Chapter 66 Chapter 65

In the fading light, the Church of Our Lady of Popolo looked like a dark cavern, more like an unfinished subway station than a cathedral.The main hall is an obstacle course: cracked floors, brick platforms, small mounds, wheelbarrows everywhere, and even a rusty backhoe.Giant columns rise from the ground.supporting the vault.With the soft light reflected by the stained glass, you can see fine sand floating leisurely in the air.Langdon and Victoria stood beneath the spread frescoes and surveyed the ruined altar. Nothing happened.There was a dead silence. Victoria held the gun in front of her with both hands.Langdon checked his watch: 8:04 p.m.We must be crazy to stay here, Langdon thought, too dangerous.He knew very well that even if the murderer was inside, he could go out from any exit, and it was obviously useless to rely on a gun to watch outside.

Catching him inside was the only way out...if he was still here, Langdon's mistake in the Pantheon made everyone miss the opportunity, a mistake that made him feel guilty.Now he doesn't insist on taking precautions anymore; he's the one who put everyone in this predicament. Victoria scanned the church, looking anxious. "So," she whispered, "where is the Ziggy Chapel?" Langdon stared at the rear of the church in the hazy light, studying the outer walls.Unlike ordinary churches, Renaissance churches always have a chapel, and there are even several chapels in large churches like Notre Dame de Paris.The chapels were not so much rooms as holes—semicircular niches set within the perimeter walls of the churches, containing mausoleums.

Oops, Langdon thought, looking at the four alcoves on each side wall.There are eight chapels in total, and although eight is not particularly many, due to maintenance all eight openings are covered by giant polyurethane curtains, translucent curtains apparently to keep dust from falling into the tombs in the alcoves . "Each curtain opening could be," Langdon said. "There's no way of knowing which one is the Ziggy Chapel without looking inside. That's a valid reason, let's wait for Oliver—" "Which is the second alcove from the left?" Victoria asked.

Langdon watched her carefully, surprised that she could utter such architectural terms. "The second semi-circular alcove from the left?" Victoria pointed to the wall behind him.A decorative tile was set deep in the stone, and on it was carved a mark exactly as they had seen it outside—a pyramid under a shining star.The dusty sign nearby read: Coat of Arms of Alexander Ziggy whose tomb is in the church's second semicircular niche from the left. Langdon nodded.Ziggy's coat of arms is a pyramid and a star?He suddenly found himself wondering if Ziggy, the wealthy patron, had ever been a member of the Illuminati.He nodded to Victoria. "Nice job, Nancy Drew."

"what?" "Nothing. I—" Just a few yards away, a piece of metal suddenly fell to the floor, with a crash that echoed throughout the church.Victoria quickly aimed the gun at the sound, and Langdon pulled her behind a pillar.There was a dead silence.They wait.Then another sound was heard, this time a rustling.Langdon held his breath.We shouldn't have come at all!The sound was getting closer, mixed with intermittent scuffling sounds, like a person walking with a limp.Suddenly, near the plinth, something came into view. "Bitch!" Victoria muttered, jumping back.Langdon stepped back with her.

Beside the post, a fat rat dragged a paper-wrapped half-eaten sandwich. The mouse paused when it saw them, and stared at Victoria's barrel for a moment, however, apparently unmoved, and continued dragging its "trophy" towards the alcove of the church. "Fucking..." Langdon muttered, his heart beating fast. Victoria put down her pistol, then raised it again.Peering over one side of the post, Langdon saw a workman's lunch box strewn across the floor, apparently a rogue rat that had knocked over the sawhorse. Langdon scanned the church for movement, then whispered, "If this guy was here, he'd have heard that voice too. Are you sure you don't want to wait for Olivetti?"

"Second alcove from the left," Victoria repeated, "where is it?" Langdon reluctantly turned around, trying to get his bearings.Church terminology is as utterly non-intuitive as stage directions.He faces the main altar, center stage, and then points his thumb behind his shoulder. They turned to determine where Langdon was pointing. The Zigi Chapel appears to be the third of the four niches to their right.Fortunately, Langdon and Victoria are on the right side of the church; unfortunately, they are on the wrong side.They would have to straddle the chapel and pass through three other chapels, each of them covered by translucent plastic curtains like the Ziggy Chapel. "Wait a minute," Langdon said, "let me go first." .”

