danbrown.angels&demons- 第58节

　
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　Langdon　swung　off　the　scaffolding　and　dropped　back　to　the　ground。　He　brushed　the　plaster　dust　from　his　clothes。　Vittoria　was　there　to　greet　him。　
　〃No　luck？〃　she　said。
　He　shook　his　head。
　〃They　put　the　cardinal　in　the　trunk。〃
　Langdon　looked　over　to　the　parked　car　where　Olivetti　and　a　group　of　soldiers　now　had　a　map　spread　out　on　the　hood。　〃Are　they　looking　southwest？〃
　She　nodded。　〃No　churches。　From　here　the　first　one　you　hit　is　St。　Peter's。〃
　Langdon　grunted。　At　least　they　were　in　agreement。　He　moved　toward　Olivetti。　The　soldiers　parted　to　let　him　through。
　Olivetti　looked　up。　〃Nothing。　But　this　doesn't　show　every　last　church。　Just　the　big　ones。　About　fifty　of　them。〃
　〃Where　are　we？〃　Langdon　asked。
　Olivetti　pointed　to　Piazza　del　Popolo　and　traced　a　straight　line　exactly　southwest。　The　line　missed；　by　a　substantial　margin；　the　cluster　of　black　squares　indicating　Rome's　major　churches。　Unfortunately；　Rome's　major　churches　were　also　Rome's　older　churches　。　。　。　those　that　would　have　been　around　in　the　1600s。
　〃I've　got　some　decisions　to　make；〃　Olivetti　said。　〃Are　you　certain　of　the　direction？〃
　Langdon　pictured　the　angel's　outstretched　finger；　the　urgency　rising　in　him　again。　〃Yes；　sir。　Positive。〃
　Olivetti　shrugged　and　traced　the　straight　line　again。　The　path　intersected　the　Margherita　Bridge；　Via　Cola　di　Riezo；　and　passed　through　Piazza　del　Risorgimento；　hitting　no　churches　at　all　until　it　dead…ended　abruptly　at　the　center　of　St。　Peter's　Square。
　〃What's　wrong　with　St。　Peter's？〃　one　of　the　soldiers　said。　He　had　a　deep　scar　under　his　left　eye。　〃It's　a　church。〃
　Langdon　shook　his　head。　〃Needs　to　be　a　public　place。　Hardly　seems　public　at　the　moment。〃
　〃But　the　line　goes　through　St。　Peter's　Square；〃　Vittoria　added；　looking　over　Langdon's　shoulder。　〃The　square　is　public。〃
　Langdon　had　already　considered　it。　〃No　statues；　though。〃
　〃Isn't　there　a　monolith　in　the　middle？〃
　She　was　right。　There　was　an　Egyptian　monolith　in　St。　Peter's　Square。　Langdon　looked　out　at　the　monolith　in　the　piazza　in　front　of　them。　The　lofty　pyramid。　An　odd　coincidence；　he　thought。　He　shook　it　off。　〃The　Vatican's　monolith　is　not　by　Bernini。　It　was　brought　in　by　Caligula。　And　it　has　nothing　to　do　with　Air。〃　There　was　another　problem　as　well。　〃Besides；　the　poem　says　the　elements　are　spread　across　Rome。　St。　Peter's　Square　is　in　Vatican　City。　Not　Rome。〃
　〃Depends　who　you　ask；〃　a　guard　interjected。
　Langdon　looked　up。　〃What？〃
　〃Always　a　bone　of　contention。　Most　maps　show　St。　Peter's　Square　as　part　of　Vatican　City；　but　because　it's　outside　the　walled　city；　Roman　officials　for　centuries　have　claimed　it　as　part　of　Rome。〃
　〃You're　kidding；〃　Langdon　said。　He　had　never　known　that。
　〃I　only　mention　it；〃　the　guard　continued；　〃because　mander　Olivetti　and　Ms。　Vetra　were　asking　about　a　sculpture　that　had　to　do　with　Air。〃
　Langdon　was　wide…eyed。　〃And　you　know　of　one　in　St。　Peter's　Square？〃
　〃Not　exactly。　It's　not　really　a　sculpture。　Probably　not　relevant。〃
　〃Let's　hear　it；〃　Olivetti　pressed。
　The　guard　shrugged。　〃The　only　reason　I　know　about　it　is　because　I'm　usually　on　piazza　duty。　I　know　every　corner　of　St。　Peter's　Square。〃
　〃The　sculpture；〃　Langdon　urged。　〃What　does　it　look　like？〃　Langdon　was　starting　to　wonder　if　the　Illuminati　could　really　have　been　gutsy　enough　to　position　their　second　marker　right　outside　St。　Peter's　Church。
　〃I　patrol　past　it　every　day；〃　the　guard　said。　〃It's　in　the　center；　directly　where　that　line　is　pointing。　That's　what　made　me　think　of　it。　As　I　said；　it's　not　really　a　sculpture。　It's　more　of　a　。　。　。　block。〃
　Olivetti　looked　mad。　〃A　block？〃　
　〃Yes；　sir。　A　marble　block　embedded　in　the　square。　At　the　base　of　the　monolith。　But　the　block　is　not　a　rectangle。　It's　an　ellipse。　And　the　block　is　carved　with　the　image　of　a　billowing　gust　of　wind。〃　He　paused。　〃Air；　I　suppose；　if　you　wanted　to　get　scientific　about　it。〃
　Langdon　stared　at　the　young　soldier　in　amazement。　〃A　relief！〃　he　exclaimed　suddenly。
　Everyone　looked　at　him。
