Angels Demons Chapter 55-57

55Langdon and Vittoria exploded onto the courtyard unwrapside the Secret Archives. The fresh air felt up exchangeable a drug as it flowed into Langdons lungs. The purpleness spots in his vision quickly faded. The guilt, however, did not. He had just been accomplice to stealing a priceless relic from the worlds near private vault. The camerlegno had said, I am giving you my trust.Hurry, Vittoria said, sedate holding the folio in her hand and striding at a half-jog crossways Via Borgia in the direction of Olivettis office.If any water gets on that papyrus Calm down. When we decipher this thing, we can return their sacred Folio 5.Langdon accelerated to keep up. Beyond feeling like a criminal, he was still misty over the documents spellbinding implications. John Milton was an Illuminatus. He composed the poem for Galileo to publish in Folio 5 far from the eyes of the Vatican.As they left the courtyard, Vittoria held out the folio for Langdon. You think you can decipher this thin g? Or did we just kill all those brain cells for kicks?Langdon took the document carefully in his hands. Without hesitation he slipped it into one of the breast pockets of his tweed jacket, out of the sunlight and dangers of moisture. I deciphered it already.Vittoria stopped short. You what?Langdon kept moving.Vittoria hustled to catch up. You read it once I thought it was suppositious to be hardLangdon knew she was decently, and yet he had deciphered the segno in a single reading. A perfect stanza of iambic pentameter, and the get-go communion table of science had revealed itself in pristine clarity. Admittedly, the ease with which he had accomplished the task left him with a nagging disquietude. He was a child of the Puritan work ethic. He could still hear his father speaking 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 jazz where the low killing is going to ha ppen. 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 lis roughly hand into his pocket and rolled 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 only when instead found himself bewitched by Vittorias accented alto speaking the syllables in perfect he imposturebeat 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 first time clear-sighted it was a test, a map, a clue unveiling the four altars of science the four markers that blazed a unfathomed path across Rome. The verse flowed from Vittorias lips like a song.From Santis earthly tomb with demons hole,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 wherefore fell silent, as if letting the ancient rule books resonate on their own.From Santis earthly tomb, Langdon repeated in his mind. The poem was crystal clear about that. The highway of glitter began at Santis tomb. From there, across Rome, the markers blazed the trail.From Santis earthly tomb with demons hole,Cross Rome the mystic elements unfold.Mystic elements. Also clear. Earth, Air, Fire, Water. Elements of science, the four Illuminati markers disguised as apparitional sculpture.The first 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 exsert name of one of the most famous conversion artists ever to live. His first name was world reno wned the child prodigy who at the age of twenty-five was already doing commissions for Pope Julius II, and when he died at solely thirty-eight, left behind the greatest collection of frescoes the world had ever seen. Santi was a behemoth in the art world, and beingness known totally by ones first name was a level of fame achieved only by an elite few people like Napoleon, Galileo, and Jesus and, of course, the demigods Langdon now heard clamoring 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 Guard.So the path starts at Raphaels tomb?It actually makes perfect sense, Langdon said as they hotfoot on. The Illumina ti often considered great artists and sculptors honorary br other(a)s in enlightenment. The Illuminati could have chosen Raphaels tomb as a kind of tribute. Langdon also knew that Raphael, like some(prenominal) 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, something subtle. Even in the 1600s, the Pantheon, with its tremendous, holed dome, was one of the best known sites in Rome.Is the Pantheon even a church? Vittoria asked.Oldest Catholic church in Rome.Vittoria shake her head. But do you really think the first fundamental could be killed at the Pan theon? Thats got to be one of the busiest tourist spots in Rome.Langdon shrugged. The Illuminati said they valued the whole world watching. Killing a cardinal at the Pantheon would certainly open some eyes.But how does this guy expect to kill someone at the Pantheon and get away unnoticed? It would be impossible.As impossible as kidnapping four cardinals from Vatican city? The poem is precise.And youre certain Raphael is buried inside 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. secular? Actually, theres probably no more earthly place in Rome than the Pantheon. It got its name from the original religion practiced there Pantheism the worship of all gods, specifically the pagan gods of Mother Earth.As a student of archit ecture, Langdon had been amazed to learn that the dimensions of the Pantheons main chamber were a tribute to Gaea the goddess of the Earth. The proportions were so exact 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 sure about this. Demons hole must mean the oculus, he said, making a logical guess. The famous measure 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 neer heard the term demons hole, but he did recall a famous sixth-century critique