had put into motion。
Five hundred miles away； the albino named Silas stood over a small basin of water and dabbed the blood from his back； watching the patterns of red spinning in the water。 Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean； he prayed； quoting Psalms。 Wash me； and I shall be whiter than snow。
Silas was feeling an aroused anticipation that he had not felt since his previous life。 It both surprised and electrified him。 For the last decade； he had been following The Way； cleansing himself of sins。。。 rebuilding his life。。。 erasing the violence in his past。 Tonight； however； it had all e rushing back。 The hatred he had fought so hard to bury had been summoned。 He had been startled how quickly his past had resurfaced。 And with it； of course； had e his skills。 Rusty but serviceable。
Jesus' message is one of peace。。。 of nonviolence。。。 of love。 This was the message Silas had been taught from the beginning； and the message he held in his heart。 And yet this was the message the enemies of Christ now threatened to destroy。 Those who threaten God with force will be met with force。 Immovable and steadfast。
For two millennia； Christian soldiers had defended their faith against those who tried to displace it。 Tonight； Silas had been called to battle。
Drying his wounds； he donned his ankle…length； hooded robe。 It was plain； made of dark wool； accentuating the whiteness of his skin and hair。 Tightening the rope…tie around his waist； he raised the hood over his head and allowed his red eyes to admire his reflection in the mirror。 The wheels are in motion。
CHAPTER 6
Having squeezed beneath the security gate； Robert Langdon now stood just inside the entrance to the Grand Gallery。 He was staring into the mouth of a long； deep canyon。 On either side of the gallery； stark walls rose thirty feet； evaporating into the darkness above。 The reddish glow of the service lighting sifted upward； casting an unnatural smolder across a staggering collection of Da Vincis； Titians； and Caravaggios that hung suspended from ceiling cables。 Still lifes； religious scenes； and landscapes acpanied portraits of nobility and politicians。
Although the Grand Gallery housed the Louvre's most famous Italian art； many visitors felt the wing's most stunning offering was actually its famous parquet floor。 Laid out in a dazzling geometric design of diagonal oak slats； the floor produced an ephemeral optical illusion—a multi…dimensional network that gave visitors the sense they were floating through the gallery on a surface that changed with every step。
As Langdon's gaze began to trace the inlay； his eyes stopped short on an unexpected object lying on the floor just a few yards to his left； surrounded by police tape。 He spun toward Fache。 〃Is that。。。 a Caravaggio on the floor？〃
Fache nodded without even looking。
The painting； Langdon guessed； was worth upward of two million dollars； and yet it was lying on the floor like a discarded poster。 〃What the devil is it doing on the floor！〃
Fache glowered； clearly unmoved。 〃This is a crime scene； Mr。 Langdon。 We have touched nothing。 That canvas was pulled from the wall by the curator。 It was how he activated the security system。〃
Langdon looked back at the gate； trying to picture what had happened。
〃The curator was attacked in his office； fled into the Grand Gallery； and activated the security gate by pulling that painting from the wall。 The gate fell immediately； sealing off all access。 This is the only door in or out of this gallery。〃
Langdon felt confused。 〃So the curator actually captured his attacker inside the Grand Gallery？〃
Fache shook his head。 〃The security gate separated Saunière from his attacker。 The killer was locked out there in the hallway and shot Saunière through this gate。〃 Fache pointed toward an orange tag hanging from one of the bars on the gate under which they had just passed。 〃The PTS team found flashback residue from a gun。 He fired through the bars。 Saunière died in here alone。〃
Langdon pictured the photograph of Saunière's body。 They said he did that to himself。 Langdon looked out at the enormous corridor before them。 〃So where is his body？〃
Fache straightened his cruciform tie clip and began to walk。 〃As you probably know； the Grand Gallery is quite long。〃
The exact length； if Langdon recalled correctly； was around fifteen hundred feet； the length of three Washington Monuments laid end to end。 Equally breathtaking was the corridor's width； which easily could have acmodated a pair of side…by…side passenger trains。 The center of the hallway was dotted by the occasional statue or colossal porcelain urn； which served as a tasteful divider and kept the flow of traffic moving down one wall and up the other。
Fache was silent now； striding briskly up the right side of the corridor with his gaze dead ahead。 Langdon felt almost disrespectful to be racing past so many masterpieces without pausing for so much as a glance。
Not that I could see anything in this lighting； he thought。
The muted crimson lighting unfortunately conjured memories of Langdon's last experience in noninvasive lighting in the Vatican Secret Archives。 This was tonight's second unsettling parallel with his near…death in Rome。 He flashed on Vittoria again。 She had been absent from his dreams for months。 Langdon could not believe Rome had been only a year ago； it felt like decades。 Another life。 His last correspondence from Vittoria had been in December—a postcard saying she was headed to the Java Sea to continue her research in entanglement physics。。。 something about using satellites to track manta ray migrations。 Langdon had never harbored delusions that a woman like Vittoria Vetra could have been happy living with him on a college campus； but their encounter in Rome had unlocked in him a longing he never imagined he could feel。 His lifelong affinity for bachelorhood and the simple freedoms it allowed had been shaken somehow。。。 replaced by an unexpected emptiness that seemed to have grown over the past year。
