mp.godfather-第45节

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ew　what　it　was　all　about。
　
　Sometimes　Nino　came　over　for　a　drink　and　listened　with　him　and　Johnny　would　say　to　him　scornfully；　〃You　guinea　bastard；　you　never　sang　like　that　in　your　life。〃　And　Nino　would　give　him　that　curiously　charming　smile　and　shake　his　head　and　say；　〃No；　and　I　never　will；〃　in　a　sympathetic　voice；　as　if　he　knew　what　Johnny　was　thinking。
　
　Finally；　a　week　before　shooting　the　new　picture；　the　Academy　Award　night　rolled　around。　Johnny　invited　Nino　to　e　along　but　Nino　refused。　Johnny　said；　〃Buddy；　I　never　asked　you　a　favor；　right？　Do　me　a　favor　tonight　and　e　with　me。　You're　the　only　guy　who'll　really　feel　sorry　for　me　if　I　don't　win。〃
　
　For　one　moment　Nino　looked　startled。　Then　he　said；　〃Sure；　old　buddy；　I　can　make　it。〃　He　paused　for　a　moment　and　said；　〃if　you　don't　win；　forget　it。　Just　get　as　drunk　as　you　can　get　and　I'll　take　care　of　you。　Hell；　I　won't　even　drink　myself　tonight。　How　about　that　for　being　a　buddy？〃
　
　〃Man；〃　Johnny　Fontane　said；　〃that's　some　buddy。〃
　
　The　Academy　Award　night　came　and　Nino　kept　his　promise。　He　came　to　Johnny's　house　dead　sober　and　they　left　for　the　presentation　theater　together。　Nino　wondered　why　Johnny　hadn't　invited　any　of　his　girls　or　his　ex…wives　to　the　Award　dinner。　Especially　Ginny。　Didn't　he　think　Ginny　would　root　for　him？　Nino　wished　he　could　have　just　one　drink；　it　looked　like　a　long　bad　night。
　
　Nino　Valenti　found　the　whole　Academy　Award　affair　a　bore　until　the　winner　of　the　best　male　actor　was　announced。　When　he　heard　the　words　〃Johnny　Fontane；〃　he　found　himself　jumping　into　the　air　and　applauding。　Johnny　reached　out　a　hand　for　him　to　shake　and　Nino　shook　it。　He　knew　his　buddy　needed　human　contact　with　someone　he　trusted　and　Nino　felt　an　enormous　sadness　that　Johnny　didn't　have　anyone　better　than　himself　to　touch　in　his　moment　of　glory。
　
　What　followed　was　an　absolute　nightmare。　Jack　Woltz's　picture　had　swept　all　the　major　awards　and　so　the　studio's　party　was　swamped　with　newspaper　people　and　all　the　on…the…make　hustlers；　male　and　female。　Nino　kept　his　promise　to　remain　sober；　and　he　tried　to　watch　over　Johnny。　But　the　women　of　the　party　kept　pulling　Johnny　Fontane　into　bedrooms　for　a　little　chat　and　Johnny　kept　getting　drunker　and　drunker。
　
　Meanwhile　the　woman　who　had　won　the　award　for　the　best　actress　was　suffering　the　same　fate　but　loving　it　more　and　handling　it　better。　Nino　turned　her　down；　the　only　man　at　the　party　to　do　so。
　
　Finally　somebody　had　a　great　idea。　The　public　mating　of　the　two　winners；　everybody　else　at　the　party　to　be　spectators　in　the　stands。　The　actress　was　stripped　down　and　the　other　women　started　to　undress　Johnny　Fontane。　It　was　then　that　Nino；　the　only　sober　person　there；　grabbed　the　half…clothed　Johnny　and　slung　him　over　his　shoulder　and　fought　his　way　out　of　the　house　and　to　their　car。　As　he　drove　Johnny　home；　Nino　thought　that　if　that　was　success；　he　didn't　want　it。
　
　Book　Three
　
　Chapter　14
　
