CHAPTER 25.docx
- 文档编号:25988155
- 上传时间:2023-06-17
- 格式:DOCX
- 页数:21
- 大小:33.66KB
CHAPTER 25.docx
《CHAPTER 25.docx》由会员分享,可在线阅读,更多相关《CHAPTER 25.docx(21页珍藏版)》请在冰豆网上搜索。
CHAPTER25
CHAPTER2
Onemileaway,thehulkingalbinonamedSilaslimpedthroughthefrontgateoftheluxuriousbrownstoneresidenceonRueLaBruyère.Thespikedcilicebeltthatheworearoundhisthighcutintohisflesh,andyethissoulsangwithsatisfactionofservicetotheLord.
Painisgood.
Hisredeyesscannedthelobbyasheenteredtheresidence.Empty.Heclimbedthestairsquietly,notwantingtoawakenanyofhisfellownumeraries.Hisbedroomdoorwasopen;lockswereforbiddenhere.Heentered,closingthedoorbehindhim.
Theroomwasspartan—hardwoodfloors,apinedresser,acanvasmatinthecornerthatservedashisbed.Hewasavisitorherethisweek,andyetformanyyearshehadbeenblessedwithasimilarsanctuaryinNewYorkCity.
TheLordhasprovidedmeshelterandpurposeinmylife.
Tonight,atlast,Silasfelthehadbeguntorepayhisdebt.Hurryingtothedresser,hefoundthecellphonehiddeninhisbottomdrawerandplacedacall.
"Yes?
"amalevoiceanswered.
"Teacher,Ihavereturned."
"Speak,"thevoicecommanded,soundingpleasedtohearfromhim.
"Allfouraregone.Thethreesénéchaux...andtheGrandMasterhimself."
Therewasamomentarypause,asifforprayer."ThenIassumeyouhavetheinformation?
"
"Allfourconcurred.Independently."
"Andyoubelievedthem?
"
"Theiragreementwastoogreatforcoincidence."
Anexcitedbreath."Excellent.Ihadfearedthebrotherhood'sreputationforsecrecymightprevail."
"Theprospectofdeathisstrongmotivation."
"So,mypupil,tellmewhatImustknow."
Silasknewtheinformationhehadgleanedfromhisvictimswouldcomeasashock."Teacher,allfourconfirmedtheexistenceoftheclefdevoûte...thelegendarykeystone."
HeheardaquickintakeofbreathoverthephoneandcouldfeeltheTeacher'sexcitement."Thekeystone.Exactlyaswesuspected."
Accordingtolore,thebrotherhoodhadcreatedamapofstone—aclefdevoûte...orkeystone—anengravedtabletthatrevealedthefinalrestingplaceofthebrotherhood'sgreatestsecret...informationsopowerfulthatitsprotectionwasthereasonforthebrotherhood'sveryexistence.
"Whenwepossessthekeystone,"theTeachersaid,"wewillbeonlyonestepaway."
"Wearecloserthanyouthink.ThekeystoneishereinParis."
"Paris?
Incredible.Itisalmosttooeasy."
Silasrelayedtheearliereventsoftheevening...howallfourofhisvictims,momentsbeforedeath,haddesperatelytriedtobuybacktheirgodlesslivesbytellingtheirsecret.EachhadtoldSilastheexactsamething—thatthekeystonewasingeniouslyhiddenatapreciselocationinsideoneofParis'sancientchurches—theEglisedeSaint-Sulpice.
"InsideahouseoftheLord,"theTeacherexclaimed."Howtheymockus!
"
"Astheyhaveforcenturies."
TheTeacherfellsilent,asiflettingthetriumphofthismomentsettleoverhim.Finally,hespoke."YouhavedoneagreatservicetoGod.Wehavewaitedcenturiesforthis.Youmustretrievethestoneforme.Immediately.Tonight.Youunderstandthestakes."
Silasknewthestakeswereincalculable,andyetwhattheTeacherwasnowcommandingseemedimpossible."Butthechurch,itisafortress.Especiallyatnight.HowwillIenter?
"
Withtheconfidenttoneofamanofenormousinfluence,theTeacherexplainedwhatwastobedone.
WhenSilashungupthephone,hisskintingledwithanticipation.
Onehour,hetoldhimself,gratefulthattheTeacherhadgivenhimtimetocarryoutthenecessarypenancebeforeenteringahouseofGod.Imustpurgemysouloftoday'ssins.Thesinscommittedtodayhadbeenholyinpurpose.ActsofwaragainsttheenemiesofGodhadbeencommittedforcenturies.Forgivenesswasassured.
Evenso,Silasknew,absolutionrequiredsacrifice.
Pullinghisshades,hestrippednakedandkneltinthecenterofhisroom.Lookingdown,heexaminedthespikedcilicebeltclampedaroundhisthigh.AlltruefollowersofTheWayworethisdevice—aleatherstrap,studdedwithsharpmetalbarbsthatcutintothefleshasaperpetualreminderofChrist'ssuffering.Thepaincausedbythedevicealsohelpedcounteractthedesiresoftheflesh.
AlthoughSilasalreadyhadwornhiscilicetodaylongerthantherequisitetwohours,heknewtodaywasnoordinaryday.Graspingthebuckle,hecincheditonenotchtighter,wincingasthebarbsdugdeeperintohisflesh.Exhalingslowly,hesavoredthecleansingritualofhispain.
Painisgood,Silaswhispered,repeatingthesacredmantraofFatherJosemaríaEscrivá—theTeacherofallTeachers.AlthoughEscriváhaddiedin1975,hiswisdomlivedon,hiswordsstillwhisperedbythousandsoffaithfulservantsaroundtheglobeastheykneltonthefloorandperformedthesacredpracticeknownas"corporalmortification."
