Chapter 14

    "Where's Langdon？" Fache demanded， exhaling¹ the last of a cigarette as he paced back into the command post.
    "Still in the men's room， sir." Lieutenant² Collet had been expecting the question.
    Fache grumbled， "Taking his time， I see."
    The captain eyed the GPS dot over Collet's shoulder， and Collet could almost hear the wheels turning. Fache was fighting the urge to go check on Langdon. Ideally， the subject of an observation was allowed the most time and freedom possible， lulling³ him into a false sense of security. Langdon needed to return of his own volition⁴. Still， it had been almost ten minutes.
    Too long.
    "Any chance Langdon is onto us？" Fache asked.
    Collet shook his head. "We're still seeing small movements inside the men's room， so the GPS dot is obviously still on him. Perhaps he feels ill？ If he had found the dot， he would have removed it and tried to run."
    Fache checked his watch. "Fine."
    Still Fache seemed preoccupied⁵. All evening， Collet had sensed an atypical intensity⁶ in his captain. Usually detached and cool under pressure， Fache tonight seemed emotionally engaged，as if this were somehow a personal matter for him.
    Not surprising， Collet thought. Fache needs this arrest desperately⁷. Recently the Board of Ministers and the media had become more openly critical of Fache's aggressive tactics， his clashes with powerful foreign embassies， and his gross overbudgeting on new technologies. Tonight， a high-tech，  high-profile arrest of an American would go a long way to silence Fache's critics， helping⁸ him secure the job a few more years until he could retire with the lucrative⁹ pension. God knows he needs the pension， Collet thought. Fache's zeal¹⁰ for technology had hurt him both professionally and personally. Fache was rumored¹¹ to have invested his entire savings¹² in the technology craze a few years back and lost his shirt. And Fache is a man who wears only the finest shirts.
    Tonight， there was still plenty of time. Sophie Neveu's odd interruption， though unfortunate，had been only a minor¹³ wrinkle. She was gone now， and Fache still had cards to play. He had yet to inform Langdon that his name had been scrawled¹⁴ on the floor by the victim. P.S. Find Robert Langdon. The American's reaction to that little bit of evidence would be telling indeed.
    "Captain？" one of the DCPJ agents now called from across the office. "I think you better take this call." He was holding out a telephone receiver， looking concerned.
    "Who is it？" Fache said.
    The agent frowned. "It's the director of our Cryptology Department."
    "And？"
    "It's about Sophie Neveu， sir. Something is not quite right."

"兰登在哪里？"法希吐掉最后一口烟回到指挥部时问道。

"还在男洗手间，长官。"科莱中尉已料到他会问这个问题。

法希咕哝道："看得出，他在磨时间。"

局长从科莱肩头上方观察那个卫星定位点。科莱几乎能听到车轮已经转了起来。法希努力克制住自己，不去检查兰登。最理想的是，观察的对象被给予最充足的时间和自由，以便引诱他获得一种虚假的安全感。兰登得自愿回来。然而，差不多有十分钟了。

太长了。

"兰登有可能觉察到我们了吗？"法希问。

科莱摇头说："我们还可以看到男卫生间里有些小的移动，所以卫星定位跟踪器显然还在他身上。或许他感到不舒服？如果他发现了跟踪器，他会扔掉它，试图逃跑的。"法希看了一下表说："很好。"

法希还是显得非常专注。整个晚上，科莱都感到局长有一种不同于往常的紧张心情。

通常在压力下，他都显得事不关己的样子，非常冷漠，但今晚法希似乎是动了感情，好像是他个人的事情。

也难怪，科莱心里想。法希太需要拘捕这个家伙了。最近部长们和媒体越来越公开批判法希太过分的策略、与大国使馆的冲突以及在新技术的投入大大超过预算等。今夜，他将利用高科技准确地逮捕一位美国人。这将会让那些批判他的人闭嘴，也有助于他在退休前稳坐自己的位置，以便退休时可以拿到不菲的退休金。老天爷知道，他需要这份退休金，科莱想。法希对高技术的狂热使他在职业上和自身上都受到了很大的伤害。谣传在几年前的技术热中，法希把自己所有的积蓄都投了进去，结果血本无归。但法希是最要面子、最不认输的人。

