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He hardly pauses。 〃De Stadio doesn't just have to mean 'Of Stadia。' De could also mean 'from。' 〃
He looks at me expectantly； but the beauty of this new translation is lost on me。
〃Maybe the measurements aren't just of stadia； or measured in those units；〃 he says。 〃Maybe they're also taken from a stadium。 A stadium could be the starting point。 De Stadio could have a double meaning…you follow the directions from a physical stadium building； in stadia units。〃
The map of Rome projected on the wall is ing into focus。 The city is littered with ancient arenas。 Colonna would've known it better than any city in the world。
〃It solves the scale problem the portmaster had；〃 Paul continues。 〃You can't measure the distance between countries in a few stadia。 But you can measure the distance across a city that way。 Pliny says the circumference of the Roman city walls in A。D。 75 was about thirteen miles。 The entire city was maybe twenty…five or thirty stadia across。〃
〃You think that will lead us to the crypt？〃 I ask。
〃Francesco talks about building where no one can see。 He doesn't want anyone to know what's inside it。 This may be the only way to find the location。〃
Months of speculation return to me。 We spent many nights wondering why Colonna would build his crypt out in the Roman forests； hidden from his family and friends； but Paul and I never agreed about our conclusions。
〃What if the crypt is more than we thought？〃 he says。 〃What if the location is the secret？〃
〃Then what's inside it？〃 I say； reviving the question。
Paul's demeanor changes to frustration。 〃I don't know； Tom。 I still haven't figured it out。〃
〃I'm just saying； don't you think Colonna would've…〃
〃Told us what was in the crypt？ Of course。 But the entire second half of the book depends on the last cipher； and I can't solve it。 Not alone。 So this diary is it。 Okay？〃
I back off。
〃So all we have to do；〃 Paul goes on； 〃is look at a few of these maps。 We start at the major stadium areas…the Coliseum； the Circus Maximus； and so on…and move four stadia south； ten east； two north； and six west。 If any of those locations is in what would've been a forest in Colonna's time； we mark it。〃
〃Let's look；〃 I say。
Paul presses the Advance button； shifting through a series of maps made in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries。 They have the quality of architectural caricatures； buildings drawn out of proportion with their surroundings； crowded up against each other until the spaces in between are impossible to judge。
〃How are we going to measure distances on those？〃 I ask。
He answers me by pumping the hand control several more times。 After three or four more Renaissance maps； a modern one appears。 The city looks more like the one I remember from travel books my father gave me before our trip to the Vatican。 The Aurelian Wall on the north； east； and south and the Tiber River on the west create the profile of an old woman's head facing the rest of Italy。 The church of San Lorenzo； where Colonna had the two men killed； hovers like a fly just beyond the arch of the old woman's nose。
〃This one has the right scale on it；〃 Paul says； pointing to the measurements in the upper…left corner。 Eight stadia are marked along a single line； labeled ANCIENT ROMAN MILE。
He walks toward the image on the wall and places his hand beside the scale。 From the base of his palm to the tip of his middle finger； he covers the full eight stadia。
〃Let's start with the Coliseum。〃 He kneels on the floor and places his hand near a dark oval in the middle of the map； near the old woman's cheek。 〃Four south；〃 he says； moving a palm…length down； 〃and ten east。〃 He moves one full hand…length across； then adds half an index finger。 〃Then two north and six west。〃
When he finishes； he's pointing to a spot labeled M。 CELIUS on the map。
〃You think that's where it is？〃
〃Not there；〃 he says； deflated。 Pointing to a dark circle on the map just southwest of his finishing point； he says； 〃Right over here is a church。 San Stefano Rotondo。〃 He shifts his finger northeast。 〃This is another one； Santi Quattro Coronati。 And here〃…he moves the finger southeast…〃is Saint John Lateran； where the popes lived until the fourteenth century。 If Francesco had built his crypt here； he would've done it within a quarter mile of three different churches。 No way。〃
He begins again。 〃The Circus Flaminius；〃 he says。 〃This map is old。 I think Gatti placed it closer to here。〃 He moves his finger closer to the river； then repeats the directions。
〃Good or bad？〃 I say； staring at the location； somewhere atop the Palatine Hill。
He frowns。 〃Bad。 This is almost right in the middle of San Teodoro。〃
〃Another church？〃
He nods。
〃You're sure Colonna wouldn't have built it near a church？〃
He looks at me as if I've forgotten the cardinal rule。 〃Every message says he's terrified of being caught by the zealots。 The 'men of God。' How do you interpret that？〃
Losing patience； he tries two other possibilities…the Circus of Hadrian and the old Circus of Nero； over which the Vatican was built…but in both cases； the rectangle of twenty…two stadia lands him almost in the middle of the Tiber River。
〃There's a stadium in every corner of this map；〃 I tell him。 〃Why don't we think about where the crypt could be； then work backward to see if there's a stadium near it？〃
He mulls it over。 〃I'd have to check some of my other atlases at Ivy。〃
〃We can e back here tomorrow。〃
Paul； whose supply of optimism is thinning； eyes the map a moment longer； then nods。 Colonna has beat him again。 Even the spying portmaster was outwitted。
〃What now？〃 I ask。
He buttons his coat； turning off the projector。 〃I want to check Bill's desk in the library downstairs。〃 He returns the slide machine to its shelf； trying to leave everything where he found it。
〃Why？〃
〃To see if anything else from the diary is there。 Richard insists there was a blueprint folded inside it。〃
He opens the door and holds it for me； checking the room before locking it up。
〃You have a key for the library？〃
He shakes his head。 〃Bill told me the punch code for the stairwell。〃
We return into the darkness of the hallway； where Paul leads me down the corridor。 Orange security lights wink in the darkness like airplanes crossing at night。 We e to a door leading to a stairwell。 Below the knob is a box with five numbered buttons。 Paul thinks for a second； then begins to punch a short sequence。 As the knob unlocks in his hand； both of us freeze。 In the silence we can hear something shuffling。
Chapter 14
Go； I mouth； nudging Paul toward the library door。
A plate of security glass forms a small window in the panel； and we peek through it into the darkness of the room。
A shadow is shifting across the top of one of the private tables。 The beam of a flashlight hovers across its surface。 I can make out a hand reaching into one of the drawers。
〃That's Bill's desk；〃 Paul whispers。
His voice carries in the stairwell。 The path of the flashlight freezes； then moves in our direction。
I push Paul down below the window。
〃Who is that？〃 I ask。
〃I couldn't see。〃
We wait； listening for footsteps。 When w