Angels Demons Chapter 55-57

55Langdon and Vittoria exploded onto the royal court expectside the Secret Archives. The fresh air felt worry a drug as it flowed into Langdons lungs. The purple musca volitans in his vision quick faded. The guilt, however, did not. He had sound been accomplice to stealing a priceless keepsake from the worlds virtually backstage vault. The camerlegno had express, I am giving you my trust.Hurry, Vittoria said, mollify belongings the folio in her hand and striding at a half-jog crosswise Via Borgia in the direction of Olivettis office.If any water gets on that papyrus Calm sight. When we decipher this thing, we can return their sacred leafage 5.Langdon accelerated to keep up. beyond feeling corresponding a criminal, he was still dazed every sharpen the documents spellbinding implications. John Milton was an Illuminatus. He composed the poem for Galileo to publish in Folio 5 far from the eyeball of the Vatican.As they left the courtyard, Vittoria held out the folio fo r Langdon. You think you can decipher this thing? Or did we just kill all those brain cells for kicks?Langdon took the document c arefully in his hands. Without hesitancy he slipped it into maven of the breast pockets of his tweed jacket, out of the sunlight and dangers of moisture. I decrypt it already.Vittoria stopped short. You what?Langdon kept moving.Vittoria hustled to catch up. You read it once I thought it was supposed to be hardLangdon knew she was right, and yet he had decipher the segno in a whizz reading. A staring(a) stanza of iambic pentameter, and the show duration altar of science had revealed itself in pristine clarity. Admittedly, the ease with which he had utter(a) the task left him with a nagging disquietude. He was a tiddler of the Puritan work ethic. He could still hear his father speechmaking the old New England aphorism If it wasnt painfully difficult, you did it wrong. Langdon hoped the saying was false. I deciphered it, he said, moving faster now . I complete where the head start cleanup is going to happen. We need to warn Olivetti.Vittoria closed in on him. How could you already know? Let me see that thing again. With the sleight of a boxer, she slipped a lissome hand into his pocket and pulled out the folio again.Careful Langdon said. You cant Vittoria ignored him. Folio in hand, she floated beside him, holding the document up to the evening light, examining the margins. As she began reading aloud, Langdon moved to retrieve the folio solo instead put in himself bewitched by Vittorias accented alto speaking the syllables in perfect rhythm with her gait.For a moment, hearing the verse aloud, Langdon felt transported in time as though he were one of Galileos contemporaries, listening to the poem for the starting time knowing it was a test, a map, a clue accounting entry the four altars of science the four markers that blazed a sneaking(a) path crosswise capital of Italy. The verse flowed from Vittorias lips like a s ong.From Santis earthly grave accent with demons lying in wait,Cross Rome the mystic elements unfold.The path of light is laid, the sacred test,Let angels guide you on your lofty quest.Vittoria read it twice and then fell silent, as if let the ancient rallying crys resonate on their own.From Santis earthly tomb, Langdon repeated in his mind. The poem was crystal clear round that. The Path of sparkle began at Santis tomb. From there, across Rome, the markers blazed the trail.From Santis earthly tomb with demons jumble,Cross Rome the mystic elements unfold. transcendental elements. Also clear. Earth, Air, Fire, Water. Elements of science, the four Illuminati markers disguised as religious sculpture.The runner marker, Vittoria said, sounds like its at Santis tomb.Langdon smiled. I told you it wasnt that tough.So who is Santi? she asked, sounding suddenly excited. And wheres his tomb?Langdon chuckled to himself. He was amazed how few people knew Santi, the last figure of one of the most famous Renaissance artists ever to live. His inaugural name was world far-famed the child prodigy who at the age of twenty-five was already doing commissions for pontiff Julius II, and when he died at only thirty-eight, left behind the bullyest assembly of frescoes the world had ever seen. Santi was a behemoth in the art world, and world cognise solely by ones first name was a take of fame achieved only by an elite few people like Napoleon, Galileo, and