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Rocher's men stood at sharp attention； nobody moving a muscle； although the information they had just received had increased their aggregate blood pressure by a few thousand points。
Rookie Lieutenant Chartrand stood in the back of the room wishing he had been among the 99 percent of applicants who had not qualified to be here。 At twenty years old； Chartrand was the youngest guard on the force。 He had been in Vatican City only three months。 Like every man there； Chartrand was Swiss Army trained and had endured two years of additional ausbilding in Bern before qualifying for the grueling Vatican prтva held in a secret barracks outside of Rome。 Nothing in his training； however； had prepared him for a crisis like this。
At first Chartrand thought the briefing was some sort of bizarre training exercise。 Futuristic weapons？ Ancient cults？ Kidnapped cardinals？ Then Rocher had shown them the live video feed of the weapon in question。 Apparently this was no exercise。
〃We will be killing power in selected areas；〃 Rocher was saying； 〃to eradicate extraneous magnetic interference。 We will move in teams of four。 We will wear infrared goggles for vision。 Reconnaissance will be done with traditional bug sweepers； recalibrated for sub…three…ohm flux fields。 Any questions？〃
None。
Chartrand's mind was on overload。 〃What if we don't find it in time？〃 he asked； immediately wishing he had not。
The grizzly bear gazed out at him from beneath his red beret。 Then he dismissed the group with a somber salute。 〃Godspeed； men。〃
60
Two blocks from the Pantheon； Langdon and Vittoria approached on foot past a line of taxis； their drivers sleeping in the front seats。 Nap time was eternal in the Eternal City…the ubiquitous public dozing a perfected extension of the afternoon siestas born of ancient Spain。
Langdon fought to focus his thoughts； but the situation was too bizarre to grasp rationally。 Six hours ago he had been sound asleep in Cambridge。 Now he was in Europe； caught up in a surreal battle of ancient titans； packing a semiautomatic in his Harris tweed； and holding hands with a woman he had only just met。
He looked at Vittoria。 She was focused straight ahead。 There was a strength in her grasp…that of an independent and determined woman。 Her fingers wrapped around his with the fort of innate acceptance。 No hesitation。 Langdon felt a growing attraction。 Get real； he told himself。
Vittoria seemed to sense his uneasiness。 〃Relax；〃 she said； without turning her head。 〃We're supposed to look like newlyweds。〃
〃I'm relaxed。〃
〃You're crushing my hand。〃
Langdon flushed and loosened up。
〃Breathe through your eyes；〃 she said。
〃I'm sorry？〃
〃It relaxes the muscles。 It's called pranayama。〃
〃Piranha？〃
〃Not the fish。 Pranayama。 Never mind。〃
As they rounded the corner into Piazza della Rotunda； the Pantheon rose before them。 Langdon admired it； as always； with awe。 The Pantheon。 Temple to all gods。 Pagan gods。 Gods of Nature and Earth。 The structure seemed boxier from the outside than he remembered。 The vertical pillars and triangular pronaus all but obscured the circular dome behind it。 Still； the bold and immodest inscription over the entrance assured him they were in the right spot。 M AGRIPPA L F COS TERTIUM FECIT。 Langdon translated it； as always； with amusement。 Marcus Agrippa； Consul for the third time； built this。
So much for humility； he thought； turning his eyes to the surrounding area。 A scattering of tourists with video cameras wandered the area。 Others sat enjoying Rome's best iced coffee at La Tazza di Oro's outdoor cafe。 Outside the entrance to the Pantheon； four armed Roman policemen stood at attention just as Olivetti had predicted。
〃Looks pretty quiet；〃 Vittoria said。
Langdon nodded； but he felt troubled。 Now that he was standing here in person； the whole scenario seemed surreal。 Despite Vittoria's apparent faith that he was right； Langdon realized he had put everyone on the line here。 The Illuminati poem lingered。 From Santi's earthly tomb with demon's hole。 YES； he told himself。 This was the spot。 Santi's tomb。 He had been here many times beneath the Pantheon's oculus and stood before the grave of the great Raphael。
〃What time is it？〃 Vittoria asked。
Langdon checked his watch。 〃Seven…fifty。 Ten minutes till show time。〃
〃Hope these guys are good；〃 Vittoria said； eyeing the scattered tourists entering the Pantheon。 〃If anything happens inside that dome； we'll all be in the crossfire。〃
