iancaldwell&dustinthomason.theruleoffour-第55部分

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even　if　they　might　be　fakes。　A　librarian　in　Constantinople　sells　him　the　Chaldaean　Oracles　for　a　small　pig's　weight　in　silver…and　Francesco　calls　it　a　bargain　because　the　oracles'　author；　Zoroaster　the　Persian；　is　the　only　known　prophet　older　than　Hermes　Trismegistus。　Seven　chapters　by　Tacitus　and　a　book　by　Livy　appear　at　the　end　of　Francesco's　list　as　if　they're　nothing。　He　almost　forgets　to　mention　half　a　dozen　works　by　Botticelli。〃
　Paul　shakes　his　head；　imagining　it。　〃In　less　than　two　years；　Francesco　Colonna　assembles　one　of　the　greatest　libraries　of　ancient　art　and　literature　in　the　Renaissance　world。　He　brings　two　seamen　into　his　inner　circle　to　captain　his　ships　and　move　his　cargo。　He　employs　the　sons　of　the　trusted　members　of　the　Roman　Academy　to　protect　caravans　traveling　roads　across　Europe。　He　tests　the　men　he　suspects　of　treachery；　recording　their　every　move　so　he　can　cover　his　tracks。　Francesco　knew　he　could　only　trust　his　secret　to　a　select　few；　and　he　was　willing　to　do　whatever　it　took　to　protect　it。〃
　It's　hitting　me　now；　the　full　force　of　what　my　father　and　I　stumbled　onto：　a　single　loose　thread　in　a　web　of　munication　between　Colonna　and　his　assistants；　a　network　designed　for　the　sole　purpose　of　protecting　the　nobleman's　secret。
　〃Maybe　Rodrigo　and　Donato　weren't　the　only　ones　he　tested；〃　I　suggest。　〃Maybe　there　are　more　belladonna　letters。〃
　〃Probably；〃　he　says。　〃And　when　Francesco　was　done；　he　put　everything　he　owned　in　a　place　no　one　would　ever　think　to　look。　A　place　where　he　says　his　treasures　will　be　safe　from　his　enemies。〃
　I　know　it　even　before　he　says　it。
　〃He　petitions　the　senior　members　of　his　family　for　access　to　the　huge　tracts　of　land　they　own　outside　Rome；　under　the　pretext　of　a　profit…making　enterprise。　But　instead　of　building　above　ground；　in　the　middle　of　the　forests　where　his　ancestors　used　to　hunt；　he　designs　his　crypt。　A　huge　underground　vault。　Only　five　of　his　men　ever　know　its　location。
　〃Then；　as　1498　approaches；　Francesco　makes　a　crucial　decision。　In　Florence；　Savonarola　seems　to　be　more　popular　than　ever。　He　declares　that　on　Shrove　Tuesday　he　will　build　a　bonfire　even　bigger　than　the　last　one。　Francesco　records　part　of　the　speech　in　the　Hypnerotomachia。　He　says　all　of　Italy　is　at　a　fever　pitch　with　this　new　kind　of　religious　madness…and　he　fears　for　his　treasures。　He's　spent　virtually　all　of　his　fortune　already；　and　with　Savonarola　gaining　a　foothold　in　the　mind　of　Western　Europe；　he　senses　that　goods　are　being　harder　to　move　and　hide。　So　he　gathers　up　all　that　he's　collected；　places　it　in　the　crypt；　and　seals　it　off　for　good。〃
　Slowly　it　occurs　to　me　that　one　of　the　oddest　details　of　the　second　message　finally　makes　sense。　My　crypt；　Colonna　wrote；　is　an　unequalled　contrivance　for　its　purpose；　impervious　to　all　things；　but　above　all　to　water。　He　waterproofed　the　vault；　knowing　that　otherwise；　locked　underground；　his　treasures　would　rot。
