mp.godfather-第52节

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ery；　a　stupid　affair　which　could　have　gone　very　badly。　Sonny　was　obvidusly　the　ringleader；　the　two　other　boys　in　the　robbery　his　followers。
　
　It　was　one　of　the　very　few　times　that　Vito　Corleone　lost　his　temper。　Tom　Hagen　had　been　living　in　his　home　for　three　years　and　he　asked　Clemenza　if　the　orphan　boy　had　been　involved。　Clemenza　shook　his　head。　Don　Corleone　had　a　car　sent　to　bring　Santino　to　his　offices　in　the　Genco　Pura　Olive　Oil　pany。
　
　For　the　first　time；　the　Don　met　defeat。　Alone　with　his　son；　he　gave　full　vent　to　his　rage；　cursing　the　hulking　Sonny　in　Sicilian　dialect；　a　language　so　much　more　satisfying　than　any　other　for　expressing　rage。　He　ended　up　with　a　question。　〃What　gave　you　the　right　to　mit　such　an　act？　What　made　you　wish　to　mit　such　an　act？〃
　
　Sonny　stood　there；　angry；　refusing　to　answer。　The　Don　said　with　contempt；　〃And　so　stupid。　What　did　you　earn　for　that　night's　work？　Fifty　dollars　each？　Twenty　dollars？　You　risked　your　life　for　twenty　dollars；　eh？〃
　
　As　if　he　had　not　heard　these　last　words；　Sonny　said　defiantly；　〃I　saw　you　kill　Fanucci。〃
　
　The　Don　said；　〃Ahhh〃　and　sank　back　in　his　chair。　He　waited。
　
　Sonny　said；　〃When　Fanucci　left　the　building；　Mama　said　I　could　go　up　the　house。　I　saw　you　go　up　the　roof　and　I　followed　you。　I　saw　everything　you　did。　I　stayed　up　there　and　I　saw　you　throw　away　the　wallet　and　the　gun。〃
　
　The　Don　sighed。　〃Well；　then　I　can't　talk　to　you　about　how　you　should　behave。　Don't　you　want　to　finish　school；　don't　you　want　to　be　a　lawyer？　Lawyers　can　steal　more　money　with　a　briefcase　than　a　thousand　men　with　guns　and　masks。〃
　
　Sonny　grinned　at　him　and　said　slyly；　〃I　want　to　enter　the　family　business。〃　When　he　saw　that　the　Don's　face　remained　impassive；　that　he　did　not　laugh　at　the　joke；　he　added　hastily；　〃I　can　learn　how　to　sell　olive　oil。〃
　
　Still　the　Don　did　not　answer。　Finally　he　shrugged。　〃Every　man　has　one　destiny；〃　he　said。　He　did　not　add　that　the　witnessing　of　Fanucci's　murder　had　decided　that　of　his　son。　He　merely　turned　away　and　added　quietly；　〃e　in　tomorrow　morning　at　nine　o'clock。　Genco　will　show　you　what　to　do。〃
　
　But　Genco　Abbandando；　with　that　shrewd　insight　that　a　Consigliere　must　have；　realized　the　true　wish　of　the　Don　and　used　Sonny　mostly　as　a　bodyguard　for　his　father；　a　position　in　which　he　could　also　learn　the　subtleties　of　being　a　Don。　And　it　brought　out　a　professorial　instinct　in　the　Don　himself；　who　often　gave　lectures　on　how　to　succeed　for　the　benefit　of　his　eldest　son。
　
　Besides　his　oft…repeated　theory　that　a　man　has　but　one　destiny；　the　Don　constantly　reproved　Sonny　for　that　young　man's　outbursts　of　temper。　The　Don　considered　a　use　of　threats　the　most　foolish　kind　of　exposure；　the　unleashing　of　anger　without　forethought　as　the　most　dangerous　indulgence。　No　one　had　ever　heard　the　Don　utter　a　naked　threat；　no　one　had　ever　seen　him　in　an　uncontrollable　rage。　It　was　unthinkable。　And　so　he　tried　to　teach　Sonny　his　own　disciplines。　He　claimed　that　there　was　no　greater　natural　advantage　in　life　than　having　an　enemy　overestimate　your　faults；　unless　it　was　to　have　a　friend　underestimate　your　virtues。
