danbrown.angels&demons-第22部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


e　for　election　and　did　not　attend　conclave；　but　at　seventy…nine　years　old；　Mortati　was　the　most　senior　cardinal　here　and　had　been　appointed　to　oversee　the　proceedings。　
　Following　tradition；　the　cardinals　gathered　here　two　hours　before　conclave　to　catch　up　with　friends　and　engage　in　last…minute　discussion。　At　7　P。M。；　the　late　Pope's　chamberlain　would　arrive；　give　opening　prayer；　and　then　leave。　Then　the　Swiss　Guard　would　seal　the　doors　and　lock　all　the　cardinals　inside。　It　was　then　that　the　oldest　and　most　secretive　political　ritual　in　the　world　would　begin。　The　cardinals　would　not　be　released　until　they　decided　who　among　them　would　be　the　next　Pope。
　Conclave。　Even　the　name　was　secretive。　〃Con　clave〃　literally　meant　〃locked　with　a　key。〃　The　cardinals　were　permitted　no　contact　whatsoever　with　the　outside　world。　No　phone　calls。　No　messages。　No　whispers　through　doorways。　Conclave　was　a　vacuum；　not　to　be　influenced　by　anything　in　the　outside　world。　This　would　ensure　that　the　cardinals　kept　Solum　Dum　prae　oculis　。　。　。　only　God　before　their　eyes。　
　Outside　the　walls　of　the　chapel；　of　course；　the　media　watched　and　waited；　speculating　as　to　which　of　the　cardinals　would　bee　the　ruler　of　one　billion　Catholics　worldwide。　Conclaves　created　an　intense；　politically　charged　atmosphere；　and　over　the　centuries　they　had　turned　deadly；　poisonings；　fist　fights；　and　even　murder　had　erupted　within　the　sacred　walls。　Ancient　history；　Mortati　thought。　Tonight's　conclave　will　be　unified；　blissful；　and　above　all　。　。　。　brief。　
　Or　at　least　that　had　been　his　speculation。　
　Now；　however；　an　unexpected　development　had　emerged。　Mystifyingly；　four　cardinals　were　absent　from　the　chapel。　Mortati　knew　that　all　the　exits　to　Vatican　City　were　guarded；　and　the　missing　cardinals　could　not　have　gone　far；　but　still；　with　less　than　an　hour　before　opening　prayer；　he　was　feeling　disconcerted。　After　all；　the　four　missing　men　were　no　ordinary　cardinals。　They　were　the　cardinals。
　The　chosen　four。
　As　overseer　of　the　conclave；　Mortati　had　already　sent　word　through　the　proper　channels　to　the　Swiss　Guard　alerting　them　to　the　cardinals'　absence。　He　had　yet　to　hear　back。　Other　cardinals　had　now　noticed　the　puzzling　absence。　The　anxious　whispers　had　begun。　Of　all　cardinals；　these　four　should　be　on　time！　Cardinal　Mortati　was　starting　to　fear　it　might　be　a　long　evening　after　all。　
　He　had　no　idea。
　
　35

　The　Vatican's　helipad；　for　reasons　of　safety　and　noise　control；　is　located　in　the　northwest　tip　of　Vatican　City；　as　far　from　St。　Peter's　Basilica　as　possible。
　〃Terra　firma；〃　the　pilot　announced　as　they　touched　down。　He　exited　and　opened　the　sliding　door　for　Langdon　and　Vittoria。　
　Langdon　descended　from　the　craft　and　turned　to　help　Vittoria；　but　she　had　already　dropped　effortlessly　to　the　ground。　Every　muscle　in　her　body　seemed　tuned　to　one　objective…finding　the　antimatter　before　it　left　a　horrific　legacy。
