Being in this room, Zhiqiu thought for a moment that he had heard wrongly. "Written in English?"
Momo pushed the document to him, and Zhiqiu read the tiny printed words at the bottom of the page. "The road to the light has been paved. This is God's test for you. It's in English? Why write in English in an Italian book?"
Momo shrugged. She also seemed unsteady on her feet. "Maybe they think English is the pure language? English is considered the international language of science. We all speak English in the institute."
"But this was in the seventeenth century," Zhiqiu retorted. "No one in Italy spoke English, not even-" He suddenly stopped, realizing what he was about to say, "not even the clergy." He was very well-trained in thinking and suddenly became very active. "In the seventeenth century," he said faster, "English was a language that the Holy See had not yet adopted. They spoke Italian, Latin, German, and even Spanish and French, but no one in the Holy See understands English at all. They regard English as a language used by tainted free-thinking people, and is for the common people." Zhiqiu suddenly realized the earth, air, and fire of the cheating sect. , the meaning of the water seal. It was strange that the rumor that the print was written in English seemed to have some truth to it at the moment.
"So you are saying that maybe that guy regards English as a pure language because English is a language that the Holy See does not master?"
"That's right, or it's possible that the guy hid the clues in English so that he cleverly limited his readers to people outside the Holy See."
"But this is not a clue." Momo argued. "The road to the light has been paved. Is this God's test for you? What does this mean?"
She was right, Zhiqiu thought about it. This sentence is useless. However, when he read this short sentence in his mind again, he noticed a strange phenomenon. This is weird, he thought. What could this be?
"We have to go out." Momo said, her voice sounded hoarse.
Zhiqiu didn¡¯t listen. The road to light is paved. This is God's test for you. "This is exactly a line of iambic pentameter," he said suddenly, counting the syllables again, "with accents and unstresses alternating five times."
Mo Moru fell into the fog for five miles. "Iambic what?"
Five steps, Zhiqiu thought. By definition, each step has two syllables. He couldn't believe that he had never made this connection in his entire life of reasoning. Iambic pentameter is a symmetrical poem based on the sacred numbers five and two!
Close! Zhiqiu told himself that he tried to put aside this idea. A meaningless coincidence! But the idea is stubborn. Five¡Pythagoras and the Pentagon. Two¡the duality of everything.
After a while, he thought of something again and felt his legs numb. Iambic pentameter is often called "pure poetry" or "pure meter" because of its simplicity. What about pure language? Is it possible that this is the pure language mentioned by the cheaters? The road to light is paved. This is God¡¯s test for you¡
"Oh. Oh." Momo shouted.
Zhiqiu suddenly turned around and saw that she was turning the pages of the book upside down. He suddenly felt his heart tightening. Never again. "This sentence cannot be a symmetrical word!"
"Yes, this is not a symmetrical wordbut this" She was still rotating the document, ninety degrees each time.
"What are you looking at?"
Momo raised his head. "There's more than one sentence here."
"Is there anything else?"
"There is a different sentence in every blank space. Top, bottom. Left and right. I think this is a poem."
"Four lines of poetry?" Zhiqiu became excited all over. Is that guy a poet? "show me!"
Momo didn¡¯t let go and continued to turn the page ninety degrees. "I didn't see these lines before because they were on the side." She raised her head when she saw the last sentence. "Ha, let me tell you, this was not written by that guy at all."
"What!"
"This poem is signed by another person."
"Let me see!" The great British poet who wrote this poem was a contemporary of that guy. He was a great writer who was listed at the top of the list of suspects by the conspirators. It was rumored that he had some connection with that guy's cheating faction, and Zhiqiu's suspicion was indeed true. Not only did the great poet make a detailed account of his pilgrimage to the City of Cities in 1638 to "communicate with the prophets," but he also met with the man while he was under house arrest. Many Renaissance paintings depict scenes of their talks."He knows that guy, doesn't he?" Momo finally handed the manuscript to Zhiqiu, "Maybe he just wrote this poem to do a favor?"
Zhiqiu took the wrapped document and gritted his teeth. He laid the document flat on the table and read the sentence at the top. Then he rotated it ninety degrees and read the sentence in the margin on the right. Then he turned it again to read the words at the bottom, and turned it again to read the words on the left. He turned around one last time and returned to the beginning. In this complete circle, four sentences appeared in total. The first sentence Momo discovered was actually the third sentence of the poem. He was completely stunned and read the four lines of the poem again clockwise: up, right, down, left. After he finished reading, he took a breath and had no more doubts in his mind. "You found the clue, Momo."
She smiled unnaturally. "Great, can we leave this hellish place?"
"I have to copy these lines. Find me a pencil and paper."
Momo shook his head. "Forget it, detective, there is no time to copy, Mickey Mouse is still ticking." She took the page from his hand and walked straight to the door.
