mp.godfather-第67节

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se　towels；　ate　up　the　profits　（but　he　owned　the　laundry　firm　that　did　the　work）。　The　girls　were　lazy　and　unstable；　running　off；　mitting　suicide。　The　pimps　were　treacherous　and　dishonest　and　without　a　shred　of　loyalty。　Good　help　was　hard　to　find。　Young　lads　of　Sicilian　blood　turned　up　their　noses　at　such　work；　considered　it　beneath　their　honor　to　traffic　and　abuse　women；　those　rascals　who　would　slit　a　throat　with　a　song　on　their　lips　and　the　cross　of　an　Easter　palm　in　the　lapel　of　their　jackets。　So　Phillip　Tattaglia　would　rant　on　to　audiences　unsympathetic　and　contemptuous。　His　biggest　howl　was　reserved　for　authorities　who　had　it　in　their　power　to　issue　and　cancel　liquor　licenses　for　his　nightclubs　and　cabarets。　He　swore　he　had　made　more　millionaires　than　Wall　Street　with　the　money　he　had　paid　those　thieving　guardians　of　official　seals。
　
　In　a　curious　way　his　almost　victorious　war　against　the　Corleone　Family　had　not　won　him　the　respect　it　deserved。　They　knew　his　strength　had　e　first　from　Sollozzo　and　then　from　the　Barzini　Family。　Also　the　fact　that　with　the　advantage　of　surprise　he　had　not　won　plete　victory　was　evidence　against　him。　If　he　had　been　more　efficient；　all　this　trouble　could　have　been　avoided。　The　death　of　Don　Corleone　would　have　meant　the　end　of　the　war。
　
　It　was　proper；　since　they　had　both　lost　sons　in　their　war　against　each　other；　that　Don　Corleone　and　Phillip　Tattaglia　should　acknowledge　each　other's　presence　only　with　a　formal　nod。　Don　Corleone　was　the　object　of　attention；　the　other　men　studying　him　to　see　what　mark　of　weakness　had　been　left　on　him　by　his　wounds　and　defeats。　The　puzzling　factor　was　why　Don　Corleone　had　sued　for　peace　after　the　death　of　his　favorite　son。　It　was　an　acknowledgment　of　defeat　and　would　almost　surely　lead　to　a　lessening　of　his　power。　But　they　would　soon　know。
　
　There　were　greetings；　there　were　drinks　to　be　served　and　almost　another　half　hour　went　by　before　Don　Corleone　took　his　seat　at　the　polished　walnut　table。　Unobtrusively；　Hagen　sat　in　the　chair　slightly　to　the　Don's　left　and　behind　him。　This　was　the　signal　for　the　other　Dons　to　make　their　way　to　the　table。　Their　aides　sat　behind　them；　the　Consiglieres　up　close　so　that　they　could　offer　any　advice　when　needed。
　
　Don　Corleone　was　the　first　to　speak　and　he　spoke　as　if　nothing　had　happened。　As　if　he　had　not　been　grievously　wounded　and　his　eldest　son　slain；　his　empire　in　a　shambles；　his　personal　family　scattered；　Freddie　in　the　West　and　under　the　protection　of　the　Molinari　Family　and　Michael　secreted　in　the　wastelands　of　Sicily。　He　spoke　naturally；　in　Sicilian　dialect。
　
　〃I　want　to　thank　you　all　for　ing；〃　he　said。　〃I　consider　it　a　service　done　to　me　personally　and　I　am　in　the　debt　of　each　and　every　one　of　you。　And　so　I　will　say　at　the　beginning　that　I　am　here　not　to　quarrel　or　convince；　but　only　to　reason　and　as　a　reasonable　man　do　everything　possible　for　us　all　to　part　friends　here　too。　I　give　my　word　on　that；　and　some　of　you　who　know　me　well　know　I　do　not　give　my　word　lightly。　Ah；　well；　let's　get　down　to　business。。　We　are　all　honorable　men　here；　we　don't　have　to　give　each　other　assurances　as　if　we　were　lawyers。〃
