chapter 0110.docx
- 文档编号:25414458
- 上传时间:2023-06-08
- 格式:DOCX
- 页数:31
- 大小:41.65KB
chapter 0110.docx
《chapter 0110.docx》由会员分享,可在线阅读,更多相关《chapter 0110.docx(31页珍藏版)》请在冰豆网上搜索。
chapter0110
Acknowledgments
ForBlythe...
AdebtofgratitudetoEmilyBestler,JasonKaufman,BenKaplan,andeveryoneatPocketBooksfortheirbeliefinthisproject.
Tomyfriendandagent,JakeElwell,forhisenthusiasmandunflaggingeffort.
TothelegendaryGeorgeWieser,forconvincingmetowritenovels.
TomydearfriendIrvSittler,forfacilitatingmyaudiencewiththePope,secretingmeintopartsofVaticanCityfeweversee,andmakingmytimeinRomeunforgettable.
Tooneofthemostingeniousandgiftedartistsalive,JohnLangdon,whorosebrilliantlytomyimpossiblechallengeandcreatedtheambigramsforthisnovel.
ToStanPlanton,headlibrarian,OhioUniversity-Chillicothe,forbeingmynumberonesourceofinformationoncountlesstopics.
ToSylviaCavazzini,forhergracioustourthroughthesecretPassetto.
Andtothebestparentsakidcouldhopefor,DickandConnieBrown...foreverything.
ThanksalsotoCERN,HenryBeckett,BrettTrotter,thePontificalAcademyofScience,BrookhavenInstitute,FermiLabLibrary,OlgaWieser,DonUlschoftheNationalSecurityInstitute,CarolineH.ThompsonatUniversityofWales,KathrynGerhardandOmarAlKindi,JohnPikeandtheFederationofAmericanScientists,HeimlichViserholder,CorinnaandDavisHammond,AizazAli,theGalileoProjectofRiceUniversity,JulieLynnandCharlieRyanatMockingbirdPictures,GaryGoldstein,Dave(Vilas)ArnoldandAndraCrawford,theGlobalFraternalNetwork,thePhillipsExeterAcademyLibrary,JimBarrington,JohnMaier,theexceptionallykeeneyeofMargieWachtel,alt.masonic.members,AlanWooley,theLibraryofCongressVaticanCodicesExhibit,LisaCallamaroandtheCallamaroAgency,JonA.Stowell,MuseiVaticani,AldoBaggia,NoahAlireza,HarrietWalker,CharlesTerry,MicronElectronics,MindyHoman,NancyandDickCurtin,ThomasD.Nadeau,NuvoMediaandRocketE-books,FrankandSylviaKennedy,RomeBoardofTourism,MaestroGregoryBrown,ValBrown,WernerBrandes,PaulKrupinatDirectContact,PaulStark,TomKingatComputalkNetwork,SandyandJerryNolan,WebguruLindaGeorge,theNationalAcademyofArtinRome,physicistandfellowscribeSteveHowe,RobertWeston,theWaterStreetBookstoreinExeter,NewHampshire,andtheVaticanObservatory.
FACT
Theworld’slargestscientificresearchfacility-Switzerland’sConseilEuropйenpourlaRechercheNuclйaire(CERN)-recentlysucceededinproducingthefirstparticlesofantimatter.Antimatterisidenticaltophysicalmatterexceptthatitiscomposedofparticleswhoseelectricchargesareoppositetothosefoundinnormalmatter.
Antimatteristhemostpowerfulenergysourceknowntoman.Itreleasesenergywith100percentefficiency(nuclearfissionis1.5percentefficient).Antimattercreatesnopollutionorradiation,andadropletcouldpowerNewYorkCityforafullday.
Thereis,however,onecatch...
Antimatterishighlyunstable.Itigniteswhenitcomesincontactwithabsolutelyanything...evenair.Asinglegramofantimattercontainstheenergyofa20-kilotonnuclearbomb-thesizeofthebombdroppedonHiroshima.
