mp.godfather-第16节

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ed　his　power　in　such　arrogant　fashion。　That　decided　him。　That　and　the　thought　that　maybe；　maybe　they　wouldn't　kill　him。　That　they　had　something　much　more　clever　and　painful　in　reserve。
　
　Woltz　gave　the　necessary　orders。　His　personal　confidential　staff　swung　into　action。　The　servants　and　the　doctor　were　sworn　to　secrecy　on　pain　of　incurring　the　studio's　and　Woltz's　undying　enmity。　Word　was　given　to　the　press　that　the　racehorse　Khartoum　had　died　of　an　illness　contracted　during　his　shipment　from　England。　Orders　were　given　to　bury　the　remains　in　a　secret　place　on　the　estate。
　
　Six　hours　later　Johnny　Fontane　received　a　phone　call　from　the　executive　producer　of　the　film　telling　him　to　report　for　work　the　following　Monday。
　
　**********
　
　That　evening；　Hagen　went　to　the　Don's　house　to　prepare　him　for　the　important　meeting　the　next　day　with　Virgil　Sollozzo。　The　Don　had　summoned　his　eldest　son　to　attend；　and　Sonny　Corleone；　his　heavy　Cupid…shaped　face　drawn　with　fatigue；　was　sipping　at　a　glass　of　water。　He　must　still　be　humping　that　maid　of　honor；　Hagen　thought。　Another　worry。
　
　Don　Corleone　settled　into　an　armchair　puffing　his　Di　Nobili　cigar。　Hagen　kept　a　box　of　them　in　his　room。　He　had　tried　to　get　the　Don　to　switch　to　Havanas　but　the　Don　claimed　they　hurt　his　throat。
　
　〃Do　we　know　everything　necessary　for　us　to　know？〃　the　Don　asked。
　
　Hagen　opened　the　folder　that　held　his　notes。　The　notes　were　in　no　way　incriminating；　merely　cryptic　reminders　to　make　sure　he　touched　on　every　important　detail。　〃Sollozzo　is　ing　to　us　for　help；〃　Hagen　said。　〃He　will　ask　the　family　to　put　up　at　least　a　million　dollars　and　to　promise　some　sort　of　immunity　from　the　law。　For　that　we　get　a　piece　of　the　action；　nobody　knows　how　much。　Sollozzo　is　vouched　for　by　the　Tattaglia　family　and　they　may　have　a　piece　of　the　action。　The　action　is　narcotics。　Sollozzo　has　the　contacts　in　Turkey；　where　they　grow　the　poppy。　From　there　he　ships　to　Sicily。　No　trouble。　In　Sicily　he　has　the　plant　to　process　into　heroin。　He　has　safety…valve　operations　to　bring　it　down　to　morphine　and　bring　it　up　to　heroin　if　necessary。　But　it　would　seem　that　the　processing　plant　in　Sicily　is　protected　in　every　way。　The　only　hitch　is　bringing　it　into　this　country；　and　then　distribution。　Also　initial　capital。　A　million　dollars　cash　doesn't　grow　on　trees。〃　Hagen　saw　Don　Corleone　grimace。The　old　man　hated　unnecessary　flourishes　in　business　matters。　He　went　on　hastily。
　
　〃They　call　Sollozzo　the　Turk。　Two　reasons。　He's　spent　a　lot　of　time　in　Turkey　and　is　supposed　to　have　a　Turkish　wife　and　kids。　Second。　He's　supposed　to　be　very　quick　with　the　knife；　or　was；　when　he　was　young。　Only　in　matters　of　business；　though；　and　with　some　sort　of　reasonable　plaint。　A　very　petent　man　and　his　own　boss。　He　has　a　record；　he's　done　two　terms　in　prison；　one　in　Italy；　one　in　the　United　States；　and　he's　known　to　the　authorities　as　a　narcotics　man。　This　could　be　a　plus　for　us。　It　means　that　he'll　never　get　immunity　to　testify；　since　he's　considered　the　top　and；　of　course；　because　of　his　record。　Also　he　has　an　American　wife　and　three　children　and　he　is　a　good　family　man。　He'll　stand　still　for　any　rap　as　long　as　he　knows　that　they　will　be　well　taken　care　of　for　living　money。〃