Zhiqiu stood up straight and said, "You can't take it out! That's¡ª¡ª"
But Momo has long since disappeared.
Zhiqiu and Momo rushed to the yard outside the Secret Archives. When the fresh air is breathed into Zhiqiu's lungs, it feels as good as taking drugs. The purple spots in his eyes quickly disappeared, but the feeling of guilt remained. He has acted as an accomplice in the theft of a priceless artifact from one of the world's most secret archives. The Pope's Chamberlain said, I believe you.
"Hurry up." Momo said, still holding the piece of paper in her hand. Walking like flying, he crossed a road and walked towards Paul's office.
¡°If water gets on the papyrus¡ª¡±
¡°Calm down, when we crack this thing, we can return their sacred fifth page.¡±
Zhiqiu quickened his pace to catch up. He no longer felt like a criminal, but he was still puzzled by the deceptive implications of the material. The great poet is a cheater. He composed a poem for that guy and posted it on the fifth page of the document far away from the attention of the Holy See.
They walked out of the yard, and Momo handed the information to Zhiqiu. "Do you think you can hack this thing? Or are we just killing brain cells for the thrill of it?"
Zhiqiu held the information carefully and without hesitation put it into a pocket on the chest of his tweed jacket to prevent it from being corroded by sunlight and moisture. "I've cracked it."
Momo suddenly stopped. "What?"
Zhiqiu continued walking.
Momo rushed forward. "You only watched it once! I think it should be difficult!"
Zhiqiu didn¡¯t know what she said was right, but he had already deciphered the mark after reading it once. It was a complete stanza in iambic pentameter. The first altar of science was clearly revealed. Undeniable. He completed the task with ease, which made him anxious and worried. He embraced Puritan principles of work, and his father's old New England adage still rings in his ears: If it's not hard, you're doing it wrong. Zhiqiu hoped that this sentence was wrong. "I've cracked it," he said, quickening his pace. "I know where the first man was killed. We have to go warn Paul."
Momo catches up with him. "How do you know that? Let me look at that piece of paper again." As nimble as a boxer, she put one hand into his pocket and pulled out the piece of paper again.
"Be careful!" Zhiqiu said, "Don't¡ª"
Momo ignored him. She held the document in her hand and walked beside him. She raised the document and looked at the blank space carefully in the evening light. She read aloud. Zhiqiu walked up to take the information back, but found that he was fascinated by her accented alto. She read as she walked, and the rhythm was beautiful.
After a while, Zhiqiu heard her read louder. She just felt like she traveled through time and space As if she was a contemporary of that guy, listening to this poem for the first time He knew that this was a test, a map, a clue, revealing the four altars of science ¡the four signs indicating a secret road through the City of Cities. The poem in Momo's mouth sounded like a song.
You start from the tomb of Santee, where there is the Devil's Den.
Travel through the ancient city of ten thousand cities. Elements of mystery are revealed.
The road to the light has been paved, this is God¡¯s test for you,
Let the angels guide you on your noble adventure.
Momo read it twice and then fell into silence, as if she wanted these ancient verses to echo in her mind.
You are walking from Santi's grave, Zhiqiu repeated this sentence in his heart. This poem makes it crystal clear. The path of light begins at Santi's grave. Thence across the City of Cities, the signs marked the way.
You start from the tomb of Santee, where there is the Devil's Den.
Traveling through the ancient city of ten thousand cities, the mysterious elements are revealed.
??Mysterious elements. This is also very clear, referring to earth, air, fire, and water, the scientific elements, those four sect logos disguised as religious sculptures.
¡°The first sign,¡± Momo said, ¡°sounds like it¡¯s at Sandy¡¯s grave.¡±
Zhiqiu smiled slightly. "I told you it wasn't that hard."
¡°Who is Sandy?¡± she asked, as if suddenly excited. ¡°Where is his grave?¡±
Zhiqiu secretly laughed. He was surprised that not many people knew Santi, the surname of one of the most famous artists of the Renaissance. His name was unknown to everyone in the world This child prodigy was already the Pope at the age of twenty-five. He died at the age of only thirty-eight, but at that time he left behind the most brilliant murals that the world can see. Santi was a giant in the art world, and he was known by just one name, a prestige reserved only for an elite few
¡°Santi,¡± Zhiqiu said, ¡°is the last name of the greatest Renaissance master, Raphael.¡±
Momo looked surprised. "Raphael? Which Raphael?"
¡°That¡¯s the one and only one.¡± Zhiqiu hurried towards the garden guard camp.
¡°Then this road starts from Raphael¡¯s tomb?¡±
"This couldn't be more clear." Zhiqiu said, and the two of them walked quickly. "The Traitors often regard great artists and sculptors as nominal brothers who have become enlightened with them. The Traitors may choose Raphael's grave to express their praise." Zhiqiu also knows Qiu. Like many other religious artists, Raphael was a suspiciously private atheist.