Untilrecentlyantimatterhasbeencreatedonlyinverysmallamounts(afewatomsatatime).ButCERNhasnowbrokengroundonitsnewAntiprotonDecelerator-anadvancedantimatterproductionfacilitythatpromisestocreateantimatterinmuchlargerquantities.
Onequestionlooms:
Willthishighlyvolatilesubstancesavetheworld,orwillitbeusedtocreatethemostdeadlyweaponevermade?
AUTHOR’SNOTE
Referencestoallworksofart,tombs,tunnels,andarchitectureinRomeareentirelyfactual(asaretheirexactlocations).Theycanstillbeseentoday.
ThebrotherhoodoftheIlluminatiisalsofactual.
Prologue
PhysicistLeonardoVetrasmelledburningflesh,andheknewitwashisown.Hestaredupinterroratthedarkfigureloomingoverhim.“Whatdoyouwant!
”
“Lachiave,”theraspyvoicereplied.“Thepassword.”
“But...Idon’t—“
Theintruderpresseddownagain,grindingthewhitehotobjectdeeperintoVetra’schest.Therewasthehissofbroilingflesh.
Vetracriedoutinagony.“Thereisnopassword!
”Hefelthimselfdriftingtowardunconsciousness.
Thefigureglared.“Neavevopaura.Iwasafraidofthat.”
Vetrafoughttokeephissenses,butthedarknesswasclosingin.Hisonlysolacewasinknowinghisattackerwouldneverobtainwhathehadcomefor.Amomentlater,however,thefigureproducedabladeandbroughtittoVetra’sface.Thebladehovered.Carefully.Surgically.
“FortheloveofGod!
”Vetrascreamed.Butitwastoolate.
Chapter1
HighatopthestepsofthePyramidofGizaayoungwomanlaughedandcalleddowntohim.“Robert,hurryup!
IknewIshouldhavemarriedayoungerman!
”Hersmilewasmagic.
Hestruggledtokeepup,buthislegsfeltlikestone.“Wait,”hebegged.“Please...”
Asheclimbed,hisvisionbegantoblur.Therewasathunderinginhisears.Imustreachher!
Butwhenhelookedupagain,thewomanhaddisappeared.Inherplacestoodanoldmanwithrottingteeth.Themanstareddown,curlinghislipsintoalonelygrimace.Thenheletoutascreamofanguishthatresoundedacrossthedesert.
RobertLangdonawokewithastartfromhisnightmare.Thephonebesidehisbedwasringing.Dazed,hepickedupthereceiver.
“Hello?
”
“I’mlookingforRobertLangdon,”aman’svoicesaid.
Langdonsatupinhisemptybedandtriedtoclearhismind.“This...isRobertLangdon.”Hesquintedathisdigitalclock.Itwas5:
18A.M.
“Imustseeyouimmediately.”
“Whoisthis?
”
“MynameisMaximilianKohler.I’madiscreteparticlephysicist.”
“Awhat?
”Langdoncouldbarelyfocus.“Areyousureyou’vegottherightLangdon?
”
“You’reaprofessorofreligiousiconologyatHarvardUniversity.You’vewrittenthreebooksonsymbologyand-“
“Doyouknowwhattimeitis?
”
“Iapologize.Ihavesomethingyouneedtosee.Ican’tdiscussitonthephone.”
AknowinggroanescapedLangdon’slips.Thishadhappenedbefore.OneoftheperilsofwritingbooksaboutreligioussymbologywasthecallsfromreligiouszealotswhowantedhimtoconfirmtheirlatestsignfromGod.LastmonthastripperfromOklahomahadpromisedLangdonthebestsexofhislifeifhewouldflydownandverifytheauthenticityofacruciformthathadmagicallyappearedonherbedsheets.TheShroudofTulsa,Langdonhadcalledit.
“Howdidyougetmynumber?
”Langdontriedtobepolite,despitethehour.
“OntheWorldwideWeb.Thesiteforyourbook.”
Langdonfrowned.Hewasdamnsurehisbook’ssitedidnotincludehishomephonenumber.Themanwasobviouslylying.