　
　The　Don　puffed　on　his　cigar　and　said；　〃Santino；　what　do　you　think？〃
　
　Hagen　knew　what　Sonny　would　say。　Sonny　was　chafing　at　being　under　the　Don's　thumb。　He　wanted　a　big　operation　of　his　own。　Something　like　this　would　be　perfect。
　
　Sonny　took　a　long　slug　of　scotch。　〃There's　a　lot　of　money　it　that　white　powder；〃　he　said。　〃But　it　could　be　dangerous。　Some　people　could　wind　up　in　jail　for　twenty　years。　I'd　say　that　if　we　kept　out　of　the　operations　end；　just　stuck　to　protection　and　financing；　it　might　be　a　good　idea。〃
　
　Hagen　looked　at　Sonny　approvingly。　He　had　played　his　cards　well。　He　had　stuck　to　the　obvious；　much　the　best　course　for　him。
　
　The　Don　puffed　on　his　cigar。　〃And　you；　Tom；　what　do　you　think？〃
　
　Hagen　posed　himself　to　be　absolutely　honest。　He　had　already　e　to　the　conclusion　that　the　Don　would　refuse　Sollozzo's　proposition。　But　what　was　worse；　Hagen　was　convinced　that　for　one　of　the　few　times　in　his　experience；　the　Don　had　not　thought　things　through。　He　was　not　looking　far　enough　ahead。
　
　〃Go　ahead；　Tom；〃　the　Don　said　encouragingly。　〃Not　even　a　Sicilian　Consigliere　always　agrees　with　the　boss。〃　They　all　laughed。
　
　〃I　think　you　should　say　yes；〃　Hagen　said。　〃You　know　all　the　obvious　reasons。　But　the　most　important　one　is　this。　There　is　more　money　potential　in　narcotics　than　in　any　other　business。　If　we　don't　get　into　it；　somebody　else　will；　maybe　the　Tattaglia　family。　With　the　revenue　they　earn　they　can　amass　more　and　more　police　and　political　power。　Their　family　will　bee　stronger　than　ours。　Eventually　they　will　e　after　us　to　take　away　what　we　have。　It's　just　like　countries。　If　they　arm；　we　have　to　arm。　If　they　bee　stronger　economically；　they　bee　a　threat　to　us。　Now　we　have　the　gambling　and　we　have　the　unions　and　right　now　they　are　the　best　things　to　have。　But　I　think　narcotics　is　the　ing　thing。　I　think　we　have　to　have　a　piece　of　that　action　or　we　risk　everything　we　have。　Not　now；　but　maybe　ten　years　from　now。〃
　
　The　Don　seemed　enormously　impressed。　He　puffed　on　his　cigar　and　murmured；　〃That's　the　most　important　thing　of　course。〃　He　sighed　and　got　to　his　feet。　〃What　time　do　I　have　to　meet　this　infidel　tomorrow？〃
　
　Hagen　said　hopefully；　〃He'll　be　here　at　ten　in　the　morning。〃　Maybe　the　Don　would　go　for　it。
　
　〃I'll　want　you　both　here　with　me；〃　the　Don　said。　He　rose；　stretching；　and　took　his　son　by　the　arm。　〃Santino；　get　some　sleep　tonight；　you　look　like　the　devil　himself。　Take　care　of　yourself；　you　won't　be　young　forever。〃
　
　Sonny；　encouraged　by　this　sign　of　fatherly　concern；　asked　the　question　Hagen　did　not　dare　to　ask。　〃Pop；　what's　your　answer　going　to　be？〃
　