saviour and, of course, the demigods Langdon now heard blaring from Harvard dormitories Sting, Madonna, Jewel, and the artist formerly known as Prince, who had changed his name to the symbolAngels & Demonscausing Langdon to dub him The Tau Cross With Intersecting hermaphroditic Ankh.Santi, Langdon said, is the last name of the great Renaissance master, Raphael.Vittoria looked surprised. Raphael? As in the Raphael?The one and only. Langdon pushed on toward the Office of the Swiss fight back.So the path starts at R aphaels tomb?It really makes perfect sense, Langdon said as they rushed on. The Illuminati often considered great artists and sculptors honorary br other(a)s in enlightenment. The Illuminati could have chosen Raphaels tomb as a kind of tri barelye. Langdon also knew that Raphael, like many other religious artists, was a suspected closet atheist.Vittoria slipped the folio carefully back in Langdons pocket. So where is he inhumed?Langdon took a deep breath. Believe it or not, Raphaels buried in the Pantheon.Vittoria looked skeptical. The Pantheon?The Raphael at the Pantheon. Langdon had to admit, the Pantheon was not what he had expected for the placement of the first marker. He would have guessed the first altar of science to be at some quiet, out of the way church building, something subtle. Even in the 1600s, the Pantheon, with its tremendous, holed dome, was one of the high hat known sites in Rome.Is the Pantheon even a church? Vittoria asked.Oldest Catholic church in Rome.Vitt oria shook her head. But do you really think the first cardinal could be killed at the Pantheon? Thats got to be one of the busiest tourist spots in Rome.Langdon shrugged. The Illuminati said they wanted the whole world watching. Killing a cardinal at the Pantheon would certainly open some eyes.But how does this khat expect to kill someone at the Pantheon and get away unmarked? It would be unrealistic.As impossible as kidnapping four cardinals from Vatican metropolis? The poem is precise.And youre certain Raphael is buried wrong the Pantheon?Ive seen his tomb many times.Vittoria nodded, still looking troubled. What time is it?Langdon checked. Seven-thirty.Is the Pantheon far?A mile maybe. Weve got time.The poem said Santis earthly tomb. Does that mean anything to you?Langdon hastened diagonally across the Courtyard of the Sentinel. Earthly? Actually, theres likely no more earthly place in Rome than the Pantheon. It got its name from the original religion practiced there Panthe ism the worship of all gods, specifically the pagan gods of Mother Earth.As a student of architecture, Langdon had been amazed to visualise that the dimensions of the Pantheons main chamber were a tribute to Gaea the goddess of the Earth. The proportions were so ingest that a giant spherical globe could fit perfectly inside the building with less than a millimeter to spare.Okay, Vittoria said, sounding more convinced. And demons hole? From Santis earthly tomb with demons hole?Langdon was not quite as for certain about this. Demons hole must mean the oculus, he said, making a logical guess. The famous circular opening in the Pantheons roof.But its a church, Vittoria said, moving effortlessly beside him. Why would they call the opening a demons hole?Langdon had actually been wondering that himself. He had never heard the term demons hole, but he did recall a famous sixth-century critique of the Pantheon whose words seemed particularly appropriate now. The Venerable Bede had once written that the hole in the Pantheons roof had been bored by demons trying to escape the building when it was sanctified by Boni subject IV.And why, Vittoria added as they entered a smaller courtyard, why would the Illuminati substance abuse the name Santi if he was really known as Raphael?You ask a lot of questions.My dad used to say that.Two possible reasons. oneness, the word Raphael has too many syllables. It would have destroyed the poems iambic pentameter.Sounds like a stretch.Langdon agreed. Okay, then maybe using Santi was to make the clue more obscure, so only very enlightened men would recognize the reference to Raphael.Vittoria didnt appear to buy this either. Im sure Raphaels last name was very well known when he was alive.Surprisingly not. Single name recognition was a consideration symbol. Raphael shunned his last name much like pop stars do today. take for Madonna, for example. She never uses her