　〃He　decides　that　in　the　days　before　the　bonfire　is　lit；〃　Paul　continues；　〃he　will　travel　to　Florence。　He　will　go　to　San　Marco。　And　in　a　final　attempt　to　defend　his　cause；　he　will　confront　Savonarola。　By　appealing　to　the　man's　love　of　learning；　his　respect　for　truth　and　beauty；　Francesco　will　persuade　him　to　remove　the　objects　of　lasting　value　from　the　bonfire。　He　will　stop　the　preacher　from　destroying　what　the　humanists　consider　sacred。
　〃But　Francesco　is　a　realist。　After　hearing　Savonarola's　sermons；　he　knows　how　fiery　the　man　is；　how　convinced　he　is　that　the　bonfires　are　righteous。　If　Savonarola　won't　join　him；　Francesco　knows　he　has　only　one　choice。　He　must　show　Florence　how　barbaric　the　prophet　really　is。　He　will　go　to　the　bonfire　and　remove　the　objects　from　the　pyramid　himself。　If　Savonarola　tries　to　light　the　fire　anyway；　Francesco　will　be　martyred　on　the　pyre；　in　front　of　the　entire　city。　He　will　force　Savonarola　to　bee　a　murderer。　Only　this；　he　says；　will　turn　Florence　against　fanaticism…and　with　Florence；　the　rest　of　Europe。〃
　〃He　was　willing　to　die　for　it；〃　I　say；　half　to　myself。
　〃He　was　willing　to　kill　for　it；〃　Paul　says。　〃Francesco　had　five　close　humanist　friends　in　his　confraternity　of　brothers。　One　was　Terragni；　the　architect。　Two　were　a　pair　of　real　brothers；　Matteo　and　Cesare。　The　final　two　were　Rodrigo　and　Donato；　and　they　died　for　betraying　him。　He　would've　done　anything　to　protect　what　he　believed　in。〃
　The　tiny　space　of　the　carrel　seems　to　warp　for　a　second；　angles　colliding　like　fragments　of　time　intersecting。　I　see　my　father　again；　writing　the　manuscript　of　The　Belladonna　Document　on　the　old　typewriter　in　his　office。　He　knew　exactly　what　that　letter　meant；　he　just　didn't　know　its　context。　Now　Paul　has　found　its　place。　Though　there's　a　sudden　satisfaction　to　that；　there's　also　a　growing　sadness　I　feel　as　Paul　continues　his　story。　The　more　I　hear　about　Francesco　Colonna；　the　desperate　man　who　couldn't　trust　even　his　friends；　the　more　I　think　of　Paul；　slaving　over　the　Hypnerotomachia　the　same　way　Colonna　did；　on　either　end　of　a　single　thread　in　time；　a　writer　and　a　reader。　Vincent　Taft　may　have　tried　to　poison　Paul　against　us；　telling　him　that　friends　were　fickle；　but　the　more　I　see　what　Paul　has　done　for　this　book…how　he　has　lived　in　it　for　years　now；　the　way　I　only　lived　in　it　for　months…the　better　I　understand。　It　was　Francesco　Colonna；　as　much　as　any　living　man；　who　made　him　doubt。
　
　Chapter　23
　
　〃In　the　months　before　Francesco　leaves　for　Florence；〃　Paul　says；　〃he　takes　the　one　precaution　he　thinks　is　foolproof。　He　decides　to　write　a　book。　A　book　that　will　disclose　the　location　of　the　crypt；　but　only　to　a　fellow　scholar…not　to　a　layman；　and　above　all；　not　to　the　fanatics。　He's　convinced　that　no　one　could　solve　it　except　a　true　lover　of　knowledge…one　who　would　fear　Savonarola　as　much　as　Francesco　does；　and　who　would　never　allow　the　treasures　to　be　burned。　And　he　dreams　of　a　time　when　humanism　will　reign　again；　and　the　collection　will　be　safe。
　〃So　he　finishes　the　book　and　asks　Terragni　to　have　it　delivered　anonymously；　by　courier；　to　Aldus。　By　pretending　to　be　its　patron；　he　says　he　will　urge　Aldus　to　keep　the　book　under　wraps。　He　won't　identify　himself　as　the　author；　so　that　no　one　will　suspect　what's　in　it。