of the Pantheon whose words seemed oddly appropriate now. The Venerable Bede had once scripted that the hole in the Pantheons roof had been bored by demons trying to hightail it the building when it was consecrated by Boniface IV.And wherefore, Vittoria added as they entered a smaller courtyard, why would the Illuminati use 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. One, the word Raphael has too many syllables. It would have destroyed the poems iambic pentameter.Sounds like a stretch.Langdon agreed. Okay, wherefore 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.amazingly not. Single name recognition was a status symbol. Raphael shunned his last name much like pop stars do today. Take Madonna, for example. She never uses her surname, Ciccone.Vittoria looked amused. You know Madonnas last name?Langdon regretted the example. It was amazing the kind of garbage a mind picked up living with 10,000 adolescents.As he and Vittoria passed the final gate toward the Office of the Swiss Guard, their march on was halted without warning.Para a voice bellowed behind them.Langdon and Vittoria roll outed to find themselves looking into the barrel of a rifle.Attento Vittoria exclaimed, jumping 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 security center. Let them goThe guard looked bewildered. Ma, signore, e una donna Inside he yelled at the guard.Signore, non posso Now You have new orders. Captain Rocher allow be briefing the corps in two minutes. We will be organizing a search.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 news, Langdon said.Olivettis eyes narrowed. It better be damn good.56The four unmarked Alpha Romeo 155 T-Sparks roared down Via dei Coronari like fight er jets off a runway. The vehicles carried twelve plainclothed Swiss Guards armed 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 spot of the lead car, Olivetti turned backward toward Langdon and Vittoria. His eyes were filled with rage. You assured me a sound explanation, and this is what I get?Langdon felt cramped in the small car. I understand your No, you dont understand Olivetti never raised his voice, but his intensity tripled. I have just removed 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 testimony of some American I have never met who has just interpreted a four-hundred-year-old poem. I have also just left the search 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. Al l 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 killer accomplish an assassination in such a crowded place and escape unseen?I dont know, Langdon said. But the Illuminati are obviously highly resourceful. Theyve broken into twain CERN and Vatican City. Its only by luck that we know where the first kill order is. The Pantheon is your one chance to catch this guy.More contradictions, Olivetti said. One chance? I thought you said there was some sort 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 bittersweet moment. History had a way of p displaceing cruel tricks on those who chased it. It was a long shot that the Path of Illumination would be intact 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 glide path 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 pith 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 faced front. Pull over, he barked 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 s creeched 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 scathing duties by being here, and because I have found very little that makes sense in this theory of yours about virgin sacrifices and ancient poetry, I cannot in good conscience 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 frank stare. Have you been to the Pantheon, Ms. Vetra?No, but I Let me tell you something about 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 ti mes by no less than four armed Roman policemen who protect this shrine from art defacers, anti-Christian terrorists, and gypsy tourist scams.Your point? she said feeblely.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 revert me one plausible scenario of how someone could kill a cardinal inside the Pantheon? How does one even get a hostage 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 shrink 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 killer 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.Everyo ne 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, quietly 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. Someone rapped sharply on the window, and everyone jumped. It was a soldier from one of the other cars. Olivetti rolled down the window.Everything all right, commander? The soldier was dressed in street 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 finger 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 separate approaches. Cars to Piazza della Rotunda, Via delgi Orfani, Piazza SantIgnacio, and SantEustachio. No closer than two blocks. in one case youre parked, gear 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 instant 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 breathing 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 clothing was folded on the chair beside the bed. Outside he could hear a nurse making the rounds. He lay there a long minute listening. whence, as quietly as possible, he pulled himself to the edge of the bed and retrieved his clothing. Struggling 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 engage the motor. When he arrived at the door he peered out. The dormitory room was empty.Silently, Maximilian Kohler slipped out of the infirmary.