mp.godfather-第11节

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s　men　would　not　know　why　this　particular　task　was　being　carried　out　or　who　had　ordered　it　originally。　Each　link　of　the　chain　would　have　to　turn　traitor　for　the　Don　to　be　involved　and　though　it　had　never　yet　happened；　there　was　always　the　possibility。　The　cure　for　that　possibility　also　was　known。　Only　one　link　in　the　chain　had　to　disappear。
　
　The　Consigliere　was　also　what　his　name　implied。　He　was　the　counselor　to　the　Don；　his　right…hand　man；　his　auxiliary　brain。　He　was　also　his　closest　panion　and　his　closest　friend。　On　important　trips　he　would　drive　the　Don's　car；　at　conferences　he　would　go　out　and　get　the　Don　refreshments；　coffee　and　sandwiches；　fresh　cigars。　He　would　know　everything　the　Don　knew　or　nearly　everything；　all　the　cells　of　power。　He　was　the　one　man　in　the　world　who　could　bring　the　Don　crashing　down　to　destruction。　But　no　Consigliere　had　ever　betrayed　a　Don；　not　in　the　memory　of　any　of　the　powerful　Sicilian　families　who　had　established　themselves　in　America。　There　was　no　future　in　it。　And　every　Consigliere　knew　that　if　he　kept　the　faith；　he　would　bee　rich；　wield　power　and　win　respect。　If　misfortune　came；　his　wife　and　children　would　be　sheltered　and　cared　for　as　if　he　were　alive　or　free。　If　he　kept　the　faith。
　
　In　some　matters　the　Consigliere　had　to　act　for　his　Don　in　a　more　open　way　and　yet　not　involve　his　principal。　Hagen　was　flying　to　California　on　just　such　a　matter。　He　realized　that　his　career　as　Consigliere　would　be　seriously　affected　by　the　success　or　failure　of　this　mission。　By　family　business　standards　whether　Johnny　Fontane　got　his　coveted　part　in　the　war　movie；　or　did　not；　was　a　minor　matter。　Far　more　important　was　the　meeting　Hagen　had　set　up　with　Virgil　Sollozzo　the　following　Friday。　But　Hagen　knew　that　to　the　Don；　both　were　of　equal　importance；　which　settled　the　matter　for　any　good　Consigliere。
　
　The　piston　plane　shook　Tom　Hagen's　already　nervous　insides　and　he　ordered　a　martini　from　the　hostess　to　quiet　them。　Both　the　Don　and　Johnny　had　briefed　him　on　the　character　of　the　movie　producer；　Jack　Woltz。　From　everything　that　Johnny　said；　Hagen　knew　he　would　never　be　able　to　persuade　Woltz。　But　he　also　had　no　doubt　whatsoever　that　the　Don　would　keep　his　promise　to　Johnny。　His　own　role　was　that　of　negotiator　and　contact。
　
　Lying　back　in　his　seat；　Hagen　went　over　all　the　information　given　to　him　that　day。　Jack　Woltz　was　one　of　the　three　most　important　movie　producers　in　Hollywood；　owner　of　his　own　studio　with　dozens　of　stars　under　contract。　He　was　on　the　President　of　the　United　States'　Advisory　Council　for　War　Information；　Cinematic　Division；　which　meant　simply　that　he　helped　make　propaganda　movies。　He　had　had　dinner　at　the　White　House。　He　had　entertained　J。　Edgar　Hoover　in　his　Hollywood　home。　But　none　of　this　was　as　impressive　as　it　sounded。　They　were　all　official　relationships。　Woltz　didn't　have　any　personal　political　power；　mainly　because　he　was　an　extreme　reactionary；　partly　because　he　was　a　megalomaniac　who　loved　to　wield　power　wildly　without　regard　to　the　fact　that　by　so　doing　legions　of　enemies　sprang　up　out　of　the　ground。
