danbrown.angels&demons-第5部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ercent。〃
　Langdon　nodded　blankly。
　He　never　suspected　that　later　that　night；　in　a　country　hundreds　of　miles　away；　the　information　would　save　his　life。
　
　8

　When　Kohler　and　Langdon　emerged　from　the　rear　of　CERN's　main　plex　into　the　stark　Swiss　sunlight；　Langdon　felt　as　if　he'd　been　transported　home。　The　scene　before　him　looked　like　an　Ivy　League　campus。
　A　grassy　slope　cascaded　downward　onto　an　expansive　lowlands　where　clusters　of　sugar　maples　dotted　quadrangles　bordered　by　brick　dormitories　and　footpaths。　Scholarly　looking　individuals　with　stacks　of　books　hustled　in　and　out　of　buildings。　As　if　to　accentuate　the　collegiate　atmosphere；　two　longhaired　hippies　hurled　a　Frisbee　back　and　forth　while　enjoying　Mahler's　Fourth　Symphony　blaring　from　a　dorm　window。
　〃These　are　our　residential　dorms；〃　Kohler　explained　as　he　accelerated　his　wheelchair　down　the　path　toward　the　buildings。　〃We　have　over　three　thousand　physicists　here。　CERN　single…handedly　employs　more　than　half　of　the　world's　particle　physicists…the　brightest　minds　on　earth…Germans；　Japanese；　Italians；　Dutch；　you　name　it。　Our　physicists　represent　over　five　hundred　universities　and　sixty　nationalities。〃
　Langdon　was　amazed。　〃How　do　they　all　municate？〃
　〃English；　of　course。　The　universal　language　of　science。〃
　Langdon　had　always　heard　math　was　the　universal　language　of　science；　but　he　was　too　tired　to　argue。　He　dutifully　followed　Kohler　down　the　path。
　Halfway　to　the　bottom；　a　young　man　jogged　by。　His　T…shirt　proclaimed　the　message：　NO　GUT；　NO　GLORY！
　Langdon　looked　after　him；　mystified。　〃Gut？〃
　〃General　Unified　Theory。〃　Kohler　quipped。　〃The　theory　of　everything。〃
　〃I　see；〃　Langdon　said；　not　seeing　at　all。
　〃Are　you　familiar　with　particle　physics；　Mr。　Langdon？〃
　Langdon　shrugged。　〃I'm　familiar　with　general　physics…falling　bodies；　that　sort　of　thing。〃　His　years　of　high…diving　experience　had　given　him　a　profound　respect　for　the　awesome　power　of　gravitational　acceleration。　〃Particle　physics　is　the　study　of　atoms；　isn't　it？〃　
　Kohler　shook　his　head。　〃Atoms　look　like　planets　pared　to　what　we　deal　with。　Our　interests　lie　with　an　atom's　nucleus…a　mere　ten…thousandth　the　size　of　the　whole。〃　He　coughed　again；　sounding　sick。　〃The　men　and　women　of　CERN　are　here　to　find　answers　to　the　same　questions　man　has　been　asking　since　the　beginning　of　time。　Where　did　we　e　from？　What　are　we　made　of？〃
　〃And　these　answers　are　in　a　physics　lab？〃　
　〃You　sound　surprised。〃
　〃I　am。　The　questions　seem　spiritual。〃
　〃Mr。　Langdon；　all　questions　were　once　spiritual。　Since　the　beginning　of　time；　spirituality　and　religion　have　been　called　on　to　fill　in　the　gaps　that　science　did　not　understand。　The　rising　and　setting　of　the　sun　was　once　attributed　to　Helios　and　a　flaming　chariot。　Earthquakes　and　tidal　waves　were　the　wrath　of　Poseidon。　Science　has　now　proven　those　gods　to　be　false　idols。　Soon　all　Gods　will　be　proven　to　be　false　idols。　Science　has　now　provided　answers　to　almost　every　question　man　can　ask。　There　are　only　a　few　questions　left；　and　they　are　the　esoteric　ones。　Where　do　we　e　from？　What　are　we　doing　here？　What　is　the　meaning　of　life　and　the　universe？〃