　After　stretching　a　reflective　sun　tarp　across　the　cockpit　window；　the　pilot　ushered　them　to　an　oversized　electric　golf　cart　waiting　near　the　helipad。　The　cart　whisked　them　silently　alongside　the　country's　western　border…a　fifty…foot…tall　cement　bulwark　thick　enough　to　ward　off　attacks　even　by　tanks。　Lining　the　interior　of　the　wall；　posted　at　fifty…meter　intervals；　Swiss　Guards　stood　at　attention；　surveying　the　interior　of　the　grounds。　The　cart　turned　sharply　right　onto　Via　della　Osservatorio。　Signs　pointed　in　all　directions：　
　
　PALAZZIO　GOVERNATORIO　COLLEGIO　ETHIOPIANA　BASILICA　SAN　PIETRO　CAPELLA　SISTINA　
　
　They　accelerated　up　the　manicured　road　past　a　squat　building　marked　RADIO　VATICANA。　This；　Langdon　realized　to　his　amazement；　was　the　hub　of　the　world's　most　listened…to　radio　programming…Radio　Vaticana…spreading　the　word　of　God　to　millions　of　listeners　around　the　globe。
　〃Attenzione；〃　the　pilot　said；　turning　sharply　into　a　rotary。
　As　the　cart　wound　round；　Langdon　could　barely　believe　the　sight　now　ing　into　view。　Giardini　Vaticani；　he　thought。　The　heart　of　Vatican　City。　Directly　ahead　rose　the　rear　of　St。　Peter's　Basilica；　a　view；　Langdon　realized；　most　people　never　saw。　To　the　right　loomed　the　Palace　of　the　Tribunal；　the　lush　papal　residence　rivaled　only　by　Versailles　in　its　baroque　embellishment。　The　severe…looking　Governatorato　building　was　now　behind　them；　housing　Vatican　City's　administration。　And　up　ahead　on　the　left；　the　massive　rectangular　edifice　of　the　Vatican　Museum。　Langdon　knew　there　would　be　no　time　for　a　museum　visit　this　trip。
　〃Where　is　everyone？〃　Vittoria　asked；　surveying　the　deserted　lawns　and　walkways。
　The　guard　checked　his　black；　military…style　chronograph…an　odd　anachronism　beneath　his　puffy　sleeve。　〃The　cardinals　are　convened　in　the　Sistine　Chapel。　Conclave　begins　in　a　little　under　an　hour。〃
　Langdon　nodded；　vaguely　recalling　that　before　conclave　the　cardinals　spent　two　hours　inside　the　Sistine　Chapel　in　quiet　reflection　and　visitations　with　their　fellow　cardinals　from　around　the　globe。　The　time　was　meant　to　renew　old　friendships　among　the　cardinals　and　facilitate　a　less　heated　election　process。　〃And　the　rest　of　the　residents　and　staff？〃
　〃Banned　from　the　city　for　secrecy　and　security　until　the　conclave　concludes。〃
　〃And　when　does　it　conclude？〃
　The　guard　shrugged。　〃God　only　knows。〃　The　words　sounded　oddly　literal。　
　
　After　parking　the　cart　on　the　wide　lawn　directly　behind　St。　Peter's　Basilica；　the　guard　escorted　Langdon　and　Vittoria　up　a　stone　escarpment　to　a　marble　plaza　off　the　back　of　the　basilica。　Crossing　the　plaza；　they　approached　the　rear　wall　of　the　basilica　and　followed　it　through　a　triangular　courtyard；　across　Via　Belvedere；　and　into　a　series　of　buildings　closely　huddled　together。　Langdon's　art　history　had　taught　him　enough　Italian　to　pick　out　signs　for　the　Vatican　Printing　Office；　the　Tapestry　Restoration　Lab；　Post　Office　Management；　and　the　Church　of　St。　Ann。　They　crossed　another　small　square　and　arrived　at　their　destination。　
　The　Office　of　the　Swiss　Guard　is　housed　adjacent　to　Il　Corpo　di　Vigilanza；　directly　northeast　of　St。　Peter's　Basilica。　The　office　is　a　squat；　stone　building。　On　either　side　of　the　entrance；　like　two　stone　statues；　stood　a　pair　of　guards。
