mp.godfather-第92节

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　about　sex。　He　would　consider　such　cavorting　by　his　son　Freddie；　two　girls　at　a　time；　as　degeneracy。　Allowing　himself　to　be　physically　humiliated　by　a　man　like　Moe　Greene　would　decrease　respect　for　the　Corleone　Family。　That　too　would　be　part　of　the　reason　for　being　in　his　father's　bad　books。
　
　Michael　rising　from　his　chair；　said；　in　a　tone　of　dismissal；　〃I　have　to　get　back　to　New　York　tomorrow；　so　think　about　your　price。〃
　
　Greene　said　savagely；　〃You　son　of　a　bitch；　you　think　you　can　just　brush　me　off　like　that？　I　killed　more　men　than　you　before　I　could　jerk　off。　I'll　fly　to　New　York　and　talk　to　the　Don　himself。　I'll　make　him　an　offer。〃
　
　Freddie　said　nervously　to　Tom　Hagen；　〃Tom；　you're　the　Consigliere；　you　can　talk　to　the　Don　and　advise　him。〃
　
　It　was　then　that　Michael　turned　the　full　chilly　blast　of　his　personality　on　the　two　Vegas　men。　〃The　Don　has　sort　of　semiretired；〃　he　said。　〃I'm　running　the　Family　business　now。　And　I've　removed　Tom　from　the　Consigliere　spot。　He'll　be　strictly　my　lawyer　here　in　Vegas。　He'll　be　moving　out　with　his　family　in　a　couple　of　months　to　get　all　the　legal　work　started。　So　anything　you　have　to　say；　say　it　to　me。〃
　
　Nobody　answered。　Michael　said　formally；　〃Freddie；　you're　my　older　brother；　I　have　respect　for　you。　But　don't　ever　take　sides　with　anybody　against　the　Family　again。　I　won't　even　mention　it　to　the　Don。〃　He　turned　to　Moe　Greene。　〃Don't　insult　people　who　are　trying　to　help　you。　You'd　do　better　to　use　your　energy　to　find　out　why　the　casino　is　losing　money。　The　Corleone　Family　has　big　dough　invested　here　and　we're　not　getting　our　money's　worth；　but　I　still　didn't　e　here　to　abuse　you。　I　offer　a　helping　hand。　Well；　if　you　prefer　to　spit　on　that　helping　hand；　that's　your　business。　I　can't　say　any　more。〃
　
　He　had　not　once　raised　his　voice　but　his　words　had　a　sobering　effect　on　both　Greene　and　Freddie。　Michael　stared　at　both　of　them；　moving　away　from　the　table　to　indicate　that　he　expected　them　both　to　leave。　Hagen　went　to　the　door　and　opened　it。　Both　men　left　without　saying　good　night。
　
　**********
　
　The　next　morning　Michael　Corleone　got　the　message　from　Moe　Greene：　he　would　not　sell　his　share　of　the　hotel　at　any　price。　It　was　Freddie　who　delivered　the　message。　Michael　shrugged　and　said　to　his　brother；　〃I　want　to　see　Nino　before　I　go　back　to　New　York。〃
　
　In　Nino's　suite　they　found　Johnny　Fontane　sitting　on　the　couch　eating　breakfast。　Jules　was　examining　Nino　behind　the　closed　drapes　of　the　bedroom。　Finally　the　drapes　were　drawn　back。　Michael　was　shocked　at　how　Nino　looked。　The　man　was　visibly　disintegrating。　The　eyes　were　dazed；　the　mouth　loose；　all　the　muscles　of　his　face　slack。　Michael　sat　on　his　bedside　and　said；　〃Nino；　it's　good　to　catch　up　with　you。　The　Don　always　asks　about　you。〃
　
　Nino　grinned；　it　was　the　old　grin。　〃Tell　him　I'm　dying。　Tell　him　show　business　is　more　dangerous　than　the　olive　oil　business。〃
　
　〃You'll　be　OK；〃　Michael　said。　〃If　there's　anything　bothering　you　that　the　Family　can　help；　just　tell　me。〃
　
　Nino　shook　his　head。　〃There's　nothing；〃　he　said。　〃Nothing。〃
　
　Michael　chatted　for　a　few　more　moments　and　then　left。　Freddie　acpanied　him　and　his　party　to　the　airport；　but　at　Michael's　request　didn't　hang　around　for　departure　time。　As　he　boarded　the　plane　with　Tom　Hagen　and　Al　Neri；　Michael　turned　to　Neri　and　said；　〃Did　you　make　him　good？〃
　
　Neri　tapped　his　forehead。　〃I　got　Moe　Greene　mugged　and　numbered　up　here。〃
　
　Chapter　28
　
