达芬奇密码 作者: 美 丹·布朗(英文版)-第87部分

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She　shook　her　head。
〃What　would　you　two　do　without　me？〃　Teabing　said。　〃Very　well；　I　will　walk　you　through　it。　It's　quite　simple　really。　The　first　line　is　the　key。　Would　you　read　it　please？〃
Langdon　read　aloud。　〃　'In　London　lies　a　knight　a　Pope　interred。'　〃
〃Precisely。　A　knight　a　Pope　interred。〃　He　eyed　Langdon。　〃What　does　that　mean　to　you？〃
Langdon　shrugged。　〃A　knight　buried　by　a　Pope？　A　knight　whose　funeral　was　presided　over　by　a　Pope？〃
Teabing　laughed　loudly。　〃Oh；　that's　rich。　Always　the　optimist；　Robert。　Look　at　the　second　line。　This　knight　obviously　did　something　that　incurred　the　Holy　wrath　of　the　Church。　Think　again。　Consider　the　dynamic　between　the　Church　and　the　Knights　Templar。　A　knight　a　Pope　interred？〃
〃A　knight　a　Pope　killed？〃　Sophie　asked。
Teabing　smiled　and　patted　her　knee。　〃Well　done；　my　dear。　A　knight　a　Pope　buried。　Or　killed。〃
Langdon　thought　of　the　notorious　Templar　round…up　in　1307—unlucky　Friday　the　thirteenth—when　Pope　Clement　killed　and　interred　hundreds　of　Knights　Templar。　〃But　there　must　be　endless　graves　of　'knights　killed　by　Popes。'　〃
〃Aha；　not　so！　〃Teabing　said。　〃Many　of　them　were　burned　at　the　stake　and　tossed　unceremoniously　into　the　Tiber　River。　But　this　poem　refers　to　a　tomb。　A　tomb　in　London。　And　there　are　few　knights　buried　in　London。〃　He　paused；　eyeing　Langdon　as　if　waiting　for　light　to　dawn。　Finally　he　huffed。　〃Robert；　for　heaven's　sake！　The　church　built　in　London　by　the　Priory's　military　arm—the　Knights　Templar　themselves！〃
〃The　Temple　Church？〃　Langdon　drew　a　startled　breath。　〃It　has　a　crypt？〃
〃Ten　of　the　most　frightening　tombs　you　will　ever　see。〃
Langdon　had　never　actually　visited　the　Temple　Church；　although　he'd　e　across　numerous　references　in　his　Priory　research。　Once　the　epicenter　of　all　Templar/Priory　activities　in　the　United　Kingdom；　the　Temple　Church　had　been　so　named　in　honor　of　Solomon's　Temple；　from　which　the　Knights　Templar　had　extracted　their　own　title；　as　well　as　the　Sangreal　documents　that　gave　them　all　their　influence　in　Rome。　Tales　abounded　of　knights　performing　strange；　secretive　rituals　within　the　Temple　Church's　unusual　sanctuary。　〃The　Temple　Church　is　on　Fleet　Street？〃
〃Actually；　it's　just　off　Fleet　Street　on　Inner　Temple　Lane。〃　Teabing　looked　mischievous。　〃I　wanted　to　see　you　sweat　a　little　more　before　I　gave　it　away。〃
〃Thanks。〃
〃Neither　of　you　has　ever　been　there？〃
Sophie　and　Langdon　shook　their　heads。
〃I'm　not　surprised；〃　Teabing　said。　〃The　church　is　hidden　now　behind　much　larger　buildings。　Few　people　even　know　it's　there。　Eerie　old　place。　The　architecture　is　pagan　to　the　core。〃
Sophie　looked　surprised。　〃Pagan？〃
〃Pantheonically　pagan！〃　Teabing　exclaimed。　〃The　church　is　round。　The　Templars　ignored　the　traditional　Christian　cruciform　layout　and　built　a　perfectly　circular　church　in　honor　of　the　sun。〃　His　eyebrows　did　a　devilish　dance。　〃A　not　so　subtle　howdy…do　to　the　boys　in　Rome。　They　might　as　well　have　resurrected　Stonehenge　in　downtown　London。〃
Sophie　eyed　Teabing。　〃What　about　the　rest　of　the　poem？〃
The　historian's　mirthful　air　faded。　〃I'm　not　sure。　It's　puzzling。　We　will　need　to　examine　each　of　the　ten　tombs　carefully。　With　luck；　one　of　them　will　have　a　conspicuously　absent　orb。〃
Langdon　realized　how　close　they　really　were。　If　the　missing　orb　revealed　the　password；　they　would　be　able　to　open　the　second　cryptex。　He　had　a　hard　time　imagining　what　they　might　find　inside。