surname, Ciccone.Vittoria looked amused. You know Madonnas last n ame?Langdon regretted the example. It was amazing the kind of drivel a mind picked up living with 10,000 adolescents.As he and Vittoria passed the concluding gate toward the Office of the Swiss Guard, their progress was halted without warning.Para a verbalize bellowed behind them.Langdon and Vittoria rangeed to find themselves looking into the barrel of a rifle.Attento Vittoria exclaimed, spring back. Watch it with Non sportarti the guard snapped, cocking the weapon.Soldato a voice commanded from across the courtyard. Olivetti was emerging from the trade protection center. Let them goThe guard looked bewildered. Ma, signore, e una donna Inside he scream at the guard.Signore, non posso Now You have new orders. Captain Rocher will be briefing the corps in two bites. We will be organizing a seem.Looking bewildered, the guard hurried into the security center. Olivetti marched toward Langdon, rigid and steaming. Our most secret archives? Ill want an explanation.We have good ne ws, Langdon said.Olivettis eyes narrowed. It better be damn good.56The four unmarked Alpha Romeo 155 T-Sparks roared obliterate Via dei Coronari like fighter jets off a runway. The vehicles carried twelve plainclothed Swiss Guards fortify with Cherchi-Pardini semiautomatics, local-radius nerve gas canisters, and long-range stun guns. The three sharpshooters carried laser-sighted rifles.Sitting in the passenger seat of the lead car, Olivetti turned backward toward Langdon and Vittoria. His eyes were fill up with rage. You assured me a sound explanation, and this is what I get?Langdon felt secure in the small car. I understand your No, you dont understand Olivetti never increase his voice, but his intensity tripled. I have just remote a dozen of my best men from Vatican City on the eve of conclave. And I have done this to stake out the Pantheon based on the good word of some American I have never met who has just taken a four-hundred-year-old poem. I have also just left the s earch for this antimatter weapon in the hands of secondary officers.Langdon resisted the urge to pull Folio 5 from his pocket and wave it in Olivettis face. All I know is that the information we found refers to Raphaels tomb, and Raphaels tomb is inside the Pantheon.The officer behind the wheel nodded. Hes right, commander. My wife and I Drive, Olivetti snapped. He turned back to Langdon. How could a orca accomplish an assassinatoration in such a crowded place and escape unseen?I dont know, Langdon said. But the Illuminati are obviously super resourceful. Theyve broken into both CERN and Vatican City. Its only by luck that we know where the first kill zone is. The Pantheon is your one chance to catch this guy.More contradictions, Olivetti said. One chance? I thought you said there was some manakin of pathway. A series of markers. If the Pantheon is the right spot, we can follow the pathway to the other markers. We will have four chances to catch this guy.I had hoped so, Langdon said. And we would have a century ago.Langdons realization that the Pantheon was the first altar of science had been a waxwork moment. History had a way of playing cruel tricks on those who tag it. It was a long shot that the Path of Illumination would be inbuilt after all of these years, with all of its statues in place, but part of Langdon had fantasized about following the path all the way to the end and coming face to face with the sacred Illuminati lair. Alas, he realized, it was not to be. The Vatican had all the statues in the Pantheon removed and destroyed in the late 1800s.Vittoria looked shocked. Why?The statues were pagan Olympian Gods. Unfortunately, that doer the first marker is gone and with it Any hope, Vittoria said, of finding the Path of Illumination and additional markers?Langdon shook his head. We have one shot. The Pantheon. After that, the path disappears.Olivetti stared at them both a long moment and then turned and approach front. Pull all over, he ba rked to the driver.The driver swerved the car toward the curb and put on the brakes. Three other Alpha Romeos skidded in behind them. The Swiss Guard convoy screeched to a halt.What are you doing Vittoria demanded.My job, Olivetti said, turning in his seat, his voice like stone. Mr. Langdon, when you told me you would explain the situation en route, I assumed I would be approaching the Pantheon with a clear idea