Chapter 38 Chapter Thirty-Seven

Victoria stared at the Swiss guard standing outside Olivetti's locked door, and he stared back at her, his brightly colored attire incongruous with his menacing expression. Too bad, Victoria thought, that we're being held hostage by a man in pajamas and armed. Langdon was silent, and Victoria hoped he would use his Harvard brains to figure out a way out.However, from the look on his face, she felt he was confused rather than thinking.She felt a little sorry for having involved him. Victoria's first instinct was to pull out her cell phone and call Khloe, but she knew it wouldn't be wise to do so.First, the guard probably came in and confiscated her phone.Besides, if the situation on Kohler's side is as usual, he probably won't be able to move yet.This is not the most important thing... The problem is that Olivetti seems to be unable to listen to anyone now.

remember!She said to herself, recall the solution to the problem! Efforts to remember is a knack of a Buddhist monk.Instead of forcing herself to find a solution to this almost impossible problem, Victoria allowed herself to just recall the answer.Assuming that the answer was known before, this creates a state of mind that the answer must exist...and this lessens the depressing hopelessness.Victoria often uses this method to open up difficult problems in scientific research—to solve problems that many people think cannot be solved. This time, however, her recall tricks weren't working.She weighed her options...and needs.She had to remind someone, someone in the Vatican, who had to take her seriously.But who would that be?The Pope's chamberlain?How to contact him?You know, she is now locked in a glass box with only one exit.

There is a way, she said to herself, there is always a way, to re-observe your circumstances. Instinctively, she relaxed her tense shoulders, closed her eyes, and took three deep breaths in succession.She felt her heartbeat slowed down, her muscles relaxed, and she no longer panicked.Well, she thought, opening her mind.What could turn the situation in a positive direction?Where is my advantage? Victoria Witterer's analytical mind proved to be extremely powerful when it was calmed down.She realized right away that this confinement room where they were locked up was the key to their escape.

"I need to make a call," she said suddenly. Langdon looked up and said, "I was about to suggest that you call Kohler, but—" "I'm not calling Kohler, I'm calling someone else." "Who?" "The Pope's chamberlain." Langdon seemed completely bewildered. "You called the Pope's servant? How do you call?" "Oliveti says the Pope's chamberlain is in the Pope's office." "Even so, do you know the Pope's private phone number?" "I don't know, but I don't use my phone." She turned to look at a high-tech phone on Olivetti's desk.The phone is full of shortcut buttons. "The head of the Security Center must have a direct line to the Pope's office."

"But he also sent a guy like a weightlifter standing six feet away with a gun in his hand." "But we're locked inside." "I know that very well." "I mean the guard is locked out. It's Olivetti's private office and I guess no one else has the key." Langdon looked at the guard outside. "The glass is so thin, but his gun is so big." "What dare he do, will he shoot me just because I use the phone?" "God knows! This place is so queer, and the people here act—" "If you don't call," Victoria said, "we'll be in a Vatican prison for the next five hours and forty-eight minutes. Either way, we'll be the first to suffer when the antimatter explodes."

Langdon paled. "But as soon as you pick up the phone the guard will call Olivetti. Besides, there are twenty buttons on it, and you don't know which one goes where. Are you going to try your luck and try them one by one? " "No," she said, and she walked over to the phone, "I'll only press one." Victoria grabbed the receiver and pressed the top button. "First. I bet you have an Illuminati dollar bill in your pocket, this must be the Pope's office. What could be more important to a Swiss Guard Commander?" Langdon didn't have time to answer.The guard outside tapped on the glass door with the butt of his rifle and gestured to her to put down the phone.

Victoria winked at him, and the guard seemed exasperated. Langdon came from the door, turned to her and said, "You better guess, this guy doesn't look like he's joking!" "Damn it!" She listened to the receiver and said, "It's actually a recording." "Recording?" Langdon asked. "The Pope still has a dictating phone?" "This isn't the Pope's office," Victoria said as she hung up the phone. "It's the weekly menu of the Holy See restaurant, damn it!" Langdon smiled feebly at the guard outside, who called Olivetti on the walkie-talkie while glaring at them through the glass door.