mp.godfather-第70节

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n　son。　It　seems　he's　a　cook　now；　that　be　amuses　himself　with　young　girls　more　than　a　grown　man　should。　Well；　he　was　always　too　serious　when　he　was　young　and　he　was　never　the　man　for　Family　business。　But　let's　find　out　what　really　can　be　done　out　there。〃
　
　Hagen　said　quietly；　〃Should　we　send　your　son…in…law？　After　all；　Carlo　is　a　native　of　Nevada；　he　knows　his　way　around。〃
　
　Don　Corleone　shook　his　head。　〃No；　my　wife　is　lonely　here　without　any　of　her　children。　I　want　Constanzia　and　her　husband　moved　into　one　of　the　houses　on　the　mall。　I　want　Carlo　given　a　responsible　job；　maybe　I've　been　too　harsh　on　him；　and〃…　Don　Corleone　made　a　grimace…　〃I'm　short　of　sons。　Take　him　out　of　the　gambling　and　put　him　in　with　the　unions　where　he　can　do　some　paper　work　and　a　lot　of　talking。　He's　a　good　talker。〃　There　was　the　tiniest　note　of　contempt　in　the　Don's　voice。
　
　Hagen　nodded。　〃OK；　Clemenza　and　I　will　go　over　all　the　people　and　put　together　a　group　to　do　the　Vegas　job。　Do　you　want　me　to　call　Freddie　home　for　a　few　days？〃
　
　The　Don　shook　his　head。　He　said　cruelly；　〃What　for？　My　wife　can　still　cook　our　meals。　Let　him　stay　out　there。〃　The　three　men　shifted　uneasily　in　their　seats。　They　had　not　realized　Freddie　was　in　such　severe　disfavor　with　his　father　and　they　suspected　it　must　be　because　of　something　they　did　not　know。
　
　Don　Corleone　sighed。　〃I　hope　to　grow　some　good　green　peppers　and　tomatoes　in　the　garden　this　year；　more　than　we　can　eat。　I'll　make　you　presents　of　them。　I　want　a　little　peace；　a　little　quiet　and　tranquillity　for　my　old　age。　Well；　that's　all。　Have　another　drink　if　you　like。〃
　
　It　was　a　dismissal。　The　men　rose。　Hagen　acpanied　Clemenza　and　Tessio　to　their　cars　and　arranged　meetings　with　them　to　thrash　out　the　operational　details　that　would　acplish　the　stated　desires　of　their　Don。　Then　he　went　back　into　the　house　where　he　knew　Don　Conrleone　world　be　waiting　for　him。
　The　Don　had　taken　off　his　jacket　and　tie　and　was　lying　down　on　the　couch。　His　stern　face　was　relaxed　into　lines　of　fatigue。　He　waved　Hagen　into　a　chair　and　said；　〃Well；　Consigliere；　do　you　disapprove　of　any　of　my　deeds　today？〃
　
　Hagen　took　his　time　answering。　〃No；〃　he　said。　〃But　I　don't　find　it　consistent；　nor　true　to　your　nature。　You　say　you　don't　want　to　find　out　how　Santino　was　killed　or　want　vengeance　for　it。　I　don't　believe　that。　You　gave　your　word　for　peace　and　so　you'll　keep　the　peace　but　I　can't　believe　you　will　give　your　enemies　the　victory　they　seem　to　have　won　today。　You've　constructed　a　magnificent　riddle　that　I　can't　solve；　so　how　can　I　approve　or　disapprove？〃
　
　A　look　of　content　came　over　the　Don's　face。　〃Well；　you　know　me　better　than　anyone　else。　Even　though　you're　not　a　Sicilian；　I　made　you　one。　Everything　you　say　is　true；　but　there's　a　solution　and　you'll　prehend　it　before　it　spins　out　to　the　end。　You　agree　everyone　has　to　take　my　word　and　I'll　keep　my　word。　And　I　want　my　orders　obeyed　exactly。　But；　Tom；　the　most　important　thing　is　we　have　to　get　Michael　home　as　soon　as　possible。　Make　that　first　in　your　mind　and　in　your　work。　Explore　all　the　legal　alleys；　I　don't　care　how　much　money　you　have　to　spend。　It　has　to　be　foolproof　when　he　es　home。　Consult　the　best　lawyers　on　criminal　law。　I'll　give　you　the　names　of　some　judges　who　will　give　you　a　private　audience。　Until　that　time　we　have　to　guard　against　all　treacheries。〃