　The　Don　was　a　real　man　at　the　age　of　twelve。　Short；　dark；　slender；　living　in　the　strange　Moorish…looking　village　of　Corleone　in　Sicily；　he　had　been　born　Vito　Andolini；　but　when　strange　men　came　to　kill　the　son　of　the　man　they　had　murdered；　his　mother　sent　the　young　boy　to　America　to　stay　with　friends。　And　in　the　new　land　he　changed　his　name　to　Corleone　to　preserve　some　tie　with　his　native　village。　It　was　one　of　the　few　gestures　of　sentiment　he　was　ever　to　make。
　
　In　Sicily　at　the　turn　of　the　century　the　Mafia　was　the　second　government；　far　more　powerful　than　the　official　one　in　Rome。　Vito　Corleone's　father　became　involved　in　a　feud　with　another　villager　who　took　his　case　to　the　Mafia。　The　father　refused　to　knuckle　under　and　in　a　public　quarrel　killed　the　local　Mafia　chief。　A　week　later　he　himself　was　found　dead；　his　body　torn　apart　by　lupara　blasts。　A　month　after　the　funeral　Mafia　gunmen　came　inquiring　after　the　young　boy；　Vito。　They　had　decided　that　he　was　too　close　to　manhood；　that　he　might　try；　to　avenge　the　death　of　his　father　in　the　years　to　e。　The　twelve…year…old　Vito　was　hidden　by　relatives　and　shipped　to　America。　There　he　was　boarded　with　the　Abbandandos；　whose　son　Genco　was　later　to　bee　Consigliere　to　his　Don。
　
　Young　Vito　went　to　work　in　the　Abbandando　grocery　store　on　Ninth　Avenue　in　New　York's　Hell's　Kitchen。　At　the　age　of　eighteen　Vito　married　an　Italian　girl　freshly　arrived　from　Sicily；　a　girl　of　only　sixteen　but　a　skilled　cook；　a　good　housewife。　They　settled　down　in　a　tenement　on　Tenth　Avenue；　near　35th　Street；　only　a　few　blocks　from　where　Vito　worked；　and　two　years　later　were　blessed　with　their　first　child；　Santino；　called　by　all　his　friends　Sonny　because　of　his　devotion　to　his　father。
　
　In　the　neighborhood　lived　a　man　called　Fanucci。　He　was　a　heavy…set；　fierce…looking　Italian　who　wore　expensive　light…colored　suits　and　a　cream…colored　fedora。　This　man　was　reputed　to　be　of　the　〃Black　Hand；〃　an　offshoot　of　the　Mafia　which　extorted　money　from　families　and　storekeepers　by　threat　of　physical　violence。　However；　since　most　of　the　inhabitants　of　the　neighborhood　were　violent　themselves；　Fanucci's　threats　of　bodily　harm　were　effective　only　with　elderly　couples　without　male　children　to　defend　them。　Some　of　the　storekeepers　paid　him　trifling　sums　as　a　matter　of　convenience。　However；　Fanucci　was　also　a　scavenger　on　fellow　criminals；　people　who　illegally　sold　Italian　lottery　or　ran　gambling　games　in　their　homes。　The　Abbandando　grocery　gave　him　a　small　tribute；　this　despite　the　protests　of　young　Genco；　who　told　his　father　he　would　settle　the　Fanucci　hash。　His　father　forbade　him。　Vito　Corleone　observed　all　this　without　feeling　in　any　way　involved。
　
　One　day　Fanucci　was　set　upon　by　three　young　men　who　cut　his　throat　from　ear　to　ear；　not　deeply　enough　to　kill　him；　but　enough　to　frighten　him　and　make　him　bleed　a　great　deal。　Vito　saw　Fanucci　fleeing　from　his　punishers；　the　circular　slash　flowing　red。　What　he　never　forgot　was　Fanucci　holding　the　cream…colored　fedora　under　his　chin　to　catch　the　dripping　blood　as　he　ran。　As　if　he　did　not　want　his　suit　soiled　or　did　not　want　to　leave　a　shameful　trail　of　carmine。
　