Silasturnedhisattentionnowtoaheavyknottedropecoiledneatlyonthefloorbesidehim.TheDiscipline.Theknotswerecakedwithdriedblood.Eagerforthepurifyingeffectsofhisownagony,Silassaidaquickprayer.Then,grippingoneendoftherope,heclosedhiseyesandswungithardoverhisshoulder,feelingtheknotsslapagainsthisback.Hewhippeditoverhisshoulderagain,slashingathisflesh.Againandagain,helashed.
Castigocorpusmeum.
Finally,hefeltthebloodbegintoflow.
CHAPTER3
ThecrispAprilairwhippedthroughtheopenwindowoftheCitroën(雪铁龙汽车)ZXasitskimmedsouthpasttheOperaHouseandcrossedPlaceVendôme.Inthepassengerseat,RobertLangdonfeltthecitytearpasthimashetriedtoclearhisthoughts.Hisquickshowerandshavehadlefthimlookingreasonablypresentablebuthaddonelittletoeasehisanxiety.Thefrighteningimageofthecurator'sbodyremainedlockedinhismind.
JacquesSaunièreisdead.
Langdoncouldnothelpbutfeeladeepsenseoflossatthecurator'sdeath.DespiteSaunière'sreputationforbeingreclusive,hisrecognitionfordedicationtotheartsmadehimaneasymantorevere.HisbooksonthesecretcodeshiddeninthepaintingsofPoussinandTeniersweresomeofLangdon'sfavoriteclassroomtexts.Tonight'smeetinghadbeenoneLangdonwasverymuchlookingforwardto,andhewasdisappointedwhenthecuratorhadnotshown.
Againtheimageofthecurator'sbodyflashedinhismind.JacquesSaunièredidthattohimself?
Langdonturnedandlookedoutthewindow,forcingthepicturefromhismind.
Outside,thecitywasjustnowwindingdown—streetvendorswheelingcartsofcandiedamandes,waiterscarryingbagsofgarbagetothecurb,apairoflatenightloverscuddlingtostaywarminabreezescentedwithjasmineblossom.TheCitroënnavigatedthechaoswithauthority,itsdissonanttwo-tonesirenpartingthetrafficlikeaknife.
"LecapitainewaspleasedtodiscoveryouwerestillinParistonight,"theagentsaid,speakingforthefirsttimesincethey'dleftthehotel."Afortunatecoincidence."
Langdonwasfeelinganythingbutfortunate,andcoincidencewasaconcepthedidnotentirelytrust.Assomeonewhohadspenthislifeexploringthehiddeninterconnectivityofdisparateemblemsandideologies,Langdonviewedtheworldasawebofprofoundlyintertwinedhistoriesandevents.Theconnectionsmaybeinvisible,heoftenpreachedtohissymbologyclassesatHarvard,buttheyarealwaysthere,buriedjustbeneaththesurface.
"Iassume,"Langdonsaid,"thattheAmericanUniversityofParistoldyouwhereIwasstaying?
"
Thedrivershookhishead."Interpol."
Interpol,Langdonthought.Ofcourse.HehadforgottenthattheseeminglyinnocuousrequestofallEuropeanhotelstoseeapassportatcheck-inwasmorethanaquaintformality—itwasthelaw.Onanygivennight,allacrossEurope,Interpolofficialscouldpinpointexactlywhowassleepingwhere.FindingLangdonattheRitzhadprobablytakenalloffiveseconds.
AstheCitroënacceleratedsouthwardacrossthecity,theilluminatedprofileoftheEiffelTowerappeared,shootingskywardinthedistancetotheright.Seeingit,LangdonthoughtofVittoria,recallingtheirplayfulpromiseayearagothateverysixmonthstheywouldmeetagainatadifferentromanticspotontheglobe.TheEiffelTower,Langdonsuspected,wouldhavemadetheirlist.Sadly,helastkissedVittoriainanoisyairportinRomemorethanayearago.
"Didyoumounther?
"theagentasked,lookingover.
Langdonglancedup,certainhehadmisunderstood."Ibegyourpardon?
"
"Sheislovely,no?
"TheagentmotionedthroughthewindshieldtowardtheEiffelTower."Haveyoumountedher?
"
Langdonrolledhiseyes."No,Ihaven'tclimbedthetower."
"SheisthesymbolofFrance.Ithinksheisperfect."
Langdonnoddedabsently.SymbologistsoftenremarkedthatFrance—acountryrenownedformachismo,womanizing,anddiminutiveinsecureleaderslikeNapoleonandPepintheShort—couldnothavechosenamoreaptnationalemblemthanathousand-footphallus.
WhentheyreachedtheintersectionatRuedeRivoli,thetrafficlightwasred,buttheCitroëndidn'tslow.TheagentgunnedthesedanacrossthejunctionandspedontoawoodedsectionofRueCastiglione,whichservedasthenorthernentrancetothefamedTuileriesGardens—Paris'sownversionofCentralPark.MosttouristsmistranslatedJardinsdesTuileriesasrelatingtothethousandsoftulipsthatbloomedhere,butTuilerieswasactuallyaliteralreferencetosomethingfarlessromantic.Thisparkhadoncebeenanenormous,pollutedexcavationpitfromwhichParisiancontractorsminedclaytomanufacturethecity'sfamousredroofingtiles—ortuiles.
Astheyenteredthedesertedpark,theagentreachedunderthedashandturnedofftheblaringsiren.Langdonexhaled,savoringthesuddenquiet.Outsidethecar,thepalewashofhalogenheadlightsskimmedoverthecrushedgravelparkway,theruggedwhirofthetiresintoningahypnoticrhythm.Langd
- 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 25