"forget it." "I screwed things up at the Pantheon." She turns around. "But I'm the one with the pistol." Langdon read her true thoughts from her eyes... I lost my father, I helped create weapons of mass destruction, I want to smash this guy's kneecap with my own hands... Langdon realized that there was no point in arguing and let her go.He followed her, moving cautiously towards the east side of the cathedral.As they passed through the first covered alcove, Langdon felt terribly tense, as though he were participating in some bizarre exhibition game.I'm going to the third curtain, he thought.

There was no sound in the church, and the thick stone walls blocked all outside movements.As they hurried through the chapels, gray and white humanoid figures loomed like ghosts behind the curtains of Sese.Marble, Langdon said to himself, hoping he was right.In the evening, 8:06.Had the murderer timed it right and slipped away before they got in?Or is he still here?He wasn't sure which scenario he'd prefer. They passed through the second alcove, and there was an ominous air in the darkened church. Night seemed to be falling rapidly at this time, a feeling accentuated by changes in the light reflected from the stained glass.When they walked forward bravely, the plastic curtain next to them suddenly swayed violently, like a gust of wind blowing.Langdon wondered if someone had opened a door somewhere.

Victoria slowed as a third alcove loomed in front of them.She raised her gun and looked at the stele next to the alcove.Engraved on the granite: Ziggy Chapel Langdon nodded, and they moved quietly to the corner of the hole, hiding behind a thick pillar.Holding her gun up, Victoria pointed the muzzle at the corner of the curtain, and motioned for Langdon to lift the curtain. Better to pray first, he thought.Reluctantly, he reached behind her and drew the curtain aside with the utmost care.There was a loud rustling sound when the curtain moved a little.They froze there.Deathly silence.After a while, Victoria moved slowly, hunched over, and peered through the narrow opening.Langdon watched behind her, too.