　But　this　attack　proved　a　blessing　in　disguise　for　Fanucci。　The　three　young　men　were　not　murderers；　merely　tough　young　boys　determined　to　teach　him　a　lesson　and　stop　him　from　scavenging。　Fannucci　proved　himself　a　murderer。　A　few　weeks　later　the　knife…wielder　was　shot　to　death　and　the　families　of　the　other　two　young　men　paid　an　indemnity　to　Fanucci　to　make　him　forswear　his　vengeance。　After　that　the　tributes　became　higher　and　Fanucci　became　a　partner　in　the　neighborhood　gambling　games。　As　for　Vito　Corleone；　it　was　none　of　his　affair。　He　forgot　about　it　immediately。
　
　During　World　War　I；　when　imported　olive　oil　became　scarce；　Fanucci　acquired　a　part…interest　in　the　Abbandando　grocery　store　by　supplying　it　not　only　with　oil；　but　imported　Italian　salami；　hams　and　cheeses。　He　then　moved　a　nephew　into　the　store　and　Vito　Corleone　found　himself　out　of　a　job。
　
　By　this　time；　the　second　child；　Frederioo；　had　arrived　and　Vito　Corleone　had　four　mouths　to　feed。　Up　to　this　time　he　had　been　a　quiet；　very　contained　young　man　who　kept　his　thoughts　to　himself。　The　son　of　the　grocery　store　owner；　young　Genco　Abbandando；　was　his　closest　friend；　and　to　the　surprise　of　both　of　them；　Vito　reproached　his　friend　for　his　father's　deed。　Genco；　flushed　with　shame；　vowed　to　Vito　that　he　would　not　have　to　worry　about　food。　That　he；　Genco；　would　steal　food　from　the　grocery　to　supply　his　friend's　needs。　This　offer　though　was　sternly　refused　by　Vito　as　too　shameful；　a　son　stealing　from　his　father。
　
　The　young　Vito；　however；　felt　a　cold　anger　for　the　dreaded　Fanucci。　He　never　showed　this　anger　in　any　way　but　bided　his　time。　He　worked　in　the　railroad　for　a　few　months　and　then；　when　the　war　ended；　work　became　slow　and　he　could　earn　only　a　few　days'　pay　a　month。　Also；　most　of　the　foremen　were　Irish　and　American　and　abused　the　workmen　in　the　foulest　language；　which　Vito　always　bore　stone…faced　as　if　he　did　not　prehend；　though　he　understood　English　very　well　despite　his　accent。
　
　One　evening　as　Vito　was　having　supper　with　his　family　there　was　a　knock　on　the　window　that　led　to　the　open　sir　shaft　that　separated　them　from　the　next　building。　When　Vito　pulled　aside　the　curtain　he　saw　to　his　astonishment　one　of　the　young　men　in　the　neighborhood；　Peter　Clemenza；　leaning　out　from　a　window　on　the　other　side　of　the　air　shaft。　He　was　extending　a　white…sheeted　bundle。
　
　〃Hey；　paisan；〃　Clemenza　said。　〃Hold　these　for　me　until　I　ask　for　them。　Hurry　up。〃　Automatically　Vito　reached　over　the　empty　space　of　the　air　shaft　and　took　the　bundle。　Clemenza's　face　was　strained　and　urgent。　He　was　in　some　sort　of　trouble　and　Vito's　helping　action　was　instinctive。　But　when　he　untied　the　bundle　in　his　kitchen；　there　were　five　oily　guns　staining　the　white　cloth。　He　put　them　in　his　bedroom　closet　and　waited。　He　learned　that　Clemenza　had　been　taken　away　by　the　police。　They　must　have　been　knocking　on　his　door　when　he　handed　the　guns　over　the　air　shaft。
　
　Vito　never　said　a　word　to　anyone　and　of　course　his　terrified　wife　dared　not　open　her　lips　even　in　gossip　for　fear　her　own　husband　would　be　sent　to　prison。　Two　days　later