chapter 6170.docx
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chapter 6170.docx
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chapter6170
Chapter61
TheairinsidethePantheonwascoolanddamp,heavywithhistory.Thesprawlingceilinghoveredoverheadasthoughweightless-the141-footunsupportedspanlargereventhanthecupolaatSt.Peter's.Asalways,Langdonfeltachillasheenteredthecavernousroom.Itwasaremarkablefusionofengineeringandart.Abovethemthefamouscircularholeintheroofglowedwithanarrowshaftofeveningsun.Theoculus,Langdonthought.Thedemon'shole.
Theyhadarrived.
Langdon'seyestracedthearchoftheceilingslopingoutwardtothecolumnedwallsandfinallydowntothepolishedmarblefloorbeneaththeirfeet.Thefaintechooffootfallsandtouristmurmursreverberatedaroundthedome.Langdonscannedthedozenorsotouristswanderingaimlesslyintheshadows.Areyouhere?
"Looksprettyquiet,"Vittoriasaid,stillholdinghishand.
Langdonnodded.
"Where'sRaphael'stomb?
"
Langdonthoughtforamoment,tryingtogethisbearings.Hesurveyedthecircumferenceoftheroom.Tombs.Altars.Pillars.Niches.Hemotionedtoaparticularlyornatefuneraryacrossthedomeandtotheleft."Ithinkthat'sRaphael'soverthere."
Vittoriascannedtherestoftheroom."Idon'tseeanyonewholookslikeanassassinabouttokillacardinal.Shallwelookaround?
"
Langdonnodded."There'sonlyonespotinherewhereanyonecouldbehiding.Webetterchecktherientranze."
"Therecesses?
"
"Yes."Langdonpointed."Therecessesinthewall."
Aroundtheperimeter,interspersedwiththetombs,aseriesofsemicircularnicheswerehewninthewall.Theniches,althoughnotenormous,werebigenoughtohidesomeoneintheshadows.Sadly,LangdonknewtheyoncecontainedstatuesoftheOlympiangods,butthepagansculptureshadbeendestroyedwhentheVaticanconvertedthePantheontoaChristianchurch.Hefeltapangoffrustrationtoknowhewasstandingatthefirstaltarofscience,andthemarkerwasgone.Hewonderedwhichstatueithadbeen,andwhereithadpointed.LangdoncouldimaginenogreaterthrillthanfindinganIlluminatimarker-astatuethatsurreptitiouslypointedthewaydownthePathofIllumination.AgainhewonderedwhotheanonymousIlluminatisculptorhadbeen.
"I'lltaketheleftarc,"Vittoriasaid,indicatingthelefthalfofthecircumference."Yougoright.Seeyouinahundredandeightydegrees."
Langdonsmiledgrimly.
AsVittoriamovedoff,Langdonfelttheeeriehorrorofthesituationseepingbackintohismind.Asheturnedandmadehiswaytotheright,thekiller'svoiceseemedtowhisperinthedeadspacearoundhim.Eighto'clock.Virginsacrificesonthealtarsofscience.Amathematicalprogressionofdeath.Eight,nine,ten,eleven...andatmidnight.Langdoncheckedhiswatch:
7:
52.Eightminutes.
AsLangdonmovedtowardthefirstrecess,hepassedthetombofoneofItaly'sCatholickings.Thesarcophagus,likemanyinRome,wasaskewwiththewall,positionedawkwardly.Agroupofvisitorsseemedconfusedbythis.Langdondidnotstoptoexplain.FormalChristiantombswereoftenmisalignedwiththearchitecturesotheycouldliefacingeast.ItwasanancientsuperstitionthatLangdon'sSymbology212classhaddiscussedjustlastmonth.
"That'stotallyincongruous!
"afemalestudentinthefronthadblurtedwhenLangdonexplainedthereasonforeast-facingtombs."WhywouldChristianswanttheirtombstofacetherisingsun?
We'retalkingaboutChristianity...notsunworship!
"
Langdonsmiled,pacingbeforetheblackboard,chewinganapple."Mr.Hitzrot!
"heshouted.
Ayoungmandozinginbacksatupwithastart."What!
Me?
"
LangdonpointedtoaRenaissanceartposteronthewall."WhoisthatmankneelingbeforeGod?
"
"Um...somesaint?
"
"Brilliant.Andhowdoyouknowhe'sasaint?
"
"He'sgotahalo?
"
"Excellent,anddoesthatgoldenhaloremindyouofanything?
"
Hitzrotbrokeintoasmile."Yeah!
ThoseEgyptianthingswestudiedlastterm.Those...um...sundisks!
"
"Thankyou,Hitzrot.Gobacktosleep."Langdonturnedbacktotheclass."Halos,likemuchofChristiansymbology,wereborrowedfromtheancientEgyptianreligionofsunworship.Christianityisfilledwithexamplesofsunworship."
"Excuseme?
"thegirlinfrontsaid."Igotochurchallthetime,andIdon'tseemuchsunworshipinggoingon!
"
"Really?
WhatdoyoucelebrateonDecembertwenty-fifth?
"
"Christmas.ThebirthofJesusChrist."
"AndyetaccordingtotheBible,ChristwasborninMarch,sowhatarewedoingcelebratinginlateDecember?
"
Silence.
Langdonsmiled."Decembertwenty-fifth,myfriends,istheancientpaganholidayofsolinvictus-UnconqueredSun-coincidingwiththewintersolstice.It'sthatwonderfultimeofyearwhenthesunreturns,andthedaysstartgettinglonger."
Langdontookanotherbiteofapple.
