Chapter 50

           RobertLangdonstoodoutsideArchiveVault9andreadthelabelsonthestacks.

           Brahe…Clavius…Copernicus…Kepler…Newton…

           Ashereadthenamesagain,hefeltasuddenuneasiness.Herearethescientists…butwhereisGalileo?

           HeturnedtoVittoria,whowascheckingthecontentsofanearbyvault."Ifoundtherighttheme,butGalileo’smissing."

           "Noheisn’t,"shesaid,frowningasshemotionedtothenextvault."He’soverhere.ButIhopeyoubroughtyourreadingglasses,becausethisentirevaultishis."

           Langdonranover.Vittoriawasright.EveryindictortabinVault10carriedthesamekeyword.

           IlProcesoGalileano

           Langdonletoutalowwhistle,nowrealizingwhyGalileohadhisownvault."TheGalileoAffair,"hemarveled,peeringthroughtheglassatthedarkoutlinesofthestacks."ThelongestandmostexpensivelegalproceedinginVaticanhistory.Fourteenyearsandsixhundredmillionlire.It’sallhere."

           "Haveafewlegaldocuments."

           "Iguesslawyershaven’tevolvedmuchoverthecenturies."

           "Neitherhavesharks."

           Langdonstrodetoalargeyellowbuttononthesideofthevault.Hepressedit,andabankofoverheadlightshummedoninside.Thelightsweredeepred,turningthecubeintoaglowingcrimsoncell…amazeoftoweringshelves.

           "MyGod,"Vittoriasaid,lookingspooked."Arewetanningorworking?"

           "Parchmentandvellumfades,sovaultlightingisalwaysdonewithdarklights."

           "Youcouldgomadinhere."

           Orworse,Langdonthought,movingtowardthevault’ssoleentrance."Aquickwordofwarning.Oxygenisanoxidant,sohermeticvaultscontainverylittleofit.