达芬奇密码 作者: 美 丹·布朗(英文版)-第12部分

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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；　trying　to　shake　off　the　cobwebs　of　sleep。　Her　sixty…year…old　body　did　not　awake　as　fast　as　it　used　to；　although　tonight's　phone　call　had　certainly　roused　her　senses。　Opus　Dei　had　always　made　her　uneasy。　Beyond　the　prelature's　adherence　to　the　arcane　ritual　of　corporal　mortification；　their　views　on　women　were　medieval　at　best。　She　had　been　shocked　to　learn　that　female　numeraries　were　forced　to　clean　the　men's　residence　halls　for　no　pay　while　the　men　were　at　mass；　women　slept　on　hardwood　floors；　while　the　men　had　straw　mats；　and　women　were　forced　to　endure　additional　requirements　of　corporal　mortification。。。　all　as　added　penance　for　original　sin。　It　seemed　Eve's　bite　from　the　apple　of　knowledge　was　a　debt　women　were　doomed　to　pay　for　eternity。　Sadly；　while　most　of　the　Catholic　Church　was　gradually　moving　in　the　right　direction　with　respect　to　women's　rights；　Opus　Dei　threatened　to　reverse　the　progress。　Even　so；　Sister　Sandrine　had　her　orders。
Swinging　her　legs　off　the　bed；　she　stood　slowly；　chilled　by　the　cold　stone　on　the　soles　of　her　bare　feet。　As　the　chill　rose　through　her　flesh；　she　felt　an　unexpected　apprehension。
Women's　intuition？
A　follower　of　God；　Sister　Sandrine　had　learned　to　find　peace　in　the　calming　voices　of　her　own　soul。　Tonight；　however；　those　voices　were　as　silent　as　the　empty　church　around　her。
　
CHAPTER　8

Langdon　couldn't　tear　his　eyes　from　the　glowing　purple　text　scrawled　across　the　parquet　floor。　Jacques　Saunière's　final　munication　seemed　as　unlikely　a　departing　message　as　any　Langdon　could　imagine。
The　message　read：
13…3…2…21…1…1…8…5
O；　Draconian　devil！
Oh；　lame　saint！
　
Although　Langdon　had　not　the　slightest　idea　what　it　meant；　he　did　understand　Fache's　instinct　that　the　pentacle　had　something　to　do　with　devil　worship。
O；　Draconian　devil！
Saunière　had　left　a　literal　reference　to　the　devil。　Equally　as　bizarre　was　the　series　of　numbers。　〃Part　of　it　looks　like　a　numeric　cipher。〃
〃Yes；〃　Fache　said。　〃Our　cryptographers　are　already　working　on　it。　We　believe　these　numbers　may　be　the　key　to　who　killed　him。　Maybe　a　telephone　exchange　or　some　kind　of　social　identification。　Do　the　numbers　have　any　symbolic　meaning　to　you？〃
Langdon　looked　again　at　the　digits；　sensing　it　would　take　him　hours　to　extract　any　symbolic　meaning。　If　Saunière　had　even　intended　any。　To　Langdon；　the　numbers　looked　totally　random。　He　was　accustomed　to　symbolic　progressions　that　made　some　semblance　of　sense；　but　everything　here—the　pentacle；　the　text；　the　numbers—seemed　disparate　at　the　most　fundamental　level。
〃You　alleged　earlier；〃　Fache　said；　〃that　Saunière's　actions　here　were　all　in　an　effort　to　send　some　sort　of　message。。。　goddess　worship　or　something　in　that　vein？　How　does　this　message　fit　in？〃
Langdon　knew　the　question　was　rhetorical。　This　bizarre　muniqué　obviously　did　not　fit　Langdon's　scenario　of　goddess　worship　at　all。
O；　Draconian　devil？　Oh；　lame　saint？
Fache　said；　〃This　text　appears　to　be　an　accusation　of　some　sort。　Wouldn't　you　agree？〃
Langdon　tried　to　imagine　the　curator's　final　minutes　trapped　alone　in　the　Grand　Gallery；　knowing　he　was　about　to　die。　It　seemed　logical。　〃An　accusation　against　his　murderer　makes　sense；　I　suppose。〃
〃My　job；　of　course；　is　to　put　a　name　to　that　person。　Let　me　ask　you　this；　Mr。　Langdon。　To　your　eye；　beyond　the　numbers；　what　about　this　message　is　most　strange？〃
Most　strange？　A　dying　man　had　barricaded　himself　in　the　gallery；　drawn　a　pentacle　on　himself；　and　scrawled　a　mysterious　accusation　on　the　floor。　What　about　the　scenario　wasn't　strange？