　Langdon　was　amazed。　〃And　these　are　questions　CERN　is　trying　to　answer？〃
　〃Correction。　These　are　questions　we　are　answering。〃
　Langdon　fell　silent　as　the　two　men　wound　through　the　residential　quadrangles。　As　they　walked；　a　Frisbee　sailed　overhead　and　skidded　to　a　stop　directly　in　front　of　them。　Kohler　ignored　it　and　kept　going。
　A　voice　called　out　from　across　the　quad。　〃S'il　vous　plaоt！〃　
　Langdon　looked　over。　An　elderly　white…haired　man　in　a　COLLEGE　PARIS　sweatshirt　waved　to　him。　Langdon　picked　up　the　Frisbee　and　expertly　threw　it　back。　The　old　man　caught　it　on　one　finger　and　bounced　it　a　few　times　before　whipping　it　over　his　shoulder　to　his　partner。　〃Merci！〃　he　called　to　Langdon。
　〃Congratulations；〃　Kohler　said　when　Langdon　finally　caught　up。　〃You　just　played　toss　with　a　Noble　prize…winner；　Georges　Charpak；　inventor　of　the　multiwire　proportional　chamber。〃
　Langdon　nodded。　My　lucky　day。
　
　It　took　Langdon　and　Kohler　three　more　minutes　to　reach　their　destination…a　large；　well…kept　dormitory　sitting　in　a　grove　of　aspens。　pared　to　the　other　dorms；　this　structure　seemed　luxurious。　The　carved　stone　sign　in　front　read　BUILDING　C。　
　Imaginative　title；　Langdon　thought。
　But　despite　its　sterile　name；　Building　C　appealed　to　Langdon's　sense　of　architectural　style…conservative　and　solid。　It　had　a　red　brick　facade；　an　ornate　balustrade；　and　sat　framed　by　sculpted　symmetrical　hedges。　As　the　two　men　ascended　the　stone　path　toward　the　entry；　they　passed　under　a　gateway　formed　by　a　pair　of　marble　columns。　Someone　had　put　a　sticky…note　on　one　of　them。
　
　THIS　COLUMN　IS　IONIC　
　
　Physicist　graffiti？　Langdon　mused；　eyeing　the　column　and　chuckling　to　himself。　〃I'm　relieved　to　see　that　even　brilliant　physicists　make　mistakes。〃
　Kohler　looked　over。　〃What　do　you　mean？〃
　〃Whoever　wrote　that　note　made　a　mistake。　That　column　isn't　Ionic。　Ionic　columns　are　uniform　in　width。　That　one's　tapered。　It's　Doric…the　Greek　counterpart。　A　mon　mistake。〃
　Kohler　did　not　smile。　〃The　author　meant　it　as　a　joke；　Mr。　Langdon。　Ionic　means　containing　ions…electrically　charged　particles。　Most　objects　contain　them。〃
　Langdon　looked　back　at　the　column　and　groaned。　
　
　Langdon　was　still　feeling　stupid　when　he　stepped　from　the　elevator　on　the　top　floor　of　Building　C。　He　followed　Kohler　down　a　well…appointed　corridor。　The　decor　was　unexpected…traditional　colonial　French…a　cherry　divan；　porcelain　floor　vase；　and　scrolled　woodwork。
　〃We　like　to　keep　our　tenured　scientists　fortable；〃　Kohler　explained。
　Evidently；　Langdon　thought。　〃So　the　man　in　the　fax　lived　up　here？　One　of　your　upper…level　employees？〃
　〃Quite；〃　Kohler　said。　〃He　missed　a　meeting　with　me　this　morning　and　did　not　answer　his　page。　I　came　up　here　to　locate　him　and　found　him　dead　in　his　living　room。〃
　Langdon　felt　a　sudden　chill　realizing　that　he　was　about　to　see　a　dead　body。　His　stomach　had　never　been　particularly　stalwart。　It　was　a　weakness　he'd　discovered　as　an　art　student　when　the　teacher　informed　the　class　that　Leonardo　da　Vinci　had　gained　his　expertise　in　the　human　form　by　exhuming　corpses　and　dissecting　their　musculature。