　
　Hagen　sighed。　There　would　be　no　way　to　〃handle〃　Jack　Woltz。　He　opened　his　briefcase　and　tried　to　get　some　paper　work　done；　but　he　was　too　tired。　He　ordered　another　martini　and　reflected　on　his　life。　He　had　no　regrets；　indeed　he　felt　that　he　had　been　extremely　lucky。　Whatever　the　reason；　the　course　he　had　chosen　ten　years　ago　had　proved　to　be　right　for　him。　He　was　successful；　he　was　as　happy　as　any　grown　man　could　reasonably　expect；　and　he　found　life　interesting。
　
　Tom　Hagen　was　thirty…five　years　old；　a　tall　crew…cut　man；　very　slender；　very　ordinary…looking。　He　was　a　lawyer　but　did　not　do　the　actual　detailed　legal　work　for　the　Corleone　family　business　though　he　had　practiced　law　for　three　years　after　passing　the　bar　exam。
　
　At　the　age　of　eleven　he　had　been　a　playmate　of　eleven…year…old　Sonny　Corleone。　Hagen's　mother　had　gone　blind　and　then　died　during　his　eleventh　year。　Hagen's　father；　a　heavy　drinker；　had　bee　a　hopeless　drunkard。　A　hardworking　carpenter；　he　had　never　done　a　dishonest　thing　in　his　life。　But　his　drinking　destroyed　his　family　and　finally　killed　him。　Tom　Hagen　was　left　an　orphan　who　wandered　the　streets　and　slept　in　hallways。　His　younger　sister　had　been　put　in　a　foster　home；　but　in　the　1920's　the　social　agencies　did　not　follow　up　cases　of　eleven…year…old　boys　who　were　so　ungrateful　as　to　run　from　their　charity。　Hagen；　too；　had　an　eye　infection。　Neighbors　whispered　that　he　had　caught　or　inherited　it　from　his　mother　and　so　therefore　it　could　be　caught　from　him。　He　was　shunned。　Sonny　Corleone；　a　warmhearted　and　imperious　eleven…year…old；　had　brought　his　friend　home　and　demanded　that　he　be　taken　in。　Tom　Hagen　was　given　a　hot　dish　of　spaghetti　with　oily　rich　tomato　sauce；　the　taste　of　which　he　had　never　forgotten；　and　then　given　a　metal　folding　bed　to　sleep　on。
　
　In　the　most　natural　way；　without　a　word　being　spoken　or　the　matter　discussed　in　any　fashion；　Don　Corleone　had　permitted　the　boy　to　stay　in　his　household。　Don　Corleone　himself　took　the　boy　to　a　special　doctor　and　had　his　eye　infection　cured。　He　sent　him　to　college　and　law　school。　In　all　this　the　Don　acted　not　as　a　father　but　rather　as　a　guardian。　There　was　no　show　of　affection　but　oddly　enough　the　Don　treated　Hagen　more　courteously　than　his　own　sons；　did　not　impose　a　parental　will　upon　him。　It　was　the　boy's　decision　to　go　to　law　school　after　college。　He　had　heard　Don　Corleone　say　once；　〃A　lawyer　with　his　briefcase　can　steal　more　than　a　hundred　men　with　guns。〃　Meanwhile；　much　to　the　annoyance　of　their　father；　Sonny　and　Freddie　insisted　on　going　into　the　family　business　after　graduation　from　high　school。　Only　Michael　had　gone　on　to　college；　and　he　had　enlisted　in　the　Marines　the　day　after　Pearl　Harbor。
　
　After　he　passed　the　bar　exam；　Hagen　married　to　start　his　own　family。　The　bride　was　a　young　Italian　girl　from　New　Jersey；　rare　at　that　time　for　being　a　college　graduate。　After　the　wedding；　which　was　of　course　held　in　the　home　of　Don　Corleone；　the　Don　offered　to　support　Hagen　in　any　undertaking　he　desired；　to　send　him　law　clients；　furnish　his　office；　start　him　in　real　estate。
