi t h a deci dedl y
mi l i t ar i st i c ai r emer ged f r om
t he cr owd bef or e her . Thei r eyes met , and t hey bot h st opped. Li ke l i ght ni ng, he
r ai sed a wal ki e- t al ki e and
spoke i nt o i t . Then he moved t owar d her . Macr i wheel ed and doubl ed back i nt o t he
cr owd, her hear t
poundi ng.
As she st umbl ed t hr ough t he mass of ar ms and l egs, she r emoved t he spent vi deo
casset t e f r omher camer a.
Cel l ul ose gol d, she t hought , t ucki ng t he t ape under her bel t f l ush t o her
backsi de and l et t i ng her coat t ai l s
cover i t . For once she was gl ad she car r i ed some ext r a wei ght . Gl i ck, wher e t he
hel l ar e you!
Anot her sol di er appear ed t o her l ef t , cl osi ng i n. Macr i knew she had l i t t l e
t i me. She banked i nt o t he cr owd
agai n. Yanki ng a bl ank car t r i dge f r omher case, she sl apped i t i nt o t he camer a.
Then she pr ayed.
She was t hi r t y yar ds f r omt he BBC van when t he t wo men mat er i al i zed di r ect l y i n
f r ont of her , ar ms f ol ded.
She was goi ng nowher e.
" Fi l m, " one snapped. " Now. "
Macr i r ecoi l ed, wr appi ng her ar ms pr ot ect i vel y ar ound her camer a. " No chance. "
One of t he men pul l ed asi de hi s j acket , r eveal i ng a si dear m.
" So shoot me, " Macr i sai d, amazed by t he bol dness of her voi ce.
" Fi l m, " t he f i r st one r epeat ed.
Wher e t he devi l i s Gl i ck? Macr i st amped her f oot and yel l ed as l oudl y as
possi bl e, " I ama pr of essi onal
vi deogr apher wi t h t he BBC! By Ar t i cl e 12 of t he Fr ee Pr ess Act , t hi s f i l mi s
pr oper t y of t he Br i t i sh
Br oadcast Cor por at i on! "
The men di d not f l i nch. The one wi t h t he gun t ook a st ep t owar d her . " I ama
Sei t e 145
l i eut enant wi t h t he Swi ss
Guar d, and by t he Hol y Doct r i ne gover ni ng t he pr oper t y on whi ch you ar e now
st andi ng, you ar e subj ect t o
sear ch and sei zur e. "
A cr owd had st ar t ed t o gat her now ar ound t hem.
Macr i yel l ed, " I wi l l not under any ci r cumst ances gi ve you t he f i l mi n t hi s
camer a wi t hout speaki ng t o my
edi t or i n London. I suggest you- "
The guar ds ended i t . One yanked t he camer a out of her hands. The ot her f or ci bl y
gr abbed her by t he ar m
and t wi st ed her i n t he di r ect i on of t he Vat i can. " Gr azi e, " he sai d, l eadi ng her
t hr ough a j ost l i ng cr owd.
Macr i pr ayed t hey woul d not sear ch her and f i nd t he t ape. I f she coul d somehow
pr ot ect t he f i l ml ong
enough t o-
Suddenl y, t he unt hi nkabl e happened. Someone i n t he cr owd was gr opi ng under her
coat . Macr i f el t t he
vi deo yanked away f r omher . She wheel ed, but swal l owed her wor ds. Behi nd her , a
br eat hl ess Gunt her
Gl i ck gave her a wi nk and di ssol ved back i nt o t he cr owd.
77
R ober t Langdon st agger ed i nt o t he pr i vat e bat hr oomadj oi ni ng t he Of f i ce of t he
Pope. He dabbed t he
bl ood f r omhi s f ace and l i ps. The bl ood was not hi s own. I t was t hat of Car di nal
Lamass, who had j ust
di ed hor r i bl y i n t he cr owded squar e out si de t he Vat i can. Vi r gi n sacr i f i ces on
t he al t ar s of sci ence. So f ar ,
t he Hassassi n had made good on hi s t hr eat .
Langdon f el t power l ess as he gazed i nt o t he mi r r or . Hi s eyes wer e dr awn, and
st ubbl e had begun t o dar ken
hi s cheeks. The r oomar ound hi mwas i mmacul at e and l avi sh- bl ack mar bl e wi t h gol d
f i xt ur es, cot t on
t owel s, and scent ed hand soaps.
Langdon t r i ed t o r i d hi s mi nd of t he bl oody br and he had j ust seen. Ai r . The
i mage st uck. He had wi t nessed
t hr ee ambi gr ams si nce waki ng up t hi s mor ni ng . . . and he knew t her e wer e t wo
mor e comi ng.
Out si de t he door , i t sounded as i f Ol i vet t i , t he camer l egno, and Capt ai n Rocher
wer e debat i ng what t o do
next . Appar ent l y, t he ant i mat t er sear ch had t ur ned up not hi ng so f ar . Ei t her t he
guar ds had mi ssed t he
cani st er , or t he i nt r uder had got t en deeper i nsi de t he Vat i can t han Commander
Ol i vet t i had been wi l l i ng t o
ent er t ai n.
Langdon dr i ed hi s hands and f ace. Then he t ur ned and l ooked f or a ur i nal . No
ur i nal . J ust a bowl . He l i f t ed
t he l i d.
As he st ood t her e, t ensi on ebbi ng f r omhi s body, a gi ddy wave of exhaust i on
shudder ed t hr ough hi s cor e.
The emot i ons knot t i ng hi s chest wer e so many, so i ncongr uous. He was f at i gued,
r unni ng on no f ood or
sl eep, wal ki ng t he Pat h of I l l umi nat i on, t r aumat i zed by t wo br ut al mur der s.
Langdon f el t a deepeni ng
hor r or over t he possi bl e out come of t hi s dr ama.
Thi nk, he t ol d hi msel f . Hi s mi nd was bl ank.
As he f l ushed, an unexpect ed r eal i zat i on hi t hi m. Thi s i s t he Pope' s t oi l et , he
t hought . I j ust t ook a l eak i n
t he Pope' s t oi l et . He had t o chuckl e. The Hol y Thr one.
78
I n London, a BBC t echni ci an ej ect ed a vi deo casset t e f r oma sat el l i t e r ecei ver
uni t and dashed acr oss t he
cont r ol r oomf l oor . She bur st i nt o t he of f i ce of t he edi t or - i n- chi ef , sl ammed
t he vi deo i nt o hi s VCR, and
pr essed pl ay.
As t he t ape r ol l ed, she t ol d hi mabout t he conver sat i on she had j ust had wi t h
Gunt her Gl i ck i n Vat i can Ci t y.
I n addi t i on, BBC phot o ar chi ves had j ust gi ven her a posi t i ve I D on t he vi ct i m
i n St . Pet er ' s Squar e.
When t he edi t or - i n- chi ef emer ged f r omhi s of f i ce, he was r i ngi ng a cowbel l .
Sei t e 146
Ever yt hi ng i n edi t or i al
st opped.
" Li ve i n f i ve! " t he man boomed. " On- ai r t al ent t o pr ep! Medi a coor di nat or s, I
want your cont act s on l i ne!
We' ve got a st or y we' r e sel l i ng! And we' ve got f i l m! "
The mar ket coor di nat or s gr abbed t hei r Rol odexes.
" Fi l mspecs! " one of t hemyel l ed.
" Thi r t y- second t r i m, " t he chi ef r epl i ed.
" Cont ent ?"
" Li ve homi ci de. "
The coor di nat or s l ooked encour aged. " Usage and l i censi ng pr i ce?"
" A mi l l i on U. S. per . "
Heads shot up. " What ! "
" You hear d me! I want t op of t he f ood chai n. CNN, MSNBC, t hen t he bi g t hr ee!
Of f er a di al - i n pr evi ew.
Gi ve t hemf i ve mi nut es t o pi ggyback bef or e BBC r uns i t . "
" What t he hel l happened?" someone demanded. " The pr i me mi ni st er get ski nned
al i ve?"
The chi ef shook hi s head. " Bet t er . "
At t hat exact i nst ant , somewher e i n Rome, t he Hassassi n enj oyed a f l eet i ng
moment of r epose i n a
comf or t abl e chai r . He admi r ed t he l egendar y chamber ar ound hi m. I amsi t t i ng i n
t he Chur ch of
I l l umi nat i on, he t hought . The I l l umi nat i l ai r . He coul d not bel i eve i t was st i l l
her e af t er al l of t hese
cent ur i es.
Dut i f ul l y, he di al ed t he BBC r epor t er t o whomhe had spoken ear l i er . I t was
t i me. The wor l d had yet t o
hear t he most shocki ng news of al l .
79
V i t t or i a Vet r a si pped a gl ass of wat er and ni bbl ed absent l y at some t ea scones
j ust set out by one of t he
Swi ss Guar ds. She knew she shoul d eat , but she had no appet i t e. The Of f i ce of
t he Pope was bust l i ng now,
echoi ng wi t h t ense conver sat i ons. Capt ai n Rocher , Commander Ol i vet t i , and hal f a
dozen guar ds assessed
t he damage and debat ed t he next move.
Rober t Langdon st ood near by st ar i ng out at St . Pet er ' s Squar e. He l ooked
dej ect ed. Vi t t or i a wal ked over .
" I deas?"
He shook hi s head.
" Scone?"
Hi s mood seemed t o br i ght en at t he si ght of f ood. " Hel l yes. Thanks. " He at e
vor aci ousl y.
The conver sat i on behi nd t hemwent qui et suddenl y when t wo Swi ss Guar ds escor t ed
Camer l egno
Vent r esca t hr ough t he door . I f t he chamber l ai n had l ooked dr ai ned bef or e,
Vi t t or i a t hought , now he l ooked
empt y.
" What happened?" t he camer l egno sai d t o Ol i vet t i . Fr omt he l ook on t he
camer l egno' s f ace, he appear ed t o
have al r eady been t ol d t he wor st of i t .
Ol i vet t i ' s of f i ci al updat e sounded l i ke a bat t l ef i el d casual t y r epor t . He gave
t he f act s wi t h f l at ef f i cacy.
" Car di nal Ebner was f ound dead i n t he chur ch of Sant a Mar i a del Popol o j ust
af t er ei ght o' cl ock. He had
been suf f ocat ed and br anded wi t h t he ambi gr ammat i c wor d ' Ear t h. ' Car di nal
Lamass was mur der ed i n St .
Pet er ' s Squar e t en mi nut es ago. He di ed of per f or at i ons t o t he chest . He was
br anded wi t h t he wor d ' Ai r , '
al so ambi gr ammat i c. The ki l l er escaped i n bot h i nst ances. "
The camer l egno cr ossed t he r oomand sat heavi l y behi nd t he Pope' s desk. He bowed
hi s head.
" Car di nal s Gui der a and Baggi a, however , ar e st i l l al i ve. "
The camer l egno' s head shot up, hi s expr essi on pai ned. " Thi s i s our consol at i on?
Two car di nal s have been
mur der ed, commander . And t he ot her t wo wi l l obvi ousl y not be al i ve much l onger
unl ess you f i nd t hem. "
Sei t e 147
" We wi l l f i nd t hem, " Ol i vet t i assur ed. " I amencour aged. "
" Encour aged? We' ve had not hi ng but f ai l ur e. "
" Unt r ue. We' ve l ost t wo bat t l es, si gnor e, but we' r e wi nni ng t he war . The
I l l umi nat i had i nt ended t o t ur n
t hi s eveni ng i nt o a medi a ci r cus. So f ar we have t hwar t ed t hei r pl an. Bot h
car di nal s' bodi es have been
r ecover ed wi t hout i nci dent . I n addi t i on, " Ol i vet t i cont i nued, " Capt ai n Rocher
t el l s me he i s maki ng
excel l ent headway on t he ant i mat t er sear ch. "
Capt ai n Rocher st epped f or war d i n hi s r ed ber et . Vi t t or i a t hought he l ooked mor e
human somehow t han t he
ot her guar ds- st er n but not so r i gi d. Rocher ' s voi ce was emot i onal and
cr yst al l i ne, l i ke a vi ol i n. " I am
hopef ul we wi l l have t he cani st er f or you wi t hi n an hour , si gnor e. "
" Capt ai n, " t he camer l egno sai d, " excuse me i f I seeml ess t han hopef ul , but I
was under t he i mpr essi on t hat
a sear ch of Vat i can Ci t y woul d t ake f ar mor e t i me t han we have. "
" A f ul l sear ch, yes. However , af t er assessi ng t he si t uat i on, I amconf i dent t he
ant i mat t er cani st er i s l ocat ed
i n one of our whi t e zones- t hose Vat i can sect or s accessi bl e t o publ i c t our s- t he
museums and St . Pet er ' s
Basi l i ca, f or exampl e. We have al r eady ki l l ed power i n t hose zones and ar e
conduct i ng our scan. "
" You i nt end t o sear ch onl y a smal l per cent age of Vat i can Ci t y?"
" Yes, si gnor e. I t i s hi ghl y unl i kel y t hat an i nt r uder gai ned access t o t he i nner
zones of Vat i can Ci t y. The
f act t hat t he mi ssi ng secur i t y camer a was st ol en f r oma publ i c access ar ea- a
st ai r wel l i n one of t he
museums- cl ear l y i mpl i es t hat t he i nt r uder had l i mi t ed access. Ther ef or e he woul d
onl y have been abl e t o
r el ocat e t he camer a and ant i mat t er i n anot her publ i c access ar ea. I t i s t hese
ar eas on whi ch we ar e f ocusi ng
our sear ch. "
" But t he i nt r uder ki dnapped f our car di nal s. That cer t ai nl y i mpl i es deeper
i nf i l t r at i on t han we t hought . "
" Not necessar i l y. We must r emember t hat t he car di nal s spent much of t oday i n t he
Vat i can museums and
St . Pet er ' s Basi l i ca, enj oyi ng t hose ar eas wi t hout t he cr owds. I t i s pr obabl e
t hat t he mi ssi ng car di nal s wer e
t aken i n one of t hese ar eas. "
" But how wer e t hey r emoved f r omour wal l s?"
" We ar e st i l l assessi ng t hat . "
" I see. " The camer l egno exhal ed and st ood up. He wal ked over t o Ol i vet t i .
" Commander , I woul d l i ke t o
hear your cont i ngency pl an f or evacuat i on. "
" We ar e st i l l f or mal i zi ng t hat , si gnor e. I n t he meant i me, I amf ai t hf ul Capt ai n
Rocher wi l l f i nd t he
cani st er . "
Rocher cl i cked hi s boot s as i f i n appr eci at i on of t he vot e of conf i dence. " My
men have al r eady scanned
t wo- t hi r ds of t he whi t e zones. Conf i dence i s hi gh. "
The camer l egno di d not appear t o shar e t hat conf i dence.
At t hat moment t he guar d wi t h a scar beneat h one eye came t hr ough t he door
car r yi ng a cl i pboar d and a
map. He st r ode t owar d Langdon. " Mr . Langdon? I have t he i nf or mat i on you
r equest ed on t he West
Ponent e. "
Langdon swal l owed hi s scone. " Good. Let ' s have a l ook. "
The ot her s kept t al ki ng whi l e Vi t t or i a j oi ned Rober t and t he guar d as t hey
spr ead out t he map on t he Pope' s
desk.
The sol di er poi nt ed t o St . Pet er ' s Squar e. " Thi s i s wher e we ar e. The cent r al
l i ne of West Ponent e' s br eat h
poi nt s due east , di r ect l y away f r omVat i can Ci t y. " The guar d t r aced a l i ne wi t h
hi s f i nger f r omSt . Pet er ' s
Squar e acr oss t he Ti ber Ri ver and up i nt o t he hear t of ol d Rome. " As you can
see, t he l i ne passes t hr ough
al most al l of Rome. Ther e ar e about t went y Cat hol i c chur ches t hat f al l near t hi s
l i ne. "
Sei t e 148
Langdon sl umped. " Twent y?"
" Maybe mor e. "
" Do any of t he chur ches f al l di r ect l y on t he l i ne?"
" Some l ook cl oser t han ot her s, " t he guar d sai d, " but t r ansl at i ng t he exact
bear i ng of t he West Ponent e ont o
a map l eaves mar gi n f or er r or . "
Langdon l ooked out at St . Pet er ' s Squar e a moment . Then he scowl ed, st r oki ng hi s
chi n. " How about f i r e?
Any of t hemhave Ber ni ni ar t wor k t hat has t o do wi t h f i r e?"
Si l ence.
" How about obel i sks?" he demanded. " Ar e any of t he chur ches l ocat ed near
obel i sks?"
The guar d began checki ng t he map.
Vi t t or i a saw a gl i mmer of hope i n Langdon' s eyes and r eal i zed what he was
t hi nki ng. He' s r i ght ! The f i r st
t wo mar ker s had been l ocat ed on or near pi azzas t hat cont ai ned obel i sks! Maybe
obel i sks wer e a t heme?
Soar i ng pyr ami ds mar ki ng t he I l l umi nat i pat h? The mor e Vi t t or i a t hought about
i t , t he mor e per f ect i t
seemed . . . f our t ower i ng beacons r i si ng over Rome t o mar k t he al t ar s of
sci ence.
" I t ' s a l ong shot , " Langdon sai d, " but I know t hat many of Rome' s obel i sks wer e
er ect ed or moved dur i ng
Ber ni ni ' s r ei gn. He was no doubt i nvol ved i n t hei r pl acement . "
" Or , " Vi t t or i a added, " Ber ni ni coul d have pl aced hi s mar ker s near exi st i ng
obel i sks. "
Langdon nodded. " Tr ue. "
" Bad news, " t he guar d sai d. " No obel i sks on t he l i ne. " He t r aced hi s f i nger
acr oss t he map. " None even
r emot el y cl ose. Not hi ng. "
Langdon si ghed.
Vi t t or i a' s shoul der s sl umped. She' d t hought i t was a pr omi si ng i dea. Appar ent l y,
t hi s was not goi ng t o be
as easy as t hey' d hoped. She t r i ed t o st ay posi t i ve. " Rober t , t hi nk. You must
know of a Ber ni ni st at ue
r el at i ng t o f i r e. Anyt hi ng at al l . "
" Bel i eve me, I ' ve been t hi nki ng. Ber ni ni was i ncr edi bl y pr ol i f i c. Hundr eds of
wor ks. I was hopi ng West
Ponent e woul d poi nt t o a si ngl e chur ch. Somet hi ng t hat woul d r i ng a bel l . "
" Fuco, " she pr essed. " Fi r e. No Ber ni ni t i t l es j ump out ?"
Langdon shr ugged. " Ther e' s hi s f amous sket ches of Fi r ewor ks, but t hey' r e not
scul pt ur e, and t hey' r e i n
Lei pzi g, Ger many. "
Vi t t or i a f r owned. " And you' r e sur e t he br eat h i s what i ndi cat es t he di r ect i on?"
" You saw t he r el i ef , Vi t t or i a. The desi gn was t ot al l y symmet r i cal . The onl y
i ndi cat i on of bear i ng was t he
br eat h. "
Vi t t or i a knew he was r i ght .
" Not t o ment i on, " he added, " because t he West Ponent e si gni f i es Ai r , f ol l owi ng
t he br eat h seems
symbol i cal l y appr opr i at e. "
Vi t t or i a nodded. So we f ol l ow t he br eat h. But wher e?
Ol i vet t i came over . " What have you got ?"
" Too many chur ches, " t he sol di er sai d. " Two dozen or so. I suppose we coul d put
f our men on each
chur ch- "
" For get i t , " Ol i vet t i sai d. " We mi ssed t hi s guy t wi ce when we knew exact l y wher e
he was goi ng t o be. A
mass st akeout means l eavi ng Vat i can Ci t y unpr ot ect ed and cancel i ng t he sear ch. "
" We need a r ef er ence book, " Vi t t or i a sai d. " An i ndex of Ber ni ni ' s wor k. I f we
can scan t i t l es, maybe
somet hi ng wi l l j ump out . "
" I don' t know, " Langdon sai d. " I f i t ' s a wor k Ber ni ni cr eat ed speci f i cal l y f or
t he I l l umi nat i , i t may be ver y
obscur e. I t pr obabl y won' t be l i st ed i n a book. "
Vi t t or i a r ef used t o bel i eve i t . " The ot her t wo scul pt ur es wer e f ai r l y
wel l - known. You' d hear d of t hem
bot h. "
Langdon shr ugged. " Yeah. "
Sei t e 149
" I f we scan t i t l es f or r ef er ences t o t he wor d ' f i r e, ' maybe we' l l f i nd a st at ue
t hat ' s l i st ed as bei ng i n t he
r i ght di r ect i on. "
Langdon seemed convi nced i t was wor t h a shot . He t ur ned t o Ol i vet t i . " I need a
l i st of al l Ber ni ni ' s wor k.
You guys pr obabl y don' t have a cof f ee- t abl e Ber ni ni book ar ound her e, do you?"
" Cof f ee- t abl e book?" Ol i vet t i seemed unf ami l i ar wi t h t he t er m.
" Never mi nd. Any l i st . How about t he Vat i can Museum? They must have Ber ni ni
r ef er ences. "
The guar d wi t h t he scar f r owned. " Power i n t he museumi s out , and t he r ecor ds
r oomi s enor mous. Wi t hout
t he st af f t her e t o hel p- "
" The Ber ni ni wor k i n quest i on, " Ol i vet t i i nt er r upt ed. " Woul d i t have been
cr eat ed whi l e Ber ni ni was
empl oyed her e at t he Vat i can?"
" Al most def i ni t el y, " Langdon sai d. " He was her e al most hi s ent i r e car eer . And
cer t ai nl y dur i ng t he t i me
per i od of t he Gal i l eo conf l i ct . "
Ol i vet t i nodded. " Then t her e' s anot her r ef er ence. "
Vi t t or i a f el t a f l i cker of opt i mi sm. " Wher e?"
The commander di d not r epl y. He t ook hi s guar d asi de and spoke i n hushed t ones.
The guar d seemed
uncer t ai n but nodded obedi ent l y. When Ol i vet t i was f i ni shed t al ki ng, t he guar d
t ur ned t o Langdon.
" Thi s way pl ease, Mr . Langdon. I t ' s ni ne- f i f t een. We' l l have t o hur r y. "
Langdon and t he guar d headed f or t he door .
Vi t t or i a st ar t ed af t er t hem. " I ' l l hel p. "
Ol i vet t i caught her by t he ar m. " No, Ms. Vet r a. I need a wor d wi t h you. " Hi s
gr asp was aut hor i t at i ve.
Langdon and t he guar d l ef t . Ol i vet t i ' s f ace was wooden as he t ook Vi t t or i a
asi de. But what ever i t was
Ol i vet t i had i nt ended t o say t o her , he never got t he chance. Hi s wal ki e- t al ki e
cr ackl ed l oudl y.
" Commandant e?"
Ever yone i n t he r oomt ur ned.
The voi ce on t he t r ansmi t t er was gr i m. " I t hi nk you bet t er t ur n on t he
t el evi si on. "
80
When Langdon had l ef t t he Vat i can Secr et Ar chi ves onl y t wo hour s ago, he had
never i magi ned he
woul d see t hemagai n. Now, wi nded f r omhavi ng j ogged t he ent i r e way wi t h hi s
Swi ss Guar d escor t ,
Langdon f ound hi msel f back at t he ar chi ves once agai n.
Hi s escor t , t he guar d wi t h t he scar , now l ed Langdon t hr ough t he r ows of
t r ansl ucent cubi cl es. The si l ence
of t he ar chi ves f el t somehow mor e f or bi ddi ng now, and Langdon was t hankf ul when
t he guar d br oke i t .
" Over her e, I t hi nk, " he sai d, escor t i ng Langdon t o t he back of t he chamber
wher e a ser i es of smal l er vaul t s
l i ned t he wal l . The guar d scanned t he t i t l es on t he vaul t s and mot i oned t o one
of t hem. " Yes, her e i t i s.
Ri ght wher e t he commander sai d i t woul d be. "
Langdon r ead t he t i t l e. ATTI VI VATI CANI . Vat i can asset s? He scanned t he l i st of
cont ent s. Real est at e . .
. cur r ency . . . Vat i can Bank . . . ant i qui t i es . . . The l i st went on.
" Paper wor k of al l Vat i can asset s, " t he guar d sai d.
Langdon l ooked at t he cubi cl e. J esus. Even i n t he dar k, he coul d t el l i t was
packed.
" My commander sai d t hat what ever Ber ni ni cr eat ed whi l e under Vat i can pat r onage
woul d be l i st ed her e as
an asset . "
Langdon nodded, r eal i zi ng t he commander ' s i nst i nct s j ust mi ght pay of f . I n
Ber ni ni ' s day, ever yt hi ng an
ar t i st cr eat ed whi l e under t he pat r onage of t he Pope became, by l aw, pr oper t y of
t he Vat i can. I t was mor e
l i ke f eudal i smt han pat r onage, but t op ar t i st s l i ved wel l and sel domcompl ai ned.
" I ncl udi ng wor ks pl aced i n
chur ches out si de Vat i can Ci t y?"
The sol di er gave hi man odd l ook. " Of cour se. Al l Cat hol i c chur ches i n Rome ar e
Sei t e 150
pr oper t y of t he Vat i can. "
Langdon l ooked at t he l i st i n hi s hand. I t cont ai ned t he names of t he t went y or
so chur ches t hat wer e
l ocat ed on a di r ect l i ne wi t h West Ponent e' s br eat h. The t hi r d al t ar of sci ence
was one of t hem, and
Langdon hoped he had t i me t o f i gur e out whi ch i t was. Under ot her ci r cumst ances,
he woul d gl adl y have
expl or ed each chur ch i n per son. Today, however , he had about t went y mi nut es t o
f i nd what he was l ooki ng
f or - t he one chur ch cont ai ni ng a Ber ni ni t r i but e t o f i r e.
Langdon wal ked t o t he vaul t ' s el ect r oni c r evol vi ng door . The guar d di d not
f ol l ow. Langdon sensed an
uncer t ai n hesi t at i on. He smi l ed. " The ai r ' s f i ne. Thi n, but br eat habl e. "
" My or der s ar e t o escor t you her e and t hen r et ur n i mmedi at el y t o t he secur i t y
cent er . "
" You' r e l eavi ng?"
" Yes. The Swi ss Guar d ar e not al l owed i nsi de t he ar chi ves. I ambr eachi ng
pr ot ocol by escor t i ng you t hi s
f ar . The commander r emi nded me of t hat . "
" Br eachi ng pr ot ocol ?" Do you have any i dea what i s goi ng on her e t oni ght ? " Whose
si de i s your damn
commander on! "
Al l f r i endl i ness di sappear ed f r omt he guar d' s f ace. The scar under hi s eye
t wi t ched. The guar d st ar ed,
l ooki ng suddenl y a l ot l i ke Ol i vet t i hi msel f .
" I apol ogi ze, " Langdon sai d, r egr et t i ng t he comment . " I t ' s j ust . . . I coul d
use some hel p. "
The guar d di d not bl i nk. " I amt r ai ned t o f ol l ow or der s. Not debat e t hem. When
you f i nd what you ar e
l ooki ng f or , cont act t he commander i mmedi at el y. "
Langdon was f l ust er ed. " But wher e wi l l he be?"
The guar d r emoved hi s wal ki e- t al ki e and set i t on a near by t abl e. " Channel one. "
Then he di sappear ed i nt o
t he dar k.
81
T he t el evi si on i n t he Of f i ce of t he Pope was an over si zed Hi t achi hi dden i n a
r ecessed cabi net opposi t e
hi s desk. The door s t o t he cabi net wer e now open, and ever yone gat her ed ar ound.
Vi t t or i a moved i n cl ose.
As t he scr een war med up, a young f emal e r epor t er came i nt o vi ew. She was a
doe- eyed br unet t e.
" For MSNBC news, " she announced, " t hi s i s Kel l y Hor an- J ones, l i ve f r omVat i can
Ci t y. " The i mage
behi nd her was a ni ght shot of St . Pet er ' s Basi l i ca wi t h al l i t s l i ght s bl azi ng.
" You' r e not l i ve, " Rocher snapped. " That ' s st ock f oot age! The l i ght s i n t he
basi l i ca ar e out . "
Ol i vet t i si l enced hi mwi t h a hi ss.
The r epor t er cont i nued, soundi ng t ense. " Shocki ng devel opment s i n t he Vat i can
el ect i ons t hi s eveni ng. We
have r epor t s t hat t wo member s of t he Col l ege of Car di nal s have been br ut al l y
mur der ed i n Rome. "
Ol i vet t i swor e under hi s br eat h.
As t he r epor t er cont i nued, a guar d appear ed at t he door , br eat hl ess. " Commander ,
t he cent r al swi t chboar d
r epor t s ever y l i ne l i t . They' r e r equest i ng our of f i ci al posi t i on on- "
" Di sconnect i t , " Ol i vet t i sai d, never t aki ng hi s eyes f r omt he TV.
The guar d l ooked uncer t ai n. " But , commander - "
" Go! "
The guar d r an of f .
Vi t t or i a sensed t he camer l egno had want ed t o say somet hi ng but had st opped
hi msel f . I nst ead, t he man
st ar ed l ong and har d at Ol i vet t i bef or e t ur ni ng back t o t he t el evi si on.
MSNBC was now r unni ng t ape. The Swi ss Guar ds car r i ed t he body of Car di nal Ebner
down t he st ai r s
out si de Sant a Mar i a del Popol o and l i f t ed hi mi nt o an Al pha Romeo. The t ape
f r oze and zoomed i n as t he
car di nal ' s naked body became vi si bl e j ust bef or e t hey deposi t ed hi mi n t he t r unk
of t he car .
Sei t e 151
" Who t he hel l shot t hi s f oot age?" Ol i vet t i demanded.
The MSNBC r epor t er kept t al ki ng. " Thi s i s bel i eved t o be t he body of Car di nal
Ebner of Fr ankf ur t ,
Ger many. The men r emovi ng hi s body f r omt he chur ch ar e bel i eved t o be Vat i can
Swi ss Guar d. " The
r epor t er l ooked l i ke she was maki ng ever y ef f or t t o appear appr opr i at el y moved.
They cl osed i n on her
f ace, and she became even mor e somber . " At t hi s t i me, MSNBC woul d l i ke t o i ssue
our vi ewer s a
di scr et i onar y war ni ng. The i mages we ar e about t o show ar e except i onal l y vi vi d
and may not be sui t abl e
f or al l audi ences. "
Vi t t or i a gr unt ed at t he st at i on' s f ei gned concer n f or vi ewer sensi bi l i t y,
r ecogni zi ng t he war ni ng as exact l y
what i t was- t he ul t i mat e medi a " t easer l i ne. " Nobody ever changed channel s af t er
a pr omi se l i ke t hat .
The r epor t er dr ove i t home. " Agai n, t hi s f oot age may be shocki ng t o some
vi ewer s. "
" What f oot age?" Ol i vet t i demanded. " You j ust showed- "
The shot t hat f i l l ed t he scr een was of a coupl e i n St . Pet er ' s Squar e, movi ng
t hr ough t he cr owd. Vi t t or i a
i nst ant l y r ecogni zed t he t wo peopl e as Rober t and her sel f . I n t he cor ner of t he
scr een was a t ext over l ay:
COURTESY OF THE BBC. A bel l was t ol l i ng.
" Oh, no, " Vi t t or i a sai d al oud. " Oh . . . no. "
The camer l egno l ooked conf used. He t ur ned t o Ol i vet t i . " I t hought you sai d you
conf i scat ed t hi s t ape! "
Suddenl y, on t el evi si on, a chi l d was scr eami ng. The i mage panned t o f i nd a
l i t t l e gi r l poi nt i ng at what
appear ed t o be a bl oody homel ess man. Rober t Langdon ent er ed abr upt l y i nt o t he
f r ame, t r yi ng t o hel p t he
l i t t l e gi r l . The shot t i ght ened.
Ever yone i n t he Pope' s of f i ce st ar ed i n hor r i f i ed si l ence as t he dr ama unf ol ded
bef or e t hem. The car di nal ' s
body f el l f ace f i r st ont o t he pavement . Vi t t or i a appear ed and cal l ed or der s.
Ther e was bl ood. A br and. A
ghast l y, f ai l ed at t empt t o admi ni st er CPR.
" Thi s ast oni shi ng f oot age, " t he r epor t er was sayi ng, " was shot onl y mi nut es ago
out si de t he Vat i can. Our
sour ces t el l us t hi s i s t he body of Car di nal Lamass f r omFr ance. How he came t o
be dr essed t hi s way and
why he was not i n concl ave r emai n a myst er y. So f ar , t he Vat i can has r ef used t o
comment . " The t ape began
t o r ol l agai n.
" Ref used comment ?" Rocher sai d. " Gi ve us a damn mi nut e! "
The r epor t er was st i l l t al ki ng, her eyebr ows f ur r owi ng wi t h i nt ensi t y. " Al t hough
MSNBC has yet t o
conf i r ma mot i ve f or t he at t ack, our sour ces t el l us t hat r esponsi bi l i t y f or t he
mur der s has been cl ai med by a
gr oup cal l i ng t hemsel ves t he I l l umi nat i . "
Ol i vet t i expl oded. " What ! "
" . . . f i nd out mor e about t he I l l umi nat i by vi si t i ng our websi t e at - "
" Non posi bi l e! " Ol i vet t i decl ar ed. He swi t ched channel s.
Thi s st at i on had a Hi spani c mal e r epor t er . " - a sat ani c cul t known as t he
I l l umi nat i , who some hi st or i ans
bel i eve- "
Ol i vet t i began pr essi ng t he r emot e wi l dl y. Ever y channel was i n t he mi ddl e of a
l i ve updat e. Most wer e i n
Engl i sh.
" - Swi ss Guar ds r emovi ng a body f r oma chur ch ear l i er t hi s eveni ng. The body i s
bel i eved t o be t hat of
Car di nal - "
" - l i ght s i n t he basi l i ca and museums ar e ext i ngui shed l eavi ng specul at i on- "
" - wi l l be speaki ng wi t h conspi r acy t heor i st Tyl er Ti ngl ey, about t hi s shocki ng
r esur gence- "
" - r umor s of t wo mor e assassi nat i ons pl anned f or l at er t hi s eveni ng- "
" - quest i oni ng now whet her papal hopef ul Car di nal Baggi a i s among t he mi ssi ng- "
Vi t t or i a t ur ned away. Ever yt hi ng was happeni ng so f ast . Out si de t he wi ndow, i n
t he set t l i ng dar k, t he r aw
Sei t e 152
magnet i smof human t r agedy seemed t o be sucki ng peopl e t owar d Vat i can Ci t y. The
cr owd i n t he squar e
t hi ckened al most by t he i nst ant . Pedest r i ans st r eamed t owar d t hemwhi l e a new
bat ch of medi a per sonnel
unl oaded vans and st aked t hei r cl ai mi n St . Pet er ' s Squar e.
Ol i vet t i set down t he r emot e cont r ol and t ur ned t o t he camer l egno. " Si gnor e, I
cannot i magi ne how t hi s
coul d happen. We t ook t he t ape t hat was i n t hat camer a! "
The camer l egno l ooked moment ar i l y t oo st unned t o speak.
Nobody sai d a wor d. The Swi ss Guar ds st ood r i gi d at at t ent i on.
" I t appear s, " t he camer l egno sai d f i nal l y, soundi ng t oo devast at ed t o be angr y,
" t hat we have not cont ai ned
t hi s cr i si s as wel l as I was l ed t o bel i eve. " He l ooked out t he wi ndow at t he
gat her i ng masses. " I need t o
make an addr ess. "
Ol i vet t i shook hi s head. " No, si gnor e. That i s exact l y what t he I l l umi nat i want
you t o do- conf i r mt hem,
empower t hem. We must r emai n si l ent . "
" And t hese peopl e?" The camer l egno poi nt ed out t he wi ndow. " Ther e wi l l be t ens
of t housands shor t l y.
Then hundr eds of t housands. Cont i nui ng t hi s char ade onl y put s t hemi n danger . I
need t o war n t hem. Then
we need t o evacuat e our Col l ege of Car di nal s. "
" Ther e i s st i l l t i me. Let Capt ai n Rocher f i nd t he ant i mat t er . "
The camer l egno t ur ned. " Ar e you at t empt i ng t o gi ve me an or der ?"
" No, I amgi vi ng you advi ce. I f you ar e concer ned about t he peopl e out si de, we
can announce a gas l eak
and cl ear t he ar ea, but admi t t i ng we ar e host age i s danger ous. "
" Commander , I wi l l onl y say t hi s once. I wi l l not use t hi s of f i ce as a pul pi t t o
l i e t o t he wor l d. I f I announce
anyt hi ng at al l , i t wi l l be t he t r ut h. "
" The t r ut h? That Vat i can Ci t y i s t hr eat ened t o be dest r oyed by sat ani c
t er r or i st s? I t onl y weakens our
posi t i on. "
The camer l egno gl ar ed. " How much weaker coul d our posi t i on be?"
Rocher shout ed suddenl y, gr abbi ng t he r emot e and i ncr easi ng t he vol ume on t he
t el evi si on. Ever yone
t ur ned.
On ai r , t he woman f r omMSNBC now l ooked genui nel y unner ved. Super i mposed besi de
her was a phot o of
t he l at e Pope. " . . . br eaki ng i nf or mat i on. Thi s j ust i n f r omt he BBC . . . "
She gl anced of f camer a as i f t o
conf i r mshe was r eal l y supposed t o make t hi s announcement . Appar ent l y get t i ng
conf i r mat i on, she t ur ned
and gr i ml y f aced t he vi ewer s. " The I l l umi nat i have j ust cl ai med r esponsi bi l i t y
f or . . . " She hesi t at ed. " They
have cl ai med r esponsi bi l i t y f or t he deat h of t he Pope f i f t een days ago. "
The camer l egno' s j aw f el l .
Rocher dr opped t he r emot e cont r ol .
Vi t t or i a coul d bar el y pr ocess t he i nf or mat i on.
" By Vat i can l aw, " t he woman cont i nued, " no f or mal aut opsy i s ever per f or med on a
Pope, so t he I l l umi nat i
cl ai mof mur der cannot be conf i r med. Nonet hel ess, t he I l l umi nat i hol d t hat t he
cause of t he l at e Pope' s
deat h was not a st r oke as t he Vat i can r epor t ed, but poi soni ng. "
The r oomwent t ot al l y si l ent agai n.
Ol i vet t i er upt ed. " Madness! A bol d- f aced l i e! "
Rocher began f l i ppi ng channel s agai n. The bul l et i n seemed t o spr ead l i ke a
pl ague f r omst at i on t o st at i on.
Ever yone had t he same st or y. Headl i nes compet ed f or opt i mal sensat i onal i sm.
MURDER AT THE VATI CAN
POPE POI SONED
SATAN TOUCHES HOUSE OF GOD
The camer l egno l ooked away. " God hel p us. "
As Rocher f l i pped, he passed a BBC st at i on. " - t i pped me of f about t he ki l l i ng at
Sant a Mar i a de Popol o- "
" Wai t ! " t he camer l egno sai d. " Back. "
Sei t e 153
Rocher went back. On scr een, a pr i m- l ooki ng man sat at a BBC news desk.
Super i mposed over hi s
shoul der was a st i l l snapshot of an odd- l ooki ng man wi t h a r ed bear d. Under neat h
hi s phot o, i t sai d:
GUNTHER GLI CK- LI VE I N VATI CAN CI TY. Repor t er Gl i ck was appar ent l y r epor t i ng by
phone, t he
connect i on scr at chy. " . . . my vi deogr apher got t he f oot age of t he car di nal
bei ng r emoved f r omt he Chi gi
Chapel . "
" Let me r ei t er at e f or our vi ewer s, " t he anchor man i n London was sayi ng, " BBC
r epor t er Gunt her Gl i ck i s
t he man who f i r st br oke t hi s st or y. He has been i n phone cont act t wi ce now wi t h
t he al l eged I l l umi nat i
assassi n. Gunt her , you say t he assassi n phoned onl y moment s ago t o pass al ong a
message f r omt he
I l l umi nat i ?"
" He di d. "
" And t hei r message was t hat t he I l l umi nat i wer e somehow r esponsi bl e f or t he
Pope' s deat h?" The
anchor man sounded i ncr edul ous.
" Cor r ect . The cal l er t ol d me t hat t he Pope' s deat h was not a st r oke, as t he
Vat i can had t hought , but r at her
t hat t he Pope had been poi soned by t he I l l umi nat i . "
Ever yone i n t he Pope' s of f i ce f r oze.
" Poi soned?" t he anchor man demanded. " But . . . but how! "
" They gave no speci f i cs, " Gl i ck r epl i ed, " except t o say t hat t hey ki l l ed hi m
wi t h a dr ug known as . . . " - t her e
was a r ust l i ng of paper s on t he l i ne- " somet hi ng known as Hepar i n. "
The camer l egno, Ol i vet t i , and Rocher al l exchanged conf used l ooks.
" Hepar i n?" Rocher demanded, l ooki ng unner ved. " But i sn' t t hat . . . ?"
The camer l egno bl anched. " The Pope' s medi cat i on. "
Vi t t or i a was st unned. " The Pope was on Hepar i n?"
" He had t hr ombophl ebi t i s, " t he camer l egno sai d. " He t ook an i nj ect i on once a
day. "
Rocher l ooked f l abber gast ed. " But Hepar i n i sn' t a poi son. Why woul d t he
I l l umi nat i cl ai m- "
" Hepar i n i s l et hal i n t he wr ong dosages, " Vi t t or i a of f er ed. " I t ' s a power f ul
ant i coagul ant . An over dose
woul d cause massi ve i nt er nal bl eedi ng and br ai n hemor r hages. "
Ol i vet t i eyed her suspi ci ousl y. " How woul d you know t hat ?"
" Mar i ne bi ol ogi st s use i t on sea mammal s i n capt i vi t y t o pr event bl ood cl ot t i ng
f r omdecr eased act i vi t y.
Ani mal s have di ed f r omi mpr oper admi ni st r at i on of t he dr ug. " She paused. " A
Hepar i n over dose i n a
human woul d cause sympt oms easi l y mi st aken f or a st r oke . . . especi al l y i n t he
absence of a pr oper
aut opsy. "
The camer l egno now l ooked deepl y t r oubl ed.
" Si gnor e, " Ol i vet t i sai d, " t hi s i s obvi ousl y an I l l umi nat i pl oy f or publ i ci t y.
Someone over dosi ng t he Pope
woul d be i mpossi bl e. Nobody had access. And even i f we t ake t he bai t and t r y t o
r ef ut e t hei r cl ai m, how
coul d we? Papal l aw pr ohi bi t s aut opsy. Even wi t h an aut opsy, we woul d l ear n
not hi ng. We woul d f i nd
t r aces of Hepar i n i n hi s body f r omhi s dai l y i nj ect i ons. "
" Tr ue. " The camer l egno' s voi ce shar pened. " And yet somet hi ng el se t r oubl es me.
No one on t he out si de
knew Hi s Hol i ness was t aki ng t hi s medi cat i on. "
Ther e was a si l ence.
" I f he over dosed wi t h Hepar i n, " Vi t t or i a sai d, " hi s body woul d show si gns. "
Ol i vet t i spun t owar d her . " Ms. Vet r a, i n case you di dn' t hear me, papal
aut opsi es ar e pr ohi bi t ed by Vat i can
Law. We ar e not about t o def i l e Hi s Hol i ness' s body by cut t i ng hi mopen j ust
because an enemy makes a
t aunt i ng cl ai m! "
Vi t t or i a f el t shamed. " I was not i mpl yi ng . . . " She had not meant t o seem
di sr espect f ul . " I cer t ai nl y was not
suggest i ng you exhume t he Pope . . . " She hesi t at ed, t hough. Somet hi ng Rober t
t ol d her i n t he Chi gi passed
Sei t e 154
l i ke a ghost t hr ough her mi nd. He had ment i oned t hat papal sar cophagi wer e above
gr ound and never
cement ed shut , a t hr owback t o t he days of t he phar aohs when seal i ng and bur yi ng
a casket was bel i eved t o
t r ap t he deceased' s soul i nsi de. Gr avi t y had become t he mor t ar of choi ce, wi t h
cof f i n l i ds of t en wei ghi ng
hundr eds of pounds. Techni cal l y, she r eal i zed, i t woul d be possi bl e t o-
" What sor t of si gns?" t he camer l egno sai d suddenl y.
Vi t t or i a f el t her hear t f l ut t er wi t h f ear . " Over doses can cause bl eedi ng of t he
or al mucosa. "
" Or al what ?"
" The vi ct i m' s gums woul d bl eed. Post mor t em, t he bl ood congeal s and t ur ns t he
i nsi de of t he mout h
bl ack. " Vi t t or i a had once seen a phot o t aken at an aquar i umi n London wher e a
pai r of ki l l er whal es had
been mi st akenl y over dosed by t hei r t r ai ner . The whal es f l oat ed l i f el ess i n t he
t ank, t hei r mout hs hangi ng
open and t hei r t ongues bl ack as soot .
The camer l egno made no r epl y. He t ur ned and st ar ed out t he wi ndow.
Rocher ' s voi ce had l ost i t s opt i mi sm. " Si gnor e, i f t hi s cl ai mabout poi soni ng i s
t r ue . . . "
" I t ' s not t r ue, " Ol i vet t i decl ar ed. " Access t o t he Pope by an out si der i s
ut t er l y i mpossi bl e. "
" I f t hi s cl ai mi s t r ue, " Rocher r epeat ed, " and our Hol y Fat her was poi soned,
t hen t hat has pr of ound
i mpl i cat i ons f or our ant i mat t er sear ch. The al l eged assassi nat i on i mpl i es a much
deeper i nf i l t r at i on of
Vat i can Ci t y t han we had i magi ned. Sear chi ng t he whi t e zones may be i nadequat e.
I f we ar e compr omi sed
t o such a deep ext ent , we may not f i nd t he cani st er i n t i me. "
Ol i vet t i l evel ed hi s capt ai n wi t h a col d st ar e. " Capt ai n, I wi l l t el l you what
i s goi ng t o happen. "
" No, " t he camer l egno sai d, t ur ni ng suddenl y. " I wi l l t el l you what i s goi ng t o
happen. " He l ooked di r ect l y
at Ol i vet t i . " Thi s has gone f ar enough. I n t went y mi nut es I wi l l be maki ng a
deci si on whet her or not t o
cancel concl ave and evacuat e Vat i can Ci t y. My deci si on wi l l be f i nal . I s t hat
cl ear ?"
Ol i vet t i di d not bl i nk. Nor di d he r espond.
The camer l egno spoke f or cef ul l y now, as t hough t appi ng a hi dden r eser ve of
power . " Capt ai n Rocher , you
wi l l compl et e your sear ch of t he whi t e zones and r epor t di r ect l y t o me when you
ar e f i ni shed. "
Rocher nodded, t hr owi ng Ol i vet t i an uneasy gl ance.
The camer l egno t hen si ngl ed out t wo guar ds. " I want t he BBC r epor t er , Mr . Gl i ck,
i n t hi s of f i ce
i mmedi at el y. I f t he I l l umi nat i have been communi cat i ng wi t h hi m, he may be abl e
t o hel p us. Go. "
The t wo sol di er s di sappear ed.
Now t he camer l egno t ur ned and addr essed t he r emai ni ng guar ds. " Gent l emen, I wi l l
not per mi t any mor e
l oss of l i f e t hi s eveni ng. By t en o' cl ock you wi l l l ocat e t he r emai ni ng t wo
car di nal s and capt ur e t he monst er
r esponsi bl e f or t hese mur der s. Do I make mysel f under st ood?"
" But , si gnor e, " Ol i vet t i ar gued, " we have no i dea wher e- "
" Mr . Langdon i s wor ki ng on t hat . He seems capabl e. I have f ai t h. "
Wi t h t hat , t he camer l egno st r ode f or t he door , a new det er mi nat i on i n hi s st ep.
On hi s way out , he poi nt ed
t o t hr ee guar ds. " You t hr ee, come wi t h me. Now. "
The guar ds f ol l owed.
I n t he door way, t he camer l egno st opped. He t ur ned t o Vi t t or i a. " Ms. Vet r a. You
t oo. Pl ease come wi t h
me. "
Vi t t or i a hesi t at ed. " Wher e ar e we goi ng?"
He headed out t he door . " To see an ol d f r i end. "
82
A t CERN, secr et ar y Syl vi e Baudel oque was hungr y, wi shi ng she coul d go home. To
her di smay,
Kohl er had appar ent l y sur vi ved hi s t r i p t o t he i nf i r mar y; he had phoned and
Sei t e 155
demanded- not asked,
demanded- t hat Syl vi e st ay l at e t hi s eveni ng. No expl anat i on.
Over t he year s, Syl vi e had pr ogr ammed her sel f t o i gnor e Kohl er ' s bi zar r e mood
swi ngs and eccent r i ci t i es-
hi s si l ent t r eat ment s, hi s unner vi ng pr opensi t y t o secr et l y f i l mmeet i ngs wi t h
hi s wheel chai r ' s por t a- vi deo.
She secr et l y hoped one day he woul d shoot hi msel f dur i ng hi s weekl y vi si t t o
CERN' s r ecr eat i onal pi st ol
r ange, but appar ent l y he was a pr et t y good shot .
Now, si t t i ng al one at her desk, Syl vi e hear d her st omach gr owl i ng. Kohl er had
not yet r et ur ned, nor had he
gi ven her any addi t i onal wor k f or t he eveni ng. To hel l wi t h si t t i ng her e bor ed
and st ar vi ng, she deci ded.
She l ef t Kohl er a not e and headed f or t he st af f di ni ng commons t o gr ab a qui ck
bi t e.
She never made i t .
As she passed CERN' s r ecr eat i onal " sui t es de l oi si r " - a l ong hal l way of l ounges
wi t h t el evi si ons- she
not i ced t he r ooms wer e over f l owi ng wi t h empl oyees who had appar ent l y abandoned
di nner t o wat ch t he
news. Somet hi ng bi g was goi ng on. Syl vi e ent er ed t he f i r st sui t e. I t was packed
wi t h byt e- heads- wi l d young
comput er pr ogr ammer s. When she saw t he headl i nes on t he TV, she gasped.
TERROR AT THE VATI CAN
Syl vi e l i st ened t o t he r epor t , unabl e t o bel i eve her ear s. Some anci ent
br ot her hood ki l l i ng car di nal s? What
di d t hat pr ove? Thei r hat r ed? Thei r domi nance? Thei r i gnor ance?
And yet , i ncr edi bl y, t he mood i n t hi s sui t e seemed anyt hi ng but somber .
Two young t echi es r an by wavi ng T- shi r t s t hat bor e a pi ct ur e of Bi l l Gat es and
t he message: AND THE
GEEK SHALL I NHERI T THE EARTH!
" I l l umi nat i ! " one shout ed. " I t ol d you t hese guys wer e r eal ! "
" I ncr edi bl e! I t hought i t was j ust a game! "
" They ki l l ed t he Pope, man! The Pope! "
" J eez! I wonder how many poi nt s you get f or t hat ?"
They r an of f l aughi ng.
Syl vi e st ood i n st unned amazement . As a Cat hol i c wor ki ng among sci ent i st s, she
occasi onal l y endur ed t he
ant i r el i gi ous whi sper i ngs, but t he par t y t hese ki ds seemed t o be havi ng was
al l - out euphor i a over t he
chur ch' s l oss. How coul d t hey be so cal l ous? Why t he hat r ed?
For Syl vi e, t he chur ch had al ways been an i nnocuous ent i t y . . . a pl ace of
f el l owshi p and i nt r ospect i on . . .
somet i mes j ust a pl ace t o si ng out l oud wi t hout peopl e st ar i ng at her . The
chur ch r ecor ded t he benchmar ks
of her l i f e- f uner al s, weddi ngs, bapt i sms, hol i days- and i t asked f or not hi ng i n
r et ur n. Even t he monet ar y
dues wer e vol unt ar y. Her chi l dr en emer ged f r omSunday School ever y week
upl i f t ed, f i l l ed wi t h i deas
about hel pi ng ot her s and bei ng ki nder . What coul d possi bl y be wr ong wi t h t hat ?
I t never ceased t o amaze her t hat so many of CERN' s so- cal l ed " br i l l i ant mi nds"
f ai l ed t o compr ehend t he
i mpor t ance of t he chur ch. Di d t hey r eal l y bel i eve quar ks and mesons i nspi r ed t he
aver age human bei ng? Or
t hat equat i ons coul d r epl ace someone' s need f or f ai t h i n t he di vi ne?
Dazed, Syl vi e moved down t he hal l way past t he ot her l ounges. Al l t he TV r ooms
wer e packed. She began
wonder i ng now about t he cal l Kohl er had got t en f r omt he Vat i can ear l i er .
Coi nci dence? Per haps. The
Vat i can cal l ed CERN f r omt i me t o t i me as a " cour t esy" bef or e i ssui ng scat hi ng
st at ement s condemni ng
CERN' s r esear ch- most r ecent l y f or CERN' s br eakt hr oughs i n nanot echnol ogy, a
f i el d t he chur ch
denounced because of i t s i mpl i cat i ons f or genet i c engi neer i ng. CERN never car ed.
I nvar i abl y, wi t hi n
mi nut es af t er a Vat i can sal vo, Kohl er ' s phone woul d r i ng of f t he hook wi t h
t ech- i nvest ment compani es
Sei t e 156
want i ng t o l i cense t he new di scover y. " No such t hi ng as bad pr ess, " Kohl er woul d
al ways say.
Syl vi e wonder ed i f she shoul d page Kohl er , wher ever t he hel l he was, and t el l
hi mt o t ur n on t he news. Di d
he car e? Had he hear d? Of cour se, he' d hear d. He was pr obabl y vi deot api ng t he
ent i r e r epor t wi t h hi s
f r eaky l i t t l e camcor der , smi l i ng f or t he f i r st t i me i n a year .
As Syl vi e cont i nued down t he hal l , she f i nal l y f ound a l ounge wher e t he mood was
subdued . . . al most
mel anchol y. Her e t he sci ent i st s wat chi ng t he r epor t wer e some of CERN' s ol dest
and most r espect ed. They
di d not even l ook up as Syl vi e sl i pped i n and t ook a seat .
On t he ot her si de of CERN, i n Leonar do Vet r a' s f r i gi d apar t ment , Maxi mi l i an
Kohl er had f i ni shed r eadi ng
t he l eat her - bound j our nal he' d t aken f r omVet r a' s bedsi de t abl e. Now he was
wat chi ng t he t el evi si on
r epor t s. Af t er a f ew mi nut es, he r epl aced Vet r a' s j our nal , t ur ned of f t he
t el evi si on, and l ef t t he apar t ment .
Far away, i n Vat i can Ci t y, Car di nal Mor t at i car r i ed anot her t r ay of bal l ot s t o
t he Si st i ne Chapel chi mney.
He bur ned t hem, and t he smoke was bl ack.
Two bal l ot i ngs. No Pope.
83
F l ashl i ght s wer e no mat ch f or t he vol umi nous bl ackness of St . Pet er ' s Basi l i ca.
The voi d over head
pr essed down l i ke a st ar l ess ni ght , and Vi t t or i a f el t t he empt i ness spr ead out
ar ound her l i ke a desol at e
ocean. She st ayed cl ose as t he Swi ss Guar ds and t he camer l egno pushed on. Hi gh
above, a dove cooed and
f l ut t er ed away.
As i f sensi ng her di scomf or t , t he camer l egno dr opped back and l ay a hand on her
shoul der . A t angi bl e
st r engt h t r ansf er r ed i n t he t ouch, as i f t he man wer e magi cal l y i nf usi ng her
wi t h t he cal mshe needed t o do
what t hey wer e about t o do.
What ar e we about t o do? she t hought . Thi s i s madness!
And yet , Vi t t or i a knew, f or al l i t s i mpi et y and i nevi t abl e hor r or , t he t ask at
hand was i nescapabl e. The
gr ave deci si ons f aci ng t he camer l egno r equi r ed i nf or mat i on . . . i nf or mat i on
ent ombed i n a sar cophagus i n
t he Vat i can Gr ot t oes. She wonder ed what t hey woul d f i nd. Di d t he I l l umi nat i
mur der t he Pope? Di d t hei r
power r eal l y r each so f ar ? AmI r eal l y about t o per f or mt he f i r st papal aut opsy?
Vi t t or i a f ound i t i r oni c t hat she f el t mor e appr ehensi ve i n t hi s unl i t chur ch
t han she woul d swi mmi ng at
ni ght wi t h bar r acuda. Nat ur e was her r ef uge. She under st ood nat ur e. But i t was
mat t er s of man and spi r i t
t hat l ef t her myst i f i ed. Ki l l er f i sh gat her i ng i n t he dar k conj ur ed i mages of
t he pr ess gat her i ng out si de. TV
f oot age of br anded bodi es r emi nded her of her f at her ' s cor pse . . . and t he
ki l l er ' s har sh l augh. The ki l l er
was out t her e somewher e. Vi t t or i a f el t t he anger dr owni ng her f ear .
As t hey ci r cl ed past a pi l l ar - t hi cker i n gi r t h t han any r edwood she coul d
i magi ne- Vi t t or i a saw an or ange
gl ow up ahead. The l i ght seemed t o emanat e f r ombeneat h t he f l oor i n t he cent er
of t he basi l i ca. As t hey
came cl oser , she r eal i zed what she was seei ng. I t was t he f amous sunken
sanct uar y beneat h t he mai n al t ar -
t he sumpt uous under gr ound chamber t hat hel d t he Vat i can' s most sacr ed r el i cs. As
t hey dr ew even wi t h t he
gat e sur r oundi ng t he hol l ow, Vi t t or i a gazed down at t he gol den cof f er sur r ounded
by scor es of gl owi ng oi l
l amps.
" St . Pet er ' s bones?" she asked, knowi ng f ul l wel l t hat t hey wer e. Ever yone who
came t o St . Pet er ' s knew
what was i n t he gol den casket .
Sei t e 157
" Act ual l y, no, " t he camer l egno sai d. " A common mi sconcept i on. That ' s not a
r el i quar y. The box hol ds
pal l i ums- woven sashes t hat t he Pope gi ves t o newl y el ect ed car di nal s. "
" But I t hought - "
" As does ever yone. The gui debooks l abel t hi s as St . Pet er ' s t omb, but hi s t r ue
gr ave i s t wo st or i es beneat h
us, bur i ed i n t he ear t h. The Vat i can excavat ed i t i n t he f or t i es. Nobody i s
al l owed down t her e. "
Vi t t or i a was shocked. As t hey moved away f r omt he gl owi ng r ecessi on i nt o t he
dar kness agai n, she t hought
of t he st or i es she' d hear d of pi l gr i ms t r avel i ng t housands of mi l es t o l ook at
t hat gol den box, t hi nki ng t hey
wer e i n t he pr esence of St . Pet er . " Shoul dn' t t he Vat i can t el l peopl e?"
" We al l benef i t f r oma sense of cont act wi t h di vi ni t y . . . even i f i t i s onl y
i magi ned. "
Vi t t or i a, as a sci ent i st , coul d not ar gue t he l ogi c. She had r ead count l ess
st udi es of t he pl acebo ef f ect -
aspi r i ns cur i ng cancer i n peopl e who bel i eved t hey wer e usi ng a mi r acl e dr ug.
What was f ai t h, af t er al l ?
" Change, " t he camer l egno sai d, " i s not somet hi ng we do wel l wi t hi n Vat i can Ci t y.
Admi t t i ng our past
f aul t s, moder ni zat i on, ar e t hi ngs we hi st or i cal l y eschew. Hi s Hol i ness was
t r yi ng t o change t hat . " He
paused. " Reachi ng t o t he moder n wor l d. Sear chi ng f or new pat hs t o God. "
Vi t t or i a nodded i n t he dar k. " Li ke sci ence?"
" To be honest , sci ence seems i r r el evant . "
" I r r el evant ?" Vi t t or i a coul d t hi nk of a l ot of wor ds t o descr i be sci ence, but i n
t he moder n wor l d " i r r el evant "
di d not seeml i ke one of t hem.
" Sci ence can heal , or sci ence can ki l l . I t depends on t he soul of t he man usi ng
t he sci ence. I t i s t he soul t hat
i nt er est s me. "
" When di d you hear your cal l ?"
" Bef or e I was bor n. "
Vi t t or i a l ooked at hi m.
" I ' msor r y, t hat al ways seems l i ke a st r ange quest i on. What I mean i s t hat I ' ve
al ways known I woul d ser ve
God. Fr omt he moment I coul d f i r st t hi nk. I t wasn' t unt i l I was a young man,
t hough, i n t he mi l i t ar y, t hat I
t r ul y under st ood my pur pose. "
Vi t t or i a was sur pr i sed. " You wer e i n t he mi l i t ar y?"
" Two year s. I r ef used t o f i r e a weapon, so t hey made me f l y i nst ead. Medevac
hel i copt er s. I n f act , I st i l l f l y
f r omt i me t o t i me. "
Vi t t or i a t r i ed t o pi ct ur e t he young pr i est f l yi ng a hel i copt er . Oddl y, she coul d
see hi mper f ect l y behi nd t he
cont r ol s. Camer l egno Vent r esca possessed a gr i t t hat seemed t o accent uat e hi s
convi ct i on r at her t han cl oud
i t . " Di d you ever f l y t he Pope?"
" Heavens no. We l ef t t hat pr eci ous car go t o t he pr of essi onal s. Hi s Hol i ness l et
me t ake t he hel i copt er t o our
r et r eat i n Gandol f o somet i mes. " He paused, l ooki ng at her . " Ms. Vet r a, t hank you
f or your hel p her e t oday.
I amver y sor r y about your f at her . Tr ul y. "
" Thank you. "
" I never knew my f at her . He di ed bef or e I was bor n. I l ost my mot her when I was
t en. "
Vi t t or i a l ooked up. " You wer e or phaned?" She f el t a sudden ki nshi p.
" I sur vi ved an acci dent . An acci dent t hat t ook my mot her . "
" Who t ook car e of you?"
" God, " t he camer l egno sai d. " He qui t e l i t er al l y sent me anot her f at her . A bi shop
f r omPal er mo appear ed at
my hospi t al bed and t ook me i n. At t he t i me I was not sur pr i sed. I had sensed
God' s wat chf ul hand over me
even as a boy. The bi shop' s appear ance si mpl y conf i r med what I had al r eady
suspect ed, t hat God had
somehow chosen me t o ser ve hi m. "
" You bel i eved God chose you?"
" I di d. And I do. " Ther e was no t r ace of concei t i n t he camer l egno' s voi ce, onl y
Sei t e 158
gr at i t ude. " I wor ked under
t he bi shop' s t ut el age f or many year s. He event ual l y became a car di nal . St i l l , he
never f or got me. He i s t he
f at her I r emember . " A beamof a f l ashl i ght caught t he camer l egno' s f ace, and
Vi t t or i a sensed a l onel i ness
i n hi s eyes.
The gr oup ar r i ved beneat h a t ower i ng pi l l ar , and t hei r l i ght s conver ged on an
openi ng i n t he f l oor . Vi t t or i a
l ooked down at t he st ai r case descendi ng i nt o t he voi d and suddenl y want ed t o
t ur n back. The guar ds wer e
al r eady hel pi ng t he camer l egno ont o t he st ai r s. They hel ped her next .
" What became of hi m?" she asked, descendi ng, t r yi ng t o keep her voi ce st eady.
" The car di nal who t ook
you i n?"
" He l ef t t he Col l ege of Car di nal s f or anot her posi t i on. "
Vi t t or i a was sur pr i sed.
" And t hen, I ' msor r y t o say, he passed on. "
" Le mi e condogl i anze, " Vi t t or i a sai d. " Recent l y?"
The camer l egno t ur ned, shadows accent uat i ng t he pai n on hi s f ace. " Exact l y
f i f t een days ago. We ar e goi ng
t o see hi mr i ght now. "
84
T he dar k l i ght s gl owed hot i nsi de t he ar chi val vaul t . Thi s vaul t was much
smal l er t han t he pr evi ous one
Langdon had been i n. Less ai r . Less t i me. He wi shed he' d asked Ol i vet t i t o t ur n
on t he r eci r cul at i ng f ans.
Langdon qui ckl y l ocat ed t he sect i on of asset s cont ai ni ng t he l edger s cat al ogi ng
Bel l e Ar t i . The sect i on was
i mpossi bl e t o mi ss. I t occupi ed al most ei ght f ul l st acks. The Cat hol i c chur ch
owned mi l l i ons of i ndi vi dual
pi eces wor l dwi de.
Langdon scanned t he shel ves sear chi ng f or Gi anl or enzo Ber ni ni . He began hi s
sear ch about mi dway down
t he f i r st st ack, at about t he spot he t hought t he B' s woul d begi n. Af t er a
moment of pani c f ear i ng t he l edger
was mi ssi ng, he r eal i zed, t o hi s gr eat er di smay, t hat t he l edger s wer e not
ar r anged al phabet i cal l y. Why amI
not sur pr i sed?
I t was not unt i l Langdon ci r cl ed back t o t he begi nni ng of t he col l ect i on and
cl i mbed a r ol l i ng l adder t o t he
t op shel f t hat he under st ood t he vaul t ' s or gani zat i on. Per ched pr ecar i ousl y on
t he upper st acks he f ound t he
f at t est l edger s of al l - t hose bel ongi ng t o t he mast er s of t he
Renai ssance- Mi chel angel o, Raphael , da Vi nci ,
Bot t i cel l i . Langdon now r eal i zed, appr opr i at e t o a vaul t cal l ed " Vat i can
Asset s, " t he l edger s wer e ar r anged
by t he over al l monet ar y val ue of each ar t i st ' s col l ect i on. Sandwi ched bet ween
Raphael and Mi chel angel o,
Langdon f ound t he l edger mar ked Ber ni ni . I t was over f i ve i nches t hi ck.
Al r eady shor t of br eat h and st r uggl i ng wi t h t he cumber some vol ume, Langdon
descended t he l adder . Then,
l i ke a ki d wi t h a comi c book, he spr ead hi msel f out on t he f l oor and opened t he
cover .
The book was cl ot h- bound and ver y sol i d. The l edger was handwr i t t en i n I t al i an.
Each page cat al oged a
si ngl e wor k, i ncl udi ng a shor t descr i pt i on, dat e, l ocat i on, cost of mat er i al s,
and somet i mes a r ough sket ch
of t he pi ece. Langdon f anned t hr ough t he pages . . . over ei ght hundr ed i n al l .
Ber ni ni had been a busy man.
As a young st udent of ar t , Langdon had wonder ed how si ngl e ar t i st s coul d cr eat e
so much wor k i n t hei r
l i f et i mes. Lat er he l ear ned, much t o hi s di sappoi nt ment , t hat f amous ar t i st s
act ual l y cr eat ed ver y l i t t l e of
t hei r own wor k. They r an st udi os wher e t hey t r ai ned young ar t i st s t o car r y out
t hei r desi gns. Scul pt or s l i ke
Ber ni ni cr eat ed mi ni at ur es i n cl ay and hi r ed ot her s t o enl ar ge t hemi nt o mar bl e.
Langdon knew t hat i f
Ber ni ni had been r equi r ed t o per sonal l y compl et e al l of hi s commi ssi ons, he
woul d st i l l be wor ki ng t oday.
Sei t e 159
" I ndex, " he sai d al oud, t r yi ng t o war d of f t he ment al cobwebs. He f l i pped t o t he
back of t he book, i nt endi ng
t o l ook under t he l et t er F f or t i t l es cont ai ni ng t he wor d f uco- f i r e- but t he F' s
wer e not t oget her . Langdon
swor e under hi s br eat h. What t he hel l do t hese peopl e have agai nst
al phabet i zi ng?
The ent r i es had appar ent l y been l ogged chr onol ogi cal l y, one by one, as Ber ni ni
cr eat ed each new wor k.
Ever yt hi ng was l i st ed by dat e. No hel p at al l .
As Langdon st ar ed at t he l i st , anot her di shear t eni ng t hought occur r ed t o hi m.
The t i t l e of t he scul pt ur e he
was l ooki ng f or mi ght not even cont ai n t he wor d Fi r e. The pr evi ous t wo
wor ks- Habakkuk and t he Angel
and West Ponent e- had not cont ai ned speci f i c r ef er ences t o Ear t h or Ai r .
He spent a mi nut e or t wo f l i ppi ng r andoml y t hr ough t he l edger i n hopes t hat an
i l l ust r at i on mi ght j ump out
at hi m. Not hi ng di d. He saw dozens of obscur e wor ks he had never hear d of , but
he al so saw pl ent y he
r ecogni zed . . . Dani el and t he Li on, Apol l o and Daphne, as wel l as a hal f dozen
f ount ai ns. When he saw
t he f ount ai ns, hi s t hought s ski pped moment ar i l y ahead. Wat er . He wonder ed i f t he
f our t h al t ar of sci ence
was a f ount ai n. A f ount ai n seemed a per f ect t r i but e t o wat er . Langdon hoped t hey
coul d cat ch t he ki l l er
bef or e he had t o consi der Wat er - Ber ni ni had car ved dozens of f ount ai ns i n Rome,
most of t hemi n f r ont of
chur ches.
Langdon t ur ned back t o t he mat t er at hand. Fi r e. As he l ooked t hr ough t he book,
Vi t t or i a' s wor ds
encour aged hi m. You wer e f ami l i ar wi t h t he f i r st t wo scul pt ur es . . . you
pr obabl y know t hi s one t oo. As he
t ur ned t o t he i ndex agai n, he scanned f or t i t l es he knew. Some wer e f ami l i ar ,
but none j umped out .
Langdon now r eal i zed he woul d never compl et e hi s sear ch bef or e passi ng out , so
he deci ded, agai nst hi s
bet t er j udgment , t hat he woul d have t o t ake t he book out si de t he vaul t . I t ' s
onl y a l edger , he t ol d hi msel f .
I t ' s not l i ke I ' mr emovi ng an or i gi nal Gal i l ean f ol i o. Langdon r ecal l ed t he
f ol i o i n hi s br east pocket and
r emi nded hi msel f t o r et ur n i t bef or e l eavi ng.
Hur r yi ng now, he r eached down t o l i f t t he vol ume, but as he di d, he saw
somet hi ng t hat gave hi mpause.
Al t hough t her e wer e numer ous not at i ons t hr oughout t he i ndex, t he one t hat had
j ust caught hi s eye seemed
odd.
The not e i ndi cat ed t hat t he f amous Ber ni ni scul pt ur e, The Ecst asy of St . Ter esa,
shor t l y af t er i t s unvei l i ng,
had been moved f r omi t s or i gi nal l ocat i on i nsi de t he Vat i can. Thi s i n i t sel f was
not what had caught
Langdon' s eye. He was al r eady f ami l i ar wi t h t he scul pt ur e' s checker ed past .
Though some t hought i t a
mast er pi ece, Pope Ur ban VI I I had r ej ect ed The Ecst asy of St . Ter esa as t oo
sexual l y expl i ci t f or t he
Vat i can. He had bani shed i t t o some obscur e chapel acr oss t own. What had caught
Langdon' s eye was t hat
t he wor k had appar ent l y been pl aced i n one of t he f i ve chur ches on hi s l i st .
What was mor e, t he not e
i ndi cat ed i t had been moved t her e per sugger i ment o del ar t i st a.
By suggest i on of t he ar t i st ? Langdon was conf used. I t made no sense t hat Ber ni ni
had suggest ed hi s
mast er pi ece be hi dden i n some obscur e l ocat i on. Al l ar t i st s want ed t hei r wor k
di spl ayed pr omi nent l y, not i n
some r emot e-
Langdon hesi t at ed. Unl ess . . .
He was f ear f ul even t o ent er t ai n t he not i on. Was i t possi bl e? Had Ber ni ni
i nt ent i onal l y cr eat ed a wor k so
expl i ci t t hat i t f or ced t he Vat i can t o hi de i t i n some out - of - t he- way spot ? A
l ocat i on per haps t hat Ber ni ni
hi msel f coul d suggest ? Maybe a r emot e chur ch on a di r ect l i ne wi t h West
Sei t e 160
Ponent e' s br eat h?
