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Vittoria looked up。 〃You were orphaned？〃 She felt a sudden kinship。
〃I survived an accident。 An accident that took my mother。〃
〃Who took care of you？〃
〃God；〃 the camerlegno said。 〃He quite literally sent me another father。 A bishop from Palermo appeared at my hospital bed and took me in。 At the time I was not surprised。 I had sensed God's watchful hand over me even as a boy。 The bishop's appearance simply confirmed what I had already suspected； that God had somehow chosen me to serve him。〃
〃You believed God chose you？〃
〃I did。 And I do。〃 There was no trace of conceit in the camerlegno's voice； only gratitude。 〃I worked under the bishop's tutelage for many years。 He eventually became a cardinal。 Still； he never forgot me。 He is the father I remember。〃 A beam of a flashlight caught the camerlegno's face； and Vittoria sensed a loneliness in his eyes。
The group arrived beneath a towering pillar； and their lights converged on an opening in the floor。 Vittoria looked down at the staircase descending into the void and suddenly wanted to turn back。 The guards were already helping the camerlegno onto the stairs。 They helped her next。
〃What became of him？〃 she asked； descending； trying to keep her voice steady。 〃The cardinal who took you in？〃
〃He left the College of Cardinals for another position。〃
Vittoria was surprised。
〃And then； I'm sorry to say； he passed on。〃
〃Le mie condoglianze；〃 Vittoria said。 〃Recently？〃
The camerlegno turned； shadows accentuating the pain on his face。 〃Exactly fifteen days ago。 We are going to see him right now。〃
84
The dark lights glowed hot inside the archival vault。 This vault was much smaller than the previous one Langdon had been in。 Less air。 Less time。 He wished he'd asked Olivetti to turn on the recirculating fans。
Langdon quickly located the section of assets containing the ledgers cataloging Belle Arti。 The section was impossible to miss。 It occupied almost eight full stacks。 The Catholic church owned millions of individual pieces worldwide。
Langdon scanned the shelves searching for Gianlorenzo Bernini。 He began his search about midway down the first stack； at about the spot he thought the B's would begin。 After a moment of panic fearing the ledger was missing； he realized； to his greater dismay； that the ledgers were not arranged alphabetically。 Why am I not surprised？
It was not until Langdon circled back to the beginning of the collection and climbed a rolling ladder to the top shelf that he understood the vault's organization。 Perched precariously on the upper stacks he found the fattest ledgers of all…those belonging to the masters of the Renaissance…Michelangelo； Raphael； da Vinci； Botticelli。 Langdon now realized； appropriate to a vault called 〃Vatican Assets；〃 the ledgers were arranged by the overall monetary value of each artist's collection。 Sandwiched between Raphael and Michelangelo； Langdon found the ledger marked Bernini。 It was over five inches thick。
Already short of breath and struggling with the cumbersome volume； Langdon descended the ladder。 Then； like a kid with a ic book； he spread himself out on the floor and opened the cover。
The book was cloth…bound and very solid。 The ledger was handwritten in Italian。 Each page cataloged a single work； including a short description； date； location； cost of materials； and sometimes a rough sketch of the piece。 Langdon fanned through the pages 。 。 。 over eight hundred in all。 Bernini had been a busy man。
As a young student of art； Langdon had wondered how single artists could create so much work in their lifetimes。 Later he learned； much to his disappointment； that famous artists actually created very little of their own work。 They ran studios where they trained young artists to carry out their designs。 Sculptors like Bernini created miniatures in clay and hired others to enlarge them into marble。 Langdon knew that if Bernini had been required to personally plete all of his missions； he would still be working today。
〃Index；〃 he said aloud； trying to ward off the mental cobwebs。 He flipped to the back of the book； intending to look under the letter F for titles containing the word fuтco…fire…but the F's were not together。 Langdon swore under his breath。 What the hell do these people have against alphabetizing？
The entries had apparently been logged chronologically； one by one； as Bernini created each new work。 Everything was listed by date。 No help at all。
As Langdon stared at the list； another disheartening thought occurred to him。 The title of the sculpture he was looking for might not even contain the word Fire。 The previous two works…Habakkuk and the Angel and West Ponente…had not contained specific references to Earth or Air。
He spent a minute or two flipping randomly through the ledger in hopes that an illustration might jump out at him。 Nothing did。 He saw dozens of obscure works he had never heard of； but he also saw plenty he recognized 。 。 。 Daniel and the Lion； Apollo and Daphne； as well as a half dozen fountains。 When he saw the fountains； his thoughts skipped momentarily ahead。 Water。 He wondered if the fourth altar of science was a fountain。 A fountain seemed a perfect tribute to water。 Langdon hoped they could catch the killer before he had to consider Water…Bernini had carved dozens of fountains in Rome； most of them in front of churches。
Langdon turned back to the matter at hand。 Fire。 As he looked through the book； Vittoria's words encouraged him。 You were familiar with the first two sculptures 。 。 。 you probably know this one too。 As he turned to the index again； he scanned for titles he knew。 Some were familiar； but none jumped out。 Langdon now realized he would never plete his search before passing out； so he decided； against his better judgment； that he would have to take the book outside the vault。 It's only a ledger； he told himself。 It's not like I'm removing an original Galilean folio。 Langdon recalled the folio in his breast pocket and reminded himself to return it before leaving。
Hurrying now； he reached down to lift the volume； but as he did； he saw something that gave him pause。 Although there were numerous notations throughout the index； the one that had just caught his eye seemed odd。
The note indicated that the famous Bernini sculpture； The Ecstasy of St。 Teresa； shortly after its unveiling； had been moved from its original location inside the Vatican。 This in itself was not what had caught Langdon's eye。 He was already familiar with the sculpture's checkered past。 Though some thought it a masterpiece； Pope Urban VIII had rejected The Ecstasy of St。 Teresa as too sexually explicit for the Vatican。 He had banished it to some obscure chapel across town。 What had caught Langdon's eye was that the work had apparently been placed in one of the five churches on his list。 What was more； the note indicated it had been moved there per suggerimento del artista。
By suggestion of the artist？ Langdon was confused。 It made no sense that Bernini had suggested his masterpiece be hidden in some obscure location。 All artists wanted their work displayed prominently； not in some remote…
Langdon hesitated。 Unless 。 。 。
He wa