　Langdon　had　to　admit；　these　guards　did　not　look　quite　so　ical。　Although　they　also　wore　the　blue　and　gold　uniform；　each　wielded　the　traditional　〃Vatican　long　sword〃…an　eight…foot　spear　with　a　razor…sharp　scythe…rumored　to　have　decapitated　countless　Muslims　while　defending　the　Christian　crusaders　in　the　fifteenth　century。
　As　Langdon　and　Vittoria　approached；　the　two　guards　stepped　forward；　crossing　their　long　swords；　blocking　the　entrance。　One　looked　up　at　the　pilot　in　confusion。　〃I　pantaloni；〃　he　said；　motioning　to　Vittoria's　shorts。
　The　pilot　waved　them　off。　〃Il　andante　vuole　vederli　subito。〃　
　The　guards　frowned。　Reluctantly　they　stepped　aside。
　
　Inside；　the　air　was　cool。　It　looked　nothing　like　the　administrative　security　offices　Langdon　would　have　imagined。　Ornate　and　impeccably　furnished；　the　hallways　contained　paintings　Langdon　was　certain　any　museum　worldwide　would　gladly　have　featured　in　its　main　gallery。
　The　pilot　pointed　down　a　steep　set　of　stairs。　〃Down；　please。〃
　Langdon　and　Vittoria　followed　the　white　marble　treads　as　they　descended　between　a　gauntlet　of　nude　male　sculptures。　Each　statue　wore　a　fig　leaf　that　was　lighter　in　color　than　the　rest　of　the　body。　
　The　Great　Castration；　Langdon　thought。
　It　was　one　of　the　most　horrific　tragedies　in　Renaissance　art。　In　1857；　Pope　Pius　IX　decided　that　the　accurate　representation　of　the　male　form　might　incite　lust　inside　the　Vatican。　So　he　got　a　chisel　and　mallet　and　hacked　off　the　genitalia　of　every　single　male　statue　inside　Vatican　City。　He　defaced　works　by　Michelangelo；　Bramante；　and　Bernini。　Plaster　fig　leaves　were　used　to　patch　the　damage。　Hundreds　of　sculptures　had　been　emasculated。　Langdon　had　often　wondered　if　there　was　a　huge　crate　of　stone　penises　someplace。
　〃Here；〃　the　guard　announced。
　They　reached　the　bottom　of　the　stairs　and　dead…ended　at　a　heavy；　steel　door。　The　guard　typed　an　entry　code；　and　the　door　slid　open。　Langdon　and　Vittoria　entered。　
　Beyond　the　threshold　was　absolute　mayhem。
　
　36

　The　Office　of　the　Swiss　Guard。
　Langdon　stood　in　the　doorway；　surveying　the　collision　of　centuries　before　them。　Mixed　media。　The　room　was　a　lushly　adorned　Renaissance　library　plete　with　inlaid　bookshelves；　oriental　carpets；　and　colorful　tapestries　。　。　。　and　yet　the　room　bristled　with　high…tech　gear…banks　of　puters；　faxes；　electronic　maps　of　the　Vatican　plex；　and　televisions　tuned　to　CNN。　Men　in　colorful　pantaloons　typed　feverishly　on　puters　and　listened　intently　in　futuristic　headphones。
　〃Wait　here；〃　the　guard　said。
　Langdon　and　Vittoria　waited　as　the　guard　crossed　the　room　to　an　exceptionally　tall；　wiry　man　in　a　dark　blue　military　uniform。　He　was　talking　on　a　cellular　phone　and　stood　so　straight　he　was　almost　bent　backward。　The　guard　said　something　to　him；　and　the　man　shot　a　glance　over　at　Langdon　and　Vittoria。　He　nodded；　then　turned　his　back　on　them　and　continued　his　phone　call。
　The　guard　returned。　〃mander　Olivetti　will　be　with　you　in　a　moment。〃
　〃Thank　you。〃
　The　guard　left　and　headed　back　up　the　stairs。　
　Langdon　studied