As Langdon' s exci t ement mount ed, hi s vague f ami l i ar i t y wi t h t he st at ue
i nt er vened, i nsi st i ng t he wor k had
not hi ng t o do wi t h f i r e. The scul pt ur e, as anyone who had seen i t coul d at t est ,
was anyt hi ng but sci ent i f i c-
por nogr aphi c maybe, but cer t ai nl y not sci ent i f i c. An Engl i sh cr i t i c had once
condemned The Ecst asy of St .
Ter esa as " t he most unf i t or nament ever t o be pl aced i n a Chr i st i an Chur ch. "
Langdon cer t ai nl y under st ood
t he cont r over sy. Though br i l l i ant l y r ender ed, t he st at ue depi ct ed St . Ter esa on
her back i n t he t hr oes of a
t oe- cur l i ng or gasm. Har dl y Vat i can f ar e.
Langdon hur r i edl y f l i pped t o t he l edger ' s descr i pt i on of t he wor k. When he saw
t he sket ch, he f el t an
i nst ant aneous and unexpect ed t i ngl e of hope. I n t he sket ch, St . Ter esa di d
i ndeed appear t o be enj oyi ng
her sel f , but t her e was anot her f i gur e i n t he st at ue who Langdon had f or got t en
was t her e.
An angel .
The sor di d l egend suddenl y came back . . .
St . Ter esa was a nun sai nt ed af t er she cl ai med an angel had pai d her a bl i ssf ul
vi si t i n her sl eep. Cr i t i cs l at er
deci ded her encount er had pr obabl y been mor e sexual t han spi r i t ual . Scr awl ed at
t he bot t omof t he l edger ,
Langdon saw a f ami l i ar excer pt . St . Ter esa' s own wor ds l ef t l i t t l e t o t he
i magi nat i on:
. . . hi s gr eat gol den spear . . . f i l l ed wi t h f i r e . . . pl unged i nt o me
sever al t i mes . . . penet r at ed t o my ent r ai l s
. . . a sweet ness so ext r eme t hat one coul d not possi bl y wi sh i t t o st op.
Langdon smi l ed. I f t hat ' s not a met aphor f or some ser i ous sex, I don' t know what
i s. He was smi l i ng al so
because of t he l edger ' s descr i pt i on of t he wor k. Al t hough t he par agr aph was i n
I t al i an, t he wor d f uco
appear ed a hal f dozen t i mes:
. . . angel ' s spear t i pped wi t h poi nt of f i r e . . .
. . . angel ' s head emanat i ng r ays of f i r e . . .
. . . woman i nf l amed by passi on' s f i r e . . .
Langdon was not ent i r el y convi nced unt i l he gl anced up at t he sket ch agai n. The
angel ' s f i er y spear was
r ai sed l i ke a beacon, poi nt i ng t he way. Let angel s gui de you on your l of t y
quest . Even t he t ype of angel
Ber ni ni had sel ect ed seemed si gni f i cant . I t ' s a ser aphi m, Langdon r eal i zed.
Ser aphi ml i t er al l y means " t he
f i er y one. "
Rober t Langdon was not a man who had ever l ooked f or conf i r mat i on f r omabove,
but when he r ead t he
name of t he chur ch wher e t he scul pt ur e now r esi ded, he deci ded he mi ght become a
bel i ever af t er al l .
Sant a Mar i a del l a Vi t t or i a.
Vi t t or i a, he t hought , gr i nni ng. Per f ect .
St agger i ng t o hi s f eet , Langdon f el t a r ush of di zzi ness. He gl anced up t he
l adder , wonder i ng i f he shoul d
r epl ace t he book. The hel l wi t h i t , he t hought . Fat her J aqui can do i t . He
cl osed t he book and l ef t i t neat l y
at t he bot t omof t he shel f .
As he made hi s way t owar d t he gl owi ng but t on on t he vaul t ' s el ect r oni c exi t , he
was br eat hi ng i n shal l ow
gasps. Nonet hel ess, he f el t r ej uvenat ed by hi s good f or t une.
Hi s good f or t une, however , r an out bef or e he r eached t he exi t .
Wi t hout war ni ng, t he vaul t l et out a pai ned si gh. The l i ght s di mmed, and t he
exi t but t on went dead. Then,
l i ke an enor mous expi r i ng beast , t he ar chi val compl ex went t ot al l y bl ack.
Someone had j ust ki l l ed power .
85
T he Hol y Vat i can Gr ot t oes ar e l ocat ed beneat h t he mai n f l oor of St . Pet er ' s
Basi l i ca. They ar e t he bur i al
pl ace of deceased Popes.
Sei t e 161
Vi t t or i a r eached t he bot t omof t he spi r al st ai r case and ent er ed t he gr ot t o. The
dar kened t unnel r emi nded her
of CERN' s Lar ge Hadr on Col l i der - bl ack and col d. Li t now onl y by t he f l ashl i ght s
of t he Swi ss Guar ds, t he
t unnel car r i ed a di st i nct l y i ncor por eal f eel . On bot h si des, hol l ow ni ches l i ned
t he wal l s. Recessed i n t he
al coves, as f ar as t he l i ght s l et t hemsee, t he hul ki ng shadows of sar cophagi
l oomed.
An i ci ness r aked her f l esh. I t ' s t he col d, she t ol d her sel f , knowi ng t hat was
onl y par t i al l y t r ue. She had t he
sense t hey wer e bei ng wat ched, not by anyone i n t he f l esh, but by spect er s i n
t he dar k. On t op of each
t omb, i n f ul l papal vest ment s, l ay l i f e- si zed sembl ances of each Pope, shown i n
deat h, ar ms f ol ded acr oss
t hei r chest s. The pr ost r at e bodi es seemed t o emer ge f r omwi t hi n t he t ombs,
pr essi ng upwar d agai nst t he
mar bl e l i ds as i f t r yi ng t o escape t hei r mor t al r est r ai nt s. The f l ashl i ght
pr ocessi on moved on, and t he papal
si l houet t es r ose and f el l agai nst t he wal l s, st r et chi ng and vani shi ng i n a
macabr e shadowbox dance.
A si l ence had f al l en acr oss t he gr oup, and Vi t t or i a coul dn' t t el l whet her i t was
one of r espect or
appr ehensi on. She sensed bot h. The camer l egno moved wi t h hi s eyes cl osed, as i f
he knew ever y st ep by
hear t . Vi t t or i a suspect ed he had made t hi s eer i e pr omenade many t i mes si nce t he
Pope' s deat h . . . per haps
t o pr ay at hi s t omb f or gui dance.
I wor ked under t he car di nal ' s t ut el age f or many year s, t he camer l egno had sai d.
He was l i ke a f at her t o me.
Vi t t or i a r ecal l ed t he camer l egno speaki ng t hose wor ds i n r ef er ence t o t he
car di nal who had " saved" hi m
f r omt he ar my. Now, however , Vi t t or i a under st ood t he r est of t he st or y. That
ver y car di nal who had t aken
t he camer l egno under hi s wi ng had appar ent l y l at er r i sen t o t he papacy and
br ought wi t h hi mhi s young
pr ot g t o ser ve as chamber l ai n.
That expl ai ns a l ot , Vi t t or i a t hought . She had al ways possessed a wel l - t uned
per cept i on f or ot her s' i nner
emot i ons, and somet hi ng about t he camer l egno had been naggi ng her al l day. Si nce
meet i ng hi m, she had
sensed an angui sh mor e soul f ul and pr i vat e t han t he over whel mi ng cr i si s he now
f aced. Behi nd hi s pi ous
cal m, she saw a man t or ment ed by per sonal demons. Now she knew her i nst i nct s had
been cor r ect . Not
onl y was he f aci ng t he most devast at i ng t hr eat i n Vat i can hi st or y, but he was
doi ng i t wi t hout hi s ment or
and f r i end . . . f l yi ng sol o.
The guar ds sl owed now, as i f unsur e wher e exact l y i n t he dar kness t he most
r ecent Pope was bur i ed. The
camer l egno cont i nued assur edl y and st opped bef or e a mar bl e t omb t hat seemed t o
gl i st en br i ght er t han t he
ot her s. Lyi ng at op was a car ved f i gur e of t he l at e Pope. When Vi t t or i a
r ecogni zed hi s f ace f r omt el evi si on,
a shot of f ear gr i pped her . What ar e we doi ng?
" I r eal i ze we do not have much t i me, " t he camer l egno sai d. " I st i l l ask we t ake
a moment of pr ayer . "
The Swi ss Guar d al l bowed t hei r heads wher e t hey wer e st andi ng. Vi t t or i a
f ol l owed sui t , her hear t
poundi ng i n t he si l ence. The camer l egno knel t bef or e t he t omb and pr ayed i n
I t al i an. As Vi t t or i a l i st ened t o
hi s wor ds, an unexpect ed gr i ef sur f aced as t ear s . . . t ear s f or her own ment or
. . . her own hol y f at her . The
camer l egno' s wor ds seemed as appr opr i at e f or her f at her as t hey di d f or t he
Pope.
" Supr eme f at her , counsel or , f r i end. " The camer l egno' s voi ce echoed dul l y ar ound
t he r i ng. " You t ol d me
when I was young t hat t he voi ce i n my hear t was t hat of God. You t ol d me I must
f ol l ow i t no mat t er what
pai nf ul pl aces i t l eads. I hear t hat voi ce now, aski ng of me i mpossi bl e t asks.
Sei t e 162
Gi ve me st r engt h. Best ow on
me f or gi veness. What I do . . . I do i n t he name of ever yt hi ng you bel i eve.
Amen. "
" Amen, " t he guar ds whi sper ed.
Amen, Fat her . Vi t t or i a wi ped her eyes.
The camer l egno st ood sl owl y and st epped away f r omt he t omb. " Push t he cover i ng
asi de. "
The Swi ss Guar ds hesi t at ed. " Si gnor e, " one sai d, " by l aw we ar e at your
command. " He paused. " We wi l l
do as you say . . . "
The camer l egno seemed t o r ead t he young man' s mi nd. " Someday I wi l l ask your
f or gi veness f or pl aci ng
you i n t hi s posi t i on. Today I ask f or your obedi ence. Vat i can l aws ar e
est abl i shed t o pr ot ect t hi s chur ch. I t
i s i n t hat ver y spi r i t t hat I command you t o br eak t hemnow. "
Ther e was a moment of si l ence and t hen t he l ead guar d gave t he or der . The t hr ee
men set down t hei r
f l ashl i ght s on t he f l oor , and t hei r shadows l eapt over head. Li t now f r om
beneat h, t he men advanced t owar d
t he t omb. Br aci ng t hei r hands agai nst t he mar bl e cover i ng near t he head of t he
t omb, t hey pl ant ed t hei r f eet
and pr epar ed t o push. On si gnal , t hey al l t hr ust , st r ai ni ng agai nst t he enor mous
sl ab. When t he l i d di d not
move at al l , Vi t t or i a f ound her sel f al most hopi ng i t was t oo heavy. She was
suddenl y f ear f ul of what t hey
woul d f i nd i nsi de.
The men pushed har der , and st i l l t he st one di d not move.
" Ancor a, " t he camer l egno sai d, r ol l i ng up t he sl eeves of hi s cassock and
pr epar i ng t o push al ong wi t h
t hem. " Or a! " Ever yone heaved.
Vi t t or i a was about t o of f er her own hel p, but j ust t hen, t he l i d began t o sl i de.
The men dug i n agai n, and
wi t h an al most pr i mal gr owl of st one on st one, t he l i d r ot at ed of f t he t op of
t he t omb and came t o r est at an
angl e- t he Pope' s car ved head now pushed back i nt o t he ni che and hi s f eet
ext ended out i nt o t he hal l way.
Ever yone st epped back.
Tent at i vel y, a guar d bent and r et r i eved hi s f l ashl i ght . Then he ai med i t i nt o
t he t omb. The beamseemed t o
t r embl e a moment , and t hen t he guar d hel d i t st eady. The ot her guar ds gat her ed
one by one. Even i n t he
dar kness Vi t t or i a sensed t hemr ecoi l . I n successi on, t hey cr ossed t hemsel ves.
The camer l egno shudder ed when he l ooked i nt o t he t omb, hi s shoul der s dr oppi ng
l i ke wei ght s. He st ood a
l ong moment bef or e t ur ni ng away.
Vi t t or i a had f ear ed t he cor pse' s mout h mi ght be cl enched t i ght wi t h r i gor mor t i s
and t hat she woul d have t o
suggest br eaki ng t he j aw t o see t he t ongue. She now saw i t woul d be unnecessar y.
The cheeks had
col l apsed, and t he Pope' s mout h gaped wi de.
Hi s t ongue was bl ack as deat h.
86
N o l i ght . No sound.
The Secr et Ar chi ves wer e bl ack.
Fear , Langdon now r eal i zed, was an i nt ense mot i vat or . Shor t of br eat h, he
f umbl ed t hr ough t he bl ackness
t owar d t he r evol vi ng door . He f ound t he but t on on t he wal l and r ammed hi s pal m
agai nst i t . Not hi ng
happened. He t r i ed agai n. The door was dead.
Spi nni ng bl i nd, he cal l ed out , but hi s voi ce emer ged st r angl ed. The per i l of hi s
pr edi cament suddenl y
cl osed i n ar ound hi m. Hi s l ungs st r ai ned f or oxygen as t he adr enal i ne doubl ed
hi s hear t r at e. He f el t l i ke
someone had j ust punched hi mi n t he gut .
When he t hr ew hi s wei ght i nt o t he door , f or an i nst ant he t hought he f el t t he
door st ar t t o t ur n. He pushed
agai n, seei ng st ar s. Now he r eal i zed i t was t he ent i r e r oomt ur ni ng, not t he
door . St agger i ng away, Langdon
t r i pped over t he base of a r ol l i ng l adder and f el l har d. He t or e hi s knee
Sei t e 163
agai nst t he edge of a book st ack.
Swear i ng, he got up and gr oped f or t he l adder .
He f ound i t . He had hoped i t woul d be heavy wood or i r on, but i t was al umi num.
He gr abbed t he l adder and
hel d i t l i ke a bat t er i ng r am. Then he r an t hr ough t he dar k at t he gl ass wal l . I t
was cl oser t han he t hought .
The l adder hi t head- on, bounci ng of f . Fr omt he f eebl e sound of t he col l i si on,
Langdon knew he was goi ng
t o need a hel l of a l ot mor e t han an al umi numl adder t o br eak t hi s gl ass.
When he f l ashed on t he semi aut omat i c, hi s hopes sur ged and t hen i nst ant l y f el l .
The weapon was gone.
Ol i vet t i had r el i eved hi mof i t i n t he Pope' s of f i ce, sayi ng he di d not want
l oaded weapons ar ound wi t h t he
camer l egno pr esent . I t made sense at t he t i me.
Langdon cal l ed out agai n, maki ng l ess sound t han t he l ast t i me.
Next he r emember ed t he wal ki e- t al ki e t he guar d had l ef t on t he t abl e out si de t he
vaul t . Why t he hel l di dn' t I
br i ng i t i n! As t he pur pl e st ar s began t o dance bef or e hi s eyes, Langdon f or ced
hi msel f t o t hi nk. You' ve
been t r apped bef or e, he t ol d hi msel f . You sur vi ved wor se. You wer e j ust a ki d
and you f i gur ed i t out . The
cr ushi ng dar kness came f l oodi ng i n. Thi nk!
Langdon l ower ed hi msel f ont o t he f l oor . He r ol l ed over on hi s back and l ai d hi s
hands at hi s si des. The f i r st
st ep was t o gai n cont r ol .
Rel ax. Conser ve.
No l onger f i ght i ng gr avi t y t o pump bl ood, Langdon' s hear t began t o sl ow. I t was
a t r i ck swi mmer s used t o
r e- oxygenat e t hei r bl ood bet ween t i ght l y schedul ed r aces.
Ther e i s pl ent y of ai r i n her e, he t ol d hi msel f . Pl ent y. Now t hi nk. He wai t ed,
hal f - expect i ng t he l i ght s t o
come back on at any moment . They di d not . As he l ay t her e, abl e t o br eat he
bet t er now, an eer i e r esi gnat i on
came acr oss hi m. He f el t peacef ul . He f ought i t .
You wi l l move, damn i t ! But wher e . . .
On Langdon' s wr i st , Mi ckey Mouse gl owed happi l y as i f enj oyi ng t he dar k: 9: 33
P. M. Hal f an hour unt i l
Fi r e. Langdon t hought i t f el t a whol e hel l of a l ot l at er . Hi s mi nd, i nst ead of
comi ng up wi t h a pl an f or
escape, was suddenl y demandi ng an expl anat i on. Who t ur ned of f t he power ? Was
Rocher expandi ng hi s
sear ch? Woul dn' t Ol i vet t i have war ned Rocher t hat I ' mi n her e! Langdon knew at
t hi s poi nt i t made no
di f f er ence.
Openi ng hi s mout h wi de and t i ppi ng back hi s head, Langdon pul l ed t he deepest
br eat hs he coul d manage.
Each br eat h bur ned a l i t t l e l ess t han t he l ast . Hi s head cl ear ed. He r eel ed hi s
t hought s i n and f or ced t he
gear s i nt o mot i on.
Gl ass wal l s, he t ol d hi msel f . But damn t hi ck gl ass.
He wonder ed i f any of t he books i n her e wer e st or ed i n heavy, st eel , f i r epr oof
f i l e cabi net s. Langdon had
seen t hemf r omt i me t o t i me i n ot her ar chi ves but had seen none her e. Besi des,
f i ndi ng one i n t he dar k
coul d pr ove t i me- consumi ng. Not t hat he coul d l i f t one anyway, par t i cul ar l y i n
hi s pr esent st at e.
How about t he exami nat i on t abl e? Langdon knew t hi s vaul t , l i ke t he ot her , had an
exami nat i on t abl e i n t he
cent er of t he st acks. So what ! He knew he coul dn' t l i f t i t . Not t o ment i on, even
i f he coul d dr ag i t , he
woul dn' t get i t f ar . The st acks wer e cl osel y packed, t he ai sl es bet ween t hemf ar
t oo nar r ow.
The ai sl es ar e t oo nar r ow . . .
Suddenl y, Langdon knew.
Wi t h a bur st of conf i dence, he j umped t o hi s f eet f ar t oo f ast . Swayi ng i n t he
f og of a head r ush, he r eached
out i n t he dar k f or suppor t . Hi s hand f ound a st ack. Wai t i ng a moment , he f or ced
hi msel f t o conser ve. He
woul d need al l of hi s st r engt h t o do t hi s.
Sei t e 164
Posi t i oni ng hi msel f agai nst t he book st ack l i ke a f oot bal l pl ayer agai nst a
t r ai ni ng sl ed, he pl ant ed hi s f eet
and pushed. I f I can somehow t i p t he shel f . But i t bar el y moved. He r eal i gned
and pushed agai n. Hi s f eet
sl i pped backwar d on t he f l oor . The st ack cr eaked but di d not move.
He needed l ever age.
Fi ndi ng t he gl ass wal l agai n, he pl aced one hand on i t t o gui de hi mas he r aced
i n t he dar k t owar d t he f ar
end of t he vaul t . The back wal l l oomed suddenl y, and he col l i ded wi t h i t ,
cr ushi ng hi s shoul der . Cur si ng,
Langdon ci r cl ed t he shel f and gr abbed t he st ack at about eye l evel . Then,
pr oppi ng one l eg on t he gl ass
behi nd hi mand anot her on t he l ower shel ves, he st ar t ed t o cl i mb. Books f el l
ar ound hi m, f l ut t er i ng i nt o t he
dar kness. He di dn' t car e. I nst i nct f or sur vi val had l ong si nce over r i dden
ar chi val decor um. He sensed hi s
equi l i br i umwas hamper ed by t he t ot al dar kness and cl osed hi s eyes, coaxi ng hi s
br ai n t o i gnor e vi sual
i nput . He moved f ast er now. The ai r f el t l eaner t he hi gher he went . He scr ambl ed
t owar d t he upper shel ves,
st eppi ng on books, t r yi ng t o gai n pur chase, heavi ng hi msel f upwar d. Then, l i ke a
r ock cl i mber conquer i ng a
r ock f ace, Langdon gr asped t he t op shel f . St r et chi ng hi s l egs out behi nd hi m, he
wal ked hi s f eet up t he
gl ass wal l unt i l he was al most hor i zont al .
Now or never , Rober t , a voi ce ur ged. J ust l i ke t he l eg pr ess i n t he Har var d gym.
Wi t h di zzyi ng exer t i on, he pl ant ed hi s f eet agai nst t he wal l behi nd hi m, br aced
hi s ar ms and chest agai nst
t he st ack, and pushed. Not hi ng happened.
Fi ght i ng f or ai r , he r eposi t i oned and t r i ed agai n, ext endi ng hi s l egs. Ever so
sl i ght l y, t he st ack moved. He
pushed agai n, and t he st ack r ocked f or war d an i nch or so and t hen back. Langdon
t ook advant age of t he
mot i on, i nhal i ng what f el t l i ke an oxygenl ess br eat h and heavi ng agai n. The
shel f r ocked f ar t her .
Li ke a swi ng set , he t ol d hi msel f . Keep t he r hyt hm. A l i t t l e mor e.
Langdon r ocked t he shel f , ext endi ng hi s l egs f ar t her wi t h each push. Hi s
quadr i ceps bur ned now, and he
bl ocked t he pai n. The pendul umwas i n mot i on. Thr ee mor e pushes, he ur ged
hi msel f .
I t onl y t ook t wo.
Ther e was an i nst ant of wei ght l ess uncer t ai nt y. Then, wi t h a t hunder i ng of books
sl i di ng of f t he shel ves,
Langdon and t he shel f wer e f al l i ng f or war d.
Hal f way t o t he gr ound, t he shel f hi t t he st ack next t o i t . Langdon hung on,
t hr owi ng hi s wei ght f or war d,
ur gi ng t he second shel f t o t oppl e. Ther e was a moment of mot i onl ess pani c, and
t hen, cr eaki ng under t he
wei ght , t he second st ack began t o t i p. Langdon was f al l i ng agai n.
Li ke enor mous domi noes, t he st acks began t o t oppl e, one af t er anot her . Met al on
met al , books t umbl i ng
ever ywher e. Langdon hel d on as hi s i ncl i ned st ack bounced downwar d l i ke a
r at chet on a j ack. He
wonder ed how many st acks t her e wer e i n al l . How much woul d t hey wei gh? The gl ass
at t he f ar end was
t hi ck . . .
Langdon' s st ack had f al l en al most t o t he hor i zont al when he hear d what he was
wai t i ng f or - a di f f er ent ki nd
of col l i si on. Far of f . At t he end of t he vaul t . The shar p smack of met al on
gl ass. The vaul t ar ound hi m
shook, and Langdon knew t he f i nal st ack, wei ght ed down by t he ot her s, had hi t
t he gl ass har d. The sound
t hat f ol l owed was t he most unwel come sound Langdon had ever hear d.
Si l ence.
Ther e was no cr ashi ng of gl ass, onl y t he r esoundi ng t hud as t he wal l accept ed
t he wei ght of t he st acks now
pr opped agai nst i t . He l ay wi de- eyed on t he pi l e of books. Somewher e i n t he
di st ance t her e was a cr eaki ng.
Sei t e 165
Langdon woul d have hel d hi s br eat h t o l i st en, but he had none l ef t t o hol d.
One second. Two . . .
Then, as he t eet er ed on t he br i nk of unconsci ousness, Langdon hear d a di st ant
yi el di ng . . . a r i ppl e
spi der i ng out war d t hr ough t he gl ass. Suddenl y, l i ke a cannon, t he gl ass
expl oded. The st ack beneat h
Langdon col l apsed t o t he f l oor .
Li ke wel come r ai n on a deser t , shar ds of gl ass t i nkl ed downwar d i n t he dar k.
Wi t h a gr eat sucki ng hi ss, t he
ai r gushed i n.
Thi r t y seconds l at er , i n t he Vat i can Gr ot t oes, Vi t t or i a was st andi ng bef or e a
cor pse when t he el ect r oni c
squawk of a wal ki e- t al ki e br oke t he si l ence. The voi ce bl ar i ng out sounded shor t
of br eat h. " Thi s i s Rober t
Langdon! Can anyone hear me?"
Vi t t or i a l ooked up. Rober t ! She coul d not bel i eve how much she suddenl y wi shed
he wer e t her e.
The guar ds exchanged puzzl ed l ooks. One t ook a r adi o of f hi s bel t . " Mr . Langdon?
You ar e on channel
t hr ee. The commander i s wai t i ng t o hear f r omyou on channel one. "
" I know he' s on channel one, damn i t ! I don' t want t o speak t o hi m. I want t he
camer l egno. Now!
Somebody f i nd hi mf or me. "
I n t he obscur i t y of t he Secr et Ar chi ves, Langdon st ood ami dst shat t er ed gl ass
and t r i ed t o cat ch hi s br eat h.
He f el t a war ml i qui d on hi s l ef t hand and knew he was bl eedi ng. The
camer l egno' s voi ce spoke at once,
st ar t l i ng Langdon.
" Thi s i s Camer l egno Vent r esca. What ' s goi ng on?"
Langdon pr essed t he but t on, hi s hear t st i l l poundi ng. " I t hi nk somebody j ust
t r i ed t o ki l l me! "
Ther e was a si l ence on t he l i ne.
Langdon t r i ed t o cal mhi msel f . " I al so know wher e t he next ki l l i ng i s goi ng t o
be. "
The voi ce t hat came back was not t he camer l egno' s. I t was Commander Ol i vet t i ' s:
" Mr . Langdon. Do not
speak anot her wor d. "
87
L angdon' s wat ch, now smear ed wi t h bl ood, r ead 9: 41 P. M. as he r an acr oss t he
Cour t yar d of t he
Bel veder e and appr oached t he f ount ai n out si de t he Swi ss Guar d secur i t y cent er .
Hi s hand had st opped
bl eedi ng and now f el t wor se t han i t l ooked. As he ar r i ved, i t seemed ever yone
convened at once- Ol i vet t i ,
Rocher , t he camer l egno, Vi t t or i a, and a handf ul of guar ds.
Vi t t or i a hur r i ed t owar d hi mi mmedi at el y. " Rober t , you' r e hur t . "
Bef or e Langdon coul d answer , Ol i vet t i was bef or e hi m. " Mr . Langdon, I ' mr el i eved
you' r e okay. I ' msor r y
about t he cr ossed si gnal s i n t he ar chi ves. "
" Cr ossed si gnal s?" Langdon demanded. " You knew damn wel l - "
" I t was my f aul t , " Rocher sai d, st eppi ng f or war d, soundi ng cont r i t e. " I had no
i dea you wer e i n t he
ar chi ves. Por t i ons of our whi t e zones ar e cr osswi r ed wi t h t hat bui l di ng. We
wer e ext endi ng our sear ch. I ' m
t he one who ki l l ed power . I f I had known . . . "
" Rober t , " Vi t t or i a sai d, t aki ng hi s wounded hand i n her s and l ooki ng i t over ,
" t he Pope was poi soned. The
I l l umi nat i ki l l ed hi m. "
Langdon hear d t he wor ds, but t hey bar el y r egi st er ed. He was sat ur at ed. Al l he
coul d f eel was t he war mt h of
Vi t t or i a' s hands.
The camer l egno pul l ed a si l k handker chi ef f r omhi s cassock and handed i t t o
Langdon so he coul d cl ean
hi msel f . The man sai d not hi ng. Hi s gr een eyes seemed f i l l ed wi t h a new f i r e.
" Rober t , " Vi t t or i a pr essed, " you sai d you f ound wher e t he next car di nal i s goi ng
t o be ki l l ed?"
Langdon f el t f l i ght y. " I do, i t ' s at t he- "
Sei t e 166
" No, " Ol i vet t i i nt er r upt ed. " Mr . Langdon, when I asked you not t o speak anot her
wor d on t he wal ki e- t al ki e,
i t was f or a r eason. " He t ur ned t o t he handf ul of assembl ed Swi ss Guar ds.
" Excuse us, gent l emen. "
The sol di er s di sappear ed i nt o t he secur i t y cent er . No i ndi gni t y. Onl y
compl i ance.
Ol i vet t i t ur ned back t o t he r emai ni ng gr oup. " As much as i t pai ns me t o say
t hi s, t he mur der of our Pope i s
an act t hat coul d onl y have been accompl i shed wi t h hel p f r omwi t hi n t hese wal l s.
For t he good of al l , we
can t r ust no one. I ncl udi ng our guar ds. " He seemed t o be suf f er i ng as he spoke
t he wor ds.
Rocher l ooked anxi ous. " I nsi de col l usi on i mpl i es- "
" Yes, " Ol i vet t i sai d. " The i nt egr i t y of your sear ch i s compr omi sed. And yet i t
i s a gambl e we must t ake.
Keep l ooki ng. "
Rocher l ooked l i ke he was about t o say somet hi ng, t hought bet t er of i t , and
l ef t .
The camer l egno i nhal ed deepl y. He had not sai d a wor d yet , and Langdon sensed a
new r i gor i n t he man, as
i f a t ur ni ng poi nt had been r eached.
" Commander ?" The camer l egno' s t one was i mper meabl e. " I amgoi ng t o br eak
concl ave. "
Ol i vet t i pur sed hi s l i ps, l ooki ng dour . " I advi se agai nst i t . We st i l l have t wo
hour s and t went y mi nut es. "
" A hear t beat . "
Ol i vet t i ' s t one was now chal l engi ng " What do you i nt end t o do? Evacuat e t he
car di nal s si ngl e- handedl y?"
" I i nt end t o save t hi s chur ch wi t h what ever power God has gi ven me. How I
pr oceed i s no l onger your
concer n. "
Ol i vet t i st r ai ght ened. " What ever you i nt end t o do . . . " He paused. " I do not
have t he aut hor i t y t o r est r ai n
you. Par t i cul ar l y i n l i ght of my appar ent f ai l ur e as head of secur i t y. I ask
onl y t hat you wai t . Wai t t went y
mi nut es . . . unt i l af t er t en o' cl ock. I f Mr . Langdon' s i nf or mat i on i s cor r ect ,
I may st i l l have a chance t o
cat ch t hi s assassi n. Ther e i s st i l l a chance t o pr eser ve pr ot ocol and decor um. "
" Decor um?" The camer l egno l et out a choked l augh. " We have l ong si nce passed
pr opr i et y, commander . I n
case you hadn' t not i ced, t hi s i s war . "
A guar d emer ged f r omt he secur i t y cent er and cal l ed out t o t he camer l egno,
" Si gnor e, I j ust got wor d we
have det ai ned t he BBC r epor t er , Mr . Gl i ck. "
The camer l egno nodded. " Have bot h he and hi s camer awoman meet me out si de t he
Si st i ne Chapel . "
Ol i vet t i ' s eyes wi dened. " What ar e you doi ng?"
" Twent y mi nut es, commander . That ' s al l I ' mgi vi ng you. " Then he was gone.
When Ol i vet t i ' s Al pha Romeo t or e out of Vat i can Ci t y, t hi s t i me t her e was no
l i ne of unmar ked car s
f ol l owi ng hi m. I n t he back seat , Vi t t or i a bandaged Langdon' s hand wi t h a
f i r st - ai d ki t she' d f ound i n t he
gl ove box.
Ol i vet t i st ar ed st r ai ght ahead. " Okay, Mr . Langdon. Wher e ar e we goi ng?"
88
E ven wi t h i t s si r en now af f i xed and bl ar i ng, Ol i vet t i ' s Al pha Romeo seemed t o
go unnot i ced as i t
r ocket ed acr oss t he br i dge i nt o t he hear t of ol d Rome. Al l t he t r af f i c was
movi ng i n t he ot her di r ect i on,
t owar d t he Vat i can, as i f t he Hol y See had suddenl y become t he hot t est
ent er t ai nment i n Rome.
Langdon sat i n t he backseat , t he quest i ons whi ppi ng t hr ough hi s mi nd. He
wonder ed about t he ki l l er , i f
t hey woul d cat ch hi mt hi s t i me, i f he woul d t el l t hemwhat t hey needed t o know,
i f i t was al r eady t oo l at e.
How l ong bef or e t he camer l egno t ol d t he cr owd i n St . Pet er ' s Squar e t hey wer e i n
danger ? The i nci dent i n
t he vaul t st i l l nagged. A mi st ake.
Sei t e 167
Ol i vet t i never t ouched t he br akes as he snaked t he howl i ng Al pha Romeo t owar d
t he Chur ch of Sant a
Mar i a del l a Vi t t or i a. Langdon knew on any ot her day hi s knuckl es woul d have been
whi t e. At t he moment ,
however , he f el t anest het i zed. Onl y t he t hr obbi ng i n hi s hand r emi nded hi mwher e
he was.
Over head, t he si r en wai l ed. Not hi ng l i ke t el l i ng hi mwe' r e comi ng, Langdon
t hought . And yet t hey wer e
maki ng i ncr edi bl e t i me. He guessed Ol i vet t i woul d ki l l t he si r en as t hey dr ew
near er .
Now wi t h a moment t o si t and r ef l ect , Langdon f el t a t i nge of amazement as t he
news of t he Pope' s mur der
f i nal l y r egi st er ed i n hi s mi nd. The t hought was i nconcei vabl e, and yet somehow
i t seemed a per f ect l y
l ogi cal event . I nf i l t r at i on had al ways been t he I l l umi nat i
power base- r ear r angement s of power f r omwi t hi n.
And i t was not as i f Popes had never been mur der ed. Count l ess r umor s of
t r eacher y abounded, al t hough
wi t h no aut opsy, none was ever conf i r med. Unt i l r ecent l y. Academi cs not l ong ago
had got t en per mi ssi on
t o X- r ay t he t omb of Pope Cel est i ne V, who had al l egedl y di ed at t he hands of
hi s over eager successor ,
Boni f ace VI I I . The r esear cher s had hoped t he X- r ay mi ght r eveal some smal l hi nt
of f oul pl ay- a br oken
bone per haps. I ncr edi bl y, t he X- r ay had r eveal ed a t en- i nch nai l dr i ven i nt o t he
Pope' s skul l .
Langdon now r ecal l ed a ser i es of news cl i ppi ngs f el l ow I l l umi nat i buf f s had sent
hi myear s ago. At f i r st he
had t hought t he cl i ppi ngs wer e a pr ank, so he' d gone t o t he Har var d mi cr of i che
col l ect i on t o conf i r mt he
ar t i cl es wer e aut hent i c. I ncr edi bl y, t hey wer e. He now kept t hemon hi s bul l et i n
boar d as exampl es of how
even r espect abl e news or gani zat i ons somet i mes got car r i ed away wi t h I l l umi nat i
par anoi a. Suddenl y, t he
medi a' s suspi ci ons seemed a l ot l ess par anoi d. Langdon coul d see t he ar t i cl es
cl ear l y i n hi s mi nd . . .
THE BRI TI SH BROADCASTI NG CORPORATI ON
J une 14, 1998
Pope J ohn Paul I , who di ed i n 1978, f el l vi ct i mt o a pl ot by t he P2 Masoni c
Lodge . . . The secr et soci et y P2
deci ded t o mur der J ohn Paul I when i t saw he was det er mi ned t o di smi ss t he
Amer i can Ar chbi shop Paul
Mar ci nkus as Pr esi dent of t he Vat i can Bank. The Bank had been i mpl i cat ed i n
shady f i nanci al deal s wi t h
t he Masoni c Lodge . . .
THE NEWYORK TI MES
August 24, 1998
Why was t he l at e J ohn Paul I wear i ng hi s day shi r t i n bed? Why was i t t or n? The
quest i ons don' t st op t her e.
No medi cal i nvest i gat i ons wer e made. Car di nal Vi l l ot f or bade an aut opsy on t he
gr ounds t hat no Pope was
ever gi ven a post mor t em. And J ohn Paul ' s medi ci nes myst er i ousl y vani shed f r om
hi s bedsi de, as di d hi s
gl asses, sl i pper s and hi s l ast wi l l and t est ament .
LONDON DAI LY MAI L
August 27, 1998
. . . a pl ot i ncl udi ng a power f ul , r ut hl ess and i l l egal Masoni c l odge wi t h
t ent acl es st r et chi ng i nt o t he
Vat i can.
The cel l ul ar i n Vi t t or i a' s pocket r ang, t hankf ul l y er asi ng t he memor i es f r om
Langdon' s mi nd.
Vi t t or i a answer ed, l ooki ng conf used as t o who mi ght be cal l i ng her . Even f r oma
f ew f eet away, Langdon
r ecogni zed t he l aser l i ke voi ce on t he phone.
" Vi t t or i a? Thi s i s Maxi mi l i an Kohl er . Have you f ound t he ant i mat t er yet ?"
Sei t e 168
" Max? You' r e okay?"
" I saw t he news. Ther e was no ment i on of CERN or t he ant i mat t er . Thi s i s good.
What i s happeni ng?"
" We haven' t l ocat ed t he cani st er yet . The si t uat i on i s compl ex. Rober t Langdon
has been qui t e an asset . We
have a l ead on cat chi ng t he man assassi nat i ng car di nal s. Ri ght now we ar e
headed- "
" Ms. Vet r a, " Ol i vet t i i nt er r upt ed. " You' ve sai d enough. "
She cover ed t he r ecei ver , cl ear l y annoyed. " Commander , t hi s i s t he pr esi dent of
CERN. Cer t ai nl y he has a
r i ght t o- "
" He has a r i ght , " Ol i vet t i snapped, " t o be her e handl i ng t hi s si t uat i on. You' r e
on an open cel l ul ar l i ne.
You' ve sai d enough. "
Vi t t or i a t ook a deep br eat h. " Max?"
" I may have some i nf or mat i on f or you, " Max sai d. " About your f at her . . . I may
know who he t ol d about
t he ant i mat t er . "
Vi t t or i a' s expr essi on cl ouded. " Max, my f at her sai d he t ol d no one. "
" I ' maf r ai d, Vi t t or i a, your f at her di d t el l someone. I need t o check some
secur i t y r ecor ds. I wi l l be i n t ouch
soon. " The l i ne went dead.
Vi t t or i a l ooked waxen as she r et ur ned t he phone t o her pocket .
" You okay?" Langdon asked.
Vi t t or i a nodded, her t r embl i ng f i nger s r eveal i ng t he l i e.
" The chur ch i s on Pi azza Bar ber i ni , " Ol i vet t i sai d, ki l l i ng t he si r en and
checki ng hi s wat ch. " We have ni ne
mi nut es. "
When Langdon had f i r st r eal i zed t he l ocat i on of t he t hi r d mar ker , t he posi t i on
of t he chur ch had r ung some
di st ant bel l f or hi m. Pi azza Bar ber i ni . Somet hi ng about t he name was f ami l i ar .
. . somet hi ng he coul d not
pl ace. Now Langdon r eal i zed what i t was. The pi azza was t he si ght of a
cont r over si al subway st op. Twent y
year s ago, const r uct i on of t he subway t er mi nal had cr eat ed a st i r among ar t
hi st or i ans who f ear ed di ggi ng
beneat h Pi azza Bar ber i ni mi ght t oppl e t he mul t i t on obel i sk t hat st ood i n t he
cent er . Ci t y pl anner s had
r emoved t he obel i sk and r epl aced i t wi t h a smal l f ount ai n cal l ed t he Tr i t on.
I n Ber ni ni ' s day, Langdon now r eal i zed, Pi azza Bar ber i ni had cont ai ned an
obel i sk! What ever doubt s
Langdon had f el t t hat t hi s was t he l ocat i on of t he t hi r d mar ker now t ot al l y
evapor at ed.
A bl ock f r omt he pi azza, Ol i vet t i t ur ned i nt o an al l ey, gunned t he car hal f way
down, and ski dded t o a st op.
He pul l ed of f hi s sui t j acket , r ol l ed up hi s sl eeves, and l oaded hi s weapon.
" We can' t r i sk your bei ng r ecogni zed, " he sai d. " You t wo wer e on t el evi si on. I
want you acr oss t he pi azza,
out of si ght , wat chi ng t he f r ont ent r ance. I ' mgoi ng i n t he back. " He pr oduced a
f ami l i ar pi st ol and handed
i t t o Langdon. " J ust i n case. "
Langdon f r owned. I t was t he second t i me t oday he had been handed t he gun. He
sl i d i t i nt o hi s br east
pocket . As he di d, he r eal i zed he was st i l l car r yi ng t he f ol i o f r omDi agr amma.
He coul dn' t bel i eve he had
f or got t en t o l eave i t behi nd. He pi ct ur ed t he Vat i can Cur at or col l apsi ng i n
spasms of out r age at t he t hought
of t hi s pr i cel ess ar t i f act bei ng packed ar ound Rome l i ke some t our i st map. Then
Langdon t hought of t he
mess of shat t er ed gl ass and st r ewn document s t hat he' d l ef t behi nd i n t he
ar chi ves. The cur at or had ot her
pr obl ems. I f t he ar chi ves even sur vi ve t he ni ght . . .
Ol i vet t i got out of t he car and mot i oned back up t he al l ey. " The pi azza i s t hat
way. Keep your eyes open
and don' t l et your sel ves be seen. " He t apped t he phone on hi s bel t . " Ms. Vet r a,
l et ' s r et est our aut o di al . "
Vi t t or i a r emoved her phone and hi t t he aut o di al number she and Ol i vet t i had
pr ogr ammed at t he Pant heon.
Sei t e 169
Ol i vet t i ' s phone vi br at ed i n si l ent - r i ng mode on hi s bel t .
The commander nodded. " Good. I f you see anyt hi ng, I want t o know. " He cocked hi s
weapon. " I ' l l be
i nsi de wai t i ng. Thi s heat hen i s mi ne. "
At t hat moment , ver y near by, anot her cel l ul ar phone was r i ngi ng.
The Hassassi n answer ed. " Speak. "
" I t i s I , " t he voi ce sai d. " J anus. "
The Hassassi n smi l ed. " Hel l o, mast er . "
" Your posi t i on may be known. Someone i s comi ng t o st op you. "
" They ar e t oo l at e. I have al r eady made t he ar r angement s her e. "
" Good. Make sur e you escape al i ve. Ther e i s wor k yet t o be done. "
" Those who st and i n my way wi l l di e. "
" Those who st and i n your way ar e knowl edgeabl e. "
" You speak of an Amer i can schol ar ?"
" You ar e awar e of hi m?"
The Hassassi n chuckl ed. " Cool - t emper ed but na ve. He spoke t o me on t he phone
ear l i er . He i s wi t h a
f emal e who seems qui t e t he opposi t e. " The ki l l er f el t a st i r r i ng of ar ousal as
he r ecal l ed t he f i er y
t emper ament of Leonar do Vet r a' s daught er .
Ther e was a moment ar y si l ence on t he l i ne, t he f i r st hesi t at i on t he Hassassi n
had ever sensed f r omhi s
I l l umi nat i mast er . Fi nal l y, J anus spoke. " El i mi nat e t hemi f need be. "
The ki l l er smi l ed. " Consi der i t done. " He f el t a war mant i ci pat i on spr eadi ng
t hr ough hi s body. Al t hough t he
woman I may keep as a pr i ze.
89
War had br oken out i n St . Pet er ' s Squar e.
The pi azza had expl oded i nt o a f r enzy of aggr essi on. Medi a t r ucks ski dded i nt o
pl ace l i ke assaul t vehi cl es
cl ai mi ng beachheads. Repor t er s unf ur l ed hi gh- t ech el ect r oni cs l i ke sol di er s
ar mi ng f or bat t l e. Al l ar ound
t he per i met er of t he squar e, net wor ks j ockeyed f or posi t i on as t hey r aced t o
er ect t he newest weapon i n
medi a war s- f l at - scr een di spl ays.
Fl at - scr een di spl ays wer e enor mous vi deo scr eens t hat coul d be assembl ed on t op
of t r ucks or por t abl e
scaf f ol di ng. The scr eens ser ved as a ki nd of bi l l boar d adver t i sement f or t he
net wor k, br oadcast i ng t hat
net wor k' s cover age and cor por at e l ogo l i ke a dr i ve- i n movi e. I f a scr een wer e
wel l - si t uat ed- i n f r ont of t he
act i on, f or exampl e- a compet i ng net wor k coul d not shoot t he st or y wi t hout
i ncl udi ng an adver t i sement f or
t hei r compet i t or .
The squar e was qui ckl y becomi ng not onl y a mul t i medi a ext r avaganza, but a
f r enzi ed publ i c vi gi l .
Onl ooker s pour ed i n f r omal l di r ect i ons. Open space i n t he usual l y l i mi t l ess
squar e was f ast becomi ng a
val uabl e commodi t y. Peopl e cl ust er ed ar ound t he t ower i ng f l at - scr een di spl ays,
l i st eni ng t o l i ve r epor t s i n
st unned exci t ement .
Onl y a hundr ed yar ds away, i nsi de t he t hi ck wal l s of St . Pet er ' s Basi l i ca, t he
wor l d was ser ene. Li eut enant
Char t r and and t hr ee ot her guar ds moved t hr ough t he dar kness. Wear i ng t hei r
i nf r ar ed goggl es, t hey f anned
out acr oss t he nave, swi ngi ng t hei r det ect or s bef or e t hem. The sear ch of Vat i can
Ci t y' s publ i c access ar eas
so f ar had yi el ded not hi ng.
" Bet t er r emove your goggl es up her e, " t he seni or guar d sai d.
Char t r and was al r eady doi ng i t . They wer e near i ng t he Ni che of t he Pal l i ums- t he
sunken ar ea i n t he cent er
of t he basi l i ca. I t was l i t by ni net y- ni ne oi l l amps, and t he ampl i f i ed i nf r ar ed
woul d have sear ed t hei r eyes.
Char t r and enj oyed bei ng out of t he heavy goggl es, and he st r et ched hi s neck as
t hey descended i nt o t he
sunken ni che t o scan t he ar ea. The r oomwas beaut i f ul . . . gol den and gl owi ng.
He had not been down her e
Sei t e 170
yet .
I t seemed ever y day si nce Char t r and had ar r i ved i n Vat i can Ci t y he had l ear ned
some new Vat i can myst er y.
These oi l l amps wer e one of t hem. Ther e wer e exact l y ni net y- ni ne l amps bur ni ng
at al l t i mes. I t was
t r adi t i on. The cl er gy vi gi l ant l y r ef i l l ed t he l amps wi t h sacr ed oi l s such t hat
no l amp ever bur ned out . I t was
sai d t hey woul d bur n unt i l t he end of t i me.
Or at l east unt i l mi dni ght , Char t r and t hought , f eel i ng hi s mout h go dr y agai n.
Char t r and swung hi s det ect or over t he oi l l amps. Not hi ng hi dden i n her e. He was
not sur pr i sed; t he
cani st er , accor di ng t o t he vi deo f eed, was hi dden i n a dar k ar ea.
As he moved acr oss t he ni che, he came t o a bul khead gr at e cover i ng a hol e i n t he
f l oor . The hol e l ed t o a
st eep and nar r ow st ai r way t hat went st r ai ght down. He had hear d st or i es about
what l ay down t her e.
Thankf ul l y, t hey woul d not have t o descend. Rocher ' s or der s wer e cl ear . Sear ch
onl y t he publ i c access
ar eas; i gnor e t he whi t e zones.
" What ' s t hat smel l ?" he asked, t ur ni ng away f r omt he gr at e. The ni che smel l ed
i nt oxi cat i ngl y sweet .
" Fumes f r omt he l amps, " one of t hemr epl i ed.
Char t r and was sur pr i sed. " Smel l s mor e l i ke col ogne t han ker osene. "
" I t ' s not ker osene. These l amps ar e cl ose t o t he papal al t ar , so t hey t ake a
speci al , ambi ent al mi xt ur e-
et hanol , sugar , but ane, and per f ume. "
" But ane?" Char t r and eyed t he l amps uneasi l y.
The guar d nodded. " Don' t spi l l any. Smel l s l i ke heaven, but bur ns l i ke hel l . "
The guar ds had compl et ed sear chi ng t he Ni che of t he Pal l i ums and wer e movi ng
acr oss t he basi l i ca agai n
when t hei r wal ki e- t al ki es went of f .
I t was an updat e. The guar ds l i st ened i n shock.
Appar ent l y t her e wer e t r oubl i ng new devel opment s, whi ch coul d not be shar ed
on- ai r , but t he camer l egno
had deci ded t o br eak t r adi t i on and ent er concl ave t o addr ess t he car di nal s.
Never bef or e i n hi st or y had t hi s
been done. Then agai n, Char t r and r eal i zed, never bef or e i n hi st or y had t he
Vat i can been si t t i ng on what
amount ed t o some sor t of neot er i c nucl ear war head.
Char t r and f el t comf or t ed t o know t he camer l egno was t aki ng cont r ol . The
camer l egno was t he per son
i nsi de Vat i can Ci t y f or whomChar t r and hel d t he most r espect . Some of t he guar ds
t hought of t he
camer l egno as a beat o- a r el i gi ous zeal ot whose l ove of God bor der ed on
obsessi on- but even t hey agr eed . .
. when i t came t o f i ght i ng t he enemi es of God, t he camer l egno was t he one man
who woul d st and up and
pl ay har dbal l .
The Swi ss Guar ds had seen a l ot of t he camer l egno t hi s week i n pr epar at i on f or
concl ave, and ever yone had
comment ed t hat t he man seemed a bi t r ough ar ound t he edges, hi s ver dant eyes a
bi t mor e i nt ense t han
usual . Not sur pr i si ngl y, t hey had al l comment ed; not onl y was t he camer l egno
r esponsi bl e f or pl anni ng t he
sacr ed concl ave, but he had t o do i t i mmedi at el y on t he heel s of t he l oss of hi s
ment or , t he Pope.
Char t r and had onl y been at t he Vat i can a f ew mont hs when he hear d t he st or y of
t he bomb t hat bl ew up t he
camer l egno' s mot her bef or e t he ki d' s ver y eyes. A bomb i n chur ch . . . and now
i t ' s happeni ng al l over
agai n. Sadl y, t he aut hor i t i es never caught t he bast ar ds who pl ant ed t he bomb . .
. pr obabl y some ant i -
Chr i st i an hat e gr oup t hey sai d, and t he case f aded away. No wonder t he
camer l egno despi sed apat hy.
A coupl e mont hs back, on a peacef ul af t er noon i nsi de Vat i can Ci t y, Char t r and had
bumped i nt o t he
camer l egno comi ng acr oss t he gr ounds. The camer l egno had appar ent l y r ecogni zed
Char t r and as a new
Sei t e 171
guar d and i nvi t ed hi mt o accompany hi mon a st r ol l . They had t al ked about
not hi ng i n par t i cul ar , and t he
camer l egno made Char t r and f eel i mmedi at el y at home.
" Fat her , " Char t r and sai d, " may I ask you a st r ange quest i on?"
The camer l egno smi l ed. " Onl y i f I may gi ve you a st r ange answer . "
Char t r and l aughed. " I have asked ever y pr i est I know, and I st i l l don' t
under st and. "
" What t r oubl es you?" The camer l egno l ed t he way i n shor t , qui ck st r i des, hi s
f r ock ki cki ng out i n f r ont of
hi mas he wal ked. Hi s bl ack, cr epe- sol e shoess seemed bef i t t i ng, Char t r and
t hought , l i ke r ef l ect i ons of t he
man' s essence . . . moder n but humbl e, and showi ng si gns of wear .
Char t r and t ook a deep br eat h. " I don' t under st and t hi s omni pot ent - benevol ent
t hi ng. "
The camer l egno smi l ed. " You' ve been r eadi ng Scr i pt ur e. "
" I t r y. "
" You ar e conf used because t he Bi bl e descr i bes God as an omni pot ent and
benevol ent dei t y. "
" Exact l y. "
" Omni pot ent - benevol ent si mpl y means t hat God i s al l - power f ul and wel l - meani ng. "
" I under st and t he concept . I t ' s j ust . . . t her e seems t o be a cont r adi ct i on. "
" Yes. The cont r adi ct i on i s pai n. Man' s st ar vat i on, war , si ckness . . . "
" Exact l y! " Char t r and knew t he camer l egno woul d under st and. " Ter r i bl e t hi ngs
happen i n t hi s wor l d.
Human t r agedy seems l i ke pr oof t hat God coul d not possi bl y be bot h al l - power f ul
and wel l - meani ng. I f He
l oves us and has t he power t o change our si t uat i on, He woul d pr event our pai n,
woul dn' t He?"
The camer l egno f r owned. " Woul d He?"
Char t r and f el t uneasy. Had he over st epped hi s bounds? Was t hi s one of t hose
r el i gi ous quest i ons you j ust
di dn' t ask? " Wel l . . . i f God l oves us, and He can pr ot ect us, He woul d have
t o. I t seems He i s ei t her
omni pot ent and uncar i ng, or benevol ent and power l ess t o hel p. "
" Do you have chi l dr en, Li eut enant ?"
Char t r and f l ushed. " No, si gnor e. "
" I magi ne you had an ei ght - year - ol d son . . . woul d you l ove hi m?"
" Of cour se. "
" Woul d you do ever yt hi ng i n your power t o pr event pai n i n hi s l i f e?"
" Of cour se. "
" Woul d you l et hi mskat eboar d?"
Char t r and di d a doubl e t ake. The camer l egno al ways seemed oddl y " i n t ouch" f or a
cl er gyman. " Yeah, I
guess, " Char t r and sai d. " Sur e, I ' d l et hi mskat eboar d, but I ' d t el l hi mt o be
car ef ul . "
" So as t hi s chi l d' s f at her , you woul d gi ve hi msome basi c, good advi ce and t hen
l et hi mgo of f and make
hi s own mi st akes?"
" I woul dn' t r un behi nd hi mand mol l ycoddl e hi mi f t hat ' s what you mean. "
" But what i f he f el l and ski nned hi s knee?"
" He woul d l ear n t o be mor e car ef ul . "
The camer l egno smi l ed. " So al t hough you have t he power t o i nt er f er e and pr event
your chi l d' s pai n, you
woul d choose t o show your l ove by l et t i ng hi ml ear n hi s own l essons?"
" Of cour se. Pai n i s par t of gr owi ng up. I t ' s how we l ear n. "
The camer l egno nodded. " Exact l y. "
90
L angdon and Vi t t or i a obser ved Pi azza Bar ber i ni f r omt he shadows of a smal l
al l eyway on t he west er n
cor ner . The chur ch was opposi t e t hem, a hazy cupol a emer gi ng f r oma f ai nt
cl ust er of bui l di ngs acr oss t he
squar e. The ni ght had br ought wi t h i t a wel come cool , and Langdon was sur pr i sed
t o f i nd t he squar e
deser t ed. Above t hem, t hr ough open wi ndows, bl ar i ng t el evi si ons r emi nded Langdon
wher e ever yone had
di sappear ed t o.
" . . . no comment yet f r omt he Vat i can . . . I l l umi nat i mur der s of t wo car di nal s
. . . sat ani c pr esence i n
Rome . . . specul at i on about f ur t her i nf i l t r at i on . . . "
Sei t e 172
The news had spr ead l i ke Ner o' s f i r e. Rome sat r i vet ed, as di d t he r est of t he
wor l d. Langdon wonder ed i f
t hey woul d r eal l y be abl e t o st op t hi s r unaway t r ai n. As he scanned t he pi azza
and wai t ed, Langdon r eal i zed
t hat despi t e t he encr oachment of moder n bui l di ngs, t he pi azza st i l l l ooked
r emar kabl y el l i pt i cal . Hi gh
above, l i ke some sor t of moder n shr i ne t o a bygone her o, an enor mous neon si gn
bl i nked on t he r oof of a
l uxur i ous hot el . Vi t t or i a had al r eady poi nt ed i t out t o Langdon. The si gn seemed
eer i l y bef i t t i ng.
HOTEL BERNI NI
" Fi ve of t en, " Vi t t or i a sai d, cat eyes dar t i ng ar ound t he squar e. No sooner had
she spoken t he wor ds t han
she gr abbed Langdon' s ar mand pul l ed hi mback i nt o t he shadows. She mot i oned
i nt o t he cent er of t he
squar e.
Langdon f ol l owed her gaze. When he saw i t , he st i f f ened.
Cr ossi ng i n f r ont of t hem, beneat h a st r eet l amp, t wo dar k f i gur es appear ed.
Bot h wer e cl oaked, t hei r heads
cover ed wi t h dar k mant l es, t he t r adi t i onal bl ack cover i ng of Cat hol i c wi dows.
Langdon woul d have
guessed t hey wer e women, but he coul dn' t be sur e i n t he dar k. One l ooked el der l y
and moved as i f i n pai n,
hunched over . The ot her , l ar ger and st r onger , was hel pi ng.
" Gi ve me t he gun, " Vi t t or i a sai d.
" You can' t j ust - "
Fl ui d as a cat , Vi t t or i a was i n and out of hi s pocket once agai n. The gun
gl i nt ed i n her hand. Then, i n
absol ut e si l ence, as i f her f eet never t ouched t he cobbl est one, she was ci r cl i ng
l ef t i n t he shadows, ar chi ng
acr oss t he squar e t o appr oach t he coupl e f r omt he r ear . Langdon st ood t r ansf i xed
as Vi t t or i a di sappear ed.
Then, swear i ng t o hi msel f , he hur r i ed af t er her .
The coupl e was movi ng sl owl y, and i t was onl y a mat t er of hal f a mi nut e bef or e
Langdon and Vi t t or i a wer e
posi t i oned behi nd t hem, cl osi ng i n f r omt he r ear . Vi t t or i a conceal ed t he gun
beneat h casual l y cr ossed ar ms
i n f r ont of her , out of si ght but accessi bl e i n a f l ash. She seemed t o f l oat
f ast er and f ast er as t he gap
l essened, and Langdon bat t l ed t o keep up. When hi s shoes scuf f ed a st one and
sent i t ski t t er i ng, Vi t t or i a
shot hi ma si deways gl ar e. But t he coupl e di d not seemt o hear . They wer e
t al ki ng.
At t hi r t y f eet , Langdon coul d st ar t t o hear voi ces. No wor ds. J ust f ai nt
mur mur i ngs. Besi de hi m, Vi t t or i a
moved f ast er wi t h ever y st ep. Her ar ms l oosened bef or e her , t he gun st ar t i ng t o
peek out . Twent y f eet . The
voi ces wer e cl ear er - one much l ouder t han t he ot her . Angr y. Rant i ng. Langdon
sensed i t was t he voi ce of an
ol d woman. Gr uf f . Andr ogynous. He st r ai ned t o hear what she was sayi ng, but
anot her voi ce cut t he ni ght .
" Mi scusi ! " Vi t t or i a' s f r i endl y t one l i t t he squar e l i ke a t or ch.
Langdon t ensed as t he cl oaked coupl e st opped shor t and began t o t ur n. Vi t t or i a
kept st r i di ng t owar d t hem,
even f ast er now, on a col l i si on cour se. They woul d have no t i me t o r eact .
Langdon r eal i zed hi s own f eet
had st opped movi ng. Fr ombehi nd, he saw Vi t t or i a' s ar ms l ooseni ng, her hand
comi ng f r ee, t he gun
swi ngi ng f or war d. Then, over her shoul der , he saw a f ace, l i t now i n t he st r eet
l amp. The pani c sur ged t o
hi s l egs, and he l unged f or war d. " Vi t t or i a, no! "
Vi t t or i a, however , seemed t o exi st a spl i t second ahead of hi m. I n a mot i on as
swi f t as i t was casual ,
Vi t t or i a' s ar ms wer e r ai sed agai n, t he gun di sappear i ng as she cl ut ched her sel f
l i ke a woman on a chi l l y
ni ght . Langdon st umbl ed t o her si de, al most col l i di ng wi t h t he cl oaked coupl e
bef or e t hem.
Sei t e 173
" Buona ser a, " Vi t t or i a bl ur t ed, her voi ce st ar t l ed wi t h r et r eat .
Langdon exhal ed i n r el i ef . Two el der l y women st ood bef or e t hemscowl i ng out f r om
beneat h t hei r mant l es.
One was so ol d she coul d bar el y st and. The ot her was hel pi ng her . Bot h cl ut ched
r osar i es. They seemed
conf used by t he sudden i nt er r upt i on.
Vi t t or i a smi l ed, al t hough she l ooked shaken. " Dov' l a chi esa Sant a Mar i a del l a
Vi t t or i a? Wher e i s t he
Chur ch of - "
The t wo women mot i oned i n uni son t o a bul ky si l houet t e of a bui l di ng on an
i ncl i ned st r eet f r omt he
di r ect i on t hey had come. " l . "
" Gr azi e, " Langdon sai d, put t i ng hi s hands on Vi t t or i a' s shoul der s and gent l y
pul l i ng her back. He coul dn' t
bel i eve t hey' d al most at t acked a pai r of ol d l adi es.
" Non si pu ent r ar e, " one woman war ned. " chi usa t empr ano. "
" Cl osed ear l y?" Vi t t or i a l ooked sur pr i sed. " Per ch?"
Bot h women expl ai ned at once. They sounded i r at e. Langdon under st ood onl y par t s
of t he gr umbl i ng
I t al i an. Appar ent l y, t he women had been i nsi de t he chur ch f i f t een mi nut es ago
pr ayi ng f or t he Vat i can i n i t s
t i me of need, when some man had appear ed and t ol d t hemt he chur ch was cl osi ng
ear l y.
" Hanno conosci ut o l ' uomo?" Vi t t or i a demanded, soundi ng t ense. " Di d you know t he
man?"
The women shook t hei r heads. The man was a st r ani er o cr udo, t hey expl ai ned, and
he had f or ci bl y made
ever yone i nsi de l eave, even t he young pr i est and j ani t or , who sai d t hey wer e
cal l i ng t he pol i ce. But t he
i nt r uder had onl y l aughed, t el l i ng t hemt o be sur e t he pol i ce br ought camer as.
Camer as? Langdon wonder ed.
The women cl ucked angr i l y and cal l ed t he man a bar - r abo. Then, gr umbl i ng, t hey
cont i nued on t hei r way.
" Bar - r abo?" Langdon asked Vi t t or i a. " A bar bar i an?"
Vi t t or i a l ooked suddenl y t aut . " Not qui t e. Bar - r abo i s der ogat or y wor dpl ay. I t
means r abo . . . Ar ab. "
Langdon f el t a shi ver and t ur ned t owar d t he out l i ne of t he chur ch. As he di d,
hi s eyes gl i mpsed somet hi ng
i n t he chur ch' s st ai ned- gl ass wi ndows. The i mage shot dr ead t hr ough hi s body.
Unawar e, Vi t t or i a r emoved her cel l phone and pr essed t he aut o di al . " I ' mwar ni ng
Ol i vet t i . "
Speechl ess, Langdon r eached out and t ouched her ar m. Wi t h a t r emul ous hand, he
poi nt ed t o t he chur ch.
Vi t t or i a l et out a gasp.
I nsi de t he bui l di ng, gl owi ng l i ke evi l eyes t hr ough t he st ai ned- gl ass wi ndows .
. . shone t he gr owi ng f l ash
of f l ames.
91
L angdon and Vi t t or i a dashed t o t he mai n ent r ance of t he chur ch of Sant a Mar i a
del l a Vi t t or i a and f ound
t he wooden door l ocked. Vi t t or i a f i r ed t hr ee shot s f r omOl i vet t i ' s
semi - aut omat i c i nt o t he anci ent bol t , and
i t shat t er ed.
The chur ch had no ant er oom, so t he ent i r et y of t he sanct uar y spr ead out i n one
gaspi ng sweep as Langdon
and Vi t t or i a t hr ew open t he mai n door . The scene bef or e t hemwas so unexpect ed,
so bi zar r e, t hat Langdon
had t o cl ose hi s eyes and r eopen t hembef or e hi s mi nd coul d t ake i t al l i n.
The chur ch was l avi sh bar oque . . . gi l ded wal l s and al t ar s. Dead cent er of t he
sanct uar y, beneat h t he mai n
cupol a, wooden pews had been st acked hi gh and wer e now abl aze i n some sor t of
epi c f uner al pyr e. A
bonf i r e shoot i ng hi gh i nt o t he dome. As Langdon' s eyes f ol l owed t he i nf er no
upwar d, t he t r ue hor r or of t he
scene descended l i ke a bi r d of pr ey.
Hi gh over head, f r omt he l ef t and r i ght si des of t he cei l i ng, hung t wo i ncensor
cabl es- l i nes used f or
swi ngi ng f r anki ncense vessel s above t he congr egat i on. These l i nes, however ,
car r i ed no i ncensor s now.
Sei t e 174
Nor wer e t hey swi ngi ng. They had been used f or somet hi ng el se . . .
Suspended f r omt he cabl es was a human bei ng. A naked man. Each wr i st had been
connect ed t o an
opposi ng cabl e, and he had been hoi st ed al most t o t he poi nt of bei ng t or n apar t .
Hi s ar ms wer e out st r et ched
i n a spr ead- eagl e as i f he wer e nai l ed t o some sor t of i nvi si bl e cr uci f i x
hover i ng wi t hi n t he house of God.
Langdon f el t par al yzed as he st ar ed upwar d. A moment l at er , he wi t nessed t he
f i nal abomi nat i on. The ol d
man was al i ve, and he r ai sed hi s head. A pai r of t er r i f i ed eyes gazed down i n a
si l ent pl ea f or hel p. On t he
man' s chest was a scor ched embl em. He had been br anded. Langdon coul d not see i t
cl ear l y, but he had
l i t t l e doubt what t he mar ki ng sai d. As t he f l ames cl i mbed hi gher , l appi ng at t he
man' s f eet , t he vi ct i ml et
out a cr y of pai n, hi s body t r embl i ng.
As i f i gni t ed by some unseen f or ce, Langdon f el t hi s body suddenl y i n mot i on,
dashi ng down t he mai n ai sl e
t owar d t he conf l agr at i on. Hi s l ungs f i l l ed wi t h smoke as he cl osed i n. Ten f eet
f r omt he i nf er no, at a f ul l
spr i nt , Langdon hi t a wal l of heat . The ski n on hi s f ace si nged, and he f el l
back, shi el di ng hi s eyes and
l andi ng har d on t he mar bl e f l oor . St agger i ng upr i ght , he pr essed f or war d agai n,
hands r ai sed i n pr ot ect i on.
I nst ant l y he knew. The f i r e was f ar t oo hot .
Movi ng back agai n, he scanned t he chapel wal l s. A heavy t apest r y, he t hought . I f
I can somehow smot her
t he . . . But he knew a t apest r y was not t o be f ound. Thi s i s a bar oque chapel ,
Rober t , not some damn
Ger man cast l e! Thi nk! He f or ced hi s eyes back t o t he suspended man.
Hi gh above, smoke and f l ames swi r l ed i n t he cupol a. The i ncensor cabl es
st r et ched out war d f r omt he man' s
wr i st s, r i si ng t o t he cei l i ng wher e t hey passed t hr ough pul l eys, and descended
agai n t o met al cl eat s on
ei t her si de of t he chur ch. Langdon l ooked over at one of t he cl eat s. I t was hi gh
on t he wal l , but he knew i f
he coul d get t o i t and l oosen one of t he l i nes, t he t ensi on woul d sl acken and
t he man woul d swi ng wi de of
t he f i r e.
A sudden sur ge of f l ames cr ackl ed hi gher , and Langdon hear d a pi er ci ng scr eam
f r omabove. The ski n on
t he man' s f eet was st ar t i ng t o bl i st er . The car di nal was bei ng r oast ed al i ve.
Langdon f i xed hi s si ght s on t he
cl eat and r an f or i t .
I n t he r ear of t he chur ch, Vi t t or i a cl ut ched t he back of a pew, t r yi ng t o gat her
her senses. The i mage
over head was hor r i d. She f or ced her eyes away. Do somet hi ng! She wonder ed wher e
Ol i vet t i was. Had he
seen t he Hassassi n? Had he caught hi m? Wher e wer e t hey now? Vi t t or i a moved
f or war d t o hel p Langdon,
but as she di d, a sound st opped her .
The cr ackl i ng of t he f l ames was get t i ng l ouder by t he i nst ant , but a second
sound al so cut t he ai r . A
met al l i c vi br at i on. Near by. The r epet i t i ve pul se seemed t o emanat e f r omt he end
of t he pews t o her l ef t . I t
was a st ar k r at t l e, l i ke t he r i ngi ng of a phone, but st ony and har d. She
cl ut ched t he gun f i r ml y and moved
down t he r ow of pews. The sound gr ew l ouder . On. Of f . A r ecur r ent vi br at i on.
As she appr oached t he end of t he ai sl e, she sensed t he sound was comi ng f r omt he
f l oor j ust ar ound t he
cor ner at t he end of t he pews. As she moved f or war d, gun out st r et ched i n her
r i ght hand, she r eal i zed she
was al so hol di ng somet hi ng i n her l ef t hand- her cel l phone. I n her pani c she had
f or got t en t hat out si de she
had used i t t o di al t he commander . . . set t i ng of f hi s phone' s si l ent vi br at i on
f eat ur e as a war ni ng. Vi t t or i a
r ai sed her phone t o her ear . I t was st i l l r i ngi ng. The commander had never
answer ed. Suddenl y, wi t h r i si ng
Sei t e 175
f ear , Vi t t or i a sensed she knew what was maki ng t he sound. She st epped f or war d,
t r embl i ng.
The ent i r e chur ch seemed t o si nk beneat h her f eet as her eyes met t he l i f el ess
f or mon t he f l oor . No st r eam
of l i qui d f l owed f r omt he body. No si gns of vi ol ence t at t ooed t he f l esh. Ther e
was onl y t he f ear f ul
geomet r y of t he commander ' s head . . . t or qued backwar d, t wi st ed 180 degr ees i n
t he wr ong di r ect i on.
Vi t t or i a f ought t he i mages of her own f at her ' s mangl ed body.
The phone on t he commander ' s bel t l ay agai nst t he f l oor , vi br at i ng over and over
agai nst t he col d mar bl e.
Vi t t or i a hung up her own phone, and t he r i ngi ng st opped. I n t he si l ence,
Vi t t or i a hear d a new sound. A
br eat hi ng i n t he dar k di r ect l y behi nd her .
She st ar t ed t o spi n, gun r ai sed, but she knew she was t oo l at e. A l aser beamof
heat scr eamed f r omt he t op
of her skul l t o t he sol es of her f eet as t he ki l l er ' s el bow cr ashed down on t he
back of her neck.
" Now you ar e mi ne, " a voi ce sai d.
Then, ever yt hi ng went bl ack.
Acr oss t he sanct uar y, on t he l ef t l at er al wal l , Langdon bal anced at op a pew and
scr aped upwar d on t he wal l
t r yi ng t o r each t he cl eat . The cabl e was st i l l si x f eet above hi s head. Cl eat s
l i ke t hese wer e common i n
chur ches and wer e pl aced hi gh t o pr event t amper i ng. Langdon knew pr i est s used
wooden l adder s cal l ed
pi ul i t o access t he cl eat s. The ki l l er had obvi ousl y used t he chur ch' s l adder
t o hoi st hi s vi ct i m. So wher e
t he hel l i s t he l adder now! Langdon l ooked down, sear chi ng t he f l oor ar ound hi m.
He had a f ai nt
r ecol l ect i on of seei ng a l adder i n her e somewher e. But wher e? A moment l at er hi s
hear t sank. He r eal i zed
wher e he had seen i t . He t ur ned t owar d t he r agi ng f i r e. Sur e enough, t he l adder
was hi gh at op t he bl aze,
engul f ed i n f l ames.
Fi l l ed now wi t h desper at i on, Langdon scanned t he ent i r e chur ch f r omhi s r ai sed
pl at f or m, l ooki ng f or
anyt hi ng at al l t hat coul d hel p hi mr each t he cl eat . As hi s eyes pr obed t he
chur ch, he had a sudden
r eal i zat i on.
Wher e t he hel l i s Vi t t or i a? She had di sappear ed. Di d she go f or hel p? Langdon
scr eamed out her name, but
t her e was no r esponse. And wher e i s Ol i vet t i !
Ther e was a howl of pai n f r omabove, and Langdon sensed he was al r eady t oo l at e.
