iancaldwell&dustinthomason.theruleoffour-第46部分

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I　grow　fearful　that　my　secret　is　too　easily　spread。　But　first；　out　of　deference　to　your　acplishment；　I　will　offer　you　the　beginnings　of　my　story；　so　that　you　will　know　I　have　not　led　you　this　far　in　vain。
　There　is　a　preacher　in　the　land　of　my　brethren　who　has　brought　a　great　pestilence　upon　the　lovers　of　knowledge。　We　have　battled　him　with　all　our　wit　and　influence；　but　this　single　man　raises　our　countrymen　against　us。　He　thunders　in　the　squares　and　from　the　pulpits；　and　the　mon　men　of　all　nations　take　up　arms　to　do　us　harm。　Just　as　God；　out　of　jealousy；　brought　to　nothing　the　tower　in　the　plain　of　Shinar；　which　men　built　toward　the　heavens；　so　He　raises　His　fist　against　us；　who　attempt　the　very　same。　I　did　long　ago　hope　that　men　wished　to　be　delivered　from　ignorance；　just　as　slaves　wish　to　be　freed　from　bondage。　It　is　a　condition　unbeing　our　dignity；　and　contrary　to　our　nature。　Yet　I　find　now　that　the　race　of　men　is　a　cowardly　thing；　a　perversion　like　the　owl　of　my　riddle；　which　though　it　might　enjoy　sunlight；　prefers　darkness。　You　will　hear　no　more　of　me；　reader；　upon　the　pletion　of　my　crypt。　To　be　a　prince　to　such　people　as　this；　is　to　be　a　castled　kind　of　beggar。　This　book　will　be　my　only　child；　may　it　live　long；　and　serve　you　well。
　
　Paul　hardly　paused　to　contemplate　it；　he　pushed　on　to　the　fifth　and　final　riddle；　which　he'd　found　while　I　struggled　with　the　fourth：　Where　do　blood　and　spirit　meet？
　〃It's　the　oldest　philosophical　question　in　the　book；〃　he　told　me；　while　I　puttered　around　the　room；　preparing　for　a　night　with　Katie。
　〃What　is？〃
　〃The　intersection　of　mind　and　body；　the　flesh…spirit　duality。　You　see　it　in　Augustine；　in　contra　Manichaeos。　You　see　it　in　modern　philosophy。　Descartes　thought　he　could　pinpoint　the　soul　somewhere　near　the　pineal　gland　in　the　brain。〃
　He　continued　that　way；　paging　through　a　book　from　Firestone　and　sputtering　philosophy；　while　I　packed。
　〃What　are　you　reading？〃　I　asked；　pulling　my　copy　of　Paradise　Lost　off　the　shelf　to　bring　with　me。
　〃Galen；〃　Paul　said。
　〃Who？〃
　〃The　second　father　of　western　medicine；　after　Hippocrates。〃
　I　remembered。　Charlie　had　studied　Galen　in　a　history　of　science　class。　By　Renaissance　standards；　though；　Galen　was　no　spring　chick：　he　died　thirteen　hundred　years　before　the　Hypnerotomachia　was　published。
　〃Why？〃　I　asked。
　〃I　think　the　riddle　is　about　anatomy。　Francesco　must've　believed　there　was　an　actual　organ　in　the　body　where　blood　and　spirit　met。〃
　Charlie　appeared　in　the　doorway　with　the　remains　of　an　apple　in　his　hand。　〃What　are　you　amateurs　talking　about？〃　he　said；　hearing　talk　of　things　medical。
　〃An　organ　like　this；〃　Paul　said；　ignoring　him。　〃The　rete　mirabile。〃　He　pointed　to　a　diagram　in　the　book。　〃A　network　of　nerves　and　vessels　at　the　base　of　the　brain。　Galen　thought　this　is　where　vital　spirits　turned　into　animal　ones。〃
　〃What's　wrong　with　it？〃　I　asked；　checking　my　watch。
　〃I　don't　know。　It　doesn't　work　as　a　cipher。〃
　〃That's　because　it　doesn't　exist　in　humans；〃　Charlie　said。