For a long time, none of them breathed a sigh of relief. "Empty," Victoria said finally, and she lowered the pistol. "We came too late." Langdon didn't hear it. He was momentarily in awe, lost in another world.Never in his life had he imagined such a house of worship.The Qigi Chapel is built entirely of dark brown marble, which is exciting.Langdon looked at it greedily.This was the secular house of worship that Langdon understood, almost as if Galileo and the Illuminati had designed it themselves. Overhead, the raised dome sparkled with a field of luminous stars and the seven astronomical planets.Below are the signs of the zodiac—pagan, secular signs of astronomical origin. The zodiac is also directly connected to earth, air, fire, water... representing power, intellect, passion and emotion respectively. Dirt represented power, Langdon recalled. Farther down the wall, Langdon saw the markings of the four seasons on Earth: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. More incredible than anything else, however, were the two tall buildings that occupied prominent places in the room.Langdon was too stunned to speak.Impossible, he thought.This is absolutely impossible!But it is true.Two marble pyramids, ten feet high, stand very symmetrically on either side of the chapel. "I don't see the cardinal," whispered Victoria, "and the killer." She pulled the plastic curtain aside and went inside. Langdon stared blankly at the pyramid.Why are there pyramids in the Christian church?Even more incredible is that there are many such pyramids.The central front face of each pyramid was embossed with golden medallions...some of which Langdon had never seen before...perfect ovals. These shiny discs gleamed in the setting sun that streamed down from the dome.Galileo's ellipse?pyramid?A dome with stars?The room was more Illuminati than anything Langdon could imagine. "Robert," Victoria blurted out, her voice hoarse, "Look!" Langdon came back to his senses and turned to look where she was pointing. "Damn it!" he exclaimed, jumping backwards. A skeleton on the floor sneered at them, a marble mosaic of "Fleeing Death."The skeleton holds a tablet with pyramids and stars on it.Exactly the same as what they saw outside.However, it wasn't the appearance of the skeleton that made Langdon shudder. The mosaic was embedded in a round stone, which was lifted from the floor like a sewer manhole cover, and was now lying in a dark hole in the ground. On the one hand, it was this that horrified Langdon. "The Devil's Den," Langdon gasped.He was so fascinated by the ceiling just now that he didn't see the hole.He tentatively moved towards the hole, and the stench emanating from the hole was unbearable. Victoria covered her mouth. "It smells bad." "It stinks," Langdon said, "the stench of rotting bones," and he leaned over his nose with his sleeve to peer into the hole.Total darkness. "I can't see anything," "Do you think there will be someone down here?" "Ghost knows if there is anyone." Victoria directed Langdon's attention to the far end of the hole, where a rotting wooden ladder jutted into the deep hole. Langdon shook his head. "It's like hell." "Maybe there's a flashlight in one of those tools out there." It sounded like she was desperate for an excuse to get rid of the foul smell. "I gonna go see," "Be careful!" Langdon reminded, "We're not sure that Black Fiend—" But Victoria was gone. What a stubborn woman, Langdon thought. He turned toward the pit, dizzy from the strong smell.Holding his breath, he stuck his head to the edge of the circular opening, squinting into the dark depths.After his eyes slowly adjusted, he saw something vaguely shaped below.There appears to be a small cave under this opening.Devil's Den.He was thinking how many generations of the Qiji family were casually buried in it. He closed his eyes and waited, forcing his pupils to dilate to see better in the dark.When he opened his eyes again, he saw a pale gray figure in the dark place below.Langdon shuddered, but he suppressed the instinct to flee.What am I seeing?Is that an eight?The figure disappeared.Langdon closed his eyes again and waited, longer this time, to allow the pupils to gather the faintest light. Slowly he felt dizzy and his thoughts wandered in the dark.Wait a few more seconds. Langdon wasn't sure if it was the strong stench or just keeping his head down, but he did feel dizzy and nauseous.When he finally opened his eyes again, what he saw was completely incomprehensible. He was staring at a basement with an eerie blue light. A faint hissing sound echoed in his ears, and the light flickered on the steep cave walls.Suddenly, a long figure flashed in front of him.Langdon panicked and panicked. "Be careful!" someone shouted behind him. Langdon felt a sharp pain in the back of his neck before he could turn his head.Turning his head, he saw Victoria turning a burning torch away from him, its hissing flames casting a faint blue light in the chapel. Langdon rubbed his neck vigorously. "What the hell are you doing?" "I'm giving you some light," she said. "You're running into it as soon as you step back." Langdon stared angrily at the torch she was holding. "That's all I have to do," she said, "no flashlight." Langdon rubbed his neck. "I didn't hear you come in." Victoria handed him the torch, grimacing again at the stench of the basement. "Do you think the stench is combustible?" "I hope not." Holding the torch, he slowly moved towards the entrance of the cave, walked carefully to the edge of the cave, stretched the torch into the cave to illuminate the wall, and looked down along the cave wall with the light.The cellar was circular, about twenty feet in diameter.The light hit the floor at a depth of thirty feet: the ground was dark, mottled, and full of dirt.Then Langdon discovered the body. He instinctively wanted to back off. "Here he is," Langdon said, forcing himself not to turn and run.The body lying on the mud showed pale outlines. "I think he's been stripped naked." Langdon photographed the naked body. "Is that one of the cardinals?" Langdon didn't know, but he couldn't think of anyone else than the cardinal.He stared at the pale body below.not moving at all.lifeless.However... Langdon hesitated. The appearance of that human body is very strange.he seems to be... "Hello?" Langdon called. "You think he's still alive?" Nothing happens below. "He's not moving," Langdon said, "but he looks..." No, that's impossible. "What does he look like?" said Victoria, peering in over the edge of the hole. Langdon squinted into the darkness. "He looked as if he was standing." Victoria held her breath and buried her face to the side to get a better view.After a while, she pulled back. "You're right. He's standing! Maybe he's still alive and needs someone to save him!" She yelled into the hole, "Hello?! Can you hear me?" There is no echo in the deep moss-covered cave.There was just dead silence. Victoria made her way up the rickety ladder. "I'm going down." Langdon grabbed her arm. "No, it's too dangerous, let me do it." This time Victoria did not argue.

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