As hi s eyes went
skywar d agai n and saw t he sl owl y r oast i ng vi ct i m, Langdon had t hought s f or onl y
one t hi ng. Wat er . Lot s of
i t . Put out t he f i r e. At l east l ower t he f l ames. " I need wat er , damn i t ! " he
yel l ed out l oud.
" That ' s next , " a voi ce gr owl ed f r omt he back of t he chur ch.
Langdon wheel ed, al most f al l i ng of f t he pews.
St r i di ng up t he si de ai sl e di r ect l y t owar d hi mcame a dar k monst er of a man.
Even i n t he gl ow of t he f i r e,
hi s eyes bur ned bl ack. Langdon r ecogni zed t he gun i n hi s hand as t he one f r om
hi s own j acket pocket . . .
t he one Vi t t or i a had been car r yi ng when t hey came i n.
The sudden wave of pani c t hat r ose i n Langdon was a f r enzy of di sj unct f ear s.
Hi s i ni t i al i nst i nct was f or
Vi t t or i a. What had t hi s ani mal done t o her ? Was she hur t ? Or wor se? I n t he same
i nst ant , Langdon r eal i zed
t he man over head was scr eami ng l ouder . The car di nal woul d di e. Hel pi ng hi mnow
was i mpossi bl e. Then,
as t he Hassassi n l evel ed t he gun at Langdon' s chest , Langdon' s pani c t ur ned
i nwar d, hi s senses on
over l oad. He r eact ed on i nst i nct as t he shot went of f . Launchi ng of f t he bench,
Langdon sai l ed ar ms f i r st
over t he sea of chur ch pews.
When he hi t t he pews, he hi t har der t han he had i magi ned, i mmedi at el y r ol l i ng t o
Sei t e 176
t he f l oor . The mar bl e
cushi oned hi s f al l wi t h al l t he gr ace of col d st eel . Foot st eps cl osed t o hi s
r i ght . Langdon t ur ned hi s body
t owar d t he f r ont of t he chur ch and began scr ambl i ng f or hi s l i f e beneat h t he
pews.
Hi gh above t he chapel f l oor , Car di nal Gui der a endur ed hi s l ast t or t ur ous moment s
of consci ousness. As he
l ooked down t he l engt h of hi s naked body, he saw t he ski n on hi s l egs begi n t o
bl i st er and peel away. I am
i n hel l , he deci ded. God, why hast t hou f or saken me? He knew t hi s must be hel l
because he was l ooki ng at
t he br and on hi s chest upsi de down . . . and yet , as i f by t he devi l ' s magi c,
t he wor d made per f ect sense.

92
T hr ee bal l ot i ngs. No Pope.
I nsi de t he Si st i ne Chapel , Car di nal Mor t at i had begun pr ayi ng f or a mi r acl e.
Send us t he candi dat es! The
del ay had gone l ong enough. A si ngl e mi ssi ng candi dat e, Mor t at i coul d
under st and. But al l f our ? I t l ef t no
opt i ons. Under t hese condi t i ons, achi evi ng a t wo- t hi r ds maj or i t y woul d t ake an
act of God Hi msel f .
When t he bol t s on t he out er door began t o gr i nd open, Mor t at i and t he ent i r e
Col l ege of Car di nal s wheel ed
i n uni son t owar d t he ent r ance. Mor t at i knew t hi s unseal i ng coul d mean onl y one
t hi ng. By l aw, t he chapel
door coul d onl y be unseal ed f or t wo r easons- t o r emove t he ver y i l l , or t o admi t
l at e car di nal s.
The pr ef er i t i ar e comi ng!
Mor t at i ' s hear t soar ed. Concl ave had been saved.
But when t he door opened, t he gasp t hat echoed t hr ough t he chapel was not one of
j oy. Mor t at i st ar ed i n
i ncr edul ous shock as t he man wal ked i n. For t he f i r st t i me i n Vat i can hi st or y, a
camer l egno had j ust cr ossed
t he sacr ed t hr eshol d of concl ave af t er seal i ng t he door s.
What i s he t hi nki ng!
The camer l egno st r ode t o t he al t ar and t ur ned t o addr ess t he t hunder st r uck
audi ence. " Si gnor i , " he sai d, " I
have wai t ed as l ong as I can. Ther e i s somet hi ng you have a r i ght t o know. "
93
L angdon had no i dea wher e he was goi ng. Ref l ex was hi s onl y compass, dr i vi ng
hi maway f r omdanger .
Hi s el bows and knees bur ned as he cl amber ed beneat h t he pews. St i l l he cl awed
on. Somewher e a voi ce
was t el l i ng hi mt o move l ef t . I f you can get t o t he mai n ai sl e, you can dash f or
t he exi t . He knew i t was
i mpossi bl e. Ther e' s a wal l of f l ames bl ocki ng t he mai n ai sl e! Hi s mi nd hunt i ng
f or opt i ons, Langdon
scr ambl ed bl i ndl y on. The f oot st eps cl osed f ast er now t o hi s r i ght .
When i t happened, Langdon was unpr epar ed. He had guessed he had anot her t en f eet
of pews unt i l he
r eached t he f r ont of t he chur ch. He had guessed wr ong. Wi t hout war ni ng, t he
cover above hi mr an out . He
f r oze f or an i nst ant , hal f exposed at t he f r ont of t he chur ch. Ri si ng i n t he
r ecess t o hi s l ef t , gar gant uan f r om
t hi s vant age poi nt , was t he ver y t hi ng t hat had br ought hi mher e. He had
ent i r el y f or got t en. Ber ni ni ' s
Ecst asy of St . Ter esa r ose up l i ke some sor t of por nogr aphi c st i l l l i f e . . .
t he sai nt on her back, ar ched i n
pl easur e, mout h open i n a moan, and over her , an angel poi nt i ng hi s spear of
f i r e.
A bul l et expl oded i n t he pew over Langdon' s head. He f el t hi s body r i se l i ke a
spr i nt er out of a gat e. Fuel ed
onl y by adr enal i ne, and bar el y consci ous of hi s act i ons, he was suddenl y
r unni ng, hunched, head down,
Sei t e 177
poundi ng acr oss t he f r ont of t he chur ch t o hi s r i ght . As t he bul l et s er upt ed
behi nd hi m, Langdon dove yet
agai n, sl i di ng out of cont r ol acr oss t he mar bl e f l oor bef or e cr ashi ng i n a heap
agai nst t he r ai l i ng of a ni che
on t he r i ght - hand wal l .
I t was t hen t hat he saw her . A cr umpl ed heap near t he back of t he chur ch.
Vi t t or i a! Her bar e l egs wer e
t wi st ed beneat h her , but Langdon sensed somehow t hat she was br eat hi ng. He had
no t i me t o hel p her .
I mmedi at el y, t he ki l l er r ounded t he pews on t he f ar l ef t of t he chur ch and bor e
r el ent l essl y down. Langdon
knew i n a hear t beat i t was over . The ki l l er r ai sed t he weapon, and Langdon di d
t he onl y t hi ng he coul d do.
He r ol l ed hi s body over t he bani st er i nt o t he ni che. As he hi t t he f l oor on t he
ot her si de, t he mar bl e col umns
of t he bal ust r ade expl oded i n a st or mof bul l et s.
Langdon f el t l i ke a cor ner ed ani mal as he scr ambl ed deeper i nt o t he semi ci r cul ar
ni che. Ri si ng bef or e hi m,
t he ni che' s sol e cont ent s seemed i r oni cal l y apr opos- a si ngl e sar cophagus. Mi ne
per haps, Langdon t hought .
Even t he casket i t sel f seemed f i t t i ng. I t was a sct ol a- a smal l , unador ned,
mar bl e box. Bur i al on a budget .
The casket was r ai sed of f t he f l oor on t wo mar bl e bl ocks, and Langdon eyed t he
openi ng beneat h i t ,
wonder i ng i f he coul d sl i de t hr ough.
Foot st eps echoed behi nd hi m.
Wi t h no ot her opt i on i n si ght , Langdon pr essed hi msel f t o t he f l oor and
sl i t her ed t owar d t he casket .
Gr abbi ng t he t wo mar bl e suppor t s, one wi t h each hand, he pul l ed l i ke a
br east st r oker , dr aggi ng hi s t or so
i nt o t he openi ng beneat h t he t omb. The gun went of f .
Accompanyi ng t he r oar of t he gun, Langdon f el t a sensat i on he had never f el t i n
hi s l i f e . . . a bul l et sai l i ng
past hi s f l esh. Ther e was a hi ss of wi nd, l i ke t he backl ash of a whi p, as t he
bul l et j ust mi ssed hi mand
expl oded i n t he mar bl e wi t h a puf f of dust . Bl ood sur gi ng, Langdon heaved hi s
body t he r est of t he way
beneat h t he casket . Scr ambl i ng acr oss t he mar bl e f l oor , he pul l ed hi msel f out
f r ombeneat h t he casket and
t o t he ot her si de.
Dead end.
Langdon was now f ace t o f ace wi t h t he r ear wal l of t he ni che. He had no doubt
t hat t hi s t i ny space behi nd
t he t omb woul d become hi s gr ave. And soon, he r eal i zed, as he saw t he bar r el of
t he gun appear i n t he
openi ng beneat h t he sar cophagus. The Hassassi n hel d t he weapon par al l el wi t h t he
f l oor , poi nt i ng di r ect l y
at Langdon' s mi dsect i on.
I mpossi bl e t o mi ss.
Langdon f el t a t r ace of sel f - pr eser vat i on gr i p hi s unconsci ous mi nd. He t wi st ed
hi s body ont o hi s st omach,
par al l el wi t h t he casket . Facedown, he pl ant ed hi s hands f l at on t he f l oor , t he
gl ass cut f r omt he ar chi ves
pi nchi ng open wi t h a st ab. I gnor i ng t he pai n, he pushed. Dr i vi ng hi s body upwar d
i n an awkwar d push- up,
Langdon ar ched hi s st omach of f t he f l oor j ust as t he gun went of f . He coul d f eel
t he shock wave of t he
bul l et s as t hey sai l ed beneat h hi mand pul ver i zed t he por ous t r aver t i ne behi nd.
Cl osi ng hi s eyes and
st r ai ni ng agai nst exhaust i on, Langdon pr ayed f or t he t hunder t o st op.
And t hen i t di d.
The r oar of gunf i r e was r epl aced wi t h t he col d cl i ck of an empt y chamber .
Langdon opened hi s eyes sl owl y, al most f ear f ul hi s eyel i ds woul d make a sound.
Fi ght i ng t he t r embl i ng
pai n, he hel d hi s posi t i on, ar ched l i ke a cat . He di dn' t even dar e br eat he. Hi s
ear dr ums numbed by gunf i r e,
Langdon l i st ened f or any hi nt of t he ki l l er ' s depar t ur e. Si l ence. He t hought of
Vi t t or i a and ached t o hel p
her .
Sei t e 178
The sound t hat f ol l owed was deaf eni ng. Bar el y human. A gut t ur al bel l ow of
exer t i on.
The sar cophagus over Langdon' s head suddenl y seemed t o r i se on i t s si de. Langdon
col l apsed on t he f l oor
as hundr eds of pounds t eet er ed t owar d hi m. Gr avi t y over came f r i ct i on, and t he
l i d was t he f i r st t o go,
sl i di ng of f t he t omb and cr ashi ng t o t he f l oor besi de hi m. The casket came next ,
r ol l i ng of f i t s suppor t s and
t oppl i ng upsi de down t owar d Langdon.
As t he box r ol l ed, Langdon knew he woul d ei t her be ent ombed i n t he hol l ow
beneat h i t or cr ushed by one
of t he edges. Pul l i ng i n hi s l egs and head, Langdon compact ed hi s body and
yanked hi s ar ms t o hi s si des.
Then he cl osed hi s eyes and awai t ed t he si ckeni ng cr ush.
When i t came, t he ent i r e f l oor shook beneat h hi m. The upper r i ml anded onl y
mi l l i met er s f r omt he t op of
hi s head, r at t l i ng hi s t eet h i n t hei r socket s. Hi s r i ght ar m, whi ch Langdon had
been cer t ai n woul d be
cr ushed, mi r acul ousl y st i l l f el t i nt act . He opened hi s eyes t o see a shaf t of
l i ght . The r i ght r i mof t he casket
had not f al l en al l t he way t o t he f l oor and was st i l l pr opped par t i al l y on i t s
suppor t s. Di r ect l y over head,
t hough, Langdon f ound hi msel f st ar i ng qui t e l i t er al l y i nt o t he f ace of deat h.
The or i gi nal occupant of t he t omb was suspended above hi m, havi ng adher ed, as
decayi ng bodi es of t en di d,
t o t he bot t omof t he casket . The skel et on hover ed a moment , l i ke a t ent at i ve
l over , and t hen wi t h a st i cky
cr ackl i ng, i t succumbed t o gr avi t y and peel ed away. The car cass r ushed down t o
embr ace hi m, r ai ni ng
put r i d bones and dust i nt o Langdon' s eyes and mout h.
Bef or e Langdon coul d r eact , a bl i nd ar mwas sl i t her i ng t hr ough t he openi ng
beneat h t he casket , si f t i ng
t hr ough t he car cass l i ke a hungr y pyt hon. I t gr oped unt i l i t f ound Langdon' s
neck and cl amped down.
Langdon t r i ed t o f i ght back agai nst t he i r on f i st now cr ushi ng hi s l ar ynx, but
he f ound hi s l ef t sl eeve
pi nched beneat h t he edge of t he cof f i n. He had onl y one ar mf r ee, and t he f i ght
was a l osi ng bat t l e.
Langdon' s l egs bent i n t he onl y open space he had, hi s f eet sear chi ng f or t he
casket f l oor above hi m. He
f ound i t . Coi l i ng, he pl ant ed hi s f eet . Then, as t he hand ar ound hi s neck
squeezed t i ght er , Langdon cl osed
hi s eyes and ext ended hi s l egs l i ke a r am. The casket shi f t ed, ever so sl i ght l y,
but enough.
Wi t h a r aw gr i ndi ng, t he sar cophagus sl i d of f t he suppor t s and l anded on t he
f l oor . The casket r i mcr ashed
ont o t he ki l l er ' s ar m, and t her e was a muf f l ed scr eamof pai n. The hand r el eased
Langdon' s neck, t wi st i ng
and j er ki ng away i nt o t he dar k. When t he ki l l er f i nal l y pul l ed hi s ar mf r ee, t he
casket f el l wi t h a concl usi ve
t hud agai nst t he f l at mar bl e f l oor .
Compl et e dar kness. Agai n.
And si l ence.
Ther e was no f r ust r at ed poundi ng out si de t he over t ur ned sar cophagus. No pr yi ng
t o get i n. Not hi ng. As
Langdon l ay i n t he dar k ami dst a pi l e of bones, he f ought t he cl osi ng dar kness
and t ur ned hi s t hought s t o
her .
Vi t t or i a. Ar e you al i ve?
I f Langdon had known t he t r ut h- t he hor r or t o whi ch Vi t t or i a woul d soon awake- he
woul d have wi shed f or
her sake t hat she wer e dead.
94
S i t t i ng i n t he Si st i ne Chapel among hi s st unned col l eagues, Car di nal Mor t at i
t r i ed t o compr ehend t he
wor ds he was hear i ng. Bef or e hi m, l i t onl y by t he candl el i ght , t he camer l egno
had j ust t ol d a t al e of such
hat r ed and t r eacher y t hat Mor t at i f ound hi msel f t r embl i ng. The camer l egno spoke
of ki dnapped car di nal s,
Sei t e 179
br anded car di nal s, mur der ed car di nal s. He spoke of t he anci ent I l l umi nat i - a name
t hat dr edged up f or got t en
f ear s- and of t hei r r esur gence and vow of r evenge agai nst t he chur ch. Wi t h pai n
i n hi s voi ce, t he camer l egno
spoke of hi s l at e Pope . . . t he vi ct i mof an I l l umi nat i poi soni ng. And f i nal l y,
hi s wor ds al most a whi sper , he
spoke of a deadl y new t echnol ogy, ant i mat t er , whi ch i n l ess t han t wo hour s
t hr eat ened t o dest r oy al l of
Vat i can Ci t y.
When he was t hr ough, i t was as i f Sat an hi msel f had sucked t he ai r f r omt he
r oom. Nobody coul d move.
The camer l egno' s wor ds hung i n t he dar kness.
The onl y sound Mor t at i coul d now hear was t he anomal ous humof a t el evi si on
camer a i n back- an
el ect r oni c pr esence no concl ave i n hi st or y had ever endur ed- but a pr esence
demanded by t he camer l egno.
To t he ut t er ast oni shment of t he car di nal s, t he camer l egno had ent er ed t he
Si st i ne Chapel wi t h t wo BBC
r epor t er s- a man and a woman- and announced t hat t hey woul d be t r ansmi t t i ng hi s
sol emn st at ement , l i ve t o
t he wor l d.
Now, speaki ng di r ect l y t o t he camer a, t he camer l egno st epped f or war d. " To t he
I l l umi nat i , " he sai d, hi s
voi ce deepeni ng, " and t o t hose of sci ence, l et me say t hi s. " He paused. " You
have won t he war . "
The si l ence spr ead now t o t he deepest cor ner s of t he chapel . Mor t at i coul d hear
t he desper at e t humpi ng of
hi s own hear t .
" The wheel s have been i n mot i on f or a l ong t i me, " t he camer l egno sai d. " Your
vi ct or y has been i nevi t abl e.
Never bef or e has i t been as obvi ous as i t i s at t hi s moment . Sci ence i s t he new
God. "
What i s he sayi ng! Mor t at i t hought . Has he gone mad? The ent i r e wor l d i s hear i ng
t hi s!
" Medi ci ne, el ect r oni c communi cat i ons, space t r avel , genet i c mani pul at i on . . .
t hese ar e t he mi r acl es about
whi ch we now t el l our chi l dr en. These ar e t he mi r acl es we her al d as pr oof t hat
sci ence wi l l br i ng us t he
answer s. The anci ent st or i es of i mmacul at e concept i ons, bur ni ng bushes, and
par t i ng seas ar e no l onger
r el evant . God has become obsol et e. Sci ence has won t he bat t l e. We concede. "
A r ust l e of conf usi on and bewi l der ment swept t hr ough t he chapel .
" But sci ence' s vi ct or y, " t he camer l egno added, hi s voi ce i nt ensi f yi ng, " has cost
ever y one of us. And i t has
cost us deepl y. "
Si l ence.
" Sci ence may have al l evi at ed t he mi ser i es of di sease and dr udger y and pr ovi ded
an ar r ay of gadget r y f or
our ent er t ai nment and conveni ence, but i t has l ef t us i n a wor l d wi t hout wonder .
Our sunset s have been
r educed t o wavel engt hs and f r equenci es. The compl exi t i es of t he uni ver se have
been shr edded i nt o
mat hemat i cal equat i ons. Even our sel f - wor t h as human bei ngs has been dest r oyed.
Sci ence pr ocl ai ms t hat
Pl anet Ear t h and i t s i nhabi t ant s ar e a meani ngl ess speck i n t he gr and scheme. A
cosmi c acci dent . " He
paused. " Even t he t echnol ogy t hat pr omi ses t o uni t e us, di vi des us. Each of us
i s now el ect r oni cal l y
connect ed t o t he gl obe, and yet we f eel ut t er l y al one. We ar e bombar ded wi t h
vi ol ence, di vi si on, f r act ur e,
and bet r ayal . Skept i ci smhas become a vi r t ue. Cyni ci smand demand f or pr oof has
become enl i ght ened
t hought . I s i t any wonder t hat humans now f eel mor e depr essed and def eat ed t han
t hey have at any poi nt i n
human hi st or y? Does sci ence hol d anyt hi ng sacr ed? Sci ence l ooks f or answer s by
pr obi ng our unbor n
f et uses. Sci ence even pr esumes t o r ear r ange our own DNA. I t shat t er s God' s wor l d
i nt o smal l er and smal l er
pi eces i n quest of meani ng . . . and al l i t f i nds i s mor e quest i ons. "
Sei t e 180
Mor t at i wat ched i n awe. The camer l egno was al most hypnot i c now. He had a
physi cal st r engt h i n hi s
movement s and voi ce t hat Mor t at i had never wi t nessed on a Vat i can al t ar . The
man' s voi ce was wr ought
wi t h convi ct i on and sadness.
" The anci ent war bet ween sci ence and r el i gi on i s over , " t he camer l egno sai d.
" You have won. But you
have not won f ai r l y. You have not won by pr ovi di ng answer s. You have won by so
r adi cal l y r eor i ent i ng
our soci et y t hat t he t r ut hs we once saw as si gnpost s now seemi nappl i cabl e.
Rel i gi on cannot keep up.
Sci ent i f i c gr owt h i s exponent i al . I t f eeds on i t sel f l i ke a vi r us. Ever y new
br eakt hr ough opens door s f or new
br eakt hr oughs. Manki nd t ook t housands of year s t o pr ogr ess f r omt he wheel t o t he
car . Yet onl y decades
f r omt he car i nt o space. Now we measur e sci ent i f i c pr ogr ess i n weeks. We ar e
spi nni ng out of cont r ol . The
r i f t bet ween us gr ows deeper and deeper , and as r el i gi on i s l ef t behi nd, peopl e
f i nd t hemsel ves i n a spi r i t ual
voi d. We cr y out f or meani ng. And bel i eve me, we do cr y out . We see UFOs, engage
i n channel i ng, spi r i t
cont act , out - of - body exper i ences, mi ndquest s- al l t hese eccent r i c i deas have a
sci ent i f i c veneer , but t hey ar e
unashamedl y i r r at i onal . They ar e t he desper at e cr y of t he moder n soul , l onel y
and t or ment ed, cr i ppl ed by
i t s own enl i ght enment and i t s i nabi l i t y t o accept meani ng i n anyt hi ng r emoved
f r omt echnol ogy. "
Mor t at i coul d f eel hi msel f l eani ng f or war d i n hi s seat . He and t he ot her
car di nal s and peopl e ar ound t he
wor l d wer e hangi ng on t hi s pr i est ' s ever y ut t er ance. The camer l egno spoke wi t h
no r het or i c or vi t r i ol . No
r ef er ences t o scr i pt ur e or J esus Chr i st . He spoke i n moder n t er ms, unador ned and
pur e. Somehow, as
t hough t he wor ds wer e f l owi ng f r omGod hi msel f , he spoke t he moder n l anguage . .
. del i ver i ng t he anci ent
message. I n t hat moment , Mor t at i saw one of t he r easons t he l at e Pope hel d t hi s
young man so dear . I n a
wor l d of apat hy, cyni ci sm, and t echnol ogi cal dei f i cat i on, men l i ke t he
camer l egno, r eal i st s who coul d
speak t o our soul s l i ke t hi s man j ust had, wer e t he chur ch' s onl y hope.
The camer l egno was t al ki ng mor e f or cef ul l y now. " Sci ence, you say, wi l l save us.
Sci ence, I say, has
dest r oyed us. Si nce t he days of Gal i l eo, t he chur ch has t r i ed t o sl ow t he
r el ent l ess mar ch of sci ence,
somet i mes wi t h mi sgui ded means, but al ways wi t h benevol ent i nt ent i on. Even so,
t he t empt at i ons ar e t oo
gr eat f or man t o r esi st . I war n you, l ook ar ound your sel ves. The pr omi ses of
sci ence have not been kept .
Pr omi ses of ef f i ci ency and si mpl i ci t y have br ed not hi ng but pol l ut i on and chaos.
We ar e a f r act ur ed and
f r ant i c speci es . . . movi ng down a pat h of dest r uct i on. "
The camer l egno paused a l ong moment and t hen shar pened hi s eyes on t he camer a.
" Who i s t hi s God sci ence? Who i s t he God who of f er s hi s peopl e power but no
mor al f r amewor k t o t el l you
how t o use t hat power ? What ki nd of God gi ves a chi l d f i r e but does not war n t he
chi l d of i t s danger s? The
l anguage of sci ence comes wi t h no si gnpost s about good and bad. Sci ence
t ext books t el l us how t o cr eat e a
nucl ear r eact i on, and yet t hey cont ai n no chapt er aski ng us i f i t i s a good or a
bad i dea.
" To sci ence, I say t hi s. The chur ch i s t i r ed. We ar e exhaust ed f r omt r yi ng t o be
your si gnpost s. Our
r esour ces ar e dr yi ng up f r omour campai gn t o be t he voi ce of bal ance as you pl ow
bl i ndl y on i n your quest
f or smal l er chi ps and l ar ger pr of i t s. We ask not why you wi l l not gover n
your sel ves, but how can you?
Your wor l d moves so f ast t hat i f you st op even f or an i nst ant t o consi der t he
i mpl i cat i ons of your act i ons,
someone mor e ef f i ci ent wi l l whi p past you i n a bl ur . So you move on. You
Sei t e 181
pr ol i f er at e weapons of mass
dest r uct i on, but i t i s t he Pope who t r avel s t he wor l d beseechi ng l eader s t o use
r est r ai nt . You cl one l i vi ng
cr eat ur es, but i t i s t he chur ch r emi ndi ng us t o consi der t he mor al i mpl i cat i ons
of our act i ons. You
encour age peopl e t o i nt er act on phones, vi deo scr eens, and comput er s, but i t i s
t he chur ch who opens i t s
door s and r emi nds us t o commune i n per son as we wer e meant t o do. You even
mur der unbor n babi es i n
t he name of r esear ch t hat wi l l save l i ves. Agai n, i t i s t he chur ch who poi nt s
out t he f al l acy of t hi s r easoni ng.
" And al l t he whi l e, you pr ocl ai mt he chur ch i s i gnor ant . But who i s mor e
i gnor ant ? The man who cannot
def i ne l i ght ni ng, or t he man who does not r espect i t s awesome power ? Thi s chur ch
i s r eachi ng out t o you.
Reachi ng out t o ever yone. And yet t he mor e we r each, t he mor e you push us away.
Show me pr oof t her e i s
a God, you say. I say use your t el escopes t o l ook t o t he heavens, and t el l me
how t her e coul d not be a
God! " The camer l egno had t ear s i n hi s eyes now. " You ask what does God l ook
l i ke. I say, wher e di d t hat
quest i on come f r om? The answer s ar e one and t he same. Do you not see God i n your
sci ence? How can you
mi ss Hi m! You pr ocl ai mt hat even t he sl i ght est change i n t he f or ce of gr avi t y or
t he wei ght of an at om
woul d have r ender ed our uni ver se a l i f el ess mi st r at her t han our magni f i cent sea
of heavenl y bodi es, and
yet you f ai l t o see God' s hand i n t hi s? I s i t r eal l y so much easi er t o bel i eve
t hat we si mpl y chose t he r i ght
car d f r oma deck of bi l l i ons? Have we become so spi r i t ual l y bankr upt t hat we
woul d r at her bel i eve i n
mat hemat i cal i mpossi bi l i t y t han i n a power gr eat er t han us?
" Whet her or not you bel i eve i n God, " t he camer l egno sai d, hi s voi ce deepeni ng
wi t h del i ber at i on, " you
must bel i eve t hi s. When we as a speci es abandon our t r ust i n t he power gr eat er
t han us, we abandon our
sense of account abi l i t y. Fai t h . . . al l f ai t hs . . . ar e admoni t i ons t hat t her e
i s somet hi ng we cannot
under st and, somet hi ng t o whi ch we ar e account abl e . . . Wi t h f ai t h we ar e
account abl e t o each ot her , t o
our sel ves, and t o a hi gher t r ut h. Rel i gi on i s f l awed, but onl y because man i s
f l awed. I f t he out si de wor l d
coul d see t hi s chur ch as I do . . . l ooki ng beyond t he r i t ual of t hese wal l s . .
. t hey woul d see a moder n
mi r acl e . . . a br ot her hood of i mper f ect , si mpl e soul s want i ng onl y t o be a
voi ce of compassi on i n a wor l d
spi nni ng out of cont r ol . "
The camer l egno mot i oned out over t he Col l ege of Car di nal s, and t he BBC
camer awoman i nst i nct i vel y
f ol l owed, panni ng t he cr owd.
" Ar e we obsol et e?" t he camer l egno asked. " Ar e t hese men di nosaur s? AmI ? Does
t he wor l d r eal l y need a
voi ce f or t he poor , t he weak, t he oppr essed, t he unbor n chi l d? Do we r eal l y need
soul s l i ke t hese who,
t hough i mper f ect , spend t hei r l i ves i mpl or i ng each of us t o r ead t he si gnpost s
of mor al i t y and not l ose our
way?"
Mor t at i now r eal i zed t hat t he camer l egno, whet her consci ousl y or not , was maki ng
a br i l l i ant move. By
showi ng t he car di nal s, he was per sonal i zi ng t he chur ch. Vat i can Ci t y was no
l onger a bui l di ng, i t was
peopl e- peopl e l i ke t he camer l egno who had spent t hei r l i ves i n t he ser vi ce of
goodness.
" Toni ght we ar e per ched on a pr eci pi ce, " t he camer l egno sai d. " None of us can
af f or d t o be apat het i c.
Whet her you see t hi s evi l as Sat an, cor r upt i on, or i mmor al i t y . . . t he dar k
f or ce i s al i ve and gr owi ng ever y
day. Do not i gnor e i t . " The camer l egno l ower ed hi s voi ce t o a whi sper , and t he
camer a moved i n. " The
Sei t e 182
f or ce, t hough mi ght y, i s not i nvi nci bl e. Goodness can pr evai l . Li st en t o your
hear t s. Li st en t o God.
Toget her we can st ep back f r omt hi s abyss. "
Now Mor t at i under st ood. Thi s was t he r eason. Concl ave had been vi ol at ed, but
t hi s was t he onl y way. I t
was a dr amat i c and desper at e pl ea f or hel p. The camer l egno was speaki ng t o bot h
hi s enemy and hi s f r i ends
now. He was ent r eat i ng anyone, f r i end or f oe, t o see t he l i ght and st op t hi s
madness. Cer t ai nl y someone
l i st eni ng woul d r eal i ze t he i nsani t y of t hi s pl ot and come f or war d.
The camer l egno knel t at t he al t ar . " Pr ay wi t h me. "
The Col l ege of Car di nal s dr opped t o t hei r knees t o j oi n hi mi n pr ayer . Out si de
i n St . Pet er ' s Squar e and
ar ound t he gl obe . . . a st unned wor l d knel t wi t h t hem.
95
T he Hassassi n l ay hi s unconsci ous t r ophy i n t he r ear of t he van and t ook a
moment t o admi r e her
spr awl ed body. She was not as beaut i f ul as t he women he bought , and yet she had
an ani mal st r engt h t hat
exci t ed hi m. Her body was r adi ant , dewy wi t h per spi r at i on. She smel l ed of musk.
As t he Hassasi n st ood t her e savor i ng hi s pr i ze, he i gnor ed t he t hr ob i n hi s ar m.
The br ui se f r omt he f al l i ng
sar cophagus, al t hough pai nf ul , was i nsi gni f i cant . . . wel l wor t h t he
compensat i on t hat l ay bef or e hi m. He
t ook consol at i on i n knowi ng t he Amer i can who had done t hi s t o hi mwas pr obabl y
dead by now.
Gazi ng down at hi s i ncapaci t at ed pr i soner , t he Hassassi n vi sual i zed what l ay
ahead. He r an a pal mup
beneat h her shi r t . Her br east s f el t per f ect beneat h her br a. Yes, he smi l ed. You
ar e mor e t han wor t hy.
Fi ght i ng t he ur ge t o t ake her r i ght t her e, he cl osed t he door and dr ove of f i nt o
t he ni ght .
Ther e was no need t o al er t t he pr ess about t hi s ki l l i ng . . . t he f l ames woul d
do t hat f or hi m.
At CERN, Syl vi e sat st unned by t he camer l egno' s addr ess. Never bef or e had she
f el t so pr oud t o be a
Cat hol i c and so ashamed t o wor k at CERN. As she l ef t t he r ecr eat i onal wi ng, t he
mood i n ever y si ngl e
vi ewi ng r oomwas dazed and somber . When she got back t o Kohl er ' s of f i ce, al l
seven phone l i nes wer e
r i ngi ng. Medi a i nqui r i es wer e never r out ed t o Kohl er ' s of f i ce, so t he i ncomi ng
cal l s coul d onl y be one
t hi ng.
Gel d. Money cal l s.
Ant i mat t er t echnol ogy al r eady had some t aker s.
I nsi de t he Vat i can, Gunt her Gl i ck was wal ki ng on ai r as he f ol l owed t he
camer l egno f r omt he Si st i ne
Chapel . Gl i ck and Macr i had j ust made t he l i ve t r ansmi ssi on of t he decade. And
what a t r ansmi ssi on i t had
been. The camer l egno had been spel l bi ndi ng.
Now out i n t he hal l way, t he camer l egno t ur ned t o Gl i ck and Macr i . " I have asked
t he Swi ss Guar d t o
assembl e phot os f or you- phot os of t he br anded car di nal s as wel l as one of Hi s
l at e Hol i ness. I must war n
you, t hese ar e not pl easant pi ct ur es. Ghast l y bur ns. Bl ackened t ongues. But I
woul d l i ke you t o br oadcast
t hemt o t he wor l d. "
Gl i ck deci ded i t must be per pet ual Chr i st mas i nsi de Vat i can Ci t y. He want s me t o
br oadcast an excl usi ve
phot o of t he dead Pope? " Ar e you sur e?" Gl i ck asked, t r yi ng t o keep t he
exci t ement f r omhi s voi ce.
The camer l egno nodded. " The Swi ss Guar d wi l l al so pr ovi de you a l i ve vi deo f eed
of t he ant i mat t er
cani st er as i t count s down. "
Gl i ck st ar ed. Chr i st mas. Chr i st mas. Chr i st mas!
" The I l l umi nat i ar e about t o f i nd out , " t he camer l egno decl ar ed, " t hat t hey have
gr ossl y over pl ayed t hei r
Sei t e 183
hand. "
96
L i ke a r ecur r i ng t heme i n some demoni c symphony, t he suf f ocat i ng dar kness had
r et ur ned.
No l i ght . No ai r . No exi t .
Langdon l ay t r apped beneat h t he over t ur ned sar cophagus and f el t hi s mi nd
car eeni ng danger ousl y cl ose t o
t he br i nk. Tr yi ng t o dr i ve hi s t hought s i n any di r ect i on ot her t han t he cr ushi ng
space ar ound hi m, Langdon
ur ged hi s mi nd t owar d some l ogi cal pr ocess . . . mat hemat i cs, musi c, anyt hi ng.
But t her e was no r oomf or
cal mi ng t hought s. I can' t move! I can' t br eat he!
The pi nched sl eeve of hi s j acket had t hankf ul l y come f r ee when t he casket f el l ,
l eavi ng Langdon now wi t h
t wo mobi l e ar ms. Even so, as he pr essed upwar d on t he cei l i ng of hi s t i ny cel l ,
he f ound i t i mmovabl e.
Oddl y, he wi shed hi s sl eeve wer e st i l l caught . At l east i t mi ght cr eat e a cr ack
f or some ai r .
As Langdon pushed agai nst t he r oof above, hi s sl eeve f el l back t o r eveal t he
f ai nt gl ow of an ol d f r i end.
Mi ckey. The gr eeni sh car t oon f ace seemed mocki ng now.
Langdon pr obed t he bl ackness f or any ot her si gn of l i ght , but t he casket r i mwas
f l ush agai nst t he f l oor .
Goddamn I t al i an per f ect i oni st s, he cur sed, now i mper i l ed by t he same ar t i st i c
excel l ence he t aught hi s
st udent s t o r ever e . . . i mpeccabl e edges, f aul t l ess par al l el s, and of cour se,
use onl y of t he most seaml ess
and r esi l i ent Car r ar a mar bl e.
Pr eci si on can be suf f ocat i ng.
" Li f t t he damn t hi ng, " he sai d al oud, pr essi ng har der t hr ough t he t angl e of
bones. The box shi f t ed sl i ght l y.
Set t i ng hi s j aw, he heaved agai n. The box f el t l i ke a boul der , but t hi s t i me i t
r ai sed a quar t er of an i nch. A
f l eet i ng gl i mmer of l i ght sur r ounded hi m, and t hen t he casket t hudded back down.
Langdon l ay pant i ng i n
t he dar k. He t r i ed t o use hi s l egs t o l i f t as he had bef or e, but now t hat t he
sar cophagus had f al l en f l at , t her e
was no r oomeven t o st r ai ght en hi s knees.
As t he cl aust r ophobi c pani c cl osed i n, Langdon was over come by i mages of t he
sar cophagus shr i nki ng
ar ound hi m. Squeezed by del i r i um, he f ought t he i l l usi on wi t h ever y l ogi cal
shr ed of i nt el l ect he had.
" Sar cophagus, " he st at ed al oud, wi t h as much academi c st er i l i t y as he coul d
must er . But even er udi t i on
seemed t o be hi s enemy t oday. Sar cophagus i s f r omt he Gr eek " sar x" meani ng
" f l esh, " and " phagei n"
meani ng " t o eat . " I ' mt r apped i n a box l i t er al l y desi gned t o " eat f l esh. "
I mages of f l esh eat en f r ombone onl y ser ved as a gr i mr emi nder t hat Langdon l ay
cover ed i n human
r emai ns. The not i on br ought nausea and chi l l s. But i t al so br ought an i dea.
Fumbl i ng bl i ndl y ar ound t he cof f i n, Langdon f ound a shar d of bone. A r i b maybe?
He di dn' t car e. Al l he
want ed was a wedge. I f he coul d l i f t t he box, even a cr ack, and sl i de t he bone
f r agment beneat h t he r i m,
t hen maybe enough ai r coul d . . .
Reachi ng acr oss hi s body and wedgi ng t he t aper ed end of t he bone i nt o t he cr ack
bet ween t he f l oor and t he
cof f i n, Langdon r eached up wi t h hi s ot her hand and heaved skywar d. The box di d
not move. Not even
sl i ght l y. He t r i ed agai n. For a moment , i t seemed t o t r embl e sl i ght l y, but t hat
was al l .
Wi t h t he f et i d st ench and l ack of oxygen choki ng t he st r engt h f r omhi s body,
Langdon r eal i zed he onl y had
t i me f or one mor e ef f or t . He al so knew he woul d need bot h ar ms.
Regr oupi ng, he pl aced t he t aper ed edge of t he bone agai nst t he cr ack, and
shi f t i ng hi s body, he wedged t he
bone agai nst hi s shoul der , pi nni ng i t i n pl ace. Car ef ul not t o di sl odge i t , he
r ai sed bot h hands above hi m. As
t he st i f l i ng conf i ne began t o smot her hi m, he f el t a wel l i ng of i nt ensi f i ed
Sei t e 184
pani c. I t was t he second t i me
t oday he had been t r apped wi t h no ai r . Hol l er i ng al oud, Langdon t hr ust upwar d i n
one expl osi ve mot i on.
The casket j ost l ed of f t he f l oor f or an i nst ant . But l ong enough. The bone shar d
he had br aced agai nst hi s
shoul der sl i pped out war d i nt o t he wi deni ng cr ack. When t he casket f el l agai n,
t he bone shat t er ed. But t hi s
t i me Langdon coul d see t he casket was pr opped up. A t i ny sl i t of l i ght showed
beneat h t he r i m.
Exhaust ed, Langdon col l apsed. Hopi ng t he st r angl i ng sensat i on i n hi s t hr oat
woul d pass, he wai t ed. But i t
onl y wor sened as t he seconds passed. What ever ai r was comi ng t hr ough t he sl i t
seemed i mper cept i bl e.
Langdon wonder ed i f i t woul d be enough t o keep hi mal i ve. And i f so, f or how
l ong? I f he passed out , who
woul d know he was even i n t her e?
Wi t h ar ms l i ke l ead, Langdon r ai sed hi s wat ch agai n: 10: 12 P. M. Fi ght i ng
t r embl i ng f i nger s, he f umbl ed
wi t h t he wat ch and made hi s f i nal pl ay. He t wi st ed one of t he t i ny di al s and
pr essed a but t on.
As consci ousness f aded, and t he wal l s squeezed cl oser , Langdon f el t t he ol d
f ear s sweep over hi m. He t r i ed
t o i magi ne, as he had so many t i mes, t hat he was i n an open f i el d. The i mage he
conj ur ed, however , was no
hel p. The ni ght mar e t hat had haunt ed hi msi nce hi s yout h came cr ashi ng back . .
.
The f l ower s her e ar e l i ke pai nt i ngs, t he chi l d t hought , l aughi ng as he r an
acr oss t he meadow. He wi shed
hi s par ent s had come al ong. But hi s par ent s wer e busy pi t chi ng camp.
" Don' t expl or e t oo f ar , " hi s mot her had sai d.
He had pr et ended not t o hear as he bounded of f i nt o t he woods.
Now, t r aver si ng t hi s gl or i ous f i el d, t he boy came acr oss a pi l e of f i el dst ones.
He f i gur ed i t must be t he
f oundat i on of an ol d homest ead. He woul d not go near i t . He knew bet t er .
Besi des, hi s eyes had been dr awn
t o somet hi ng el se- a br i l l i ant l ady' s sl i pper - t he r ar est and most beaut i f ul
f l ower i n New Hampshi r e. He had
onl y ever seen t hemi n books.
Exci t ed, t he boy moved t owar d t he f l ower . He knel t down. The gr ound beneat h hi m
f el t mul chy and hol l ow.
He r eal i zed hi s f l ower had f ound an ext r a- f er t i l e spot . I t was gr owi ng f r oma
pat ch of r ot t i ng wood.
Thr i l l ed by t he t hought of t aki ng home hi s pr i ze, t he boy r eached out . . .
f i nger s ext endi ng t owar d t he st em.
He never r eached i t .
Wi t h a si ckeni ng cr ack, t he ear t h gave way.
I n t he t hr ee seconds of di zzyi ng t er r or as he f el l , t he boy knew he woul d di e.
Pl ummet i ng downwar d, he
br aced f or t he bone- cr ushi ng col l i si on. When i t came, t her e was no pai n. Onl y
sof t ness.
And col d.
He hi t t he deep l i qui d f ace f i r st , pl ungi ng i nt o a nar r ow bl ackness. Spi nni ng
di sor i ent ed somer saul t s, he
gr oped t he sheer wal l s t hat encl osed hi mon al l si des. Somehow, as i f by
i nst i nct , he sput t er ed t o t he
sur f ace.
Li ght .
Fai nt . Above hi m. Mi l es above hi m, i t seemed.
Hi s ar ms cl awed at t he wat er , sear chi ng t he wal l s of t he hol l ow f or somet hi ng t o
gr ab ont o. Onl y smoot h
st one. He had f al l en t hr ough an abandoned wel l cover i ng. He scr eamed f or hel p,
but hi s cr i es r ever ber at ed
i n t he t i ght shaf t . He cal l ed out agai n and agai n. Above hi m, t he t at t er ed hol e
gr ew di m.
Ni ght f el l .
Ti me seemed t o cont or t i n t he dar kness. Numbness set i n as he t r eaded wat er i n
t he dept hs of t he chasm,
cal l i ng, cr yi ng out . He was t or ment ed by vi si ons of t he wal l s col l apsi ng i n,
Sei t e 185
bur yi ng hi mal i ve. Hi s ar ms
ached wi t h f at i gue. A f ew t i mes he t hought he hear d voi ces. He shout ed out , but
hi s own voi ce was mut ed . .
. l i ke a dr eam.
As t he ni ght wor e on, t he shaf t deepened. The wal l s i nched qui et l y i nwar d. The
boy pr essed out agai nst t he
encl osur e, pushi ng i t away. Exhaust ed, he want ed t o gi ve up. And yet he f el t t he
wat er buoy hi m, cool i ng
hi s bur ni ng f ear s unt i l he was numb.
When t he r escue t eamar r i ved, t hey f ound t he boy bar el y consci ous. He had been
t r eadi ng wat er f or f i ve
hour s. Two days l at er , t he Bost on Gl obe r an a f r ont - page st or y cal l ed " The
Li t t l e Swi mmer That Coul d. "
97
T he Hassassi n smi l ed as he pul l ed hi s van i nt o t he mammot h st one st r uct ur e
over l ooki ng t he Ti ber
Ri ver . He car r i ed hi s pr i ze up and up . . . spi r al i ng hi gher i n t he st one
t unnel , gr at ef ul hi s l oad was sl ender .
He ar r i ved at t he door .
The Chur ch of I l l umi nat i on, he gl oat ed. The anci ent I l l umi nat i meet i ng r oom. Who
woul d have i magi ned i t
t o be her e?
I nsi de, he l ay her on a pl ush di van. Then he exper t l y bound her ar ms behi nd her
back and t i ed her f eet . He
knew t hat what he l onged f or woul d have t o wai t unt i l hi s f i nal t ask was
f i ni shed. Wat er .
St i l l , he t hought , he had a moment f or i ndul gence. Kneel i ng besi de her , he r an
hi s hand al ong her t hi gh. I t
was smoot h. Hi gher . Hi s dar k f i nger s snaked beneat h t he cuf f of her shor t s.
Hi gher .
He st opped. Pat i ence, he t ol d hi msel f , f eel i ng ar oused. Ther e i s wor k t o be
done.
He wal ked f or a moment out ont o t he chamber ' s hi gh st one bal cony. The eveni ng
br eeze sl owl y cool ed hi s
ar dor . Far bel ow t he Ti ber r aged. He r ai sed hi s eyes t o t he dome of St . Pet er ' s,
t hr ee quar t er s of a mi l e
away, naked under t he gl ar e of hundr eds of pr ess l i ght s.
" Your f i nal hour , " he sai d al oud, pi ct ur i ng t he t housands of Musl i ms sl aught er ed
dur i ng t he Cr usades. " At
mi dni ght you wi l l meet your God. "
Behi nd hi m, t he woman st i r r ed. The Hassassi n t ur ned. He consi der ed l et t i ng her
wake up. Seei ng t er r or i n a
woman' s eyes was hi s ul t i mat e aphr odi si ac.
He opt ed f or pr udence. I t woul d be bet t er i f she r emai ned unconsci ous whi l e he
was gone. Al t hough she
was t i ed and woul d never escape, t he Hassassi n di d not want t o r et ur n and f i nd
her exhaust ed f r om
st r uggl i ng. I want your st r engt h pr eser ved . . . f or me.
Li f t i ng her head sl i ght l y, he pl aced hi s pal mbeneat h her neck and f ound t he
hol l ow di r ect l y beneat h her
skul l . The cr own/ mer i di an pr essur e poi nt was one he had used count l ess t i mes.
Wi t h cr ushi ng f or ce, he
dr ove hi s t humb i nt o t he sof t car t i l age and f el t i t depr ess. The woman sl umped
i nst ant l y. Twent y mi nut es, he
t hought . She woul d be a t ant al i zi ng end t o a per f ect day. Af t er she had ser ved
hi mand di ed doi ng i t , he
woul d st and on t he bal cony and wat ch t he mi dni ght Vat i can f i r ewor ks.
Leavi ng hi s pr i ze unconsci ous on t he couch, t he Hassassi n went downst ai r s i nt o a
t or chl i t dungeon. The
f i nal t ask. He wal ked t o t he t abl e and r ever ed t he sacr ed, met al f or ms t hat had
been l ef t t her e f or hi m.
Wat er . I t was hi s l ast .
Removi ng a t or ch f r omt he wal l as he had done t hr ee t i mes al r eady, he began
heat i ng t he end. When t he
end of t he obj ect was whi t e hot , he car r i ed i t t o t he cel l .
I nsi de, a si ngl e man st ood i n si l ence. Ol d and al one.
" Car di nal Baggi a, " t he ki l l er hi ssed. " Have you pr ayed yet ?"
The I t al i an' s eyes wer e f ear l ess. " Onl y f or your soul . "
98
Sei t e 186
T he si x pompi er i f i r emen who r esponded t o t he f i r e at t he Chur ch of Sant a Mar i a
Del l a Vi t t or i a
ext i ngui shed t he bonf i r e wi t h bl ast s of Hal on gas. Wat er was cheaper , but t he
st eami t cr eat ed woul d have
r ui ned t he f r escoes i n t he chapel , and t he Vat i can pai d Roman pompi er i a heal t hy
st i pend f or swi f t and
pr udent ser vi ce i n al l Vat i can- owned bui l di ngs.
Pompi er i , by t he nat ur e of t hei r wor k, wi t nessed t r agedy al most dai l y, but t he
execut i on i n t hi s chur ch was
somet hi ng none of t hemwoul d ever f or get . Par t cr uci f i xi on, par t hangi ng, par t
bur ni ng at t he st ake, t he
scene was somet hi ng dr edged f r oma Got hi c ni ght mar e.
Unf or t unat el y, t he pr ess, as usual , had ar r i ved bef or e t he f i r e depar t ment .
They' d shot pl ent y of vi deo
bef or e t he pompi er i cl ear ed t he chur ch. When t he f i r emen f i nal l y cut t he vi ct i m
down and l ay hi mon t he
f l oor , t her e was no doubt who t he man was.
" Car di nal e Gui der a, " one whi sper ed. " Di Bar cel l ona. "
The vi ct i mwas nude. The l ower hal f of hi s body was cr i mson- bl ack, bl ood oozi ng
t hr ough gapi ng cr acks i n
hi s t hi ghs. Hi s shi nbones wer e exposed. One f i r eman vomi t ed. Anot her went
out si de t o br eat he.
The t r ue hor r or , t hough, was t he symbol sear ed on t he car di nal ' s chest . The
squad chi ef ci r cl ed t he cor pse
i n awest r uck dr ead. Lavor o del di avol o, he sai d t o hi msel f . Sat an hi msel f di d
t hi s. He cr ossed hi msel f f or
t he f i r st t i me si nce chi l dhood.
" Un' al t r o cor po! " someone yel l ed. One of t he f i r emen had f ound anot her body.
The second vi ct i mwas a man t he chi ef r ecogni zed i mmedi at el y. The aust er e
commander of t he Swi ss
Guar d was a man f or whomf ew publ i c l aw enf or cement of f i ci al s had any af f ect i on.
The chi ef cal l ed t he
Vat i can, but al l t he ci r cui t s wer e busy. He knew i t di dn' t mat t er . The Swi ss
Guar d woul d hear about t hi s on
t el evi si on i n a mat t er of mi nut es.
As t he chi ef sur veyed t he damage, t r yi ng t o r ecr eat e what possi bl y coul d have
gone on her e, he saw a ni che
r i ddl ed wi t h bul l et hol es. A cof f i n had been r ol l ed of f i t s suppor t s and f al l en
upsi de down i n an appar ent
st r uggl e. I t was a mess. That ' s f or t he pol i ce and Hol y See t o deal wi t h, t he
chi ef t hought , t ur ni ng away.
As he t ur ned, t hough, he st opped. Comi ng f r omt he cof f i n he hear d a sound. I t
was not a sound any f i r eman
ever l i ked t o hear .
" Bomba! " he cr i ed out . " Tut t i f uor i ! "
When t he bomb squad r ol l ed t he cof f i n over , t hey di scover ed t he sour ce of t he
el ect r oni c beepi ng. They
st ar ed, conf used.
" Mdi co! " one f i nal l y scr eamed. " Mdi co! "
99
A ny wor d f r omOl i vet t i ?" t he camer l egno asked, l ooki ng dr ai ned as Rocher
escor t ed hi mback f r omt he
Si st i ne Chapel t o t he Pope' s of f i ce.
" No, si gnor e. I amf ear i ng t he wor st . "
When t hey r eached t he Pope' s of f i ce, t he camer l egno' s voi ce was heavy. " Capt ai n,
t her e i s not hi ng mor e I
can do her e t oni ght . I f ear I have done t oo much al r eady. I amgoi ng i nt o t hi s
of f i ce t o pr ay. I do not wi sh t o
be di st ur bed. The r est i s i n God' s hands. "
" Yes, si gnor e. "
" The hour i s l at e, Capt ai n. Fi nd t hat cani st er . "
" Our sear ch cont i nues. " Rocher hesi t at ed. " The weapon pr oves t o be t oo wel l
hi dden. "
The camer l egno wi nced, as i f he coul d not t hi nk of i t . " Yes. At exact l y 11: 15
P. M. , i f t he chur ch i s st i l l i n
per i l , I want you t o evacuat e t he car di nal s. I amput t i ng t hei r saf et y i n your
hands. I ask onl y one t hi ng. Let
t hese men pr oceed f r omt hi s pl ace wi t h di gni t y. Let t hemexi t i nt o St . Pet er ' s
Squar e and st and si de by si de
Sei t e 187
wi t h t he r est of t he wor l d. I do not want t he l ast i mage of t hi s chur ch t o be
f r i ght ened ol d men sneaki ng out
a back door . "
" Ver y good, si gnor e. And you? Shal l I come f or you at 11: 15 as wel l ?"
" Ther e wi l l be no need. "
" Si gnor e?"
" I wi l l l eave when t he spi r i t moves me. "
Rocher wonder ed i f t he camer l egno i nt ended t o go down wi t h t he shi p.
The camer l egno opened t he door t o t he Pope' s of f i ce and ent er ed. " Act ual l y . .
. " he sai d, t ur ni ng. " Ther e i s
one t hi ng. "
" Si gnor e?"
" Ther e seems t o be a chi l l i n t hi s of f i ce t oni ght . I amt r embl i ng. "
" The el ect r i c heat i s out . Let me l ay you a f i r e. "
The camer l egno smi l ed t i r edl y. " Thank you. Thank you, ver y much. "
Rocher exi t ed t he Pope' s of f i ce wher e he had l ef t t he camer l egno pr ayi ng by
f i r el i ght i n f r ont of a smal l
st at ue of t he Bl essed Mot her Mar y. I t was an eer i e si ght . A bl ack shadow
kneel i ng i n t he f l i cker i ng gl ow.
As Rocher headed down t he hal l , a guar d appear ed, r unni ng t owar d hi m. Even by
candl el i ght Rocher
r ecogni zed Li eut enant Char t r and. Young, gr een, and eager .
" Capt ai n, " Char t r and cal l ed, hol di ng out a cel l ul ar phone. " I t hi nk t he
camer l egno' s addr ess may have
wor ked. We' ve got a cal l er her e who says he has i nf or mat i on t hat can hel p us. He
phoned on one of t he
Vat i can' s pr i vat e ext ensi ons. I have no i dea how he got t he number . "
Rocher st opped. " What ?"
" He wi l l onl y speak t o t he r anki ng of f i cer . "
" Any wor d f r omOl i vet t i ?"
" No, si r . "
He t ook t he r ecei ver . " Thi s i s Capt ai n Rocher . I amr anki ng of f i cer her e. "
" Rocher , " t he voi ce sai d. " I wi l l expl ai n t o you who I am. Then I wi l l t el l you
what you ar e goi ng t o do
next . "
When t he cal l er st opped t al ki ng and hung up, Rocher st ood st unned. He now knew
f r omwhomhe was
t aki ng or der s.
Back at CERN, Syl vi e Baudel oque was f r ant i cal l y t r yi ng t o keep t r ack of al l t he
l i censi ng i nqui r i es comi ng
i n on Kohl er ' s voi ce mai l . When t he pr i vat e l i ne on t he di r ect or ' s desk began t o
r i ng, Syl vi e j umped.
Nobody had t hat number . She answer ed.
" Yes?"
" Ms. Baudel oque? Thi s i s Di r ect or Kohl er . Cont act my pi l ot . My j et i s t o be
r eady i n f i ve mi nut es. "
100
R ober t Langdon had no i dea wher e he was or how l ong he had been unconsci ous
when he opened hi s
eyes and f ound hi msel f st ar i ng up at t he under si de of a bar oque, f r escoed
cupol a. Smoke dr i f t ed over head.
Somet hi ng was cover i ng hi s mout h. An oxygen mask. He pul l ed i t of f . Ther e was a
t er r i bl e smel l i n t he
r oom- l i ke bur ni ng f l esh.
Langdon wi nced at t he poundi ng i n hi s head. He t r i ed t o si t up. A man i n whi t e
was kneel i ng besi de hi m.
" Ri posat i ! " t he man sai d, easi ng Langdon ont o hi s back agai n. " Sono i l
par amdi co. "
Langdon succumbed, hi s head spi r al i ng l i ke t he smoke over head. What t he hel l
happened? Wi spy f eel i ngs
of pani c si f t ed t hr ough hi s mi nd.
" Sr ci o sal vat or e, " t he par amedi c sai d. " Mouse . . . savi or . "
Langdon f el t even mor e l ost . Mouse savi or ?
The man mot i oned t o t he Mi ckey Mouse wat ch on Langdon' s wr i st . Langdon' s
t hought s began t o cl ear . He
r emember ed set t i ng t he al ar m. As he st ar ed absent l y at t he wat ch f ace, Langdon
al so not ed t he hour . 10: 28
Sei t e 188
P. M.
He sat bol t upr i ght .
Then, i t al l came back.
Langdon st ood near t he mai n al t ar wi t h t he f i r e chi ef and a f ew of hi s men. They
had been r at t l i ng hi mwi t h
quest i ons. Langdon wasn' t l i st eni ng. He had quest i ons of hi s own. Hi s whol e body
ached, but he knew he
needed t o act i mmedi at el y.
A pompi er o appr oached Langdon acr oss t he chur ch. " I checked agai n, si r . The onl y
bodi es we f ound ar e
Car di nal Gui der a and t he Swi ss Guar d commander . Ther e' s no si gn of a woman
her e. "
" Gr azi e, " Langdon sai d, unsur e whet her he was r el i eved or hor r i f i ed. He knew he
had seen Vi t t or i a
unconsci ous on t he f l oor . Now she was gone. The onl y expl anat i on he came up wi t h
was not a comf or t i ng
one. The ki l l er had not been subt l e on t he phone. A woman of spi r i t . I am
ar oused. Per haps bef or e t hi s
ni ght i s over , I wi l l f i nd you. And when I do . . . "
Langdon l ooked ar ound. " Wher e i s t he Swi ss Guar d?"
" St i l l no cont act . Vat i can l i nes ar e j ammed. "
Langdon f el t over whel med and al one. Ol i vet t i was dead. The car di nal was dead.
Vi t t or i a was mi ssi ng. A
hal f hour of hi s l i f e had di sappear ed i n a bl i nk.
Out si de, Langdon coul d hear t he pr ess swar mi ng. He suspect ed f oot age of t he
t hi r d car di nal ' s hor r i f i c deat h
woul d no doubt ai r soon, i f i t hadn' t al r eady. Langdon hoped t he camer l egno had
l ong si nce assumed t he
wor st and t aken act i on. Evacuat e t he damn Vat i can! Enough games! We l ose!
Langdon suddenl y r eal i zed t hat al l of t he cat al yst s t hat had been dr i vi ng
hi m- hel pi ng t o save Vat i can Ci t y,
r escui ng t he f our car di nal s, comi ng f ace t o f ace wi t h t he br ot her hood he had
st udi ed f or year s- al l of t hese
t hi ngs had evapor at ed f r omhi s mi nd. The war was l ost . A new compul si on had
i gni t ed wi t hi n hi m. I t was
si mpl e. St ar k. Pr i mal .
Fi nd Vi t t or i a.
He f el t an unexpect ed empt i ness i nsi de. Langdon had of t en hear d t hat i nt ense
si t uat i ons coul d uni t e t wo
peopl e i n ways t hat decades t oget her of t en di d not . He now bel i eved i t . I n
Vi t t or i a' s absence he f el t
somet hi ng he had not f el t i n year s. Lonel i ness. The pai n gave hi mst r engt h.
Pushi ng al l el se f r omhi s mi nd, Langdon must er ed hi s concent r at i on. He pr ayed
t hat t he Hassassi n woul d
t ake car e of busi ness bef or e pl easur e. Ot her wi se, Langdon knew he was al r eady
t oo l at e. No, he t ol d
hi msel f , you have t i me. Vi t t or i a' s capt or st i l l had wor k t o do. He had t o
sur f ace one l ast t i me bef or e
di sappear i ng f or ever .
The l ast al t ar of sci ence, Langdon t hought . The ki l l er had one f i nal t ask.
Ear t h. Ai r . Fi r e. Wat er .
He l ooked at hi s wat ch. Thi r t y mi nut es. Langdon moved past t he f i r emen t owar d
Ber ni ni ' s Ecst asy of St .
Ter esa. Thi s t i me, as he st ar ed at Ber ni ni ' s mar ker , Langdon had no doubt what
he was l ooki ng f or .
Let angel s gui de you on your l of t y quest . . .
Di r ect l y over t he r ecumbent sai nt , agai nst a backdr op of gi l ded f l ame, hover ed
Ber ni ni ' s angel . The angel ' s
hand cl ut ched a poi nt ed spear of f i r e. Langdon' s eyes f ol l owed t he di r ect i on of
t he shaf t , ar chi ng t owar d
t he r i ght si de of t he chur ch. Hi s eyes hi t t he wal l . He scanned t he spot wher e
t he spear was poi nt i ng. Ther e
was not hi ng t her e. Langdon knew, of cour se, t he spear was poi nt i ng f ar beyond
t he wal l , i nt o t he ni ght ,
somewher e acr oss Rome.
" What di r ect i on i s t hat ?" Langdon asked, t ur ni ng and addr essi ng t he chi ef wi t h a
newf ound det er mi nat i on.
" Di r ect i on?" The chi ef gl anced wher e Langdon was poi nt i ng. He sounded conf used.
Sei t e 189
" I don' t know . . .
west , I t hi nk. "
" What chur ches ar e i n t hat di r ect i on?"
The chi ef ' s puzzl ement seemed t o deepen. " Dozens. Why?"
Langdon f r owned. Of cour se t her e wer e dozens. " I need a ci t y map. Ri ght away. "
The chi ef sent someone r unni ng out t o t he f i r e t r uck f or a map. Langdon t ur ned
back t o t he st at ue. Ear t h . .
. Ai r . . . Fi r e . . . VI TTORI A.
The f i nal mar ker i s Wat er , he t ol d hi msel f . Ber ni ni ' s Wat er . I t was i n a chur ch
out t her e somewher e. A
needl e i n a hayst ack. He spur r ed hi s mi nd t hr ough al l t he Ber ni ni wor ks he coul d
r ecal l . I need a t r i but e t o
Wat er !
Langdon f l ashed on Ber ni ni ' s st at ue of Tr i t on- t he Gr eek God of t he sea. Then he
r eal i zed i t was l ocat ed i n
t he squar e out si de t hi s ver y chur ch, i n ent i r el y t he wr ong di r ect i on. He f or ced
hi msel f t o t hi nk. What f i gur e
woul d Ber ni ni have car ved as a gl or i f i cat i on of wat er ? Nept une and Apol l o?
Unf or t unat el y t hat st at ue was
i n London' s Vi ct or i a & Al ber t Museum.
" Si gnor e?" A f i r eman r an i n wi t h a map.
Langdon t hanked hi mand spr ead i t out on t he al t ar . He i mmedi at el y r eal i zed he
had asked t he r i ght peopl e;
t he f i r e depar t ment ' s map of Rome was as det ai l ed as any Langdon had ever seen.
" Wher e ar e we now?"
The man poi nt ed. " Next t o Pi azza Bar ber i ni . "
Langdon l ooked at t he angel ' s spear agai n t o get hi s bear i ngs. The chi ef had
est i mat ed cor r ect l y. Accor di ng
t o t he map, t he spear was poi nt i ng west . Langdon t r aced a l i ne f r omhi s cur r ent
l ocat i on west acr oss t he
map. Al most i nst ant l y hi s hopes began t o si nk. I t seemed t hat wi t h ever y i nch
hi s f i nger t r avel ed, he passed
yet anot her bui l di ng mar ked by a t i ny bl ack cr oss. Chur ches. The ci t y was
r i ddl ed wi t h t hem. Fi nal l y,
Langdon' s f i nger r an out of chur ches and t r ai l ed of f i nt o t he subur bs of Rome.
He exhal ed and st epped
back f r omt he map. Damn.
Sur veyi ng t he whol e of Rome, Langdon' s eyes t ouched down on t he t hr ee chur ches
wher e t he f i r st t hr ee
car di nal s had been ki l l ed. The Chi gi Chapel . . . St . Pet er ' s . . . her e . . .
Seei ng t hemal l l ai d out bef or e hi mnow, Langdon not ed an oddi t y i n t hei r
l ocat i ons. Somehow he had
i magi ned t he chur ches woul d be scat t er ed r andoml y acr oss Rome. But t hey most
def i ni t el y wer e not .
I mpr obabl y, t he t hr ee chur ches seemed t o be separ at ed syst emat i cal l y, i n an
enor mous ci t y- wi de t r i angl e.
Langdon doubl e- checked. He was not i magi ni ng t hi ngs. " Penna, " he sai d suddenl y,
wi t hout l ooki ng up.
Someone handed hi ma bal l poi nt pen.
Langdon ci r cl ed t he t hr ee chur ches. Hi s pul se qui ckened. He t r i pl e- checked hi s
mar ki ngs. A symmet r i cal
t r i angl e!
Langdon' s f i r st t hought was f or t he Gr eat Seal on t he one- dol l ar bi l l - t he
t r i angl e cont ai ni ng t he al l - seei ng
eye. But i t di dn' t make sense. He had mar ked onl y t hr ee poi nt s. Ther e wer e
supposed t o be f our i n al l .
So wher e t he hel l i s Wat er ? Langdon knew t hat anywher e he pl aced t he f our t h
poi nt , t he t r i angl e woul d be
dest r oyed. The onl y opt i on t o r et ai n t he symmet r y was t o pl ace t he f our t h mar ker
i nsi de t he t r i angl e, at t he
cent er . He l ooked at t he spot on t he map. Not hi ng. The i dea bot her ed hi manyway.
The f our el ement s of
sci ence wer e consi der ed equal . Wat er was not speci al ; Wat er woul d not be at t he
cent er of t he ot her s.
St i l l , hi s i nst i nct t ol d hi mt he syst emat i c ar r angement coul d not possi bl y be
acci dent al . I ' mnot yet seei ng
t he whol e pi ct ur e. Ther e was onl y one al t er nat i ve. The f our poi nt s di d not make
a t r i angl e; t hey made some
ot her shape.
Sei t e 190
Langdon l ooked at t he map. A squar e, per haps? Al t hough a squar e made no symbol i c
sense, squar es wer e
symmet r i cal at l east . Langdon put hi s f i nger on t he map at one of t he poi nt s
t hat woul d t ur n t he t r i angl e i nt o
a squar e. He saw i mmedi at el y t hat a per f ect squar e was i mpossi bl e. The angl es of
t he or i gi nal t r i angl e wer e
obl i que and cr eat ed mor e of a di st or t ed quadr i l at er al .
As he st udi ed t he ot her possi bl e poi nt s ar ound t he t r i angl e, somet hi ng
unexpect ed happened. He not i ced
t hat t he l i ne he had dr awn ear l i er t o i ndi cat e t he di r ect i on of t he angel ' s
spear passed per f ect l y t hr ough one
of t he possi bi l i t i es. St upef i ed, Langdon ci r cl ed t hat poi nt . He was now l ooki ng
at f our i nk mar ks on t he
map, ar r anged i n somewhat of an awkwar d, ki t el i ke di amond.
He f r owned. Di amonds wer e not an I l l umi nat i symbol ei t her . He paused. Then agai n
. . .
For an i nst ant Langdon f l ashed on t he f amed I l l umi nat i Di amond. The t hought , of
cour se, was r i di cul ous.
He di smi ssed i t . Besi des, t hi s di amond was obl ong- l i ke a ki t e- har dl y an exampl e
of t he f l awl ess symmet r y
f or whi ch t he I l l umi nat i Di amond was r ever ed.
When he l eaned i n t o exami ne wher e he had pl aced t he f i nal mar k, Langdon was
sur pr i sed t o f i nd t hat t he
f our t h poi nt l ay dead cent er of Rome' s f amed Pi azza Navona. He knew t he pi azza
cont ai ned a maj or
chur ch, but he had al r eady t r aced hi s f i nger t hr ough t hat pi azza and consi der ed
t he chur ch t her e. To t he best
of hi s knowl edge i t cont ai ned no Ber ni ni wor ks. The chur ch was cal l ed Sai nt
Agnes i n Agony, named f or
St . Agnes, a r avi shi ng t eenage vi r gi n bani shed t o a l i f e of sexual sl aver y f or
r ef usi ng t o r enounce her f ai t h.
Ther e must be somet hi ng i n t hat chur ch! Langdon r acked hi s br ai n, pi ct ur i ng t he
i nsi de of t he chur ch. He
coul d t hi nk of no Ber ni ni wor ks at al l i nsi de, much l ess anyt hi ng t o do wi t h
wat er . The ar r angement on t he
map was bot her i ng hi mt oo. A di amond. I t was f ar t oo accur at e t o be coi nci dence,
but i t was not accur at e
enough t o make any sense. A ki t e? Langdon wonder ed i f he had chosen t he wr ong
poi nt . What amI
mi ssi ng!
The answer t ook anot her t hi r t y seconds t o hi t hi m, but when i t di d, Langdon f el t
an exhi l ar at i on l i ke
not hi ng he had ever exper i enced i n hi s academi c car eer .
The I l l umi nat i geni us, i t seemed, woul d never cease.
The shape he was l ooki ng at was not i nt ended as a di amond at al l . The f our
poi nt s onl y f or med a di amond
because Langdon had connect ed adj acent poi nt s. The I l l umi nat i bel i eve i n
opposi t es! Connect i ng opposi t e
ver t i ces wi t h hi s pen, Langdon' s f i nger s wer e t r embl i ng. Ther e bef or e hi mon t he
map was a gi ant
cr uci f or m. I t ' s a cr oss! The f our el ement s of sci ence unf ol ded bef or e hi s eyes .
. . spr awl ed acr oss Rome i n
an enor mous, ci t y- wi de cr oss.
As he st ar ed i n wonder , a l i ne of poet r y r ang i n hi s mi nd . . . l i ke an ol d
f r i end wi t h a new f ace.
' Cr oss Rome t he myst i c el ement s unf ol d . . .
' Cr oss Rome . . .
The f og began t o cl ear . Langdon saw t hat t he answer had been i n f r ont of hi mal l
ni ght ! The I l l umi nat i
poemhad been t el l i ng hi mhow t he al t ar s wer e l ai d out . A cr oss!
' Cr oss Rome t he myst i c el ement s unf ol d!
I t was cunni ng wor dpl ay. Langdon had or i gi nal l y r ead t he wor d ' Cr oss as an
abbr evi at i on of Acr oss. He
assumed i t was poet i c l i cense i nt ended t o r et ai n t he met er of t he poem. But i t
was so much mor e t han t hat !
Anot her hi dden cl ue.
The cr uci f or mon t he map, Langdon r eal i zed, was t he ul t i mat e I l l umi nat i dual i t y.
I t was a r el i gi ous symbol
f or med by el ement s of sci ence. Gal i l eo' s pat h of I l l umi nat i on was a t r i but e t o
Sei t e 191
bot h sci ence and God!
The r est of t he puzzl e f el l i nt o pl ace al most i mmedi at el y.
Pi azza Navona.
Dead cent er of Pi azza Navona, out si de t he chur ch of St . Agnes i n Agony, Ber ni ni
had f or ged one of hi s
most cel ebr at ed scul pt ur es. Ever yone who came t o Rome went t o see i t .
The Fount ai n of t he Four Ri ver s!
A f l awl ess t r i but e t o wat er , Ber ni ni ' s Fount ai n of t he Four Ri ver s gl or i f i ed t he
f our maj or r i ver s of t he Ol d
Wor l d- The Ni l e, Ganges, Danube, and Ri o Pl at a.
Wat er , Langdon t hought . The f i nal mar ker . I t was per f ect .
And even mor e per f ect , Langdon r eal i zed, t he cher r y on t he cake, was t hat hi gh
at op Ber ni ni ' s f ount ai n
st ood a t ower i ng obel i sk.
Leavi ng conf used f i r emen i n hi s wake, Langdon r an acr oss t he chur ch i n t he
di r ect i on of Ol i vet t i ' s l i f el ess
body.
10: 31 P. M. , he t hought . Pl ent y of t i me. I t was t he f i r st i nst ant al l day t hat
Langdon f el t ahead of t he game.
