Chapter 133

           "ThePopefatheredachild."

           InsidetheSistineChapel,thecamerlegnostoodunwaveringashespoke.Fivesolitarywordsofastonishingdisclosure.Theentireassemblyseemedtorecoilinunison.Thecardinals’accusingmiensevaporatedintoaghaststares,asifeverysoulintheroomwereprayingthecamerlegnowaswrong.

           ThePopefatheredachild.

           Langdonfelttheshockwavehithimtoo.Vittoria’shand,tightinhis,jolted,whileLangdon’smind,alreadynumbwithunansweredquestions,wrestledtofindacenterofgravity.

           Thecamerlegno’sutteranceseemedlikeitwouldhangforeverintheairabovethem.Eveninthecamerlegno’sfrenziedeyes,Langdoncouldseepureconviction.Langdonwantedtodisengage,tellhimselfhewaslostinsomegrotesquenightmare,soontowakeupinaworldthatmadesense.

           "Thismustbealie!"oneofthecardinalsyelled.

           "Iwillnotbelieveit!"anotherprotested."HisHolinesswasasdevoutamanaseverlived!"

           ItwasMortatiwhospokenext,hisvoicethinwithdevastation."Myfriends.Whatthecamerlegnosaysistrue."EverycardinalinthechapelspunasthoughMortatihadjustshoutedanobscenity."ThePopeindeedfatheredachild."

           Thecardinalsblanchedwithdread.

           Thecamerlegnolookedstunned."Youknew?But…howcouldyoupossiblyknowthis?"

           Mortatisighed."WhenHisHolinesswaselected…IwastheDevil’sAdvocate."

           Therewasacommunalgasp.

           Langdonunderstood.Thismeanttheinformationwasprobablytrue.Theinfamous"Devil’sAdvocate"wastheauthoritywhenitcametoscandalousinformationinsidetheVatican.