　〃Relief；〃　Langdon　said；　〃is　the　other　half　of　sculpture！〃　Sculpture　is　the　art　of　shaping　figures　in　the　round　and　also　in　relief。　He　had　written　the　definition　on　chalkboards　for　years。　Reliefs　were　essentially　two…dimensional　sculptures；　like　Abraham　Lincoln's　profile　on　the　penny。　Bernini's　Chigi　Chapel　medallions　were　another　perfect　example。
　〃Bassorelievo？〃　the　guard　asked；　using　the　Italian　art　term。　
　〃Yes！　Bas…relief！〃　Langdon　rapped　his　knuckles　on　the　hood。　〃I　wasn't　thinking　in　those　terms！　That　tile　you're　talking　about　in　St。　Peter's　Square　is　called　the　West　Ponente…the　West　Wind。　It's　also　known　as　Respiro　di　Dio。〃　
　〃Breath　of　God？〃
　〃Yes！　Air！　And　it　was　carved　and　put　there　by　the　original　architect！〃
　Vittoria　looked　confused。　〃But　I　thought　Michelangelo　designed　St。　Peter's。〃
　〃Yes；　the　basilica！〃　Langdon　exclaimed；　triumph　in　his　voice。　〃But　St。　Peter's　Square　was　designed　by　Bernini！〃
　As　the　caravan　of　Alpha　Romeos　tore　out　of　Piazza　del　Popolo；　everyone　was　in　too　much　of　a　hurry　to　notice　the　BBC　van　pulling　out　behind　them。
　
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　Gunther　Glick　floored　the　BBC　van's　accelerator　and　swerved　through　traffic　as　he　tailed　the　four　speeding　Alpha　Romeos　across　the　Tiber　River　on　Ponte　Margherita。　Normally　Glick　would　have　made　an　effort　to　maintain　an　inconspicuous　distance；　but　today　he　could　barely　keep　up。　These　guys　were　flying。
　Macri　sat　in　her　work　area　in　the　back　of　the　van　finishing　a　phone　call　with　London。　She　hung　up　and　yelled　to　Glick　over　the　sound　of　the　traffic。　〃You　want　the　good　news　or　bad　news？〃
　Glick　frowned。　Nothing　was　ever　simple　when　dealing　with　the　home　office。　〃Bad　news。〃
　〃Editorial　is　burned　we　abandoned　our　post。〃
　〃Surprise。〃
　〃They　also　think　your　tipster　is　a　fraud。〃
　〃Of　course。〃
　〃And　the　boss　just　warned　me　that　you're　a　few　crumpets　short　of　a　proper　tea。〃
　Glick　scowled。　〃Great。　And　the　good　news？〃
　〃They　agreed　to　look　at　the　footage　we　just　shot。〃
　Glick　felt　his　scowl　soften　into　a　grin。　I　guess　we'll　see　who's　short　a　few　crumpets。　〃So　fire　it　off。〃
　〃Can't　transmit　until　we　stop　and　get　a　fixed　cell　read。〃
　Glick　gunned　the　van　onto　Via　Cola　di　Rienzo。　〃Can't　stop　now。〃　He　tailed　the　Alpha　Romeos　through　a　hard　left　swerve　around　Piazza　Risorgimento。
　Macri　held　on　to　her　puter　gear　in　back　as　everything　slid。　〃Break　my　transmitter；〃　she　warned；　〃and　we'll　have　to　walk　this　footage　to　London。〃
　〃Sit　tight；　love。　Something　tells　me　we're　almost　there。〃
　Macri　looked　up。　〃Where？〃
　Glick　gazed　out　at　the　familiar　dome　now　looming　directly　in　front　of　them。　He　smiled。　〃Right　back　where　we　started。〃
　
　The　four　Alpha　Romeos　slipped　deftly　into　traffic　surrounding　St。　Peter's　Square。　They　split　up　and　spread　out　along　the　piazza　perimeter；　quietly　unloading　men　at　select　points。　The　debarking　guards　moved　into　the　throng　of　tourists　and　media　vans　on　the　edge　of　the　square　and　instantly　became　invisible。　Some　of　the　guards　entered　the　forest　of　pillars　enpassing　the　colonnade。　They　too　seemed　to　evaporate　into　the　surroundings。　As　Langdon　watched　through　the　windshield；　he　sensed　a　noose　tightening　around　St。　Peter's。　
　In　addition　to　the　men　Olivetti　had　just　dispatched；　the　mander　had　radioed　ahead　to　the　Vatican　and　sent　additional　undercover　guards　to　the　center　where　Bernini's　West　Ponente　was　located。　As　Langdon　looked　out　at　the　wide…open　spaces　of　St。　Peter's　Square；　a　familiar　question　nagged。　How　does　the　Illuminati　assassin　plan　to　get　away　with　this？　How　will　he　get　a　cardinal　through　all　these　people　and　kill　him　in　plain　view？　Langdon　checked　his　Mickey　Mouse　watch。　It　was　8：54　P。M。　Six　minutes。
　In　the　front　seat；　Olivetti　turned　and　faced　Langdon　and　Vittoria。　〃I　want　you　two　right　on　top　of　this　Bernini　brick　or　block　or　whatever　the　hell　it　is。　Same　drill。　You're　tourists。　Use　the　phone　if　you　see　anything。〃
　Before　Langdon　could　respond；　Vittoria　had　his　hand　and　was　pulling　him　out　of　the　car。
　The　springtime　sun　was　setting　behind　St。　Peter's　Basilica；　and　a　massive　shadow　spread；　engulfing　the　piazza。　Langdon　felt　an　ominous　chill　as　he　and　Vittoria　moved　into　the　cool；　black　umbra。　Snaking　through　the　crowd；　Lang