Kneel i ng besi de Ol i vet t i , out of si ght behi nd some pews, Langdon di scr eet l y t ook
possessi on of t he
commander ' s semi aut omat i c and wal ki e- t al ki e. Langdon knew he woul d cal l f or
hel p, but t hi s was not t he
pl ace t o do i t . The f i nal al t ar of sci ence needed t o r emai n a secr et f or now.
The medi a and f i r e depar t ment
r aci ng wi t h si r ens bl ar i ng t o Pi azza Navona woul d be no hel p at al l .
Wi t hout a wor d, Langdon sl i pped out t he door and ski r t ed t he pr ess, who wer e now
ent er i ng t he chur ch i n
dr oves. He cr ossed Pi azza Bar ber i ni . I n t he shadows he t ur ned on t he
wal ki e- t al ki e. He t r i ed t o hai l Vat i can
Ci t y but hear d not hi ng but st at i c. He was ei t her out of r ange or t he t r ansmi t t er
needed some ki nd of
aut hor i zat i on code. Langdon adj ust ed t he compl ex di al s and but t ons t o no avai l .
Abr upt l y, he r eal i zed hi s
pl an t o get hel p was not goi ng t o wor k. He spun, l ooki ng f or a pay phone. None.
Vat i can ci r cui t s wer e
j ammed anyway.
He was al one.
Feel i ng hi s i ni t i al sur ge of conf i dence decay, Langdon st ood a moment and t ook
st ock of hi s pi t i f ul st at e-
cover ed i n bone dust , cut , del i r i ousl y exhaust ed, and hungr y.
Langdon gl anced back at t he chur ch. Smoke spi r al ed over t he cupol a, l i t by t he
medi a l i ght s and f i r e t r ucks.
He wonder ed i f he shoul d go back and get hel p. I nst i nct war ned hi mhowever t hat
ext r a hel p, especi al l y
unt r ai ned hel p, woul d be not hi ng but a l i abi l i t y. I f t he Hassassi n sees us
comi ng . . . He t hought of Vi t t or i a
and knew t hi s woul d be hi s f i nal chance t o f ace her capt or .
Pi azza Navona, he t hought , knowi ng he coul d get t her e i n pl ent y of t i me and
st ake i t out . He scanned t he
ar ea f or a t axi , but t he st r eet s wer e al most ent i r el y deser t ed. Even t he t axi
dr i ver s, i t seemed, had dr opped
ever yt hi ng t o f i nd a t el evi si on. Pi azza Navona was onl y about a mi l e away, but
Langdon had no i nt ent i on
of wast i ng pr eci ous ener gy on f oot . He gl anced back at t he chur ch, wonder i ng i f
he coul d bor r ow a vehi cl e
f r omsomeone.
A f i r e t r uck? A pr ess van? Be ser i ous.
Sensi ng opt i ons and mi nut es sl i ppi ng away, Langdon made hi s deci si on. Pul l i ng
t he gun f r omhi s pocket ,
he commi t t ed an act so out of char act er t hat he suspect ed hi s soul must now be
possessed. Runni ng over t o
a l one Ci t r on sedan i dl i ng at a st opl i ght , Langdon poi nt ed t he weapon t hr ough
t he dr i ver ' s open wi ndow.
" Fuor i ! " he yel l ed.
The t r embl i ng man got out .
Langdon j umped behi nd t he wheel and hi t t he gas.
101
Sei t e 192
G unt her Gl i ck sat on a bench i n a hol di ng t ank i nsi de t he of f i ce of t he Swi ss
Guar d. He pr ayed t o ever y
god he coul d t hi nk of . Pl ease l et t hi s NOT be a dr eam. I t had been t he scoop of
hi s l i f e. The scoop of
anyone' s l i f e. Ever y r epor t er on ear t h wi shed he wer e Gl i ck r i ght now. You ar e
awake, he t ol d hi msel f . And
you ar e a st ar . Dan Rat her i s cr yi ng r i ght now.
Macr i was besi de hi m, l ooki ng a l i t t l e bi t st unned. Gl i ck di dn' t bl ame her . I n
addi t i on t o excl usi vel y
br oadcast i ng t he camer l egno' s addr ess, she and Gl i ck had pr ovi ded t he wor l d wi t h
gr uesome phot os of t he
car di nal s and of t he Pope- t hat t ongue! - as wel l as a l i ve vi deo f eed of t he
ant i mat t er cani st er count i ng down.
I ncr edi bl e!
Of cour se, al l of t hat had al l been at t he camer l egno' s behest , so t hat was not
t he r eason Gl i ck and Macr i
wer e now l ocked i n a Swi ss Guar d hol di ng t ank. I t had been Gl i ck' s dar i ng
addendumt o t hei r cover age
t hat t he guar ds had not appr eci at ed. Gl i ck knew t he conver sat i on on whi ch he had
j ust r epor t ed was not
i nt ended f or hi s ear s, but t hi s was hi s moment i n t he sun. Anot her Gl i ck scoop!
" The 11t h Hour Samar i t an?" Macr i gr oaned on t he bench besi de hi m, cl ear l y
uni mpr essed.
Gl i ck smi l ed. " Br i l l i ant , wasn' t i t ?"
" Br i l l i ant l y dumb. "
She' s j ust j eal ous, Gl i ck knew. Shor t l y af t er t he camer l egno' s addr ess, Gl i ck
had agai n, by chance, been i n
t he r i ght pl ace at t he r i ght t i me. He' d over hear d Rocher gi vi ng new or der s t o
hi s men. Appar ent l y Rocher
had r ecei ved a phone cal l f r oma myst er i ous i ndi vi dual who Rocher cl ai med had
cr i t i cal i nf or mat i on
r egar di ng t he cur r ent cr i si s. Rocher was t al ki ng as i f t hi s man coul d hel p t hem
and was advi si ng hi s guar ds
t o pr epar e f or t he guest ' s ar r i val .
Al t hough t he i nf or mat i on was cl ear l y pr i vat e, Gl i ck had act ed as any dedi cat ed
r epor t er woul d- wi t hout
honor . He' d f ound a dar k cor ner , or der ed Macr i t o f i r e up her r emot e camer a, and
he' d r epor t ed t he news.
" Shocki ng new devel opment s i n God' s ci t y, " he had announced, squi nt i ng hi s eyes
f or added i nt ensi t y.
Then he' d gone on t o say t hat a myst er y guest was comi ng t o Vat i can Ci t y t o save
t he day. The 11t h Hour
Samar i t an, Gl i ck had cal l ed hi m- a per f ect name f or t he f acel ess man appear i ng at
t he l ast moment t o do a
good deed. The ot her net wor ks had pi cked up t he cat chy sound bi t e, and Gl i ck was
yet agai n i mmor t al i zed.
I ' mbr i l l i ant , he mused. Pet er J enni ngs j ust j umped of f a br i dge.
Of cour se Gl i ck had not st opped t her e. Whi l e he had t he wor l d' s at t ent i on, he
had t hr own i n a l i t t l e of hi s
own conspi r acy t heor y f or good measur e.
Br i l l i ant . Ut t er l y br i l l i ant .
" You scr ewed us, " Macr i sai d. " You t ot al l y bl ew i t . "
" What do you mean? I was gr eat ! "
Macr i st ar ed di sbel i evi ngl y. " For mer Pr esi dent Geor ge Bush? An I l l umi nat us?"
Gl i ck smi l ed. How much mor e obvi ous coul d i t be? Geor ge Bush was a
wel l - document ed, 33r d- degr ee
Mason, and he was t he head of t he CI A when t he agency cl osed t hei r I l l umi nat i
i nvest i gat i on f or l ack of
evi dence. And al l t hose speeches about " a t housand poi nt s of l i ght " and a " New
Wor l d Or der " . . . Bush
was obvi ousl y I l l umi nat i .
" And t hat bi t about CERN?" Macr i chi ded. " You ar e goi ng t o have a ver y bi g l i ne
of l awyer s out si de your
door t omor r ow. "
" CERN? Oh come on! I t ' s so obvi ous! Thi nk about i t ! The I l l umi nat i di sappear of f
t he f ace of t he ear t h i n
t he 1950s at about t he same t i me CERN i s f ounded. CERN i s a haven f or t he most
enl i ght ened peopl e on
ear t h. Tons of pr i vat e f undi ng. They bui l d a weapon t hat can dest r oy t he chur ch,
Sei t e 193
and oops! . . . t hey l ose
i t ! "
" So you t el l t he wor l d t hat CERN i s t he new home base of t he I l l umi nat i ?"
" Obvi ousl y! Br ot her hoods don' t j ust di sappear . The I l l umi nat i had t o go
somewher e. CERN i s a per f ect
pl ace f or t hemt o hi de. I ' mnot sayi ng ever yone at CERN i s I l l umi nat i . I t ' s
pr obabl y l i ke a huge Masoni c
l odge, wher e most peopl e ar e i nnocent , but t he upper echel ons- "
" Have you ever hear d of sl ander , Gl i ck? Li abi l i t y?"
" Have you ever hear d of r eal j our nal i sm! "
" J our nal i sm? You wer e pul l i ng bul l shi t out of t hi n ai r ! I shoul d have t ur ned of f
t he camer a! And what t he
hel l was t hat cr ap about CERN' s cor por at e l ogo? Sat ani c symbol ogy? Have you l ost
your mi nd?"
Gl i ck smi l ed. Macr i ' s j eal ousy was def i ni t el y showi ng. The CERN l ogo had been
t he most br i l l i ant coup of
al l . Ever si nce t he camer l egno' s addr ess, al l t he net wor ks wer e t al ki ng about
CERN and ant i mat t er . Some
st at i ons wer e showi ng t he CERN cor por at e l ogo as a backdr op. The l ogo seemed
st andar d enough- t wo
i nt er sect i ng ci r cl es r epr esent i ng t wo par t i cl e accel er at or s, and f i ve t angent i al
l i nes r epr esent i ng par t i cl e
i nj ect i on t ubes. The whol e wor l d was st ar i ng at t hi s l ogo, but i t had been
Gl i ck, a bi t of a symbol ogi st
hi msel f , who had f i r st seen t he I l l umi nat i symbol ogy hi dden i n i t .
" You' r e not a symbol ogi st , " Macr i chi ded, " you' r e j ust one l ucky- ass r epor t er .
You shoul d have l ef t t he
symbol ogy t o t he Har var d guy. "
" The Har var d guy mi ssed i t , " Gl i ck sai d.
The I l l umi nat i si gni f i cance i n t hi s l ogo i s so obvi ous!
He was beami ng i nsi de. Al t hough CERN had l ot s of accel er at or s, t hei r l ogo showed
onl y t wo. Two i s t he
I l l umi nat i number of dual i t y. Al t hough most accel er at or s had onl y one i nj ect i on
t ube, t he l ogo showed f i ve.
Fi ve i s t he number of t he I l l umi nat i pent agr am. Then had come t he coup- t he most
br i l l i ant poi nt of al l .
Gl i ck poi nt ed out t hat t he l ogo cont ai ned a l ar ge numer al " 6- cl ear l y f or med by
one of t he l i nes and ci r cl es-
and when t he l ogo was r ot at ed, anot her si x appear ed . . . and t hen anot her . The
l ogo cont ai ned t hr ee si xes!
666! The devi l ' s number ! The mar k of t he beast !
Gl i ck was a geni us.
Macr i l ooked r eady t o sl ug hi m.
The j eal ousy woul d pass, Gl i ck knew, hi s mi nd now wander i ng t o anot her t hought .
I f CERN was I l l umi nat i
headquar t er s, was CERN wher e t he I l l umi nat i kept t hei r i nf amous I l l umi nat i
Di amond? Gl i ck had r ead
about i t on t he I nt er net - " a f l awl ess di amond, bor n of t he anci ent el ement s wi t h
such per f ect i on t hat al l
t hose who saw i t coul d onl y st and i n wonder . "
Gl i ck wonder ed i f t he secr et wher eabout s of t he I l l umi nat i Di amond mi ght be yet
anot her myst er y he coul d
unvei l t oni ght .
102
P i azza Navona. Fount ai n of t he Four Ri ver s.
Ni ght s i n Rome, l i ke t hose i n t he deser t , can be sur pr i si ngl y cool , even af t er a
war mday. Langdon was
huddl ed now on t he f r i nges of Pi azza Navona, pul l i ng hi s j acket ar ound hi m. Li ke
t he di st ant whi t e noi se of
t r af f i c, a cacophony of news r epor t s echoed acr oss t he ci t y. He checked hi s
wat ch. Fi f t een mi nut es. He was
gr at ef ul f or a f ew moment s of r est .
The pi azza was deser t ed. Ber ni ni ' s mast er f ul f ount ai n si zzl ed bef or e hi mwi t h a
f ear f ul sor cer y. The
f oami ng pool sent a magi cal mi st upwar d, l i t f r ombeneat h by under wat er
f l oodl i ght s. Langdon sensed a
cool el ect r i ci t y i n t he ai r .
The f ount ai n' s most ar r est i ng qual i t y was i t s hei ght . The cent r al cor e al one was
over t went y f eet t al l - a
Sei t e 194
r ugged mount ai n of t r aver t i ne mar bl e r i ddl ed wi t h caves and gr ot t oes t hr ough
whi ch t he wat er chur ned.
The ent i r e mound was dr aped wi t h pagan f i gur es. At op t hi s st ood an obel i sk t hat
cl i mbed anot her f or t y f eet .
Langdon l et hi s eyes cl i mb. On t he obel i sk' s t i p, a f ai nt shadow bl ot t ed t he
sky, a l one pi geon per ched
si l ent l y.
A cr oss, Langdon t hought , st i l l amazed by t he ar r angement of t he mar ker s acr oss
Rome. Ber ni ni ' s Fount ai n
of t he Four Ri ver s was t he l ast al t ar of sci ence. Onl y hour s ago Langdon had
been st andi ng i n t he Pant heon
convi nced t he Pat h of I l l umi nat i on had been br oken and he woul d never get t hi s
f ar . I t had been a f ool i sh
bl under . I n f act , t he ent i r e pat h was i nt act . Ear t h, Ai r , Fi r e, Wat er . And
Langdon had f ol l owed i t . . . f r om
begi nni ng t o end.
Not qui t e t o t he end, he r emi nded hi msel f . The pat h had f i ve st ops, not f our .
Thi s f our t h mar ker f ount ai n
somehow poi nt ed t o t he ul t i mat e dest i ny- t he I l l umi nat i ' s sacr ed l ai r - t he Chur ch
of I l l umi nat i on. Langdon
wonder ed i f t he l ai r wer e st i l l st andi ng. He wonder ed i f t hat was wher e t he
Hassassi n had t aken Vi t t or i a.
Langdon f ound hi s eyes pr obi ng t he f i gur es i n t he f ount ai n, l ooki ng f or any cl ue
as t o t he di r ect i on of t he
l ai r . Let angel s gui de you on your l of t y quest . Al most i mmedi at el y, t hough, he
was over come by an
unset t l i ng awar eness. Thi s f ount ai n cont ai ned no angel s what soever . I t cer t ai nl y
cont ai ned none Langdon
coul d see f r omwher e he was st andi ng . . . and none he had ever seen i n t he
past . The Fount ai n of t he Four
Ri ver s was a pagan wor k. The car vi ngs wer e al l pr of ane- humans, ani mal s, even an
awkwar d ar madi l l o. An
angel her e woul d st i ck out l i ke a sor e t humb.
I s t hi s t he wr ong pl ace? He consi der ed t he cr uci f or mar r angement of t he f our
obel i sks. He cl enched hi s
f i st s. Thi s f ount ai n i s per f ect .
I t was onl y 10: 46 P. M. when a bl ack van emer ged f r omt he al l eyway on t he f ar
si de of t he pi azza. Langdon
woul d not have gi ven i t a second l ook except t hat t he van dr ove wi t h no
headl i ght s. Li ke a shar k pat r ol l i ng
a moonl i t bay, t he vehi cl e ci r cl ed t he per i met er of t he pi azza.
Langdon hunker ed l ower , cr ouched i n t he shadows besi de t he huge st ai r way l eadi ng
up t o t he Chur ch of St .
Agnes i n Agony. He gazed out at t he pi azza, hi s pul se cl i mbi ng.
Af t er maki ng t wo compl et e ci r cui t s, t he van banked i nwar d t owar d Ber ni ni ' s
f ount ai n. I t pul l ed abr east of
t he basi n, movi ng l at er al l y al ong t he r i munt i l i t s si de was f l ush wi t h t he
f ount ai n. Then i t par ked, i t s
sl i di ng door posi t i oned onl y i nches above t he chur ni ng wat er .
Mi st bi l l owed.
Langdon f el t an uneasy pr emoni t i on. Had t he Hassassi n ar r i ved ear l y? Had he come
i n a van? Langdon had
i magi ned t he ki l l er escor t i ng hi s l ast vi ct i macr oss t he pi azza on f oot , l i ke he
had at St . Pet er ' s, gi vi ng
Langdon an open shot . But i f t he Hassassi n had ar r i ved i n a van, t he r ul es had
j ust changed.
Suddenl y, t he van' s si de door sl i d open.
On t he f l oor of t he van, cont or t ed i n agony, l ay a naked man. The man was
wr apped i n yar ds of heavy
chai ns. He t hr ashed agai nst t he i r on l i nks, but t he chai ns wer e t oo heavy. One
of t he l i nks bi sect ed t he
man' s mout h l i ke a hor se' s bi t , st i f l i ng hi s cr i es f or hel p. I t was t hen t hat
Langdon saw t he second f i gur e,
movi ng ar ound behi nd t he pr i soner i n t he dar k, as t hough maki ng f i nal
pr epar at i ons.
Langdon knew he had onl y seconds t o act .
Taki ng t he gun, he sl i pped of f hi s j acket and dr opped i t on t he gr ound. He
di dn' t want t he added
Sei t e 195
encumbr ance of a t weed j acket , nor di d he have any i nt ent i on of t aki ng Gal i l eo' s
Di agr amma anywher e
near t he wat er . The document woul d st ay her e wher e i t was saf e and dr y.
Langdon scr ambl ed t o hi s r i ght . Ci r cl i ng t he per i met er of t he f ount ai n, he
posi t i oned hi msel f di r ect l y
opposi t e t he van. The f ount ai n' s massi ve cent er pi ece obscur ed hi s vi ew.
St andi ng, he r an di r ect l y t owar d
t he basi n. He hoped t he t hunder i ng wat er was dr owni ng hi s f oot st eps. When he
r eached t he f ount ai n, he
cl i mbed over t he r i mand dr opped i nt o t he f oami ng pool .
The wat er was wai st deep and l i ke i ce. Langdon gr i t hi s t eet h and pl owed t hr ough
t he wat er . The bot t om
was sl i pper y, made doubl y t r eacher ous by a st r at umof coi ns t hr own f or good
l uck. Langdon sensed he
woul d need mor e t han good l uck. As t he mi st r ose al l ar ound hi m, he wonder ed i f
i t was t he col d or t he f ear
t hat was causi ng t he gun i n hi s hand t o shake.
He r eached t he i nt er i or of t he f ount ai n and ci r cl ed back t o hi s l ef t . He waded
har d, cl i ngi ng t o t he cover of
t he mar bl e f or ms. Hi di ng hi msel f behi nd t he huge car ved f or mof a hor se, Langdon
peer ed out . The van
was onl y f i f t een f eet away. The Hassassi n was cr ouched on t he f l oor of t he van,
hands pl ant ed on t he
car di nal ' s chai n- cl ad body, pr epar i ng t o r ol l hi mout t he open door i nt o t he
f ount ai n.
Wai st - deep i n wat er , Rober t Langdon r ai sed hi s gun and st epped out of t he mi st ,
f eel i ng l i ke some sor t of
aquat i c cowboy maki ng a f i nal st and. " Don' t move. " Hi s voi ce was st eadi er t han
t he gun.
The Hassassi n l ooked up. For a moment he seemed conf used, as t hough he had seen
a ghost . Then hi s l i ps
cur l ed i nt o an evi l smi l e. He r ai sed hi s ar ms i n submi ssi on. " And so i t goes. "
" Get out of t he van. "
" You l ook wet . "
" You' r e ear l y. "
" I ameager t o r et ur n t o my pr i ze. "
Langdon l evel ed t he gun. " I won' t hesi t at e t o shoot . "
" You' ve al r eady hesi t at ed. "
Langdon f el t hi s f i nger t i ght en on t he t r i gger . The car di nal l ay mot i onl ess now.
He l ooked exhaust ed,
mor i bund. " Unt i e hi m. "
" For get hi m. You' ve come f or t he woman. Do not pr et end ot her wi se. "
Langdon f ought t he ur ge t o end i t r i ght t her e. " Wher e i s she?"
" Somewher e saf e. Awai t i ng my r et ur n. "
She' s al i ve. Langdon f el t a r ay of hope. " At t he Chur ch of I l l umi nat i on?"
The ki l l er smi l ed. " You wi l l never f i nd i t s l ocat i on. "
Langdon was i ncr edul ous. The l ai r i s st i l l st andi ng. He ai med t he gun. " Wher e?"
" The l ocat i on has r emai ned secr et f or cent ur i es. Even t o me i t was onl y r eveal ed
r ecent l y. I woul d di e
bef or e I br eak t hat t r ust . "
" I can f i nd i t wi t hout you. "
" An ar r ogant t hought . "
Langdon mot i oned t o t he f ount ai n. " I ' ve come t hi s f ar . "
" So have many. The f i nal st ep i s t he har dest . "
Langdon st epped cl oser , hi s f oot i ng t ent at i ve beneat h t he wat er . The Hassassi n
l ooked r emar kabl y cal m,
squat t i ng t her e i n t he back of t he van wi t h hi s ar ms r ai sed over hi s head.
Langdon ai med at hi s chest ,
wonder i ng i f he shoul d si mpl y shoot and be done wi t h i t . No. He knows wher e
Vi t t or i a i s. He knows wher e
t he ant i mat t er i s. I need i nf or mat i on!
Fr omt he dar kness of t he van t he Hassassi n gazed out at hi s aggr essor and
coul dn' t hel p but f eel an amused
pi t y. The Amer i can was br ave, t hat he had pr oven. But he was al so unt r ai ned.
That he had al so pr oven.
Val or wi t hout exper t i se was sui ci de. Ther e wer e r ul es of sur vi val . Anci ent
r ul es. And t he Amer i can was
br eaki ng al l of t hem.
Sei t e 196
You had t he advant age- t he el ement of sur pr i se. You squander ed i t .
The Amer i can was i ndeci si ve . . . hopi ng f or backup most l i kel y . . . or per haps
a sl i p of t he t ongue t hat
woul d r eveal cr i t i cal i nf or mat i on.
Never i nt er r ogat e bef or e you di sabl e your pr ey. A cor ner ed enemy i s a deadl y
enemy.
The Amer i can was t al ki ng agai n. Pr obi ng. Maneuver i ng.
The ki l l er al most l aughed al oud. Thi s i s not one of your Hol l ywood movi es . . .
t her e wi l l be no l ong
di scussi ons at gunpoi nt bef or e t he f i nal shoot - out . Thi s i s t he end. Now.
Wi t hout br eaki ng eye cont act , t he ki l l er i nched hi s hands acr oss t he cei l i ng of
t he van unt i l he f ound what
he was l ooki ng f or . St ar i ng dead ahead, he gr asped i t .
Then he made hi s pl ay.
The mot i on was ut t er l y unexpect ed. For an i nst ant , Langdon t hought t he l aws of
physi cs had ceased t o
exi st . The ki l l er seemed t o hang wei ght l ess i n t he ai r as hi s l egs shot out f r om
beneat h hi m, hi s boot s
dr i vi ng i nt o t he car di nal ' s si de and l aunchi ng t he chai n- l aden body out t he
door . The car di nal spl ashed
down, sendi ng up a sheet of spr ay.
Wat er dousi ng hi s f ace, Langdon r eal i zed t oo l at e what had happened. The ki l l er
had gr asped one of t he
van' s r ol l bar s and used i t t o swi ng out war d. Now t he Hassassi n was sai l i ng
t owar d hi m, f eet - f i r st t hr ough
t he spr ay.
Langdon pul l ed t he t r i gger , and t he si l encer spat . The bul l et expl oded t hr ough
t he t oe of t he Hassassi n' s l ef t
boot . I nst ant l y Langdon f el t t he sol es of t he Hassassi n' s boot s connect wi t h hi s
chest , dr i vi ng hi mback
wi t h a cr ushi ng ki ck.
The t wo men spl ashed down i n a spr ay of bl ood and wat er .
As t he i cy l i qui d engul f ed Langdon' s body, hi s f i r st cogni t i on was pai n.
Sur vi val i nst i nct came next . He
r eal i zed he was no l onger hol di ng hi s weapon. I t had been knocked away. Di vi ng
deep, he gr oped al ong t he
sl i my bot t om. Hi s hand gr i pped met al . A handf ul of coi ns. He dr opped t hem.
Openi ng hi s eyes, Langdon
scanned t he gl owi ng basi n. The wat er chur ned ar ound hi ml i ke a f r i gi d J acuzzi .
Despi t e t he i nst i nct t o br eat he, f ear kept hi mon t he bot t om. Al ways movi ng. He
di d not know f r omwher e
t he next assaul t woul d come. He needed t o f i nd t he gun! Hi s hands gr oped
desper at el y i n f r ont of hi m.
You have t he advant age, he t ol d hi msel f . You ar e i n your el ement . Even i n a
soaked t ur t l eneck Langdon
was an agi l e swi mmer . Wat er i s your el ement .
When Langdon' s f i nger s f ound met al a second t i me, he was cer t ai n hi s l uck had
changed. The obj ect i n hi s
hand was no handf ul of coi ns. He gr i pped i t and t r i ed t o pul l i t t owar d hi m, but
when he di d, he f ound
hi msel f gl i di ng t hr ough t he wat er . The obj ect was st at i onar y.
Langdon r eal i zed even bef or e he coast ed over t he car di nal ' s wr i t hi ng body t hat
he had gr asped par t of t he
met al chai n t hat was wei ghi ng t he man down. Langdon hover ed a moment ,
i mmobi l i zed by t he si ght of t he
t er r i f i ed f ace st ar i ng up at hi mf r omt he f l oor of t he f ount ai n.
J ol t ed by t he l i f e i n t he man' s eyes, Langdon r eached down and gr abbed t he
chai ns, t r yi ng t o heave hi m
t owar d t he sur f ace. The body came sl owl y . . . l i ke an anchor . Langdon pul l ed
har der . When t he car di nal ' s
head br oke t he sur f ace, t he ol d man gasped a f ew sucki ng, desper at e br eat hs.
Then, vi ol ent l y, hi s body
r ol l ed, causi ng Langdon t o l ose hi s gr i p on t he sl i pper y chai ns. Li ke a st one,
Baggi a went down agai n and
di sappear ed beneat h t he f oami ng wat er .
Langdon dove, eyes wi de i n t he l i qui d mur ki ness. He f ound t he car di nal . Thi s
t i me, when Langdon gr abbed
on, t he chai ns acr oss Baggi a' s chest shi f t ed . . . par t i ng t o r eveal a f ur t her
Sei t e 197
wi ckedness . . . a wor d st amped
i n sear ed f l esh.

An i nst ant l at er , t wo boot s st r ode i nt o vi ew. One was gushi ng bl ood.
103
A s a wat er pol o pl ayer , Rober t Langdon had endur ed mor e t han hi s f ai r shar e of
under wat er bat t l es. The
compet i t i ve savager y t hat r aged beneat h t he sur f ace of a wat er pol o pool , away
f r omt he eyes of t he
r ef er ees, coul d r i val even t he ugl i est wr est l i ng mat ch. Langdon had been ki cked,
scr at ched, hel d, and even
bi t t en once by a f r ust r at ed def enseman f r omwhomLangdon had cont i nuousl y
t wi st ed away.
Now, t hough, t hr ashi ng i n t he f r i gi d wat er of Ber ni ni ' s f ount ai n, Langdon knew
he was a l ong way f r om
t he Har var d pool . He was f i ght i ng not f or a game, but f or hi s l i f e. Thi s was t he
second t i me t hey had
bat t l ed. No r ef er ees her e. No r emat ches. The ar ms dr i vi ng hi s f ace t owar d t he
bot t omof t he basi n t hr ust
wi t h a f or ce t hat l ef t no doubt t hat i t i nt ended t o ki l l .
Langdon i nst i nct i vel y spun l i ke a t or pedo. Br eak t he hol d! But t he gr i p t or qued
hi mback, hi s at t acker
enj oyi ng an advant age no wat er pol o def enseman ever had- t wo f eet on sol i d
gr ound. Langdon cont or t ed,
t r yi ng t o get hi s own f eet beneat h hi m. The Hassassi n seemed t o be f avor i ng one
ar m. . . but nonet hel ess,
hi s gr i p hel d f i r m.
I t was t hen t hat Langdon knew he was not comi ng up. He di d t he onl y t hi ng he
coul d t hi nk of t o do. He
st opped t r yi ng t o sur f ace. I f you can' t go nor t h, go east . Mar shal l i ng t he l ast
of hi s st r engt h, Langdon
dol phi n- ki cked hi s l egs and pul l ed hi s ar ms beneat h hi mi n an awkwar d but t er f l y
st r oke. Hi s body l ur ched
f or war d.
The sudden swi t ch i n di r ect i on seemed t o t ake t he Hassassi n of f guar d. Langdon' s
l at er al mot i on dr agged
hi s capt or ' s ar ms si deways, compr omi si ng hi s bal ance. The man' s gr i p f al t er ed,
and Langdon ki cked agai n.
The sensat i on f el t l i ke a t owl i ne had snapped. Suddenl y Langdon was f r ee.
Bl owi ng t he st al e ai r f r omhi s
l ungs, Langdon cl awed f or t he sur f ace. A si ngl e br eat h was al l he got . Wi t h
cr ashi ng f or ce t he Hassassi n
was on t op of hi magai n, pal ms on hi s shoul der s, al l of hi s wei ght bear i ng down.
Langdon scr ambl ed t o
pl ant hi s f eet beneat h hi mbut t he Hassassi n' s l eg swung out , cut t i ng Langdon
down.
He went under agai n.
Langdon' s muscl es bur ned as he t wi st ed beneat h t he wat er . Thi s t i me hi s
maneuver s wer e i n vai n. Thr ough
t he bubbl i ng wat er , Langdon scanned t he bot t om, l ooki ng f or t he gun. Ever yt hi ng
was bl ur r ed. The bubbl es
wer e denser her e. A bl i ndi ng l i ght f l ashed i n hi s f ace as t he ki l l er wr est l ed
hi mdeeper , t owar d a submer ged
spot l i ght bol t ed on t he f l oor of t he f ount ai n. Langdon r eached out , gr abbi ng t he
cani st er . I t was hot .
Langdon t r i ed t o pul l hi msel f f r ee, but t he cont r apt i on was mount ed on hi nges
and pi vot ed i n hi s hand. Hi s
l ever age was i nst ant l y l ost .
The Hassassi n dr ove hi mdeeper st i l l .
I t was t hen Langdon saw i t . Poki ng out f r omunder t he coi ns di r ect l y beneat h hi s
f ace. A nar r ow, bl ack
cyl i nder . The si l encer of Ol i vet t i ' s gun! Langdon r eached out , but as hi s
f i nger s wr apped ar ound t he
cyl i nder , he di d not f eel met al , he f el t pl ast i c. When he pul l ed, t he f l exi bl e
r ubber hose came f l oppi ng
t owar d hi ml i ke a f l i msy snake. I t was about t wo f eet l ong wi t h a j et of bubbl es
sur gi ng f r omt he end.
Sei t e 198
Langdon had not f ound t he gun at al l . I t was one of t he f ount ai n' s many har ml ess
spumant i . . . bubbl e
maker s.
Onl y a f ew f eet away, Car di nal Baggi a f el t hi s soul st r ai ni ng t o l eave hi s body.
Al t hough he had pr epar ed
f or t hi s moment hi s ent i r e l i f e, he had never i magi ned t he end woul d be l i ke
t hi s. Hi s physi cal shel l was i n
agony . . . bur ned, br ui sed, and hel d under wat er by an i mmovabl e wei ght . He
r emi nded hi msel f t hat t hi s
suf f er i ng was not hi ng compar ed t o what J esus had endur ed.
He di ed f or my si ns . . .
Baggi a coul d hear t he t hr ashi ng of a bat t l e r agi ng near by. He coul d not bear t he
t hought of i t . Hi s capt or
was about t o ext i ngui sh yet anot her l i f e . . . t he man wi t h ki nd eyes, t he man
who had t r i ed t o hel p.
As t he pai n mount ed, Baggi a l ay on hi s back and st ar ed up t hr ough t he wat er at
t he bl ack sky above hi m.
For a moment he t hought he saw st ar s.
I t was t i me.
Rel easi ng al l f ear and doubt , Baggi a opened hi s mout h and expel l ed what he knew
woul d be hi s f i nal
br eat h. He wat ched hi s spi r i t gur gl e heavenwar d i n a bur st of t r anspar ent
bubbl es. Then, r ef l exi vel y, he
gasped. The wat er pour ed i n l i ke i cy dagger s t o hi s si des. The pai n l ast ed onl y
a f ew seconds.
Then . . . peace.
The Hassassi n i gnor ed t he bur ni ng i n hi s f oot and f ocused on t he dr owni ng
Amer i can, whomhe now hel d
pi nned beneat h hi mi n t he chur ni ng wat er . Fi ni sh i t f ul l y. He t i ght ened hi s
gr i p, knowi ng t hi s t i me Rober t
Langdon woul d not sur vi ve. As he pr edi ct ed, hi s vi ct i m' s st r uggl i ng became
weaker and weaker .
Suddenl y Langdon' s body went r i gi d. He began t o shake wi l dl y.
Yes, t he Hassassi n mused. The r i gor s. When t he wat er f i r st hi t s t he l ungs. The
r i gor s, he knew, woul d l ast
about f i ve seconds.
They l ast ed si x.
Then, exact l y as t he Hassassi n expect ed, hi s vi ct i mwent suddenl y f l acci d. Li ke
a gr eat def l at i ng bal l oon,
Rober t Langdon f el l l i mp. I t was over . The Hassassi n hel d hi mdown f or anot her
t hi r t y seconds t o l et t he
wat er f l ood al l of hi s pul monar y t i ssue. Gr adual l y, he f el t Langdon' s body si nk,
on i t s own accor d, t o t he
bot t om. Fi nal l y, t he Hassassi n l et go. The medi a woul d f i nd a doubl e sur pr i se i n
t he Fount ai n of t he Four
Ri ver s.
" Tabban! " t he Hassassi n swor e, cl amber i ng out of t he f ount ai n and l ooki ng at hi s
bl eedi ng t oe. The t i p of
hi s boot was shr edded, and t he f r ont of hi s bi g t oe had been shear ed of f . Angr y
at hi s own car el essness, he
t or e t he cuf f f r omhi s pant l eg and r ammed t he f abr i c i nt o t he t oe of hi s boot .
Pai n shot up hi s l eg. " I bn al -
kal b! " He cl enched hi s f i st s and r ammed t he cl ot h deeper . The bl eedi ng sl owed
unt i l i t was onl y a t r i ckl e.
Tur ni ng hi s t hought s f r ompai n t o pl easur e, t he Hassassi n got i nt o hi s van. Hi s
wor k i n Rome was done. He
knew exact l y what woul d soot he hi s di scomf or t . Vi t t or i a Vet r a was bound and
wai t i ng. The Hassassi n,
even col d and wet , f el t hi msel f st i f f en.
I have ear ned my r ewar d.
Acr oss t own Vi t t or i a awoke i n pai n. She was on her back. Al l of her muscl es f el t
l i ke st one. Ti ght . Br i t t l e.
Her ar ms hur t . When she t r i ed t o move, she f el t spasms i n her shoul der s. I t t ook
her a moment t o
compr ehend her hands wer e t i ed behi nd her back. Her i ni t i al r eact i on was
conf usi on. AmI dr eami ng? But
Sei t e 199
when she t r i ed t o l i f t her head, t he pai n at t he base of her skul l i nf or med her
of her wakef ul ness.
Conf usi on t r ansf or mi ng t o f ear , she scanned her sur r oundi ngs. She was i n a
cr ude, st one r oom- l ar ge and
wel l - f ur ni shed, l i t by t or ches. Some ki nd of anci ent meet i ng hal l . Ol d- f ashi oned
benches sat i n a ci r cl e
near by.
Vi t t or i a f el t a br eeze, col d now on her ski n. Near by, a set of doubl e door s
st ood open, beyond t hema
bal cony. Thr ough t he sl i t s i n t he bal ust r ade, Vi t t or i a coul d have swor n she saw
t he Vat i can.
104
R ober t Langdon l ay on a bed of coi ns at t he bot t omof t he Fount ai n of t he Four
Ri ver s. Hi s mout h was
st i l l wr apped ar ound t he pl ast i c hose. The ai r bei ng pumped t hr ough t he spumant i
t ube t o f r ot h t he f ount ai n
had been pol l ut ed by t he pump, and hi s t hr oat bur ned. He was not compl ai ni ng,
t hough. He was al i ve.
He was not sur e how accur at e hi s i mi t at i on of a dr owni ng man had been, but
havi ng been ar ound wat er hi s
ent i r e l i f e, Langdon had cer t ai nl y hear d account s. He had done hi s best . Near
t he end, he had even bl own
al l t he ai r f r omhi s l ungs and st opped br eat hi ng so t hat hi s muscl e mass woul d
car r y hi s body t o t he f l oor .
Thankf ul l y, t he Hassassi n had bought i t and l et go.
Now, r est i ng on t he bot t omof t he f ount ai n, Langdon had wai t ed as l ong as he
coul d wai t . He was about t o
st ar t choki ng. He wonder ed i f t he Hassassi n was st i l l out t her e. Taki ng an acr i d
br eat h f r omt he t ube,
Langdon l et go and swamacr oss t he bot t omof t he f ount ai n unt i l he f ound t he
smoot h swel l of t he cent r al
cor e. Si l ent l y, he f ol l owed i t upwar d, sur f aci ng out of si ght , i n t he shadows
beneat h t he huge mar bl e
f i gur es.
The van was gone.
That was al l Langdon needed t o see. Pul l i ng a l ong br eat h of f r esh ai r back i nt o
hi s l ungs, he scr ambl ed
back t owar d wher e Car di nal Baggi a had gone down. Langdon knew t he man woul d be
unconsci ous now,
and chances of r evi val wer e sl i m, but he had t o t r y. When Langdon f ound t he
body, he pl ant ed hi s f eet on
ei t her si de, r eached down, and gr abbed t he chai ns wr apped ar ound t he car di nal .
Then Langdon pul l ed.
When t he car di nal br oke wat er , Langdon coul d see t he eyes wer e al r eady r ol l ed
upwar d, bul gi ng. Not a
good si gn. Ther e was no br eat h or pul se.
Knowi ng he coul d never get t he body up and over t he f ount ai n r i m, Langdon l ugged
Car di nal Baggi a
t hr ough t he wat er and i nt o t he hol l ow beneat h t he cent r al mound of mar bl e. Her e
t he wat er became
shal l ow, and t her e was an i ncl i ned l edge. Langdon dr agged t he naked body up ont o
t he l edge as f ar as he
coul d. Not f ar .
Then he went t o wor k. Compr essi ng t he car di nal ' s chai n- cl ad chest , Langdon
pumped t he wat er f r omhi s
l ungs. Then he began CPR. Count i ng car ef ul l y. Del i ber at el y. Resi st i ng t he
i nst i nct t o bl ow t oo har d and t oo
f ast . For t hr ee mi nut es Langdon t r i ed t o r evi ve t he ol d man. Af t er f i ve mi nut es,
Langdon knew i t was over .
I l pr ef er i t o. The man who woul d be Pope. Lyi ng dead bef or e hi m.
Somehow, even now, pr ost r at e i n t he shadows on t he semi submer ged l edge, Car di nal
Baggi a r et ai ned an
ai r of qui et di gni t y. The wat er l apped sof t l y acr oss hi s chest , seemi ng al most
r emor sef ul . . . as i f aski ng
f or gi veness f or bei ng t he man' s ul t i mat e ki l l er . . . as i f t r yi ng t o cl eanse
t he scal ded wound t hat bor e i t s
name.
Gent l y, Langdon r an a hand acr oss t he man' s f ace and cl osed hi s upt ur ned eyes.
As he di d, he f el t an
Sei t e 200
exhaust ed shudder of t ear s wel l f r omwi t hi n. I t st ar t l ed hi m. Then, f or t he
f i r st t i me i n year s, Langdon
cr i ed.
105
T he f og of wear y emot i on l i f t ed sl owl y as Langdon waded away f r omt he dead
car di nal , back i nt o deep
wat er . Depl et ed and al one i n t he f ount ai n, Langdon hal f - expect ed t o col l apse.
But i nst ead, he f el t a new
compul si on r i si ng wi t hi n hi m. Undeni abl e. Fr ant i c. He sensed hi s muscl es
har deni ng wi t h an unexpect ed
gr i t . Hi s mi nd, as t hough i gnor i ng t he pai n i n hi s hear t , f or ced asi de t he past
and br ought i nt o f ocus t he
si ngl e, desper at e t ask ahead.
Fi nd t he I l l umi nat i l ai r . Hel p Vi t t or i a.
Tur ni ng now t o t he mount ai nous cor e of Ber ni ni ' s f ount ai n, Langdon summoned hope
and l aunched
hi msel f i nt o hi s quest f or t he f i nal I l l umi nat i mar ker . He knew somewher e on
t hi s gnar l ed mass of f i gur es
was a cl ue t hat poi nt ed t o t he l ai r . As Langdon scanned t he f ount ai n, t hough,
hi s hope wi t her ed qui ckl y.
The wor ds of t he segno seemed t o gur gl e mocki ngl y al l ar ound hi m. Let angel s
gui de you on your l of t y
quest . Langdon gl ar ed at t he car ved f or ms bef or e hi m. The f ount ai n i s pagan! I t
has no damn angel s
anywher e!
When Langdon compl et ed hi s f r ui t l ess sear ch of t he cor e, hi s eyes i nst i nct i vel y
cl i mbed t he t ower i ng st one
pi l l ar . Four mar ker s, he t hought , spr ead acr oss Rome i n a gi ant cr oss.
Scanni ng t he hi er ogl yphi cs cover i ng t he obel i sk, he wonder ed i f per haps t her e
wer e a cl ue hi dden i n t he
Egypt i an symbol ogy. He i mmedi at el y di smi ssed t he i dea. The hi er ogl yphs pr edat ed
Ber ni ni by cent ur i es,
and hi er ogl yphs had not even been deci pher abl e unt i l t he Roset t a St one was
di scover ed. St i l l , Langdon
vent ur ed, maybe Ber ni ni had car ved an addi t i onal symbol ? One t hat woul d go
unnot i ced among al l t he
hi er ogl yphs?
Feel i ng a shi mmer of hope, Langdon ci r cumnavi gat ed t he f ount ai n one mor e t i me
and st udi ed al l f our
f aades of t he obel i sk. I t t ook hi mt wo mi nut es, and when he r eached t he end of
t he f i nal f ace, hi s hopes
sank. Not hi ng i n t he hi er ogl yphs st ood out as any ki nd of addi t i on. Cer t ai nl y no
angel s.
Langdon checked hi s wat ch. I t was el even on t he dot . He coul dn' t t el l whet her
t i me was f l yi ng or cr awl i ng.
I mages of Vi t t or i a and t he Hassassi n st ar t ed t o swi r l haunt i ngl y as Langdon
cl amber ed hi s way ar ound t he
f ount ai n, t he f r ust r at i on mount i ng as he f r ant i cal l y compl et ed yet anot her
f r ui t l ess ci r cl e. Beat en and
exhaust ed, Langdon f el t r eady t o col l apse. He t hr ew back hi s head t o scr eami nt o
t he ni ght .
The sound j ammed i n hi s t hr oat .
Langdon was st ar i ng st r ai ght up t he obel i sk. The obj ect per ched at t he ver y t op
was one he had seen ear l i er
and i gnor ed. Now, however , i t st opped hi mshor t . I t was not an angel . Far f r om
i t . I n f act , he had not even
per cei ved i t as par t of Ber ni ni ' s f ount ai n. He t hought i t was a l i vi ng cr eat ur e,
anot her one of t he ci t y' s
scavenger s per ched on a l of t y t ower .
A pi geon.
Langdon squi nt ed skywar d at t he obj ect , hi s vi si on bl ur r ed by t he gl owi ng mi st
ar ound hi m. I t was a
pi geon, wasn' t i t ? He coul d cl ear l y see t he head and beak si l houet t ed agai nst a
cl ust er of st ar s. And yet t he
bi r d had not budged si nce Langdon' s ar r i val , even wi t h t he bat t l e bel ow. The
bi r d sat now exact l y as i t had
been when Langdon ent er ed t he squar e. I t was per ched hi gh at op t he obel i sk,
gazi ng cal ml y west war d.
Langdon st ar ed at i t a moment and t hen pl unged hi s hand i nt o t he f ount ai n and
Sei t e 201
gr abbed a f i st f ul of coi ns.
He hur l ed t he coi ns skywar d. They cl at t er ed acr oss t he upper l evel s of t he
gr ani t e obel i sk. The bi r d di d not
budge. He t r i ed agai n. Thi s t i me, one of t he coi ns hi t t he mar k. A f ai nt sound
of met al on met al cl anged
acr oss t he squar e.
The damned pi geon was br onze.
You' r e l ooki ng f or an angel , not a pi geon, a voi ce r emi nded hi m. But i t was t oo
l at e. Langdon had made
t he connect i on. He r eal i zed t he bi r d was not a pi geon at al l .
I t was a dove.
Bar el y awar e of hi s own act i ons, Langdon spl ashed t owar d t he cent er of t he
f ount ai n and began scr ambl i ng
up t he t r aver t i ne mount ai n, cl amber i ng over huge ar ms and heads, pul l i ng hi msel f
hi gher . Hal f way t o t he
base of t he obel i sk, he emer ged f r omt he mi st and coul d see t he head of t he bi r d
mor e cl ear l y.
Ther e was no doubt . I t was a dove. The bi r d' s decept i vel y dar k col or was t he
r esul t of Rome' s pol l ut i on
t ar ni shi ng t he or i gi nal br onze. Then t he si gni f i cance hi t hi m. He had seen a
pai r of doves ear l i er t oday at
t he Pant heon. A pai r of doves car r i ed no meani ng. Thi s dove, however , was al one.
The l one dove i s t he pagan symbol f or t he Angel of Peace.
The t r ut h al most l i f t ed Langdon t he r est of t he way t o t he obel i sk. Ber ni ni had
chosen t he pagan symbol f or
t he angel so he coul d di sgui se i t i n a pagan f ount ai n. Let angel s gui de you on
your l of t y quest . The dove i s
t he angel ! Langdon coul d t hi nk of no mor e l of t y per ch f or t he I l l umi nat i ' s f i nal
mar ker t han at op t hi s
obel i sk.
The bi r d was l ooki ng west . Langdon t r i ed t o f ol l ow i t s gaze, but he coul d not
see over t he bui l di ngs. He
cl i mbed hi gher . A quot e f r omSt . Gr egor y of Nyssa emer ged f r omhi s memor y most
unexpect edl y. As t he
soul becomes enl i ght ened . . . i t t akes t he beaut i f ul shape of t he dove.
Langdon r ose heavenwar d. Towar d t he dove. He was al most f l yi ng now. He r eached
t he pl at f or mf r om
whi ch t he obel i sk r ose and coul d cl i mb no hi gher . Wi t h one l ook ar ound, t hough,
he knew he di dn' t have
t o. Al l of Rome spr ead out bef or e hi m. The vi ew was st unni ng.
To hi s l ef t , t he chaot i c medi a l i ght s sur r oundi ng St . Pet er ' s. To hi s r i ght , t he
smoki ng cupol a of Sant a
Mar i a del l a Vi t t or i a. I n f r ont of hi mi n t he di st ance, Pi azza del Popol o.
Beneat h hi m, t he f our t h and f i nal
poi nt . A gi ant cr oss of obel i sks.
Tr embl i ng, Langdon l ooked t o t he dove over head. He t ur ned and f aced t he pr oper
di r ect i on, and t hen he
l ower ed hi s eyes t o t he skyl i ne.
I n an i nst ant he saw i t .
So obvi ous. So cl ear . So devi ousl y si mpl e.
St ar i ng at i t now, Langdon coul d not bel i eve t he I l l umi nat i l ai r had st ayed
hi dden f or so many year s. The
ent i r e ci t y seemed t o f ade away as he l ooked out at t he monst r ous st one
st r uct ur e acr oss t he r i ver i n f r ont of
hi m. The bui l di ng was as f amous as any i n Rome. I t st ood on t he banks of t he
Ti ber Ri ver di agonal l y
adj acent t o t he Vat i can. The bui l di ng' s geomet r y was st ar k- a ci r cul ar cast l e,
wi t hi n a squar e f or t r ess, and
t hen, out si de i t s wal l s, sur r oundi ng t he ent i r e st r uct ur e, a par k i n t he shape
of a pent agr am.
The anci ent st one r ampar t s bef or e hi mwer e dr amat i cal l y l i t by sof t f l oodl i ght s.
Hi gh at op t he cast l e st ood
t he mammot h br onze angel . The angel poi nt ed hi s swor d downwar d at t he exact
cent er of t he cast l e. And as
i f t hat wer e not enough, l eadi ng sol el y and di r ect l y t o t he cast l e' s mai n
ent r ance st ood t he f amous Br i dge of
Angel s . . . a dr amat i c appr oachway ador ned by t wel ve t ower i ng angel s car ved by
none ot her t han Ber ni ni
hi msel f .
Sei t e 202
I n a f i nal br eat ht aki ng r evel at i on, Langdon r eal i zed Ber ni ni ' s ci t y- wi de cr oss
of obel i sks mar ked t he
f or t r ess i n per f ect I l l umi nat i f ashi on; t he cr oss' s cent r al ar mpassed di r ect l y
t hr ough t he cent er of t he
cast l e' s br i dge, di vi di ng i t i nt o t wo equal hal ves.
Langdon r et r i eved hi s t weed coat , hol di ng i t away f r omhi s dr i ppi ng body. Then
he j umped i nt o t he st ol en
sedan and r ammed hi s soggy shoe i nt o t he accel er at or , speedi ng of f i nt o t he
ni ght .
106
I t was 11: 07 P. M. Langdon' s car r aced t hr ough t he Roman ni ght . Speedi ng down
Lungot ever e Tor Di
Nona, par al l el wi t h t he r i ver , Langdon coul d now see hi s dest i nat i on r i si ng l i ke
a mount ai n t o hi s r i ght .
Cast el Sant ' Angel o. Cast l e of t he Angel .
Wi t hout war ni ng, t he t ur nof f t o t he nar r ow Br i dge of Angel s- Pont e Sant '
Angel o- appear ed suddenl y.
Langdon sl ammed on hi s br akes and swer ved. He t ur ned i n t i me, but t he br i dge was
bar r i caded. He ski dded
t en f eet and col l i ded wi t h a ser i es of shor t cement pi l l ar s bl ocki ng hi s way.
Langdon l ur ched f or war d as t he
vehi cl e st al l ed, wheezi ng and shudder i ng. He had f or got t en t he Br i dge of Angel s,
i n or der t o pr eser ve i t ,
was now zoned pedest r i ans onl y.
Shaken, Langdon st agger ed f r omt he cr umpl ed car , wi shi ng now he had chosen one
of t he ot her r out es. He
f el t chi l l ed, shi ver i ng f r omt he f ount ai n. He donned hi s Har r i s t weed over hi s
damp shi r t , gr at ef ul f or
Har r i s' s t r ademar k doubl e l i ni ng. The Di agr amma f ol i o woul d r emai n dr y. Bef or e
hi m, acr oss t he br i dge,
t he st one f or t r ess r ose l i ke a mount ai n. Achi ng and depl et ed, Langdon br oke i nt o
a l opi ng r un.
On bot h si des of hi mnow, l i ke a gaunt l et of escor t s, a pr ocessi on of Ber ni ni
angel s whi pped past , f unnel i ng
hi mt owar d hi s f i nal dest i nat i on. Let angel s gui de you on your l of t y quest . The
cast l e seemed t o r i se as he
advanced, an unscal abl e peak, mor e i nt i mi dat i ng t o hi meven t han St . Pet er ' s. He
spr i nt ed t owar d t he
bast i on, r unni ng on f umes, gazi ng upwar d at t he ci t adel ' s ci r cul ar cor e as i t
shot skywar d t o a gar gant uan,
swor d- wi el di ng angel .
The cast l e appear ed deser t ed.
Langdon knew t hr ough t he cent ur i es t he bui l di ng had been used by t he Vat i can as
a t omb, a f or t r ess, a
papal hi deout , a pr i son f or enemi es of t he chur ch, and a museum. Appar ent l y, t he
cast l e had ot her t enant s
as wel l - t he I l l umi nat i . Somehow i t made eer i e sense. Al t hough t he cast l e was
pr oper t y of t he Vat i can, i t
was used onl y spor adi cal l y, and Ber ni ni had made numer ous r enovat i ons t o i t over
t he year s. The bui l di ng
was now r umor ed t o be honeycombed wi t h secr et ent r i es, passageways, and hi dden
chamber s. Langdon had
l i t t l e doubt t hat t he angel and sur r oundi ng pent agonal par k wer e Ber ni ni ' s doi ng
as wel l .
Ar r i vi ng at t he cast l e' s el ephant i ne doubl e door s, Langdon shoved t hemhar d. Not
sur pr i si ngl y, t hey wer e
i mmovabl e. Two i r on knocker s hung at eye l evel . Langdon di dn' t bot her . He
st epped back, hi s eyes
cl i mbi ng t he sheer out er wal l . These r ampar t s had f ended of f ar mi es of Ber ber s,
heat hens, and Moor s.
Somehow he sensed hi s chances of br eaki ng i n wer e sl i m.
Vi t t or i a, Langdon t hought . Ar e you i n t her e?
Langdon hur r i ed ar ound t he out er wal l . Ther e must be anot her ent r ance!
Roundi ng t he second bul war k t o t he west , Langdon ar r i ved br eat hl ess i n a smal l
par ki ng ar ea of f Lungot er e
Angel o. On t hi s wal l he f ound a second cast l e ent r ance, a dr awbr i dge- t ype
i ngr ess, r ai sed and seal ed shut .
Langdon gazed upwar d agai n.
The onl y l i ght s on t he cast l e wer e ext er i or f l oods i l l umi nat i ng t he f aade. Al l
Sei t e 203
t he t i ny wi ndows i nsi de
seemed bl ack. Langdon' s eyes cl i mbed hi gher . At t he ver y peak of t he cent r al
t ower , a hundr ed f eet above,
di r ect l y beneat h t he angel ' s swor d, a si ngl e bal cony pr ot r uded. The mar bl e
par apet seemed t o shi mmer
sl i ght l y, as i f t he r oombeyond i t wer e agl ow wi t h t or chl i ght . Langdon paused,
hi s soaked body shi ver i ng
suddenl y. A shadow? He wai t ed, st r ai ni ng. Then he saw i t agai n. Hi s spi ne
pr i ckl ed. Someone i s up t her e!
" Vi t t or i a! " he cal l ed out , unabl e t o hel p hi msel f , but hi s voi ce was swal l owed
by t he r agi ng Ti ber behi nd
hi m. He wheel ed i n ci r cl es, wonder i ng wher e t he hel l t he Swi ss Guar d wer e. Had
t hey even hear d hi s
t r ansmi ssi on?
Acr oss t he l ot a l ar ge medi a t r uck was par ked. Langdon r an t owar d i t . A paunchy
man i n headphones sat i n
t he cabi n adj ust i ng l ever s. Langdon r apped on t he si de of t he t r uck. The man
j umped, saw Langdon' s
dr i ppi ng cl ot hes, and yanked of f hi s headset .
" What ' s t he wor r y, mat e?" Hi s accent was Aust r al i an.
" I need your phone. " Langdon was f r enzi ed.
The man shr ugged. " No di al t one. Been t r yi ng al l ni ght . Ci r cui t s ar e packed. "
Langdon swor e al oud. " Have you seen anyone go i n t her e?" He poi nt ed t o t he
dr awbr i dge.
" Act ual l y, yeah. A bl ack van' s been goi ng i n and out al l ni ght . "
Langdon f el t a br i ck hi t t he bot t omof hi s st omach.
" Lucky bast ar d, " t he Aussi e sai d, gazi ng up at t he t ower , and t hen f r owni ng at
hi s obst r uct ed vi ew of t he
Vat i can. " I bet t he vi ew f r omup t her e i s per f ect . I coul dn' t get t hr ough t he
t r af f i c i n St . Pet er ' s, so I ' m
shoot i ng f r omher e. "
Langdon wasn' t l i st eni ng. He was l ooki ng f or opt i ons.
" What do you say?" t he Aust r al i an sai d. " Thi s 11t h Hour Samar i t an f or r eal ?"
Langdon t ur ned. " The what ?"
" You di dn' t hear ? The Capt ai n of t he Swi ss Guar d got a cal l f r omsomebody who
cl ai ms t o have some
pr i mo i nf o. The guy' s f l yi ng i n r i ght now. Al l I know i s i f he saves t he day . .
. t her e go t he r at i ngs! " The
man l aughed.
Langdon was suddenl y conf used. A good Samar i t an f l yi ng i n t o hel p? Di d t he
per son somehow know
wher e t he ant i mat t er was? Then why di dn' t he j ust t el l t he Swi ss Guar d? Why was
he comi ng i n per son?
Somet hi ng was odd, but Langdon di dn' t have t i me t o f i gur e out what .
" Hey, " t he Aussi e sai d, st udyi ng Langdon mor e cl osel y. " Ai n' t you t hat guy I saw
on TV? Tr yi ng t o save
t hat car di nal i n St . Pet er ' s Squar e?"
Langdon di d not answer . Hi s eyes had suddenl y l ocked on a cont r apt i on at t ached
t o t he t op of t he t r uck- a
sat el l i t e di sh on a col l apsi bl e appendage. Langdon l ooked at t he cast l e agai n.
The out er r ampar t was f i f t y
f eet t al l . The i nner f or t r ess cl i mbed f ar t her st i l l . A shel l ed def ense. The t op
was i mpossi bl y hi gh f r omher e,
but maybe i f he coul d cl ear t he f i r st wal l . . .
Langdon spun t o t he newsman and poi nt ed t o t he sat el l i t e ar m. " How hi gh does
t hat go?"
" Huh?" The man l ooked conf used. " Fi f t een met er s. Why?"
" Move t he t r uck. Par k next t o t he wal l . I need hel p. "
" What ar e you t al ki ng about ?"
Langdon expl ai ned.
The Aussi e' s eyes went wi de. " Ar e you i nsane? That ' s a t wo-
hundr ed- t housand- dol l ar t el escopi ng ext ensi on. Not a l adder ! "
" You want r at i ngs? I ' ve got i nf or mat i on t hat wi l l make your day. " Langdon was
desper at e.
" I nf or mat i on wor t h t wo hundr ed gr and?"
Langdon t ol d hi mwhat he woul d r eveal i n exchange f or t he f avor .
Ni net y seconds l at er , Rober t Langdon was gr i ppi ng t he t op of t he sat el l i t e ar m
waver i ng i n t he br eeze f i f t y
f eet of f t he gr ound. Leani ng out , he gr abbed t he t op of t he f i r st bul war k,
Sei t e 204
dr agged hi msel f ont o t he wal l , and
dr opped ont o t he cast l e' s l ower bast i on.
" Now keep your bar gai n! " t he Aussi e cal l ed up. " Wher e i s he?"
Langdon f el t gui l t - r i dden f or r eveal i ng t hi s i nf or mat i on, but a deal was a deal .
Besi des, t he Hassassi n
woul d pr obabl y cal l t he pr ess anyway. " Pi azza Navona, " Langdon shout ed. " He' s i n
t he f ount ai n. "
The Aussi e l ower ed hi s sat el l i t e di sh and peel ed out af t er t he scoop of hi s
car eer .
I n a st one chamber hi gh above t he ci t y, t he Hassassi n r emoved hi s soaki ng boot s
and bandaged hi s
wounded t oe. Ther e was pai n, but not so much t hat he coul dn' t enj oy hi msel f .
He t ur ned t o hi s pr i ze.
She was i n t he cor ner of t he r oom, on her back on a r udi ment ar y di van, hands
t i ed behi nd her , mout h
gagged. The Hassassi n moved t owar d her . She was awake now. Thi s pl eased hi m.
Sur pr i si ngl y, i n her eyes,
he saw f i r e i nst ead of f ear .
The f ear wi l l come.
107
R ober t Langdon dashed ar ound t he out er bul war k of t he cast l e, gr at ef ul f or t he
gl ow of t he f l oodl i ght s.
As he ci r cl ed t he wal l , t he cour t yar d beneat h hi ml ooked l i ke a museumof
anci ent war f ar e- cat apul t s, st acks
of mar bl e cannonbal l s, and an ar senal of f ear f ul cont r apt i ons. Par t s of t he
cast l e wer e open t o t our i st s
dur i ng t he day, and t he cour t yar d had been par t i al l y r est or ed t o i t s or i gi nal
st at e.
Langdon' s eyes cr ossed t he cour t yar d t o t he cent r al cor e of t he f or t r ess. The
ci r cul ar ci t adel shot skywar d
107 f eet t o t he br onze angel above. The bal cony at t he t op st i l l gl owed f r om
wi t hi n. Langdon want ed t o cal l
out but knew bet t er . He woul d have t o f i nd a way i n.
He checked hi s wat ch.
11: 12 P. M.
Dashi ng down t he st one r amp t hat hugged t he i nsi de of t he wal l , Langdon
descended t o t he cour t yar d. Back
on gr ound l evel , he r an t hr ough shadows, cl ockwi se ar ound t he f or t . He passed
t hr ee por t i cos, but al l of
t hemwer e per manent l y seal ed. How di d t he Hassassi n get i n? Langdon pushed on.
He passed t wo moder n
ent r ances, but t hey wer e padl ocked f r omt he out si de. Not her e. He kept r unni ng.
Langdon had ci r cl ed al most t he ent i r e bui l di ng when he saw a gr avel dr i ve
cut t i ng acr oss t he cour t yar d i n
f r ont of hi m. At one end, on t he out er wal l of t he cast l e, he saw t he back of
t he gat ed dr awbr i dge l eadi ng
back out si de. At t he ot her end, t he dr i ve di sappear ed i nt o t he f or t r ess. The
dr i ve seemed t o ent er a ki nd of
t unnel - a gapi ng ent r y i n t he cent r al cor e. I l t r af or o! Langdon had r ead about
t hi s cast l e' s t r af or o, a gi ant
spi r al r amp t hat ci r cl ed up i nsi de t he f or t , used by commander s on hor seback t o
r i de f r omt op t o bot t om
r api dl y. The Hassassi n dr ove up! The gat e bl ocki ng t he t unnel was r ai sed,
usher i ng Langdon i n. He f el t
al most exuber ant as he r an t owar d t he t unnel . But as he r eached t he openi ng, hi s
exci t ement di sappear ed.
The t unnel spi r al ed down.
The wr ong way. Thi s sect i on of t he t r af or o appar ent l y descended t o t he dungeons,
not t o t he t op.
St andi ng at t he mout h of a dar k bor e t hat seemed t o t wi st endl essl y deeper i nt o
t he ear t h, Langdon
hesi t at ed, l ooki ng up agai n at t he bal cony. He coul d swear he saw mot i on up
t her e. Deci de! Wi t h no ot her
opt i ons, he dashed down i nt o t he t unnel .
Hi gh over head, t he Hassassi n st ood over hi s pr ey. He r an a hand acr oss her ar m.
Her ski n was l i ke cr eam.
The ant i ci pat i on of expl or i ng her bodi l y t r easur es was i nebr i at i ng. How many
Sei t e 205
ways coul d he vi ol at e her ?
The Hassassi n knew he deser ved t hi s woman. He had ser ved J anus wel l . She was a
spoi l of war , and when
he was f i ni shed wi t h her , he woul d pul l her f r omt he di van and f or ce her t o her
knees. She woul d ser vi ce
hi magai n. The ul t i mat e submi ssi on. Then, at t he moment of hi s own cl i max, he
woul d sl i t her t hr oat .
Ghayat assa' adah, t hey cal l ed i t . The ul t i mat e pl easur e.
Af t er war d, baski ng i n hi s gl or y, he woul d st and on t he bal cony and savor t he
cul mi nat i on of t he I l l umi nat i
t r i umph . . . a r evenge desi r ed by so many f or so l ong.
The t unnel gr ew dar ker . Langdon descended.
Af t er one compl et e t ur n i nt o t he ear t h, t he l i ght was al l but gone. The t unnel
l evel ed out , and Langdon
sl owed, sensi ng by t he echo of hi s f oot f al l s t hat he had j ust ent er ed a l ar ger
chamber . Bef or e hi mi n t he
mur ki ness, he t hought he saw gl i mmer s of l i ght . . . f uzzy r ef l ect i ons i n t he
ambi ent gl eam. He moved
f or war d, r eachi ng out hi s hand. He f ound smoot h sur f aces. Chr ome and gl ass. I t
was a vehi cl e. He gr oped
t he sur f ace, f ound a door , and opened i t .
The vehi cl e' s i nt er i or dome- l i ght f l ashed on. He st epped back and r ecogni zed t he
bl ack van i mmedi at el y.
Feel i ng a sur ge of l oat hi ng, he st ar ed a moment , t hen he dove i n, r oot i ng ar ound
i n hopes of f i ndi ng a
weapon t o r epl ace t he one he' d l ost i n t he f ount ai n. He f ound none. He di d,
however , f i nd Vi t t or i a' s cel l
phone. I t was shat t er ed and usel ess. The si ght of i t f i l l ed Langdon wi t h f ear .
He pr ayed he was not t oo l at e.
He r eached up and t ur ned on t he van' s headl i ght s. The r oomar ound hi mbl azed
i nt o exi st ence, har sh
shadows i n a si mpl e chamber . Langdon guessed t he r oomwas once used f or hor ses
and ammuni t i on. I t was
al so a dead end.
No exi t . I came t he wr ong way!
At t he end of hi s r ope, Langdon j umped f r omt he van and scanned t he wal l s ar ound
hi m. No door ways. No
gat es. He t hought of t he angel over t he t unnel ent r ance and wonder ed i f i t had
been a coi nci dence. No! He
t hought of t he ki l l er ' s wor ds at t he f ount ai n. She i s i n t he Chur ch of
I l l umi nat i on . . . awai t i ng my r et ur n.
Langdon had come t oo f ar t o f ai l now. Hi s hear t was poundi ng. Fr ust r at i on and
hat r ed wer e st ar t i ng t o
cr i ppl e hi s senses.
When he saw t he bl ood on t he f l oor , Langdon' s f i r st t hought was f or Vi t t or i a.
But as hi s eyes f ol l owed t he
st ai ns, he r eal i zed t hey wer e bl oody f oot pr i nt s. The st r i des wer e l ong. The
spl ot ches of bl ood wer e onl y on
t he l ef t f oot . The Hassassi n!
Langdon f ol l owed t he f oot pr i nt s t owar d t he cor ner of t he r oom, hi s spr awl i ng
shadow gr owi ng f ai nt er . He
f el t mor e and mor e puzzl ed wi t h ever y st ep. The bl oody pr i nt s l ooked as t hough
t hey wal ked di r ect l y i nt o
t he cor ner of t he r oomand t hen di sappear ed.
When Langdon ar r i ved i n t he cor ner , he coul d not bel i eve hi s eyes. The gr ani t e
bl ock i n t he f l oor her e was
not a squar e l i ke t he ot her s. He was l ooki ng at anot her si gnpost . The bl ock was
car ved i nt o a per f ect
pent agr am, ar r anged wi t h t he t i p poi nt i ng i nt o t he cor ner . I ngeni ousl y conceal ed
by over l appi ng wal l s, a
nar r ow sl i t i n t he st one ser ved as an exi t . Langdon sl i d t hr ough. He was i n a
passage. I n f r ont of hi mwer e
t he r emai ns of a wooden bar r i er t hat had once been bl ocki ng t hi s t unnel .
Beyond i t t her e was l i ght .
Langdon was r unni ng now. He cl amber ed over t he wood and headed f or t he l i ght .
The passage qui ckl y
opened i nt o anot her , l ar ger chamber . Her e a si ngl e t or ch f l i cker ed on t he wal l .
Langdon was i n a sect i on of
Sei t e 206
t he cast l e t hat had no el ect r i ci t y . . . a sect i on no t our i st s woul d ever see.
The r oomwoul d have been
f r i ght f ul i n dayl i ght , but t he t or ch made i t even mor e gr uesome.
I l pr i gi one.
Ther e wer e a dozen t i ny j ai l cel l s, t he i r on bar s on most er oded away. One of
t he l ar ger cel l s, however ,
r emai ned i nt act , and on t he f l oor Langdon saw somet hi ng t hat al most st opped hi s
hear t . Bl ack r obes and
r ed sashes on t he f l oor . Thi s i s wher e he hel d t he car di nal s!
Near t he cel l was an i r on door way i n t he wal l . The door was aj ar and beyond i t
Langdon coul d see some
sor t of passage. He r an t owar d i t . But Langdon st opped bef or e he got t her e. The
t r ai l of bl ood di d not ent er
t he passage. When Langdon saw t he wor ds car ved over t he ar chway, he knew why.
I l Passet t o.
He was st unned. He had hear d of t hi s t unnel many t i mes, never knowi ng wher e
exact l y t he ent r ance was. I l
Passet t o- The Li t t l e Passage- was a sl ender , t hr ee- quar t er - mi l e t unnel bui l t
bet ween Cast l e St . Angel o and
t he Vat i can. I t had been used by var i ous Popes t o escape t o saf et y dur i ng si eges
of t he Vat i can . . . as wel l
as by a f ew l ess pi ous Popes t o secr et l y vi si t mi st r esses or over see t he t or t ur e
of t hei r enemi es. Nowadays
bot h ends of t he t unnel wer e supposedl y seal ed wi t h i mpenet r abl e l ocks whose
keys wer e kept i n some
Vat i can vaul t . Langdon suddenl y f ear ed he knew how t he I l l umi nat i had been
movi ng i n and out of t he
Vat i can. He f ound hi msel f wonder i ng who on t he i nsi de had bet r ayed t he chur ch
and coughed up t he keys.
Ol i vet t i ? One of t he Swi ss Guar d? None of i t mat t er ed anymor e.
The bl ood on t he f l oor l ed t o t he opposi t e end of t he pr i son. Langdon f ol l owed.
Her e, a r ust y gat e hung
dr aped wi t h chai ns. The l ock had been r emoved and t he gat e st ood aj ar . Beyond
t he gat e was a st eep
ascensi on of spi r al st ai r s. The f l oor her e was al so mar ked wi t h a pent agr amal
bl ock. Langdon st ar ed at t he
bl ock, t r embl i ng, wonder i ng i f Ber ni ni hi msel f had hel d t he chi sel t hat had
shaped t hese chunks. Over head,
t he ar chway was ador ned wi t h a t i ny car ved cher ub. Thi s was i t .
The t r ai l of bl ood cur ved up t he st ai r s.
Bef or e ascendi ng, Langdon knew he needed a weapon, any weapon. He f ound a
f our - f oot sect i on of i r on
bar near one of t he cel l s. I t had a shar p, spl i nt er ed end. Al t hough absur dl y
heavy, i t was t he best he coul d
do. He hoped t he el ement of sur pr i se, combi ned wi t h t he Hassassi n' s wound, woul d
be enough t o t i p t he
scal es i n hi s advant age. Most of al l , t hough, he hoped he was not t oo l at e.
The st ai r case' s spi r al t r eads wer e wor n and t wi st ed st eepl y upwar d. Langdon
ascended, l i st eni ng f or
sounds. None. As he cl i mbed, t he l i ght f r omt he pr i son ar ea f aded away. He
ascended i nt o t he t ot al
dar kness, keepi ng one hand on t he wal l . Hi gher . I n t he bl ackness, Langdon sensed
t he ghost of Gal i l eo,
cl i mbi ng t hese ver y st ai r s, eager t o shar e hi s vi si ons of heaven wi t h ot her men
of sci ence and f ai t h.