　〃What　do　you　mean？〃
　Charlie　looked　up　and　took　a　last　nibble　from　his　apple。　〃Galen　only　dissected　animals。　The　rete　mirabile's　something　he　found　in　an　ox　or　a　sheep。〃
　Paul's　expression　faded。
　〃He　also　made　a　meal　of　cardiac　anatomy；〃　Charlie　continued。
　〃There's　no　septum？〃　Paul　said；　as　if　he　knew　what　Charlie　meant。
　〃There　is。　There　just　aren't　any　pores　in　it。〃
　〃What's　a　septum？〃　I　asked。
　〃The　wall　of　tissue　between　the　two　sides　of　the　heart。〃　Charlie　walked　over　to　Paul's　book　and　flipped　through　it　to　find　a　diagram　of　the　circulatory　system。　〃Galen　got　it　all　wrong。　He　said　there　were　little　holes　in　the　septum　where　blood　passed　between　the　chambers。〃
　〃There　aren't？〃
　〃No；〃　Paul　snapped；　beginning　to　sound　as　if　he'd　been　working　on　this　longer　than　I　thought。　〃But　Mondino　made　the　same　mistake　about　the　septum。　Vesalius　and　Servetus　figured　it　out；　but　not　until　the　mid…1500s。　Leonardo　followed　Galen。　Harvey　didn't　describe　the　circulatory　system　until　the　1600s。　This　riddle　is　from　the　late　1400s；　Charlie。　It　has　to　be　the　rete　mirabile　or　the　septum。　No　one　knew　that　air　mixed　with　blood　in　the　lungs。〃
　Charlie　chuckled。　〃No　one　in　the　West。　The　Arabs　figured　it　out　two　hundred　years　before　your　guy　wrote　his　book。〃
　Paul　began　rifling　through　his　papers。　Thinking　the　matter　was　settled；　I　turned　to　go。　〃I　gotta　run。　I'll　see　you　guys　later。〃
　But　just　as　I　moved　toward　the　hallway；　Paul　found　what　he'd　been　looking　for：　the　Latin　he'd　translated　weeks　earlier；　the　text　of　Colonna's　third　message。
　〃The　Arab　doctor；〃　he　said。　〃Was　his　name　Ibn　al…Nafis？〃
　Charlie　nodded。　〃That's　the　one。〃
　Paul　was　all　excitement。　〃Francesco　must've　gotten　the　text　from　Andrea　Alpago。〃
　〃Who？〃
　〃The　man　he　mentions　in　the　message。　Disciple　of　the　venerable　Ibn　al…Nafis。〃　Before　either　of　us　could　speak；　Paul　was　talking　to　himself。　〃What's　Latin　for　lung？　Pulmo？〃
　I　made　for　the　door。
　〃You're　not　going　to　wait　to　see　what　it　says？〃　he　asked；　looking　up。
　〃I'm　supposed　to　be　at　Katie's　in　ten　minutes。〃
　〃This'll　only　take　fifteen。　Maybe　thirty。〃
　I　think　it　occurred　to　him　only　at　that　moment　how　much　things　had　changed。
　〃I'll　see　you　guys　in　the　morning；〃　I　said。
　Charlie；　who　understood；　smiled　and　wished　me　luck。
　　
　It　was　a　signal　night　for　Paul；　I　think。　He　realized　he'd　lost　me　for　good。　He　also　sensed　that　no　matter　what　Colonna's　final　message　was；　it　couldn't　possibly　contain　the　man's　entire　secret；　when　so　little　had　been　revealed　in　the　first　four　parts。　The　second　half　of　the　Hypnerotomachia；　which　we　had　always　assumed　was　filler；　must　in　reality　contain　more　ciphered　text。　And　whatever　consolation　Paul　took　in　Charlie's　medical　knowledge；　or　in　having　solved　the　fifth　riddle；　it　dissipated　quickly　when　he　saw　Colonna's　message　and　realized　that　he　was　right。
　
　I　fear　for　you；　reader；　as　I　fear　for　myself。　As　you　have　perceived；　it　was　my　intention　at　the　beginning　of　this　text　to　betray　to　you　my　meanings；　no　matter　how　deeply　I　wrapped　them　in　codes。　I　have　wished　for　you　to　find　what　you　seek；　and　have　acted　as　your　guide。