They continued walking briskly； yet Langdon still saw no corpse。 〃Jacques Saunière went this far？〃
〃Mr。 Saunière suffered a bullet wound to his stomach。 He died very slowly。 Perhaps over fifteen or twenty minutes。 He was obviously a man of great personal strength。〃
Langdon turned； appalled。 〃Security took fifteen minutes to get here？〃
〃Of course not。 Louvre security responded immediately to the alarm and found the Grand Gallery sealed。 Through the gate； they could hear someone moving around at the far end of the corridor； but they could not see who it was。 They shouted； but they got no answer。 Assuming it could only be a criminal； they followed protocol and called in the Judicial Police。 We took up positions within fifteen minutes。 When we arrived； we raised the barricade enough to slip underneath； and I sent a dozen armed agents inside。 They swept the length of the gallery to corner the intruder。〃
〃And？〃
〃They found no one inside。 Except。。。〃 He pointed farther down the hall。 〃Him。〃
Langdon lifted his gaze and followed Fache's outstretched finger。 At first he thought Fache was pointing to a large marble statue in the middle of the hallway。 As they continued； though； Langdon began to see past the statue。 Thirty yards down the hall； a single spotlight on a portable pole stand shone down on the floor； creating a stark island of white light in the dark crimson gallery。 In the center of the light； like an insect under a microscope； the corpse of the curator lay naked on the parquet floor。
〃You saw the photograph；〃 Fache said； 〃so this should be of no surprise。〃
Langdon felt a deep chill as they approached the body。 Before him was one of the strangest images he had ever seen。
The pallid corpse of Jacques Saunière lay on the parquet floor exactly as it appeared in the photograph。 As Langdon stood over the body and squinted in the harsh light； he reminded himself to his amazement that Saunière had spent his last minutes of life arranging his own body in this strange fashion。
Saunière looked remarkably fit for a man of his years。。。 and all of his musculature was in plain view。 He had stripped off every shred of clothing； placed it neatly on the floor； and laid down on his back in the center of the wide corridor； perfectly aligned with the long axis of the room。 His arms and legs were sprawled outward in a wide spread eagle； like those of a child making a snow angel。。。 or； perhaps more appropriately； like a man being drawn and quartered by some invisible force。
Just below Saunière's breastbone； a bloody smear marked the spot where the bullet had pierced his flesh。 The wound had bled surprisingly little； leaving only a small pool of blackened blood。
Saunière's left index finger was also bloody； apparently having been dipped into the wound to create the most unsettling aspect of his own macabre deathbed； using his own blood as ink； and employing his own naked abdomen as a canvas； Saunière had drawn a simple symbol on his flesh—five straight lines that intersected to form a five…pointed star。
The pentacle。
The bloody star； centered on Saunière's navel； gave his corpse a distinctly ghoulish aura。 The photo Langdon had seen was chilling enough； but now； witnessing the scene in person； Langdon felt a deepening uneasiness。
He did this to himself。
〃Mr。 Langdon？〃 Fache's dark eyes settled on him again。
〃It's a pentacle；〃 Langdon offered； his voice feeling hollow in the huge space。 〃One of the oldest symbols on earth。 Used over four thousand years before Christ。〃
〃And what does it mean？〃
Langdon always hesitated when he got this question。 Telling someone what a symbol 〃meant〃 was like telling them how a song should make them feel—it was different for all people。 A white Ku Klux Klan headpiece conjured images of hatred and racism in the United States； and yet the same costume carried a meaning of religious faith in Spain。
〃Symbols carry different meanings in different settings；〃 Langdon said。 〃Primarily； the pentacle is a pagan religious symbol。〃
Fache nodded。 〃Devil worship。〃
〃No；〃 Langdon corrected； immediately realizing his choice of vocabulary should have been clearer。
Nowadays； the term pagan had bee almost synonymous with devil worship—a gross misconception。 The word's roots actually reached back to the Latin paganus； meaning country…dwellers。 〃Pagans〃 were literally unindoctrinated country…folk who clung to the old； rural religions of Nature worship。 In fact； so strong was the Church's fear of those who lived in the rural villes that the once innocuous word for 〃villager〃—villain—came to mean a wicked soul。
〃The pentacle；〃 Langdon clarified； 〃is a pre…Christian symbol that relates to Nature worship。 The ancients envisioned their world in two halves—masculine and feminine。 Their gods and goddesses worked to keep a balance of power。 Yin and yang。 When male and female were balanced； there was harmony in the world。 When they were unbalanced； there was chaos。〃 Langdon motioned to Saunière's stomach。 〃This pentacle is representative of the female half of all things—a concept religious historians call the 'sacred feminine' or the 'divine goddess。' Saunière； of all people； would know this。〃
〃Saunière drew a goddess symbol on his stomach？〃
Langdon had to admit； it seemed odd。 〃In its most specifi