André Vernet looked awkward with a pistol, but his eyes shone with a determination that Langdonsensed would be unwise to test.

　　"I'm afraid I must insist," Vernet said, training the weapon on the two of them in the back of theidling truck. "Set the box down."Sophie clutched the box to her chest. "You said you and my grandfather were friends.""I have a duty to protect your grandfather's assets," Vernet replied. "And that is exactly what I amdoing. Now set the box on the floor.""My grandfather entrusted¹ this to me!" Sophie declared.

　　"Do it," Vernet commanded, raising the gun.

　　Sophie set the box at her feet.

　　Langdon watched the gun barrel swing now in his direction.

　　"Mr. Langdon," Vernet said, "you will bring the box over to me. And be aware that I'm asking youbecause you I would not hesitate to shoot."Langdon stared at the banker in disbelief. "Why are you doing this?""Why do you imagine?" Vernet snapped, his accented English terse² now. "To protect my client'sassets.""We are your clients now," Sophie said.

　　Vernet's visage turned ice-cold, an eerie³ transformation⁴. "Mademoiselle Neveu, I don't know howyou got that key and account number tonight, but it seems obvious that foul⁵ play was involved.

　　Had I known the extent of your crimes, I would never have helped you leave the bank.""I told you," Sophie said, "we had nothing to do with my grandfather's death!"Vernet looked at Langdon. "And yet the radio claims you are wanted not only for the murder ofJacques Saunière but for those of three other men as well?""What!" Langdon was thunderstruck. Three more murders? The coincidental number hit himharder than the fact that he was the prime suspect. It seemed too unlikely to be a coincidence. Thethree sénéchaux? Langdon's eyes dropped to the rosewood box. If the sénéchaux were murdered,Saunière had no options. He had to transfer the keystone to someone.

　　"The police can sort that out when I turn you in," Vernet said. "I have gotten my bank involved toofar already."Sophie glared at Vernet. "You obviously have no intention of turning us in. You would have drivenus back to the bank. And instead you bring us out here and hold us at gunpoint?""Your grandfather hired me for one reason—to keep his possessions both safe and private.

点击收听单词发音  

1 entrusted
v.委托，托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
He entrusted the task to his nephew. 他把这任务托付给了他的侄儿。 She was entrusted with the direction of the project. 她受委托负责这项计划。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 terse
adj.(说话，文笔)精炼的，简明的
参考例句：
Her reply about the matter was terse.她对此事的答复简明扼要。 The president issued a terse statement denying the charges.总统发表了一份简短的声明，否认那些指控。

3 eerie
adj.怪诞的；奇异的；可怕的；胆怯的
参考例句：
It's eerie to walk through a dark wood at night.夜晚在漆黑的森林中行走很是恐怖。 I walked down the eerie dark path.我走在那条漆黑恐怖的小路上。

4 transformation
n.变化；改造；转变
参考例句：
Going to college brought about a dramatic transformation in her outlook.上大学使她的观念发生了巨大的变化。 He was struggling to make the transformation from single man to responsible husband.他正在努力使自己由单身汉变为可靠的丈夫。

5 foul
adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规
参考例句：
Take off those foul clothes and let me wash them.脱下那些脏衣服让我洗一洗。 What a foul day it is!多么恶劣的天气！

6 investigation
n.调查，调查研究
参考例句：
In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。 He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

7 reverberation
反响； 回响； 反射； 反射物
参考例句：
It was green as an emerald, and the reverberation was stunning. 它就象翠玉一样碧绿，回响震耳欲聋。 Just before dawn he was assisted in waking by the abnormal reverberation of familiar music. 在天将破晓的时候，他被一阵熟悉的，然而却又是反常的回声惊醒了。

8 cargo
n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物
参考例句：
The ship has a cargo of about 200 ton.这条船大约有200吨的货物。 A lot of people discharged the cargo from a ship.许多人从船上卸下货物。

9 spoke
n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说
参考例句：
They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。 The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

10 standing
n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的
参考例句：
After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。 They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

11 bumper
n.(汽车上的)保险杠；adj.特大的，丰盛的
参考例句：
The painting represents the scene of a bumper harvest.这幅画描绘了丰收的景象。 This year we have a bumper harvest in grain.今年我们谷物丰收。

12 doorway
n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径
参考例句：
They huddled in the shop doorway to shelter from the rain.他们挤在商店门口躲雨。 Mary suddenly appeared in the doorway.玛丽突然出现在门口。

13 ledge
n.壁架，架状突出物；岩架，岩礁
参考例句：
They paid out the line to lower him to the ledge.他们放出绳子使他降到那块岩石的突出部分。 Suddenly he struck his toe on a rocky ledge and fell.突然他的脚趾绊在一块突出的岩石上，摔倒了。

14 lining
n.衬里，衬料
参考例句：
The lining of my coat is torn.我的外套衬里破了。 Moss makes an attractive lining to wire baskets.用苔藓垫在铁丝篮里很漂亮。

15 mechanism
n.机械装置；机构，结构
参考例句：
The bones and muscles are parts of the mechanism of the body.骨骼和肌肉是人体的组成部件。 The mechanism of the machine is very complicated.这台机器的结构是非常复杂的。

16 aligned
adj.对齐的，均衡的
参考例句：
Make sure the shelf is aligned with the top of the cupboard.务必使搁架与橱柜顶端对齐。

17 budge
v.移动一点儿；改变立场
参考例句：
We tried to lift the rock but it wouldn't budge.我们试图把大石头抬起来，但它连动都没动一下。 She wouldn't budge on the issue.她在这个问题上不肯让步。

18 blurred
v.（使）变模糊( blur的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）难以区分；模模糊糊；迷离
参考例句：
She suffered from dizziness and blurred vision. 她饱受头晕目眩之苦。 Their lazy, blurred voices fell pleasantly on his ears. 他们那种慢吞吞、含糊不清的声音在他听起来却很悦耳。 来自《简明英汉词典》

19 crunching
v.嘎吱嘎吱地咬嚼( crunch的现在分词 )；嘎吱作响；（快速大量地）处理信息；数字捣弄
参考例句：
The horses were crunching their straw at their manger. 这些马在嘎吱嘎吱地吃槽里的草。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The dog was crunching a bone. 狗正嘎吱嘎吱地嚼骨头。 来自《简明英汉词典》

20 gravel
n.砂跞；砂砾层；结石
参考例句：
We bought six bags of gravel for the garden path.我们购买了六袋碎石用来铺花园的小路。 More gravel is needed to fill the hollow in the drive.需要更多的砾石来填平车道上的坑洼。

21 navigate
v.航行，飞行；导航，领航
参考例句：
He was the first man to navigate the Atlantic by air.他是第一个飞越大西洋的人。 Such boats can navigate on the Nile.这种船可以在尼罗河上航行。

22 bent
n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的
参考例句：
He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。 We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。