Langdon　eyed　the　poem　again。　It　was　like　some　kind　of　primordial　crossword　puzzle。　A　five…letter　word　that　speaks　of　the　Grail？　On　the　plane；　they　had　already　tried　all　the　obvious　passwords—GRAIL；　GRAAL；　GREAL；　VENUS；　MARIA；　JESUS；　SARAH—but　the　cylinder　had　not　budged。　Far　too　obvious。　Apparently　there　existed　some　other　five…letter　reference　to　the　Rose's　seeded　womb。　The　fact　that　the　word　was　eluding　a　specialist　like　Leigh　Teabing　signified　to　Langdon　that　it　was　no　ordinary　Grail　reference。
〃Sir　Leigh？〃　Rémy　called　over　his　shoulder。　He　was　watching　them　in　the　rearview　mirror　through　the　open　divider。　〃You　said　Fleet　Street　is　near　Blackfriars　Bridge？〃
〃Yes；　take　Victoria　Embankment。〃
〃I'm　sorry。　I'm　not　sure　where　that　is。　We　usually　go　only　to　the　hospital。〃
Teabing　rolled　his　eyes　at　Langdon　and　Sophie　and　grumbled；　〃I　swear；　sometimes　it's　like　baby…sitting　a　child。　One　moment　please。　Help　yourself　to　a　drink　and　savory　snacks。〃　He　left　them；　clambering　awkwardly　toward　the　open　divider　to　talk　to　Rémy。
Sophie　turned　to　Langdon　now；　her　voice　quiet。　〃Robert；　nobody　knows　you　and　I　are　in　England。〃
Langdon　realized　she　was　right。　The　Kent　police　would　tell　Fache　the　plane　was　empty；　and　Fache　would　have　to　assume　they　were　still　in　France。　We　are　invisible。　Leigh's　little　stunt　had　just　bought　them　a　lot　of　time。
〃Fache　will　not　give　up　easily；〃　Sophie　said。　〃He　has　too　much　riding　on　this　arrest　now。〃
Langdon　had　been　trying　not　to　think　about　Fache。　Sophie　had　promised　she　would　do　everything　in　her　power　to　exonerate　Langdon　once　this　was　over；　but　Langdon　was　starting　to　fear　it　might　not　matter。　Fache　could　easily　be　pan　of　this　plot。　Although　Langdon　could　not　imagine　the　Judicial　Police　tangled　up　in　the　Holy　Grail；　he　sensed　too　much　coincidence　tonight　to　disregard　Fache　as　a　possible　acplice。　Fache　is　religions；　and　he　is　intent　on　pinning　these　murders　on　me。　Then　again；　Sophie　had　argued　that　Fache　might　simply　be　overzealous　to　make　the　arrest。　After　all；　the　evidence　against　Langdon　was　substantial。　In　addition　to　Langdon's　name　scrawled　on　the　Louvre　floor　and　in　Saunière's　date　book；　Langdon　now　appeared　to　have　lied　about　his　manuscript　and　then　run　away。　At　Sophie's　suggestion。
〃Robert；　I'm　sorry　you're　so　deeply　involved；〃　Sophie　said；　placing　her　hand　on　his　knee。　〃But　I'm　very　glad　you're　here。〃
The　ment　sounded　more　pragmatic　than　romantic；　and　yet　Langdon　felt　an　unexpected　flicker　of　attraction　between　them。　He　gave　her　a　tired　smile。　〃I'm　a　lot　more　fun　when　I've　slept。〃
Sophie　was　silent　for　several　seconds。　〃My　grandfather　asked　me　to　trust　you。　I'm　glad　I　listened　to　him　for　once。〃
〃Your　grandfather　didn't　even　know　me。〃
〃Even　so；　I　can't　help　but　think　you've　done　everything　he　would　have　wanted。　You　helped　me　find　the　keystone；　explained　the　Sangreal；　told　me　about　the　ritual　in　the　basement。〃　She　paused。　〃Somehow　I　feel　closer　to　my　grandfather　tonight　than　I　have　in　years。　I　know　he　would　be　happy　about　that。〃
In　the　distance；　now；　the　skyline　of　London　began　to　materialize　through　the　dawn　drizzle。　Once　dominated　by　Big　Ben　and　Tower　Bridge；　the　horizon　now　bowed　to　the　Millennium　Eye—a　colossal；　ultramodern　Ferris　wheel　that　climbed　five　hundred　feet　and　afforded　breathtaking　views　of　the　city。　Langdon　had　attempted　to　board　it　once；　but　the　〃viewing　capsules〃　reminded　him　of　sealed　sarcophagi；　and　he　opted　to　keep　his　feet　on　the　ground　and　enjoy　the　view　from　the　airy　banks　of　the　Thames。
Langdon　felt　a　squeeze　on　his　knee；　pulling　him　back；　and　Sophie's　green　eyes　were　on　him。　He　realized　she　had　been　speaking　to　him。　〃What　do　you　think　we　should　do　with　the　Sangreal　documents　if　we　ever　find　them？〃　she　whispered。
〃What　I　think　is　immaterial；〃　Langdon　said。　〃Your　grandfather　gave　the　cryptex　to　you；　and　you　should