　
　He　paused。　None　of　the　others　spoke。　Some　were　smoking　cigars；　others　sipping　their　drinks。　All　of　these　men　were　good　listeners；　patient　men。　They　had　one　other　thing　in　mon。　They　were　those　rarities；　men　who　had　refused　to　accept　the　rule　of　organized　society；　men　who　refused　the　dominion　of　other　men。　There　was　no　force；　no　mortal　man　who　could　bend　them　to　their　will　unless　they　wished　it。　They　were　men　who　guarded　their　free　will　with　wiles　and　murder。　Their　wills　could　be　subverted　only　by　death。　Or　the　utmost　reasonableness。
　
　Don　Corleone　sighed。　〃How　did　things　ever　go　so　far？〃　he　asked　rhetorically。　〃Well；　no　matter。　A　lot　of　foolishness　has　e　to　pass。　It　was　so　unfortunate；　so　unnecessary。　But　let　me　tell　what　happened；　as　I　see　it。〃
　
　He　paused　to　see　if　someone　would　object　to　his　telling　his　side　of　the　story。
　
　〃Thank　God　my　health　has　been　restored　and　maybe　I　can　help　set　this　affair　aright。　Perhaps　my　son　was　too　rash；　too　headstrong；　I　don't　say　no　to　that。　Anyway　let　me　just　say　that　Sollozzo　came　to　me　with　a　business　affair　in　which　he　asked　me　for　my　money　and　my　influence。　He　said　he　had　the　interest　of　the　Tattaglia　Family。　The　affair　involved　drugs；　in　which　I　have　no　interest。　I'm　a　quiet　man　and　such　endeavors　are　too　lively　for　my　taste。　I　explained　this　to　Sollozzo；　with　all　respect　for　him　and　the　Tattaglia　Family。　I　gave　him　my　'no'　with　all　courtesy。　I　told　him　his　business　would　not　interfere　with　mine；　that　I　had　no　objection　to　his　earning　his　living　in　this　fashion。　He　took　it　ill　and　brought　misfortune　down　on　all　our　heads。　Well；　that's　life。　Everyone　here　could　tell　his　own　tale　of　sorrow。　That's　not　to　my　purpose。〃
　
　Don　Corleone　paused　and　motioned　to　Hagen　for　a　cold　drink；　which　Hagen　swiftly　furnished　him。　Don　Corleone　wet　his　mouth。　〃I'm　willing　to　make　the　peace；〃　he　said。　〃Tattaglia　has　lost　a　son；　I　have　lost　a　son。　We　are　quits。　What　would　the　world　e　to　if　people　kept　carrying　grudges　against　all　reason？　That　has　been　the　cross　of　Sicily；　where　men　are　so　busy　with　vendettas　they　have　no　time　to　earn　bread　for　their　families。　It's　foolishness。　So　I　say　now；　let　things　be　as　they　were　before。　I　have　not　taken　any　steps　to　learn　who　betrayed　and　killed　my　son。　Given　peace；　I　will　not　do　so。　I　have　a　son　who　cannot　e　home　and　I　must　receive　assurances　that　when　I　arrange　matters　so　that　he　can　return　safely　that　there　will　be　no　interference；　no　danger　from　the　authorities。　Once　that's　settled　maybe　we　can　talk　about　other　matters　that　interest　us　and　do　ourselves；　all　of　us；　a　profitable　service　today。〃　Corleone　gestured　expressively；　submissively；　with　his　hands。　〃That　is　all　I　want。〃
　
　It　was　very　well　done。　It　was　the　Don　Corleone　of　old。　Reasonable。　Pliant。　Soft…spoken。　But　every　man　there　had　noted　that　he　had　claimed　good　health；　which　meant　he　was　a　man　not　to　be　held　cheaply　despite　the　misfortunes　of　the　Corleone　Family。　It　was　noted　that　he　had　said　the　discussion　of　other　business　was　useless　until　the　peace　he　asked　for　was　given。　It　was　noted　that　he　had　asked　for　the　old　status　quo；　that　he　would　lose　nothing　despite　his　having　got　the　worst　of　it　over　the　past　year。
