High in the hayloft at Chateau Villette, Collet stared at the computer monitor in amazement. "Thissystem is eavesdropping on all these locations?""Yes," the agent said. "It looks like data has been collected for over a year now."Collet read the list again, speechless.
COLBERT SOSTAQUE—Chairman of the Conseil ConstitutionnelJEAN CHAFFéE—Curator, Musée du Jeu de PaumeEDOUARD DESROCHERS—Senior Archivist, Mitterrand LibraryJACQUES SAUNIèRE—Curator, Musée du LouvreMICHEL BRETON—Head of DAS (French Intelligence)The agent pointed to the screen. "Number four is of obvious concern."Collet nodded blankly. He had noticed it immediately. Jacques Saunière was being bugged. Helooked at the rest of the list again. How could anyone possibly manage to bug these prominentpeople? "Have you heard any of the audio files?""A few. Here's one of the most recent." The agent clicked a few computer keys. The speakerscrackled to life. "Capitaine, un agent du Département de Cryptographie est arrivé."Collet could not believe his ears. "That's me! That's my voice!" He recalled sitting at Saunière'sdesk and radioing Fache in the Grand Gallery to alert him of Sophie Neveu's arrival.
The agent nodded. "A lot of our Louvre investigation tonight would have been audible if someonehad been interested.""Have you sent anyone in to sweep for the bug?""No need. I know exactly where it is." The agent went to a pile of old notes and blueprints on theworktable. He selected a page and handed it to Collet. "Look familiar?"Collet was amazed. He was holding a photocopy of an ancient schematic diagram, which depicteda rudimentary machine. He was unable to read the handwritten Italian labels, and yet he knew whathe was looking at. A model for a fully articulated medieval French knight.
The knight sitting on Saunière's desk!
Collet's eyes moved to the margins, where someone had scribbled notes on the photocopy in redfelt-tipped marker. The notes were in French and appeared to be ideas outlining how best to insert alistening device into the knight.
科莱站在维莱特庄园高高的草棚上，瞪着眼睛看着计算机的显示器，惊奇不已。"所有这些区域，利用该系统都能偷听得到吗？"
"是的。"那名特工回答说："这些数据好像已收集一年多了。"
科莱看了看手中的名单，没说一句话。
科尔贝。索斯塔克--宪法委员会主席让。查菲--裘德。波姆国立美术馆馆长爱德华。德罗什--密特朗图书馆高级档案保管员雅克。索尼埃--卢浮宫博物馆馆长米歇尔。布勒东--法国情报局局长特工指了指电脑屏幕，说："第四个很明显让人关注。"
科莱面无表情地点了点头。他很快注意到了。有人在监听雅克。索尼埃呢。他又看了看那份名单。这样有名望的人，别人怎么可能偷听得到呢？"你听到什么音频文件没有？"
"听到一些。这是最近的一份文件。"那名特工敲了敲键盘，喇叭里便传来清脆而逼真的声音："局长，密码破译部的一位特工到了。"
科莱简直不相信自己的耳朵。"那是我！那是我的声音啊！"他想起了他坐在索尼埃的桌子旁边，用无线电向当时还在卢浮宫艺术大画廊的法希提醒索菲。奈芙到来的情景。
特工点点头："如果有人对我们此次行动感兴趣的话，那今晚我们在卢浮宫调查的大部分内容，都可能被人偷听了去。""那你有没有派人去搜寻那个窃听器呢？"
"我看没这个必要，我知道它在哪里。"特工走到工作台上一堆过时的笔记与设计图前，从中选了一页，递给科莱，说："很面熟吧？"
科莱惊骇万分。他手里拿着的是一张古代示意图的影印件，图上画的是一台机器的原始模型。他看不懂上面手写的意大利语标签号，但他知道他在看什么东西。这是一个组装起来的中世纪法国骑士的模型。
这骑士像眼下就放在索尼埃的办公桌上！
科莱的视线转移到页面空白的地方，有人用红色标签笔潦草的在影印件上作了些注解。这些注解是用法语写的，大意是如何正确地将窃听装置插在这位骑士的身上。