Chapter 54

           InsideArchiveVault10RobertLangdonrecitedItaliannumbersashescannedthecalligraphybeforehim.Mille…centi…uno,duo,tre…cincuanta.Ineedanumericalreference!Anything,damnit!

           Whenhereachedtheendofhiscurrentfolio,heliftedthespatulatoflipthepage.Ashealignedthebladewiththenextpage,hefumbled,havingdifficultyholdingthetoolsteady.Minuteslater,helookeddownandrealizedhehadabandonedhisspatulaandwasturningpagesbyhand.Oops,hethought,feelingvaguelycriminal.Thelackofoxygenwasaffectinghisinhibitions.LookslikeI’llburninarchivist’shell.

           "Aboutdamntime,"VittoriachokedwhenshesawLangdonturningpagesbyhand.Shedroppedherspatulaandfollowedsuit.

           "Anyluck?"

           Vittoriashookherhead."Nothingthatlookspurelymathematical.I’mskimming…butnoneofthisreadslikeaclue."

           Langdoncontinuedtranslatinghisfolioswithincreasingdifficulty.HisItalianskillswererockyatbest,andthetinypenmanshipandarchaiclanguagewasmakingitslowgoing.VittoriareachedtheendofherstackbeforeLangdonandlookeddisheartenedassheflippedthepagesbackover.Shehunkereddownforanothermoreintenseinspection.

           WhenLangdonfinishedhisfinalpage,hecursedunderhisbreathandlookedoveratVittoria.Shewasscowling,squintingatsomethingononeofherfolios."Whatisit?"heasked.

           Vittoriadidnotlookup."Didyouhaveanyfootnotesonyourpages?"

           "NotthatInoticed.Why?"

           "Thispagehasafootnote.It’sobscuredinacrease.