　
　However；　it　was　Emilio　Barzini　who　answered　Don　Corleone；　not　Tattaglia。　He　was　curt　and　to　the　point　without　being　rude　or　insulting。
　
　〃That　is　all　true　enough；〃　Barzini　said。　〃But　there's　a　little　more。　Don　Corleone　is　too　modest。　The　fact　is　that　Sollozzo　and　the　Tattaglias　could　not　go　into　their　new　business　without　the　assistance　of　Don　Corleone。　In　fact；　his　disapproval　injured　them。　That's　not　his　fault　of　course。　The　fact　remains　that　judges　and　politicians　who　would　accept　favors　from　Don　Corleone；　even　on　drugs；　would　not　allow　themselves　to　be　influenced　by　anybody　else　when　it　came　to　narcotics。　Sollozzo　couldn't　operate　if　he　didn't　have　some　insurance　of　his　people　being　treated　gently。　We　all　know　that。　We　would　all　be　poor　men　otherwise。　And　now　that　they　have　increased　the　penalties　the　judges　and　the　prosecuting　attorneys　drive　a　hard　bargain　when　one　of　our　people　get　in　trouble　with　narcotics。　Even　a　Sicilian　sentenced　to　twenty　years　might　break　the　omerta　and　talk　his　brains　out。　That　can't　happen。　Don　Corleone　controls　all　that　apparatus。　His　refusal　to　let　us　use　it　is　not　the　act　of　a　friend。　He　takes　the　bread　out　of　the　mouths　of　our　families。　Times　have　changed；　it's　not　like　the　old　days　where　everyone　can　go　his　own　way。　If　Corleone　had　all　the　judges　in　New　York；　then　he　must　share　them　or　let　us　others　use　them。　Certainly　he　can　present　a　bill　for　such　services；　we're　not　munists；　after　all。　But　he　has　to　let　us　draw　water　from　the　well。　It's　that　simple。〃
　
　When　Barzini　had　finished　talking　there　was　a　silence。　The　lines　were　now　drawn；　there　could　be　no　return　to　the　old　status　quo。　What　was　more　important　was　that　Barzini　by　speaking　out　was　saying　that　if　peace　was　not　made　he　would　openly　join　the　Tattaglia　in　their　war　against　the　Corleone。　And　he　had　scored　a　telling　point。　Their　lives　and　their　fortunes　depended　upon　their　doing　each　other　services；　the　denial　of　a　favor　asked　by　a　friend　was　an　act　of　aggression。　Favors　were　not　asked　lightly　and　so　could　not　be　lightly　refused。
　
　Don　Corleone　finally　spoke　to　answer。　〃My　friends；〃　he　said；　〃I　didn't　refuse　out　of　spite。　You　all　know　me。　When　have　I　ever　refused　an　acmodation？　That's　simply　not　in　my　nature。　But　I　had　to　refuse　this　time。　Why？　Because　I　think　this　drug　business　will　destroy　us　in　the　years　to　e。　There　is　too　much　strong　feeling　about　such　traffic　in　this　country。　It's　not　like　whiskey　or　gambling　or　even　women　which　most　people　want　and　is　forbidden　them　by　the　pezzonovante　of　the　church　and　the　government。　But　drugs　are　dangerous　for　everyone　connected　with　them。　It　could　jeopardize　all　other　business。　And　let　me　say　I'm　flattered　by　the　belief　that　I　am　so　powerful　with　the　judges　and　law　officials；　I　wish　it　were　true。　I　do　have　some　influence　but　many　of　the　people　who　respect　my　counsel　might　lose　this　respect　if　drugs　be