　Don　Corleone　smiled。　〃How　do　I　know　until　I　hear　the　percentages　and　other　details？　Besides　I　have　to　have　time　to　think　over　the　advice　given　here　tonight。　After　all；　I'm　not　a　man　who　does　things　rashly。〃　As　he　went　out　the　door　he　said　casually　to　Hagen；　〃Do　you　have　in　your　notes　that　the　Turk　made　his　living　from　prostitution　before　the　war？　As　the　Tattaglia　family　does　now。　Write　that　down　before　you　forget。〃　There　was　just　a　touch　of　derision　in　the　Don's　voice　and　Hagen　flushed。　He　had　deliberately　not　mentioned　it；　legitimately　so　since　it　really　had　no　bearing；　but　he　had　feared　it　might　prejudice　the　Don's　decision。　He　was　notoriously　straitlaced　in　matters　of　sex。
　
　**********
　
　Virgil　〃the　Turk〃　Sollozzo　was　a　powerfully　built；　medium…sized　man　of　dark　plexion　who　could　have　been　taken　for　a　true　Turk。　He　had　a　scimitar　of　a　nose　and　cruel　black　eyes。　He　also　had　an　impressive　dignity。
　
　Sonny　Corleone　met　him　at　the　door　and　brought　him　into　the　office　where　Hagen　and　the　Don　waited。　Hagen　thought　he　had　never　seen　a　more　dangerous…looking　man　except　for　Luca　Brasi。
　
　There　were　polite　handshakings　all　around。　If　the　Don　ever　asks　me　if　this　man　has　balls；　I　would　have　to　answer　yes；　Hagen　thought。　He　had　never　seen　such　force　in　one　man；　not　even　the　Don。　In　fact　the　Don　appeared　at　his　worst。　He　was　being　a　little　too　simple；　a　little　too　peasantlike　in　his　greeting。
　
　Sollozzo　came　to　the　point　immediately。　The　business　was　narcotic。　Everything　was　set　up。　Certain　poppy　fields　in　Turkey　had　pledged　him　certain　amounts　every　year。　He　had　a　protected　plant　in　France　to　convert　into　morphine。　He　had　an　absolutely　secure　plant　in　Sicily　to　process　into　heroin。　Smuggling　into　both　countries　was　as　positively　safe　as　such　matters　could　be。　Entry　into　the　United　States　would　entail　about　five　percent　losses　since　the　FBI　itself　was　incorruptible；　as　they　both　knew。　But　the　profits　would　be　enormous；　the　risk　nonexistent。
　
　〃Then　why　do　you　e　to　me？〃　the　Don　asked　politely。　〃How　have　I　deserved　your　generosity？〃
　
　Sollozzo's　dark　face　remained　impassive。　〃I　need　two　million　dollars　cash；〃　he　said。　〃Equally　important；　I　need　a　man　who　has　powerful　friends　in　the　important　places。　Some　of　my　couriers　will　be　caught　over　the　years。　That　is　inevitable。　They　will　all　have　clean　records；　that　I　promise。　So　it　will　be　logical　for　judges　to　give　light　sentences。　I　need　a　friend　who　can　guarantee　that　when　my　people　get　in　trouble　they　won't　spend　more　than　a　year　or　two　in　jail。　Then　they　won't　talk。　But　if　they　get　ten　and　twenty　years；　who　knows？　In　this　world　there　are　many　weak　individuals。　They　may　talk；　they　may　jeopardize　more　important　people。　Legal　protection　is　a　must。　I　hear；　Don　Corleone；　that　you　have　as　many　judges　in　your　pocket　as　a　bootblack　has　pieces　of　silver。〃
　
　Don　Corleone　didn't　bother　to　acknowledge　the　pliment。　〃What　percentage　for　my　family？〃　he　asked。
　
　Sollozzo's　eyes　gleamed。　〃Fifty　percent。〃　He　paused　and　then　said　in　a　voice　that　was　almost　a　caress；　〃In　the　first　year　your　share　would　be　three　or　four　million　dollars。　Then　it　would　go　up。〃
　
　Don　Corleone　said；　〃And　what　is　the　percentage　of　the　Tattaglia　family？〃
　
　For　the　first　time　Sollozzo　seemed　to　be　nervous。　〃They　will　receive　something　from　my　share。　I　need