　
　Hagen　said；　〃Like　you；　I'm　not　worried　so　much　about　the　real　evidence　as　the　evidence　they　will　manufacture。　Also　some　police　friend　may　kill　Michael　after　he's　arrested。　They　may　kill　him　in　his　cell　or　have　one　of　the　prisoners　do　it。　As　I　see　it；　we　can't　even　afford　to　have　him　arrested　or　accused。〃
　
　Don　Corleone　sighed。　〃I　know；　I　know。　That's　the　difficulty。　But　we　can't　take　too　long。　There　are　troubles　in　Sicily。　The　young　fellows　over　there　don't　listen　to　their　elders　anymore　and　a　lot　of　the　men　deported　from　America　are　just　too　much　for　the　old…fashioned　Dons　to　handle。　Michael　could　get　caught　in　between。　I've　taken　some　precautions　against　that　and　he's　still　got　a　good　cover　but　that　cover　won't　last　forever。　That's　one　of　the　reasons　I　had　to　make　the　peace。　Barzini　has　friends　in　Sicily　and　they　were　beginning　to　sniff　Michael's　trail。　That　gives　you　one　of　the　answers　to　your　riddle。　I　had　to　make　the　peace　to　insure　my　son's　safety。　There　was　nothing　else　to　do。〃
　
　Hagen　didn't　bother　asking　the　Don　how　he　had　gotten　this　information。　He　was　not　even　surprised；　and　it　was　true　that　this　solved　part　of　the　riddle。　〃When　I　meet　with　Tattaglia's　people　to　firm　up　the　details；　should　I　insist　that　all　his　drug　middlemen　be　clean？　The　judges　will　be　a　little　skittish　about　giving　light　sentences　to　a　man　with　a　record。〃
　
　Don　Corleone　shrugged。　〃They　should　be　smart　enough　to　figure　that　out　themselves。　Mention　it；　don't　insist。　We'll　do　our　best　but　if　they　use　a　real　snowbird　and　he　gets　caught；　we　won't　lift　a　finger。　We'll　just　tell　them　nothing　can　be　done。　But　Barzini　is　a　man　who　will　know　that　without　being　told。　You　notice　how　he　never　mitted　himself　in　this　affair。　One　might　never　have　known　he　was　in　any　way　concerned。　That　is　a　man　who　doesn't　get　caught　on　the　losing　side。〃
　
　Hagen　was　startled。　〃You　mean　he　was　behind　Sollozzo　and　Tattaglia　all　the　time？〃
　
　Don　Corleone　sighed。　〃Tattaglia　is　a　pimp。　He　could　never　have　outfought　Santino。　That's　why　I　don't　have　to　know　about　what　happened。　It's　enough　to　know　that　Barzini　had　a　hand　in　it。〃
　
　Hagen　let　this　sink　in。　The　Don　was　giving　him　clues　but　there　was　something　very　important　left　out。　Hagen　knew　what　it　was　but　he　knew　it　was　not　his　place　to　ask。　He　said　good　night　and　turned　to　go。　The　Don　had　a　last　word　for　him。
　
　〃Remember；　use　all　your　wits　for　a　plan　to　bring　Michael　home。〃　the　Don　said。　〃And　one　other　thing。　Arrange　with　the　telephone　man　so　that　every　month　I　get　a　list　of　all　the　telephone　calls；　made　and　received；　by　Clemenza　and　Tessio。　I　suspect　them　of　nothing。　I　would　swear　they　would　never　betray　me。　But　there's　no　harm　in　knowing　any　little　thing　that　may　help　us　before　the　event。〃
　