　Now；　however；　I　find　that　I　have　not　faith　enough　in　my　own　creation　to　continue　in　this　manner。　Perhaps　I　cannot　judge　the　true　difficulty　of　the　riddles　here　contained；　even　if　their　creators　assure　me　none　but　a　true　philosopher　could　solve　them。　Perhaps　these　wise　men；　too；　are　jealous　of　my　secret；　and　have　misled　me　so　that　they　may　steal　what　is　rightfully　ours。　He　is　clever　indeed；　this　preacher；　with　followers　in　every　camp；　I　fear　he　turns　my　soldiers　against　me。
　It　is　as　a　defense　to　you　then；　reader；　that　I　pursue　my　present　course。　Where　you　have　bee　accustomed　to　finding　a　riddle　within　my　chapters；　you　will　benceforth　find　no　riddles　at　all；　and　no　solutions　to　lead　you。　I　will　employ　only　my　Rule　of　Four　for　the　duration　of　Poliphilo's　journey；　but　I　will　offer　you　no　suggestion　of　its　nature。　Only　your　intellect　will　guide　you　now。　May　God　and　genius；　friend；　shepherd　you　aright。
　
　It　was　confidence　alone；　I　think；　that　prevented　Paul　from　sensing　his　abandonment　until　many　days　had　passed。　I　had　left　him；　Colonna　had　left　him；　now　he　navigated　alone。　He　tried；　at　first；　to　reinvolve　me　in　the　process。　We　had　solved　so　much　together　that　he　thought　it　would　be　selfish　to　let　me　absent　myself　in　the　eleventh　hour。　We　were　so　close；　he　thought；　we　had　so　little　left　to　do。
　Then　a　week　passed；　and　another。　I　was　beginning　again　with　Katie；　relearning　her；　loving　her　alone。　So　much　had　happened　in　the　weeks　we'd　been　apart　that　I　was　more　than　occupied　trying　to　catch　up。　We　alternated　meals　at　Cloister　and　at　Ivy。　She　had　new　friends；　we　had　new　routines。　There　were　family　matters　of　hers　I　began　to　take　an　interest　in。　I　sensed　that　once　I'd　won　her　trust　back　pletely；　she　had　things　she　wanted　to　tell　me。
　Everything　Paul　had　learned　about　Colonna's　riddles；　meanwhile；　began　to　fail　him。　Like　a　body　of　work　slowly　decaying　in　function；　the　Hypnerotomachia　resisted　all　his　trusted　medicines。　The　Rule　of　Four　was　elusive；　Colonna　had　given　no　indication　of　its　origin。　Charlie；　the　hero　of　the　fifth　riddle；　stayed　up　with　Paul　some　nights；　worrying　about　the　effect　my　departure　was　having。　He　never　asked　me　to　help；　knowing　what　the　book　had　done　to　me　once；　but　I　saw　the　way　he　hovered　over　Paul；　like　a　doctor　eyeing　a　patient　he　fears　is　trending　badly。　A　darkness　was　setting　in；　a　book　lover's　heartbreak；　and　Paul　was　helpless　against　it。　He　would　suffer；　without　my　help；　until　Easter　weekend。
　
　Chapter　19
　
　On　the　way　back　to　Dod；　I　shuffle　through　Katie's　pictures　of　Princeton　Battlefield。　In　shot　after　shot　I've　caught　her　in　midmotion；　running　toward　me；　hair　streaking　behind；　mouth　half　open；　her　words　caught　somewhere　in　the　registers　of　experience　beyond　the　camera's　range。　The　pleasure　of　imagining　her　voice　in　them　is　the　joy　of　these　pictures。　In　another　twelve　hours　I'll　see　her　at　Ivy；　escorting　her　to　the　ball　she's　been　anticipating　almost　since　we　met；　and　I　know　what　she'll　be　waiting　for　me　to　say。　That　I've　made　a　choice　I　can　stick　to；　that　I've　learned。　That　I　won't　be　returning　to　the　Hypneroto