Langdon was st i l l i n a st at e of shock over t he l ocat i on of t he l ai r . The
I l l umi nat i meet i ng hal l was i n a
bui l di ng owned by t he Vat i can. No doubt whi l e t he Vat i can guar ds wer e out
sear chi ng basement s and
homes of wel l - known sci ent i st s, t he I l l umi nat i wer e meet i ng her e . . . r i ght
under t he Vat i can' s nose. I t
suddenl y seemed so per f ect . Ber ni ni , as head ar chi t ect of r enovat i ons her e,
woul d have had unl i mi t ed
access t o t hi s st r uct ur e . . . r emodel i ng i t t o hi s own speci f i cat i ons wi t h no
quest i ons asked. How many
secr et ent r i es had Ber ni ni added? How many subt l e embel l i shment s poi nt i ng t he
way?
The Chur ch of I l l umi nat i on. Langdon knew he was cl ose.
As t he st ai r s began nar r owi ng, Langdon f el t t he passage cl osi ng ar ound hi m. The
Sei t e 207
shadows of hi st or y wer e
whi sper i ng i n t he dar k, but he moved on. When he saw t he hor i zont al shaf t of
l i ght bef or e hi m, he r eal i zed
he was st andi ng a f ew st eps beneat h a l andi ng, wher e t he gl ow of t or chl i ght
spi l l ed out beneat h t he
t hr eshol d of a door i n f r ont of hi m. Si l ent l y he moved up.
Langdon had no i dea wher e i n t he cast l e he was r i ght now, but he knew he had
cl i mbed f ar enough t o be
near t he peak. He pi ct ur ed t he mammot h angel at op t he cast l e and suspect ed i t
was di r ect l y over head.
Wat ch over me, angel , he t hought , gr i ppi ng t he bar . Then, si l ent l y, he r eached
f or t he door .
On t he di van, Vi t t or i a' s ar ms ached. When she had f i r st awoken t o f i nd t hemt i ed
behi nd her back, she' d
t hought she mi ght be abl e t o r el ax and wor k her hands f r ee. But t i me had r un
out . The beast had r et ur ned.
Now he was st andi ng over her , hi s chest bar e and power f ul , scar r ed f r ombat t l es
he had endur ed. Hi s eyes
l ooked l i ke t wo bl ack sl i t s as he st ar ed down at her body. Vi t t or i a sensed he
was i magi ni ng t he deeds he
was about t o per f or m. Sl owl y, as i f t o t aunt her , t he Hassassi n r emoved hi s
soaki ng bel t and dr opped i t on
t he f l oor .
Vi t t or i a f el t a l oat hi ng hor r or . She cl osed her eyes. When she opened t hem
agai n, t he Hassassi n had
pr oduced a swi t chbl ade kni f e. He snapped i t open di r ect l y i n f r ont of her f ace.
Vi t t or i a saw her own t er r i f i ed r ef l ect i on i n t he st eel .
The Hassassi n t ur ned t he bl ade over and r an t he back of i t acr oss her bel l y. The
i cy met al gave her chi l l s.
Wi t h a cont empt uous st ar e, he sl i pped t he bl ade bel ow t he wai st l i ne of her
shor t s. She i nhal ed. He moved
back and f or t h, sl owl y, danger ousl y . . . l ower . Then he l eaned f or war d, hi s hot
br eat h whi sper i ng i n her
ear .
" Thi s bl ade cut out your f at her ' s eye. "
Vi t t or i a knew i n t hat i nst ant t hat she was capabl e of ki l l i ng.
The Hassassi n t ur ned t he bl ade agai n and began sawi ng upwar d t hr ough t he f abr i c
of her khaki shor t s.
Suddenl y, he st opped, l ooki ng up. Someone was i n t he r oom.
" Get away f r omher , " a deep voi ce gr owl ed f r omt he door way.
Vi t t or i a coul d not see who had spoken, but she r ecogni zed t he voi ce. Rober t !
He' s al i ve!
The Hassassi n l ooked as i f he had seen a ghost . " Mr . Langdon, you must have a
guar di an angel . "
108
I n t he spl i t second i t t ook Langdon t o t ake i n hi s sur r oundi ngs, he r eal i zed he
was i n a sacr ed pl ace. The
embel l i shment s i n t he obl ong r oom, t hough ol d and f aded, wer e r epl et e wi t h
f ami l i ar symbol ogy.
Pent agr amt i l es. Pl anet f r escoes. Doves. Pyr ami ds.
The Chur ch of I l l umi nat i on. Si mpl e and pur e. He had ar r i ved.
Di r ect l y i n f r ont of hi m, f r amed i n t he openi ng of t he bal cony, st ood t he
Hassassi n. He was bar e chest ed,
st andi ng over Vi t t or i a, who l ay bound but ver y much al i ve. Langdon f el t a wave
of r el i ef t o see her . For an
i nst ant , t hei r eyes met , and a t or r ent of emot i ons f l owed- gr at i t ude,
desper at i on, and r egr et .
" So we meet yet agai n, " t he Hassassi n sai d. He l ooked at t he bar i n Langdon' s
hand and l aughed out l oud.
" And t hi s t i me you come f or me wi t h t hat ?"
" Unt i e her . "
The Hassassi n put t he kni f e t o Vi t t or i a' s t hr oat . " I wi l l ki l l her . "
Langdon had no doubt t he Hassassi n was capabl e of such an act . He f or ced a cal m
i nt o hi s voi ce. " I
i magi ne she woul d wel come i t . . . consi der i ng t he al t er nat i ve. "
The Hassassi n smi l ed at t he i nsul t . " You' r e r i ght . She has much t o of f er . I t
woul d be a wast e. "
Langdon st epped f or war d, gr aspi ng t he r ust ed bar , and ai med t he spl i nt er ed end
Sei t e 208
di r ect l y at t he Hassassi n.
The cut on hi s hand bi t shar pl y. " Let her go. "
The Hassassi n seemed f or a moment t o be consi der i ng i t . Exhal i ng, he dr opped hi s
shoul der s. I t was a cl ear
mot i on of sur r ender , and yet at t hat exact i nst ant t he Hassassi n' s ar mseemed t o
accel er at e unexpect edl y.
Ther e was a bl ur of dar k muscl e, and a bl ade suddenl y came t ear i ng t hr ough t he
ai r t owar d Langdon' s
chest .
Whet her i t was i nst i nct or exhaust i on t hat buckl ed Langdon' s knees at t hat
moment , he di dn' t know, but t he
kni f e sai l ed past hi s l ef t ear and cl at t er ed t o t he f l oor behi nd hi m. The
Hassassi n seemed unf azed. He
smi l ed at Langdon, who was kneel i ng now, hol di ng t he met al bar . The ki l l er
st epped away f r omVi t t or i a
and moved t owar d Langdon l i ke a st al ki ng l i on.
As Langdon scr ambl ed t o hi s f eet , l i f t i ng t he bar agai n, hi s wet t ur t l eneck and
pant s f el t suddenl y mor e
r est r i ct i ve. The Hassassi n, hal f - cl ot hed, seemed t o move much f ast er , t he wound
on hi s f oot appar ent l y not
sl owi ng hi mat al l . Langdon sensed t hi s was a man accust omed t o pai n. For t he
f i r st t i me i n hi s l i f e,
Langdon wi shed he wer e hol di ng a ver y bi g gun.
The Hassassi n ci r cl ed sl owl y, as i f enj oyi ng hi msel f , al ways j ust out of r each,
movi ng t owar d t he kni f e on
t he f l oor . Langdon cut hi mof f . Then t he ki l l er moved back t owar d Vi t t or i a.
Agai n Langdon cut hi mof f .
" Ther e' s st i l l t i me, " Langdon vent ur ed. " Tel l me wher e t he cani st er i s. The
Vat i can wi l l pay mor e t han t he
I l l umi nat i ever coul d. "
" You ar e na ve. "
Langdon j abbed wi t h t he bar . The Hassassi n dodged. He navi gat ed ar ound a bench,
hol di ng t he weapon i n
f r ont of hi m, t r yi ng t o cor ner t he Hassassi n i n t he oval r oom. Thi s damn r oom
has no cor ner s! Oddl y, t he
Hassassi n di d not seemi nt er est ed i n at t acki ng or f l eei ng. He was si mpl y pl ayi ng
Langdon' s game. Cool l y
wai t i ng.
Wai t i ng f or what ? The ki l l er kept ci r cl i ng, a mast er at posi t i oni ng hi msel f . I t
was l i ke an endl ess game of
chess. The weapon i n Langdon' s hand was get t i ng heavy, and he suddenl y sensed he
knew what t he
Hassassi n was wai t i ng f or . He' s t i r i ng me out . I t was wor ki ng, t oo. Langdon was
hi t by a sur ge of
wear i ness, t he adr enal i ne al one no l onger enough t o keep hi mal er t . He knew he
had t o make a move.
The Hassassi n seemed t o r ead Langdon' s mi nd, shi f t i ng agai n, as i f i nt ent i onal l y
l eadi ng Langdon t owar d a
t abl e i n t he mi ddl e of t he r oom. Langdon coul d t el l t her e was somet hi ng on t he
t abl e. Somet hi ng gl i nt ed i n
t he t or chl i ght . A weapon? Langdon kept hi s eyes f ocused on t he Hassassi n and
maneuver ed hi msel f cl oser
t o t he t abl e. When t he Hassassi n cast a l ong, gui l el ess gl ance at t he t abl e,
Langdon t r i ed t o f i ght t he
obvi ous bai t . But i nst i nct over r ul ed. He st ol e a gl ance. The damage was done.
I t was not a weapon at al l . The si ght moment ar i l y r i vet ed hi m.
On t he t abl e l ay a r udi ment ar y copper chest , cr ust ed wi t h anci ent pat i na. The
chest was a pent agon. The l i d
l ay open. Ar r anged i nsi de i n f i ve padded compar t ment s wer e f i ve br ands. The
br ands wer e f or ged of i r on-
l ar ge embossi ng t ool s wi t h st out handl es of wood. Langdon had no doubt what t hey
sai d.
I LLUMI NATI , EARTH, AI R, FI RE, WATER.
Langdon snapped hi s head back up, f ear i ng t he Hassassi n woul d l unge. He di d not .
The ki l l er was wai t i ng,
al most as i f he wer e r ef r eshed by t he game. Langdon f ought t o r ecover hi s f ocus,
l ocki ng eyes agai n wi t h
hi s quar r y, t hr ust i ng wi t h t he pi pe. But t he i mage of t he box hung i n hi s mi nd.
Al t hough t he br ands
Sei t e 209
t hemsel ves wer e mesmer i zi ng- ar t i f act s f ew I l l umi nat i schol ar s even bel i eved
exi st ed- Langdon suddenl y
r eal i zed t her e had been somet hi ng el se about t he box t hat had i gni t ed a wave of
f or ebodi ng wi t hi n. As t he
Hassassi n maneuver ed agai n, Langdon st ol e anot her gl ance downwar d.
My God!
I n t he chest , t he f i ve br ands sat i n compar t ment s ar ound t he out er edge. But i n
t he cent er , t her e was anot her
compar t ment . Thi s par t i t i on was empt y, but i t cl ear l y was i nt ended t o hol d
anot her br and . . . a br and much
l ar ger t han t he ot her s, and per f ect l y squar e.
The at t ack was a bl ur .
The Hassassi n swooped t owar d hi ml i ke a bi r d of pr ey. Langdon, hi s concent r at i on
havi ng been mast er f ul l y
di ver t ed, t r i ed t o count er , but t he pi pe f el t l i ke a t r ee t r unk i n hi s hands.
Hi s par r y was t oo sl ow. The
Hassassi n dodged. As Langdon t r i ed t o r et r act t he bar , t he Hassassi n' s hands
shot out and gr abbed i t . The
man' s gr i p was st r ong, hi s i nj ur ed ar mseemi ng no l onger t o af f ect hi m.
Vi ol ent l y, t he t wo men st r uggl ed.
Langdon f el t t he bar r i pped away, and a sear i ng pai n shot t hr ough hi s pal m. An
i nst ant l at er , Langdon was
st ar i ng i nt o t he spl i nt er ed poi nt of t he weapon. The hunt er had become t he
hunt ed.
Langdon f el t l i ke he' d been hi t by a cycl one. The Hassassi n ci r cl ed, smi l i ng
now, backi ng Langdon agai nst
t he wal l . " What i s your Amer i can adgi o?" he chi ded. " Somet hi ng about cur i osi t y
and t he cat ?"
Langdon coul d bar el y f ocus. He cur sed hi s car el essness as t he Hassassi n moved
i n. Not hi ng was maki ng
sense. A si xt h I l l umi nat i br and? I n f r ust r at i on he bl ur t ed, " I ' ve never r ead
anyt hi ng about a si xt h I l l umi nat i
br and! "
" I t hi nk you pr obabl y have. " The ki l l er chuckl ed as he her ded Langdon ar ound t he
oval wal l .
Langdon was l ost . He most cer t ai nl y had not . Ther e wer e f i ve I l l umi nat i br ands.
He backed up, sear chi ng
t he r oomf or any weapon at al l .
" A per f ect uni on of t he anci ent el ement s, " t he Hassassi n sai d. " The f i nal br and
i s t he most br i l l i ant of al l .
I ' maf r ai d you wi l l never see i t , t hough. "
Langdon sensed he woul d not be seei ng much of anyt hi ng i n a moment . He kept
backi ng up, sear chi ng t he
r oomf or an opt i on. " And you' ve seen t hi s f i nal br and?" Langdon demanded, t r yi ng
t o buy t i me.
" Someday per haps t hey wi l l honor me. As I pr ove mysel f . " He j abbed at Langdon,
as i f enj oyi ng a game.
Langdon sl i d backwar d agai n. He had t he f eel i ng t he Hassassi n was di r ect i ng hi m
ar ound t he wal l t owar d
some unseen dest i nat i on. Wher e? Langdon coul d not af f or d t o l ook behi nd hi m.
" The br and?" he
demanded. " Wher e i s i t ?"
" Not her e. J anus i s appar ent l y t he onl y one who hol ds i t . "
" J anus?" Langdon di d not r ecogni ze t he name.
" The I l l umi nat i l eader . He i s ar r i vi ng shor t l y. "
" The I l l umi nat i l eader i s comi ng her e?"
" To per f or mt he f i nal br andi ng. "
Langdon shot a f r i ght ened gl ance t o Vi t t or i a. She l ooked st r angel y cal m, her
eyes cl osed t o t he wor l d
ar ound her , her l ungs pul l i ng sl owl y . . . deepl y. Was she t he f i nal vi ct i m? Was
he?
" Such concei t , " t he Hassassi n sneer ed, wat chi ng Langdon' s eyes. " The t wo of you
ar e not hi ng. You wi l l
di e, of cour se, t hat i s f or cer t ai n. But t he f i nal vi ct i mof whomI speak i s a
t r ul y danger ous enemy. "
Langdon t r i ed t o make sense of t he Hassassi n' s wor ds. A danger ous enemy? The t op
car di nal s wer e al l
dead. The Pope was dead. The I l l umi nat i had wi ped t hemal l out . Langdon f ound
t he answer i n t he vacuum
Sei t e 210
of t he Hassassi n' s eyes.
The camer l egno.
Camer l egno Vent r esca was t he one man who had been a beacon of hope f or t he wor l d
t hr ough t hi s ent i r e
t r i bul at i on. The camer l egno had done mor e t o condemn t he I l l umi nat i t oni ght t han
decades of conspi r acy
t heor i st s. Appar ent l y he woul d pay t he pr i ce. He was t he I l l umi nat i ' s f i nal
t ar get .
" You' l l never get t o hi m, " Langdon chal l enged.
" Not I , " t he Hassassi n r epl i ed, f or ci ng Langdon f ar t her back ar ound t he wal l .
" That honor i s r eser ved f or
J anus hi msel f . "
" The I l l umi nat i l eader hi msel f i nt ends t o br and t he camer l egno?"
" Power has i t s pr i vi l eges. "
" But no one coul d possi bl y get i nt o Vat i can Ci t y r i ght now! "
The Hassassi n l ooked smug. " Not unl ess he had an appoi nt ment . "
Langdon was conf used. The onl y per son expect ed at t he Vat i can r i ght now was t he
per son t he pr ess was
cal l i ng t he 11t h Hour Samar i t an- t he per son Rocher sai d had i nf or mat i on t hat
coul d save-
Langdon st opped shor t . Good God!
The Hassassi n smi r ked, cl ear l y enj oyi ng Langdon' s si ckeni ng cogni t i on. " I t oo
wonder ed how J anus woul d
gai n ent r ance. Then i n t he van I hear d t he r adi o- a r epor t about an 11t h hour
Samar i t an. " He smi l ed. " The
Vat i can wi l l wel come J anus wi t h open ar ms. "
Langdon al most st umbl ed backwar d. J anus i s t he Samar i t an! I t was an unt hi nkabl e
decept i on. The
I l l umi nat i l eader woul d get a r oyal escor t di r ect l y t o t he camer l egno' s
chamber s. But how di d J anus f ool
Rocher ? Or was Rocher somehow i nvol ved? Langdon f el t a chi l l . Ever si nce he had
al most suf f ocat ed i n
t he secr et ar chi ves, Langdon had not ent i r el y t r ust ed Rocher .
The Hassassi n j abbed suddenl y, ni cki ng Langdon i n t he si de.
Langdon j umped back, hi s t emper f l ar i ng. " J anus wi l l never get out al i ve! "
The Hassassi n shr ugged. " Some causes ar e wor t h dyi ng f or . "
Langdon sensed t he ki l l er was ser i ous. J anus comi ng t o Vat i can Ci t y on a sui ci de
mi ssi on? A quest i on of
honor ? For an i nst ant , Langdon' s mi nd t ook i n t he ent i r e t er r i f yi ng cycl e. The
I l l umi nat i pl ot had come f ul l
ci r cl e. The pr i est whomt he I l l umi nat i had i nadver t ent l y br ought t o power by
ki l l i ng t he Pope had emer ged
as a wor t hy adver sar y. I n a f i nal act of def i ance, t he I l l umi nat i l eader woul d
dest r oy hi m.
Suddenl y, Langdon f el t t he wal l behi nd hi mdi sappear . Ther e was a r ush of cool
ai r , and he st agger ed
backwar d i nt o t he ni ght . The bal cony! He now r eal i zed what t he Hassassi n had i n
mi nd.
Langdon i mmedi at el y sensed t he pr eci pi ce behi nd hi m- a hundr ed- f oot dr op t o t he
cour t yar d bel ow. He had
seen i t on hi s way i n. The Hassassi n wast ed no t i me. Wi t h a vi ol ent sur ge, he
l unged. The spear sl i ced
t owar d Langdon' s mi dsect i on. Langdon ski dded back, and t he poi nt came up shor t ,
cat chi ng onl y hi s shi r t .
Agai n t he poi nt came at hi m. Langdon sl i d f ar t her back, f eel i ng t he bani st er
r i ght behi nd hi m. Cer t ai n t he
next j ab woul d ki l l hi m, Langdon at t empt ed t he absur d. Spi nni ng t o one si de, he
r eached out and gr abbed
t he shaf t , sendi ng a j ol t of pai n t hr ough hi s pal m. Langdon hel d on.
The Hassassi n seemed unf azed. They st r ai ned f or a moment agai nst one anot her ,
f ace t o f ace, t he
Hassassi n' s br eat h f et i d i n Langdon' s nost r i l s. The bar began t o sl i p. The
Hassassi n was t oo st r ong. I n a
f i nal act of desper at i on, Langdon st r et ched out hi s l eg, danger ousl y of f bal ance
as he t r i ed t o r amhi s f oot
down on t he Hassassi n' s i nj ur ed t oe. But t he man was a pr of essi onal and adj ust ed
t o pr ot ect hi s weakness.
Langdon had j ust pl ayed hi s f i nal car d. And he knew he had l ost t he hand.
The Hassassi n' s ar ms expl oded upwar d, dr i vi ng Langdon back agai nst t he r ai l i ng.
Sei t e 211
Langdon sensed not hi ng
but empt y space behi nd hi mas t he r ai l i ng hi t j ust beneat h hi s but t ocks. The
Hassassi n hel d t he bar
cr osswi se and dr ove i t i nt o Langdon' s chest . Langdon' s back ar ched over t he
chasm.
" Ma' assal amah, " t he Hassassi n sneer ed. " Good- bye. "
Wi t h a mer ci l ess gl ar e, t he Hassassi n gave a f i nal shove. Langdon' s cent er of
gr avi t y shi f t ed, and hi s f eet
swung up of f t he f l oor . Wi t h onl y one hope of sur vi val , Langdon gr abbed on t o
t he r ai l i ng as he went over .
Hi s l ef t hand sl i pped, but hi s r i ght hand hel d on. He ended up hangi ng upsi de
down by hi s l egs and one
hand . . . st r ai ni ng t o hol d on.
Loomi ng over hi m, t he Hassassi n r ai sed t he bar over head, pr epar i ng t o br i ng i t
cr ashi ng down. As t he bar
began t o accel er at e, Langdon saw a vi si on. Per haps i t was t he i mmi nence of deat h
or si mpl y bl i nd f ear , but
i n t hat moment , he sensed a sudden aur a sur r oundi ng t he Hassassi n. A gl owi ng
ef f ul gence seemed t o swel l
out of not hi ng behi nd hi m. . . l i ke an i ncomi ng f i r ebal l .
Hal f way t hr ough hi s swi ng, t he Hassassi n dr opped t he bar and scr eamed i n agony.
The i r on bar cl at t er ed past Langdon out i nt o t he ni ght . The Hassassi n spun away
f r omhi m, and Langdon
saw a bl i st er i ng t or ch bur n on t he ki l l er ' s back. Langdon pul l ed hi msel f up t o
see Vi t t or i a, eyes f l ar i ng,
now f aci ng t he Hassassi n.
Vi t t or i a waved a t or ch i n f r ont of her , t he vengeance i n her f ace r espl endent i n
t he f l ames. How she had
escaped, Langdon di d not know or car e. He began scr ambl i ng back up over t he
bani st er .
The bat t l e woul d be shor t . The Hassassi n was a deadl y mat ch. Scr eami ng wi t h
r age, t he ki l l er l unged f or
her . She t r i ed t o dodge, but t he man was on her , hol di ng t he t or ch and about t o
wr est l e i t away. Langdon
di d not wai t . Leapi ng of f t he bani st er , Langdon j abbed hi s cl enched f i st i nt o
t he bl i st er ed bur n on t he
Hassassi n' s back.
The scr eamseemed t o echo al l t he way t o t he Vat i can.
The Hassassi n f r oze a moment , hi s back ar ched i n angui sh. He l et go of t he
t or ch, and Vi t t or i a t hr ust i t har d
i nt o hi s f ace. Ther e was a hi ss of f l esh as hi s l ef t eye si zzl ed. He scr eamed
agai n, r ai si ng hi s hands t o hi s
f ace.
" Eye f or an eye, " Vi t t or i a hi ssed. Thi s t i me she swung t he t or ch l i ke a bat , and
when i t connect ed, t he
Hassassi n st umbl ed back agai nst t he r ai l i ng. Langdon and Vi t t or i a went f or hi m
at t he same i nst ant , bot h
heavi ng and pushi ng. The Hassassi n' s body sai l ed backwar d over t he bani st er i nt o
t he ni ght . Ther e was no
scr eam. The onl y sound was t he cr ack of hi s spi ne as he l anded spr ead- eagl e on a
pi l e of cannonbal l s f ar
bel ow.
Langdon t ur ned and st ar ed at Vi t t or i a i n bewi l der ment . Sl ackened r opes hung of f
her mi dsect i on and
shoul der s. Her eyes bl azed l i ke an i nf er no.
" Houdi ni knew yoga. "
109
M eanwhi l e, i n St . Pet er ' s Squar e, t he wal l of Swi ss Guar ds yel l ed or der s and
f anned out war d, t r yi ng t o
push t he cr owds back t o a saf er di st ance. I t was no use. The cr owd was t oo dense
and seemed f ar mor e
i nt er est ed i n t he Vat i can' s i mpendi ng doomt han i n t hei r own saf et y. The
t ower i ng medi a scr eens i n t he
squar e wer e now t r ansmi t t i ng a l i ve count down of t he ant i mat t er cani st er - a
di r ect f eed f r omt he Swi ss
Guar d secur i t y moni t or - compl i ment s of t he camer l egno. Unf or t unat el y, t he i mage
of t he cani st er count i ng
down was doi ng not hi ng t o r epel t he cr owds. The peopl e i n t he squar e appar ent l y
l ooked at t he t i ny dr opl et
Sei t e 212
of l i qui d suspended i n t he cani st er and deci ded i t was not as menaci ng as t hey
had t hought . They coul d al so
see t he count down cl ock now- a l i t t l e under f or t y- f i ve mi nut es unt i l det onat i on.
Pl ent y of t i me t o st ay and
wat ch.
Nonet hel ess, t he Swi ss Guar ds unani mousl y agr eed t hat t he camer l egno' s bol d
deci si on t o addr ess t he
wor l d wi t h t he t r ut h and t hen pr ovi de t he medi a wi t h act ual vi sual s of
I l l umi nat i t r eacher y had been a savvy
maneuver . The I l l umi nat i had no doubt expect ed t he Vat i can t o be t hei r usual
r et i cent sel ves i n t he f ace of
adver si t y. Not t oni ght . Camer l egno Car l o Vent r esca had pr oven hi msel f a
commandi ng f oe.
I nsi de t he Si st i ne Chapel , Car di nal Mor t at i was get t i ng r est l ess. I t was past
11: 15 P. M. Many of t he
car di nal s wer e cont i nui ng t o pr ay, but ot her s had cl ust er ed ar ound t he exi t ,
cl ear l y unset t l ed by t he hour .
Some of t he car di nal s began poundi ng on t he door wi t h t hei r f i st s.
Out si de t he door Li eut enant Char t r and hear d t he poundi ng and di dn' t know what t o
do. He checked hi s
wat ch. I t was t i me. Capt ai n Rocher had gi ven st r i ct or der s t hat t he car di nal s
wer e not t o be l et out unt i l he
gave t he wor d. The poundi ng on t he door became mor e i nt ense, and Char t r and f el t
uneasy. He wonder ed i f
t he capt ai n had si mpl y f or got t en. The capt ai n had been act i ng ver y er r at i c si nce
hi s myst er i ous phone cal l .
Char t r and pul l ed out hi s wal ki e- t al ki e. " Capt ai n? Char t r and her e. I t i s past
t i me. Shoul d I open t he
Si st i ne?"
" That door st ays shut . I bel i eve I al r eady gave you t hat or der . "
" Yes, si r , I j ust - "
" Our guest i s ar r i vi ng shor t l y. Take a f ew men upst ai r s, and guar d t he door of
t he Pope' s of f i ce. The
camer l egno i s not t o go anywher e. "
" I ' msor r y, si r ?"
" What i s i t t hat you don' t under st and, Li eut enant ?"
" Not hi ng, si r . I amon my way. "
Upst ai r s i n t he Of f i ce of t he Pope, t he camer l egno st ar ed i n qui et medi t at i on at
t he f i r e. Gi ve me st r engt h,
God. Br i ng us a mi r acl e. He poked at t he coal s, wonder i ng i f he woul d sur vi ve
t he ni ght .
110
E l even- t went y- t hr ee P. M.
Vi t t or i a st ood t r embl i ng on t he bal cony of Cast l e St . Angel o, st ar i ng out acr oss
Rome, her eyes moi st wi t h
t ear s. She want ed badl y t o embr ace Rober t Langdon, but she coul d not . Her body
f el t anest het i zed.
Readj ust i ng. Taki ng st ock. The man who had ki l l ed her f at her l ay f ar bel ow,
dead, and she had al most been
a vi ct i mas wel l .
When Langdon' s hand t ouched her shoul der , t he i nf usi on of war mt h seemed t o
magi cal l y shat t er t he i ce.
Her body shudder ed back t o l i f e. The f og l i f t ed, and she t ur ned. Rober t l ooked
l i ke hel l - wet and mat t ed- he
had obvi ousl y been t hr ough pur gat or y t o come r escue her .
" Thank you . . . " she whi sper ed.
Langdon gave an exhaust ed smi l e and r emi nded her t hat i t was she who deser ved
t hanks- her abi l i t y t o
pr act i cal l y di sl ocat e her shoul der s had j ust saved t hembot h. Vi t t or i a wi ped her
eyes. She coul d have st ood
t her e f or ever wi t h hi m, but t he r epr i eve was shor t - l i ved.
" We need t o get out of her e, " Langdon sai d.
Vi t t or i a' s mi nd was el sewher e. She was st ar i ng out t owar d t he Vat i can. The
wor l d' s smal l est count r y
l ooked unset t l i ngl y cl ose, gl owi ng whi t e under a bar r age of medi a l i ght s. To her
shock, much of St . Pet er ' s
Squar e was st i l l packed wi t h peopl e! The Swi ss Guar d had appar ent l y been abl e t o
Sei t e 213
cl ear onl y about a
hundr ed and f i f t y f eet back- t he ar ea di r ect l y i n f r ont of t he basi l i ca- l ess t han
one- t hi r d of t he squar e. The
shel l of congest i on encompassi ng t he squar e was compact ed now, t hose at t he
saf er di st ances pr essi ng f or a
cl oser l ook, t r appi ng t he ot her s i nsi de. They ar e t oo cl ose! Vi t t or i a t hought .
Much t oo cl ose!
" I ' mgoi ng back i n, " Langdon sai d f l at l y.
Vi t t or i a t ur ned, i ncr edul ous. " I nt o t he Vat i can?"
Langdon t ol d her about t he Samar i t an, and how i t was a pl oy. The I l l umi nat i
l eader , a man named J anus,
was act ual l y comi ng hi msel f t o br and t he camer l egno. A f i nal I l l umi nat i act of
domi nat i on.
" Nobody i n Vat i can Ci t y knows, " Langdon sai d. " I have no way t o cont act t hem,
and t hi s guy i s ar r i vi ng
any mi nut e. I have t o war n t he guar ds bef or e t hey l et hi mi n. "
" But you' l l never get t hr ough t he cr owd! "
Langdon' s voi ce was conf i dent . " Ther e' s a way. Tr ust me. "
Vi t t or i a sensed once agai n t hat t he hi st or i an knew somet hi ng she di d not . " I ' m
comi ng. "
" No. Why r i sk bot h- "
" I have t o f i nd a way t o get t hose peopl e out of t her e! They' r e i n i ncr edi bl e
dange- "
J ust t hen, t he bal cony t hey wer e st andi ng on began t o shake. A deaf eni ng r umbl e
shook t he whol e cast l e.
Then a whi t e l i ght f r omt he di r ect i on of St . Pet er ' s bl i nded t hem. Vi t t or i a had
onl y one t hought . Oh my
God! The ant i mat t er anni hi l at ed ear l y!
But i nst ead of an expl osi on, a huge cheer went up f r omt he cr owd. Vi t t or i a
squi nt ed i nt o t he l i ght . I t was a
bar r age of medi a l i ght s f r omt he squar e, now t r ai ned, i t seemed, on t hem!
Ever yone was t ur ned t hei r way,
hol l er i ng and poi nt i ng. The r umbl e gr ew l ouder . The ai r i n t he squar e seemed
suddenl y j oyous.
Langdon l ooked baf f l ed. " What t he devi l - "
The sky over head r oar ed.
Emer gi ng f r ombehi nd t he t ower , wi t hout war ni ng, came t he papal hel i copt er . I t
t hunder ed f i f t y f eet above
t hem, on a beel i ne f or Vat i can Ci t y. As i t passed over head, r adi ant i n t he medi a
l i ght s, t he cast l e t r embl ed.
The l i ght s f ol l owed t he hel i copt er as i t passed by, and Langdon and Vi t t or i a
wer e suddenl y agai n i n t he
dar k.
Vi t t or i a had t he uneasy f eel i ng t hey wer e t oo l at e as t hey wat ched t he mammot h
machi ne sl ow t o a st op
over St . Pet er ' s Squar e. Ki cki ng up a cl oud of dust , t he chopper dr opped ont o
t he open por t i on of t he
squar e bet ween t he cr owd and t he basi l i ca, t ouchi ng down at t he bot t omof t he
basi l i ca' s st ai r case.
" Tal k about an ent r ance, " Vi t t or i a sai d. Agai nst t he whi t e mar bl e, she coul d see
a t i ny speck of a per son
emer ge f r omt he Vat i can and move t owar d t he chopper . She woul d never have
r ecogni zed t he f i gur e except
f or t he br i ght r ed ber et on hi s head. " Red car pet gr eet i ng. That ' s Rocher . "
Langdon pounded hi s f i st on t he bani st er . " Somebody' s got t o war n t hem! " He
t ur ned t o go.
Vi t t or i a caught hi s ar m. " Wai t ! " She had j ust seen somet hi ng el se, somet hi ng her
eyes r ef used t o bel i eve.
Fi nger s t r embl i ng, she poi nt ed t owar d t he chopper . Even f r omt hi s di st ance,
t her e was no mi st aki ng.
Descendi ng t he gangpl ank was anot her f i gur e . . . a f i gur e who moved so uni quel y
t hat i t coul d onl y be one
man. Al t hough t he f i gur e was seat ed, he accel er at ed acr oss t he open squar e wi t h
ef f or t l ess cont r ol and
st ar t l i ng speed.
A ki ng on an el ect r i c t hr one.
I t was Maxi mi l i an Kohl er .
111
K ohl er was si ckened by t he opul ence of t he Hal l way of t he Bel veder e. The gol d
Sei t e 214
l eaf i n t he cei l i ng al one
pr obabl y coul d have f unded a year ' s wor t h of cancer r esear ch. Rocher l ed Kohl er
up a handi capped r amp
on a ci r cui t ous r out e i nt o t he Apost ol i c Pal ace.
" No el evat or ?" Kohl er demanded.
" No power . " Rocher mot i oned t o t he candl es bur ni ng ar ound t hemi n t he dar kened
bui l di ng. " Par t of our
sear ch t act i c. "
" Tact i cs whi ch no doubt f ai l ed. "
Rocher nodded.
Kohl er br oke i nt o anot her coughi ng f i t and knew i t mi ght be one of hi s l ast . I t
was not an ent i r el y
unwel come t hought .
When t hey r eached t he t op f l oor and st ar t ed down t he hal l way t owar d t he Pope' s
of f i ce, f our Swi ss Guar ds
r an t owar d t hem, l ooki ng t r oubl ed. " Capt ai n, what ar e you doi ng up her e? I
t hought t hi s man had
i nf or mat i on t hat - "
" He wi l l onl y speak t o t he camer l egno. "
The guar ds r ecoi l ed, l ooki ng suspi ci ous.
" Tel l t he camer l egno, " Rocher sai d f or cef ul l y, " t hat t he di r ect or of CERN,
Maxi mi l i an Kohl er , i s her e t o
see hi m. I mmedi at el y. "
" Yes, si r ! " One of t he guar ds r an of f i n t he di r ect i on of t he camer l egno' s
of f i ce. The ot her s st ood t hei r
gr ound. They st udi ed Rocher , l ooki ng uneasy. " J ust one moment , capt ai n. We wi l l
announce your guest . "
Kohl er , however , di d not st op. He t ur ned shar pl y and maneuver ed hi s chai r ar ound
t he sent i nel s.
The guar ds spun and br oke i nt o a j og besi de hi m. " Fer mat i ! Si r ! St op! "
Kohl er f el t r epugnance f or t hem. Not even t he most el i t e secur i t y f or ce i n t he
wor l d was i mmune t o t he pi t y
ever yone f el t f or cr i ppl es. Had Kohl er been a heal t hy man, t he guar ds woul d have
t ackl ed hi m. Cr i ppl es
ar e power l ess, Kohl er t hought . Or so t he wor l d bel i eves.
Kohl er knew he had ver y l i t t l e t i me t o accompl i sh what he had come f or . He al so
knew he mi ght di e her e
t oni ght . He was sur pr i sed how l i t t l e he car ed. Deat h was a pr i ce he was r eady t o
pay. He had endur ed t oo
much i n hi s l i f e t o have hi s wor k dest r oyed by someone l i ke Camer l egno
Vent r esca.
" Si gnor e! " t he guar ds shout ed, r unni ng ahead and f or mi ng a l i ne acr oss t he
hal l way. " You must st op! "
One of t hempul l ed a si dear mand ai med i t at Kohl er .
Kohl er st opped.
Rocher st epped i n, l ooki ng cont r i t e. " Mr . Kohl er , pl ease. I t wi l l onl y be a
moment . No one ent er s t he
Of f i ce of t he Pope unannounced. "
Kohl er coul d see i n Rocher ' s eyes t hat he had no choi ce but t o wai t . Fi ne,
Kohl er t hought . We wai t .
The guar ds, cr uel l y i t seemed, had st opped Kohl er next t o a f ul l - l engt h gi l ded
mi r r or . The si ght of hi s own
t wi st ed f or mr epul sed Kohl er . The anci ent r age br i mmed yet agai n t o t he sur f ace.
I t empower ed hi m. He
was among t he enemy now. These wer e t he peopl e who had r obbed hi mof hi s
di gni t y. These wer e t he
peopl e. Because of t hemhe had never f el t t he t ouch of a woman . . . had never
st ood t al l t o accept an
awar d. What t r ut h do t hese peopl e possess? What pr oof , damn i t ! A book of
anci ent f abl es? Pr omi ses of
mi r acl es t o come? Sci ence cr eat es mi r acl es ever y day!
Kohl er st ar ed a moment i nt o hi s own st ony eyes. Toni ght I may di e at t he hands
of r el i gi on, he t hought . But
i t wi l l not be t he f i r st t i me.
For a moment , he was el even year s ol d agai n, l yi ng i n hi s bed i n hi s par ent s'
Fr ankf ur t mansi on. The sheet s
beneat h hi mwer e Eur ope' s f i nest l i nen, but t hey wer e soaked wi t h sweat . Young
Max f el t l i ke he was on
f i r e, t he pai n wr acki ng hi s body uni magi nabl e. Kneel i ng besi de hi s bed, wher e
Sei t e 215
t hey had been f or t wo days,
wer e hi s mot her and f at her . They wer e pr ayi ng.
I n t he shadows st ood t hr ee of Fr ankf ur t ' s best doct or s.
" I ur ge you t o r econsi der ! " one of t he doct or s sai d. " Look at t he boy! Hi s f ever
i s i ncr easi ng. He i s i n
t er r i bl e pai n. And danger ! "
But Max knew hi s mot her ' s r epl y bef or e she even sai d i t . " Got t wi r d i hn
beschuet zen. "
Yes, Max t hought . God wi l l pr ot ect me. The convi ct i on i n hi s mot her ' s voi ce gave
hi mst r engt h. God wi l l
pr ot ect me.
An hour l at er , Max f el t l i ke hi s whol e body was bei ng cr ushed beneat h a car . He
coul d not even br eat he t o
cr y.
" Your son i s i n gr eat suf f er i ng, " anot her doct or sai d. " Let me at l east ease hi s
pai n. I have i n my bag a
si mpl e i nj ect i on of - "
" Ruhe, bi t t e! " Max' s f at her si l enced t he doct or wi t hout ever openi ng hi s eyes.
He si mpl y kept pr ayi ng.
" Fat her , pl ease! " Max want ed t o scr eam. " Let t hemst op t he pai n! " But hi s wor ds
wer e l ost i n a spasmof
coughi ng.
An hour l at er , t he pai n had wor sened.
" Your son coul d become par al yzed, " one of t he doct or s scol ded. " Or even di e! We
have medi ci nes t hat wi l l
hel p! "
Fr au and Her r Kohl er woul d not al l ow i t . They di d not bel i eve i n medi ci ne. Who
wer e t hey t o i nt er f er e wi t h
God' s mast er pl an? They pr ayed har der . Af t er al l , God had bl essed t hemwi t h t hi s
boy, why woul d God
t ake t he chi l d away? Hi s mot her whi sper ed t o Max t o be st r ong. She expl ai ned
t hat God was t est i ng hi m. .
. l i ke t he Bi bl e st or y of Abr aham. . . a t est of hi s f ai t h.
Max t r i ed t o have f ai t h, but t he pai n was excr uci at i ng.
" I cannot wat ch t hi s! " one of t he doct or s f i nal l y sai d, r unni ng f r omt he r oom.
By dawn, Max was bar el y consci ous. Ever y muscl e i n hi s body spasmed i n agony.
Wher e i s J esus? he
wonder ed. Doesn' t he l ove me? Max f el t t he l i f e sl i ppi ng f r omhi s body.
Hi s mot her had f al l en asl eep at t he bedsi de, her hands st i l l cl asped over hi m.
Max' s f at her st ood acr oss t he
r oomat t he wi ndow st ar i ng out at t he dawn. He seemed t o be i n a t r ance. Max
coul d hear t he l ow mumbl e
of hi s ceasel ess pr ayer s f or mer cy.
I t was t hen t hat Max sensed t he f i gur e hover i ng over hi m. An angel ? Max coul d
bar el y see. Hi s eyes wer e
swol l en shut . The f i gur e whi sper ed i n hi s ear , but i t was not t he voi ce of an
angel . Max r ecogni zed i t as one
of t he doct or s . . . t he one who had sat i n t he cor ner f or t wo days, never
l eavi ng, beggi ng Max' s par ent s t o
l et hi madmi ni st er some new dr ug f r omEngl and.
" I wi l l never f or gi ve mysel f , " t he doct or whi sper ed, " i f I do not do t hi s. " Then
t he doct or gent l y t ook
Max' s f r ai l ar m. " I wi sh I had done i t sooner . "
Max f el t a t i ny pr i ck i n hi s ar m- bar el y di scer ni bl e t hr ough t he pai n.
Then t he doct or qui et l y packed hi s t hi ngs. Bef or e he l ef t , he put a hand on
Max' s f or ehead. " Thi s wi l l save
your l i f e. I have gr eat f ai t h i n t he power of medi ci ne. "
Wi t hi n mi nut es, Max f el t as i f some sor t of magi c spi r i t wer e f l owi ng t hr ough
hi s vei ns. The war mt h spr ead
t hr ough hi s body numbi ng hi s pai n. Fi nal l y, f or t he f i r st t i me i n days, Max
sl ept .
When t he f ever br oke, hi s mot her and f at her pr ocl ai med a mi r acl e of God. But
when i t became evi dent t hat
t hei r son was cr i ppl ed, t hey became despondent . They wheel ed t hei r son i nt o t he
chur ch and begged t he
pr i est f or counsel i ng.
" I t was onl y by t he gr ace of God, " t he pr i est t ol d t hem, " t hat t hi s boy
sur vi ved. "
Max l i st ened, sayi ng not hi ng.
Sei t e 216
" But our son cannot wal k! " Fr au Kohl er was weepi ng.
The pr i est nodded sadl y. " Yes. I t seems God has puni shed hi mf or not havi ng
enough f ai t h. "
" Mr . Kohl er ?" I t was t he Swi ss Guar d who had r un ahead. " The camer l egno says he
wi l l gr ant you
audi ence. "
Kohl er gr unt ed, accel er at i ng agai n down t he hal l .
" He i s sur pr i sed by your vi si t , " t he guar d sai d.
" I ' msur e. " Kohl er r ol l ed on. " I woul d l i ke t o see hi mal one. "
" I mpossi bl e, " t he guar d sai d. " No one- "
" Li eut enant , " Rocher bar ked. " The meet i ng wi l l be as Mr . Kohl er wi shes. "
The guar d st ar ed i n obvi ous di sbel i ef .
Out si de t he door t o t he Pope' s of f i ce, Rocher al l owed hi s guar ds t o t ake
st andar d pr ecaut i ons bef or e l et t i ng
Kohl er i n. Thei r handhel d met al det ect or was r ender ed wor t hl ess by t he myr i ad of
el ect r oni c devi ces on
Kohl er ' s wheel chai r . The guar ds f r i sked hi mbut wer e obvi ousl y t oo ashamed of
hi s di sabi l i t y t o do i t
pr oper l y. They never f ound t he r evol ver af f i xed beneat h hi s chai r . Nor di d t hey
r el i eve hi mof t he ot her
obj ect . . . t he one t hat Kohl er knew woul d br i ng unf or get t abl e cl osur e t o t hi s
eveni ng' s chai n of event s.
When Kohl er ent er ed t he Pope' s of f i ce, Camer l egno Vent r esca was al one, kneel i ng
i n pr ayer besi de a
dyi ng f i r e. He di d not open hi s eyes.
" Mr . Kohl er , " t he camer l egno sai d. " Have you come t o make me a mar t yr ?"
112
A l l t he whi l e, t he nar r ow t unnel cal l ed I l Passet t o st r et ched out bef or e
Langdon and Vi t t or i a as t hey
dashed t owar d Vat i can Ci t y. The t or ch i n Langdon' s hand t hr ew onl y enough l i ght
t o see a f ew yar ds
ahead. The wal l s wer e cl ose on ei t her si de, and t he cei l i ng l ow. The ai r smel l ed
dank. Langdon r aced on
i nt o t he dar kness wi t h Vi t t or i a cl ose at hi s heel s.
The t unnel i ncl i ned st eepl y as i t l ef t t he Cast l e St . Angel o, pr oceedi ng upwar d
i nt o t he under si de of a st one
bast i on t hat l ooked l i ke a Roman aqueduct . Ther e, t he t unnel l evel ed out and
began i t s secr et cour se t owar d
Vat i can Ci t y.
As Langdon r an, hi s t hought s t ur ned over and over i n a kal ei doscope of
conf oundi ng i mages- Kohl er , J anus,
t he Hassassi n, Rocher . . . a si xt h br and? I ' msur e you' ve hear d about t he si xt h
br and, t he ki l l er had sai d.
The most br i l l i ant of al l . Langdon was qui t e cer t ai n he had not . Even i n
conspi r acy t heor y l or e, Langdon
coul d t hi nk of no r ef er ences t o any si xt h br and. Real or i magi ned. Ther e wer e
r umor s of a gol d bul l i on and
a f l awl ess I l l umi nat i Di amond but never any ment i on of a si xt h br and.
" Kohl er can' t be J anus! " Vi t t or i a decl ar ed as t hey r an down t he i nt er i or of t he
di ke. " I t ' s i mpossi bl e! "
I mpossi bl e was one wor d Langdon had st opped usi ng t oni ght . " I don' t know, "
Langdon yel l ed as t hey r an.
" Kohl er has a ser i ous gr udge, and he al so has some ser i ous i nf l uence. "
" Thi s cr i si s has made CERN l ook l i ke monst er s! Max woul d never do anyt hi ng t o
damage CERN' s
r eput at i on! "
On one count , Langdon knew CERN had t aken a publ i c beat i ng t oni ght , al l because
of t he I l l umi nat i ' s
i nsi st ence on maki ng t hi s a publ i c spect acl e. And yet , he wonder ed how much CERN
had r eal l y been
damaged. Cr i t i ci smf r omt he chur ch was not hi ng new f or CERN. I n f act , t he mor e
Langdon t hought about
i t , t he mor e he wonder ed i f t hi s cr i si s mi ght act ual l y benef i t CERN. I f
publ i ci t y wer e t he game, t hen
ant i mat t er was t he j ackpot wi nner t oni ght . The ent i r e pl anet was t al ki ng about
i t .
" You know what pr omot er P. T. Bar numsai d, " Langdon cal l ed over hi s shoul der . "
Sei t e 217
' I don' t car e what you
say about me, j ust spel l my name r i ght ! ' I bet peopl e ar e al r eady secr et l y
l i ni ng up t o l i cense ant i mat t er
t echnol ogy. And af t er t hey see i t s t r ue power at mi dni ght t oni ght . . . "
" I l l ogi cal , " Vi t t or i a sai d. " Publ i ci zi ng sci ent i f i c br eakt hr oughs i s not about
showi ng dest r uct i ve power !
Thi s i s t er r i bl e f or ant i mat t er , t r ust me! "
Langdon' s t or ch was f adi ng now. " Then maybe i t ' s al l much si mpl er t han t hat .
Maybe Kohl er gambl ed t hat
t he Vat i can woul d keep t he ant i mat t er a secr et - r ef usi ng t o empower t he
I l l umi nat i by conf i r mi ng t he
weapon' s exi st ence. Kohl er expect ed t he Vat i can t o be t hei r usual t i ght - l i pped
sel ves about t he t hr eat , but
t he camer l egno changed t he r ul es. "
Vi t t or i a was si l ent as t hey dashed down t he t unnel .
Suddenl y t he scenar i o was maki ng mor e sense t o Langdon. " Yes! Kohl er never
count ed on t he
camer l egno' s r eact i on. The camer l egno br oke t he Vat i can t r adi t i on of secr ecy and
went publ i c about t he
cr i si s. He was dead honest . He put t he ant i mat t er on TV, f or God' s sake. I t was
a br i l l i ant r esponse, and
Kohl er never expect ed i t . And t he i r ony of t he whol e t hi ng i s t hat t he
I l l umi nat i at t ack backf i r ed. I t
i nadver t ent l y pr oduced a new chur ch l eader i n t he camer l egno. And now Kohl er i s
comi ng t o ki l l hi m! "
" Max i s a bast ar d, " Vi t t or i a decl ar ed, " but he i s not a mur der er . And he woul d
never have been i nvol ved i n
my f at her ' s assassi nat i on. "
I n Langdon' s mi nd, i t was Kohl er ' s voi ce t hat answer ed. Leonar do was consi der ed
danger ous by many
pur i st s at CERN. Fusi ng sci ence and God i s t he ul t i mat e sci ent i f i c bl asphemy.
" Maybe Kohl er f ound out
about t he ant i mat t er pr oj ect weeks ago and di dn' t l i ke t he r el i gi ous
i mpl i cat i ons. "
" So he ki l l ed my f at her over i t ? Ri di cul ous! Besi des, Max Kohl er woul d never
have known t he pr oj ect
exi st ed. "
" Whi l e you wer e gone, maybe your f at her br oke down and consul t ed Kohl er , aski ng
f or gui dance. You
your sel f sai d your f at her was concer ned about t he mor al i mpl i cat i ons of cr eat i ng
such a deadl y subst ance. "
" Aski ng mor al gui dance f r omMaxi mi l i an Kohl er ?" Vi t t or i a snor t ed. " I don' t t hi nk
so! "
The t unnel banked sl i ght l y west war d. The f ast er t hey r an, t he di mmer Langdon' s
t or ch became. He began
t o f ear what t he pl ace woul d l ook l i ke i f t he l i ght went out . Bl ack.
" Besi des, " Vi t t or i a ar gued, " why woul d Kohl er have bot her ed t o cal l you i n t hi s
mor ni ng and ask f or hel p
i f he i s behi nd t he whol e t hi ng?"
Langdon had al r eady consi der ed i t . " By cal l i ng me, Kohl er cover ed hi s bases. He
made sur e no one woul d
accuse hi mof nonact i on i n t he f ace of cr i si s. He pr obabl y never expect ed us t o
get t hi s f ar . "
The t hought of bei ng used by Kohl er i ncensed Langdon. Langdon' s i nvol vement had
gi ven t he I l l umi nat i a
l evel of cr edi bi l i t y. Hi s cr edent i al s and publ i cat i ons had been quot ed al l ni ght
by t he medi a, and as
r i di cul ous as i t was, t he pr esence of a Har var d pr of essor i n Vat i can Ci t y had
somehow r ai sed t he whol e
emer gency beyond t he scope of par anoi d del usi on and convi nced skept i cs ar ound
t he wor l d t hat t he
I l l umi nat i br ot her hood was not onl y a hi st or i cal f act , but a f or ce t o be
r eckoned wi t h.
" That BBC r epor t er , " Langdon sai d, " t hi nks CERN i s t he new I l l umi nat i l ai r . "
" What ! " Vi t t or i a st umbl ed behi nd hi m. She pul l ed her sel f up and r an on. " He sai d
t hat ! ?"
" On ai r . He l i kened CERN t o t he Masoni c l odges- an i nnocent or gani zat i on
unknowi ngl y har bor i ng t he
I l l umi nat i br ot her hood wi t hi n. "
Sei t e 218
" My God, t hi s i s goi ng t o dest r oy CERN. "
Langdon was not so sur e. Ei t her way, t he t heor y suddenl y seemed l ess
f ar - f et ched. CERN was t he ul t i mat e
sci ent i f i c haven. I t was home t o sci ent i st s f r omover a dozen count r i es. They
seemed t o have endl ess
pr i vat e f undi ng. And Maxi mi l i an Kohl er was t hei r di r ect or .
Kohl er i s J anus.
" I f Kohl er ' s not i nvol ved, " Langdon chal l enged, " t hen what i s he doi ng her e?"
" Pr obabl y t r yi ng t o st op t hi s madness. Show suppor t . Maybe he r eal l y i s act i ng
as t he Samar i t an! He coul d
have f ound out who knew about t he ant i mat t er pr oj ect and has come t o shar e
i nf or mat i on. "
" The ki l l er sai d he was comi ng t o br and t he camer l egno. "
" Li st en t o your sel f ! I t woul d be a sui ci de mi ssi on. Max woul d never get out
al i ve. "
Langdon consi der ed i t . Maybe t hat was t he poi nt .
The out l i ne of a st eel gat e l oomed ahead, bl ocki ng t hei r pr ogr ess down t he
t unnel . Langdon' s hear t al most
st opped. When t hey appr oached, however , t hey f ound t he anci ent l ock hangi ng
open. The gat e swung
f r eel y.
Langdon br eat hed a si gh of r el i ef , r eal i zi ng as he had suspect ed, t hat t he
anci ent t unnel was i n use.
Recent l y. As i n t oday. He now had l i t t l e doubt t hat f our t er r i f i ed car di nal s had
been secr et ed t hr ough her e
ear l i er .
They r an on. Langdon coul d now hear t he sounds of chaos t o hi s l ef t . I t was St .
Pet er ' s Squar e. They wer e
get t i ng cl ose.
They hi t anot her gat e, t hi s one heavi er . I t t oo was unl ocked. The sound of St .
Pet er ' s Squar e f aded behi nd
t hemnow, and Langdon sensed t hey had passed t hr ough t he out er wal l of Vat i can
Ci t y. He wonder ed
wher e i nsi de t he Vat i can t hi s anci ent passage woul d concl ude. I n t he gar dens? I n
t he basi l i ca? I n t he papal
r esi dence?
Then, wi t hout war ni ng, t he t unnel ended.
The cumbr ous door bl ocki ng t hei r way was a t hi ck wal l of r i vet ed i r on. Even by
t he l ast f l i cker s of hi s
t or ch, Langdon coul d see t hat t he por t al was per f ect l y smoot h- no handl es, no
knobs, no keyhol es, no
hi nges. No ent r y.
He f el t a sur ge of pani c. I n ar chi t ect - speak, t hi s r ar e ki nd of door was cal l ed
a senza chi ave- a one- way
por t al , used f or secur i t y, and onl y oper abl e f r omone si de- t he ot her si de.
Langdon' s hope di mmed t o bl ack .
. . al ong wi t h t he t or ch i n hi s hand.
He l ooked at hi s wat ch. Mi ckey gl owed.
11: 29 P. M.
Wi t h a scr eamof f r ust r at i on, Langdon swung t he t or ch and st ar t ed poundi ng on
t he door .
113
S omet hi ng was wr ong.
Li eut enant Char t r and st ood out si de t he Pope' s of f i ce and sensed i n t he uneasy
st ance of t he sol di er st andi ng
wi t h hi mt hat t hey shar ed t he same anxi et y. The pr i vat e meet i ng t hey wer e
shi el di ng, Rocher had sai d,
coul d save t he Vat i can f r omdest r uct i on. So Char t r and wonder ed why hi s
pr ot ect i ve i nst i nct s wer e t i ngl i ng.
And why was Rocher act i ng so st r angel y?
Somet hi ng def i ni t el y was awr y.
Capt ai n Rocher st ood t o Char t r and' s r i ght , st ar i ng dead ahead, hi s shar p gaze
unchar act er i st i cal l y di st ant .
Char t r and bar el y r ecogni zed t he capt ai n. Rocher had not been hi msel f i n t he l ast
hour . Hi s deci si ons made
no sense.
Someone shoul d be pr esent i nsi de t hi s meet i ng! Char t r and t hought . He had hear d
Maxi mi l i an Kohl er bol t
Sei t e 219
t he door af t er he ent er ed. Why had Rocher per mi t t ed t hi s?
But t her e was so much mor e bot her i ng Char t r and. The car di nal s. The car di nal s
wer e st i l l l ocked i n t he
Si st i ne Chapel . Thi s was absol ut e i nsani t y. The camer l egno had want ed t hem
evacuat ed f i f t een mi nut es
ago! Rocher had over r ul ed t he deci si on and not i nf or med t he camer l egno.
Char t r and had expr essed
concer n, and Rocher had al most t aken of f hi s head. Chai n of command was never
quest i oned i n t he Swi ss
Guar d, and Rocher was now t op dog.
Hal f an hour , Rocher t hought , di scr eet l y checki ng hi s Swi ss chr onomet er i n t he
di ml i ght of t he candel abr a
l i ght i ng t he hal l . Pl ease hur r y.
Char t r and wi shed he coul d hear what was happeni ng on t he ot her si de of t he
door s. St i l l , he knew t her e was
no one he woul d r at her have handl i ng t hi s cr i si s t han t he camer l egno. The man
had been t est ed beyond
r eason t oni ght , and he had not f l i nched. He had conf r ont ed t he pr obl emhead- on .
. . t r ut hf ul , candi d,
shi ni ng l i ke an exampl e t o al l . Char t r and f el t pr oud r i ght now t o be a Cat hol i c.
The I l l umi nat i had made a
mi st ake when t hey chal l enged Camer l egno Vent r esca.
At t hat moment , however , Char t r and' s t hought s wer e j ol t ed by an unexpect ed
sound. A bangi ng. I t was
comi ng f r omdown t he hal l . The poundi ng was di st ant and muf f l ed, but i ncessant .
Rocher l ooked up. The
capt ai n t ur ned t o Char t r and and mot i oned down t he hal l . Char t r and under st ood. He
t ur ned on hi s f l ashl i ght
and t ook of f t o i nvest i gat e.
The bangi ng was mor e desper at e now. Char t r and r an t hi r t y yar ds down t he cor r i dor
t o an i nt er sect i on. The
noi se seemed t o be comi ng f r omar ound t he cor ner , beyond t he Sal a Cl ement i na.
Char t r and f el t per pl exed.
Ther e was onl y one r oomback t her e- t he Pope' s pr i vat e l i br ar y. Hi s Hol i ness' s
pr i vat e l i br ar y had been
l ocked si nce t he Pope' s deat h. Nobody coul d possi bl y be i n t her e!
Char t r and hur r i ed down t he second cor r i dor , t ur ned anot her cor ner , and r ushed t o
t he l i br ar y door . The
wooden por t i co was di mi nut i ve, but i t st ood i n t he dar k l i ke a dour sent i nel .
The bangi ng was comi ng f r om
somewher e i nsi de. Char t r and hesi t at ed. He had never been i nsi de t he pr i vat e
l i br ar y. Few had. No one was
al l owed i n wi t hout an escor t by t he Pope hi msel f .
Tent at i vel y, Char t r and r eached f or t he door knob and t ur ned. As he had i magi ned,
t he door was l ocked. He
put hi s ear t o t he door . The bangi ng was l ouder . Then he hear d somet hi ng el se.
Voi ces! Someone cal l i ng
out !
He coul d not make out t he wor ds, but he coul d hear t he pani c i n t hei r shout s.
Was someone t r apped i n t he
l i br ar y? Had t he Swi ss Guar d not pr oper l y evacuat ed t he bui l di ng? Char t r and
hesi t at ed, wonder i ng i f he
shoul d go back and consul t Rocher . The hel l wi t h t hat . Char t r and had been
t r ai ned t o make deci si ons, and
he woul d make one now. He pul l ed out hi s si de ar mand f i r ed a si ngl e shot i nt o
t he door l at ch. The wood
expl oded, and t he door swung open.
Beyond t he t hr eshol d Char t r and saw not hi ng but bl ackness. He shone hi s
f l ashl i ght . The r oomwas
r ect angul ar - or i ent al car pet s, hi gh oak shel ves packed wi t h books, a st i t ched
l eat her couch, and a mar bl e
f i r epl ace. Char t r and had hear d st or i es of t hi s pl ace- t hr ee t housand anci ent
vol umes si de by si de wi t h
hundr eds of cur r ent magazi nes and per i odi cal s, anyt hi ng Hi s Hol i ness r equest ed.
The cof f ee t abl e was
cover ed wi t h j our nal s of sci ence and pol i t i cs.
The bangi ng was cl ear er now. Char t r and shone hi s l i ght acr oss t he r oomt owar d
t he sound. On t he f ar wal l ,
beyond t he si t t i ng ar ea, was a huge door made of i r on. I t l ooked i mpenet r abl e as
Sei t e 220
a vaul t . I t had f our
mammot h l ocks. The t i ny et ched l et t er s dead cent er of t he door t ook Char t r and' s
br eat h away.
I L PASSETTO
Char t r and st ar ed. The Pope' s secr et escape r out e! Char t r and had cer t ai nl y hear d
of I l Passet t o, and he had
even hear d r umor s t hat i t had once had an ent r ance her e i n t he l i br ar y, but t he
t unnel had not been used i n
ages! Who coul d be bangi ng on t he ot her si de?
Char t r and t ook hi s f l ashl i ght and r apped on t he door . Ther e was a muf f l ed
exul t at i on f r omt he ot her si de.
The bangi ng st opped, and t he voi ces yel l ed l ouder . Char t r and coul d bar el y make
out t hei r wor ds t hr ough
t he bar r i cade.
" . . . Kohl er . . . l i e . . . camer l egno . . . "
" Who i s t hat ?" Char t r and yel l ed.
" . . . er t Langdon . . . Vi t t or i a Ve . . . "
Char t r and under st ood enough t o be conf used. I t hought you wer e dead!
" . . . t he door , " t he voi ces yel l ed. " Open . . . ! "
Char t r and l ooked at t he i r on bar r i er and knew he woul d need dynami t e t o get
t hr ough t her e. " I mpossi bl e! "
he yel l ed. " Too t hi ck! "
" . . . meet i ng . . . st op . . . er l egno . . . danger . . . "
Despi t e hi s t r ai ni ng on t he hazar ds of pani c, Char t r and f el t a sudden r ush of
f ear at t he l ast f ew wor ds. Had
he under st ood cor r ect l y? Hear t poundi ng, he t ur ned t o r un back t o t he of f i ce. As
he t ur ned, t hough, he
st al l ed. Hi s gaze had f al l en t o somet hi ng on t he door . . . somet hi ng mor e
shocki ng even t han t he message
comi ng f r ombeyond i t . Emer gi ng f r omt he keyhol es of each of t he door ' s massi ve
l ocks wer e keys.
Char t r and st ar ed. The keys wer e her e? He bl i nked i n di sbel i ef . The keys t o t hi s
door wer e supposed t o be i n
a vaul t somepl ace! Thi s passage was never used- not f or cent ur i es!
Char t r and dr opped hi s f l ashl i ght on t he f l oor . He gr abbed t he f i r st key and
t ur ned. The mechani smwas
r ust ed and st i f f , but i t st i l l wor ked. Someone had opened i t r ecent l y. Char t r and
wor ked t he next l ock. And
t he next . When t he l ast bol t sl i d asi de, Char t r and pul l ed. The sl ab of i r on
cr eaked open. He gr abbed hi s
l i ght and shone i t i nt o t he passage.
Rober t Langdon and Vi t t or i a Vet r a l ooked l i ke appar i t i ons as t hey st agger ed i nt o
t he l i br ar y. Bot h wer e
r agged and t i r ed, but t hey wer e ver y much al i ve.
" What i s t hi s! " Char t r and demanded. " What ' s goi ng on! Wher e di d you come f r om?"
" Wher e' s Max Kohl er ?" Langdon demanded.
Char t r and poi nt ed. " I n a pr i vat e meet i ng wi t h t he camer - "
Langdon and Vi t t or i a pushed past hi mand r an down t he dar kened hal l . Char t r and
t ur ned, i nst i nct i vel y
r ai si ng hi s gun at t hei r backs. He qui ckl y l ower ed i t and r an af t er t hem. Rocher
appar ent l y hear d t hem
comi ng, because as t hey ar r i ved out si de t he Pope' s of f i ce, Rocher had spr ead hi s
l egs i n a pr ot ect i ve st ance
and was l evel i ng hi s gun at t hem. " Al t ! "
" The camer l egno i s i n danger ! " Langdon yel l ed, r ai si ng hi s ar ms i n sur r ender as
he sl i d t o a st op. " Open t he
door ! Max Kohl er i s goi ng t o ki l l t he camer l egno! "
Rocher l ooked angr y.
" Open t he door ! " Vi t t or i a sai d. " Hur r y! "
But i t was t oo l at e.
Fr omi nsi de t he Pope' s of f i ce came a bl oodcur dl i ng scr eam. I t was t he
camer l egno.
114
T he conf r ont at i on l ast ed onl y seconds.
Camer l egno Vent r esca was st i l l scr eami ng when Char t r and st epped past Rocher and
bl ew open t he door of
t he Pope' s of f i ce. The guar ds dashed i n. Langdon and Vi t t or i a r an i n behi nd
Sei t e 221
t hem.
The scene bef or e t hemwas st agger i ng.
The chamber was l i t onl y by candl el i ght and a dyi ng f i r e. Kohl er was near t he
f i r epl ace, st andi ng
awkwar dl y i n f r ont of hi s wheel chai r . He br andi shed a pi st ol , ai med at t he
camer l egno, who l ay on t he f l oor
at hi s f eet , wr i t hi ng i n agony. The camer l egno' s cassock was t or n open, and hi s
bar e chest was sear ed
bl ack. Langdon coul d not make out t he symbol f r omacr oss t he r oom, but a l ar ge,
squar e br and l ay on t he
f l oor near Kohl er . The met al st i l l gl owed r ed.
Two of t he Swi ss Guar ds act ed wi t hout hesi t at i on. They opened f i r e. The bul l et s
smashed i nt o Kohl er ' s
chest , dr i vi ng hi mbackwar d. Kohl er col l apsed i nt o hi s wheel chai r , hi s chest
gur gl i ng bl ood. Hi s gun went
ski t t er i ng acr oss t he f l oor .
Langdon st ood st unned i n t he door way.
Vi t t or i a seemed par al yzed. " Max . . . " she whi sper ed.
The camer l egno, st i l l t wi st i ng on t he f l oor , r ol l ed t owar d Rocher , and wi t h t he
t r ancel i ke t er r or of t he ear l y
wi t ch hunt s, poi nt ed hi s i ndex f i nger at Rocher and yel l ed a si ngl e wor d.
" I LLUMI NATUS! "
" You bast ar d, " Rocher sai d, r unni ng at hi m. " You sanct i moni ous bas- "
Thi s t i me i t was Char t r and who r eact ed on i nst i nct , put t i ng t hr ee bul l et s i n
Rocher ' s back. The capt ai n f el l
f ace f i r st on t he t i l e f l oor and sl i d l i f el ess t hr ough hi s own bl ood. Char t r and
and t he guar ds dashed
i mmedi at el y t o t he camer l egno, who l ay cl ut chi ng hi msel f , convul si ng i n pai n.
Bot h guar ds l et out excl amat i ons of hor r or when t hey saw t he symbol sear ed on
t he camer l egno' s chest .
The second guar d saw t he br and upsi de down and i mmedi at el y st agger ed backwar d
wi t h f ear i n hi s eyes.
Char t r and, l ooki ng equal l y over whel med by t he symbol , pul l ed t he camer l egno' s
t or n cassock up over t he
bur n, shi el di ng i t f r omvi ew.
Langdon f el t del i r i ous as he moved acr oss t he r oom. Thr ough a mi st of i nsani t y
and vi ol ence, he t r i ed t o
make sense of what he was seei ng. A cr i ppl ed sci ent i st , i n a f i nal act of
symbol i c domi nance, had f l own
i nt o Vat i can Ci t y and br anded t he chur ch' s hi ghest of f i ci al . Some t hi ngs ar e
wor t h dyi ng f or , t he Hassassi n
had sai d. Langdon wonder ed how a handi capped man coul d possi bl y have over power ed
t he camer l egno.
Then agai n, Kohl er had a gun. I t doesn' t mat t er how he di d i t ! Kohl er
accompl i shed hi s mi ssi on!
Langdon moved t owar d t he gr uesome scene. The camer l egno was bei ng at t ended, and
Langdon f el t hi msel f
dr awn t owar d t he smoki ng br and on t he f l oor near Kohl er ' s wheel chai r . The si xt h
br and? The cl oser
Langdon got , t he mor e conf used he became. The br and seemed t o be a per f ect
squar e, qui t e l ar ge, and had
obvi ousl y come f r omt he sacr ed cent er compar t ment of t he chest i n t he I l l umi nat i
Lai r . A si xt h and f i nal
br and, t he Hassassi n had sai d. The most br i l l i ant of al l .
Langdon knel t besi de Kohl er and r eached f or t he obj ect . The met al st i l l r adi at ed
heat . Gr aspi ng t he wooden
handl e, Langdon pi cked i t up. He was not sur e what he expect ed t o see, but i t
most cer t ai nl y was not t hi s.

Langdon st ar ed a l ong, conf used moment . Not hi ng was maki ng sense. Why had t he
guar ds cr i ed out i n
hor r or when t hey saw t hi s? I t was a squar e of meani ngl ess squi ggl es. The most
br i l l i ant of al l ? I t was
symmet r i cal , Langdon coul d t el l as he r ot at ed i t i n hi s hand, but i t was
gi bber i sh.
When he f el t a hand on hi s shoul der , Langdon l ooked up, expect i ng Vi t t or i a. The
hand, however , was
Sei t e 222
cover ed wi t h bl ood. I t bel onged t o Maxi mi l i an Kohl er , who was r eachi ng out f r om
hi s wheel chai r .
Langdon dr opped t he br and and st agger ed t o hi s f eet . Kohl er ' s st i l l al i ve!
Sl umped i n hi s wheel chai r , t he dyi ng di r ect or was st i l l br eat hi ng, al bei t
bar el y, sucki ng i n sput t er i ng gasps.
Kohl er ' s eyes met Langdon' s, and i t was t he same st ony gaze t hat had gr eet ed
Langdon at CERN ear l i er
t hat day. The eyes l ooked even har der i n deat h, t he l oat hi ng and enmi t y r i si ng
t o t he sur f ace.
The sci ent i st ' s body qui ver ed, and Langdon sensed he was t r yi ng t o move.
Ever yone el se i n t he r oomwas
f ocused on t he camer l egno, and Langdon want ed t o cal l out , but he coul d not
r eact . He was t r ansf i xed by
t he i nt ensi t y r adi at i ng f r omKohl er i n t hese f i nal seconds of hi s l i f e. The
di r ect or , wi t h t r emul ous ef f or t ,
l i f t ed hi s ar mand pul l ed a smal l devi ce of f t he ar mof hi s wheel chai r . I t was
t he si ze of a mat chbox. He
hel d i t out , qui ver i ng. For an i nst ant , Langdon f ear ed Kohl er had a weapon. But
i t was somet hi ng el se.
" G- gi ve . . . " Kohl er ' s f i nal wor ds wer e a gur gl i ng whi sper . " G- gi ve t hi s . . .
t o t he m- medi a. " Kohl er
col l apsed mot i onl ess, and t he devi ce f el l i n hi s l ap.
Shocked, Langdon st ar ed at t he devi ce. I t was el ect r oni c. The wor ds SONY RUVI
wer e pr i nt ed acr oss t he
f r ont . Langdon r ecogni zed i t as one of t hose new ul t r ami ni at ur e, pal m- hel d
camcor der s. The bal l s on t hi s
guy! he t hought . Kohl er had appar ent l y r ecor ded some sor t of f i nal sui ci de
message he want ed t he medi a t o
br oadcast . . . no doubt some ser mon about t he i mpor t ance of sci ence and t he
evi l s of r el i gi on. Langdon
deci ded he had done enough f or t hi s man' s cause t oni ght . Bef or e Char t r and saw
Kohl er ' s camcor der ,
Langdon sl i pped i t i nt o hi s deepest j acket pocket . Kohl er ' s f i nal message can
r ot i n hel l !