　Hagen　nodded　and　went　out。　He　wondered　if　the　Don　was　keeping　a　check　on　him　also　in　some　way　and　then　was　ashamed　of　his　suspicion。　But　now　he　was　sure　that　in　the　subtle　and　plex　mind　of　the　Godfather　a　far…ranging　plan　of　action　was　being　initiated　that　made　the　day's　happenings　no　more　than　a　tactical　retreat。　And　there　was　that　one　dark　fact　that　no　one　mentioned；　that　he　himself　had　not　dared　to　ask；　that　Don　Corleone　ignored。　All　pointed　to　a　day　of　reckoning　in　the　future。
　
　Chapter　21
　
　But　it　was　to　be　nearly　another　year　before　Don　Corleone　could　arrange　for　his　son　Michael　to　be　smuggled　back　into　the　United　States。　During　that　time　the　whole　Family　racked　their　brains　for　suitable　schemes。　Even　Carlo　Rizzi　was　listened　to　now　that　he　was　living　in　the　mall　with　Connie。　（During　that　time　they　had　a　second　child；　a　boy。）　But　none　of　the　schemes　met　with　the　Don's　approval。
　
　Finally　it　was　the　Bocchicchio　Family　who　through　a　misfortune　of　its　own　solved　the　problem。　There　was　one　Bocchicchio；　a　young　cousin　of　no　more　than　twenty…five　years　of　age；　named　Felix；　who　was　born　in　America　and　with　more　brains　than　anyone　in　the　clan　had　ever　had　before。　He　had　refused　to　be　drawn　into　the　Family　garbage　hauling　business　and　married　a　nice　American　girl　of　English　stock　to　further　his　split　from　the　clan。　He　went　to　school　at　night；　to　bee　a　lawyer；　and　worked　during　the　day　as　a　civil　service　post　office　clerk。　During　that　time　he　had　three　children　but　his　wife　was　a　prudent　manager　and　they　lived　on　his　salary　until　he　got　his　law　degree。
　
　Now　Felix　Bocchicchio；　like　many　young　men；　thought　that　having　struggled　to　plete　his　education　and　master　the　tools　of　his　profession；　his　virtue　would　automatically　be　rewarded　and　he　would　earn　a　decent　living。　This　proved　not　to　be　the　case。　Still　proud；　he　refused　all　help　from　his　clan。　But　a　lawyer　friend　of　his；　a　young　man　well　connected　and　with　a　budding　career　in　a　big　law　firm；　talked　Felix　into　doing　him　a　little　favor。　It　was　very　plicated；　seemingly　legal；　and　had　to　do　with　a　bankruptcy　fraud。　It　was　a　million…to…one　shot　against　its　being　found　out。　Felix　Bocchicchio　took　the　chance。　Since　the　fraud　involved　using　the　legal　skills　he　had　learned　in　a　university；　it　seemed　not　so　reprehensible；　and；　in　an　odd　way；　not　even　criminal。
　
　To　make　a　foolish　story　short；　the　fraud　was　discovered。　The　lawyer　friend　refused　to　help　Felix　in　any　manner；　refused　to　even　answer　his　telephone　calls。　The　two　principals　in　the　fraud；　shrewd　middle…aged　businessmen　who　furiously　blamed　Felix　Bocchicchio's　legal　clumsiness　for　the　plan　going　awry；　pleaded　guilty　and　cooperated　with　the　state；　naming　Felix　Bocchicchio　as　the　ringleader　of　the　fraud　and　claiming　he　had　used　threats　of　violence　to　control　their　business　and　force　them　to　cooperate　with　him　in　his　fraudulent　schemes。　Testimony　was　given　that　linked　Felix　with　uncles　and　cousins　in　the　Bocchiochio　clan　who　had　criminal　records　for　strong…arm；　and　this　evidence　was　damning。　The　two　businessmen　got　off　with　suspended　sentences。　Felix　Bocchiochio