达芬奇密码 作者: 美 丹·布朗(英文版)-第11部分

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poke　the　word；　sounding　repulsed　by　the　sight　of　an　aging　male　body。　〃Why　did　he　remove　his　clothing？〃
Damned　good　question；　Langdon　thought。　He'd　been　wondering　the　same　thing　ever　since　he　first　saw　the　Polaroid。　His　best　guess　was　that　a　naked　human　form　was　yet　another　endorsement　of　Venus—the　goddess　of　human　sexuality。　Although　modern　culture　had　erased　much　of　Venus's　association　with　the　male/female　physical　union；　a　sharp　etymological　eye　could　still　spot　a　vestige　of　Venus's　original　meaning　in　the　word　〃venereal。〃　Langdon　decided　not　to　go　there。
〃Mr。　Fache；　I　obviously　can't　tell　you　why　Mr。　Saunière　drew　that　symbol　on　himself　or　placed　himself　in　this　way；　but　I　can　tell　you　that　a　man　like　Jacques　Saunière　would　consider　the　pentacle　a　sign　of　the　female　deity。　The　correlation　between　this　symbol　and　the　sacred　feminine　is　widely　known　by　art　historians　and　symbologists。〃
〃Fine。　And　the　use　of　his　own　blood　as　ink？〃
〃Obviously　he　had　nothing　else　to　write　with。〃
Fache　was　silent　a　moment。　〃Actually；　I　believe　he　used　blood　such　that　the　police　would　follow　certain　forensic　procedures。〃
〃I'm　sorry？〃
〃Look　at　his　left　hand。〃
Langdon's　eyes　traced　the　length　of　the　curator's　pale　arm　to　his　left　hand　but　saw　nothing。　Uncertain；　he　circled　the　corpse　and　crouched　down；　now　noting　with　surprise　that　the　curator　was　clutching　a　large；　felt…tipped　marker。
〃Saunière　was　holding　it　when　we　found　him；〃　Fache　said；　leaving　Langdon　and　moving　several　yards　to　a　portable　table　covered　with　investigation　tools；　cables；　and　assorted　electronic　gear。　〃As　I　told　you；〃　he　said；　rummaging　around　the　table；　〃we　have　touched　nothing。　Are　you　familiar　with　this　kind　of　pen？〃
Langdon　knelt　down　farther　to　see　the　pen's　label。
STYLO　DE　LUMIERE　NOIRE。
He　glanced　up　in　surprise。
The　black…light　pen　or　watermark　stylus　was　a　specialized　felt…tipped　marker　originally　designed　by　museums；　restorers；　and　forgery　police　to　place　invisible　marks　on　items。　The　stylus　wrote　in　a　noncorrosive；　alcohol…based　fluorescent　ink　that　was　visible　only　under　black　light。　Nowadays；　museum　maintenance　staffs　carried　these　markers　on　their　daily　rounds　to　place　invisible　〃tick　marks〃　on　the　frames　of　paintings　that　needed　restoration。
As　Langdon　stood　up；　Fache　walked　over　to　the　spotlight　and　turned　it　off。　The　gallery　plunged　into　sudden　darkness。
Momentarily　blinded；　Langdon　felt　a　rising　uncertainty。　Fache's　silhouette　appeared；　illuminated　in　bright　purple。　He　approached　carrying　a　portable　light　source；　which　shrouded　him　in　a　violet　haze。
〃As　you　may　know；〃　Fache　said；　his　eyes　luminescing　in　the　violet　glow；　〃police　use　black…light　illumination　to　search　crime　scenes　for　blood　and　other　forensic　evidence。　So　you　can　imagine　our　surprise。。。〃　Abruptly；　he　pointed　the　light　down　at　the　corpse。
Langdon　looked　down　and　jumped　back　in　shock。
His　heart　pounded　as　he　took　in　the　bizarre　sight　now　glowing　before　him　on　the　parquet　floor。　Scrawled　in　luminescent　handwriting；　the　curator's　final　words　glowed　purple　beside　his　corpse。　As　Langdon　stared　at　the　shimmering　text；　he　felt　the　fog　that　had　surrounded　this　entire　night　growing　thicker。
Langdon　read　the　message　again　and　looked　up　at　Fache。　〃What　the　hell　does　this　mean！〃
Fache's　eyes　shone　white。　〃That；　monsieur；　is　precisely　the　question　you　are　here　to　answer。〃
　
Not　far　away；　inside　Saunière's　office；　Lieutenant　Collet　had　returned　to　the　Louvre　and　was　huddled　over　an　audio　console　set　up　on　the　curator's　enormous　desk。　With　the　exception　of　the　eerie；　robot…like　doll　of　a　medieval　knight　that　seemed　to　be　staring　at　him　from　the　corner　of　Saunière's　desk；　Collet　was　fortable。　He　adjusted　his　AKG　headphones　and　checked　the　input　levels　on　the　hard…disk　recording　system。　All　systems　were　go。　The　microphones　were　functioning　flawlessly；　and　the　audio　feed　was　crystal　clear。