Momo carefully put the information back into Zhiqiu¡¯s pocket. "So where is he buried?"
Zhiqiu took a deep breath. "Raphael is buried in the Pantheon. Believe it or not."
"Don't be skeptical." "Which pantheon?"
¡°It¡¯s that Raphael, in that Pantheon.¡± Zhiqiu had to admit. The Pantheon was not the repository of the First Identity that he had expected. He thought that the first altar of science would be in a quiet and remote church, with a bit of mystery. Even in the seventeenth century, the Pantheon with its huge hollow dome was the most famous place in the City of Cities.
¡°Is the Pantheon really a church?¡± Momo asked.
¡°That is the oldest church in the City of Cities.¡±
Momo shook his head. "But do you really think the first cardinal would have been killed in the Pantheon? It's one of the most popular attractions in the City of Cities."
Zhiqiu shrugged. "The Traitors said they wanted the whole world to see it, and killing a cardinal in the Pantheon would really open some people's eyes."
"But how can this guy expect to kill people in the Pantheon and then escape without anyone noticing? This is simply impossible."
"Is it as impossible as kidnapping four cardinals from the land of the prophets? This poem makes it very clear."
"Are you sure Raphael is buried in the Pantheon?"
"I have seen his tomb many times."
Momo nodded, but still looked uneasy. "what time is it now?"
Zhiqiu looked at his watch. "seven thirty."
"Is the Pantheon far away?"
"It's about two kilometers away, we still have time."
"The poem talks about Sandy's burial mound. What do you think this means?"
Zhiqiu quickened his pace and walked diagonally across the courtyard of the guard camp. "Tomb? In fact, there is probably no place in the City of Ten Thousands that has a more earthy atmosphere than the Pantheon. The name of the Pantheon comes from the religion originally believed in here - pantheistic worship - the worship of all gods, especially It was the worship of the pagan god Mother Earth.¡±
The main hall of the huge Pantheon was actually built specifically for Gaia - a monument to the goddess of the earth. The proportions of the main hall are extremely precise, with a huge sphere placed precisely within the building. Not even a millimeter of extra space is left.
"Okay." Momo said. She sounded more convinced. "What about the Devil's Den? There's a Devil's Den there just a few steps from Sandy's tomb?"
Zhiqiu is not so sure about this. "The Devil's Cave must refer to which skylight." He made a reasonable guess. "It must refer to the famous circle on the roof of the Pantheon.shaped opening. "
¡°But that¡¯s a church,¡± Momo said, following him effortlessly. ¡°Why do they call that opening the Devil¡¯s Den?¡±
In fact, Zhiqiu himself has been pondering this issue. He had never heard of the term "Devil's Den." But he did recall a famous remark made by the Pantheon in the sixth century AD, which, oddly enough, now seemed very apt. Someone once wrote that the hole in the roof of the Pantheon was drilled by the devil who escaped during the consecration of the Pantheon.
"Then why," Momo asked again when they walked into a slightly smaller courtyard, "why does the cheater use the surname 'Santi'? Since he is famous as 'Raphael'."
"You asked a lot of questions."
"My dad used to say this too."
"There are two possibilities. First, the word Raphael has too many syllables, which will destroy the iambic pentameter of this poem."
"It seems a bit far-fetched."
Zhiqiu feels the same way. "Okay. Maybe that's because using 'Santi' makes the clue even more obscure, and only those who are extraordinarily smart will recognize it as an allusion to Raphael."
Momo didn¡¯t seem to buy the answer. "I'm sure Raphael's last name was known to everyone during his lifetime."
"Surprisingly, that's not the case. Being known by one name is a status symbol. Raphael avoided using his last name, much like today's pop stars do. Take Madonna, for example, who never uses her His last name is Ciccone."
Momo looked amused. "You actually know Madonna's last name?"
Zhiqiu regretted giving such an example. Here¡¯s a random piece of junk news that¡¯s known to thousands of adolescents. It's amazing.
He and Momo passed the last gate of the Garden Guard Camp and were suddenly blocked.
"Stop!" a voice shouted behind them.
Zhiqiu and Momo turned around immediately and found a rifle pointed at them.
"Watch out!" Momo screamed and jumped back, "Watch out -"
"Don't move!" the guard said angrily as he pulled the trigger.
"Guards!" a voice shouted from across the yard. Paul is coming out of the security center. "Let them in!"
The guard was confused. "But, Commander, this woman¡ª"
¡°Come in!¡± Paul shouted to the guard.
"Commander, you can't¡ª"
"Come in right away! You have a new mission. Someone will come in two minutes to give brief instructions to the team. We are going to organize a search."
The guard hurried into the security center with a confused look on his face. Paul strode toward Zhiqiu, resolute and cheerful. "Have you seen our most secret files? I would like to hear an explanation."
"We have brought good news." Zhiqiu said.
Paul narrowed his eyes and said, "I hope it's really good news." ()
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