　
　The　caporegime；　Clemenza；　took；　Sonny　in　hand　and　taught　him　how　to　shoot　and　to　wield　a　garrot。　Sonny　had　no　taste　for　the　Italian　rope；　he　was　too　Americanized。　He　preferred　the　simple；　direct；　impersonal　Anglo…Saxon　gun；　which　saddened　Clemenza。　But　Sonny　became　a　constant　and　wele　panion　to　his　father；　driving　his　car；　helping　him　in　little　details。　For　the　next　two　years　he　seemed　like　the　usual　son　entering　his　father's　business；　not　too　bright；　not　too　eager；　content　to　hold　down　a　soft　job。
　
　Meanwhile　his　boyhood　chum　and　semiadopted　brother　Tom　Hagen　was　going　to　college。　Fredo　was　still　in　high　school；　Michael；　the　youngest　brother；　was　in　grammar　school；　and　baby　sister　Connie　was　a　toddling　girl　of　four。　The　family　had　long　since　moved　to　an　apartment　house　in　the　Bronx。　Don　Corleone　was　considering　buying　a　house　in　Long　Island；　but　he　wanted　to　fit　this　in　with　other　plans　he　was　formulating。
　
　Vito　Corleone　was　a　man　with　vision。　All　the　great　cities　of　America　were　being　torn　by　underworld　strife。　Guerrilla　wars　by　the　dozen　flared　up；　ambitious　hoodlums　trying　to　carve　themselves　a　bit　of　empire；　men　like　Corleone　himself　were　trying　to　keep　their　borders　and　rackets　secure。　Don　Corleone　saw　that　the　newspapers　and　government　agencies　were　using　these　killings　to　get　stricter　and　stricter　laws；　to　use　harsher　police　methods。　He　foresaw　that　public　indignation　might　even　lead　to　a　suspension　of　democratic　procedures　which　could　be　fatal　to　him　and　his　people。　His　own　empire；　internally；　was　secure。　He　decided　to　bring　peace　to　all　the　warring　factions　in　New　York　City　and　then　in　the　nation。
　
　He　had　no　illusions　about　the　dangerousness　of　his　mission。　He　spent　the　first　year　meeting　with　different　chiefs　of　gangs　in　New　York；　laying　the　groundwork；　sounding　them　out；　proposing　spheres　of　influence　that　would　be　honored　by　a　loosely　bound　confederated　council。　But　there　were　too　many　factions；　too　many　special　interests　that　conflicted。　Agreement　was　impossible。　Like　other　great　rulers　and　lawgivers　in　history　Don　Corteone　decided　that　order　and　peace　were　impossible　until　the　number　of　reigning　states　had　been　reduced　to　a　manageable　number。
　
　There　were　five　or　six　〃Families〃　too　powerful　to　eliminate。　But　the　rest；　the　neighborhood　Black　Hand　terrorists；　the　free…lance　shylocks；　the　strong…arm　bookmakers　operating　without　the　proper；　that　is　to　say　paid；　protection　of　the　legal　authorities；　would　have　to　go。　And　so　he　mounted　what　was　in　effect　a　colonial　war　against　these　people　and　threw　all　the　resources　of　the　Corleone　organization　against　them。
　
　The　pacification　of　the　New　York　area　took　three　years　and　had　some　unexpected　rewards。　At　first　it　took　the　form　of　bad　luck。　A　group　of　mad…dog　Irish　stickup　artists　the　Don　had　marked　for　extermination　almost　carried　the　day　with　sheer　Emerald　Isle　élan。　By　chance；　and　with　suicidal　bravery；　one　of　these　Irish　gunmen　pierced　the　Don's　protective　cordon　and　put　a　shot　into　his　chest。　The　assassin　was　immediately　riddled　with　bullets　but　the　damage　was　done。
