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The pilot pointed down a steep set of stairs。 〃Down； please。〃
Langdon and Vittoria followed the white marble treads as they descended between a gauntlet of nude male sculptures。 Each statue wore a fig leaf that was lighter in color than the rest of the body。
The Great Castration； Langdon thought。
It was one of the most horrific tragedies in Renaissance art。 In 1857； Pope Pius IX decided that the accurate representation of the male form might incite lust inside the Vatican。 So he got a chisel and mallet and hacked off the genitalia of every single male statue inside Vatican City。 He defaced works by Michelangelo； Bramante； and Bernini。 Plaster fig leaves were used to patch the damage。 Hundreds of sculptures had been emasculated。 Langdon had often wondered if there was a huge crate of stone penises someplace。
〃Here；〃 the guard announced。
They reached the bottom of the stairs and dead…ended at a heavy； steel door。 The guard typed an entry code； and the door slid open。 Langdon and Vittoria entered。
Beyond the threshold was absolute mayhem。
36
The Office of the Swiss Guard。
Langdon stood in the doorway； surveying the collision of centuries before them。 Mixed media。 The room was a lushly adorned Renaissance library plete with inlaid bookshelves； oriental carpets； and colorful tapestries 。 。 。 and yet the room bristled with high…tech gear…banks of puters； faxes； electronic maps of the Vatican plex； and televisions tuned to CNN。 Men in colorful pantaloons typed feverishly on puters and listened intently in futuristic headphones。
〃Wait here；〃 the guard said。
Langdon and Vittoria waited as the guard crossed the room to an exceptionally tall； wiry man in a dark blue military uniform。 He was talking on a cellular phone and stood so straight he was almost bent backward。 The guard said something to him； and the man shot a glance over at Langdon and Vittoria。 He nodded； then turned his back on them and continued his phone call。
The guard returned。 〃mander Olivetti will be with you in a moment。〃
〃Thank you。〃
The guard left and headed back up the stairs。
Langdon studied mander Olivetti across the room； realizing he was actually the mander in Chief of the armed forces of an entire country。 Vittoria and Langdon waited； observing the action before them。 Brightly dressed guards bustled about yelling orders in Italian。
〃Continua cercando！〃 one yelled into a telephone。
〃Probasti il museo？〃another asked。
Langdon did not need fluent Italian to discern that the security center was currently in intense search mode。 This was the good news。 The bad news was that they obviously had not yet found the antimatter。
〃You okay？〃 Langdon asked Vittoria。
She shrugged； offering a tired smile。
When the mander finally clicked off his phone and approached across the room； he seemed to grow with each step。 Langdon was tall himself and not accustomed to looking up at many people； but mander Olivetti demanded it。 Langdon sensed immediately that the mander was a man who had weathered tempests； his face hale and steeled。 His dark hair was cropped in a military buzz cut； and his eyes burned with the kind of hardened determination only attainable through years of intense training。 He moved with ramrod exactness； the earpiece hidden discreetly behind one ear making him look more like U。S。 Secret Service than Swiss Guard。
The mander addressed them in accented English。 His voice was startlingly quiet for such a large man； barely a whisper。 It bit with a tight； military efficiency。 〃Good afternoon；〃 he said。 〃I am mander Olivetti…andante Principale of the Swiss Guard。 I'm the one who called your director。〃
Vittoria gazed upward。 〃Thank you for seeing us； sir。〃
The mander did not respond。 He motioned for them to follow and led them through the tangle of electronics to a door in the side wall of the chamber。 〃Enter；〃 he said； holding the door for them。
Langdon and Vittoria walked through and found themselves in a darkened control room where a wall of video monitors was cycling lazily through a series of black…and…white images of the plex。 A young guard sat watching the images intently。
〃Fuori；〃 Olivetti said。
The guard packed up and left。
Olivetti walked over to one of the screens and pointed to it。 Then he turned toward his guests。 〃This image is from a remote camera hidden somewhere inside Vatican City。 I'd like an explanation。〃
Langdon and Vittoria looked at the screen and inhaled in unison。 The image was absolute。 No doubt。 It was CERN's antimatter canister。 Inside； a shimmering droplet of metallic liquid hung ominously in the air； lit by the rhythmic blinking of the LED digital clock。 Eerily； the area around the canister was almost entirely dark； as if the antimatter were in a closet or darkened room。 At the top of the monitor flashed superimposed text： LIVE FEED…CAMERA #86。
Vittoria looked at the time remaining on the flashing indicator on the canister。 〃Under six hours；〃 she whispered to Langdon； her face tense。
Langdon checked his watch。 〃So we have until 。 。 。〃 He stopped； a knot tightening in his stomach。
〃Midnight；〃 Vittoria said； with a withering look。
Midnight； Langdon thought。 A flair for the dramatic。 Apparently whoever stole the canister last night had timed it perfectly。 A stark foreboding set in as he realized he was currently sitting at ground zero。
Olivetti's whisper now sounded more like a hiss。 〃Does this object belong to your facility？〃
Vittoria nodded。 〃Yes； sir。 It was stolen from us。 It contains an extremely bustible substance called antimatter。〃
Olivetti looked unmoved。 〃I am quite familiar with incendiaries； Ms。 Vetra。 I have not heard of antimatter。〃
〃It's new technology。 We need to locate it immediately or evacuate Vatican City。〃
Olivetti closed his eyes slowly and reopened them； as if refocusing on Vittoria might change what he just heard。 〃Evacuate？ Are you aware what is going on here this evening？〃
〃Yes； sir。 And the lives of your cardinals are in danger。 We have about six hours。 Have you made any headway locating the canister？〃
Olivetti shook his head。 〃We haven't started looking。〃
Vittoria choked。 〃What？ But we expressly heard your guards talking about searching the…〃
〃Searching； yes；〃 Olivetti said； 〃but not for your canister。 My men are looking for something else that does not concern you。〃
Vittoria's voice cracked。 〃You haven't even begun looking for this canister？〃
Olivetti's pupils seemed to recede into his head。 He had the passionless look of an insect。 〃Ms。 Vetra； is it？ Let me explain something to you。 The director of your facility refused to share any details about this object with me over the phone except to say that I needed to find it immediately。 We are exceptionally busy； and I do not have the luxury of dedicating manpower to a situation until I get some facts。〃
〃There is only one relevant fact at this moment； sir；〃 Vittoria said； 〃that being that in six hours that device is going to vaporize this entire plex。〃
Olivetti stood motionless。 〃Ms。 Vetra； there is something you need to know。〃 His tone hinted at patronizing。 〃Despite the archaic appearance of Vatican City； every single entr