　
　Tom　Hagen　had　bowed　his　head　and　said　to　the　Don；　〃I　would　like　to　work　for　you。〃
　
　The　Don　was　surprised；　yet　pleased。　〃You　know　who　I　am？〃　he　asked。
　
　Hagen　nodded。　He　hadn't　really　known　the　extent　of　the　Don's　power；　not　then。　He　did　not　really　know　in　the　ten　years　that　followed　until　he　was　made　the　acting　Consigliere　after　Genco　Abbandando　became　ill。　But　he　nodded　and　met　the　Don's　eyes　with　his　own。　〃I　would　work　for　you　like　your　sons；〃　Hagen　said；　meaning　with　plete　loyalty；　with　plete　acceptance　of　the　Don's　parental　divinity。　The　Don；　with　that　understanding　which　was　even　then　building　the　legend　of　his　greatness；　showed　the　young　man　the　first　mark　of　fatherly　affection　since　he　hade　into　his　household。　He　took　Hagen　into　his　arms　for　a　quick　embrace　and　afterward　treated　him　more　like　a　true　son；　though　he　would　sometimes　say；　〃Tom；　never　forget　your　parents；〃　as　if　he　were　reminding　himself　as　well　as　Hagen。
　
　There　was　no　chance　that　Hagen　would　forget。　His　mother　had　been　near　moronic　and　slovenly；　so　ridden　by　anemia　she　could　not　feel　affection　for　her　children　or　make　a　pretense　of　it。　His　father　Hagen　had　hated。　His　mother's　blindness　before　she　died　had　terrified　him　and　his　own　eye　infection　had　been　a　stroke　of　doom。　He　had　been　sure　he　would　go　blind。　When　his　father　died；　Tom　Hagen's　eleven…year…old　mind　had　snapped　in　a　curious　way。　He　had　roamed　the　streets　like　an　animal　waiting　for　death　until　the　fateful　day　Sonny　found　him　sleeping　in　the　back　of　a　hallway　and　brought　him　to　his　home。　What　had　happened　afterward　was　a　miracle。　But　for　years　Hagen　had　had　nightmares；　dreaming　he　had　grown　to　manhood　blind；　tapping　a　white　cane；　his　blind　children　behind　him　tap…tapping　with　their　little　white　canes　as　they　begged　in　the　streets。　Some　mornings　when　he　woke　the　face　of　Don　Corleone　was　imprinted　on　his　brain　in　that　first　conscious　moment　and　he　would　feel　safe。
　
　But　the　Don　had　insisted　that　he　put　in　three　years　of　general　law　practice　in　addition　to　his　duties　for　the　family　business。　This　experience　had　proved　invaluable　later　on；　and　also　removed　any　doubts　in　Hagen's　mind　about　working　for　Don　Corleone。　He　had　then　spent　two　years　of　training　in　the　offices　of　a　top　firm　of　criminal　lawyers　in　which　the　Don　had　some　influence。　It　was　apparent　to　everyone　that　he　had　a　flair　for　this　branch　of　the　law。　He　did　well　and　when　he　went　into　the　full…time　service　of　the　family　business；　Don　Corleone　had　not　been　able　to　reproach　him　once　in　the　six　years　that　followed。
　
　When　he　had　been　made　the　acting　Consigliere；　the　other　powerful　Sicilian　families　referred　contemptuously　to　the　Corleone　family　as　the　〃Irish　gang。〃　This　had　amused　Hagen。　It　had　also　taught　him　that　he　could　never　hope　to　succeed　the　Don　as　the　head　of　the　family　business。　But　he　was　content。　That　had　never　been　his　goal；　such　an　ambition　would　have　been　a　〃disrespect〃　to　his　benefactor　and　his　benefactor's　blood　family。
　
　**********
　
　It　was　still　dark　when　the　plane　landed