"Conqueringreligions,"hecontinued,"oftenadoptexistingholidaystomakeconversionlessshocking.It'scalledtransmutation.Ithelpspeopleacclimatizetothenewfaith.Worshiperskeepthesameholydates,prayinthesamesacredlocations,useasimilarsymbology...andtheysimplysubstituteadifferentgod."
Nowthegirlinfrontlookedfurious."You'reimplyingChristianityisjustsomekindof…repackagedsunworship!
"
"Notatall.Christianitydidnotborrowonlyfromsunworship.TheritualofChristiancanonizationistakenfromtheancient'god-making'riteofEuhemerus.Thepracticeof'god-eating'-thatis,HolyCommunion-wasborrowedfromtheAztecs.EventheconceptofChristdyingforoursinsisarguablynotexclusivelyChristian;theself-sacrificeofayoungmantoabsolvethesinsofhispeopleappearsintheearliesttraditionoftheQuetzalcoatl."
Thegirlglared."So,isanythinginChristianityoriginal?
"
"Verylittleinanyorganizedfaithistrulyoriginal.Religionsarenotbornfromscratch.Theygrowfromoneanother.Modernreligionisacollage...anassimilatedhistoricalrecordofman'squesttounderstandthedivine."
"Um...holdon,"Hitzrotventured,soundingawakenow."IknowsomethingChristianthat'soriginal.HowaboutourimageofGod?
ChristianartneverportraysGodasthehawksungod,orasanAztec,orasanythingweird.ItalwaysshowsGodasanoldmanwithawhitebeard.SoourimageofGodisoriginal,right?
"
Langdonsmiled."WhentheearlyChristianconvertsabandonedtheirformerdeities-pagangods,Romangods,Greek,sun,Mithraic,whatever-theyaskedthechurchwhattheirnewChristianGodlookedlike.Wisely,thechurchchosethemostfeared,powerful...andfamiliarfaceinallofrecordedhistory."
Hitzrotlookedskeptical."Anoldmanwithawhite,flowingbeard?
"
Langdonpointedtoahierarchyofancientgodsonthewall.Atthetopsatanoldmanwithawhite,flowingbeard."DoesZeuslookfamiliar?
"
Theclassendedrightoncue.
"Goodevening,"aman'svoicesaid.
Langdonjumped.HewasbackinthePantheon.Heturnedtofaceanelderlymaninabluecapewitharedcrossonthechest.Themangavehimagray-toothedsmile.
"You'reEnglish,right?
"Theman'saccentwasthickTuscan.
Langdonblinked,confused."Actually,no.I'mAmerican."
Themanlookedembarrassed."Ohheavens,forgiveme.Youweresonicelydressed,Ijustfigured...myapologies."
"CanIhelpyou?
"Langdonasked,hisheartbeatingwildly.
"ActuallyIthoughtperhapsIcouldhelpyou.Iamtheciceronehere."Themanpointedproudlytohiscity-issuedbadge."ItismyjobtomakeyourvisittoRomemoreinteresting."
Moreinteresting?
LangdonwascertainthisparticularvisittoRomewasplentyinteresting.
"Youlooklikeamanofdistinction,"theguidefawned,"nodoubtmoreinterestedinculturethanmost.PerhapsIcangiveyousomehistoryonthisfascinatingbuilding."
Langdonsmiledpolitely."Kindofyou,butI'mactuallyanarthistorianmyself,and-"
"Superb!
"Theman'seyeslituplikehe'dhitthejackpot."Thenyouwillnodoubtfindthisdelightful!
"
"IthinkI'dpreferto-"
"ThePantheon,"themandeclared,launchingintohismemorizedspiel,"wasbuiltbyMarcusAgrippain27B.C."
"Yes,"Langdoninterjected,"andrebuiltbyHadrianin119A.D."
"Itwastheworld'slargestfree-standingdomeuntil1960whenitwaseclipsedbytheSuperdomeinNewOrleans!
"
Langdongroaned.Themanwasunstoppable.
"Andafifth-centurytheologianoncecalledthePantheontheHouseoftheDevil,warningthattheholeintheroofwasanentrancefordemons!
"
Langdonblockedhimout.Hiseyesclimbedskywardtotheoculus,andthememoryofVittoria'ssuggestedplotflashedabone-numbingimageinhismind...abrandedcardinalfallingthroughtheholeandhittingthemarblefloor.Nowthatwouldbeamediaevent.LangdonfoundhimselfscanningthePantheonforreporters.None.Heinhaleddeeply.Itwasanabsurdidea.Thelogisticsofpullingoffastuntlikethatwouldberidiculous.
AsLangdonmovedofftocontinuehisinspection,thebabblingdocentfollowedlikealove-starvedpuppy.Remindme,Langdonthoughttohimself,there'snothingworsethanagunghoarthistorian.
Acrosstheroom,Vittoriawasimmersedinherownsearch.Standingallaloneforthefirsttimesinceshehadheardthenewsofherfather,shefeltthestarkrealityofthelasteighthoursclosinginaroundher.Herfatherhadbeenmurdered-cruellyandabruptly.Almostequallypainfulwasthatherfather'screationhadbeencorrupted-nowatoolofterrorists.Vittoriawasplaguedwithguilttothinkthatitwasherinventionthathadenabledtheantimattertobetransported...hercanisterthatwasnowcountingdowninsidetheVatican.Inanefforttoserveherfather'squestforthesimplicityoftruth...shehadbecomeaconspiratorofchaos.
Oddly,theonlythingthatfeltrightinherlifeatthemomentwasthepresenceofatotalstranger
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