of why my men are here. That is not the case. Because I am abandoning critical duties by being here, and because I have found very little that makes sense in this conjecture of yours about virgin sacrifices and ancient poetry, I cannot in good moral sense continue. I am recalling this mission immediately. He pulled out his walkie-talkie and clicked it on.Vittoria reached across the seat and grabbed his arm. You cantOlivetti slammed down the walkie-talkie and fixed her with a red-hot stare. harbor you been to the Pantheon, Ms. Vetra?No, but I Let me tell you something abou t it. The Pantheon is a single room. A circular cell made of stone and cement. It has one entrance. No windows. One narrow entrance. That entrance is flanked at all times by no less than four armed Roman policemen who protect this enshrine from art defacers, anti-Christian terrorists, and gypsy tourist scams.Your point? she said coolly.My point? Olivettis knuckles gripped the seat. My point is that what you have just told me is going to happen is utterly impossible Can you give me one plausible scenario of how someone could kill a cardinal inside the Pantheon? How does one even get a surety past the guards into the Pantheon in the first place? Much less actually kill him and get away? Olivetti leaned over the seat, his coffee breath now in Langdons face. How, Mr. Langdon? One plausible scenario.Langdon felt the tiny car take around him. I have no idea Im not an assassin I dont know how he will do it I only know One scenario? Vittoria quipped, her voice unruffled. How about this? The grampus flies over in a helicopter and drops a screaming, branded cardinal down through the hole in the roof. The cardinal hits the marble floor and dies.Everyone in the car turned and stared at Vittoria. Langdon didnt know what to think. Youve got one sick imagination, lady, but you are quick.Olivetti frowned. Possible, I admit but hardly Or the killer drugs the cardinal, Vittoria said, brings him to the Pantheon in a wheelchair like some old tourist. He wheels him inside, gently slits his throat, and then walks out.This seemed to wake up Olivetti a bit.Not bad Langdon thought.Or, she said, the killer could I heard you, Olivetti said. Enough. He took a deep breath and blew it out. psyche rapped sharply on the window, and everyone jumped. It was a soldier from one of the other cars. Olivetti rolling down the window.Everything all right, commander? The soldier was dressed in avenue clothes. He pulled back the sleeve of his denim shirt to reveal a black chronograph military watch. Seven-forty, commander. Well need time to get in position.Olivetti nodded vaguely but said nothing for many moments. He ran a hitchhike back and forth across the dash, making a line in the dust. He studied Langdon in the side-view mirror, and Langdon felt himself being measured and weighed. finally Olivetti turned back to the guard. There was reluctance in his voice. Ill want associate approaches. Cars to Piazza della Rotunda, Via delgi Orfani, Piazza SantIgnacio, and SantEustachio. No closer than two blocks. Once youre parked, supplement up and await my orders. Three minutes.Very good, sir. The soldier returned to his car.Langdon gave Vittoria an impressed nod. She smiled back, and for an import Langdon felt an unexpected connection a thread of magnetism in the midst of them.The commander turned in his seat and locked eyes with Langdon. Mr. Langdon, this had better not blow up in our faces.Langdon smiled uneasily. How could it?57The director of CERN, Maximilian Kohler , opened his eyes to the cool rush of cromolyn and leukotriene in his body, dilating his bronchial tubes and pulmonary capillaries. He was cellular respiration normally again. He found himself lying in a private room in the CERN infirmary, his wheelchair beside the bed.He took stock, examining the paper robe they had put him in. His raiment was folded on the chair beside the bed. Outside he could hear a arrest making the rounds. He lay there a long minute listening. Then, as quietly as possible, he pulled himself to the edge of the bed and retrieved his clothing. assay with his dead legs, he dressed himself. Then he dragged his body onto his wheelchair.Muffling a cough, he wheeled himself to the door. He moved manually, careful not to act the motor. When he arrived at the door he peered out. The hall was empty.Silently, Maximilian Kohler slipped out of the infirmary.