Read Online Angels & Demons by Dan Brown - Free Book Online Page B

robes in a puddle.
    “They say you ask a lot of questions,” the young man said.
    Vittoria scowled. “Are questions bad?”
    He laughed. “Guess they were right.”
    “What are you doing out here?”
    “Same thing you’re doing . . . wondering why raindrops fall.”
    “I’m not wondering why they fall! I already know!”
    The priest gave her an astonished look. “You do? ”
    “Sister Francisca says raindrops are angels’ tears coming down to wash away our sins.”
    “Wow!” he said, sounding amazed. “So that explains it.”
    “No it doesn’t!” the girl fired back. “Raindrops fall because everything falls! Everything falls! Not just rain!”
    The priest scratched his head, looking perplexed. “You know, young lady, you’re right. Everything does fall. It must be gravity.”
    “It must be what? ”
    He gave her an astonished look. “You haven’t heard of gravity? ”
    “No.”
    The priest shrugged sadly. “Too bad. Gravity answers a lot of questions.”
    Vittoria sat up. “What’s gravity?” she demanded. “Tell me!”
    The priest gave her a wink. “What do you say I tell you over dinner.”
    The young priest was Leonardo Vetra. Although he had been an award-winning physics student while in university, he’d heard another call and gone into the seminary. Leonardo and Vittoria became unlikely best friends in the lonely world of nuns and regulations. Vittoria made Leonardo laugh, and he took her under his wing, teaching her that beautiful things like rainbows and the rivers had many explanations. He told her about light, planets, stars, and all of nature through the eyes of both God and science. Vittoria’s innate intellect and curiosity made her a captivating student. Leonardo protected her like a daughter. Vittoria was happy too. She had never known the joy of having a father. When every other adult answered her questions with a slap on the wrist, Leonardo spent hours showing her books. He even asked what her ideas were. Vittoria prayed Leonardo would stay with her forever. Then one day, her worst nightmare came true. Father Leonardo told her he was leaving the orphanage.
    “I’m moving to Switzerland,” Leonardo said. “I have a grant to study physics at the University of Geneva.”
    “Physics?” Vittoria cried. “I thought you loved God! ”
    “I do, very much. Which is why I want to study his divine rules. The laws of physics are the canvas God laid down on which to paint his masterpiece.”
    Vittoria was devastated. But Father Leonardo had some other news. He told Vittoria he had spoken to his superiors, and they said it was okay if Father Leonardo adopted her.
    “Would you like me to adopt you?” Leonardo asked.
    “What’s adopt mean?” Vittoria said.
    Father Leonardo told her.
    Vittoria hugged him for five minutes, crying tears of joy. “Oh yes! Yes!”
    Leonardo told her he had to leave for a while and get their new home settled in Switzerland, but he promised to send for her in six months. It was the longest wait of Vittoria’s life, but Leonardo kept his word. Five days before her ninth birthday, Vittoria moved to Geneva. She attended Geneva International School during the day and learned from her father at night.
    Three years later Leonardo Vetra was hired by CERN. Vittoria and Leonardo relocated to a wonderland the likes of which the young Vittoria had never imagined.
    Vittoria Vetra’s body felt numb as she strode down the LHC tunnel. She saw her muted reflection in the LHC and sensed her father’s absence. Normally she existed in a state of deep calm, in harmony with the world around her. But now, very suddenly, nothing made sense. The last three hours had been a blur. It had been 10 A.M. in the Balearic Islands when Kohler’s call came through. Your father has been murdered. Come home immediately. Despite the sweltering heat on the deck of the dive boat, the words had chilled her to the bone, Kohler’s emotionless tone hurting as much as the news. Now she had