　
　However　this　gave　Sanrtino　Corleone　his　chance。　With　his　father　out　of　action；　Sonny　took　mand　of　a　troop；　his　own　regime；　with　the　rank　of　caporegime；　and　like　a　young；　untrumpeted　Napoleon；　showed　a　genius　for　city　warfare。　He　also　showed　a　merciless　ruthlessness；　the　lack　of　which　had　been　Don　Corleone's　only　fault　as　a　conqueror。
　
　From　1935　to　1937　Sonny　Corleond　made　a　reputation　as　the　most　cunning　and　relentless　executioner　the　underworld　had　yet　known。　Yet　for　sheer　terror　even　he　was　eclipsed　by　the　awesome　man　named　Luca　Brasi。
　
　It　was　Brasi　who　went　after　the　rest　of　the　Irish　gunmen　and　single…handedly　wiped　them　out。　It　was　Brasi；　operating　alone　when　one　of　the　six　powerful　families　tried　to　interfere　and　bee　the　protector　of　the　independents；　who　assassinated　the　head　of　the　family　as　a　warning。　Shortly　after；　the　Don　recovered　from　his　wound　and　made　peace　with　that　particular　family。
　
　By　1937　peace　and　harmony　reigned　in　New　York　City　except　for　minor　incidents；　minor　misunderstandings　which　were；　of　course；　sometimes　fatal。
　
　As　the　rulers　of　ancient　cities　always　kept　an　anxious　eye　on　the　barbarian　tribes　roving　around　their　walls；　so　Don　Corleone　kept　an　eye　on　the　affairs　of　the　world　outside　his　world。　He　noted　the　ing　of　Hitler；　the　fall　of　Spain；　Germany's　strong…arming　of　Britain　at　Munich。　Unblinkered　by　that　outside　world；　he　saw　clearly　the　ing　global　war　and　he　understood　the　implications。　His　own　world　would　be　more　impregnable　than　before。　Not　only　that；　fortunes　could　be　made　in　time　of　war　by　alert；　foresighted　folk。　But　to　do　so　peace　must　reign　in　his　domain　while　war　raged　in　the　world　outside。
　
　Don　Corleone　carried　his　message　through　the　United　States。　He　conferred　with　patriots　in　Los　Angeles；　San　Francisco；　Cleveland；　Chicago；　Philadelphia；　Miami；　and　Boston。　He　was　the　underworld　apostle　of　peace　and；　by　；1939；　more　successful　than　any　Pope；　he　had　achieved　a　working　agreement　amongst　the　most　powerful　underworld　organizations　in　the　country。　Like　the　Constitution　of　the　United　States　this　agreement　respected　fully　the　internal　authority　of　each　member　in　his　state　or　city。　The　agreement　veered　only　spheres　of　influence　and　an　agreement　to　enforce　peace　in　the　underworld。
　
　And　so　when　World　War　II　broke　out　in　1939；　when　the　United　States；　joined　the　conflict　in　1941；　the　world　of　Don　Vito　Corleone　was　at　peace；　in　order；　fully　prepared　to　reap　the　golden　harvest　on　equal　terms　with　all　the　other　industries　of　a　booming　America。　The　Corleone　Family　had　a　hand　in　supplying　black…market　OPA　food　stamps；　gasoline　stamps；　even　travel　priorities。　It　could　help　get　war　contracts　and　then　help　get　black…market　materials　for　those　garment　center　clothing　firms　who　were　not　given　enough　raw　material　because　they　did　not　have　government　contracts。　He　could　even　get　all　the　young　men　in　his　organization；　those　eligible　for　Army　draft；　excused　from　fighting　in　the　foreign　war。　He　did　this　with　the　aid　of　doctor