h； parallel with the casket。 Facedown； he planted his hands flat on the floor； the glass cut from the archives pinching open with a stab。 Ignoring the pain； he pushed。 Driving his body upward in an awkward push…up； Langdon arched his stomach off the floor just as the gun went off。 He could feel the shock wave of the bullets as they sailed beneath him and pulverized the porous travertine behind。 Closing his eyes and straining against exhaustion； Langdon prayed for the thunder to stop。
And then it did。
The roar of gunfire was replaced with the cold click of an empty chamber。
Langdon opened his eyes slowly； almost fearful his eyelids would make a sound。 Fighting the trembling pain； he held his position； arched like a cat。 He didn't even dare breathe。 His eardrums numbed by gunfire； Langdon listened for any hint of the killer's departure。 Silence。 He thought of Vittoria and ached to help her。
The sound that followed was deafening。 Barely human。 A guttural bellow of exertion。
The sarcophagus over Langdon's head suddenly seemed to rise on its side。 Langdon collapsed on the floor as hundreds of pounds teetered toward him。 Gravity overcame friction； and the lid was the first to go； sliding off the tomb and crashing to the floor beside him。 The casket came next； rolling off its supports and toppling upside down toward Langdon。
As the box rolled； Langdon knew he would either be entombed in the hollow beneath it or crushed by one of the edges。 Pulling in his legs and head； Langdon pacted his body and yanked his arms to his sides。 Then he closed his eyes and awaited the sickening crush。
When it came； the entire floor shook beneath him。 The upper rim landed only millimeters from the top of his head； rattling his teeth in their sockets。 His right arm； which Langdon had been certain would be crushed； miraculously still felt intact。 He opened his eyes to see a shaft of light。 The right rim of the casket had not fallen all the way to the floor and was still propped partially on its supports。 Directly overhead； though； Langdon found himself staring quite literally into the face of death。
The original occupant of the tomb was suspended above him； having adhered； as decaying bodies often did； to the bottom of the casket。 The skeleton hovered a moment； like a tentative lover； and then with a sticky crackling； it succumbed to gravity and peeled away。 The carcass rushed down to embrace him； raining putrid bones and dust into Langdon's eyes and mouth。
Before Langdon could react； a blind arm was slithering through the opening beneath the casket； sifting through the carcass like a hungry python。 It groped until it found Langdon's neck and clamped down。 Langdon tried to fight back against the iron fist now crushing his larynx； but he found his left sleeve pinched beneath the edge of the coffin。 He had only one arm free； and the fight was a losing battle。
Langdon's legs bent in the only open space he had； his feet searching for the casket floor above him。 He found it。 Coiling； he planted his feet。 Then； as the hand around his neck squeezed tighter； Langdon closed his eyes and extended his legs like a ram。 The casket shifted； ever so slightly； but enough。
With a raw grinding； the sarcophagus slid off the supports and landed on the floor。 The casket rim crashed onto the killer's arm； and there was a muffled scream of pain。 The hand released Langdon's neck； twisting and jerking away into the dark。 When the killer finally pulled his arm free； the casket fell with a conclusive thud against the flat marble floor。
plete darkness。 Again。
And silence。
There was no frustrated pounding outside the overturned sarcophagus。 No prying to get in。 Nothing。 As Langdon lay in the dark amidst a pile of bones； he fought the closing darkness and turned his thoughts to her。
Vittoria。 Are you alive？
If Langdon had known the truth…the horror to which Vittoria would soon awake…he would have wished for her sake that she were dead。
94
Sitting in the Sistine Chapel among his stunned colleagues； Cardinal Mortati tried to prehend the words he was hearing。 Before him； lit only by the candlelight； the camerlegno had just told a tale of such hatred and treachery that Mortati found himself trembling。 The camerlegno spoke of kidnapped cardinals； branded cardinals； murdered cardinals。 He spoke of the ancient Illuminati…a name that dredged up forgotten fears…and of their resurgence and vow of revenge against the church。 With pain in his voice； the camerlegno spoke of his late Pope 。 。 。 the victim of an Illuminati poisoning。 And finally； his words almost a whisper； he spoke of a deadly new technology； antimatter； which in less than two hours threatened to destroy all of Vatican City。
When he was through； it was as if Satan himself had sucked the air from the room。 Nobody could move。 The camerlegno's words hung in the darkness。
The only sound Mortati could now hear was the anomalous hum of a television camera in back…an electronic presence no conclave in history had ever endured…but a presence demanded by the camerlegno。 To the utter astonishment of the cardinals； the camerlegno had entered the Sistine Chapel with two BBC reporters…a man and a woman…and announced that they would be transmitting his solemn statement； live to the world。
Now； speaking directly to the camera； the camerlegno stepped forward。 〃To the Illuminati；〃 he said； his voice deepening； 〃and to those of science； let me say this。〃 He paused。 〃You have won the war。〃
The silence spread now to the deepest corners of the chapel。 Mortati could hear the desperate thumping of his own heart。
〃The wheels have been in motion for a long time；〃 the camerlegno said。 〃Your victory has been inevitable。 Never before has it been as obvious as it is at this moment。 Science is the new God。〃
What is he saying！ Mortati thought。 Has he gone mad？ The entire world is hearing this！
〃Medicine； electronic munications； space travel； genetic manipulation 。 。 。 these are the miracles about which we now tell our children。 These are the miracles we herald as proof that science will bring us the answers。 The ancient stories of immaculate conceptions； burning bushes； and parting seas are no longer relevant。 God has bee obsolete。 Science has won the battle。 We concede。〃
A rustle of confusion and bewilderment swept through the chapel。
〃But science's victory；〃 the camerlegno added； his voice intensifying； 〃has cost every one of us。 And it has cost us deeply。〃
Silence。
〃Science may have alleviated the miseries of disease and drudgery and provided an array of gadgetry for our entertainment and convenience； but it has left us in a world without wonder。 Our sunsets have been reduced to wavelengths and frequencies。 The plexities of the universe have been shredded into mathematical equations。 Even our self…worth as human beings has been destroyed。 Science proclaims that Planet Earth and its inhabitants are a meaningless speck in the grand scheme。 A cosmic accident。〃 He paused。 〃Even the technology that promises to unite us； divides us。 Each of us is now electronically connected to the globe； and yet we feel utterly alone。 We are bombarded with violence； division； fracture； and betrayal。 Skepticism has bee a virtue。 Cynicism and demand for proof has bee enlightened thought。 Is it any wonder that humans now feel more depressed and defeated than they have at any point in human history？ Does science hold anything sacred？ Science looks for answers by probing our unborn fetuses。 Science even presumes to rearrange our own DNA。 It shatters God's world into smaller and smaller pieces in quest of meaning 。 。 。 and all it finds is more questions。〃
Mortati watched in awe。 The camerlegno was almost hypnotic now。 He had a physical strength in his movements and voice that Mortati had never witnessed on a Vatican altar。 The man's voice was wrought with conviction and sadness。
〃The ancient war between science and religion is over；〃 the camerlegno said。 〃You have won。 But you have not won fairly。 You have not won by providing answers。 You have won by so radically reorienting our society that the truths we once saw as signposts now seem inapplicable。 Religion cannot keep up。 Scientific