　〃Then；　as　Carnival　nears；　Francesco　enlists　the　architect　and　the　two　brothers；　the　only　three　remaining　members　of　his　Roman　Academy　circle；　and　travels　to　Florence。　They　are　men　of　principle；　but　Francesco　understands　how　difficult　their　task　is；　so　he　insists　that　every　man　take　an　oath　to　die；　if　necessary；　at　the　Piazza　della　Signoria。
　〃On　the　night　before　the　bonfire；　he　asks　all　three　friends　to　join　him　for　a　meal　and　a　prayer。　They　tell　stories　of　their　adventures　together；　their　travels；　the　things　they've　done　in　their　lifetimes。　That　entire　evening；　though；　Francesco　says　he　can　see　a　dark　shadow　gathering　over　their　heads。　He　doesn't　sleep　that　night。　The　next　morning；　he　goes　to　meet　Savonarola。
　〃From　that　point　forward；　all　of　the　text　is　written　by　the　architect。　Francesco　says　Terragni　is　the　only　man　he　can　trust　with　such　a　task。　Knowing　he'll　need　someone　to　oversee　his　interests　should　anything　happen　in　Florence；　he　gives　Terragni　a　huge　vote　of　confidence。　He　gives　the　architect　his　final　cipher　and　asks　him　to　add　a　postscript；　coded　into　the　final　chapters；　to　describe　what　bees　of　the　friends　from　the　Roman　Academy。　He　gives　Terragni　the　responsibility　of　supervising　the　Hypnerotomachia　after　it　reaches　Aldus；　to　be　sure　it　makes　it　into　print。　Francesco　says　he　has　had　a　vision　of　his　own　death；　and　knows　he　can't　acplish　everything　he　wants　by　himself。　He　takes　Terragni　with　him　to　record　the　meeting　with　Savonarola。
　〃By　then；　Savonarola　is　waiting　for　them　at　his　cell　in　the　monastery。　The　meeting　was　arranged　ahead　of　time；　so　both　sides　are　prepared。　Francesco；　trying　to　be　diplomatic；　says　he　admires　Savonarola　and　shares　the　same　goals；　the　same　hatred　of　sin。　He　quotes　Aristotle　on　virtue。
　〃Savonarola　counters　by　quoting　Aquinas；　almost　an　identical　passage。　He　asks　Francesco　why　he　prefers　a　pagan　source　over　a　Christian　one。　Francesco　praises　Aquinas；　but　says　that　Aquinas　borrowed　from　Aristotle。　Savonarola　loses　patience。　He　delivers　a　line　from　the　Gospel　of　Paul：　I　am　going　to　destroy　the　wisdom　of　the　wise　and　bring　to　nothing　the　understanding　of　any　who　understand。　Do　you　not　see　how　God　has　shown　up　human　wisdom　as　folly？
　〃Francesco　listens　with　terror。　He　asks　Savonarola　why　he　won't　embrace　art　and　scholarship；　why　he　is　bent　on　destroying　them。　He　tells　Savonarola　that　they　should　be　united　against　sin；　that　faith　is　the　source　of　truth　and　beauty；　that　they　can't　be　enemies。　But　Savonarola　shakes　his　head。　He　says　truth　and　beauty　are　only　servants　of　faith。　When　they　are　anything　else；　pride　and　profit　lead　men　into　sin。
　〃　'And　so；'　he　says　to　Francesco；　'I　will　not　be　dissuaded。　There　is　more　evil　in　those　books　and　canvases　than　in　all　the　rest　that　will　be　burned。　For　while　playing　cards　and　dice　may　distract　the　foolish；　your　〃wisdom〃　is　the　temptation　of　the　powerful　and　the　mighty。　The　greatest　families　of　this　city　vie　to　be　your　patrons。　Your　philosophers　preach　to　the　poets；　whose　works　are　widely　read。　You　contaminate　t