"I deciphered it," he said, moving faster now. "I know where the first killing is going to happen. We need to warn Olivetti."
Vittoria closed in on him. "How could you already know? Let me see that thing again." With the sleight of a boxer, she slipped a lissome hand into his pocket and pulled out the folio again.
"Careful!" Langdon said. "You can't - "
Vittoria ignored him. Folio in hand, she floated beside him, holding the document up to the evening light, examining the margins. As she began reading aloud, Langdon moved to retrieve the folio but instead found himself bewitched by Vittoria's accented alto speaking the syllables in perfect rhythm with her gait.
For a moment, hearing the verse aloud, Langdon felt transported in time... as though he were one of Galileo's contemporaries, listening to the poem for the first time... knowing it was a test, a map, a clue unveiling the four altars of science... the four markers that blazed a secret path across Rome. The verse flowed from Vittoria's lips like a song.
From Santi's earthly tomb with demon's hole,
'Cross Rome the mystic elements unfold.
The path of light is laid, the sacred test,
Let angels guide you on your lofty quest.
Vittoria read it twice and then fell silent, as if letting the ancient words resonate on their own.
From Santi's earthly tomb, Langdon repeated in his mind. The poem was crystal clear about that. The Path of Illumination began at Santi's tomb. From there, across Rome, the markers blazed the trail.
From Santi's earthly tomb with demon's hole,
'Cross Rome the mystic elements unfold.
Mystic elements. Also clear. Earth, Air, Fire, Water. Elements of science, the four Illuminati markers disguised as religious sculpture.
"The first marker," Vittoria said, "sounds like it's at Santi's tomb."
Langdon smiled. "I told you it wasn't that tough."
"So who is Santi?" she asked, sounding suddenly excited. "And where's his tomb?"
Langdon chuckled to himself. He was amazed how few people knew Santi, the last name of one of the most famous Renaissance artists ever to live. His first name was world renowned... the child prodigy who at the age of twenty-five was already doing commissions for Pope Julius II, and when he died at only thirty-eight, left behind the greatest collection of frescoes the world had ever seen. Santi was a behemoth in the art world, and being known solely by one's first name was a level of fame achieved only by an elite few... people like Napoleon, Galileo, and Jesus... and, of course, the demigods Langdon now heard blaring from Harvard dormitories - Sting, Madonna, Jewel, and the artist formerly known as Prince, who had changed his name to the symbol
Angels & Demons
causing Langdon to dub him "The Tau Cross With Intersecting Hermaphroditic Ankh."
"Santi," Langdon said, "is the last name of the great Renaissance master, Raphael."
Vittoria looked surprised. "Raphael? As in the Raphael?"
"The one and only." Langdon pushed on toward the Office of the Swiss Guard.
"So the path starts at Raphael's tomb?"
"It actually makes perfect sense," Langdon said as they rushed on. "The Illuminati often considered great artists and sculptors honorary brothers in enlightenment. The Illuminati could have chosen Raphael's tomb as a kind of tribute." Langdon also knew that Raphael, like many other religious artists, was a suspected closet atheist.
Vittoria slipped the folio carefully back in Langdon's pocket. "So where is he buried?"
Langdon took a deep breath. "Believe it or not, Raphael's buried in the Pantheon."
Vittoria looked skeptical. "The Pantheon?"
"The Raphael at the Pantheon." Langdon had to admit, the Pantheon was not what he had expected for the placement of the first marker. He would have guessed the first altar of science to be at some quiet, out of the way church, something subtle. Even in the 1600s, the Pantheon, with its tremendous, holed dome, was one of the best known sites in Rome.
"Is the Pantheon even a church?" Vittoria asked.
"Oldest Catholic church in Rome."
Vittoria shook her head. "But do you really think the first cardinal could be killed at the Pantheon? That's got to be one of the busiest tourist spots in Rome."
Langdon shrugged. "The Illuminati said they wanted the whole world watching. Killing a cardinal at the Pantheon would certainly open some eyes."
"But how does this guy expect to kill someone at the Pantheon and get away unnoticed? It would be impossible."
"As impossible as kidnapping four cardinals from Vatican City? The poem is precise."
"And you're certain Raphael is buried inside the Pantheon?"
"I've seen his tomb many times."
Vittoria nodded, still looking troubled. "What time is it?"
Langdon checked. "Seven-thirty."
"Is the Pantheon