按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
The slide library gives him access to archival rooms in the museum。 He is so careful about his work that he has earned almost everyone's trust。
〃Where are we going？〃 I say。
〃Up to the image room。 Where Vincent keeps some of his slide carousels。〃
The elevator discharges us on the main floor of the museum。 Paul guides me across it； ignoring the paintings he's pointed out to me a dozen times before…the vast Rubens with its dark…browed Jupiter； the unfinished Death of Socrates with the old philosopher reaching for his cup of hemlock。 Only when we pass the paintings Curry brought for the trustees' exhibit do Paul's eyes wander。
We reach the door to the slide library； and he produces the keys again。 One of them shifts quietly into place； and we enter the darkness。
〃Over here；〃 he says； pointing toward an aisle of shelves lined with dusty boxes。 Each box contains a slide carousel。 Behind another locked door； in a large room I've seen only once； rests much of the university's collection of art slides。
Paul finds the set of boxes he's been searching for； then lifts one from the stack and places it on the shelf before him。 A note taped to the side； written in a sloppy hand； says MAPS： ROME。 He takes the top off and carries the box to the small open space near the entrance。 From another shelf he produces a slide projector； which he plugs into a wall socket near the ground。 Finally； with the flick of a switch； a blurry image appears on the opposite wall。 Paul adjusts the focus until it sharpens into position。
〃Okay；〃 I say。 〃Now tell me what we're doing here。〃
〃What if Richard was right？〃 he says。 〃What if Vincent stole the diary from him thirty years ago？〃
〃He probably did。 What does it matter now？〃
Paul brings me up to speed。 〃Imagine you're in Vincent's position。 Richard keeps telling you the diary is the only way to understand the Hypnerotomachia。 You think he's blowing smoke； just a college kid with an art history degree。 Then someone else shows up。 Another scholar。〃
Paul says it with a certain respect。 I gather he's referring to my father。
〃Suddenly you're the odd man out。 Both of them say the diary is the answer。 But you've painted yourself into a corner。 You've told Richard the diary is useless； that the portmaster was a charlatan。 And more than anything； you hate being wrong。 What do you do now？〃
Paul is trying to convince me of a possibility I've never had trouble accepting： that Vincent Taft is a thief。
〃I get it；〃 I say。 〃Go on。〃
〃So you somehow steal the diary。 But you can't make anything of it； because you've been looking at the Hypnerotomachia all wrong。 Without the ciphered messages from Francesco； you don't know what to do with the diary。 What then？〃
〃I don't know。〃
〃You're not going to throw it away；〃 he says； ignoring me； 〃just because you don't understand it。〃
I nod my agreement。
〃So you keep it。 Somewhere safe。 Maybe the lockbox in your office。〃
〃Or in your house。〃
〃Right。 Then； years later； this kid es along； and he and his friend start making progress on the Hypnerotomachia。 More than you expected。 In fact； more than you made in your prime。 He starts finding the messages from Francesco。〃
〃You start thinking the diary might be useful after all。〃
〃Exactly。〃
〃And you don't tell the kid about it； because then he would know you stole it。〃
〃But；〃 Paul continues； arriving at his point； 〃say one day someone found it。〃
〃Bill。〃
Paul nods。 〃He was always in Vincent's office； at Vincent's house； helping with all the little projects Vincent made him do。 And he knew what the diary meant。 If he'd found it； he wouldn't have just put it back。〃
〃He would've brought it to you。〃
〃Right。 And we turned around and showed it to Richard。 Then Richard confronted Vincent at the lecture。〃
I'm skeptical。 〃But wouldn't Taft have realized it was gone before that？〃
〃Of course。 He had to know Bill took it。 But what do you think his reaction was when he realized Richard knew about it too？ The first thing on his mind would've been to go find Bill。〃
Now I understand。 〃You think he went to Stein's office after the lecture。〃
〃Was Vincent at the reception？〃
I take it as a rhetorical question until I remember Paul wasn't there； he'd already left to find Stein。
〃Not that I saw。〃
〃There's a hallway connecting Dickinson and the auditorium；〃 he says。 〃Vincent didn't even have to leave the building to get there。〃
Paul lets it sink in。 The possibility drifts through my thoughts clumsily； tethered to a thousand other details。 〃You really think Taft killed him？〃 I ask。 A strange silhouette forms from the shadows of the room； Epp Lang burying a dog beneath a tree。
Paul stares at the black contours projected on the wall。 〃I think he's capable of it。〃
〃Out of anger？〃
〃I don't know。〃 But he already seems to have been through all of the scenarios in his mind。 〃Listen；〃 he says； 〃when I was waiting for Bill at the Institute； I started reading the diary more carefully； looking for every mention of Francesco。〃
He flips it open and inside the front cover is a page of notes he's made on Institute stationery。
〃I found the entry where the portmaster records the set of directions the thief copied from Francesco's papers。 Genovese says they were written on an empty scrap of paper； and must've formed some kind of nautical route； something about the path Francesco's ship took。 The portmaster tried to figure out where the cargo must've e from by working backward from Genoa。〃
When Paul unfolds the stationery； I can see a pattern of arrows drawn near a pass。
〃These are the directions。 They're in Latin。 They say： Four south； ten east； two north； six west。 Then they say De Stadio。〃
〃What's De Stadio？〃
Paul smiles。 〃I think that's the key。 The portmaster took it to his cousin； who told him De Stadio was the scale that went with the directions。 It can be translated 'Of Stadia；' meaning the directions are measured in stadia。〃
〃I don't get it。〃
〃The stadium is a unit of measurement from the ancient world； based on the length of a footrace in the Greek Olympics。 That's where we get our modern word。 About six hundred feet is one stadium； so there are between eight and ten stadia in a mile。〃
〃So four south means four stadia south。〃
〃Then ten east； two north； and six west。 It's all four directions。 Does it remind you of something？〃
It does： in his final riddle； Colonna referred to what he called a Rule of Four； a device that would lead readers to his secret crypt。 But we gave up on finding it when the text itself failed to produce anything remotely geographical。
〃You think that's it？ Those four directions？〃
Paul nods。 〃But the portmaster was looking for something on a much bigger scale； a voyage of hundreds and hundreds of miles。 If Francesco's directions are in stadia； then the ship couldn't have originated in France or the Netherlands。 It must've started its trip about half a mile southeast of Genoa。 The portmaster knew that couldn't be right。〃
I can see Paul's giddiness； thinking he's done the portmaster one better。 〃You're saying the directions were meant for something else。〃
He hardly pauses。 〃De Stadio doesn't just have to me