〃The　word　'Draconian'？〃　he　ventured；　offering　the　first　thing　that　came　to　mind。　Langdon　was　fairly　certain　that　a　reference　to　Draco—the　ruthless　seventh…century　B。C。　politician—was　an　unlikely　dying　thought。　〃　'Draconian　devil'　seems　an　odd　choice　of　vocabulary。〃
〃Draconian？〃　Fache's　tone　came　with　a　tinge　of　impatience　now。　〃Saunière's　choice　of　vocabulary　hardly　seems　the　primary　issue　here。〃
Langdon　wasn't　sure　what　issue　Fache　had　in　mind；　but　he　was　starting　to　suspect　that　Draco　and　Fache　would　have　gotten　along　well。
〃Saunière　was　a　Frenchman；〃　Fache　said　flatly。　〃He　lived　in　Paris。　And　yet　he　chose　to　write　this　message。。。〃
〃In　English；〃　Langdon　said；　now　realizing　the　captain's　meaning。
Fache　nodded。　〃Précisément。　Any　idea　why？〃
Langdon　knew　Saunière　spoke　impeccable　English；　and　yet　the　reason　he　had　chosen　English　as　the　language　in　which　to　write　his　final　words　escaped　Langdon。　He　shrugged。
Fache　motioned　back　to　the　pentacle　on　Saunière's　abdomen。　〃Nothing　to　do　with　devil　worship？　Are　you　still　certain？〃
Langdon　was　certain　of　nothing　anymore。　〃The　symbology　and　text　don't　seem　to　coincide。　I'm　sorry　I　can't　be　of　more　help。〃
〃Perhaps　this　will　clarify。〃　Fache　backed　away　from　the　body　and　raised　the　black　light　again；　letting　the　beam　spread　out　in　a　wider　angle。　〃And　now？〃
To　Langdon's　amazement；　a　rudimentary　circle　glowed　around　the　curator's　body。　Saunière　had　apparently　lay　down　and　swung　the　pen　around　himself　in　several　long　arcs；　essentially　inscribing　himself　inside　a　circle。
In　a　flash；　the　meaning　became　clear。
〃The　Vitruvian　Man；〃　Langdon　gasped。　Saunière　had　created　a　life…sized　replica　of　Leonardo　da　Vinci's　most　famous　sketch。
Considered　the　most　anatomically　correct　drawing　of　its　day；　Da　Vinci's　The　Vitruvian　Man　had　bee　a　modern…day　icon　of　culture；　appearing　on　posters；　mouse　pads；　and　T…shirts　around　the　world。　The　celebrated　sketch　consisted　of　a　perfect　circle　in　which　was　inscribed　a　nude　male。。。　his　arms　and　legs　outstretched　in　a　naked　spread　eagle。
Da　Vinci。　Langdon　felt　a　shiver　of　amazement。　The　clarity　of　Saunière's　intentions　could　not　be　denied。　In　his　final　moments　of　life；　the　curator　had　stripped　off　his　clothing　and　arranged　his　body　in　a　clear　image　of　Leonardo　da　Vinci's　Vitruvian　Man。
The　circle　had　been　the　missing　critical　element。　A　feminine　symbol　of　protection；　the　circle　around　the　naked　man's　body　pleted　Da　Vinci's　intended　message—male　and　female　harmony。　The　question　now；　though；　was　why　Saunière　would　imitate　a　famous　drawing。
〃Mr。　Langdon；〃　Fache　said；　〃certainly　a　man　like　yourself　is　aware　that　Leonardo　da　Vinci　had　a　tendency　toward　the　darker　arts。〃
Langdon　was　surprised　by　Fache's　knowledge　of　Da　Vinci；　and　it　certainly　went　a　long　way　toward　explaining　the　captain's　suspicions　about　devil　worship。　Da　Vinci　had　always　been　an　awkward　subject　for　historians；　especially　in　the　Christian　tradition。　Despite　the　visionary's　genius；　he　was　a　flamboyant　homosexual　and　worshipper　of　Nature's　divine　order；　both　of　which　placed　him　in　a　perpetual　state　of　sin　against　God。　Moreover；　the　artist's　eerie　eccentricities　projected　an　admittedly　demonic　aura：　Da　Vinci　exhumed　corpses　to　study　human　anatomy；　he　kept　mysterious　journals　in　illegible　reverse　handwriting；　he　believed　he　possessed　the　alchemic　power　to　turn　lead　into　gold　and　even　cheat　God　by　creating　an　elixir　to　postpone　death；　and　his　inventions　included　horrific；　never…before…imagined　weapons　of　war　and　torture。
Misundersta