Le　moment　de　vérité；　he　mused。
Smiling；　he　closed　his　eyes　and　settled　in　to　enjoy　the　rest　of　the　conversation　now　being　taped　inside　the　Grand　Gallery。
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CHAPTER　7
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The　modest　dwelling　within　the　Church　of　Saint…Sulpice　was　located　on　the　second　floor　of　the　church　itself；　to　the　left　of　the　choir　balcony。　A　two…room　suite　with　a　stone　floor　and　minimal　furnishings；　it　had　been　home　to　Sister　Sandrine　Bieil　for　over　a　decade。　The　nearby　convent　was　her　formal　residence；　if　anyone　asked；　but　she　preferred　the　quiet　of　the　church　and　had　made　herself　quite　fortable　upstairs　with　a　bed；　phone；　and　hot　plate。
As　the　church's　conservatrice　d'affaires；　Sister　Sandrine　was　responsible　for　overseeing　all　nonreligious　aspects　of　church　operations—general　maintenance；　hiring　support　staff　and　guides；　securing　the　building　after　hours；　and　ordering　supplies　like　munion　wine　and　wafers。
Tonight；　asleep　in　her　small　bed；　she　awoke　to　the　shrill　of　her　telephone。　Tiredly；　she　lifted　the　receiver。
〃Soeur　Sandrine。　Eglise　Saint…Sulpice。〃
〃Hello；　Sister；〃　the　man　said　in　French。
Sister　Sandrine　sat　up。　What　time　is　it？　Although　she　recognized　her　boss's　voice；　in　fifteen　years　she　had　never　been　awoken　by　him。　The　abbé　was　a　deeply　pious　man　who　went　home　to　bed　immediately　after　mass。
〃I　apologize　if　I　have　awoken　you；　Sister；〃　the　abbé　said；　his　own　voice　sounding　groggy　and　on　edge。　〃I　have　a　favor　to　ask　of　you。　I　just　received　a　call　from　an　influential　American　bishop。　Perhaps　you　know　him？　Manuel　Aringarosa？〃
〃The　head　of　Opus　Dei？〃　Of　course　I　know　of　him。　Who　in　the　Church　doesn't？　Aringarosa's　conservative　prelature　had　grown　powerful　in　recent　years。　Their　ascension　to　grace　was　jump…started　in　1982　when　Pope　John　Paul　II　unexpectedly　elevated　them　to　a　〃personal　prelature　of　the　Pope；〃　officially　sanctioning　all　of　their　practices。　Suspiciously；　Opus　Dei's　elevation　occurred　the　same　year　the　wealthy　sect　allegedly　had　transferred　almost　one　billion　dollars　into　the　Vatican's　Institute　for　Religious　Works—monly　known　as　the　Vatican　Bank—bailing　it　out　of　an　embarrassing　bankruptcy。　In　a　second　maneuver　that　raised　eyebrows；　the　Pope　placed　the　founder　of　Opus　Dei　on　the　〃fast　track〃　for　sainthood；　accelerating　an　often　century…long　waiting　period　for　canonization　to　a　mere　twenty　years。　Sister　Sandrine　could　not　help　but　feel　that　Opus　Dei's　good　standing　in　Rome　was　suspect；　but　one　did　not　argue　with　the　Holy　See。
〃Bishop　Aringarosa　called　to　ask　me　a　favor；〃　the　abbé　told　her；　his　voice　nervous。　〃One　of　his　numeraries　is　in　Paris　tonight。。。。〃
As　Sister　Sandrine　listened　to　the　odd　request；　she　felt　a　deepening　confusion。　〃I'm　sorry；　you　say　this　visiting　Opus　Dei　numerary　cannot　wait　until　morning？〃
〃I'm　afraid　not。　His　plane　leaves　very　early。　He　has　always　dreamed　of　seeing　Saint…Sulpice。〃
〃But　the　church　is　far　more　interesting　by　day。　The　sun's　rays　through　the　oculus；　the　graduated　shadows　on　the　gnomon；　this　is　what　makes　Saint…Sulpice　unique。〃
〃Sister；　I　agree；　and　yet　I　would　consider　it　a　personal　favor　if　you　could　let　him　in　tonight。　He　can　be　there　at。。。　say　one　o'clock？　That's　in　twenty　minutes。〃
Sister　Sandrine　frowned。　〃Of　course。　It　would　be　my　pleasure。〃
The　abbé　thanked　her　and　hung　up。
Puzzled；　Sister　Sandrine　remained　a　moment　in　the　warmth　of　her　bed；　tr