I t was t he voi ce of t he camer l egno t hat br oke t he si l ence. He was t r yi ng t o si t
up. " The car di nal s, " he
gasped t o Char t r and.
" St i l l i n t he Si st i ne Chapel ! " Char t r and excl ai med. " Capt ai n Rocher or der ed- "
" Evacuat e . . . now. Ever yone. "
Char t r and sent one of t he ot her guar ds r unni ng of f t o l et t he car di nal s out .
The camer l egno gr i maced i n pai n. " Hel i copt er . . . out f r ont . . . get me t o a
hospi t al . "
115
I n St . Pet er ' s Squar e, t he Swi ss Guar d pi l ot sat i n t he cockpi t of t he par ked
Vat i can hel i copt er and r ubbed
hi s t empl es. The chaos i n t he squar e ar ound hi mwas so l oud t hat i t dr owned out
t he sound of hi s i dl i ng
r ot or s. Thi s was no sol emn candl el i ght vi gi l . He was amazed a r i ot had not
br oken out yet .
Wi t h l ess t han t went y- f i ve mi nut es l ef t unt i l mi dni ght , t he peopl e wer e st i l l
packed t oget her , some pr ayi ng,
some weepi ng f or t he chur ch, ot her s scr eami ng obsceni t i es and pr ocl ai mi ng t hat
t hi s was what t he chur ch
deser ved, st i l l ot her s chant i ng apocal ypt i c Bi bl e ver ses.
The pi l ot ' s head pounded as t he medi a l i ght s gl i nt ed of f hi s wi ndshi el d. He
squi nt ed out at t he cl amor ous
masses. Banner s waved over t he cr owd.
ANTI MATTER I S THE ANTI CHRI ST!
SCI ENTI ST=SATANI ST
WHERE I S YOUR GOD NOW?
The pi l ot gr oaned, hi s headache wor seni ng. He hal f consi der ed gr abbi ng t he
wi ndshi el d' s vi nyl cover i ng
and put t i ng i t up so he woul dn' t have t o wat ch, but he knew he woul d be ai r bor ne
i n a mat t er of mi nut es.
Li eut enant Char t r and had j ust r adi oed wi t h t er r i bl e news. The camer l egno had
been at t acked by Maxi mi l i an
Kohl er and ser i ousl y i nj ur ed. Char t r and, t he Amer i can, and t he woman wer e
Sei t e 223
car r yi ng t he camer l egno out
now so he coul d be evacuat ed t o a hospi t al .
The pi l ot f el t per sonal l y r esponsi bl e f or t he at t ack. He r epr i manded hi msel f f or
not act i ng on hi s gut .
Ear l i er , when he had pi cked up Kohl er at t he ai r por t , he had sensed somet hi ng i n
t he sci ent i st ' s dead eyes.
He coul dn' t pl ace i t , but he di dn' t l i ke i t . Not t hat i t mat t er ed. Rocher was
r unni ng t he show, and Rocher
i nsi st ed t hi s was t he guy. Rocher had appar ent l y been wr ong.
A new cl amor ar ose f r omt he cr owd, and t he pi l ot l ooked over t o see a l i ne of
car di nal s pr ocessi ng
sol emnl y out of t he Vat i can ont o St . Pet er ' s Squar e. The car di nal s' r el i ef t o be
l eavi ng gr ound zer o seemed
t o be qui ckl y over come by l ooks of bewi l der ment at t he spect acl e now goi ng on
out si de t he chur ch.
The cr owd noi se i nt ensi f i ed yet agai n. The pi l ot ' s head pounded. He needed an
aspi r i n. Maybe t hr ee. He
di dn' t l i ke t o f l y on medi cat i on, but a f ew aspi r i n woul d cer t ai nl y be l ess
debi l i t at i ng t han t hi s r agi ng
headache. He r eached f or t he f i r st - ai d ki t , kept wi t h assor t ed maps and manual s
i n a car go box bol t ed
bet ween t he t wo f r ont seat s. When he t r i ed t o open t he box, t hough, he f ound i t
l ocked. He l ooked ar ound
f or t he key and t hen f i nal l y gave up. Toni ght was cl ear l y not hi s l ucky ni ght .
He went back t o massagi ng
hi s t empl es.
I nsi de t he dar kened basi l i ca, Langdon, Vi t t or i a, and t he t wo guar ds st r ai ned
br eat hl essl y t owar d t he mai n
exi t . Unabl e t o f i nd anyt hi ng mor e sui t abl e, t he f our of t hemwer e t r anspor t i ng
t he wounded camer l egno on
a nar r ow t abl e, bal anci ng t he i ner t body bet ween t hemas t hough on a st r et cher .
Out si de t he door s, t he f ai nt
r oar of human chaos was now audi bl e. The camer l egno t eet er ed on t he br i nk of
unconsci ousness.
Ti me was r unni ng out .
116
I t was 11: 39 P. M. when Langdon st epped wi t h t he ot her s f r omSt . Pet er ' s
Basi l i ca. The gl ar e t hat hi t hi s
eyes was sear i ng. The medi a l i ght s shone of f t he whi t e mar bl e l i ke sunl i ght of f
a snowy t undr a. Langdon
squi nt ed, t r yi ng t o f i nd r ef uge behi nd t he f aade' s enor mous col umns, but t he
l i ght came f r omal l
di r ect i ons. I n f r ont of hi m, a col l age of massi ve vi deo scr eens r ose above t he
cr owd.
St andi ng t her e at op t he magni f i cent st ai r s t hat spi l l ed down t o t he pi azza
bel ow, Langdon f el t l i ke a
r el uct ant pl ayer on t he wor l d' s bi ggest st age. Somewher e beyond t he gl ar i ng
l i ght s, Langdon hear d an
i dl i ng hel i copt er and t he r oar of a hundr ed t housand voi ces. To t hei r l ef t , a
pr ocessi on of car di nal s was now
evacuat i ng ont o t he squar e. They al l st opped i n appar ent di st r ess t o see t he
scene now unf ol di ng on t he
st ai r case.
" Car ef ul now, " Char t r and ur ged, soundi ng f ocused as t he gr oup began descendi ng
t he st ai r s t owar d t he
hel i copt er .
Langdon f el t l i ke t hey wer e movi ng under wat er . Hi s ar ms ached f r omt he wei ght of
t he camer l egno and t he
t abl e. He wonder ed how t he moment coul d get much l ess di gni f i ed. Then he saw t he
answer . The t wo BBC
r epor t er s had appar ent l y been cr ossi ng t he open squar e on t hei r way back t o t he
pr ess ar ea. But now, wi t h
t he r oar of t he cr owd, t hey had t ur ned. Gl i ck and Macr i wer e now r unni ng back
t owar d t hem. Macr i ' s
camer a was r ai sed and r ol l i ng. Her e come t he vul t ur es, Langdon t hought .
" Al t ! " Char t r and yel l ed. " Get back! "
But t he r epor t er s kept comi ng. Langdon guessed t he ot her net wor ks woul d t ake
about si x seconds t o pi ck
Sei t e 224
up t hi s l i ve BBC f eed agai n. He was wr ong. They t ook t wo. As i f connect ed by
some sor t of uni ver sal
consci ousness, ever y l ast medi a scr een i n t he pi azza cut away f r omt hei r
count down cl ocks and t hei r
Vat i can exper t s and began t r ansmi t t i ng t he same pi ct ur e- a j i ggl i ng act i on
f oot age swoopi ng up t he Vat i can
st ai r s. Now, ever ywher e Langdon l ooked, he saw t he camer l egno' s l i mp body i n a
Techni col or cl ose- up.
Thi s i s wr ong! Langdon t hought . He want ed t o r un down t he st ai r s and i nt er f er e,
but he coul d not . I t
woul dn' t have hel ped anyway. Whet her i t was t he r oar of t he cr owd or t he cool
ni ght ai r t hat caused i t ,
Langdon woul d never know, but at t hat moment , t he i nconcei vabl e occur r ed.
Li ke a man awakeni ng f r oma ni ght mar e, t he camer l egno' s eyes shot open and he
sat bol t upr i ght . Taken
ent i r el y by sur pr i se, Langdon and t he ot her s f umbl ed wi t h t he shi f t i ng wei ght .
The f r ont of t he t abl e
di pped. The camer l egno began t o sl i de. They t r i ed t o r ecover by set t i ng t he
t abl e down, but i t was t oo l at e.
The camer l egno sl i d of f t he f r ont . I ncr edi bl y, he di d not f al l . Hi s f eet hi t t he
mar bl e, and he swayed upr i ght .
He st ood a moment , l ooki ng di sor i ent ed, and t hen, bef or e anyone coul d st op hi m,
he l ur ched f or war d,
st agger i ng down t he st ai r s t owar d Macr i .
" No! " Langdon scr eamed.
Char t r and r ushed f or war d, t r yi ng t o r ei gn i n t he camer l egno. But t he camer l egno
t ur ned on hi m, wi l d- eyed,
cr azed. " Leave me! "
Char t r and j umped back.
The scene went f r ombad t o wor se. The camer l egno' s t or n cassock, havi ng been
onl y l ai d over hi s chest by
Char t r and, began t o sl i p l ower . For a moment , Langdon t hought t he gar ment mi ght
hol d, but t hat moment
passed. The cassock l et go, sl i di ng of f hi s shoul der s down ar ound hi s wai st .
The gasp t hat went up f r omt he cr owd seemed t o t r avel ar ound t he gl obe and back
i n an i nst ant . Camer as
r ol l ed, f l ashbul bs expl oded. On medi a scr eens ever ywher e, t he i mage of t he
camer l egno' s br anded chest
was pr oj ect ed, t ower i ng and i n gr i sl y det ai l . Some scr eens wer e even f r eezi ng
t he i mage and r ot at i ng i t 180
degr ees.
The ul t i mat e I l l umi nat i vi ct or y.
Langdon st ar ed at t he br and on t he scr eens. Al t hough i t was t he i mpr i nt of t he
squar e br and he had hel d
ear l i er , t he symbol now made sense. Per f ect sense. The mar ki ng' s awesome power
hi t Langdon l i ke a t r ai n.
Or i ent at i on. Langdon had f or got t en t he f i r st r ul e of symbol ogy. When i s a squar e
not a squar e? He had
al so f or got t en t hat i r on br ands, j ust l i ke r ubber st amps, never l ooked l i ke
t hei r i mpr i nt s. They wer e i n
r ever se. Langdon had been l ooki ng at t he br and' s negat i ve!
As t he chaos gr ew, an ol d I l l umi nat i quot e echoed wi t h new meani ng: " A f l awl ess
di amond, bor n of t he
anci ent el ement s wi t h such per f ect i on t hat al l t hose who saw i t coul d onl y st ar e
i n wonder . "
Langdon knew now t he myt h was t r ue.
Ear t h, Ai r , Fi r e, Wat er .
The I l l umi nat i Di amond.

117
R ober t Langdon had l i t t l e doubt t hat t he chaos and hyst er i a cour si ng t hr ough
St . Pet er ' s Squar e at t hi s
ver y i nst ant exceeded anyt hi ng Vat i can Hi l l had ever wi t nessed. No bat t l e, no
cr uci f i xi on, no pi l gr i mage,
no myst i cal vi si on . . . not hi ng i n t he shr i ne' s 2, 000- year hi st or y coul d
possi bl y mat ch t he scope and dr ama
Sei t e 225
of t hi s ver y moment .
As t he t r agedy unf ol ded, Langdon f el t oddl y separ at e, as i f hover i ng t her e
besi de Vi t t or i a at t he t op of t he
st ai r s. The act i on seemed t o di st end, as i f i n a t i me war p, al l t he i nsani t y
sl owi ng t o a cr awl . . .
The br anded camer l egno . . . r avi ng f or t he wor l d t o see . . .
The I l l umi nat i Di amond . . . unvei l ed i n i t s di abol i cal geni us . . .
The count down cl ock r egi st er i ng t he f i nal t went y mi nut es of Vat i can hi st or y . .
.
The dr ama, however , had onl y j ust begun.
The camer l egno, as i f i n some sor t of post - t r aumat i c t r ance, seemed suddenl y
pui ssant , possessed by
demons. He began babbl i ng, whi sper i ng t o unseen spi r i t s, l ooki ng up at t he sky
and r ai si ng hi s ar ms t o
God.
" Speak! " t he camer l egno yel l ed t o t he heavens. " Yes, I hear you! "
I n t hat moment , Langdon under st ood. Hi s hear t dr opped l i ke a r ock.
Vi t t or i a appar ent l y under st ood t oo. She went whi t e. " He' s i n shock, " she sai d.
" He' s hal l uci nat i ng. He
t hi nks he' s t al ki ng t o God! "
Somebody' s got t o st op t hi s, Langdon t hought . I t was a wr et ched and embar r assi ng
end. Get t hi s man t o a
hospi t al !
Bel ow t hemon t he st ai r s, Chi ni t a Macr i was poi sed and f i l mi ng, appar ent l y
havi ng l ocat ed her i deal
vant age poi nt . The i mages she f i l med appear ed i nst ant l y acr oss t he squar e behi nd
her on medi a scr eens . . .
l i ke endl ess dr i ve- i n movi es al l pl ayi ng t he same gr i sl y t r agedy.
The whol e scene f el t epi c. The camer l egno, i n hi s t or n cassock, wi t h t he
scor ched br and on hi s chest ,
l ooked l i ke some sor t of bat t er ed champi on who had over come t he r i ngs of hel l
f or t hi s one moment of
r evel at i on. He bel l owed t o t he heavens.
" Ti sent o, Di o! I hear you, God! "
Char t r and backed of f , a l ook of awe on hi s f ace.
The hush t hat f el l acr oss t he cr owd was i nst ant and absol ut e. For a moment i t
was as i f t he si l ence had
f al l en acr oss t he ent i r e pl anet . . . ever yone i n f r ont of t hei r TVs r i gi d, a
communal hol di ng of br eat h.
The camer l egno st ood on t he st ai r s, bef or e t he wor l d, and hel d out hi s ar ms. He
l ooked al most Chr i st l i ke,
bar e and wounded bef or e t he wor l d. He r ai sed hi s ar ms t o t he heavens and,
l ooki ng up, excl ai med,
" Gr azi e! Gr azi e, Di o! "
The si l ence of t he masses never br oke.
" Gr azi e, Di o! " t he camer l egno cr i ed out agai n. Li ke t he sun br eaki ng t hr ough a
st or my sky, a l ook of j oy
spr ead acr oss hi s f ace. " Gr azi e, Di o! "
Thank you, God? Langdon st ar ed i n wonder .
The camer l egno was r adi ant now, hi s eer i e t r ansf or mat i on compl et e. He l ooked up
at t he sky, st i l l noddi ng
f ur i ousl y. He shout ed t o t he heavens, " Upon t hi s r ock I wi l l bui l d my chur ch! "
Langdon knew t he wor ds, but he had no i dea why t he camer l egno coul d possi bl y be
shout i ng t hem.
The camer l egno t ur ned back t o t he cr owd and bel l owed agai n i nt o t he ni ght . " Upon
t hi s r ock I wi l l bui l d
my chur ch! " Then he r ai sed hi s hands t o t he sky and l aughed out l oud. " Gr azi e,
Di o! Gr azi e! "
The man had cl ear l y gone mad.
The wor l d wat ched, spel l bound.
The cul mi nat i on, however , was somet hi ng no one expect ed.
Wi t h a f i nal j oyous exul t at i on, t he camer l egno t ur ned and dashed back i nt o St .
Pet er ' s Basi l i ca.
118
E l even- f or t y- t wo P. M.
The f r enzi ed convoy t hat pl unged back i nt o t he basi l i ca t o r et r i eve t he
camer l egno was not one Langdon
had ever i magi ned he woul d be par t of . . . much l ess l eadi ng. But he had been
cl osest t o t he door and had
Sei t e 226
act ed on i nst i nct .
He' l l di e i n her e, Langdon t hought , spr i nt i ng over t he t hr eshol d i nt o t he
dar kened voi d. " Camer l egno!
St op! "
The wal l of bl ackness t hat hi t Langdon was absol ut e. Hi s pupi l s wer e cont r act ed
f r omt he gl ar e out si de, and
hi s f i el d of vi si on now ext ended no f ar t her t han a f ew f eet bef or e hi s f ace. He
ski dded t o a st op.
Somewher e i n t he bl ackness ahead, he hear d t he camer l egno' s cassock r ust l e as
t he pr i est r an bl i ndl y i nt o
t he abyss.
Vi t t or i a and t he guar ds ar r i ved i mmedi at el y. Fl ashl i ght s came on, but t he l i ght s
wer e al most dead now and
di d not even begi n t o pr obe t he dept hs of t he basi l i ca bef or e t hem. The beams
swept back and f or t h,
r eveal i ng onl y col umns and bar e f l oor . The camer l egno was nowher e t o be seen.
" Camer l egno! " Char t r and yel l ed, f ear i n hi s voi ce. " Wai t ! Si gnor e! "
A commot i on i n t he door way behi nd t hemcaused ever yone t o t ur n. Chi ni t a Macr i ' s
l ar ge f r ame l ur ched
t hr ough t he ent r y. Her camer a was shoul der ed, and t he gl owi ng r ed l i ght on t op
r eveal ed t hat i t was st i l l
t r ansmi t t i ng. Gl i ck was r unni ng behi nd her , mi cr ophone i n hand, yel l i ng f or her
t o sl ow down.
Langdon coul d not bel i eve t hese t wo. Thi s i s not t he t i me!
" Out ! " Char t r and snapped. " Thi s i s not f or your eyes! "
But Macr i and Gl i ck kept comi ng.
" Chi ni t a! " Gl i ck sounded f ear f ul now. " Thi s i s sui ci de! I ' mnot comi ng! "
Macr i i gnor ed hi m. She t hr ew a swi t ch on her camer a. The spot l i ght on t op gl ar ed
t o l i f e, bl i ndi ng
ever yone.
Langdon shi el ded hi s f ace and t ur ned away i n pai n. Damn i t ! When he l ooked up,
t hough, t he chur ch
ar ound t hemwas i l l umi nat ed f or t hi r t y yar ds.
At t hat moment t he camer l egno' s voi ce echoed somewher e i n t he di st ance. " Upon
t hi s r ock I wi l l bui l d my
chur ch! "
Macr i wheel ed her camer a t owar d t he sound. Far of f , i n t he gr ayness at t he end
of t he spot l i ght ' s r each,
bl ack f abr i c bi l l owed, r eveal i ng a f ami l i ar f or mr unni ng down t he mai n ai sl e of
t he basi l i ca.
Ther e was a f l eet i ng i nst ant of hesi t at i on as ever yone' s eyes t ook i n t he
bi zar r e i mage. Then t he dambr oke.
Char t r and pushed past Langdon and spr i nt ed af t er t he camer l egno. Langdon t ook
of f next . Then t he guar ds
and Vi t t or i a.
Macr i br ought up t he r ear , l i ght i ng ever yone' s way and t r ansmi t t i ng t he
sepul chr al chase t o t he wor l d. An
unwi l l i ng Gl i ck cur sed al oud as he t agged al ong, f umbl i ng t hr ough a t er r i f i ed
bl ow- by- bl ow comment ar y.
The mai n ai sl e of St . Pet er ' s Basi l i ca, Li eut enant Char t r and had once f i gur ed
out , was l onger t han an
Ol ympi c soccer f i el d. Toni ght , however , i t f el t l i ke t wi ce t hat . As t he guar d
spr i nt ed af t er t he camer l egno,
he wonder ed wher e t he man was headed. The camer l egno was cl ear l y i n shock,
del i r i ous no doubt f r omhi s
physi cal t r auma and bear i ng wi t ness t o t he hor r i f i c massacr e i n t he Pope' s
of f i ce.
Somewher e up ahead, beyond t he r each of t he BBC spot l i ght , t he camer l egno' s
voi ce r ang out j oyousl y.
" Upon t hi s r ock I wi l l bui l d my chur ch! "
Char t r and knew t he man was shout i ng Scr i pt ur e- Mat t hew 16: 18, i f Char t r and
r ecal l ed cor r ect l y. Upon t hi s
r ock I wi l l bui l d my chur ch. I t was an al most cr uel l y i napt i nspi r at i on- t he
chur ch was about t o be dest r oyed.
Sur el y t he camer l egno had gone mad.
Or had he?
For a f l eet i ng i nst ant , Char t r and' s soul f l ut t er ed. Hol y vi si ons and di vi ne
messages had al ways seemed l i ke
Sei t e 227
wi shf ul del usi ons t o hi m- t he pr oduct of over zeal ous mi nds hear i ng what t hey
want ed t o hear - God di d not
i nt er act di r ect l y!
A moment l at er , t hough, as i f t he Hol y Spi r i t Hi msel f had descended t o per suade
Char t r and of Hi s power ,
Char t r and had a vi si on.
Fi f t y yar ds ahead, i n t he cent er of t he chur ch, a ghost appear ed . . . a
di aphanous, gl owi ng out l i ne. The pal e
shape was t hat of t he hal f - naked camer l egno. The spect er seemed t r anspar ent ,
r adi at i ng l i ght . Char t r and
st agger ed t o a st op, f eel i ng a knot t i ght en i n hi s chest . The camer l egno i s
gl owi ng! The body seemed t o
shi ne br i ght er now. Then, i t began t o si nk . . . deeper and deeper , unt i l i t
di sappear ed as i f by magi c i nt o t he
bl ackness of t he f l oor .
Langdon had seen t he phant omal so. For a moment , he t oo t hought he had wi t nessed
a magi cal vi si on. But
as he passed t he st unned Char t r and and r an t owar d t he spot wher e t he camer l egno
had di sappear ed, he
r eal i zed what had j ust happened. The camer l egno had ar r i ved at t he Ni che of t he
Pal l i ums- t he sunken
chamber l i t by ni net y- ni ne oi l l amps. The l amps i n t he ni che shone up f r om
beneat h, i l l umi nat i ng hi ml i ke a
ghost . Then, as t he camer l egno descended t he st ai r s i nt o t he l i ght , he had
seemed t o di sappear beneat h t he
f l oor .
Langdon ar r i ved br eat hl ess at t he r i mover l ooki ng t he sunken r oom. He peer ed
down t he st ai r s. At t he
bot t om, l i t by t he gol den gl ow of oi l l amps, t he camer l egno dashed acr oss t he
mar bl e chamber t owar d t he
set of gl ass door s t hat l ed t o t he r oomhol di ng t he f amous gol den box.
What i s he doi ng? Langdon wonder ed. Cer t ai nl y he can' t t hi nk t he gol den box-
The camer l egno yanked open t he door s and r an i nsi de. Oddl y t hough, he t ot al l y
i gnor ed t he gol den box,
r ushi ng r i ght past i t . Fi ve f eet beyond t he box, he dr opped t o hi s knees and
began st r uggl i ng t o l i f t an i r on
gr at e embedded i n t he f l oor .
Langdon wat ched i n hor r or , now r eal i zi ng wher e t he camer l egno was headed. Good
God, no! He dashed
down t he st ai r s af t er hi m. " Fat her ! Don' t ! "
As Langdon opened t he gl ass door s and r an t owar d t he camer l egno, he saw t he
camer l egno heave on t he
gr at e. The hi nged, i r on bul khead f el l open wi t h a deaf eni ng cr ash, r eveal i ng a
nar r ow shaf t and a st eep
st ai r way t hat dr opped i nt o not hi ngness. As t he camer l egno moved t owar d t he hol e,
Langdon gr abbed hi s
bar e shoul der s and pul l ed hi mback. The man' s ski n was sl i pper y wi t h sweat , but
Langdon hel d on.
The camer l egno wheel ed, obvi ousl y st ar t l ed. " What ar e you doi ng! "
Langdon was sur pr i sed when t hei r eyes met . The camer l egno no l onger had t he
gl azed l ook of a man i n a
t r ance. Hi s eyes wer e keen, gl i st eni ng wi t h a l uci d det er mi nat i on. The br and on
hi s chest l ooked
excr uci at i ng.
" Fat her , " Langdon ur ged, as cal ml y as possi bl e, " you can' t go down t her e. We
need t o evacuat e. "
" My son, " t he camer l egno sai d, hi s voi ce eer i l y sane. " I have j ust had a
message. I know- "
" Camer l egno! " I t was Char t r and and t he ot her s. They came dashi ng down t he st ai r s
i nt o t he r oom, l i t by
Macr i ' s camer a.
When Char t r and saw t he open gr at e i n t he f l oor , hi s eyes f i l l ed wi t h dr ead. He
cr ossed hi msel f and shot
Langdon a t hankf ul l ook f or havi ng st opped t he camer l egno. Langdon under st ood;
had r ead enough about
Vat i can ar chi t ect ur e t o know what l ay beneat h t hat gr at e. I t was t he most sacr ed
pl ace i n al l of
Chr i st endom. Ter r a Sant a. Hol y Gr ound. Some cal l ed i t t he Necr opol i s. Some
Sei t e 228
cal l ed i t t he Cat acombs.
Accor di ng t o account s f r omt he sel ect f ew cl er gy who had descended over t he
year s, t he Necr opol i s was a
dar k maze of subt er r anean cr ypt s t hat coul d swal l ow a vi si t or whol e i f he l ost
hi s way. I t was not t he ki nd
of pl ace t hr ough whi ch t hey want ed t o be chasi ng t he camer l egno.
" Si gnor e, " Char t r and pl eaded. " You' r e i n shock. We need t o l eave t hi s pl ace. You
cannot go down t her e.
I t ' s sui ci de. "
The camer l egno seemed suddenl y st oi c. He r eached out and put a qui et hand on
Char t r and' s shoul der .
" Thank you f or your concer n and ser vi ce. I cannot t el l you how. I cannot t el l
you I under st and. But I have
had a r evel at i on. I know wher e t he ant i mat t er i s. "
Ever yone st ar ed.
The camer l egno t ur ned t o t he gr oup. " Upon t hi s r ock I wi l l bui l d my chur ch. That
was t he message. The
meani ng i s cl ear . "
Langdon was st i l l unabl e t o compr ehend t he camer l egno' s convi ct i on t hat he had
spoken t o God, much l ess
t hat he had deci pher ed t he message. Upon t hi s r ock I wi l l bui l d my chur ch? They
wer e t he wor ds spoken by
J esus when he chose Pet er as hi s f i r st apost l e. What di d t hey have t o do wi t h
anyt hi ng?
Macr i moved i n f or a cl oser shot . Gl i ck was mut e, as i f shel l - shocked.
The camer l egno spoke qui ckl y now. " The I l l umi nat i have pl aced t hei r t ool of
dest r uct i on on t he ver y
cor ner st one of t hi s chur ch. At t he f oundat i on. " He mot i oned down t he st ai r s. " On
t he ver y r ock upon whi ch
t hi s chur ch was bui l t . And I know wher e t hat r ock i s. "
Langdon was cer t ai n t he t i me had come t o over power t he camer l egno and car r y hi m
of f . As l uci d as he
seemed, t he pr i est was t al ki ng nonsense. A r ock? The cor ner st one i n t he
f oundat i on? The st ai r way bef or e
t hemdi dn' t l ead t o t he f oundat i on, i t l ed t o t he necr opol i s! " The quot e i s a
met aphor , Fat her ! Ther e i s no
act ual r ock! "
The camer l egno l ooked st r angel y sad. " Ther e i s a r ock, my son. " He poi nt ed i nt o
t he hol e. " Pi et r o l a
pi et r a. "
Langdon f r oze. I n an i nst ant i t al l came cl ear .
The aust er e si mpl i ci t y of i t gave hi mchi l l s. As Langdon st ood t her e wi t h t he
ot her s, st ar i ng down t he l ong
st ai r case, he r eal i zed t hat t her e was i ndeed a r ock bur i ed i n t he dar kness
beneat h t hi s chur ch.
Pi et r o l a pi et r a. Pet er i s t he r ock.
Pet er ' s f ai t h i n God was so st eadf ast t hat J esus cal l ed Pet er " t he r ock" - t he
unwaver i ng di sci pl e on whose
shoul der s J esus woul d bui l d hi s chur ch. On t hi s ver y l ocat i on, Langdon
r eal i zed- Vat i can Hi l l - Pet er had
been cr uci f i ed and bur i ed. The ear l y Chr i st i ans bui l t a smal l shr i ne over hi s
t omb. As Chr i st i ani t y spr ead,
t he shr i ne got bi gger , l ayer upon l ayer , cul mi nat i ng i n t hi s col ossal basi l i ca.
The ent i r e Cat hol i c f ai t h had
been bui l t , qui t e l i t er al l y, upon St . Pet er . The r ock.
" The ant i mat t er i s on St . Pet er ' s t omb, " t he camer l egno sai d, hi s voi ce
cr yst al l i ne.
Despi t e t he seemi ngl y super nat ur al or i gi n of t he i nf or mat i on, Langdon sensed a
st ar k l ogi c i n i t . Pl aci ng t he
ant i mat t er on St . Pet er ' s t omb seemed pai nf ul l y obvi ous now. The I l l umi nat i , i n
an act of symbol i c
def i ance, had l ocat ed t he ant i mat t er at t he cor e of Chr i st endom, bot h l i t er al l y
and f i gur at i vel y. The ul t i mat e
i nf i l t r at i on.
" And i f you al l need wor l dl y pr oof , " t he camer l egno sai d, soundi ng i mpat i ent
now, " I j ust f ound t hat gr at e
unl ocked. " He poi nt ed t o t he open bul khead i n t he f l oor . " I t i s never unl ocked.
Someone has been down
t her e . . . r ecent l y. "
Sei t e 229
Ever yone st ar ed i nt o t he hol e.
An i nst ant l at er , wi t h decept i ve agi l i t y, t he camer l egno spun, gr abbed an oi l
l amp, and headed f or t he
openi ng.
119
T he st one st eps decl i ned st eepl y i nt o t he ear t h.
I ' mgoi ng t o di e down her e, Vi t t or i a t hought , gr i ppi ng t he heavy r ope bani st er
as she bounded down t he
cr amped passageway behi nd t he ot her s. Al t hough Langdon had made a move t o st op
t he camer l egno f r om
ent er i ng t he shaf t , Char t r and had i nt er vened, gr abbi ng Langdon and hol di ng on.
Appar ent l y, t he young
guar d was now convi nced t he camer l egno knew what he was doi ng.
Af t er a br i ef scuf f l e, Langdon had f r eed hi msel f and pur sued t he camer l egno wi t h
Char t r and cl ose on hi s
heel s. I nst i nct i vel y, Vi t t or i a had dashed af t er t hem.
Now she was r aci ng headl ong down a pr eci pi t ous gr ade wher e any mi spl aced st ep
coul d mean a deadl y
f al l . Far bel ow, she coul d see t he gol den gl ow of t he camer l egno' s oi l l amp.
Behi nd her , Vi t t or i a coul d hear
t he BBC r epor t er s hur r yi ng t o keep up. The camer a spot l i ght t hr ew gnar l ed
shadows beyond her down t he
shaf t , i l l umi nat i ng Char t r and and Langdon. Vi t t or i a coul d scar cel y bel i eve t he
wor l d was bear i ng wi t ness
t o t hi s i nsani t y. Tur n of f t he damn camer a! Then agai n, she knew t he l i ght was
t he onl y r eason any of t hem
coul d see wher e t hey wer e goi ng.
As t he bi zar r e chase cont i nued, Vi t t or i a' s t hought s whi pped l i ke a t empest . What
coul d t he camer l egno
possi bl y do down her e? Even i f he f ound t he ant i mat t er ? Ther e was no t i me!
Vi t t or i a was sur pr i sed t o f i nd her i nt ui t i on now t el l i ng her t he camer l egno was
pr obabl y r i ght . Pl aci ng t he
ant i mat t er t hr ee st or i es beneat h t he ear t h seemed an al most nobl e and mer ci f ul
choi ce. Deep under gr ound-
much as i n Z- l ab- an ant i mat t er anni hi l at i on woul d be par t i al l y cont ai ned. Ther e
woul d be no heat bl ast , no
f l yi ng shr apnel t o i nj ur e onl ooker s, j ust a bi bl i cal openi ng of t he ear t h and a
t ower i ng basi l i ca cr umbl i ng
i nt o a cr at er .
Was t hi s Kohl er ' s one act of decency? Spar i ng l i ves? Vi t t or i a st i l l coul d not
f at homt he di r ect or ' s
i nvol vement . She coul d accept hi s hat r ed of r el i gi on . . . but t hi s awesome
conspi r acy seemed beyond hi m.
Was Kohl er ' s l oat hi ng r eal l y t hi s pr of ound? Dest r uct i on of t he Vat i can? Hi r i ng
an assassi n? The mur der s
of her f at her , t he Pope, and f our car di nal s? I t seemed unt hi nkabl e. And how had
Kohl er managed al l t hi s
t r eacher y wi t hi n t he Vat i can wal l s? Rocher was Kohl er ' s i nsi de man, Vi t t or i a
t ol d her sel f . Rocher was an
I l l umi nat us. No doubt Capt ai n Rocher had keys t o ever yt hi ng- t he Pope' s chamber s,
I l Passet t o, t he
Necr opol i s, St . Pet er ' s t omb, al l of i t . He coul d have pl aced t he ant i mat t er on
St . Pet er ' s t omb- a hi ghl y
r est r i ct ed l ocal e- and t hen commanded hi s guar ds not t o wast e t i me sear chi ng t he
Vat i can' s r est r i ct ed ar eas.
Rocher knew nobody woul d ever f i nd t he cani st er .
But Rocher never count ed on t he camer l egno' s message f r omabove.
The message. Thi s was t he l eap of f ai t h Vi t t or i a was st i l l st r uggl i ng t o accept .
Had God act ual l y
communi cat ed wi t h t he camer l egno? Vi t t or i a' s gut sai d no, and yet her s was t he
sci ence of ent angl ement
physi cs- t he st udy of i nt er connect edness. She wi t nessed mi r acul ous communi cat i ons
ever y day- t wi n sea-
t ur t l e eggs separ at ed and pl aced i n l abs t housands of mi l es apar t hat chi ng at
t he same i nst ant . . . acr es of
j el l yf i sh pul sat i ng i n per f ect r hyt hmas i f of a si ngl e mi nd. Ther e ar e
i nvi si bl e l i nes of communi cat i on
ever ywher e, she t hought .
But bet ween God and man?
Sei t e 230
Vi t t or i a wi shed her f at her wer e t her e t o gi ve her f ai t h. He had once expl ai ned
di vi ne communi cat i on t o her
i n sci ent i f i c t er ms, and he had made her bel i eve. She st i l l r emember ed t he day
she had seen hi mpr ayi ng
and asked hi m, " Fat her , why do you bot her t o pr ay? God cannot answer you. "
Leonar do Vet r a had l ooked up f r omhi s medi t at i ons wi t h a pat er nal smi l e. " My
daught er t he skept i c. So
you don' t bel i eve God speaks t o man? Let me put i t i n your l anguage. " He t ook a
model of t he human br ai n
down f r oma shel f and set i t i n f r ont of her . " As you pr obabl y know, Vi t t or i a,
human bei ngs nor mal l y use a
ver y smal l per cent age of t hei r br ai n power . However , i f you put t hemi n
emot i onal l y char ged si t uat i ons- l i ke
physi cal t r auma, ext r eme j oy or f ear , deep medi t at i onal l of a sudden t hei r
neur ons st ar t f i r i ng l i ke cr azy,
r esul t i ng i n massi vel y enhanced ment al cl ar i t y. "
" So what ?" Vi t t or i a sai d. " J ust because you t hi nk cl ear l y doesn' t mean you t al k
t o God. "
" Aha! " Vet r a excl ai med. " And yet r emar kabl e sol ut i ons t o seemi ngl y i mpossi bl e
pr obl ems of t en occur i n
t hese moment s of cl ar i t y. I t ' s what gur us cal l hi gher consci ousness. Bi ol ogi st s
cal l i t al t er ed st at es.
Psychol ogi st s cal l i t super - sent i ence. " He paused. " And Chr i st i ans cal l i t
answer ed pr ayer . " Smi l i ng
br oadl y, he added, " Somet i mes, di vi ne r evel at i on si mpl y means adj ust i ng your
br ai n t o hear what your
hear t al r eady knows. "
Now, as she dashed down, headl ong i nt o t he dar k, Vi t t or i a sensed per haps her
f at her was r i ght . Was i t so
har d t o bel i eve t hat t he camer l egno' s t r auma had put hi s mi nd i n a st at e wher e
he had si mpl y " r eal i zed" t he
ant i mat t er ' s l ocat i on?
Each of us i s a God, Buddha had sai d. Each of us knows al l . We need onl y open our
mi nds t o hear our own
wi sdom.
I t was i n t hat moment of cl ar i t y, as Vi t t or i a pl unged deeper i nt o t he ear t h,
t hat she f el t her own mi nd open .
. . her own wi sdomsur f ace. She sensed now wi t hout a doubt what t he camer l egno' s
i nt ent i ons wer e. Her
awar eness br ought wi t h i t a f ear l i ke not hi ng she had ever known.
" Camer l egno, no! " she shout ed down t he passage. " You don' t under st and! " Vi t t or i a
pi ct ur ed t he mul t i t udes
of peopl e sur r oundi ng Vat i can Ci t y, and her bl ood r an col d. " I f you br i ng t he
ant i mat t er up . . . ever yone
wi l l di e! "
Langdon was l eapi ng t hr ee st eps at a t i me now, gai ni ng gr ound. The passage was
cr amped, but he f el t no
cl aust r ophobi a. Hi s once debi l i t at i ng f ear was over shadowed by a f ar deeper
dr ead.
" Camer l egno! " Langdon f el t hi msel f cl osi ng t he gap on t he l ant er n' s gl ow. " You
must l eave t he ant i mat t er
wher e i t i s! Ther e' s no ot her choi ce! "
Even as Langdon spoke t he wor ds, he coul d not bel i eve t hem. Not onl y had he
accept ed t he camer l egno' s
di vi ne r evel at i on of t he ant i mat t er ' s l ocat i on, but he was l obbyi ng f or t he
dest r uct i on of St . Pet er ' s
Basi l i ca- one of t he gr eat est ar chi t ect ur al f eat s on ear t h . . . as wel l as al l
of t he ar t i nsi de.
But t he peopl e out si de . . . i t ' s t he onl y way.
I t seemed a cr uel i r ony t hat t he onl y way t o save t he peopl e now was t o dest r oy
t he chur ch. Langdon
f i gur ed t he I l l umi nat i wer e amused by t he symbol i sm.
The ai r comi ng up f r omt he bot t omof t he t unnel was cool and dank. Somewher e
down her e was t he sacr ed
necr opol i s . . . bur i al pl ace of St . Pet er and count l ess ot her ear l y Chr i st i ans.
Langdon f el t a chi l l , hopi ng
t hi s was not a sui ci de mi ssi on.
Suddenl y, t he camer l egno' s l ant er n seemed t o hal t . Langdon cl osed on hi mf ast .
Sei t e 231
The end of t he st ai r s l oomed abr upt l y f r omout of t he shadows. A wr ought - i r on
gat e wi t h t hr ee embossed
skul l s bl ocked t he bot t omof t he st ai r s. The camer l egno was t her e, pul l i ng t he
gat e open. Langdon l eapt ,
pushi ng t he gat e shut , bl ocki ng t he camer l egno' s way. The ot her s came t hunder i ng
down t he st ai r s,
ever yone ghost l y whi t e i n t he BBC spot l i ght . . . especi al l y Gl i ck, who was
l ooki ng mor e past y wi t h ever y
st ep.
Char t r and gr abbed Langdon. " Let t he camer l egno pass! "
" No! " Vi t t or i a sai d f r omabove, br eat hl ess. " We must evacuat e r i ght now! You
cannot t ake t he ant i mat t er
out of her e! I f you br i ng i t up, ever yone out si de wi l l di e! "
The camer l egno' s voi ce was r emar kabl y cal m. " Al l of you . . . we must t r ust . We
have l i t t l e t i me. "
" You don' t under st and, " Vi t t or i a sai d. " An expl osi on at gr ound l evel wi l l be
much wor se t han one down
her e! "
The camer l egno l ooked at her , hi s gr een eyes r espl endent l y sane. " Who sai d
anyt hi ng about an expl osi on at
gr ound l evel ?"
Vi t t or i a st ar ed. " You' r e l eavi ng i t down her e?"
The camer l egno' s cer t i t ude was hypnot i c. " Ther e wi l l be no mor e deat h t oni ght . "
" Fat her , but - "
" Pl ease . . . some f ai t h. " The camer l egno' s voi ce pl unged t o a compel l i ng hush.
" I amnot aski ng anyone t o
j oi n me. You ar e al l f r ee t o go. Al l I amaski ng i s t hat you not i nt er f er e wi t h
Hi s bi ddi ng. Let me do what I
have been cal l ed t o do. " The camer l egno' s st ar e i nt ensi f i ed. " I amt o save t hi s
chur ch. And I can. I swear
on my l i f e. "
The si l ence t hat f ol l owed mi ght as wel l have been t hunder .
120
E l even- f i f t y- one P. M.
Necr opol i s l i t er al l y means Ci t y of t he Dead.
Not hi ng Rober t Langdon had ever r ead about t hi s pl ace pr epar ed hi mf or t he si ght
of i t . The col ossal
subt er r anean hol l ow was f i l l ed wi t h cr umbl i ng mausol eums, l i ke smal l houses on
t he f l oor of a cave. The
ai r smel l ed l i f el ess. An awkwar d gr i d of nar r ow wal kways wound bet ween t he
decayi ng memor i al s, most
of whi ch wer e f r act ur ed br i ck wi t h mar bl e pl at i ngs. Li ke col umns of dust ,
count l ess pi l l ar s of unexcavat ed
ear t h r ose up, suppor t i ng a di r t sky, whi ch hung l ow over t he penumbr al haml et .
Ci t y of t he dead, Langdon t hought , f eel i ng t r apped bet ween academi c wonder and
r aw f ear . He and t he
ot her s dashed deeper down t he wi ndi ng passages. Di d I make t he wr ong choi ce?
Char t r and had been t he f i r st t o f al l under t he camer l egno' s spel l , yanki ng open
t he gat e and decl ar i ng hi s
f ai t h i n t he camer l egno. Gl i ck and Macr i , at t he camer l egno' s suggest i on, had
nobl y agr eed t o pr ovi de l i ght
t o t he quest , al t hough consi der i ng what accol ades awai t ed t hemi f t hey got out
of her e al i ve, t hei r
mot i vat i ons wer e cer t ai nl y suspect . Vi t t or i a had been t he l east eager of al l ,
and Langdon had seen i n her
eyes a war i ness t hat l ooked, unset t l i ngl y, a l ot l i ke f emal e i nt ui t i on.
I t ' s t oo l at e now, he t hought , he and Vi t t or i a dashi ng af t er t he ot her s. We' r e
commi t t ed.
Vi t t or i a was si l ent , but Langdon knew t hey wer e t hi nki ng t he same t hi ng. Ni ne
mi nut es i s not enough t i me
t o get t he hel l out of Vat i can Ci t y i f t he camer l egno i s wr ong.
As t hey r an on t hr ough t he mausol eums, Langdon f el t hi s l egs t i r i ng, not i ng t o
hi s sur pr i se t hat t he gr oup
was ascendi ng a st eady i ncl i ne. The expl anat i on, when i t dawned on hi m, sent
shi ver s t o hi s cor e. The
t opogr aphy beneat h hi s f eet was t hat of Chr i st ' s t i me. He was r unni ng up t he
or i gi nal Vat i can Hi l l !
Langdon had hear d Vat i can schol ar s cl ai mt hat St . Pet er ' s t omb was near t he t op
of Vat i can Hi l l , and he
Sei t e 232
had al ways wonder ed how t hey knew. Now he under st ood. The damn hi l l i s st i l l
her e!
Langdon f el t l i ke he was r unni ng t hr ough t he pages of hi st or y. Somewher e ahead
was St . Pet er ' s t omb- t he
Chr i st i an r el i c. I t was har d t o i magi ne t hat t he or i gi nal gr ave had been mar ked
onl y wi t h a modest shr i ne.
Not any mor e. As Pet er ' s emi nence spr ead, new shr i nes wer e bui l t on t op of t he
ol d, and now, t he homage
st r et ched 440 f eet over head t o t he t op of Mi chel angel o' s dome, t he apex
posi t i oned di r ect l y over t he
or i gi nal t omb wi t hi n a f r act i on of an i nch.
They cont i nued ascendi ng t he si nuous passages. Langdon checked hi s wat ch. Ei ght
mi nut es. He was
begi nni ng t o wonder i f he and Vi t t or i a woul d be j oi ni ng t he deceased her e
per manent l y.
" Look out ! " Gl i ck yel l ed f r ombehi nd t hem. " Snake hol es! "
Langdon saw i t i n t i me. A ser i es of smal l hol es r i ddl ed t he pat h bef or e t hem. He
l eapt , j ust cl ear i ng t hem.
Vi t t or i a j umped t oo, bar el y avoi di ng t he nar r ow hol l ows. She l ooked uneasy as
t hey r an on. " Snake hol es?"
" Snack hol es, act ual l y, " Langdon cor r ect ed. " Tr ust me, you don' t want t o know. "
The hol es, he had j ust
r eal i zed, wer e l i bat i on t ubes. The ear l y Chr i st i ans had bel i eved i n t he
r esur r ect i on of t he f l esh, and t hey' d
used t he hol es t o l i t er al l y " f eed t he dead" by pour i ng mi l k and honey i nt o
cr ypt s beneat h t he f l oor .
The camer l egno f el t weak.
He dashed onwar d, hi s l egs f i ndi ng st r engt h i n hi s dut y t o God and man. Al most
t her e. He was i n i ncr edi bl e
pai n. The mi nd can br i ng so much mor e pai n t han t he body. St i l l he f el t t i r ed.
He knew he had pr eci ous
l i t t l e t i me.
" I wi l l save your chur ch, Fat her . I swear i t . "
Despi t e t he BBC l i ght s behi nd hi m, f or whi ch he was gr at ef ul , t he camer l egno
car r i ed hi s oi l l amp hi gh. I
ama beacon i n t he dar kness . I amt he l i ght . The l amp sl oshed as he r an, and f or
an i nst ant he f ear ed t he
f l ammabl e oi l mi ght spi l l and bur n hi m. He had exper i enced enough bur ned f l esh
f or one eveni ng.
As he appr oached t he t op of t he hi l l , he was dr enched i n sweat , bar el y abl e t o
br eat he. But when he
emer ged over t he cr est , he f el t r ebor n. He st agger ed ont o t he f l at pi ece of
ear t h wher e he had st ood many
t i mes. Her e t he pat h ended. The necr opol i s came t o an abr upt hal t at a wal l of
ear t h. A t i ny mar ker r ead:
Mausol eumS.
La t omba di San Pi et r o.
Bef or e hi m, at wai st l evel , was an openi ng i n t he wal l . Ther e was no gi l ded
pl aque her e. No f anf ar e. J ust a
si mpl e hol e i n t he wal l , beyond whi ch l ay a smal l gr ot t o and a meager , cr umbl i ng
sar cophagus. The
camer l egno gazed i nt o t he hol e and smi l ed i n exhaust i on. He coul d hear t he
ot her s comi ng up t he hi l l
behi nd hi m. He set down hi s oi l l amp and knel t t o pr ay.
Thank you, God. I t i s al most over .
Out si de i n t he squar e, sur r ounded by ast ounded car di nal s, Car di nal Mor t at i
st ar ed up at t he medi a scr een
and wat ched t he dr ama unf ol d i n t he cr ypt bel ow. He no l onger knew what t o
bel i eve. Had t he ent i r e wor l d
j ust wi t nessed what he had seen? Had God t r ul y spoken t o t he camer l egno? Was t he
ant i mat t er r eal l y goi ng
t o appear on St . Pet er ' s-
" Look! " A gasp went up f r omt he t hr ongs.
" Ther e! " Ever yone was suddenl y poi nt i ng at t he scr een. " I t ' s a mi r acl e! "
Mor t at i l ooked up. The camer a angl e was unst eady, but i t was cl ear enough. The
i mage was unf or get t abl e.
Fi l med f r ombehi nd, t he camer l egno was kneel i ng i n pr ayer on t he ear t hen f l oor .
Sei t e 233
I n f r ont of hi mwas a
r ough- hewn hol e i n t he wal l . I nsi de t he hol l ow, among t he r ubbl e of anci ent
st one, was a t er r a cot t a casket .
Al t hough Mor t at i had seen t he cof f i n onl y once i n hi s l i f e, he knew beyond a
doubt what i t cont ai ned.
San Pi et r o.
Mor t at i was not na ve enough t o t hi nk t hat t he shout s of j oy and amazement now
t hunder i ng t hr ough t he
cr owd wer e exal t at i ons f r ombear i ng wi t ness t o one of Chr i st i ani t y' s most sacr ed
r el i cs. St . Pet er ' s t omb
was not what had peopl e f al l i ng t o t hei r knees i n spont aneous pr ayer and
t hanksgi vi ng. I t was t he obj ect on
t op of hi s t omb.
The ant i mat t er cani st er . I t was t her e . . . wher e i t had been al l day . . .
hi di ng i n t he dar kness of t he
Necr opol i s. Sl eek. Rel ent l ess. Deadl y. The camer l egno' s r evel at i on was cor r ect .
Mor t at i st ar ed i n wonder at t he t r anspar ent cyl i nder . The gl obul e of l i qui d
st i l l hover ed at i t s cor e. The
gr ot t o ar ound t he cani st er bl i nked r ed as t he LED count ed down i nt o i t s f i nal
f i ve mi nut es of l i f e.
Al so si t t i ng on t he t omb, i nches away f r omt he cani st er , was t he wi r el ess Swi ss
Guar d secur i t y camer a t hat
had been poi nt ed at t he cani st er and t r ansmi t t i ng al l al ong.
Mor t at i cr ossed hi msel f , cer t ai n t hi s was t he most f r i ght f ul i mage he had seen
i n hi s ent i r e l i f e. He r eal i zed,
a moment l at er , however , t hat i t was about t o get wor se.
The camer l egno st ood suddenl y. He gr abbed t he ant i mat t er i n hi s hands and
wheel ed t owar d t he ot her s. Hi s
f ace showi ng t ot al f ocus. He pushed past t he ot her s and began descendi ng t he
Necr opol i s t he way he had
come, r unni ng down t he hi l l .
The camer a caught Vi t t or i a Vet r a, f r ozen i n t er r or . " Wher e ar e you goi ng!
Camer l egno! I t hought you sai d-
"
" Have f ai t h! " he excl ai med as he r an of f .
Vi t t or i a spun t owar d Langdon. " What do we do?"
Rober t Langdon t r i ed t o st op t he camer l egno, but Char t r and was r unni ng
i nt er f er ence now, appar ent l y
t r ust i ng t he camer l egno' s convi ct i on.
The pi ct ur e comi ng f r omt he BBC camer a was l i ke a r ol l er coast er r i de now,
wi ndi ng, t wi st i ng. Fl eet i ng
f r eeze- f r ames of conf usi on and t er r or as t he chaot i c cor t ege st umbl ed t hr ough
t he shadows back t owar d t he
Necr opol i s ent r ance.
Out i n t he squar e, Mor t at i l et out a f ear f ul gasp. " I s he br i ngi ng t hat up
her e?"
On t el evi si ons al l over t he wor l d, l ar ger t han l i f e, t he camer l egno r aced upwar d
out of t he Necr opol i s wi t h
t he ant i mat t er bef or e hi m. " Ther e wi l l be no mor e deat h t oni ght ! "
But t he camer l egno was wr ong.
121
T he camer l egno er upt ed t hr ough t he door s of St . Pet er ' s Basi l i ca at exact l y
11: 56 P. M. He st agger ed
i nt o t he dazzl i ng gl ar e of t he wor l d spot l i ght , car r yi ng t he ant i mat t er bef or e
hi ml i ke some sor t of numi nous
of f er i ng. Thr ough bur ni ng eyes he coul d see hi s own f or m, hal f - naked and
wounded, t ower i ng l i ke a gi ant
on t he medi a scr eens ar ound t he squar e. The r oar t hat went up f r omt he cr owd i n
St . Pet er ' s Squar e was
l i ke none t he camer l egno had ever hear d- cr yi ng, scr eami ng, chant i ng, pr ayi ng . .
. a mi x of vener at i on and
t er r or .
Del i ver us f r omevi l , he whi sper ed.
He f el t t ot al l y depl et ed f r omhi s r ace out of t he Necr opol i s. I t had al most
ended i n di sast er . Rober t Langdon
and Vi t t or i a Vet r a had want ed t o i nt er cept hi m, t o t hr ow t he cani st er back i nt o
i t s subt er r anean hi di ng
pl ace, t o r un out si de f or cover . Bl i nd f ool s!
The camer l egno r eal i zed now, wi t h f ear f ul cl ar i t y, t hat on any ot her ni ght , he
Sei t e 234
woul d never have won t he
r ace. Toni ght , however , God agai n had been wi t h hi m. Rober t Langdon, on t he
ver ge of over t aki ng t he
camer l egno, had been gr abbed by Char t r and, ever t r ust i ng and dut i f ul t o t he
camer l egno' s demands f or
f ai t h. The r epor t er s, of cour se, wer e spel l bound and l uggi ng t oo much equi pment
t o i nt er f er e.
The Lor d wor ks i n myst er i ous ways.
The camer l egno coul d hear t he ot her s behi nd hi mnow . . . see t hemon t he
scr eens, cl osi ng i n. Must er i ng
t he l ast of hi s physi cal st r engt h, he r ai sed t he ant i mat t er hi gh over hi s head.
Then, t hr owi ng back hi s bar e
shoul der s i n an act of def i ance t o t he I l l umi nat i br and on hi s chest , he dashed
down t he st ai r s.
Ther e was one f i nal act .
Godspeed, he t hought . Godspeed.
Four mi nut es . . .
Langdon coul d bar el y see as he bur st out of t he basi l i ca. Agai n t he sea of medi a
l i ght s bor e i nt o hi s r et i nas.
Al l he coul d make out was t he mur ky out l i ne of t he camer l egno, di r ect l y ahead of
hi m, r unni ng down t he
st ai r s. For an i nst ant , r ef ul gent i n hi s hal o of medi a l i ght s, t he camer l egno
l ooked cel est i al , l i ke some ki nd
of moder n dei t y. Hi s cassock was at hi s wai st l i ke a shr oud. Hi s body was
scar r ed and wounded by t he
hands of hi s enemi es, and st i l l he endur ed. The camer l egno r an on, st andi ng
t al l , cal l i ng out t o t he wor l d t o
have f ai t h, r unni ng t owar d t he masses car r yi ng t hi s weapon of dest r uct i on.
Langdon r an down t he st ai r s af t er hi m. What i s he doi ng? He wi l l ki l l t hemal l !
" Sat an' s wor k, " t he camer l egno scr eamed, " has no pl ace i n t he House of God! " He
r an on t owar d a now
t er r i f i ed cr owd.
" Fat her ! " Langdon scr eamed, behi nd hi m. " Ther e' s nowher e t o go! "
" Look t o t he heavens! We f or get t o l ook t o t he heavens! "
I n t hat moment , as Langdon saw wher e t he camer l egno was headed, t he gl or i ous
t r ut h came f l oodi ng al l
ar ound hi m. Al t hough Langdon coul d not see i t on account of t he l i ght s, he knew
t hei r sal vat i on was
di r ect l y over head.
A st ar - f i l l ed I t al i an sky. The escape r out e.
The hel i copt er t he camer l egno had summoned t o t ake hi mt o t he hospi t al sat dead
ahead, pi l ot al r eady i n
t he cockpi t , bl ades al r eady hummi ng i n neut r al . As t he camer l egno r an t owar d i t ,
Langdon f el t a sudden
over whel mi ng exhi l ar at i on.
The t hought s t hat t or e t hr ough Langdon' s mi nd came as a t or r ent . . .
Fi r st he pi ct ur ed t he wi de- open expanse of t he Medi t er r anean Sea. How f ar was
i t ? Fi ve mi l es? Ten? He
knew t he beach at Fi umoci no was onl y about seven mi nut es by t r ai n. But by
hel i copt er , 200 mi l es an hour ,
no st ops . . . I f t hey coul d f l y t he cani st er f ar enough out t o sea, and dr op i t
. . . Ther e wer e ot her opt i ons
t oo, he r eal i zed, f eel i ng al most wei ght l ess as he r an. La Cava Romana! The
mar bl e quar r i es nor t h of t he
ci t y wer e l ess t han t hr ee mi l es away. How l ar ge wer e t hey? Two squar e mi l es?
Cer t ai nl y t hey wer e
deser t ed at t hi s hour ! Dr oppi ng t he cani st er t her e . . .
" Ever yone back! " t he camer l egno yel l ed. Hi s chest ached as he r an. " Get away!
Now! "
The Swi ss Guar d st andi ng ar ound t he chopper st ood sl ack- j awed as t he camer l egno
appr oached t hem.
" Back! " t he pr i est scr eamed.
The guar ds moved back.
Wi t h t he ent i r e wor l d wat chi ng i n wonder , t he camer l egno r an ar ound t he chopper
t o t he pi l ot ' s door and
yanked i t open. " Out , son! Now! "
The guar d j umped out .
Sei t e 235
The camer l egno l ooked at t he hi gh cockpi t seat and knew t hat i n hi s exhaust ed
st at e, he woul d need bot h
hands t o pul l hi msel f up. He t ur ned t o t he pi l ot , t r embl i ng besi de hi m, and
t hr ust t he cani st er i nt o hi s hands.
" Hol d t hi s. Hand i t back when I ' mi n. "
As t he camer l egno pul l ed hi msel f up, he coul d hear Rober t Langdon yel l i ng
exci t edl y, r unni ng t owar d t he
cr af t . Now you under st and, t he camer l egno t hought . Now you have f ai t h!
The camer l egno pul l ed hi msel f up i nt o t he cockpi t , adj ust ed a f ew f ami l i ar
l ever s, and t hen t ur ned back t o
hi s wi ndow f or t he cani st er .
But t he guar d t o whomhe had gi ven t he cani st er st ood empt y- handed. " He t ook
i t ! " t he guar d yel l ed.
The camer l egno f el t hi s hear t sei ze. " Who! "
The guar d poi nt ed. " Hi m! "
Rober t Langdon was sur pr i sed by how heavy t he cani st er was. He r an t o t he ot her
si de of t he chopper and
j umped i n t he r ear compar t ment wher e he and Vi t t or i a had sat onl y hour s ago. He
l ef t t he door open and
buckl ed hi msel f i n. Then he yel l ed t o t he camer l egno i n t he f r ont seat .
" Fl y, Fat her ! "
The camer l egno cr aned back at Langdon, hi s f ace bl oodl ess wi t h dr ead. " What ar e
you doi ng! "
" You f l y! I ' l l t hr ow! " Langdon bar ked. " Ther e' s no t i me! J ust f l y t he bl essed
chopper ! "
The camer l egno seemed moment ar i l y par al yzed, t he medi a l i ght s gl ar i ng t hr ough
t he cockpi t dar keni ng t he
cr eases i n hi s f ace. " I can do t hi s al one, " he whi sper ed. " I amsupposed t o do
t hi s al one. "
Langdon wasn' t l i st eni ng. Fl y! he hear d hi msel f scr eami ng. Now! I ' mher e t o hel p
you! Langdon l ooked
down at t he cani st er and f el t hi s br eat h cat ch i n hi s t hr oat when he saw t he
number s. " Thr ee mi nut es,
Fat her ! Thr ee! "
The number seemed t o st un t he camer l egno back t o sobr i et y. Wi t hout hesi t at i on,
he t ur ned back t o t he
cont r ol s. Wi t h a gr i ndi ng r oar , t he hel i copt er l i f t ed of f .
Thr ough a swi r l of dust , Langdon coul d see Vi t t or i a r unni ng t owar d t he chopper .
Thei r eyes met , and t hen
she dr opped away l i ke a si nki ng st one.
122
I nsi de t he chopper , t he whi ne of t he engi nes and t he gal e f r omt he open door
assaul t ed Langdon' s senses
wi t h a deaf eni ng chaos. He st eadi ed hi msel f agai nst t he magni f i ed dr ag of
gr avi t y as t he camer l egno
accel er at ed t he cr af t st r ai ght up. The gl ow of St . Pet er ' s Squar e shr ank beneat h
t hemunt i l i t was an
amor phous gl owi ng el l i pse r adi at i ng i n a sea of ci t y l i ght s.
The ant i mat t er cani st er f el t l i ke deadwei ght i n Langdon' s hands. He hel d
t i ght er , hi s pal ms sl i ck now wi t h
sweat and bl ood. I nsi de t he t r ap, t he gl obul e of ant i mat t er hover ed cal ml y,
pul si ng r ed i n t he gl ow of t he
LED count down cl ock.
" Two mi nut es! " Langdon yel l ed, wonder i ng wher e t he camer l egno i nt ended t o dr op
t he cani st er .
The ci t y l i ght s beneat h t hemspr ead out i n al l di r ect i ons. I n t he di st ance t o
t he west , Langdon coul d see t he
t wi nkl i ng del i neat i on of t he Medi t er r anean coast - a j agged bor der of l umi nescence
beyond whi ch spr ead an
endl ess dar k expanse of not hi ngness. The sea l ooked f ar t her now t han Langdon had
i magi ned. Mor eover ,
t he concent r at i on of l i ght s at t he coast was a st ar k r emi nder t hat even f ar out
at sea an expl osi on mi ght have
devast at i ng ef f ect s. Langdon had not even consi der ed t he ef f ect s of a
t en- ki l ot on t i dal wave hi t t i ng t he
coast .
When Langdon t ur ned and l ooked st r ai ght ahead t hr ough t he cockpi t wi ndow, he was
mor e hopef ul .
Sei t e 236
Di r ect l y i n f r ont of t hem, t he r ol l i ng shadows of t he Roman f oot hi l l s l oomed i n
t he ni ght . The hi l l s wer e
spot t ed wi t h l i ght s- t he vi l l as of t he ver y weal t hy- but a mi l e or so nor t h, t he
hi l l s gr ew dar k. Ther e wer e no
l i ght s at al l - j ust a huge pocket of bl ackness. Not hi ng.
The quar r i es! Langdon t hought . La Cava Romana!
St ar i ng i nt ent l y at t he bar r en pocket of l and, Langdon sensed t hat i t was pl ent y
l ar ge enough. I t seemed
cl ose, t oo. Much cl oser t han t he ocean. Exci t ement sur ged t hr ough hi m. Thi s was
obvi ousl y wher e t he
camer l egno pl anned t o t ake t he ant i mat t er ! The chopper was poi nt i ng di r ect l y
t owar d i t ! The quar r i es!
Oddl y, however , as t he engi nes st r ai ned l ouder and t he chopper hur t l ed t hr ough
t he ai r , Langdon coul d see
t hat t he quar r i es wer e not get t i ng any cl oser . Bewi l der ed, he shot a gl ance out
t he si de door t o get hi s
bear i ngs. What he saw doused hi s exci t ement i n a wave of pani c. Di r ect l y beneat h
t hem, t housands of f eet
st r ai ght down, gl owed t he medi a l i ght s i n St . Pet er ' s Squar e.
We' r e st i l l over t he Vat i can!
" Camer l egno! " Langdon choked. " Go f or war d! We' r e hi gh enough! You' ve got t o
st ar t movi ng f or war d!
We can' t dr op t he cani st er back over Vat i can Ci t y! "
The camer l egno di d not r epl y. He appear ed t o be concent r at i ng on f l yi ng t he
cr af t .
" We' ve got l ess t han t wo mi nut es! " Langdon shout ed, hol di ng up t he cani st er . " I
can see t hem! La Cava
Romana! A coupl e of mi l es nor t h! We don' t have- "
" No, " t he camer l egno sai d. " I t ' s f ar t oo danger ous. I ' msor r y. " As t he chopper
cont i nued t o cl aw
heavenwar d, t he camer l egno t ur ned and gave Langdon a mour nf ul smi l e. " I wi sh you
had not come, my
f r i end. You have made t he ul t i mat e sacr i f i ce. "
Langdon l ooked i n t he camer l egno' s exhaust ed eyes and suddenl y under st ood. Hi s
bl ood t ur ned t o i ce.
" But . . . t her e must be somewher e we can go! "
" Up, " t he camer l egno r epl i ed, hi s voi ce r esi gned. " I t ' s t he onl y guar ant ee. "
Langdon coul d bar el y t hi nk. He had ent i r el y mi si nt er pr et ed t he camer l egno' s
pl an. Look t o t he heavens!
Heaven, Langdon now r eal i zed, was l i t er al l y wher e he was headed. The camer l egno
had never i nt ended t o
dr op t he ant i mat t er . He was si mpl y get t i ng i t as f ar away f r omVat i can Ci t y as
humanl y possi bl e.
Thi s was a one- way t r i p.
123
I n St . Pet er ' s Squar e, Vi t t or i a Vet r a st ar ed upwar d. The hel i copt er was a speck
now, t he medi a l i ght s no
l onger r eachi ng i t . Even t he poundi ng of t he r ot or s had f aded t o a di st ant hum.
I t seemed, i n t hat i nst ant ,
t hat t he ent i r e wor l d was f ocused upwar d, si l enced i n ant i ci pat i on, necks cr aned
t o t he heavens . . . al l
peopl es, al l f ai t hs . . . al l hear t s beat i ng as one.
Vi t t or i a' s emot i ons wer e a cycl one of t wi st i ng agoni es. As t he hel i copt er
di sappear ed f r omsi ght , she
pi ct ur ed Rober t ' s f ace, r i si ng above her . What had he been t hi nki ng? Di dn' t he
under st and?
Ar ound t he squar e, t el evi si on camer as pr obed t he dar kness, wai t i ng. A sea of
f aces st ar ed heavenwar d,
uni t ed i n a si l ent count down. The medi a scr eens al l f l i cker ed t he same t r anqui l
scene . . . a Roman sky
i l l umi nat ed wi t h br i l l i ant st ar s. Vi t t or i a f el t t he t ear s begi n t o wel l .
Behi nd her on t he mar bl e escar pment , 161 car di nal s st ar ed up i n si l ent awe. Some
f ol ded t hei r hands i n
pr ayer . Most st ood mot i onl ess, t r ansf i xed. Some wept . The seconds t i cked past .
I n homes, bar s, busi nesses, ai r por t s, hospi t al s ar ound t he wor l d, soul s wer e
j oi ned i n uni ver sal wi t ness.
Men and women l ocked hands. Ot her s hel d t hei r chi l dr en. Ti me seemed t o hover i n
l i mbo, soul s suspended
i n uni son.
Sei t e 237
Then, cr uel l y, t he bel l s of St . Pet er ' s began t o t ol l .
Vi t t or i a l et t he t ear s come.
Then . . . wi t h t he whol e wor l d wat chi ng . . . t i me r an out .
The dead si l ence of t he event was t he most t er r i f yi ng of al l .
Hi gh above Vat i can Ci t y, a pi npoi nt of l i ght appear ed i n t he sky. For a f l eet i ng
i nst ant , a new heavenl y
body had been bor n . . . a speck of l i ght as pur e and whi t e as anyone had ever
seen.
Then i t happened.
A f l ash. The poi nt bi l l owed, as i f f eedi ng on i t sel f , unr avel i ng acr oss t he sky
i n a di l at i ng r adi us of bl i ndi ng
whi t e. I t shot out i n al l di r ect i ons, accel er at i ng wi t h i ncompr ehensi bl e speed,
gobbl i ng up t he dar k. As t he
spher e of l i ght gr ew, i t i nt ensi f i ed, l i ke a bur geoni ng f i end pr epar i ng t o
consume t he ent i r e sky. I t r aced
downwar d, t owar d t hem, pi cki ng up speed.
Bl i nded, t he mul t i t udes of st ar kl y l i t human f aces gasped as one, shi el di ng
t hei r eyes, cr yi ng out i n
st r angl ed f ear .
As t he l i ght r oar ed out i n al l di r ect i ons, t he uni magi nabl e occur r ed. As i f
bound by God' s own wi l l , t he
sur gi ng r adi us seemed t o hi t a wal l . I t was as i f t he expl osi on wer e cont ai ned
somehow i n a gi ant gl ass
spher e. The l i ght r ebounded i nwar d, shar peni ng, r i ppl i ng acr oss i t sel f . The wave
appear ed t o have r eached
a pr edet er mi ned di amet er and hover ed t her e. For t hat i nst ant , a per f ect and
si l ent spher e of l i ght gl owed
over Rome. Ni ght had become day.
Then i t hi t .
The concussi on was deep and hol l ow- a t hunder ous shock wave f r omabove. I t
descended on t heml i ke t he
wr at h of hel l , shaki ng t he gr ani t e f oundat i on of Vat i can Ci t y, knocki ng t he
br eat h out of peopl e' s l ungs,
sendi ng ot her s st umbl i ng backwar d. The r ever ber at i on ci r cl ed t he col onnade,
f ol l owed by a sudden t or r ent
of war mai r . The wi nd t or e t hr ough t he squar e, l et t i ng out a sepul chr al moan as
i t whi st l ed t hr ough t he
col umns and buf f et ed t he wal l s. Dust swi r l ed over head as peopl e huddl ed . . .
wi t nesses t o Ar mageddon.
Then, as f ast as i t appear ed, t he spher e i mpl oded, sucki ng back i n on i t sel f ,
cr ushi ng i nwar d t o t he t i ny
poi nt of l i ght f r omwhi ch i t had come.
124
N ever bef or e had so many been so si l ent .
The f aces i n St . Pet er ' s Squar e, one by one, aver t ed t hei r eyes f r omt he
dar keni ng sky and t ur ned
downwar d, each per son i n hi s or her own pr i vat e moment of wonder . The medi a
l i ght s f ol l owed sui t ,
dr oppi ng t hei r beams back t o ear t h as i f out of r ever ence f or t he bl ackness now
set t l i ng upon t hem. I t
seemed f or a moment t he ent i r e wor l d was bowi ng i t s head i n uni son.
Car di nal Mor t at i knel t t o pr ay, and t he ot her car di nal s j oi ned hi m. The Swi ss
Guar d l ower ed t hei r l ong
swor ds and st ood numb. No one spoke. No one moved. Ever ywher e, hear t s shudder ed
wi t h spont aneous
emot i on. Ber eavement . Fear . Wonder . Bel i ef . And a dr ead- f i l l ed r espect f or t he
new and awesome power
t hey had j ust wi t nessed.
Vi t t or i a Vet r a st ood t r embl i ng at t he f oot of t he basi l i ca' s sweepi ng st ai r s.
She cl osed her eyes. Thr ough t he
t empest of emot i ons now cour si ng t hr ough her bl ood, a si ngl e wor d t ol l ed l i ke a
di st ant bel l . Pr i st i ne.
Cr uel . She f or ced i t away. And yet t he wor d echoed. Agai n she dr ove i t back. The
pai n was t oo gr eat . She
t r i ed t o l ose her sel f i n t he i mages t hat bl azed i n ot her ' s mi nds . . .
ant i mat t er ' s mi nd- boggl i ng power . . . t he
Vat i can' s del i ver ance . . . t he camer l egno . . . f eat s of br aver y . . . mi r acl es
. . . sel f l essness. And st i l l t he
Sei t e 238
wor d echoed . . . t ol l i ng t hr ough t he chaos wi t h a st i ngi ng l onel i ness.
Rober t .
He had come f or her at Cast l e St . Angel o.
He had saved her .
And now he had been dest r oyed by her cr eat i on.
As Car di nal Mor t at i pr ayed, he wonder ed i f he t oo woul d hear God' s voi ce as t he
camer l egno had. Does
one need t o bel i eve i n mi r acl es t o exper i ence t hem? Mor t at i was a moder n man i n
an anci ent f ai t h. Mi r acl es
had never pl ayed a par t i n hi s bel i ef . Cer t ai nl y hi s f ai t h spoke of mi r acl es . .