“Ineedtoseeyou,”thecallerinsisted.“I’llpayyouwell.”
NowLangdonwasgettingmad.“I’msorry,butIreally-“
“Ifyouleaveimmediately,youcanbehereby-“
“I’mnotgoinganywhere!
It’sfiveo’clockinthemorning!
”Langdonhungupandcollapsedbackinbed.Heclosedhiseyesandtriedtofallbackasleep.Itwasnouse.Thedreamwasemblazonedinhismind.Reluctantly,heputonhisrobeandwentdownstairs.
RobertLangdonwanderedbarefootthroughhisdesertedMassachusettsVictorianhomeandnursedhisritualinsomniaremedy-amugofsteamingNestlй’sQuik.TheAprilmoonfilteredthroughthebaywindowsandplayedontheorientalcarpets.Langdon’scolleaguesoftenjokedthathisplacelookedmorelikeananthropologymuseumthanahome.Hisshelveswerepackedwithreligiousartifactsfromaroundtheworld-anekuabafromGhana,agoldcrossfromSpain,acycladicidolfromtheAegean,andevenararewovenboccusfromBorneo,ayoungwarrior’ssymbolofperpetualyouth.
AsLangdonsatonhisbrassMaharishi’schestandsavoredthewarmthofthechocolate,thebaywindowcaughthisreflection.Theimagewasdistortedandpale...likeaghost.Anagingghost,hethought,cruellyremindedthathisyouthfulspiritwaslivinginamortalshell.
Althoughnotoverlyhandsomeinaclassicalsense,theforty-five-year-oldLangdonhadwhathisfemalecolleaguesreferredtoasan“erudite”appeal-wispsofgrayinhisthickbrownhair,probingblueeyes,anarrestinglydeepvoice,andthestrong,carefreesmileofacollegiateathlete.Avarsitydiverinprepschoolandcollege,Langdonstillhadthebodyofaswimmer,atoned,six-footphysiquethathevigilantlymaintainedwithfiftylapsadayintheuniversitypool.
Langdon’sfriendshadalwaysviewedhimasabitofanenigma-amancaughtbetweencenturies.Onweekendshecouldbeseenloungingonthequadinbluejeans,discussingcomputergraphicsorreligioushistorywithstudents;othertimeshecouldbespottedinhisHarristweedandpaisleyvest,photographedinthepagesofupscaleartmagazinesatmuseumopeningswherehehadbeenaskedtolecture.
Althoughatoughteacherandstrictdisciplinarian,Langdonwasthefirsttoembracewhathehailedasthe“lostartofgoodcleanfun.”Herelishedrecreationwithaninfectiousfanaticismthathadearnedhimafraternalacceptanceamonghisstudents.Hiscampusnickname-“TheDolphin”-wasareferencebothtohisaffablenatureandhislegendaryabilitytodiveintoapoolandoutmaneuvertheentireopposingsquadinawaterpolomatch.
AsLangdonsatalone,absentlygazingintothedarkness,thesilenceofhishomewasshatteredagain,thistimebytheringofhisfaxmachine.Tooexhaustedtobeannoyed,Langdonforcedatiredchuckle.
God’speople,hethought.TwothousandyearsofwaitingfortheirMessiah,andthey’restillpersistentashell.
Wearily,hereturnedhisemptymugtothekitchenandwalkedslowlytohisoak-paneledstudy.Theincomingfaxlayinthetray.Sighing,hescoopedupthepaperandlookedatit.
Instantly,awaveofnauseahithim.
Theimageonthepagewasthatofahumancorpse.Thebodyhadbeenstrippednak
- 配套讲稿:
如PPT文件的首页显示word图标,表示该PPT已包含配套word讲稿。双击word图标可打开word文档。
- 特殊限制:
部分文档作品中含有的国旗、国徽等图片,仅作为作品整体效果示例展示,禁止商用。设计者仅对作品中独创性部分享有著作权。
- 关 键 词:
- chapter 0110