Langdon exhaled heavily as they moved toward the entrance。 The gun felt heavy in his pocket。 He wondered what would happen if the policemen frisked him and found the weapon； but the officers did not give them a second look。 Apparently the disguise was convincing。
Langdon whispered to Vittoria。 〃Ever fire anything other than a tranquilizer gun？〃
〃Don't you trust me？〃
〃Trust you？ I barely know you。〃
Vittoria frowned。 〃And here I thought we were newlyweds。〃
61
The air inside the Pantheon was cool and damp； heavy with history。 The sprawling ceiling hovered overhead as though weightless…the 141…foot unsupported span larger even than the cupola at St。 Peter's。 As always； Langdon felt a chill as he entered the cavernous room。 It was a remarkable fusion of engineering and art。 Above them the famous circular hole in the roof glowed with a narrow shaft of evening sun。 The oculus； Langdon thought。 The demon's hole。
They had arrived。
Langdon's eyes traced the arch of the ceiling sloping outward to the columned walls and finally down to the polished marble floor beneath their feet。 The faint echo of footfalls and tourist murmurs reverberated around the dome。 Langdon scanned the dozen or so tourists wandering aimlessly in the shadows。 Are you here？
〃Looks pretty quiet；〃 Vittoria said； still holding his hand。
Langdon nodded。
〃Where's Raphael's tomb？〃
Langdon thought for a moment； trying to get his bearings。 He surveyed the circumference of the room。 Tombs。 Altars。 Pillars。 Niches。 He motioned to a particularly ornate funerary across the dome and to the left。 〃I think that's Raphael's over there。〃
Vittoria scanned the rest of the room。 〃I don't see anyone who looks like an assassin about to kill a cardinal。 Shall we look around？〃
Langdon nodded。 〃There's only one spot in here where anyone could be hiding。 We better check the rientranze。〃
〃The recesses？〃
〃Yes。〃 Langdon pointed。 〃The recesses in the wall。〃
Around the perimeter； interspersed with the tombs； a series of semicircular niches were hewn in the wall。 The niches； although not enormous； were big enough to hide someone in the shadows。 Sadly； Langdon knew they once contained statues of the Olympian gods； but the pagan sculptures had been destroyed when the Vatican converted the Pantheon to a Christian church。 He felt a pang of frustration to know he was standing at the first altar of science； and the marker was gone。 He wondered which statue it had been； and where it had pointed。 Langdon could imagine no greater thrill than finding an Illuminati marker…a statue that surreptitiously pointed the way down the Path of Illumination。 Again he wondered who the anonymous Illuminati sculptor had been。
〃I'll take the left arc；〃 Vittoria said； indicating the left half of the circumference。 〃You go right。 See you in a hundred and eighty degrees。〃
Langdon smiled grimly。
As Vittoria moved off； Langdon felt the eerie horror of the situation seeping back into his mind。 As he turned and made his way to the right； the killer's voice seemed to whisper in the dead space around him。 Eight o'clock。 Virgin sacrifices on the altars of science。 A mathematical progression of death。 Eight； nine； ten； eleven 。 。 。 and at midnight。 Langdon checked his watch： 7：52。 Eight minutes。
As Langdon moved toward the first recess； he passed the tomb of one of Italy's Catholic kings。 The sarcophagus； like many in Rome； was askew with the wall； positioned awkwardly。 A group of visitors seemed confused by this。 Langdon did not stop to explain。 Formal Christian tombs were often misaligned with the architecture so they could lie facing east。 It was an ancient superstition that Langdon's Symbology 212 class had discussed just last month。
〃That's totally incongruous！〃 a female student in the front had blurted when Langdon explained the reason for east…facing tombs。 〃Why would Christians want their tombs to face the rising sun？ We're talking about Christianity 。 。 。 not sun worship！〃
Langdon smiled； pacing before the blackboard； chewing an apple。 〃Mr。 Hitzrot！〃 he shouted。
A young man dozing in back sat up with a start。 〃What！ Me？〃
Langdon pointed to a Renaissance art poster on the wall。 〃Who is that man kneeling before God？〃
〃Um 。 。 。 some saint？〃
〃Brilliant。 And how do you know he's a saint？〃
〃He's got a halo？〃
〃Excellent； and does that golden halo remind you of anything？〃
Hitzrot broke into a smile。 〃Yeah！ Those Egyptian things we studied last term。 Those 。 。 。 um 。 。 。 sun disks！〃
〃Thank you； Hitzrot。 Go back to sleep。〃 Langdon turned back to the class。 〃Halos； like much of Christian symbology； were borrowed from the ancient Egyptian religion of sun worship。 Christianity is filled w