. bl eedi ng pal ms, ascensi ons
f r omt he dead, i mpr i nt s on shr ouds . . . and yet , Mor t at i ' s r at i onal mi nd had
al ways j ust i f i ed t hese account s
as par t of t he myt h. They wer e si mpl y t he r esul t of man' s gr eat est weakness- hi s
need f or pr oof . Mi r acl es
wer e not hi ng but st or i es we al l cl ung t o because we wi shed t hey wer e t r ue.
And yet . . .
AmI so moder n t hat I cannot accept what my eyes have j ust wi t nessed? I t was a
mi r acl e, was i t not ? Yes!
God, wi t h a f ew whi sper ed wor ds i n t he camer l egno' s ear , had i nt er vened and
saved t hi s chur ch. Why was
t hi s so har d t o bel i eve? What woul d i t say about God i f God had done not hi ng?
That t he Al mi ght y di d not
car e? That He was power l ess t o st op i t ? A mi r acl e was t he onl y possi bl e
r esponse!
As Mor t at i knel t i n wonder , he pr ayed f or t he camer l egno' s soul . He gave t hanks
t o t he young chamber l ai n
who, even i n hi s yout hf ul year s, had opened t hi s ol d man' s eyes t o t he mi r acl es
of unquest i oni ng f ai t h.
I ncr edi bl y, t hough, Mor t at i never suspect ed t he ext ent t o whi ch hi s f ai t h was
about t o be t est ed . . .
The si l ence of St . Pet er ' s Squar e br oke wi t h a r i ppl e at f i r st . The r i ppl e gr ew
t o a mur mur . And t hen,
suddenl y, t o a r oar . Wi t hout war ni ng, t he mul t i t udes wer e cr yi ng out as one.
" Look! Look! "
Mor t at i opened hi s eyes and t ur ned t o t he cr owd. Ever yone was poi nt i ng behi nd
hi m, t owar d t he f r ont of St .
Pet er ' s Basi l i ca. Thei r f aces wer e whi t e. Some f el l t o t hei r knees. Some
f ai nt ed. Some bur st i nt o
uncont r ol l abl e sobs.
" Look! Look! "
Mor t at i t ur ned, bewi l der ed, f ol l owi ng t hei r out st r et ched hands. They wer e
poi nt i ng t o t he upper most l evel
of t he basi l i ca, t he r oof t op t er r ace, wher e huge st at ues of Chr i st and hi s
apost l es wat ched over t he cr owd.
Ther e, on t he r i ght of J esus, ar ms out st r et ched t o t he wor l d . . . st ood
Camer l egno Car l o Vent r esca.
125
R ober t Langdon was no l onger f al l i ng.
Ther e was no mor e t er r or . No pai n. Not even t he sound of t he r aci ng wi nd. Ther e
was onl y t he sof t sound
of l appi ng wat er , as t hough he wer e comf or t abl y asl eep on a beach.
I n a par adox of sel f - awar eness, Langdon sensed t hi s was deat h. He f el t gl ad f or
i t . He al l owed t he dr i f t i ng
numbness t o possess hi ment i r el y. He l et i t car r y hi mwher ever i t was he woul d
go. Hi s pai n and f ear had
been anest het i zed, and he di d not wi sh i t back at any pr i ce. Hi s f i nal memor y
had been one t hat coul d onl y
have been conj ur ed i n hel l .
Take me. Pl ease . . .
But t he l appi ng t hat l ul l ed i n hi ma f ar - of f sense of peace was al so pul l i ng hi m
back. I t was t r yi ng t o
awaken hi mf r oma dr eam. No! Let me be! He di d not want t o awaken. He sensed
demons gat her i ng on t he
per i met er of hi s bl i ss, poundi ng t o shat t er hi s r apt ur e. Fuzzy i mages swi r l ed.
Voi ces yel l ed. Wi nd chur ned.
No, pl ease! The mor e he f ought , t he mor e t he f ur y f i l t er ed t hr ough.
Then, har shl y, he was l i vi ng i t al l agai n . . .
Sei t e 239
The hel i copt er was i n a di zzyi ng dead cl i mb. He was t r apped i nsi de. Beyond t he
open door , t he l i ght s of
Rome l ooked f ar t her away wi t h ever y passi ng second. Hi s sur vi val i nst i nct t ol d
hi mt o j et t i son t he cani st er
r i ght now. Langdon knew i t woul d t ake l ess t han t went y seconds f or t he cani st er
t o f al l hal f a mi l e. But i t
woul d be f al l i ng t owar d a ci t y of peopl e.
Hi gher ! Hi gher !
Langdon wonder ed how hi gh t hey wer e now. Smal l pr op pl anes, he knew, f l ew at
al t i t udes of about f our
mi l es. Thi s hel i copt er had t o be at a good f r act i on of t hat by now. Two mi l es
up? Thr ee? Ther e wasst i l l a
chance. I f t hey t i med t he dr op per f ect l y, t he cani st er woul d f al l onl y par t way
t owar d ear t h, expl odi ng a saf e
di st ance over t he gr ound and away f r omt he chopper . Langdon l ooked out at t he
ci t y spr awl i ng bel ow t hem.
" And i f you cal cul at e i ncor r ect l y?" t he camer l egno sai d.
Langdon t ur ned, st ar t l ed. The camer l egno was not even l ooki ng at hi m, appar ent l y
havi ng r ead Langdon' s
t hought s f r omt he ghost l y r ef l ect i on i n t he wi ndshi el d. Oddl y, t he camer l egno
was no l onger engr ossed i n
hi s cont r ol s. Hi s hands wer e not even on t he t hr ot t l e. The chopper , i t seemed,
was now i n some sor t of
aut opi l ot mode, l ocked i n a cl i mb. The camer l egno r eached above hi s head, t o t he
cei l i ng of t he cockpi t ,
f i shi ng behi nd a cabl e- housi ng, wher e he r emoved a key, t aped t her e out of vi ew.
Langdon wat ched i n bewi l der ment as t he camer l egno qui ckl y unl ocked t he met al
car go box bol t ed bet ween
t he seat s. He r emoved some sor t of l ar ge, bl ack, nyl on pack. He l ay i t on t he
seat next t o hi m. Langdon' s
t hought s chur ned. The camer l egno' s movement s seemed composed, as i f he had a
sol ut i on.
" Gi ve me t he cani st er , " t he camer l egno sai d, hi s t one ser ene.
Langdon di d not know what t o t hi nk anymor e. He t hr ust t he cani st er t o t he
camer l egno. " Ni net y seconds! "
What t he camer l egno di d wi t h t he ant i mat t er t ook Langdon t ot al l y by sur pr i se.
Hol di ng t he cani st er
car ef ul l y i n hi s hands, t he camer l egno pl aced i t i nsi de t he car go box. Then he
cl osed t he heavy l i d and used
t he key t o l ock i t t i ght .
" What ar e you doi ng! " Langdon demanded.
" Leadi ng us f r omt empt at i on. " The camer l egno t hr ew t he key out t he open wi ndow.
As t he key t umbl ed i nt o t he ni ght , Langdon f el t hi s soul f al l i ng wi t h i t .
The camer l egno t hen t ook t he nyl on pack and sl i pped hi s ar ms t hr ough t he st r aps.
He f ast ened a wai st
cl amp ar ound hi s st omach and ci nched i t al l down l i ke a backpack. He t ur ned t o a
dumbst r uck Rober t
Langdon.
" I ' msor r y, " t he camer l egno sai d. " I t wasn' t supposed t o happen t hi s way. " Then
he opened hi s door and
hur l ed hi msel f i nt o t he ni ght .
The i mage bur ned i n Langdon' s unconsci ous mi nd, and wi t h i t came t he pai n. Real
pai n. Physi cal pai n.
Achi ng. Sear i ng. He begged t o be t aken, t o l et i t end, but as t he wat er l apped
l ouder i n hi s ear s, new i mages
began t o f l ash. Hi s hel l had onl y j ust begun. He saw bi t s and pi eces. Scat t er ed
f r ames of sheer pani c. He l ay
hal f way bet ween deat h and ni ght mar e, beggi ng f or del i ver ance, but t he pi ct ur es
gr ew br i ght er i n hi s mi nd.
The ant i mat t er cani st er was l ocked out of r each. I t count ed r el ent l essl y
downwar d as t he chopper shot
upwar d. Fi f t y seconds. Hi gher . Hi gher . Langdon spun wi l dl y i n t he cabi n, t r yi ng
t o make sense of what he
had j ust seen. For t y- f i ve seconds. He dug under seat s sear chi ng f or anot her
par achut e. For t y seconds. Ther e
was none! Ther e had t o be an opt i on! Thi r t y- f i ve seconds. He r aced t o t he open
door way of t he chopper and
Sei t e 240
st ood i n t he r agi ng wi nd, gazi ng down at t he l i ght s of Rome bel ow. Thi r t y- t wo
seconds.
And t hen he made t he choi ce.
The unbel i evabl e choi ce . . .
Wi t h no par achut e, Rober t Langdon had j umped out t he door . As t he ni ght
swal l owed hi s t umbl i ng body,
t he hel i copt er seemed t o r ocket of f above hi m, t he sound of i t s r ot or s
evapor at i ng i n t he deaf eni ng r ush of
hi s own f r ee f al l .
As he pl ummet ed t owar d ear t h, Rober t Langdon f el t somet hi ng he had not
exper i enced si nce hi s year s on
t he hi gh di ve- t he i nexor abl e pul l of gr avi t y dur i ng a dead dr op. The f ast er he
f el l , t he har der t he ear t h
seemed t o pul l , sucki ng hi mdown. Thi s t i me, however , t he dr op was not f i f t y
f eet i nt o a pool . The dr op
was t housands of f eet i nt o a ci t y- an endl ess expanse of pavement and concr et e.
Somewher e i n t he t or r ent of wi nd and desper at i on, Kohl er ' s voi ce echoed f r omt he
gr ave . . . wor ds he had
spoken ear l i er t hi s mor ni ng st andi ng at CERN' s f r ee- f al l t ube. One squar e yar d
of dr ag wi l l sl ow a f al l i ng
body al most t went y per cent . Twent y per cent , Langdon now r eal i zed, was not even
cl ose t o what one woul d
need t o sur vi ve a f al l l i ke t hi s. Nonet hel ess, mor e out of par al ysi s t han hope,
he cl enched i n hi s hands t he
sol e obj ect he had gr abbed f r omt he chopper on hi s way out t he door . I t was an
odd mement o, but i t was
one t hat f or a f l eet i ng i nst ant had gi ven hi mhope.
The wi ndshi el d t ar p had been l yi ng i n t he back of t he hel i copt er . I t was a
concave r ect angl e- about f our
yar ds by t wo- l i ke a huge f i t t ed sheet . . . t he cr udest appr oxi mat i on of a
par achut e i magi nabl e. I t had no
har ness, onl y bungi e l oops at ei t her end f or f ast eni ng i t t o t he cur vat ur e of
t he wi ndshi el d. Langdon had
gr abbed i t , sl i d hi s hands t hr ough t he l oops, hel d on, and l eapt out i nt o t he
voi d.
Hi s l ast gr eat act of yout hf ul def i ance.
No i l l usi ons of l i f e beyond t hi s moment .
Langdon f el l l i ke a r ock. Feet f i r st . Ar ms r ai sed. Hi s hands gr i ppi ng t he l oops.
The t ar p bi l l owed l i ke a
mushr oomover head. The wi nd t or e past hi mvi ol ent l y.
As he pl ummet ed t owar d ear t h, t her e was a deep expl osi on somewher e above hi m. I t
seemed f ar t her of f
t han he had expect ed. Al most i nst ant l y, t he shock wave hi t . He f el t t he br eat h
cr ushed f r omhi s l ungs.
Ther e was a sudden war mt h i n t he ai r al l ar ound hi m. He f ought t o hol d on. A
wal l of heat r aced down
f r omabove. The t op of t he t ar p began t o smol der . . . but hel d.
Langdon r ocket ed downwar d, on t he edge of a bi l l owi ng shr oud of l i ght , f eel i ng
l i ke a sur f er t r yi ng t o
out r un a t housand- f oot t i dal wave. Then suddenl y, t he heat r eceded.
He was f al l i ng agai n t hr ough t he dar k cool ness.
For an i nst ant , Langdon f el t hope. A moment l at er , t hough, t hat hope f aded l i ke
t he wi t hdr awi ng heat
above. Despi t e hi s st r ai ni ng ar ms assur i ng hi mt hat t he t ar p was sl owi ng hi s
f al l , t he wi nd st i l l t or e past hi s
body wi t h deaf eni ng vel oci t y. Langdon had no doubt he was st i l l movi ng t oo f ast
t o sur vi ve t he f al l . He
woul d be cr ushed when he hi t t he gr ound.
Mat hemat i cal f i gur es t umbl ed t hr ough hi s br ai n, but he was t oo numb t o make
sense of t hem. . . one
squar e yar d of dr ag . . . 20 per cent r educt i on of speed. Al l Langdon coul d
f i gur e was t hat t he t ar p over hi s
head was bi g enough t o sl ow hi mmor e t han 20 per cent . Unf or t unat el y, t hough, he
coul d t el l f r omt he wi nd
whi ppi ng past hi mt hat what ever good t he t ar p was doi ng was not enough. He was
st i l l f al l i ng f ast . . . t her e
woul d be no sur vi vi ng t he i mpact on t he wai t i ng sea of concr et e.
Beneat h hi m, t he l i ght s of Rome spr ead out i n al l di r ect i ons. The ci t y l ooked
Sei t e 241
l i ke an enor mous st ar l i t sky
t hat Langdon was f al l i ng i nt o. The per f ect expanse of st ar s was mar r ed onl y by a
dar k st r i p t hat spl i t t he
ci t y i n t wo- a wi de, unl i t r i bbon t hat wound t hr ough t he dot s of l i ght l i ke a f at
snake. Langdon st ar ed down
at t he meander i ng swat ch of bl ack.
Suddenl y, l i ke t he sur gi ng cr est of an unexpect ed wave, hope f i l l ed hi magai n.
Wi t h al most mani acal vi gor , Langdon yanked down har d wi t h hi s r i ght hand on t he
canopy. The t ar p
suddenl y f l apped l ouder , bi l l owi ng, cut t i ng r i ght t o f i nd t he pat h of l east
r esi st ance. Langdon f el t hi msel f
dr i f t i ng si deways. He pul l ed agai n, har der , i gnor i ng t he pai n i n hi s pal m. The
t ar p f l ar ed, and Langdon
sensed hi s body sl i di ng l at er al l y. Not much. But some! He l ooked beneat h hi m
agai n, t o t he si nuous ser pent
of bl ack. I t was of f t o t he r i ght , but he was st i l l pr et t y hi gh. Had he wai t ed
t oo l ong? He pul l ed wi t h al l hi s
mi ght and accept ed somehow t hat i t was now i n t he hands of God. He f ocused har d
on t he wi dest par t of
t he ser pent and . . . f or t he f i r st t i me i n hi s l i f e, pr ayed f or a mi r acl e.
The r est was a bl ur .
The dar kness r ushi ng up beneat h hi m. . . t he di vi ng i nst i nct s comi ng back . . .
t he r ef l exi ve l ocki ng of hi s
spi ne and poi nt i ng of t he t oes . . . t he i nf l at i ng of hi s l ungs t o pr ot ect hi s
vi t al or gans . . . t he f l exi ng of hi s
l egs i nt o a bat t er i ng r am. . . and f i nal l y . . . t he t hankf ul ness t hat t he
wi ndi ng Ti ber Ri ver was r agi ng . . .
maki ng i t s wat er s f r ot hy and ai r - f i l l ed . . . and t hr ee t i mes sof t er t han
st andi ng wat er .
Then t her e was i mpact . . . and bl ackness.
I t had been t he t hunder i ng sound of t he f l appi ng canopy t hat dr ew t he gr oup' s
eyes away f r omt he f i r ebal l
i n t he sky. The sky above Rome had been f i l l ed wi t h si ght s t oni ght . . . a
skyr ocket i ng hel i copt er , an
enor mous expl osi on, and now t hi s st r ange obj ect t hat had pl ummet ed i nt o t he
chur ni ng wat er s of t he Ti ber
Ri ver , di r ect l y of f t he shor e of t he r i ver ' s t i ny i sl and, I sol a Ti ber i na.
Ever si nce t he i sl and had been used t o quar ant i ne t he si ck dur i ng t he Roman
pl ague of A. D. 1656, i t had
been t hought t o have myst i c heal i ng pr oper t i es. For t hi s r eason, t he i sl and had
l at er become t he si t e f or
Rome' s Hospi t al Ti ber i na.
The body was bat t er ed when t hey pul l ed i t ont o shor e. The man st i l l had a f ai nt
pul se, whi ch was amazi ng,
t hey t hought . They wonder ed i f i t was I sol a Ti ber i na' s myt hi cal r eput at i on f or
heal i ng t hat had somehow
kept hi s hear t pumpi ng. Mi nut es l at er , when t he man began coughi ng and sl owl y
r egai ned consci ousness,
t he gr oup deci ded t he i sl and must i ndeed be magi cal .
126
C ar di nal Mor t at i knew t her e wer e no wor ds i n any l anguage t hat coul d have added
t o t he myst er y of
t hi s moment . The si l ence of t he vi si on over St . Pet er ' s Squar e sang l ouder t han
any chor us of angel s.
As he st ar ed up at Camer l egno Vent r esca, Mor t at i f el t t he par al yzi ng col l i si on
of hi s hear t and mi nd. The
vi si on seemed r eal , t angi bl e. And yet . . . how coul d i t be? Ever yone had seen
t he camer l egno get i n t he
hel i copt er . They had al l wi t nessed t he bal l of l i ght i n t he sky. And now,
somehow, t he camer l egno st ood
hi gh above t hemon t he r oof t op t er r ace. Tr anspor t ed by angel s? Rei ncar nat ed by
t he hand of God?
Thi s i s i mpossi bl e . . .
Mor t at i ' s hear t want ed not hi ng mor e t han t o bel i eve, but hi s mi nd cr i ed out f or
r eason. And yet al l ar ound
hi m, t he car di nal s st ar ed up, obvi ousl y seei ng what he was seei ng, par al yzed
wi t h wonder .
I t was t he camer l egno. Ther e was no doubt . But he l ooked di f f er ent somehow.
Sei t e 242
Di vi ne. As i f he had been
pur i f i ed. A spi r i t ? A man? Hi s whi t e f l esh shone i n t he spot l i ght s wi t h an
i ncor por eal wei ght l essness.
I n t he squar e t her e was cr yi ng, cheer i ng, spont aneous appl ause. A gr oup of nuns
f el l t o t hei r knees and
wai l ed saet as. A pul si ng gr ew f r omi n t he cr owd. Suddenl y, t he ent i r e squar e was
chant i ng t he
camer l egno' s name. The car di nal s, some wi t h t ear s r ol l i ng down t hei r f aces,
j oi ned i n. Mor t at i l ooked
ar ound hi mand t r i ed t o compr ehend. I s t hi s r eal l y happeni ng?
Camer l egno Car l o Vent r esca st ood on t he r oof t op t er r ace of St . Pet er ' s Basi l i ca
and l ooked down over t he
mul t i t udes of peopl e st ar i ng up at hi m. Was he awake or dr eami ng? He f el t
t r ansf or med, ot her wor l dl y. He
wonder ed i f i t was hi s body or j ust hi s spi r i t t hat had f l oat ed down f r omheaven
t owar d t he sof t , dar kened
expanse of t he Vat i can Ci t y Gar dens . . . al i ght i ng l i ke a si l ent angel on t he
deser t ed l awns, hi s bl ack
par achut e shr ouded f r omt he madness by t he t ower i ng shadow of St . Pet er ' s
Basi l i ca. He wonder ed i f i t
was hi s body or hi s spi r i t t hat had possessed t he st r engt h t o cl i mb t he anci ent
St ai r way of Medal l i ons t o t he
r oof t op t er r ace wher e he now st ood.
He f el t as l i ght as a ghost .
Al t hough t he peopl e bel ow wer e chant i ng hi s name, he knew i t was not hi mt hey
wer e cheer i ng. They wer e
cheer i ng f r omi mpul si ve j oy, t he same ki nd of j oy he f el t ever y day of hi s l i f e
as he ponder ed t he Al mi ght y.
They wer e exper i enci ng what each of t hemhad al ways l onged f or . . . an
assur ance of t he beyond . . . a
subst ant i at i on of t he power of t he Cr eat or .
Camer l egno Vent r esca had pr ayed al l hi s l i f e f or t hi s moment , and st i l l , even he
coul d not f at homt hat God
had f ound a way t o make i t mani f est . He want ed t o cr y out t o t hem. Your God i s a
l i vi ng God! Behol d t he
mi r acl es al l ar ound you!
He st ood t her e a whi l e, numb and yet f eel i ng mor e t han he had ever f el t . When,
at l ast , t he spi r i t moved
hi m, he bowed hi s head and st epped back f r omt he edge.
Al one now, he knel t on t he r oof , and pr ayed.
127
T he i mages ar ound hi mbl ur r ed, dr i f t i ng i n and out . Langdon' s eyes sl owl y began
t o f ocus. Hi s l egs
ached, and hi s body f el t l i ke i t had been r un over by a t r uck. He was l yi ng on
hi s si de on t he gr ound.
Somet hi ng st unk, l i ke bi l e. He coul d st i l l hear t he i ncessant sound of l appi ng
wat er . I t no l onger sounded
peacef ul t o hi m. Ther e wer e ot her sounds t oo- t al ki ng cl ose ar ound hi m. He saw
bl ur r y whi t e f or ms. Wer e
t hey al l wear i ng whi t e? Langdon deci ded he was ei t her i n an asyl umor heaven.
Fr omt he bur ni ng i n hi s
t hr oat , Langdon deci ded i t coul d not be heaven.
" He' s f i ni shed vomi t i ng, " one man sai d i n I t al i an. " Tur n hi m. " The voi ce was
f i r mand pr of essi onal .
Langdon f el t hands sl owl y r ol l i ng hi mont o hi s back. Hi s head swam. He t r i ed t o
si t up, but t he hands
gent l y f or ced hi mback down. Hi s body submi t t ed. Then Langdon f el t someone goi ng
t hr ough hi s pocket s,
r emovi ng i t ems.
Then he passed out col d.
Dr . J acobus was not a r el i gi ous man; t he sci ence of medi ci ne had br ed t hat f r om
hi ml ong ago. And yet , t he
event s i n Vat i can Ci t y t oni ght had put hi s syst emat i c l ogi c t o t he t est . Now
bodi es ar e f al l i ng f r omt he sky?
Dr . J acobus f el t t he pul se of t he bedr aggl ed man t hey had j ust pul l ed f r omt he
Ti ber Ri ver . The doct or
deci ded t hat God hi msel f had hand- del i ver ed t hi s one t o saf et y. The concussi on
Sei t e 243
of hi t t i ng t he wat er had
knocked t he vi ct i munconsci ous, and i f i t had not been f or J acobus and hi s cr ew
st andi ng out on t he shor e
wat chi ng t he spect acl e i n t he sky, t hi s f al l i ng soul woul d sur el y have gone
unnot i ced and dr owned.
" Amer i cano, " a nur se sai d, goi ng t hr ough t he man' s wal l et af t er t hey pul l ed
hi mt o dr y l and.
Amer i can? Romans of t en j oked t hat Amer i cans had got t en so abundant i n Rome t hat
hambur ger s shoul d
become t he of f i ci al I t al i an f ood. But Amer i cans f al l i ng f r omt he sky? J acobus
f l i cked a penl i ght i n t he
man' s eyes, t est i ng hi s di l at i on. " Si r ? Can you hear me? Do you know wher e you
ar e?"
The man was unconsci ous agai n. J acobus was not sur pr i sed. The man had vomi t ed a
l ot of wat er af t er
J acobus had per f or med CPR.
" Si chi ama Rober t Langdon, " t he nur se sai d, r eadi ng t he man' s dr i ver ' s l i cense.
The gr oup assembl ed on t he dock al l st opped shor t .
" I mpossi bi l e! " J acobus decl ar ed. Rober t Langdon was t he man f r omt he
t el evi si on- t he Amer i can pr of essor
who had been hel pi ng t he Vat i can. J acobus had seen Mr . Langdon, onl y mi nut es
ago, get t i ng i nt o a
hel i copt er i n St . Pet er ' s Squar e and f l yi ng mi l es up i nt o t he ai r . J acobus and
t he ot her s had r un out t o t he
dock t o wi t ness t he ant i mat t er expl osi on- a t r emendous spher e of l i ght l i ke
not hi ng any of t hemhad ever
seen. How coul d t hi s be t he same man!
" I t ' s hi m! " t he nur se excl ai med, br ushi ng hi s soaked hai r back. " And I r ecogni ze
hi s t weed coat ! "
Suddenl y someone was yel l i ng f r omt he hospi t al ent r yway. I t was one of t he
pat i ent s. She was scr eami ng,
goi ng mad, hol di ng her por t abl e r adi o t o t he sky and pr ai si ng God. Appar ent l y
Camer l egno Vent r esca had
j ust mi r acul ousl y appear ed on t he r oof of t he Vat i can.
Dr . J acobus deci ded, when hi s shi f t got of f at 8 A. M. , he was goi ng st r ai ght t o
chur ch.
The l i ght s over Langdon' s head wer e br i ght er now, st er i l e. He was on some ki nd
of exami nat i on t abl e. He
smel l ed ast r i ngent s, st r ange chemi cal s. Someone had j ust gi ven hi man i nj ect i on,
and t hey had r emoved hi s
cl ot hes.
Def i ni t el y not gypsi es, he deci ded i n hi s semi consci ous del i r i um. Al i ens,
per haps? Yes, he had hear d about
t hi ngs l i ke t hi s. For t unat el y t hese bei ngs woul d not har mhi m. Al l t hey want ed
wer e hi s-
" Not on your l i f e! " Langdon sat bol t upr i ght , eyes f l yi ng open.
" At t ent o! " one of t he cr eat ur es yel l ed, st eadyi ng hi m. Hi s badge r ead Dr .
J acobus. He l ooked r emar kabl y
human.
Langdon st ammer ed, " I . . . t hought . . . "
" Easy, Mr . Langdon. You' r e i n a hospi t al . "
The f og began t o l i f t . Langdon f el t a wave of r el i ef . He hat ed hospi t al s, but
t hey cer t ai nl y beat al i ens
har vest i ng hi s t est i cl es.
" My name i s Dr . J acobus, " t he man sai d. He expl ai ned what had j ust happened.
" You ar e ver y l ucky t o be
al i ve. "
Langdon di d not f eel l ucky. He coul d bar el y make sense of hi s own memor i es . . .
t he hel i copt er . . . t he
camer l egno. Hi s body ached ever ywher e. They gave hi msome wat er , and he r i nsed
out hi s mout h. They
pl aced a new gauze on hi s pal m.
" Wher e ar e my cl ot hes?" Langdon asked. He was wear i ng a paper r obe.
One of t he nur ses mot i oned t o a dr i ppi ng wad of shr edded khaki and t weed on t he
count er . " They wer e
soaked. We had t o cut t hemof f you. "
Langdon l ooked at hi s shr edded Har r i s t weed and f r owned.
" You had some Kl eenex i n your pocket , " t he nur se sai d.
Sei t e 244
I t was t hen t hat Langdon saw t he r avaged shr eds of par chment cl i ngi ng al l over
t he l i ni ng of hi s j acket . The
f ol i o f r omGal i l eo' s Di agr amma. The l ast copy on ear t h had j ust di ssol ved. He
was t oo numb t o know how
t o r eact . He j ust st ar ed.
" We saved your per sonal i t ems. " She hel d up a pl ast i c bi n. " Wal l et , camcor der ,
and pen. I dr i ed t he
camcor der of f t he best I coul d. "
" I don' t own a camcor der . "
The nur se f r owned and hel d out t he bi n. Langdon l ooked at t he cont ent s. Al ong
wi t h hi s wal l et and pen was
a t i ny Sony RUVI camcor der . He r ecal l ed i t now. Kohl er had handed i t t o hi mand
asked hi mt o gi ve i t t o
t he medi a.
" We f ound i t i n your pocket . I t hi nk you' l l need a new one, t hough. " The nur se
f l i pped open t he t wo- i nch
scr een on t he back. " Your vi ewer i s cr acked. " Then she br i ght ened. " The sound
st i l l wor ks, t hough.
Bar el y. " She hel d t he devi ce up t o her ear . " Keeps pl ayi ng somet hi ng over and
over . " She l i st ened a
moment and t hen scowl ed, handi ng i t t o Langdon. " Two guys ar gui ng, I t hi nk. "
Puzzl ed, Langdon t ook t he camcor der and hel d i t t o hi s ear . The voi ces wer e
pi nched and met al l i c, but t hey
wer e di scer ni bl e. One cl ose. One f ar away. Langdon r ecogni zed t hembot h.
Si t t i ng t her e i n hi s paper gown, Langdon l i st ened i n amazement t o t he
conver sat i on. Al t hough he coul dn' t
see what was happeni ng, when he hear d t he shocki ng f i nal e, he was t hankf ul he
had been spar ed t he vi sual .
My God!
As t he conver sat i on began pl ayi ng agai n f r omt he begi nni ng, Langdon l ower ed t he
camcor der f r omhi s ear
and sat i n appal l ed myst i f i cat i on. The ant i mat t er . . . t he hel i copt er . . .
Langdon' s mi nd now ki cked i nt o
gear .
But t hat means . . .
He want ed t o vomi t agai n. Wi t h a r i si ng f ur y of di sor i ent at i on and r age, Langdon
got of f t he t abl e and
st ood on shaky l egs.
" Mr . Langdon! " t he doct or sai d, t r yi ng t o st op hi m.
" I need some cl ot hes, " Langdon demanded, f eel i ng t he dr af t on hi s r ear f r omt he
backl ess gown.
" But , you need t o r est . "
" I ' mchecki ng out . Now. I need some cl ot hes. "
" But , si r , you- "
" Now! "
Ever yone exchanged bewi l der ed l ooks. " We have no cl ot hes, " t he doct or sai d.
" Per haps t omor r ow a f r i end
coul d br i ng you some. "
Langdon dr ew a sl ow pat i ent br eat h and l ocked eyes wi t h t he doct or . " Dr .
J acobus, I amwal ki ng out your
door r i ght now. I need cl ot hes. I amgoi ng t o Vat i can Ci t y. One does not go t o
Vat i can Ci t y wi t h one' s ass
hangi ng out . Do I make mysel f cl ear ?"
Dr . J acobus swal l owed har d. " Get t hi s man somet hi ng t o wear . "
When Langdon l i mped out of Hospi t al Ti ber i na, he f el t l i ke an over gr own Cub
Scout . He was wear i ng a
bl ue par amedi c' s j umpsui t t hat zi pped up t he f r ont and was ador ned wi t h cl ot h
badges t hat appar ent l y
depi ct ed hi s numer ous qual i f i cat i ons.
The woman accompanyi ng hi mwas heavyset and wor e a si mi l ar sui t . The doct or had
assur ed Langdon she
woul d get hi mt o t he Vat i can i n r ecor d t i me.
" Mol t o t r af f i co, " Langdon sai d, r emi ndi ng her t hat t he ar ea ar ound t he Vat i can
was packed wi t h car s and
peopl e.
The woman l ooked unconcer ned. She poi nt ed pr oudl y t o one of her pat ches. " Sono
conducent e di
ambul anza. "
Sei t e 245
" Ambul anza?" That expl ai ned i t . Langdon f el t l i ke he coul d use an ambul ance
r i de.
The woman l ed hi mar ound t he si de of t he bui l di ng. On an out cr oppi ng over t he
wat er was a cement deck
wher e her vehi cl e sat wai t i ng. When Langdon saw t he vehi cl e he st opped i n hi s
t r acks. I t was an agi ng
medevac chopper . The hul l r ead Aer o- Ambul anza.
He hung hi s head.
The woman smi l ed. " Fl y Vat i can Ci t y. Ver y f ast . "
128
T he Col l ege of Car di nal s br i st l ed wi t h ebul l i ence and el ect r i ci t y as t hey
st r eamed back i nt o t he Si st i ne
Chapel . I n cont r ast , Mor t at i f el t i n hi msel f a r i si ng conf usi on he t hought mi ght
l i f t hi mof f t he f l oor and
car r y hi maway. He bel i eved i n t he anci ent mi r acl es of t he Scr i pt ur es, and yet
what he had j ust wi t nessed i n
per son was somet hi ng he coul d not possi bl y compr ehend. Af t er a l i f et i me of
devot i on, sevent y- ni ne year s,
Mor t at i knew t hese event s shoul d i gni t e i n hi ma pi ous exuber ance . . . a
f er vent and l i vi ng f ai t h. And yet
al l he f el t was a gr owi ng spect r al unease. Somet hi ng di d not f eel r i ght .
" Si gnor e Mor t at i ! " a Swi ss Guar d yel l ed, r unni ng down t he hal l . " We have gone t o
t he r oof as you asked.
The camer l egno i s . . . f l esh! He i s a t r ue man! He i s not a spi r i t ! He i s
exact l y as we knew hi m! "
" Di d he speak t o you?"
" He kneel s i n si l ent pr ayer ! We ar e af r ai d t o t ouch hi m! "
Mor t at i was at a l oss. " Tel l hi m. . . hi s car di nal s awai t . "
" Si gnor e, because he i s a man . . . " t he guar d hesi t at ed.
" What i s i t ?"
" Hi s chest . . . he i s bur ned. Shoul d we bi nd hi s wounds? He must be i n pai n. "
Mor t at i consi der ed i t . Not hi ng i n hi s l i f et i me of ser vi ce t o t he chur ch had
pr epar ed hi mf or t hi s si t uat i on.
" He i s a man, so ser ve hi mas a man. Bat he hi m. Bi nd hi s wounds. Dr ess hi mi n
f r esh r obes. We awai t hi s
ar r i val i n t he Si st i ne Chapel . "
The guar d r an of f .
Mor t at i headed f or t he chapel . The r est of t he car di nal s wer e i nsi de now. As he
wal ked down t he hal l , he
saw Vi t t or i a Vet r a sl umped al one on a bench at t he f oot of t he Royal St ai r case.
He coul d see t he pai n and
l onel i ness of her l oss and want ed t o go t o her , but he knew i t woul d have t o
wai t . He had wor k t o do . . .
al t hough he had no i dea what t hat wor k coul d possi bl y be.
Mor t at i ent er ed t he chapel . Ther e was a r i ot ous exci t ement . He cl osed t he door .
God hel p me.
Hospi t al Ti ber i na' s t wi n- r ot or Aer o- Ambul anza ci r cl ed i n behi nd Vat i can Ci t y,
and Langdon cl enched hi s
t eet h, swear i ng t o God t hi s was t he ver y l ast hel i copt er r i de of hi s l i f e.
Af t er convi nci ng t he pi l ot t hat t he r ul es gover ni ng Vat i can ai r space wer e t he
l east of t he Vat i can' s concer ns
r i ght now, he gui ded her i n, unseen, over t he r ear wal l , and l anded t hemon t he
Vat i can' s hel i pad.
" Gr azi e, " he sai d, l ower i ng hi msel f pai nf ul l y ont o t he gr ound. She bl ew hi ma
ki ss and qui ckl y t ook of f ,
di sappear i ng back over t he wal l and i nt o t he ni ght .
Langdon exhal ed, t r yi ng t o cl ear hi s head, hopi ng t o make sense of what he was
about t o do. Wi t h t he
camcor der i n hand, he boar ded t he same gol f car t he had r i dden ear l i er t hat day.
I t had not been char ged,
and t he bat t er y- met er r egi st er ed cl ose t o empt y. Langdon dr ove wi t hout
headl i ght s t o conser ve power .
He al so pr ef er r ed no one see hi mcomi ng.
At t he back of t he Si st i ne Chapel , Car di nal Mor t at i st ood i n a daze as he
wat ched t he pandemoni umbef or e
hi m.
" I t was a mi r acl e! " one of t he car di nal s shout ed. " The wor k of God! "
Sei t e 246
" Yes! " ot her s excl ai med. " God has made Hi s wi l l mani f est ! "
" The camer l egno wi l l be our Pope! " anot her shout ed. " He i s not a car di nal , but
God has sent a mi r acul ous
si gn! "
" Yes! " someone agr eed. " The l aws of concl ave ar e man' s l aws. God' s wi l l i s
bef or e us! I cal l f or a
bal l ot i ng i mmedi at el y! "
" A bal l ot i ng?" Mor t at i demanded, movi ng t owar d t hem. " I bel i eve t hat i s my j ob. "
Ever yone t ur ned.
Mor t at i coul d sense t he car di nal s st udyi ng hi m. They seemed di st ant , at a l oss,
of f ended by hi s sobr i et y.
Mor t at i l onged t o f eel hi s hear t swept up i n t he mi r acul ous exul t at i on he saw i n
t he f aces ar ound hi m. But
he was not . He f el t an i nexpl i cabl e pai n i n hi s soul . . . an achi ng sadness he
coul d not expl ai n. He had
vowed t o gui de t hese pr oceedi ngs wi t h pur i t y of soul , and t hi s hesi t ancy was
somet hi ng he coul d not deny.
" My f r i ends, " Mor t at i sai d, st eppi ng t o t he al t ar . Hi s voi ce di d not seemhi s
own. " I suspect I wi l l st r uggl e
f or t he r est of my days wi t h t he meani ng of what I have wi t nessed t oni ght . And
yet , what you ar e
suggest i ng r egar di ng t he camer l egno . . . i t cannot possi bl y be God' s wi l l . "
The r oomf el l si l ent .
" How . . . can you say t hat ?" one of t he car di nal s f i nal l y demanded. " The
camer l egno saved t he chur ch.
God spoke t o t he camer l egno di r ect l y! The man sur vi ved deat h i t sel f ! What si gn
do we need! "
" The camer l egno i s comi ng t o us now, " Mor t at i sai d. " Let us wai t . Let us hear
hi mbef or e we have a
bal l ot i ng. Ther e may be an expl anat i on. "
" An expl anat i on?"
" As your Gr eat El ect or , I have vowed t o uphol d t he l aws of concl ave. You ar e no
doubt awar e t hat by Hol y
Law t he camer l egno i s i nel i gi bl e f or el ect i on t o t he papacy. He i s not a
car di nal . He i s a pr i est . . . a
chamber l ai n. Ther e i s al so t he quest i on of hi s i nadequat e age. " Mor t at i f el t t he
st ar es har deni ng. " By even
al l owi ng a bal l ot i ng, I woul d be r equest i ng t hat you endor se a man who Vat i can
Law pr ocl ai ms i nel i gi bl e. I
woul d be aski ng each of you t o br eak a sacr ed oat h. "
" But what happened her e t oni ght , " someone st ammer ed, " i t cer t ai nl y t r anscends
our l aws! "
" Does i t ?" Mor t at i boomed, not even knowi ng now wher e hi s wor ds wer e comi ng
f r om. " I s i t God' s wi l l
t hat we di scar d t he r ul es of t he chur ch? I s i t God' s wi l l t hat we abandon r eason
and gi ve our sel ves over t o
f r enzy?"
" But di d you not see what we saw?" anot her chal l enged angr i l y. " How can you
pr esume t o quest i on t hat
ki nd of power ! "
Mor t at i ' s voi ce bel l owed now wi t h a r esonance he had never known. " I amnot
quest i oni ng God' s power ! I t
i s God who gave us r eason and ci r cumspect i on! I t i s God we ser ve by exer ci si ng
pr udence! "
129
I n t he hal l way out si de t he Si st i ne Chapel , Vi t t or i a Vet r a sat benumbed on a
bench at t he f oot of t he
Royal St ai r case. When she saw t he f i gur e comi ng t hr ough t he r ear door , she
wonder ed i f she wer e seei ng
anot her spi r i t . He was bandaged, l i mpi ng, and wear i ng some ki nd of medi cal sui t .
She st ood . . . unabl e t o bel i eve t he vi si on. " Ro . . . ber t ?"
He never answer ed. He st r ode di r ect l y t o her and wr apped her i n hi s ar ms. When
he pr essed hi s l i ps t o her s,
i t was an i mpul si ve, l ongi ng ki ss f i l l ed wi t h t hankf ul ness.
Vi t t or i a f el t t he t ear s comi ng. " Oh, God . . . oh, t hank God . . . "
He ki ssed her agai n, mor e passi onat el y, and she pr essed agai nst hi m, l osi ng
her sel f i n hi s embr ace. Thei r
bodi es l ocked, as i f t hey had known each ot her f or year s. She f or got t he f ear
Sei t e 247
and pai n. She cl osed her eyes,
wei ght l ess i n t he moment .
" I t i s God' s wi l l ! " someone was yel l i ng, hi s voi ce echoi ng i n t he Si st i ne
Chapel . " Who but t he chosen one
coul d have sur vi ved t hat di abol i cal expl osi on?"
" Me, " a voi ce r ever ber at ed f r omt he back of t he chapel .
Mor t at i and t he ot her s t ur ned i n wonder at t he bedr aggl ed f or mcomi ng up t he
cent er ai sl e. " Mr . . . .
Langdon?"
Wi t hout a wor d, Langdon wal ked sl owl y t o t he f r ont of t he chapel . Vi t t or i a Vet r a
ent er ed t oo. Then t wo
guar ds hur r i ed i n, pushi ng a car t wi t h a l ar ge t el evi si on on i t . Langdon wai t ed
whi l e t hey pl ugged i t i n,
f aci ng t he car di nal s. Then Langdon mot i oned f or t he guar ds t o l eave. They di d,
cl osi ng t he door behi nd
t hem.
Now i t was onl y Langdon, Vi t t or i a, and t he car di nal s. Langdon pl ugged t he Sony
RUVI ' s out put i nt o t he
t el evi si on. Then he pr essed PLAY.
The t el evi si on bl ar ed t o l i f e.
The scene t hat mat er i al i zed bef or e t he car di nal s r eveal ed t he Pope' s of f i ce. The
vi deo had been awkwar dl y
f i l med, as i f by hi dden camer a. Of f cent er on t he scr een t he camer l egno st ood i n
t he di mness, i n f r ont of a
f i r e. Al t hough he appear ed t o be t al ki ng di r ect l y t o t he camer a, i t qui ckl y
became evi dent t hat he was
speaki ng t o someone el se- whoever was maki ng t hi s vi deo. Langdon t ol d t hemt he
vi deo was f i l med by
Maxi mi l i an Kohl er , t he di r ect or of CERN. Onl y an hour ago Kohl er had secr et l y
r ecor ded hi s meet i ng wi t h
t he camer l egno by usi ng a t i ny camcor der cover t l y mount ed under t he ar mof hi s
wheel chai r .
Mor t at i and t he car di nal s wat ched i n bewi l der ment . Al t hough t he conver sat i on was
al r eady i n pr ogr ess,
Langdon di d not bot her t o r ewi nd. Appar ent l y, what ever Langdon want ed t he
car di nal s t o see was comi ng
up . . .
" Leonar do Vet r a kept di ar i es?" t he camer l egno was sayi ng. " I suppose t hat i s
good news f or CERN. I f t he
di ar i es cont ai n hi s pr ocesses f or cr eat i ng ant i mat t er - "
" They don' t , " Kohl er sai d. " You wi l l be r el i eved t o know t hose pr ocesses di ed
wi t h Leonar do. However ,
hi s di ar i es spoke of somet hi ng el se. You. "
The camer l egno l ooked t r oubl ed. " I don' t under st and. "
" They descr i bed a meet i ng Leonar do had l ast mont h. Wi t h you. "
The camer l egno hesi t at ed, t hen l ooked t owar d t he door . " Rocher shoul d not have
gr ant ed you access
wi t hout consul t i ng me. How di d you get i n her e?"
" Rocher knows t he t r ut h. I cal l ed ear l i er and t ol d hi mwhat you have done. "
" What I have done? What ever st or y you t ol d hi m, Rocher i s a Swi ss Guar d and f ar
t oo f ai t hf ul t o t hi s
chur ch t o bel i eve a bi t t er sci ent i st over hi s camer l egno. "
" Act ual l y, he i s t oo f ai t hf ul not t o bel i eve. He i s so f ai t hf ul t hat despi t e t he
evi dence t hat one of hi s l oyal
guar ds had bet r ayed t he chur ch, he r ef used t o accept i t . Al l day l ong he has
been sear chi ng f or anot her
expl anat i on. "
" So you gave hi mone. "
" The t r ut h. Shocki ng as i t was. "
" I f Rocher bel i eved you, he woul d have ar r est ed me. "
" No. I woul dn' t l et hi m. I of f er ed hi mmy si l ence i n exchange f or t hi s meet i ng. "
The camer l egno l et out an odd l augh. " You pl an t o bl ackmai l t he chur ch wi t h a
st or y t hat no one wi l l
possi bl y bel i eve?"
" I have no need of bl ackmai l . I si mpl y want t o hear t he t r ut h f r omyour l i ps.
Leonar do Vet r a was a f r i end. "
The camer l egno sai d not hi ng. He si mpl y st ar ed down at Kohl er .
Sei t e 248
" Tr y t hi s, " Kohl er snapped. " About a mont h ago, Leonar do Vet r a cont act ed you
r equest i ng an ur gent
audi ence wi t h t he Pope- an audi ence you gr ant ed because t he Pope was an admi r er
of Leonar do' s wor k and
because Leonar do sai d i t was an emer gency. "
The camer l egno t ur ned t o t he f i r e. He sai d not hi ng.
" Leonar do came t o t he Vat i can i n gr eat secr ecy. He was bet r ayi ng hi s daught er ' s
conf i dence by comi ng
her e, a f act t hat t r oubl ed hi mdeepl y, but he f el t he had no choi ce. Hi s
r esear ch had l ef t hi mdeepl y
conf l i ct ed and i n need of spi r i t ual gui dance f r omt he chur ch. I n a pr i vat e
meet i ng, he t ol d you and t he Pope
t hat he had made a sci ent i f i c di scover y wi t h pr of ound r el i gi ous i mpl i cat i ons. He
had pr oved Genesi s was
physi cal l y possi bl e, and t hat i nt ense sour ces of ener gy- what Vet r a cal l ed
God- coul d dupl i cat e t he moment
of Cr eat i on. "
Si l ence.
" The Pope was st unned, " Kohl er cont i nued. " He want ed Leonar do t o go publ i c. Hi s
Hol i ness t hought t hi s
di scover y mi ght begi n t o br i dge t he gap bet ween sci ence and r el i gi on- one of t he
Pope' s l i f e dr eams. Then
Leonar do expl ai ned t o you t he downsi de- t he r eason he r equi r ed t he chur ch' s
gui dance. I t seemed hi s
Cr eat i on exper i ment , exact l y as your Bi bl e pr edi ct s, pr oduced ever yt hi ng i n
pai r s. Opposi t es. Li ght and
dar k. Vet r a f ound hi msel f , i n addi t i on t o cr eat i ng mat t er , cr eat i ng ant i mat t er .
Shal l I go on?"
The camer l egno was si l ent . He bent down and st oked t he coal s.
" Af t er Leonar do Vet r a came her e, " Kohl er sai d, " you came t o CERN t o see hi s
wor k. Leonar do' s di ar i es
sai d you made a per sonal t r i p t o hi s l ab. "
The camer l egno l ooked up.
Kohl er went on. " The Pope coul d not t r avel wi t hout at t r act i ng medi a at t ent i on,
so he sent you. Leonar do
gave you a secr et t our of hi s l ab. He showed you an ant i mat t er anni hi l at i on- t he
Bi g Bang- t he power of
Cr eat i on. He al so showed you a l ar ge speci men he kept l ocked away as pr oof t hat
hi s new pr ocess coul d
pr oduce ant i mat t er on a l ar ge scal e. You wer e i n awe. You r et ur ned t o Vat i can
Ci t y t o r epor t t o t he Pope
what you had wi t nessed. "
The camer l egno si ghed. " And what i s i t t hat t r oubl es you? That I woul d r espect
Leonar do' s conf i dent i al i t y
by pr et endi ng bef or e t he wor l d t oni ght t hat I knew not hi ng of ant i mat t er ?"
" No! I t t r oubl es me t hat Leonar do Vet r a pr act i cal l y pr oved t he exi st ence of your
God, and you had hi m
mur der ed! "
The camer l egno t ur ned now, hi s f ace r eveal i ng not hi ng.
The onl y sound was t he cr ackl e of t he f i r e.
Suddenl y, t he camer a j i ggl ed, and Kohl er ' s ar mappear ed i n t he f r ame. He l eaned
f or war d, seemi ng t o
st r uggl e wi t h somet hi ng af f i xed beneat h hi s wheel chai r . When he sat back down,
he hel d a pi st ol out bef or e
hi m. The camer a angl e was a chi l l i ng one . . . l ooki ng f r ombehi nd . . . down
t he l engt h of t he out st r et ched
gun . . . di r ect l y at t he camer l egno.
Kohl er sai d, " Conf ess your si ns, Fat her . Now. "
The camer l egno l ooked st ar t l ed. " You wi l l never get out of her e al i ve. "
" Deat h woul d be a wel come r el i ef f r omt he mi ser y your f ai t h has put me t hr ough
si nce I was a boy. "
Kohl er hel d t he gun wi t h bot h hands now. " I amgi vi ng you a choi ce. Conf ess your
si ns . . . or di e r i ght
now. "
The camer l egno gl anced t owar d t he door .
" Rocher i s out si de, " Kohl er chal l enged. " He t oo i s pr epar ed t o ki l l you. "
" Rocher i s a swor n pr ot ect or of t h- "
" Rocher l et me i n her e. Ar med. He i s si ckened by your l i es. You have a si ngl e
opt i on. Conf ess t o me. I
Sei t e 249
have t o hear i t f r omyour ver y l i ps. "
The camer l egno hesi t at ed.
Kohl er cocked hi s gun. " Do you r eal l y doubt I wi l l ki l l you?"
" No mat t er what I t el l you, " t he camer l egno sai d, " a man l i ke you wi l l never
under st and. "
" Tr y me. "
The camer l egno st ood st i l l f or a moment , a domi nant si l houet t e i n t he di ml i ght
of t he f i r e. When he spoke,
hi s wor ds echoed wi t h a di gni t y mor e sui t ed t o t he gl or i ous r ecount i ng of
al t r ui smt han t hat of a conf essi on.
" Si nce t he begi nni ng of t i me, " t he camer l egno sai d, " t hi s chur ch has f ought t he
enemi es of God.
Somet i mes wi t h wor ds. Somet i mes wi t h swor ds. And we have al ways sur vi ved. "
The camer l egno r adi at ed convi ct i on.
" But t he demons of t he past , " he cont i nued, " wer e demons of f i r e and abomi nat i on
. . . t hey wer e enemi es
we coul d f i ght - enemi es who i nspi r ed f ear . Yet Sat an i s shr ewd. As t i me passed,
he cast of f hi s di abol i cal
count enance f or a new f ace . . . t he f ace of pur e r eason. Tr anspar ent and
i nsi di ous, but soul l ess al l t he
same. " The camer l egno' s voi ce f l ashed sudden anger - an al most mani acal
t r ansi t i on. " Tel l me, Mr . Kohl er !
How can t he chur ch condemn t hat whi ch makes l ogi cal sense t o our mi nds! How can
we decr y t hat whi ch
i s now t he ver y f oundat i on of our soci et y! Each t i me t he chur ch r ai ses i t s voi ce
i n war ni ng, you shout back,
cal l i ng us i gnor ant . Par anoi d. Cont r ol l i ng! And so your evi l gr ows. Shr ouded i n
a vei l of sel f - r i ght eous
i nt el l ect ual i sm. I t spr eads l i ke a cancer . Sanct i f i ed by t he mi r acl es of i t s own
t echnol ogy. Dei f yi ng i t sel f !
Unt i l we no l onger suspect you ar e anyt hi ng but pur e goodness. Sci ence has come
t o save us f r omour
si ckness, hunger , and pai n! Behol d sci ence- t he new God of endl ess mi r acl es,
omni pot ent and benevol ent !
I gnor e t he weapons and t he chaos. For get t he f r act ur ed l onel i ness and endl ess
per i l . Sci ence i s her e! " The
camer l egno st epped t owar d t he gun. " But I have seen Sat an' s f ace l ur ki ng . . . I
have seen t he per i l . . . "
" What ar e you t al ki ng about ! Vet r a' s sci ence pr act i cal l y pr oved t he exi st ence of
your God! He was your
al l y! "
" Al l y? Sci ence and r el i gi on ar e not i n t hi s t oget her ! We do not seek t he same
God, you and I ! Who i s your
God? One of pr ot ons, masses, and par t i cl e char ges? How does your God i nspi r e?
How does your God
r each i nt o t he hear t s of man and r emi nd hi mhe i s account abl e t o a gr eat er
power ! Remi nd hi mt hat he i s
account abl e t o hi s f el l ow man! Vet r a was mi sgui ded. Hi s wor k was not r el i gi ous,
i t was sacr i l egi ous! Man
cannot put God' s Cr eat i on i n a t est t ube and wave i t ar ound f or t he wor l d t o
see! Thi s does not gl or i f y God,
i t demeans God! " The camer l egno was cl awi ng at hi s body now, hi s voi ce mani c.
" And so you had Leonar do Vet r a ki l l ed! "
" For t he chur ch! For al l manki nd! The madness of i t ! Man i s not r eady t o hol d
t he power of Cr eat i on i n hi s
hands. God i n a t est t ube? A dr opl et of l i qui d t hat can vapor i ze an ent i r e ci t y?
He had t o be st opped! " The
camer l egno f el l abr upt l y si l ent . He l ooked away, back t owar d t he f i r e. He seemed
t o be cont empl at i ng hi s
opt i ons.
Kohl er ' s hands l evel ed t he gun. " You have conf essed. You have no escape. "
The camer l egno l aughed sadl y. " Don' t you see. Conf essi ng your si ns i s t he
escape. " He l ooked t owar d t he
door . " When God i s on your si de, you have opt i ons a man l i ke you coul d never
compr ehend. " Wi t h hi s
wor ds st i l l hangi ng i n t he ai r , t he camer l egno gr abbed t he neck of hi s cassock
and vi ol ent l y t or e i t open,
r eveal i ng hi s bar e chest .
Kohl er j ol t ed, obvi ousl y st ar t l ed. " What ar e you doi ng! "
Sei t e 250
The camer l egno di d not r epl y. He st epped backwar d, t owar d t he f i r epl ace, and
r emoved an obj ect f r omt he
gl owi ng ember s.
" St op! " Kohl er demanded, hi s gun st i l l l evel ed. " What ar e you doi ng! "
When t he camer l egno t ur ned, he was hol di ng a r ed- hot br and. The I l l umi nat i
Di amond. The man' s eyes
l ooked wi l d suddenl y. " I had i nt ended t o do t hi s al l al one. " Hi s voi ce seet hed
wi t h a f er al i nt ensi t y. " But
now . . . I see God meant f or you t o be her e. You ar e my sal vat i on. "
Bef or e Kohl er coul d r eact , t he camer l egno cl osed hi s eyes, ar ched hi s back, and
r ammed t he r ed hot br and
i nt o t he cent er of hi s own chest . Hi s f l esh hi ssed. " Mot her Mar y! Bl essed Mot her
. . . Behol d your son! " He
scr eamed out i n agony.
Kohl er l ur ched i nt o t he f r ame now . . . st andi ng awkwar dl y on hi s f eet , gun
waver i ng wi l dl y bef or e hi m.
The camer l egno scr eamed l ouder , t eet er i ng i n shock. He t hr ew t he br and at
Kohl er ' s f eet . Then t he pr i est
col l apsed on t he f l oor , wr i t hi ng i n agony.
What happened next was a bl ur .
Ther e was a gr eat f l ur r y onscr een as t he Swi ss Guar d bur st i nt o t he r oom. The
soundt r ack expl oded wi t h
gunf i r e. Kohl er cl ut ched hi s chest , bl own backwar d, bl eedi ng, f al l i ng i nt o hi s
wheel chai r .
" No! " Rocher cal l ed, t r yi ng t o st op hi s guar ds f r omf i r i ng on Kohl er .
The camer l egno, st i l l wr i t hi ng on t he f l oor , r ol l ed and poi nt ed f r ant i cal l y at
Rocher . " I l l umi nat us! "
" You bast ar d, " Rocher yel l ed, r unni ng at hi m. " You sanct i moni ous bas- "
Char t r and cut hi mdown wi t h t hr ee bul l et s. Rocher sl i d dead acr oss t he f l oor .
Then t he guar ds r an t o t he wounded camer l egno, gat her i ng ar ound hi m. As t hey
huddl ed, t he vi deo caught
t he f ace of a dazed Rober t Langdon, kneel i ng besi de t he wheel chai r , l ooki ng at
t he br and. Then, t he ent i r e
f r ame began l ur chi ng wi l dl y. Kohl er had r egai ned consci ousness and was det achi ng
t he t i ny camcor der
f r omi t s hol der under t he ar mof t he wheel chai r . Then he t r i ed t o hand t he
camcor der t o Langdon.
" G- gi ve . . . " Kohl er gasped. " G- gi ve t hi s t o t he m- medi a. "
Then t he scr een went bl ank.
130
T he camer l egno began t o f eel t he f og of wonder and adr enal i ne di ssi pat i ng. As
t he Swi ss Guar d hel ped
hi mdown t he Royal St ai r case t owar d t he Si st i ne Chapel , t he camer l egno hear d
si ngi ng i n St . Pet er ' s
Squar e and he knew t hat mount ai ns had been moved.
Gr azi e Di o.
He had pr ayed f or st r engt h, and God had gi ven i t t o hi m. At moment s when he had
doubt ed, God had
spoken. Your s i s a Hol y mi ssi on, God had sai d. I wi l l gi ve you st r engt h. Even
wi t h God' s st r engt h, t he
camer l egno had f el t f ear , quest i oni ng t he r i ght eousness of hi s pat h.
I f not you, God had chal l enged, t hen WHO?
I f not now, t hen WHEN?
I f not t hi s way, t hen HOW?
J esus, God r emi nded hi m, had saved t hemal l . . . saved t hemf r omt hei r own
apat hy. Wi t h t wo deeds, J esus
had opened t hei r eyes. Hor r or and Hope. The cr uci f i xi on and t he r esur r ect i on. He
had changed t he wor l d.
But t hat was mi l l enni a ago. Ti me had er oded t he mi r acl e. Peopl e had f or got t en.
They had t ur ned t o f al se
i dol s- t echno- dei t i es and mi r acl es of t he mi nd. What about mi r acl es of t he hear t !
The camer l egno had of t en pr ayed t o God t o show hi mhow t o make t he peopl e
bel i eve agai n. But God had
been si l ent . I t was not unt i l t he camer l egno' s moment of deepest dar kness t hat
God had come t o hi m. Oh,
t he hor r or of t hat ni ght !
The camer l egno coul d st i l l r emember l yi ng on t he f l oor i n t at t er ed ni ght cl ot hes,
cl awi ng at hi s own f l esh,
Sei t e 251
t r yi ng t o pur ge hi s soul of t he pai n br ought on by a vi l e t r ut h he had j ust
l ear ned. I t cannot be! he had
scr eamed. And yet he knew i t was. The decept i on t or e at hi ml i ke t he f i r es of
hel l . The bi shop who had
t aken hi mi n, t he man who had been l i ke a f at her t o hi m, t he cl er gyman whomt he
camer l egno had st ood
besi de whi l e he r ose t o t he papacy . . . was a f r aud. A common si nner . Lyi ng t o
t he wor l d about a deed so
t r ai t or ous at i t s cor e t hat t he camer l egno doubt ed even God coul d f or gi ve i t .
" Your vow! " t he camer l egno
had scr eamed at t he Pope. " You br oke your vow t o God! You, of al l men! "
The Pope had t r i ed t o expl ai n hi msel f , but t he camer l egno coul d not l i st en. He
had r un out , st agger i ng
bl i ndl y t hr ough t he hal l ways, vomi t i ng, t ear i ng at hi s own ski n, unt i l he f ound
hi msel f bl oody and al one,
l yi ng on t he col d ear t hen f l oor bef or e St . Pet er ' s t omb. Mot her Mar y, what do I
do? I t was i n t hat moment
of pai n and bet r ayal , as t he camer l egno l ay devast at ed i n t he Necr opol i s,
pr ayi ng f or God t o t ake hi mf r om
t hi s f ai t hl ess wor l d, t hat God had come.
The voi ce i n hi s head r esounded l i ke peal s of t hunder . " Di d you vow t o ser ve
your God?"
" Yes! " t he camer l egno cr i ed out .
" Woul d you di e f or your God?"
" Yes! Take me now! "
" Woul d you di e f or your chur ch?"
" Yes! Pl ease del i ver me! "
" But woul d you di e f or . . . manki nd?"
I t was i n t he si l ence t hat f ol l owed t hat t he camer l egno f el t hi msel f f al l i ng
i nt o t he abyss. He t umbl ed
f ar t her , f ast er , out of cont r ol . And yet he knew t he answer . He had al ways
known.
" Yes! " he shout ed i nt o t he madness. " I woul d di e f or man! Li ke your son, I woul d
di e f or t hem! "
Hour s l at er , t he camer l egno st i l l l ay shi ver i ng on hi s f l oor . He saw hi s
mot her ' s f ace. God has pl ans f or
you, she was sayi ng. The camer l egno pl unged deeper i nt o madness. I t was t hen God
had spoken agai n. Thi s
t i me wi t h si l ence. But t he camer l egno under st ood. Rest or e t hei r f ai t h.
I f not me . . . t hen who?
I f not now . . . t hen when?
As t he guar ds unbol t ed t he door of t he Si st i ne Chapel , Camer l egno Car l o
Vent r esca f el t t he power movi ng
i n hi s vei ns . . . exact l y as i t had when he was a boy. God had chosen hi m. Long
ago.
Hi s wi l l be done.
The camer l egno f el t r ebor n. The Swi ss Guar d had bandaged hi s chest , bat hed hi m,
and dr essed hi mi n a
f r esh whi t e l i nen r obe. They had al so gi ven hi man i nj ect i on of mor phi ne f or t he
bur n. The camer l egno
wi shed t hey had not gi ven hi mpai nki l l er s. J esus endur ed hi s pai n f or t hr ee days
on t he cr oss! He coul d
al r eady f eel t he dr ug upr oot i ng hi s senses . . . a di zzyi ng under t ow.
As he wal ked i nt o t he chapel , he was not at al l sur pr i sed t o see t he car di nal s
st ar i ng at hi mi n wonder . They
ar e i n awe of God, he r emi nded hi msel f . Not of me, but how God wor ks THROUGH me.
As he moved up
t he cent er ai sl e, he saw bewi l der ment i n ever y f ace. And yet , wi t h each new f ace
he passed, he sensed
somet hi ng el se i n t hei r eyes. What was i t ? The camer l egno had t r i ed t o i magi ne
how t hey woul d r ecei ve
hi mt oni ght . J oyf ul l y? Rever ent l y? He t r i ed t o r ead t hei r eyes and saw nei t her
emot i on.
I t was t hen t he camer l egno l ooked at t he al t ar and saw Rober t Langdon.
131
C amer l egno Car l o Vent r esca st ood i n t he ai sl e of t he Si st i ne Chapel . The
car di nal s wer e al l st andi ng
near t he f r ont of t he chur ch, t ur ned, st ar i ng at hi m. Rober t Langdon was on t he
Sei t e 252
al t ar besi de a t el evi si on t hat
was on endl ess l oop, pl ayi ng a scene t he camer l egno r ecogni zed but coul d not
i magi ne how i t had come t o
be. Vi t t or i a Vet r a st ood besi de hi m, her f ace dr awn.
The camer l egno cl osed hi s eyes f or a moment , hopi ng t he mor phi ne was maki ng hi m
hal l uci nat e and t hat
when he opened t hemt he scene mi ght be di f f er ent . But i t was not .
They knew.
Oddl y, he f el t no f ear . Show me t he way, Fat her . Gi ve me t he wor ds t hat I can
make t hemsee Your vi si on.
But t he camer l egno hear d no r epl y.
Fat her , We have come t oo f ar t oget her t o f ai l now.
Si l ence.
They do not under st and what We have done.
The camer l egno di d not know whose voi ce he hear d i n hi s own mi nd, but t he
message was st ar k.
And t he t r ut h shal l set you f r ee . . .
And so i t was t hat Camer l egno Car l o Vent r esca hel d hi s head hi gh as he wal ked
t owar d t he f r ont of t he
Si st i ne Chapel . As he moved t owar d t he car di nal s, not even t he di f f used l i ght of
t he candl es coul d sof t en
t he eyes bor i ng i nt o hi m. Expl ai n your sel f , t he f aces sai d. Make sense of t hi s
madness. Tel l us our f ear s ar e
wr ong!
Tr ut h, t he camer l egno t ol d hi msel f . Onl y t r ut h. Ther e wer e t oo many secr et s i n
t hese wal l s . . . one so dar k
i t had dr i ven hi mt o madness. But f r omt he madness had come t he l i ght .
" I f you coul d gi ve your own soul t o save mi l l i ons, " t he camer l egno sai d, as he
moved down t he ai sl e,
" woul d you?"
The f aces i n t he chapel si mpl y st ar ed. No one moved. No one spoke. Beyond t he
wal l s, t he j oyous st r ai ns
of song coul d be hear d i n t he squar e.
The camer l egno wal ked t owar d t hem. " Whi ch i s t he gr eat er si n? Ki l l i ng one' s
enemy? Or st andi ng i dl e
whi l e your t r ue l ove i s st r angl ed?" They ar e si ngi ng i n St . Pet er ' s Squar e! The
camer l egno st opped f or a
moment and gazed up at t he cei l i ng of t he Si st i ne. Mi chel angel o' s God was
st ar i ng down f r omt he
dar kened vaul t . . . and He seemed pl eased.
" I coul d no l onger st and by, " t he camer l egno sai d. St i l l , as he dr ew near er , he
saw no f l i cker of
under st andi ng i n anyone' s eyes. Di dn' t t hey see t he r adi ant si mpl i ci t y of hi s
deeds? Di dn' t t hey see t he
ut t er necessi t y!
I t had been so pur e.
The I l l umi nat i . Sci ence and Sat an as one.
Resur r ect t he anci ent f ear . Then cr ush i t .
Hor r or and Hope. Make t hembel i eve agai n.
Toni ght , t he power of t he I l l umi nat i had been unl eashed anew . . . and wi t h
gl or i ous consequence. The
apat hy had evapor at ed. The f ear had shot out acr oss t he wor l d l i ke a bol t of
l i ght ni ng, uni t i ng t he peopl e.
And t hen God' s maj est y had vanqui shed t he dar kness.
I coul d not st and i dl y by!
The i nspi r at i on had been God' s own- appear i ng l i ke a beacon i n t he camer l egno' s
ni ght of agony. Oh, t hi s
f ai t hl ess wor l d! Someone must del i ver t hem. You. I f not you, who? You have been
saved f or a r eason. Show
t hemt he ol d demons. Remi nd t hemof t hei r f ear . Apat hy i s deat h. Wi t hout
dar kness, t her e i s no l i ght .
Wi t hout evi l , t her e i s no good. Make t hemchoose. Dar k or l i ght . Wher e i s t he
f ear ? Wher e ar e t he her oes?
I f not now, when?
The camer l egno wal ked up t he cent er ai sl e di r ect l y t owar d t he cr owd of st andi ng
car di nal s. He f el t l i ke
Moses as t he sea of r ed sashes and caps par t ed bef or e hi m, al l owi ng hi mt o pass.
On t he al t ar , Rober t
Sei t e 253
Langdon swi t ched of f t he t el evi si on, t ook Vi t t or i a' s hand, and r el i nqui shed t he
al t ar . The f act t hat Rober t
Langdon had sur vi ved, t he camer l egno knew, coul d onl y have been God' s wi l l . God
had saved Rober t
Langdon. The camer l egno wonder ed why.
The voi ce t hat br oke t he si l ence was t he voi ce of t he onl y woman i n t he Si st i ne
Chapel . " You ki l l ed my
f at her ?" she sai d, st eppi ng f or war d.
When t he camer l egno t ur ned t o Vi t t or i a Vet r a, t he l ook on her f ace was one he
coul d not qui t e under st and-
pai n yes, but anger ? Cer t ai nl y she must under st and. Her f at her ' s geni us was
deadl y. He had t o be st opped.
For t he good of Manki nd.
" He was doi ng God' s wor k, " Vi t t or i a sai d.
" God' s wor k i s not done i n a l ab. I t i s done i n t he hear t . "
" My f at her ' s hear t was pur e! And hi s r esear ch pr oved- "
" Hi s r esear ch pr oved yet agai n t hat man' s mi nd i s pr ogr essi ng f ast er t han hi s
soul ! " The camer l egno' s
voi ce was shar per t han he had expect ed. He l ower ed hi s voi ce. " I f a man as
spi r i t ual as your f at her coul d
cr eat e a weapon l i ke t he one we saw t oni ght , i magi ne what an or di nar y man wi l l
do wi t h hi s t echnol ogy. "
" A man l i ke you?"
The camer l egno t ook a deep br eat h. Di d she not see? Man' s mor al i t y was not
advanci ng as f ast as man' s
sci ence. Manki nd was not spi r i t ual l y evol ved enough f or t he power s he possessed.
We have never cr eat ed a
weapon we have not used! And yet he knew t hat ant i mat t er was not hi ng- anot her
weapon i n man' s al r eady
bur geoni ng ar senal . Man coul d al r eady dest r oy. Man l ear ned t o ki l l l ong ago. And
hi s mot her ' s bl ood
r ai ned down. Leonar do Vet r a' s geni us was danger ous f or anot her r eason.
" For cent ur i es, " t he camer l egno sai d, " t he chur ch has st ood by whi l e sci ence
pi cked away at r el i gi on bi t by
bi t . Debunki ng mi r acl es. Tr ai ni ng t he mi nd t o over come t he hear t . Condemni ng
r el i gi on as t he opi at e of t he
masses. They denounce God as a hal l uci nat i on- a del usi onal cr ut ch f or t hose t oo
weak t o accept t hat l i f e i s
meani ngl ess. I coul d not st and by whi l e sci ence pr esumed t o har ness t he power of
God hi msel f ! Pr oof , you
say? Yes, pr oof of sci ence' s i gnor ance! What i s wr ong wi t h t he admi ssi on t hat
somet hi ng exi st s beyond our
under st andi ng? The day sci ence subst ant i at es God i n a l ab i s t he day peopl e st op
needi ng f ai t h! "
" You mean t he day t hey st op needi ng t he chur ch, " Vi t t or i a chal l enged, movi ng
t owar d hi m. " Doubt i s your
l ast shr ed of cont r ol . I t i s doubt t hat br i ngs soul s t o you. Our need t o know
t hat l i f e has meani ng. Man' s
i nsecur i t y and need f or an enl i ght ened soul assur i ng hi mever yt hi ng i s par t of a
mast er pl an. But t he chur ch
i s not t he onl y enl i ght ened soul on t he pl anet ! We al l seek God i n di f f er ent
ways. What ar e you af r ai d of ?
That God wi l l show hi msel f somewher e ot her t han i nsi de t hese wal l s? That peopl e
wi l l f i nd hi mi n t hei r
own l i ves and l eave your ant i quat ed r i t ual s behi nd? Rel i gi ons evol ve! The mi nd
f i nds answer s, t he hear t
gr appl es wi t h new t r ut hs. My f at her was on your quest ! A par al l el pat h! Why
coul dn' t you see t hat ? God i s
not some omni pot ent aut hor i t y l ooki ng down f r omabove, t hr eat eni ng t o t hr ow us
i nt o a pi t of f i r e i f we
di sobey. God i s t he ener gy t hat f l ows t hr ough t he synapses of our ner vous syst em
and t he chamber s of our
hear t s! God i s i n al l t hi ngs! "
" Except sci ence, " t he camer l egno f i r ed back, hi s eyes showi ng onl y pi t y.