　Kohler　led　the　way　to　the　far　end　of　the　hallway。　There　was　a　single　door。　〃The　Penthouse；　as　you　would　say；〃　Kohler　announced；　dabbing　a　bead　of　perspiration　from　his　forehead。　
　Langdon　eyed　the　lone　oak　door　before　them。　The　name　plate　read：　
　
　LEONARDO　VETRA　
　
　〃Leonardo　Vetra；〃　Kohler　said；　〃would　have　been　fifty…eight　next　week。　He　was　one　of　the　most　brilliant　scientists　of　our　time。　His　death　is　a　profound　loss　for　science。〃
　For　an　instant　Langdon　thought　he　sensed　emotion　in　Kohler's　hardened　face。　But　as　quickly　as　it　had　e；　it　was　gone。　Kohler　reached　in　his　pocket　and　began　sifting　through　a　large　key　ring。　
　An　odd　thought　suddenly　occurred　to　Langdon。　The　building　seemed　deserted。　〃Where　is　everyone？〃　he　asked。　The　lack　of　activity　was　hardly　what　he　expected　considering　they　were　about　to　enter　a　murder　scene。
　〃The　residents　are　in　their　labs；〃　Kohler　replied；　finding　the　key。
　〃I　mean　the　police；〃　Langdon　clarified。　〃Have　they　left　already？〃
　Kohler　paused；　his　key　halfway　into　the　lock。　〃Police？〃
　Langdon's　eyes　met　the　director's。　〃Police。　You　sent　me　a　fax　of　a　homicide。　You　must　have　called　the　police。〃
　〃I　most　certainly　have　not。〃
　〃What？〃
　Kohler's　gray　eyes　sharpened。　〃The　situation　is　plex；　Mr。　Langdon。〃
　Langdon　felt　a　wave　of　apprehension。　〃But　。　。　。　certainly　someone　else　knows　about　this！〃
　〃Yes。　Leonardo's　adopted　daughter。　She　is　also　a　physicist　here　at　CERN。　She　and　her　father　share　a　lab。　They　are　partners。　Ms。　Vetra　has　been　away　this　week　doing　field　research。　I　have　notified　her　of　her　father's　death；　and　she　is　returning　as　we　speak。〃
　〃But　a　man　has　been　murd…〃
　〃A　formal　investigation；〃　Kohler　said；　his　voice　firm；　〃will　take　place。　However；　it　will　most　certainly　involve　a　search　of　Vetra's　lab；　a　space　he　and　his　daughter　hold　most　private。　Therefore；　it　will　wait　until　Ms。　Vetra　has　arrived。　I　feel　I　owe　her　at　least　that　modicum　of　discretion。〃
　Kohler　turned　the　key。　
　As　the　door　swung　open；　a　blast　of　icy　air　hissed　into　the　hall　and　hit　Langdon　in　the　face。　He　fell　back　in　bewilderment。　He　was　gazing　across　the　threshold　of　an　alien　world。　The　flat　before　him　was　immersed　in　a　thick；　white　fog。　The　mist　swirled　in　smoky　vortexes　around　the　furniture　and　shrouded　the　room　in　opaque　haze。
　〃What　the　。　。　。　？〃　Langdon　stammered。
　〃Freon　cooling　system；〃　Kohler　replied。　〃I　chilled　the　flat　to　preserve　the　body。〃
　Langdon　buttoned　his　tweed　jacket　against　the　cold。　I'm　in　Oz；　he　thought。　And　I　forgot　my　magic　slippers。
　
　9

　The　corpse　on　the　floor　before　Langdon　was　hideous。　The　late　Leonardo　Vetra　lay　on　his　back；　stripped　naked；　his　skin　bluish…gray。　His　neck　bones　were　jutting　out　where　they　had　been　broken；　and　his　head　was　twisted　pletely　backward；　pointing　the　wrong　way。　His　face　was　out　of　view；　pressed　against　the　floor。　The　man　lay　in　a　frozen　puddle　of　his　own　urine；　the　hair　around　his　shriveled　genitals　spidered　with　frost。
　Fig