今夜还有足够的时间。索菲。奈芙的莫名其妙的干扰，虽然算倒霉，但只是一个小波折，很快就过去了。她现在已经走了。法希还有牌出。他会告诉兰登他的名字被写在受害者身旁的地板上。附言：找到罗伯特。兰登。那美国人对这个小小证据的反应将会说明一切。

"局长。"一个中央司法警察从办公室里喊道。"我想你还是接一下这个电话。"他正拿着听筒，显得非常不安。

"谁打的？"法希问。

那警察皱了一下眉。"是我们密码破译部主任。"

"说了什么？"

"是关于索菲。奈芙的，长官，好像出了点问题。"

1 exhaling   

v.呼出，发散出( exhale的现在分词 )；吐出（肺中的空气、烟等），呼气

参考例句：

• Take a deep breath inhaling slowly and exhaling slowly. 深呼吸，慢慢吸进，慢慢呼出。 来自互联网
• Unclasp your hands and return to the original position while exhaling. 呼气并松开双手恢复到原位。 来自互联网

2 lieutenant   

n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员

参考例句：

• He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
• He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官，递上了一张简短的便条进去。

3 lulling   

vt.使镇静，使安静（lull的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• Ellen closed her eyes and began praying, her voice rising and falling, lulling and soothing. 爱伦闭上眼睛开始祷告，声音时高时低，像催眠又像抚慰。 来自飘（部分）

4 volition   

n.意志；决意

参考例句：

• We like to think that everything we do and everything we think is a product of our volition.我们常常认为我们所做和所想的一切都出自自己的意愿。
• Makin said Mr Coombes had gone to the police of his own volition.梅金说库姆斯先生是主动去投案的。

5 preoccupied   

adj.全神贯注的，入神的；被抢先占有的；心事重重的v.占据（某人）思想，使对…全神贯注，使专心于( preoccupy的过去式)

参考例句：

• He was too preoccupied with his own thoughts to notice anything wrong. 他只顾想着心事，没注意到有什么不对。
• The question of going to the Mount Tai preoccupied his mind. 去游泰山的问题盘踞在他心头。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 intensity   

n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度

参考例句：

• I didn't realize the intensity of people's feelings on this issue.我没有意识到这一问题能引起群情激奋。
• The strike is growing in intensity.罢工日益加剧。

7 desperately   

adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地

参考例句：

• He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
• He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。

8 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

9 lucrative   

adj.赚钱的，可获利的

参考例句：

• He decided to turn his hobby into a lucrative sideline.他决定把自己的爱好变成赚钱的副业。
• It was not a lucrative profession.那是一个没有多少油水的职业。

10 zeal   

n.热心，热情，热忱

参考例句：

• Revolutionary zeal caught them up,and they joined the army.革命热情激励他们，于是他们从军了。
• They worked with great zeal to finish the project.他们热情高涨地工作，以期完成这个项目。

11 rumored   

adj.传说的，谣传的v.传闻( rumor的过去式和过去分词 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷

参考例句：

• It is rumored that he cheats on his wife. 据传他对他老婆不忠。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• It was rumored that the white officer had been a Swede. 传说那个白人军官是个瑞典人。 来自辞典例句

12 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

13 minor   

adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修

参考例句：

• The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
• I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。

14 scrawled   

乱涂，潦草地写( scrawl的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• I tried to read his directions, scrawled on a piece of paper. 我尽量弄明白他草草写在一片纸上的指示。
• Tom scrawled on his slate, "Please take it -- I got more." 汤姆在他的写字板上写了几个字：“请你收下吧，我多得是哩。”