Ангелы и демоны

Chapter 52

           "

           Langdonslidthetongsaroundthestackofdocumentsinsideandwascarefultoapplyevenpressure.Then,ratherthanpullingoutthedocuments,heheldtheminplacewhileheslidoffthebag—anarchivist’sprocedureforminimizingtorqueontheartifact.NotuntilthebagwasremovedandLangdonhadturnedontheexamdarklightbeneaththetabledidhebeginbreathingagain.

           Vittorialookedlikeaspecternow,litfrombelowbythelampbeneaththeglass."Smallsheets,"shesaid,hervoicereverent.

           Langdonnodded.Thestackoffoliosbeforethemlookedlikeloosepagesfromasmallpaperbacknovel.Langdoncouldseethatthetopsheetwasanornatepenandinkcoversheetwiththetitle,thedate,andGalileo’snameinhisownhand.

           Inthatinstant,Langdonforgotthecrampedquarters,forgothisexhaustion,forgotthehorrifyingsituationthathadbroughthimhere.Hesimplystaredinwonder.CloseencounterswithhistoryalwaysleftLangdonnumbedwithreverence…likeseeingthebrushstrokesontheMonaLisa.

           Themuted,yellowpapyrusleftnodoubtinLangdon’smindastoitsageandauthenticity,butexcludingtheinevitablefading,thedocumentwasinsuperbcondition.Slightbleachingofthepigment.Minorsunderingandcohesionofthepapyrus.Butallinall…indamnfinecondition.Hestudiedtheornatehandetchingofthecover,hisvisionblurringinthelackofhumidity.Vittoriawassilent.

           "Handmeaspatula,please."LangdonmotionedbesideVittoriatoatrayfilledwithstainless-steelarchivaltools.Shehandedittohim.Langdontookthetoolinhishand.Itwasagoodone.

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