" Sci ence, by def i ni t i on, i s
soul l ess. Di vor ced f r omt he hear t . I nt el l ect ual mi r acl es l i ke ant i mat t er ar r i ve
i n t hi s wor l d wi t h no et hi cal
i nst r uct i ons at t ached. Thi s i n i t sel f i s per i l ous! But when sci ence her al ds i t s
Godl ess pur sui t s as t he
Sei t e 254
enl i ght ened pat h? Pr omi si ng answer s t o quest i ons whose beaut y i s t hat t hey have
no answer s?" He shook
hi s head. " No. "
Ther e was a moment of si l ence. The camer l egno f el t suddenl y t i r ed as he r et ur ned
Vi t t or i a' s unbendi ng
st ar e. Thi s was not how i t was supposed t o be. I s t hi s God' s f i nal t est ?
I t was Mor t at i who br oke t he spel l . " The pr ef er i t i , " he sai d i n a hor r i f i ed
whi sper . " Baggi a and t he ot her s.
Pl ease t el l me you di d not . . . "
The camer l egno t ur ned t o hi m, sur pr i sed by t he pai n i n hi s voi ce. Cer t ai nl y
Mor t at i coul d under st and.
Headl i nes car r i ed sci ence' s mi r acl es ever y day. How l ong had i t been f or
r el i gi on? Cent ur i es? Rel i gi on
needed a mi r acl e! Somet hi ng t o awaken a sl eepi ng wor l d. Br i ng t hemback t o t he
pat h of r i ght eousness.
Rest or e f ai t h. The pr ef er i t i wer e not l eader s anyway, t hey wer e
t r ansf or mer s- l i ber al s pr epar ed t o embr ace
t he new wor l d and abandon t he ol d ways! Thi s was t he onl y way. A new l eader .
Young. Power f ul . Vi br ant .
Mi r acul ous. The pr ef er i t i ser ved t he chur ch f ar mor e ef f ect i vel y i n deat h t han
t hey ever coul d al i ve. Hor r or
and Hope. Of f er f our soul s t o save mi l l i ons. The wor l d woul d r emember t hem
f or ever as mar t yr s. The
chur ch woul d r ai se gl or i ous t r i but e t o t hei r names. How many t housands have di ed
f or t he gl or y of God?
They ar e onl y f our .
" The pr ef er i t i , " Mor t at i r epeat ed.
" I shar ed t hei r pai n, " t he camer l egno def ended, mot i oni ng t o hi s chest . " And I
t oo woul d di e f or God, but
my wor k i s onl y j ust begun. They ar e si ngi ng i n St . Pet er ' s Squar e! "
The camer l egno saw t he hor r or i n Mor t at i ' s eyes and agai n f el t conf used. Was i t
t he mor phi ne? Mor t at i
was l ooki ng at hi mas i f t he camer l egno hi msel f had ki l l ed t hese men wi t h hi s
bar e hands. I woul d do even
t hat f or God, t he camer l egno t hought , and yet he had not . The deeds had been
car r i ed out by t he Hassassi n-
a heat hen soul t r i cked i nt o t hi nki ng he was doi ng t he wor k of t he I l l umi nat i . I
amJ anus, t he camer l egno
had t ol d hi m. I wi l l pr ove my power . And he had. The Hassassi n' s hat r ed had made
hi mGod' s pawn.
" Li st en t o t he si ngi ng, " t he camer l egno sai d, smi l i ng, hi s own hear t r ej oi ci ng.
" Not hi ng uni t es hear t s l i ke
t he pr esence of evi l . Bur n a chur ch and t he communi t y r i ses up, hol di ng hands,
si ngi ng hymns of def i ance
as t hey r ebui l d. Look how t hey f l ock t oni ght . Fear has br ought t hemhome. For ge
moder n demons f or
moder n man. Apat hy i s dead. Show t hemt he f ace of evi l - Sat ani st s l ur ki ng among
us- r unni ng our
gover nment s, our banks, our school s, t hr eat eni ng t o obl i t er at e t he ver y House of
God wi t h t hei r mi sgui ded
sci ence. Depr avi t y r uns deep. Man must be vi gi l ant . Seek t he goodness. Become
t he goodness! "
I n t he si l ence, t he camer l egno hoped t hey now under st ood. The I l l umi nat i had not
r esur f aced. The
I l l umi nat i wer e l ong deceased. Onl y t hei r myt h was al i ve. The camer l egno had
r esur r ect ed t he I l l umi nat i as
a r emi nder . Those who knew t he I l l umi nat i hi st or y r el i ved t hei r evi l . Those who
di d not , had l ear ned of i t
and wer e amazed how bl i nd t hey had been. The anci ent demons had been r esur r ect ed
t o awaken an
i ndi f f er ent wor l d.
" But . . . t he br ands?" Mor t at i ' s voi ce was st i f f wi t h out r age.
The camer l egno di d not answer . Mor t at i had no way of knowi ng, but t he br ands had
been conf i scat ed by
t he Vat i can over a cent ur y ago. They had been l ocked away, f or got t en and dust
cover ed, i n t he Papal Vaul t -
t he Pope' s pr i vat e r el i quar y, deep wi t hi n hi s Bor gi a apar t ment s. The Papal Vaul t
cont ai ned t hose i t ems t he
chur ch deemed t oo danger ous f or anyone' s eyes except t he Pope' s.
Sei t e 255
Why di d t hey hi de t hat whi ch i nspi r ed f ear ? Fear br ought peopl e t o God!
The vaul t ' s key was passed down f r omPope t o Pope. Camer l egno Car l o Vent r esca
had pur l oi ned t he key
and vent ur ed i nsi de; t he myt h of what t he vaul t cont ai ned was bewi t chi ng- t he
or i gi nal manuscr i pt f or t he
f our t een unpubl i shed books of t he Bi bl e known as t he Apocr ypha, t he t hi r d
pr ophecy of Fat i ma, t he f i r st
t wo havi ng come t r ue and t he t hi r d so t er r i f yi ng t he chur ch woul d never r eveal
i t . I n addi t i on t o t hese, t he
camer l egno had f ound t he I l l umi nat i Col l ect i onal l t he secr et s t he chur ch had
uncover ed af t er bani shi ng t he
gr oup f r omRome . . . t hei r cont empt i bl e Pat h of I l l umi nat i on . . . t he cunni ng
decei t of t he Vat i can' s head
ar t i st , Ber ni ni . . . Eur ope' s t op sci ent i st s mocki ng r el i gi on as t hey secr et l y
assembl ed i n t he Vat i can' s own
Cast l e St . Angel o. The col l ect i on i ncl uded a pent agon box cont ai ni ng i r on
br ands, one of t hemt he myt hi cal
I l l umi nat i Di amond. Thi s was a par t of Vat i can hi st or y t he anci ent s t hought best
f or got t en. The
camer l egno, however , had di sagr eed.
" But t he ant i mat t er . . . " Vi t t or i a demanded. " You r i sked dest r oyi ng t he
Vat i can! "
" Ther e i s no r i sk when God i s at your si de, " t he camer l egno sai d. " Thi s cause
was Hi s. "
" You' r e i nsane! " she seet hed.
" Mi l l i ons wer e saved. "
" Peopl e wer e ki l l ed! "
" Soul s wer e saved. "
" Tel l t hat t o my f at her and Max Kohl er ! "
" CERN' s ar r ogance needed t o be r eveal ed. A dr opl et of l i qui d t hat can vapor i ze a
hal f mi l e? And you cal l
me mad?" The camer l egno f el t a r age r i si ng i n hi m. Di d t hey t hi nk hi s was a
si mpl e char ge? " Those who
bel i eve under go gr eat t est s f or God! God asked Abr ahamt o sacr i f i ce hi s chi l d!
God commanded J esus t o
endur e cr uci f i xi on! And so we hang t he symbol of t he cr uci f i x bef or e our
eyes- bl oody, pai nf ul , agoni zi ng-
t o r emi nd us of evi l ' s power ! To keep our hear t s vi gi l ant ! The scar s on J esus'
body ar e a l i vi ng r emi nder of
t he power s of dar kness! My scar s ar e a l i vi ng r emi nder ! Evi l l i ves, but t he
power of God wi l l over come! "
Hi s shout s echoed of f t he back wal l of t he Si st i ne Chapel and t hen a pr of ound
si l ence f el l . Ti me seemed t o
st op. Mi chel angel o' s Last J udgment r ose omi nousl y behi nd hi m. . . J esus cast i ng
si nner s i nt o hel l . Tear s
br i mmed i n Mor t at i ' s eyes.
" What have you done, Car l o?" Mor t at i asked i n a whi sper . He cl osed hi s eyes, and
a t ear r ol l ed. " Hi s
Hol i ness?"
A col l ect i ve si gh of pai n went up, as i f ever yone i n t he r oomhad f or got t en
unt i l t hat ver y moment . The
Pope. Poi soned.
" A vi l e l i ar , " t he camer l egno sai d.
Mor t at i l ooked shat t er ed. " What do you mean? He was honest ! He . . . l oved you. "
" And I hi m. " Oh, how I l oved hi m! But t he decei t ! The br oken vows t o God!
The camer l egno knew t hey di d not under st and r i ght now, but t hey woul d. When he
t ol d t hem, t hey woul d
see! Hi s Hol i ness was t he most nef ar i ous decei ver t he chur ch had ever seen. The
camer l egno st i l l
r emember ed t hat t er r i bl e ni ght . He had r et ur ned f r omhi s t r i p t o CERN wi t h news
of Vet r a' s Genesi s and of
ant i mat t er ' s hor r i f i c power . The camer l egno was cer t ai n t he Pope woul d see t he
per i l s, but t he Hol y Fat her
saw onl y hope i n Vet r a' s br eakt hr ough. He even suggest ed t he Vat i can f und
Vet r a' s wor k as a gest ur e of
goodwi l l t owar d spi r i t ual l y based sci ent i f i c r esear ch.
Madness! The chur ch i nvest i ng i n r esear ch t hat t hr eat ened t o make t he chur ch
obsol et e? Wor k t hat
spawned weapons of mass dest r uct i on? The bomb t hat had ki l l ed hi s mot her . . .
Sei t e 256
" But . . . you can' t ! " t he camer l egno had excl ai med.
" I owe a deep debt t o sci ence, " t he Pope had r epl i ed. " Somet hi ng I have hi dden
my ent i r e l i f e. Sci ence
gave me a gi f t when I was a young man. A gi f t I have never f or got t en. "
" I don' t under st and. What does sci ence have t o of f er a man of God?"
" I t i s compl i cat ed, " t he Pope had sai d. " I wi l l need t i me t o make you
under st and. But f i r st , t her e i s a si mpl e
f act about me t hat you must know. I have kept i t hi dden al l t hese year s. I
bel i eve i t i s t i me I t ol d you. "
Then t he Pope had t ol d hi mt he ast oni shi ng t r ut h.
132
T he camer l egno l ay cur l ed i n a bal l on t he di r t f l oor i n f r ont of St . Pet er ' s
t omb. The Necr opol i s was
col d, but i t hel ped cl ot t he bl ood f l owi ng f r omt he wounds he had t or n at hi s
own f l esh. Hi s Hol i ness woul d
not f i nd hi mher e. Nobody woul d f i nd hi mher e . . .
" I t i s compl i cat ed, " t he Pope' s voi ce echoed i n hi s mi nd. " I wi l l need t i me t o
make you under st and . . . "
But t he camer l egno knew no amount of t i me coul d make hi munder st and.
Li ar ! I bel i eved i n you! GOD bel i eved i n you!
Wi t h a si ngl e sent ence, t he Pope had br ought t he camer l egno' s wor l d cr ashi ng
down ar ound hi m.
Ever yt hi ng t he camer l egno had ever bel i eved about hi s ment or was shat t er ed
bef or e hi s eyes. The t r ut h
dr i l l ed i nt o t he camer l egno' s hear t wi t h such f or ce t hat he st agger ed backwar d
out of t he Pope' s of f i ce and
vomi t ed i n t he hal l way.
" Wai t ! " t he Pope had cr i ed, chasi ng af t er hi m. " Pl ease l et me expl ai n! "
But t he camer l egno r an of f . How coul d Hi s Hol i ness expect hi mt o endur e any
mor e? Oh, t he wr et ched
depr avi t y of i t ! What i f someone el se f ound out ? I magi ne t he desecr at i on t o t he
chur ch! Di d t he Pope' s
hol y vows mean not hi ng?
The madness came qui ckl y, scr eami ng i n hi s ear s, unt i l he awoke bef or e St .
Pet er ' s t omb. I t was t hen t hat
God came t o hi mwi t h an awesome f i er ceness.
YOURS I S A VENGEFUL GOD!
Toget her , t hey made t hei r pl ans. Toget her t hey woul d pr ot ect t he chur ch.
Toget her t hey woul d r est or e f ai t h
t o t hi s f ai t hl ess wor l d. Evi l was ever ywher e. And yet t he wor l d had become
i mmune! Toget her t hey woul d
unvei l t he dar kness f or t he wor l d t o see . . . and God woul d over come! Hor r or
and Hope. Then t he wor l d
woul d bel i eve!
God' s f i r st t est had been l ess hor r i bl e t han t he camer l egno i magi ned. Sneaki ng
i nt o t he Papal bed chamber s
. . . f i l l i ng hi s syr i nge . . . cover i ng t he decei ver ' s mout h as hi s body
spasmed i nt o deat h. I n t he moonl i ght ,
t he camer l egno coul d see i n t he Pope' s wi l d eyes t her e was somet hi ng he want ed
t o say.
But i t was t oo l at e.
The Pope had sai d enough.
133
T he Pope f at her ed a chi l d. "
I nsi de t he Si st i ne Chapel , t he camer l egno st ood unwaver i ng as he spoke. Fi ve
sol i t ar y wor ds of ast oni shi ng
di scl osur e. The ent i r e assembl y seemed t o r ecoi l i n uni son. The car di nal s'
accusi ng mi ens evapor at ed i nt o
aghast st ar es, as i f ever y soul i n t he r oomwer e pr ayi ng t he camer l egno was
wr ong.
The Pope f at her ed a chi l d.
Langdon f el t t he shock wave hi t hi mt oo. Vi t t or i a' s hand, t i ght i n hi s, j ol t ed,
whi l e Langdon' s mi nd,
al r eady numb wi t h unanswer ed quest i ons, wr est l ed t o f i nd a cent er of gr avi t y.
The camer l egno' s ut t er ance seemed l i ke i t woul d hang f or ever i n t he ai r above
t hem. Even i n t he
camer l egno' s f r enzi ed eyes, Langdon coul d see pur e convi ct i on. Langdon want ed t o
di sengage, t el l hi msel f
he was l ost i n some gr ot esque ni ght mar e, soon t o wake up i n a wor l d t hat made
Sei t e 257
sense.
" Thi s must be a l i e! " one of t he car di nal s yel l ed.
" I wi l l not bel i eve i t ! " anot her pr ot est ed. " Hi s Hol i ness was as devout a man as
ever l i ved! "
I t was Mor t at i who spoke next , hi s voi ce t hi n wi t h devast at i on. " My f r i ends.
What t he camer l egno says i s
t r ue. " Ever y car di nal i n t he chapel spun as t hough Mor t at i had j ust shout ed an
obsceni t y. " The Pope i ndeed
f at her ed a chi l d. "
The car di nal s bl anched wi t h dr ead.
The camer l egno l ooked st unned. " You knew? But . . . how coul d you possi bl y know
t hi s?"
Mor t at i si ghed. " When Hi s Hol i ness was el ect ed . . . I was t he Devi l ' s
Advocat e. "
Ther e was a communal gasp.
Langdon under st ood. Thi s meant t he i nf or mat i on was pr obabl y t r ue. The i nf amous
" Devi l ' s Advocat e" was
t he aut hor i t y when i t came t o scandal ous i nf or mat i on i nsi de t he Vat i can.
Skel et ons i n a Pope' s cl oset wer e
danger ous, and pr i or t o el ect i ons, secr et i nqui r i es i nt o a candi dat e' s
backgr ound wer e car r i ed out by a l one
car di nal who ser ved as t he " Devi l ' s Advocat e" - t hat i ndi vi dual r esponsi bl e f or
unear t hi ng r easons why t he
el i gi bl e car di nal s shoul d not become Pope. The Devi l ' s Advocat e was appoi nt ed i n
advance by t he r ei gni ng
Pope i n pr epar at i on f or hi s own deat h. The Devi l ' s Advocat e was never supposed
t o r eveal hi s i dent i t y.
Ever .
" I was t he Devi l ' s Advocat e, " Mor t at i r epeat ed. " That i s how I f ound out . "
Mout hs dr opped. Appar ent l y t oni ght was a ni ght when al l t he r ul es wer e goi ng out
t he wi ndow.
The camer l egno f el t hi s hear t f i l l i ng wi t h r age. " And you . . . t ol d no one?"
" I conf r ont ed Hi s Hol i ness, " Mor t at i sai d. " And he conf essed. He expl ai ned t he
ent i r e st or y and asked onl y
t hat I l et my hear t gui de my deci si on as t o whet her or not t o r eveal hi s
secr et . "
" And your hear t t ol d you t o bur y t he i nf or mat i on?"
" He was t he r unaway f avor i t e f or t he papacy. Peopl e l oved hi m. The scandal woul d
have hur t t he chur ch
deepl y. "
" But he f at her ed a chi l d! He br oke hi s sacr ed vow of cel i bacy! " The camer l egno
was scr eami ng now. He
coul d hear hi s mot her ' s voi ce. A pr omi se t o God i s t he most i mpor t ant pr omi se of
al l . Never br eak a
pr omi se t o God. " The Pope br oke hi s vow! "
Mor t at i l ooked del i r i ous wi t h angst . " Car l o, hi s l ove . . . was chast e. He had
br oken no vow. He di dn' t
expl ai n i t t o you?"
" Expl ai n what ?" The camer l egno r emember ed r unni ng out of t he Pope' s of f i ce whi l e
t he Pope was cal l i ng
t o hi m. Let me expl ai n!
Sl owl y, sadl y, Mor t at i l et t he t al e unf ol d. Many year s ago, t he Pope, when he
was st i l l j ust a pr i est , had
f al l en i n l ove wi t h a young nun. Bot h of t hemhad t aken vows of cel i bacy and
never even consi der ed
br eaki ng t hei r covenant wi t h God. St i l l , as t hey f el l deeper i n l ove, al t hough
t hey coul d r esi st t he
t empt at i ons of t he f l esh, t hey bot h f ound t hemsel ves l ongi ng f or somet hi ng t hey
never expect ed- t o
par t i ci pat e i n God' s ul t i mat e mi r acl e of cr eat i on- a chi l d. Thei r chi l d. The
year ni ng, especi al l y i n her ,
became over whel mi ng. St i l l , God came f i r st . A year l at er , when t he f r ust r at i on
had r eached al most
unbear abl e pr opor t i ons, she came t o hi mi n a whi r l of exci t ement . She had j ust
r ead an ar t i cl e about a new
mi r acl e of sci ence- a pr ocess by whi ch t wo peopl e, wi t hout ever havi ng sexual
r el at i ons, coul d have a chi l d.
She sensed t hi s was a si gn f r omGod. The pr i est coul d see t he happi ness i n her
Sei t e 258
eyes and agr eed. A year
l at er she had a chi l d t hr ough t he mi r acl e of ar t i f i ci al i nsemi nat i on . . .
" Thi s cannot . . . be t r ue, " t he camer l egno sai d, pani cked, hopi ng i t was t he
mor phi ne washi ng over hi s
senses. Cer t ai nl y he was hear i ng t hi ngs.
Mor t at i now had t ear s i n hi s eyes. " Car l o, t hi s i s why Hi s Hol i ness has al ways
had an af f ect i on f or t he
sci ences. He f el t he owed a debt t o sci ence. Sci ence l et hi mexper i ence t he j oys
of f at her hood wi t hout
br eaki ng hi s vow of cel i bacy. Hi s Hol i ness t ol d me he had no r egr et s except
one- t hat hi s advanci ng st at ur e
i n t he chur ch pr ohi bi t ed hi mf r ombei ng wi t h t he woman he l oved and seei ng hi s
i nf ant gr ow up. "
Camer l egno Car l o Vent r esca f el t t he madness set t i ng i n agai n. He want ed t o cl aw
at hi s f l esh. How coul d I
have known?
" The Pope commi t t ed no si n, Car l o. He was chast e. "
" But . . . " The camer l egno sear ched hi s angui shed mi nd f or any ki nd of
r at i onal e. " Thi nk of t he j eopar dy . .
. of hi s deeds. " Hi s voi ce f el t weak. " What i f t hi s whor e of hi s came f or war d?
Or , heaven f or bi d, hi s chi l d?
I magi ne t he shame t he chur ch woul d endur e. "
Mor t at i ' s voi ce was t r emul ous. " The chi l d has al r eady come f or war d. "
Ever yt hi ng st opped.
" Car l o . . . ?" Mor t at i cr umbl ed. " Hi s Hol i ness' s chi l d . . . i s you. "
At t hat moment , t he camer l egno coul d f eel t he f i r e of f ai t h di mi n hi s hear t . He
st ood t r embl i ng on t he al t ar ,
f r amed by Mi chel angel o' s t ower i ng Last J udgment . He knew he had j ust gl i mpsed
hel l i t sel f . He opened
hi s mout h t o speak, but hi s l i ps waver ed, soundl ess.
" Don' t you see?" Mor t at i choked. " That i s why Hi s Hol i ness came t o you i n t he
hospi t al i n Pal er mo when
you wer e a boy. That i s why he t ook you i n and r ai sed you. The nun he l oved was
Mar i a . . . your mot her .
She l ef t t he nunner y t o r ai se you, but she never abandoned her st r i ct devot i on
t o God. When t he Pope hear d
she had di ed i n an expl osi on and t hat you, hi s son, had mi r acul ousl y sur vi ved .
. . he swor e t o God he
woul d never l eave you al one agai n. Car l o, your par ent s wer e bot h vi r gi ns. They
kept t hei r vows t o God.
And st i l l t hey f ound a way t o br i ng you i nt o t he wor l d. You wer e t hei r
mi r acul ous chi l d. "
The camer l egno cover ed hi s ear s, t r yi ng t o bl ock out t he wor ds. He st ood
par al yzed on t he al t ar . Then, wi t h
hi s wor l d yanked f r ombeneat h hi m, he f el l vi ol ent l y t o hi s knees and l et out a
wai l of angui sh.
Seconds. Mi nut es. Hour s.
Ti me seemed t o have l ost al l meani ng i nsi de t he f our wal l s of t he chapel .
Vi t t or i a f el t her sel f sl owl y
br eaki ng f r ee of t he par al ysi s t hat seemed t o have gr i pped t hemal l . She l et go
of Langdon' s hand and
began movi ng t hr ough t he cr owd of car di nal s. The chapel door seemed mi l es away,
and she f el t l i ke she
was movi ng under wat er . . . sl ow mot i on.
As she maneuver ed t hr ough t he r obes, her mot i on seemed t o pul l ot her s f r omt hei r
t r ance. Some of t he
car di nal s began t o pr ay. Ot her s wept . Some t ur ned t o wat ch her go, t hei r bl ank
expr essi ons t ur ni ng sl owl y
t o a f or ebodi ng cogni t i on as she moved t owar d t he door . She had al most r eached
t he back of t he cr owd
when a hand caught her ar m. The t ouch was f r ai l but r esol ut e. She t ur ned, f ace
t o f ace wi t h a wi zened
car di nal . Hi s vi sage was cl ouded by f ear .
" No, " t he man whi sper ed. " You cannot . "
Vi t t or i a st ar ed, i ncr edul ous.
Anot her car di nal was at her si de now. " We must t hi nk bef or e we act . "
And anot her . " The pai n t hi s coul d cause . . . "
Vi t t or i a was sur r ounded. She l ooked at t hemal l , st unned. " But t hese deeds her e
Sei t e 259
t oday, t oni ght . . . cer t ai nl y
t he wor l d shoul d know t he t r ut h. "
" My hear t agr ees, " t he wi zened car di nal sai d, st i l l hol di ng her ar m, " and yet i t
i s a pat h f r omwhi ch t her e i s
no r et ur n. We must consi der t he shat t er ed hopes. The cyni ci sm. How coul d t he
peopl e ever t r ust agai n?"
Suddenl y, mor e car di nal s seemed t o be bl ocki ng her way. Ther e was a wal l of
bl ack r obes bef or e her .
" Li st en t o t he peopl e i n t he squar e, " one sai d. " What wi l l t hi s do t o t hei r
hear t s? We must exer ci se
pr udence. "
" We need t i me t o t hi nk and pr ay, " anot her sai d. " We must act wi t h f or esi ght . The
r eper cussi ons of t hi s . . . "
" He ki l l ed my f at her ! " Vi t t or i a sai d. " He ki l l ed hi s own f at her ! "
" I ' mcer t ai n he wi l l pay f or hi s si ns, " t he car di nal hol di ng her ar msai d sadl y.
Vi t t or i a was cer t ai n t oo, and she i nt ended t o ensur e he pai d. She t r i ed t o push
t owar d t he door agai n, but
t he car di nal s huddl ed cl oser , t hei r f aces f r i ght ened.
" What ar e you goi ng t o do?" she excl ai med. " Ki l l me?"
The ol d men bl anched, and Vi t t or i a i mmedi at el y r egr et t ed her wor ds. She coul d
see t hese men wer e gent l e
soul s. They had seen enough vi ol ence t oni ght . They meant no t hr eat . They wer e
si mpl y t r apped. Scar ed.
Tr yi ng t o get t hei r bear i ngs.
" I want . . . " t he wi zened car di nal sai d, " . . . t o do what i s r i ght . "
" Then you wi l l l et her out , " a deep voi ce decl ar ed behi nd her . The wor ds wer e
cal mbut absol ut e. Rober t
Langdon ar r i ved at her si de, and she f el t hi s hand t ake her s. " Ms. Vet r a and I
ar e l eavi ng t hi s chapel . Ri ght
now. "
Fal t er i ng, hesi t ant , t he car di nal s began t o st ep asi de.
" Wai t ! " I t was Mor t at i . He moved t owar d t hemnow, down t he cent er ai sl e, l eavi ng
t he camer l egno al one
and def eat ed on t he al t ar . Mor t at i l ooked ol der al l of a sudden, wear i ed beyond
hi s year s. Hi s mot i on was
bur dened wi t h shame. He ar r i ved, put t i ng a hand on Langdon' s shoul der and one on
Vi t t or i a' s as wel l .
Vi t t or i a f el t si ncer i t y i n hi s t ouch. The man' s eyes wer e mor e t ear f ul now.
" Of cour se you ar e f r ee t o go, " Mor t at i sai d. " Of cour se. " The man paused, hi s
gr i ef al most t angi bl e. " I ask
onl y t hi s . . . " He st ar ed down at hi s f eet a l ong moment t hen back up at
Vi t t or i a and Langdon. " Let me do
i t . I wi l l go i nt o t he squar e r i ght now and f i nd a way. I wi l l t el l t hem. I
don' t know how . . . but I wi l l f i nd a
way. The chur ch' s conf essi on shoul d come f r omwi t hi n. Our f ai l ur es shoul d be our
own t o expose. "
Mor t at i t ur ned sadl y back t owar d t he al t ar . " Car l o, you have br ought t hi s chur ch
t o a di sast r ous j unct ur e. "
He paused, l ooki ng ar ound. The al t ar was bar e.
Ther e was a r ust l e of cl ot h down t he si de ai sl e, and t he door cl i cked shut .
The camer l egno was gone.
134
C amer l egno Vent r esca' s whi t e r obe bi l l owed as he moved down t he hal l way away
f r omt he Si st i ne
Chapel . The Swi ss Guar ds had seemed per pl exed when he emer ged al l al one f r omt he
chapel and t ol d t hem
he needed a moment of sol i t ude. But t hey had obeyed, l et t i ng hi mgo.
Now as he r ounded t he cor ner and l ef t t hei r si ght , t he camer l egno f el t a
mael st r omof emot i ons l i ke not hi ng
he t hought possi bl e i n human exper i ence. He had poi soned t he man he cal l ed " Hol y
Fat her , " t he man who
addr essed hi mas " my son. " The camer l egno had al ways bel i eved t he wor ds " f at her "
and " son" wer e
r el i gi ous t r adi t i on, but now he knew t he di abol i cal t r ut h- t he wor ds had been
l i t er al .
Li ke t hat f at ef ul ni ght weeks ago, t he camer l egno now f el t hi msel f r eel i ng madl y
t hr ough t he dar kness.
I t was r ai ni ng t he mor ni ng t he Vat i can st af f banged on t he camer l egno' s door ,
Sei t e 260
awakeni ng hi mf r oma f i t f ul
sl eep. The Pope, t hey sai d, was not answer i ng hi s door or hi s phone. The cl er gy
wer e f r i ght ened. The
camer l egno was t he onl y one who coul d ent er t he Pope' s chamber s unannounced.
The camer l egno ent er ed al one t o f i nd t he Pope, as he was t he ni ght bef or e,
t wi st ed and dead i n hi s bed. Hi s
Hol i ness' s f ace l ooked l i ke t hat of Sat an. Hi s t ongue bl ack l i ke deat h. The
Devi l hi msel f had been sl eepi ng
i n t he Pope' s bed.
The camer l egno f el t no r emor se. God had spoken.
Nobody woul d see t he t r eacher y . . . not yet . That woul d come l at er .
He announced t he t er r i bl e news- Hi s Hol i ness was dead of a st r oke. Then t he
camer l egno pr epar ed f or
concl ave.
Mot her Mar i a' s voi ce was whi sper i ng i n hi s ear . " Never br eak a pr omi se t o God. "
" I hear you, Mot her , " he r epl i ed. " I t i s a f ai t hl ess wor l d. They need t o be
br ought back t o t he pat h of
r i ght eousness. Hor r or and Hope. I t i s t he onl y way. "
" Yes, " she sai d. " I f not you . . . t hen who? Who wi l l l ead t he chur ch out of
dar kness?"
Cer t ai nl y not one of t he pr ef er i t i . They wer e ol d . . . wal ki ng deat h . . .
l i ber al s who woul d f ol l ow t he Pope,
endor si ng sci ence i n hi s memor y, seeki ng moder n f ol l ower s by abandoni ng t he
anci ent ways. Ol d men
desper at el y behi nd t he t i mes, pat het i cal l y pr et endi ng t hey wer e not . They woul d
f ai l , of cour se. The
chur ch' s st r engt h was i t s t r adi t i on, not i t s t r ansi ence. The whol e wor l d was
t r ansi t or y. The chur ch di d not
need t o change, i t si mpl y needed t o r emi nd t he wor l d i t was r el evant ! Evi l
l i ves! God wi l l over come!
The chur ch needed a l eader . Ol d men do not i nspi r e! J esus i nspi r ed! Young,
vi br ant , power f ul . . .
MI RACULOUS.
" Enj oy your t ea, " t he camer l egno t ol d t he f our pr ef er i t i , l eavi ng t hemi n t he
Pope' s pr i vat e l i br ar y bef or e
concl ave. " Your gui de wi l l be her e soon. "
The pr ef er i t i t hanked hi m, al l abuzz t hat t hey had been of f er ed a chance t o
ent er t he f amed Passet t o. Most
uncommon! The camer l egno, bef or e l eavi ng t hem, had unl ocked t he door t o t he
Passet t o, and exact l y on
schedul e, t he door had opened, and a f or ei gn- l ooki ng pr i est wi t h a t or ch had
usher ed t he exci t ed pr ef er i t i
i n.
The men had never come out .
They wi l l be t he Hor r or . I wi l l be t he Hope.
No . . . I amt he hor r or .
The camer l egno st agger ed now t hr ough t he dar kness of St . Pet er ' s Basi l i ca.
Somehow, t hr ough t he i nsani t y
and gui l t , t hr ough t he i mages of hi s f at her , t hr ough t he pai n and r evel at i on,
even t hr ough t he pul l of t he
mor phi ne . . . he had f ound a br i l l i ant cl ar i t y. A sense of dest i ny. I know my
pur pose, he t hought , awed by
t he l uci di t y of i t .
Fr omt he begi nni ng, not hi ng t oni ght had gone exact l y as he had pl anned.
Unf or eseen obst acl es had
pr esent ed t hemsel ves, but t he camer l egno had adapt ed, maki ng bol d adj ust ment s.
St i l l , he had never
i magi ned t oni ght woul d end t hi s way, and yet now he saw t he pr eor dai ned maj est y
of i t .
I t coul d end no ot her way.
Oh, what t er r or he had f el t i n t he Si st i ne Chapel , wonder i ng i f God had f or saken
hi m! Oh, what deeds He
had or dai ned! He had f al l en t o hi s knees, awash wi t h doubt , hi s ear s st r ai ni ng
f or t he voi ce of God but
hear i ng onl y si l ence. He had begged f or a si gn. Gui dance. Di r ect i on. Was t hi s
Sei t e 261
God' s wi l l ? The chur ch
dest r oyed by scandal and abomi nat i on? No! God was t he one who had wi l l ed t he
camer l egno t o act ! Hadn' t
He?
Then he had seen i t . Si t t i ng on t he al t ar . A si gn. Di vi ne
communi cat i on- somet hi ng or di nar y seen i n an
ext r aor di nar y l i ght . The cr uci f i x. Humbl e, wooden. J esus on t he cr oss. I n t hat
moment , i t had al l come cl ear
. . . t he camer l egno was not al one. He woul d never be al one.
Thi s was Hi s wi l l . . . Hi s meani ng.
God had al ways asked gr eat sacr i f i ce of t hose he l oved most . Why had t he
camer l egno been so sl ow t o
under st and? Was he t oo f ear f ul ? Too humbl e? I t made no di f f er ence. God had f ound
a way. The
camer l egno even under st ood now why Rober t Langdon had been saved. I t was t o
br i ng t he t r ut h. To
compel t hi s endi ng.
Thi s was t he sol e pat h t o t he chur ch' s sal vat i on!
The camer l egno f el t l i ke he was f l oat i ng as he descended i nt o t he Ni che of t he
Pal l i ums. The sur ge of
mor phi ne seemed r el ent l ess now, but he knew God was gui di ng hi m.
I n t he di st ance, he coul d hear t he car di nal s cl amor i ng i n conf usi on as t hey
pour ed f r omt he chapel , yel l i ng
commands t o t he Swi ss Guar d.
But t hey woul d never f i nd hi m. Not i n t i me.
The camer l egno f el t hi msel f dr awn . . . f ast er . . . descendi ng t he st ai r s i nt o
t he sunken ar ea wher e t he
ni net y- ni ne oi l l amps shone br i ght l y. God was r et ur ni ng hi mt o Hol y Gr ound. The
camer l egno moved
t owar d t he gr at e cover i ng t he hol e t hat l ed down t o t he Necr opol i s. The
Necr opol i s i s wher e t hi s ni ght
woul d end. I n t he sacr ed dar kness bel ow. He l i f t ed an oi l l amp, pr epar i ng t o
descend.
But as he moved acr oss t he Ni che, t he camer l egno paused. Somet hi ng about t hi s
f el t wr ong. How di d t hi s
ser ve God? A sol i t ar y and si l ent end? J esus had suf f er ed bef or e t he eyes of t he
ent i r e wor l d. Sur el y t hi s
coul d not be God' s wi l l ! The camer l egno l i st ened f or t he voi ce of hi s God, but
hear d onl y t he bl ur r i ng buzz
of dr ugs.
" Car l o. " I t was hi s mot her . " God has pl ans f or you. "
Bewi l der ed, t he camer l egno kept movi ng.
Then, wi t hout war ni ng, God ar r i ved.
The camer l egno st opped shor t , st ar i ng. The l i ght of t he ni net y- ni ne oi l l ant er ns
had t hr own t he
camer l egno' s shadow on t he mar bl e wal l besi de hi m. Gi ant and f ear f ul . A hazy
f or msur r ounded by gol den
l i ght . Wi t h f l ames f l i cker i ng al l ar ound hi m, t he camer l egno l ooked l i ke an
angel ascendi ng t o heaven. He
st ood a moment , r ai si ng hi s ar ms t o hi s si des, wat chi ng hi s own i mage. Then he
t ur ned, l ooki ng back up t he
st ai r s.
God' s meani ng was cl ear .
Thr ee mi nut es had passed i n t he chaot i c hal l ways out si de t he Si st i ne Chapel , and
st i l l nobody coul d l ocat e
t he camer l egno. I t was as i f t he man had been swal l owed up by t he ni ght . Mor t at i
was about t o demand a
f ul l - scal e sear ch of Vat i can Ci t y when a r oar of j ubi l at i on er upt ed out si de i n
St . Pet er ' s Squar e. The
spont aneous cel ebr at i on of t he cr owd was t umul t uous. The car di nal s al l exchanged
st ar t l ed l ooks.
Mor t at i cl osed hi s eyes. " God hel p us. "
For t he second t i me t hat eveni ng, t he Col l ege of Car di nal s f l ooded ont o St .
Pet er ' s Squar e. Langdon and
Vi t t or i a wer e swept up i n t he j ost l i ng cr owd of car di nal s, and t hey t oo emer ged
i nt o t he ni ght ai r . The
medi a l i ght s and camer as wer e al l pi vot ed t owar d t he basi l i ca. And t her e, havi ng
j ust st epped ont o t he
Sei t e 262
sacr ed Papal Bal cony l ocat ed i n t he exact cent er of t he t ower i ng f aade,
Camer l egno Car l o Vent r esca st ood
wi t h hi s ar ms r ai sed t o t he heavens. Even f ar away, he l ooked l i ke pur i t y
i ncar nat e. A f i gur i ne. Dr essed i n
whi t e. Fl ooded wi t h l i ght .
The ener gy i n t he squar e seemed t o gr ow l i ke a cr est i ng wave, and al l at once
t he Swi ss Guar d bar r i er s
gave way. The masses st r eamed t owar d t he basi l i ca i n a euphor i c t or r ent of
humani t y. The onsl aught
r ushed f or war d- peopl e cr yi ng, si ngi ng, medi a camer as f l ashi ng. Pandemoni um. As
t he peopl e f l ooded i n
ar ound t he f r ont of t he basi l i ca, t he chaos i nt ensi f i ed, unt i l i t seemed not hi ng
coul d st op i t .
And t hen somet hi ng di d.
Hi gh above, t he camer l egno made t he smal l est of gest ur es. He f ol ded hi s hands
bef or e hi m. Then he bowed
hi s head i n si l ent pr ayer . One by one, t hen dozens by dozens, t hen hundr eds by
hundr eds, t he peopl e bowed
t hei r heads al ong wi t h hi m.
The squar e f el l si l ent . . . as i f a spel l had been cast .
I n hi s mi nd, swi r l i ng and di st ant now, t he camer l egno' s pr ayer s wer e a t or r ent
of hopes and sor r ows . . .
f or gi ve me, Fat her . . . Mot her . . . f ul l of gr ace . . . you ar e t he chur ch . .
. may you under st and t hi s
sacr i f i ce of your onl y begot t en son.
Oh, my J esus . . . save us f r omt he f i r es of hel l . . . t ake al l soul s t o
heaven, especi al l y, t hose most i n need of
t hy mer cy . . .
The camer l egno di d not open hi s eyes t o see t he t hr ongs bel ow hi m, t he
t el evi si on camer as, t he whol e
wor l d wat chi ng. He coul d f eel i t i n hi s soul . Even i n hi s angui sh, t he uni t y of
t he moment was i nt oxi cat i ng.
I t was as i f a connect i ve web had shot out i n al l di r ect i ons ar ound t he gl obe.
I n f r ont of t el evi si ons, at
home, and i n car s, t he wor l d pr ayed as one. Li ke synapses of a gi ant hear t al l
f i r i ng i n t andem, t he peopl e
r eached f or God, i n dozens of l anguages, i n hundr eds of count r i es. The wor ds
t hey whi sper ed wer e
newbor n and yet as f ami l i ar t o t hemas t hei r own voi ces . . . anci ent t r ut hs . .
. i mpr i nt ed on t he soul .
The consonance f el t et er nal .
As t he si l ence l i f t ed, t he j oyous st r ai ns of si ngi ng began t o r i se agai n.
He knew t he moment had come.
Most Hol y Tr i ni t y, I of f er Thee t he most pr eci ous Body, Bl ood, Soul . . . i n
r epar at i on f or t he out r ages,
sacr i l eges, and i ndi f f er ences . . .
The camer l egno al r eady f el t t he physi cal pai n set t i ng i n. I t was spr eadi ng
acr oss hi s ski n l i ke a pl ague,
maki ng hi mwant t o cl aw at hi s f l esh l i ke he had weeks ago when God had f i r st
come t o hi m. Do not f or get
what pai n J esus endur ed. He coul d t ast e t he f umes now i n hi s t hr oat . Not even
t he mor phi ne coul d dul l t he
bi t e.
My wor k her e i s done.
The Hor r or was hi s. The Hope was t hei r s.
I n t he Ni che of t he Pal l i ums, t he camer l egno had f ol l owed God' s wi l l and
anoi nt ed hi s body. Hi s hai r . Hi s
f ace. Hi s l i nen r obe. Hi s f l esh. He was soaki ng now wi t h t he sacr ed, vi t r eous
oi l s f r omt he l amps. They
smel l ed sweet l i ke hi s mot her , but t hey bur ned. Hi s woul d be a mer ci f ul
ascensi on. Mi r acul ous and swi f t .
And he woul d l eave behi nd not scandal . . . but a new st r engt h and wonder .
He sl i pped hi s hand i nt o t he pocket of hi s r obe and f i nger ed t he smal l , gol den
l i ght er he had br ought wi t h
hi mf r omt he Pal l i umi ncendi ar i o.
He whi sper ed a ver se f r omJ udgment s. And when t he f l ame went up t owar d heaven,
t he angel of t he Lor d
ascended i n t he f l ame.
Sei t e 263
He posi t i oned hi s t humb.
They wer e si ngi ng i n St . Pet er ' s Squar e . . .
The vi si on t he wor l d wi t nessed no one woul d ever f or get .
Hi gh above on t he bal cony, l i ke a soul t ear i ng f r ee of i t s cor por eal r est r ai ns,
a l umi nous pyr e of f l ame
er upt ed f r omt he camer l egno' s cent er . The f i r e shot upwar d, engul f i ng hi s ent i r e
body i nst ant l y. He di d not
scr eam. He r ai sed hi s ar ms over hi s head and l ooked t owar d heaven. The
conf l agr at i on r oar ed ar ound hi m,
ent i r el y shr oudi ng hi s body i n a col umn of l i ght . I t r aged f or what seemed l i ke
an et er ni t y, t he whol e wor l d
bear i ng wi t ness. The l i ght f l ar ed br i ght er and br i ght er . Then, gr adual l y, t he
f l ames di ssi pat ed. The
camer l egno was gone. Whet her he had col l apsed behi nd t he bal ust r ade or
evapor at ed i nt o t hi n ai r was
i mpossi bl e t o t el l . Al l t hat was l ef t was a cl oud of smoke spi r al i ng skywar d
over Vat i can Ci t y.
135
D awn came l at e t o Rome.
An ear l y r ai nst or mhad washed t he cr owds f r omSt . Pet er ' s Squar e. The medi a
st ayed on, huddl i ng under
umbr el l as and i n vans, comment at i ng on t he eveni ng' s event s. Acr oss t he wor l d,
chur ches over f l owed. I t
was a t i me of r ef l ect i on and di scussi on . . . i n al l r el i gi ons. Quest i ons
abounded, and yet t he answer s
seemed onl y t o br i ng deeper quest i ons. Thus f ar , t he Vat i can had r emai ned
si l ent , i ssui ng no st at ement
what soever .
Deep i n t he Vat i can Gr ot t oes, Car di nal Mor t at i knel t al one bef or e t he open
sar cophagus. He r eached i n and
cl osed t he ol d man' s bl ackened mout h. Hi s Hol i ness l ooked peacef ul now. I n qui et
r epose f or et er ni t y.
At Mor t at i ' s f eet was a gol den ur n, heavy wi t h ashes. Mor t at i had gat her ed t he
ashes hi msel f and br ought
t hemher e. " A chance f or f or gi veness, " he sai d t o Hi s Hol i ness, l ayi ng t he ur n
i nsi de t he sar cophagus at t he
Pope' s si de. " No l ove i s gr eat er t han t hat of a f at her f or Hi s son. " Mor t at i
t ucked t he ur n out of si ght
beneat h t he papal r obes. He knew t hi s sacr ed gr ot t o was r eser ved excl usi vel y f or
t he r el i cs of Popes, but
somehow Mor t at i sensed t hi s was appr opr i at e.
" Si gnor e?" someone sai d, ent er i ng t he gr ot t oes. I t was Li eut enant Char t r and. He
was accompani ed by t hr ee
Swi ss Guar ds. " They ar e r eady f or you i n concl ave. "
Mor t at i nodded. " I n a moment . " He gazed one l ast t i me i nt o t he sar cophagus
bef or e hi m, and t hen st ood up.
He t ur ned t o t he guar ds. " I t i s t i me f or Hi s Hol i ness t o have t he peace he has
ear ned. "
The guar ds came f or war d and wi t h enor mous ef f or t sl i d t he l i d of t he Pope' s
sar cophagus back i nt o pl ace.
I t t hunder ed shut wi t h f i nal i t y.
Mor t at i was al one as he cr ossed t he Bor gi a Cour t yar d t owar d t he Si st i ne Chapel .
A damp br eeze t ossed hi s
r obe. A f el l ow car di nal emer ged f r omt he Apost ol i c Pal ace and st r ode besi de hi m.
" May I have t he honor of escor t i ng you t o concl ave, si gnor e?"
" The honor i s mi ne. "
" Si gnor e, " t he car di nal sai d, l ooki ng t r oubl ed. " The col l ege owes you an apol ogy
f or l ast ni ght . We wer e
bl i nded by- "
" Pl ease, " Mor t at i r epl i ed. " Our mi nds somet i mes see what our hear t s wi sh wer e
t r ue. "
The car di nal was si l ent a l ong t i me. Fi nal l y he spoke. " Have you been t ol d? You
ar e no l onger our Gr eat
El ect or . "
Mor t at i smi l ed. " Yes. I t hank God f or smal l bl essi ngs. "
" The col l ege i nsi st ed you be el i gi bl e. "
Sei t e 264
" I t seems char i t y i s not dead i n t he chur ch. "
" You ar e a wi se man. You woul d l ead us wel l . "
" I aman ol d man. I woul d l ead you br i ef l y. "
They bot h l aughed.
As t hey r eached t he end of t he Bor gi a Cour t yar d, t he car di nal hesi t at ed. He
t ur ned t o Mor t at i wi t h a
t r oubl ed myst i f i cat i on, as i f t he pr ecar i ous awe of t he ni ght bef or e had sl i pped
back i nt o hi s hear t .
" Wer e you awar e, " t he car di nal whi sper ed, " t hat we f ound no r emai ns on t he
bal cony?"
Mor t at i smi l ed. " Per haps t he r ai n washed t hemaway. "
The man l ooked t o t he st or my heavens. " Yes, per haps . . . "
136
T he mi dmor ni ng sky st i l l hung heavy wi t h cl ouds as t he Si st i ne Chapel ' s chi mney
gave up i t s f i r st f ai nt
puf f s of whi t e smoke. The pear l y wi sps cur l ed upwar d t owar d t he f i r mament and
sl owl y di ssi pat ed.
Far bel ow, i n St . Pet er ' s Squar e, r epor t er Gunt her Gl i ck wat ched i n r ef l ect i ve
si l ence. The f i nal chapt er . . .
Chi ni t a Macr i appr oached hi mf r ombehi nd and hoi st ed her camer a ont o her
shoul der . " I t ' s t i me, " she sai d.
Gl i ck nodded dol ef ul l y. He t ur ned t owar d her , smoot hed hi s hai r , and t ook a deep
br eat h. My l ast
t r ansmi ssi on, he t hought . A smal l cr owd had gat her ed ar ound t hemt o wat ch.
" Li ve i n si xt y seconds, " Macr i announced.
Gl i ck gl anced over hi s shoul der at t he r oof of t he Si st i ne Chapel behi nd hi m.
" Can you get t he smoke?"
Macr i pat i ent l y nodded. " I know how t o f r ame a shot , Gunt her . "
Gl i ck f el t dumb. Of cour se she di d. Macr i ' s per f or mance behi nd t he camer a l ast
ni ght had pr obabl y won
her t he Pul i t zer . Hi s per f or mance, on t he ot her hand . . . he di dn' t want t o
t hi nk about i t . He was sur e t he
BBC woul d l et hi mgo; no doubt t hey woul d have l egal t r oubl es f r omnumer ous
power f ul ent i t i es . . .
CERN and Geor ge Bush among t hem.
" You l ook good, " Chi ni t a pat r oni zed, l ooki ng out f r ombehi nd her camer a now wi t h
a hi nt of concer n. " I
wonder i f I mi ght of f er you . . . " She hesi t at ed, hol di ng her t ongue.
" Some advi ce?"
Macr i si ghed. " I was onl y goi ng t o say t hat t her e' s no need t o go out wi t h a
bang. "
" I know, " he sai d. " You want a st r ai ght wr ap. "
" The st r ai ght est i n hi st or y. I ' mt r ust i ng you. "
Gl i ck smi l ed. A st r ai ght wr ap? I s she cr azy? A st or y l i ke l ast ni ght ' s deser ved
so much mor e. A t wi st . A
f i nal bombshel l . An unf or eseen r evel at i on of shocki ng t r ut h.
For t unat el y, Gl i ck had j ust t he t i cket wai t i ng i n t he wi ngs . . .
* * *
" You' r e on i n . . . f i ve . . . f our . . . t hr ee . . . "
As Chi ni t a Macr i l ooked t hr ough her camer a, she sensed a sl y gl i nt i n Gl i ck' s
eye. I was i nsane t o l et hi m
do t hi s, she t hought . What was I t hi nki ng?
But t he moment f or second t hought s had passed. They wer e on.
" Li ve f r omVat i can Ci t y, " Gl i ck announced on cue, " t hi s i s Gunt her Gl i ck
r epor t i ng. " He gave t he camer a
a sol emn st ar e as t he whi t e smoke r ose behi nd hi mf r omt he Si st i ne Chapel .
" Ladi es and gent l emen, i t i s
now of f i ci al . Car di nal Saver i o Mor t at i , a sevent y- ni ne- year - ol d pr ogr essi ve, has
j ust been el ect ed t he next
Pope of Vat i can Ci t y. Al t hough an unl i kel y candi dat e, Mor t at i was chosen by an
unpr ecedent ed unani mous
vot e by t he Col l ege of Car di nal s. "
As Macr i wat ched hi m, she began t o br eat he easi er . Gl i ck seemed sur pr i si ngl y
pr of essi onal t oday. Even
aust er e. For t he f i r st t i me i n hi s l i f e, Gl i ck act ual l y l ooked and sounded
somewhat l i ke a newsman.
" And as we r epor t ed ear l i er , " Gl i ck added, hi s voi ce i nt ensi f yi ng per f ect l y,
" t he Vat i can has yet t o of f er
any st at ement what soever r egar di ng t he mi r acul ous event s of l ast ni ght . "
Sei t e 265
Good. Chi ni t a' s ner vousness waned some mor e. So f ar , so good.
Gl i ck' s expr essi on gr ew sor r owf ul now. " And t hough l ast ni ght was a ni ght of
wonder , i t was al so a ni ght
of t r agedy. Four car di nal s per i shed i n yest er day' s conf l i ct , al ong wi t h
Commander Ol i vet t i and Capt ai n
Rocher of t he Swi ss Guar d, bot h i n t he l i ne of dut y. Ot her casual t i es i ncl ude
Leonar do Vet r a, t he r enowned
CERN physi ci st and pi oneer of ant i mat t er t echnol ogy, as wel l as Maxi mi l i an
Kohl er , t he di r ect or of CERN,
who appar ent l y came t o Vat i can Ci t y i n an ef f or t t o hel p but r epor t edl y passed
away i n t he pr ocess. No
of f i ci al r epor t has been i ssued yet on Mr . Kohl er ' s deat h, but conj ect ur e i s
t hat he di ed due t o
compl i cat i ons br ought on by a l ong- t i me i l l ness. "
Macr i nodded. The r epor t was goi ng per f ect l y. J ust as t hey di scussed.
" And i n t he wake of t he expl osi on i n t he sky over t he Vat i can l ast ni ght , CERN' s
ant i mat t er t echnol ogy has
become t he hot t opi c among sci ent i st s, spar ki ng exci t ement and cont r over sy. A
st at ement r ead by Mr .
Kohl er ' s assi st ant i n Geneva, Syl vi e Baudel oque, announced t hi s mor ni ng t hat
CERN' s boar d of di r ect or s,
al t hough ent husi ast i c about ant i mat t er ' s pot ent i al , ar e suspendi ng al l r esear ch
and l i censi ng unt i l f ur t her
i nqui r i es i nt o i t s saf et y can be exami ned. "
Excel l ent , Macr i t hought . Home st r et ch.
" Not abl y absent f r omour scr eens t oni ght , " Gl i ck r epor t ed, " i s t he f ace of
Rober t Langdon, t he Har var d
pr of essor who came t o Vat i can Ci t y yest er day t o l end hi s exper t i se dur i ng t hi s
I l l umi nat i cr i si s. Al t hough
or i gi nal l y t hought t o have per i shed i n t he ant i mat t er bl ast , we now have r epor t s
t hat Langdon was spot t ed
i n St . Pet er ' s Squar e af t er t he expl osi on. How he got t her e i s st i l l
specul at i on, al t hough a spokesman f r om
Hospi t al Ti ber i na cl ai ms t hat Mr . Langdon f el l out of t he sky i nt o t he Ti ber
Ri ver shor t l y af t er mi dni ght ,
was t r eat ed, and r el eased. " Gl i ck ar ched hi s eyebr ows at t he camer a. " And i f
t hat i s t r ue . . . i t was i ndeed a
ni ght of mi r acl es. "
Per f ect endi ng! Macr i f el t her sel f smi l i ng br oadl y. Fl awl ess wr ap! Now si gn of f !
But Gl i ck di d not si gn of f . I nst ead, he paused a moment and t hen st epped t owar d
t he camer a. He had a
myst er i ous smi l e. " But bef or e we si gn of f . . . "
No!
" . . . I woul d l i ke t o i nvi t e a guest t o j oi n me. "
Chi ni t a' s hands f r oze on t he camer a. A guest ? What t he hel l i s he doi ng? What
guest ! Si gn of f ! But she
knew i t was t oo l at e. Gl i ck had commi t t ed.
" The man I amabout t o i nt r oduce, " Gl i ck sai d, " i s an Amer i can . . . a r enowned
schol ar . "
Chi ni t a hesi t at ed. She hel d her br eat h as Gl i ck t ur ned t o t he smal l cr owd ar ound
t hemand mot i oned f or hi s
guest t o st ep f or war d. Macr i sai d a si l ent pr ayer . Pl ease t el l me he somehow
l ocat ed Rober t Langdon . . .
and not some I l l umi nat i - conspi r acy nut case.
But as Gl i ck' s guest st epped out , Macr i ' s hear t sank. I t was not Rober t Langdon
at al l . I t was a bal d man i n
bl ue j eans and a f l annel shi r t . He had a cane and t hi ck gl asses. Macr i f el t
t er r or . Nut case!
" May I i nt r oduce, " Gl i ck announced, " t he r enowned Vat i can schol ar f r omDe Paul
Uni ver si t y i n Chi cago.
Dr . J oseph Vanek. "
Macr i now hesi t at ed as t he man j oi ned Gl i ck on camer a. Thi s was no conspi r acy
buf f ; Macr i had act ual l y
hear d of t hi s guy.
" Dr . Vanek, " Gl i ck sai d. " You have some r at her st ar t l i ng i nf or mat i on t o shar e
wi t h us r egar di ng l ast ni ght ' s
concl ave. "
" I do i ndeed, " Vanek sai d. " Af t er a ni ght of such sur pr i ses, i t i s har d t o
Sei t e 266
i magi ne t her e ar e any sur pr i ses l ef t .
. . and yet . . . " He paused.
Gl i ck smi l ed. " And yet , t her e i s a st r ange t wi st t o al l t hi s. "
Vanek nodded. " Yes. As per pl exi ng as t hi s wi l l sound, I bel i eve t he Col l ege of
Car di nal s unknowi ngl y
el ect ed t wo Popes t hi s weekend. "
Macr i al most dr opped t he camer a.
Gl i ck gave a shr ewd smi l e. " Two Popes, you say?"
The schol ar nodded. " Yes. I shoul d f i r st say t hat I have spent my l i f e st udyi ng
t he l aws of papal el ect i on.
Concl ave j udi cat ur e i s ext r emel y compl ex, and much of i t i s now f or got t en or
i gnor ed as obsol et e. Even t he
Gr eat El ect or i s pr obabl y not awar e of what I amabout t o r eveal . Nonet hel ess .
. . accor di ng t o t he anci ent
f or got t en l aws put f or t h i n t he Romano Pont i f i ci El i gendo, Numer o 63 . . .
bal l ot i ng i s not t he onl y met hod
by whi ch a Pope can be el ect ed. Ther e i s anot her , mor e di vi ne met hod. I t i s
cal l ed ' Accl amat i on by
Ador at i on. ' " He paused. " And i t happened l ast ni ght . "
Gl i ck gave hi s guest a r i vet ed l ook. " Pl ease, go on. "
" As you may r ecal l , " t he schol ar cont i nued, " l ast ni ght , when Camer l egno Car l o
Vent r esca was st andi ng on
t he r oof of t he basi l i ca, al l of t he car di nal s bel ow began cal l i ng out hi s name
i n uni son. "
" Yes, I r ecal l . "
" Wi t h t hat i mage i n mi nd, al l ow me t o r ead ver bat i mf r omt he anci ent el ect or al
l aws. " The man pul l ed
some paper s f r omhi s pocket , cl ear ed hi s t hr oat , and began t o r ead. " ' El ect i on
by Ador at i on occur s when . .
. al l t he car di nal s, as i f by i nspi r at i on of t he Hol y Spi r i t , f r eel y and
spont aneousl y, unani mousl y and al oud,
pr ocl ai mone i ndi vi dual ' s name. ' "
Gl i ck smi l ed. " So you' r e sayi ng t hat l ast ni ght , when t he car di nal s chant ed
Car l o Vent r esca' s name
t oget her , t hey act ual l y el ect ed hi mPope?"
" They di d i ndeed. Fur t her mor e, t he l aw st at es t hat El ect i on by Ador at i on
super cedes t he car di nal el i gi bi l i t y
r equi r ement and per mi t s any cl er gyman- or dai ned pr i est , bi shop, or car di nal - t o be
el ect ed. So, as you can
see, t he camer l egno was per f ect l y qual i f i ed f or papal el ect i on by t hi s
pr ocedur e. " Dr . Vanek l ooked di r ect l y
i nt o t he camer a now. " The f act s ar e t hese . . . Car l o Vent r esca was el ect ed Pope
l ast ni ght . He r ei gned f or
j ust under sevent een mi nut es. And had he not ascended mi r acul ousl y i nt o a pi l l ar
of f i r e, he woul d now be
bur i ed i n t he Vat i can Gr ot t oes al ong wi t h t he ot her Popes. "
" Thank you, doct or . " Gl i ck t ur ned t o Macr i wi t h a mi schi evous wi nk. " Most
i l l umi nat i ng . . . "
137
H i gh at op t he st eps of t he Roman Col i seum, Vi t t or i a l aughed and cal l ed down t o
hi m. " Rober t , hur r y
up! I knew I shoul d have mar r i ed a younger man! " Her smi l e was magi c.
He st r uggl ed t o keep up, but hi s l egs f el t l i ke st one. " Wai t , " he begged.
" Pl ease . . . "
Ther e was a poundi ng i n hi s head.
Rober t Langdon awoke wi t h a st ar t .
Dar kness.
He l ay st i l l f or a l ong t i me i n t he f or ei gn sof t ness of t he bed, unabl e t o
f i gur e out wher e he was. The
pi l l ows wer e goose down, over si zed and wonder f ul . The ai r smel l ed of pot pour r i .
Acr oss t he r oom, t wo
gl ass door s st ood open t o a l avi sh bal cony, wher e a l i ght br eeze pl ayed beneat h
a gl i st eni ng cl oud- swept
moon. Langdon t r i ed t o r emember how he had got t en her e . . . and wher e her e was.
Sur r eal wi sps of memor y si f t ed back i nt o hi s consci ousness . . .
A pyr e of myst i cal f i r e . . . an angel mat er i al i zi ng f r omout of t he cr owd . . .
her sof t hand t aki ng hi s and
l eadi ng hi mi nt o t he ni ght . . . gui di ng hi s exhaust ed, bat t er ed body t hr ough
Sei t e 267
t he st r eet s . . . l eadi ng hi mher e
. . . t o t hi s sui t e . . . pr oppi ng hi mhal f - sl eepi ng i n a scal di ng hot shower .
. . l eadi ng hi mt o t hi s bed . . . and
wat chi ng over hi mas he f el l asl eep l i ke t he dead.
I n t he di mness now, Langdon coul d see a second bed. The sheet s wer e t ousl ed, but
t he bed was empt y.
Fr omone of t he adj oi ni ng r ooms, he coul d hear t he f ai nt , st eady st r eamof a
shower .
As he gazed at Vi t t or i a' s bed, he saw a bol dl y embr oi der ed seal on her
pi l l owcase. I t r ead: HOTEL
BERNI NI . Langdon had t o smi l e. Vi t t or i a had chosen wel l . Ol d Wor l d l uxur y
over l ooki ng Ber ni ni ' s Tr i t on
Fount ai n . . . t her e was no mor e f i t t i ng hot el i n al l of Rome.
As Langdon l ay t her e, he hear d a poundi ng and r eal i zed what had awoken hi m.
Someone was knocki ng at
t he door . I t gr ew l ouder .
Conf used, Langdon got up. Nobody knows we' r e her e, he t hought , f eel i ng a t r ace
of uneasi ness. Donni ng a
l uxur i ant Hot el Ber ni ni r obe, he wal ked out of t he bedr oomi nt o t he sui t e' s
f oyer . He st ood a moment at t he
heavy oak door , and t hen pul l ed i t open.
A power f ul man ador ned i n l avi sh pur pl e and yel l ow r egal i a st ar ed down at hi m.
" I amLi eut enant
Char t r and, " t he man sai d. " Vat i can Swi ss Guar d. "
Langdon knew f ul l wel l who he was. " How . . . how di d you f i nd us?"
" I saw you l eave t he squar e l ast ni ght . I f ol l owed you. I ' mr el i eved you' r e
st i l l her e. "
Langdon f el t a sudden anxi et y, wonder i ng i f t he car di nal s had sent Char t r and t o
escor t Langdon and
Vi t t or i a back t o Vat i can Ci t y. Af t er al l , t he t wo of t hemwer e t he onl y t wo
peopl e beyond t he Col l ege of
Car di nal s who knew t he t r ut h. They wer e a l i abi l i t y.
" Hi s Hol i ness asked me t o gi ve t hi s t o you, " Char t r and sai d, handi ng over an
envel ope seal ed wi t h t he
Vat i can si gnet . Langdon opened t he envel ope and r ead t he handwr i t t en not e.
Mr . Langdon and Ms. Vet r a,
Al t hough i t i s my pr of ound desi r e t o r equest your di scr et i on i n t he mat t er s of
t he past 24 hour s, I cannot
possi bl y pr esume t o ask mor e of you t han you have al r eady gi ven. I t her ef or e
humbl y r et r eat hopi ng onl y
t hat you l et your hear t s gui de you i n t hi s mat t er . The wor l d seems a bet t er
pl ace t oday . . . maybe t he
quest i ons ar e mor e power f ul t han t he answer s.
My door i s al ways open,
Hi s Hol i ness, Saver i o Mor t at i
Langdon r ead t he message t wi ce. The Col l ege of Car di nal s had obvi ousl y chosen a
nobl e and muni f i cent
l eader .
Bef or e Langdon coul d say anyt hi ng, Char t r and pr oduced a smal l package. " A t oken
of t hanks f r omHi s
Hol i ness. "
Langdon t ook t he package. I t was heavy, wr apped i n br own paper .
" By hi s decr ee, " Char t r and sai d, " t hi s ar t i f act i s on i ndef i ni t e l oan t o you
f r omt he sacr ed Papal Vaul t . Hi s
Hol i ness asks onl y t hat i n your l ast wi l l and t est ament you ensur e i t f i nds i t s
way home. "
Langdon opened t he package and was st r uck speechl ess. I t was t he br and. The
I l l umi nat i Di amond.
Char t r and smi l ed. " May peace be wi t h you. " He t ur ned t o go.
" Thank . . . you, " Langdon managed, hi s hands t r embl i ng ar ound t he pr eci ous
gi f t .
The guar d hesi t at ed i n t he hal l . " Mr . Langdon, may I ask you somet hi ng?"
" Of cour se. "
" My f el l ow guar ds and I ar e cur i ous. Those l ast f ew mi nut es . . . what happened
up t her e i n t he
hel i copt er ?"
Langdon f el t a r ush of anxi et y. He knew t hi s moment was comi ng- t he moment of
Sei t e 268
t r ut h. He and Vi t t or i a had
t al ked about i t l ast ni ght as t hey st ol e away f r omSt . Pet er ' s Squar e. And t hey
had made t hei r deci si on.
Even bef or e t he Pope' s not e.
Vi t t or i a' s f at her had dr eamed hi s ant i mat t er di scover y woul d br i ng about a
spi r i t ual awakeni ng. Last
ni ght ' s event s wer e no doubt not what he had i nt ended, but t he undeni abl e f act
r emai ned . . . at t hi s
moment , ar ound t he wor l d, peopl e wer e consi der i ng God i n ways t hey never had
bef or e. How l ong t he
magi c woul d l ast , Langdon and Vi t t or i a had no i dea, but t hey knew t hey coul d
never shat t er t he
wonder ment wi t h scandal and doubt . The Lor d wor ks i n st r ange ways, Langdon t ol d
hi msel f , wonder i ng
wr yl y i f maybe . . . j ust maybe . . . yest er day had been God' s wi l l af t er al l .
" Mr . Langdon?" Char t r and r epeat ed. " I was aski ng about t he hel i copt er ?"
Langdon gave a sad smi l e. " Yes, I know . . . " He f el t t he wor ds f l ow not f r om
hi s mi nd but f r omhi s hear t .
" Per haps i t was t he shock of t he f al l . . . but my memor y . . . i t seems . . .
i t ' s al l a bl ur . . . "
Char t r and sl umped. " You r emember not hi ng?"
Langdon si ghed. " I f ear i t wi l l r emai n a myst er y f or ever . "
When Rober t Langdon r et ur ned t o t he bedr oom, t he vi si on awai t i ng hi mst opped hi m
i n hi s t r acks. Vi t t or i a
st ood on t he bal cony, her back t o t he r ai l i ng, her eyes gazi ng deepl y at hi m.
She l ooked l i ke a heavenl y
appar i t i on . . . a r adi ant si l houet t e wi t h t he moon behi nd her . She coul d have
been a Roman goddess,
enshr ouded i n her whi t e t er r ycl ot h r obe, t he dr awst r i ng ci nched t i ght ,
accent uat i ng her sl ender cur ves.
Behi nd her , a pal e mi st hung l i ke a hal o over Ber ni ni ' s Tr i t on Fount ai n.
Langdon f el t wi l dl y dr awn t o her . . . mor e t han t o any woman i n hi s l i f e.
Qui et l y, he l ay t he I l l umi nat i
Di amond and t he Pope' s l et t er on hi s bedsi de t abl e. Ther e woul d be t i me t o
expl ai n al l of t hat l at er . He
went t o her on t he bal cony.
Vi t t or i a l ooked happy t o see hi m. " You' r e awake, " she sai d, i n a coy whi sper .
" Fi nal l y. "
Langdon smi l ed. " Long day. "
She r an a hand t hr ough her l uxur i ant hai r , t he neck of her r obe f al l i ng open
sl i ght l y. " And now . . . I
suppose you want your r ewar d. "
The comment t ook Langdon of f guar d. " I ' m. . . sor r y?"
" We' r e adul t s, Rober t . You can admi t i t . You f eel a l ongi ng. I see i t i n your
eyes. A deep, car nal hunger . "
She smi l ed. " I f eel i t t oo. And t hat cr avi ng i s about t o be sat i sf i ed. "
" I t i s?" He f el t embol dened and t ook a st ep t owar d her .
" Compl et el y. " She hel d up a r oom- ser vi ce menu. " I or der ed ever yt hi ng t hey' ve
got . "
The f east was sumpt uous. They di ned t oget her by moonl i ght . . . si t t i ng on t hei r
bal cony . . . savor i ng f r i se,
t r uf f l es, and r i sot t o. They si pped Dol cet t o wi ne and t al ked l at e i nt o t he ni ght .
Langdon di d not need t o be a symbol ogi st t o r ead t he si gns Vi t t or i a was sendi ng
hi m. Dur i ng desser t of
boysenber r y cr eamwi t h savoi ar di and st eami ng Romcaf f , Vi t t or i a pr essed her
bar e l egs agai nst hi s
beneat h t he t abl e and f i xed hi mwi t h a sul t r y st ar e. She seemed t o be wi l l i ng
hi mt o set down hi s f or k and
car r y her of f i n hi s ar ms.
But Langdon di d not hi ng. He r emai ned t he per f ect gent l eman. Two can pl ay at t hi s
game, he t hought ,
hi di ng a r ogui sh smi l e.
When al l t he f ood was eat en, Langdon r et i r ed t o t he edge of hi s bed wher e he sat
al one, t ur ni ng t he
I l l umi nat i Di amond over and over i n hi s hands, maki ng r epeat ed comment s about
t he mi r acl e of i t s
symmet r y. Vi t t or i a st ar ed at hi m, her conf usi on gr owi ng t o an obvi ous
Sei t e 269
f r ust r at i on.
" You f i nd t hat ambi gr amt er r i bl y i nt er est i ng, don' t you?" she demanded.
Langdon nodded. " Mesmer i zi ng. "
" Woul d you say i t ' s t he most i nt er est i ng t hi ng i n t hi s r oom?"
Langdon scr at ched hi s head, maki ng a show of ponder i ng i t . " Wel l , t her e i s one
t hi ng t hat i nt er est s me
mor e. "
She smi l ed and t ook a st ep t owar d hi m. " That bei ng?"
" How you di spr oved t hat Ei nst ei n t heor y usi ng t una f i sh. "
Vi t t or i a t hr ew up her hands. " Di o m o! Enough wi t h t he t una f i sh! Don' t pl ay
wi t h me, I ' mwar ni ng you. "
Langdon gr i nned. " Maybe f or your next exper i ment , you coul d st udy f l ounder s and
pr ove t he ear t h i s f l at . "
Vi t t or i a was st eami ng now, but t he f i r st f ai nt hi nt s of an exasper at ed smi l e
appear ed on her l i ps. " For your
i nf or mat i on, pr of essor , my next exper i ment wi l l make sci ent i f i c hi st or y. I pl an
t o pr ove neut r i nos have
mass. "
" Neut r i nos have mass?" Langdon shot her a st unned l ook. " I di dn' t even know t hey
wer e Cat hol i c! "
Wi t h one f l ui d mot i on, she was on hi m, pi nni ng hi mdown. " I hope you bel i eve i n
l i f e af t er deat h, Rober t
Langdon. " Vi t t or i a was l aughi ng as she st r addl ed hi m, her hands hol di ng hi m
down, her eyes abl aze wi t h a
mi schi evous f i r e.
" Act ual l y, " he choked, l aughi ng har der now, " I ' ve al ways had t r oubl e pi ct ur i ng
anyt hi ng beyond t hi s
wor l d. "
" Real l y? So you' ve never had a r el i gi ous exper i ence? A per f ect moment of
gl or i ous r apt ur e?"
Langdon shook hi s head. " No, and I ser i ousl y doubt I ' mt he ki nd of man who coul d
ever have a r el i gi ous
exper i ence. "
Vi t t or i a sl i pped of f her r obe. " You' ve never been t o bed wi t h a yoga mast er ,
have you?"
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
DAN BROWN i s t he best sel l i ng aut hor of Di gi t al For t r ess. He i s a gr aduat e of
Phi l l i ps Exet er Academy,
wher e he has t aught Engl i sh and cr eat i ve wr i t i ng. He l i ves i n New Engl and wi t h
hi s wi f e.
Sei t e 270

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