Chapter 41

           Thevoiceemanatingfromthecamerlegno’sspeakerphonewasmetallicandcold,lacedwitharrogance.Everyoneintheroomlistened.

           Langdontriedtoplacetheaccent.MiddleEastern,perhaps?

           "Iamamessengerofanancientbrotherhood,"thevoiceannouncedinanaliencadence."Abrotherhoodyouhavewrongedforcenturies.IamamessengeroftheIlluminati."

           Langdonfelthismusclestighten,thelastshredsofdoubtwitheringaway.Foraninstanthefeltthefamiliarcollisionofthrill,privilege,anddeadfearthathehadexperiencedwhenhefirstsawtheambigramthismorning.

           "Whatdoyouwant?"thecamerlegnodemanded.

           "Irepresentmenofscience.Menwholikeyourselvesaresearchingfortheanswers.Answerstoman’sdestiny,hispurpose,hiscreator."

           "Whoeveryouare,"thecamerlegnosaid,"I—"

           "Silenzio.Youwilldobettertolisten.Fortwomillenniayourchurchhasdominatedthequestfortruth.Youhavecrushedyouroppositionwithliesandprophesiesofdoom.Youhavemanipulatedthetruthtoserveyourneeds,murderingthosewhosediscoveriesdidnotserveyourpolitics.Areyousurprisedyouarethetargetofenlightenedmenfromaroundtheglobe?"

           "Enlightenedmendonotresorttoblackmailtofurthertheircauses."

           "Blackmail?"Thecallerlaughed."Thisisnotblackmail.Wehavenodemands.TheabolitionoftheVaticanisnonnegotiable.Wehavewaitedfourhundredyearsforthisday.Atmidnight,yourcitywillbedestroyed.Thereisnothingyoucando."

           Olivettistormedtowardthespeakerphone.