　On　the　plane　ride　back　to　New　York；　Michael　Corleone　relaxed　and　tried　to　sleep。　It　was　useless。　The　most　terrible　period　of　his　life　was　approaching；　perhaps　even　a　fatal　time。　It　could　no　longer　be　put　off。　Everything　was　in　readiness；　all　precautions　had　been　taken；　two　years　of　precautions。　There　could　be　no　further　delay。　Last　week　when　the　Don　had　formally　announced　his　retirement　to　the　caporegimes　and　other　members　of　the　Corleone　Family；　Michael　knew　that　this　was　his　father's　way　of　telling　him　the　time　was　ripe。
　
　It　was　almost　three　years　now　since　he　had　returned　home　and　over　two　years　since　he　had　married　Kay。　The　three　years　had　been　spent　in　learning　the　Family　business。　He　had　put　in　long　hours　with　Tom　Hagen；　long　hours　with　the　Don。　He　was　amazed　at　how　wealthy　and　powerful　the　Corleone　Family　truly　was。　It　owned　tremendously　valuable　real　estate　in　midtown　New　York；　whole　office　buildings。　It　owned；　through　fronts；　partnerships　in　two　Wall　Street　brokerage　houses；　pieces　of　banks　on　Long　Island；　partnerships　in　some　garment　center　firms；　all　this　in　addition　to　its　illegal　operations　in　gambling。
　
　The　most　interesting　thing　Michael　Corleone　learned；　in　going　back　over　past　transactions　of　the　Corleone　Family；　was　that　the　Family　had　received　some　protection　ine　shortly　after　the　war　from　a　group　of　music　record　counterfeiters。　The　counterfeiters　duplicated　and　sold　phonograph　records　of　famous　artists；　packaging　everything　so　skillfully　they　were　never　caught。　Naturally　on　the　records　they　sold　to　stores　the　artists　and　original　production　pany　received　not　a　penny。　Michael　Corleone　noticed　that　Johnny　Fontane　had　lost　a　lot　of　money　owing　to　this　counterfeiting　because　at　that　time；　just　before　he　lost　his　voice；　his　records　were　the　most　popular　in　the　country。
　
　He　asked　Tom　Hagen　about　it。　Why　did　the　Don　allow　the　counterfeiters　to　cheat　his　godson？　Hagen　shrugged。　Business　was　business。　Besides；　Johnny　was　in　the　Don's　bad　graces；　Johnny　having　divorced　his　childhood　sweetheart　to　marry　Margot　Ashton。　This　had　displeased　the　Don　greatly。
　
　〃How　e　these　guys　stopped　their　operation？〃　Michael　asked。　〃The　cops　got　on　to　them？〃
　
　Hagen　shook　his　head。　〃The　Don　withdrew　his　protection。　That　was　right　after　Connie's　wedding。〃
　
　It　was　a　pattern　he　was　to　see　often；　the　Don　helping　those　in　misfortune　whose　misfortune　he　had　partly　created。　Not　perhaps　out　of　cunning　or　planning　but　because　of　his　variety　of　interests　or　perhaps　because　of　the　nature　of　the　universe；　the　interlinking　of　good　and　evil；　natural　of　itself。
　
　Michael　had　married　Kay　up　in　New　England；　a　quiet　wedding；　with　only　her　family　and　a　few　of　her　friends　present。　Then　they　had　moved　into　one　of　the　houses　on　the　mall　in　Long　Beach。　Michael　was　surprised　at　how　well　Kay　got　along　with　his　parents　and　the　other　people　living　on　the　mall。　And　of　course　she　had　gotten　pregnant　right　away；　like　a　good；　old…style　Italian　wife　was　supposed　to；　and　that　helped。　The　second　kid　on　the　way　in　two　years　was　just　icing。
　
　Kay　would　be　waiting　for　him　at　the　airport；　she　always　came　to　meet　him；　she　was　always　so　glad　when　he　came　back　from　a　trip。　And　he　was　too。　Except　now。　For　the　end　of　this　trip　meant　that　he　finally　had　to　take　the　action　he　had　been　groomed　for　over　the　last　three　years。　The　Don　would　be　waiting　for　him。　The　caporegimes　would　be　waiting　for　him。　And　he；　Michael　Corleone；　would　have　to　give　the　orders；　make　the　decisions　which　would　decide　his　and　his　Family's　fate。
　
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　Every　morning　when　Kay　Adams　Corleone　got　up　to　take　care　of　the　baby's　early　feeding；　she　saw　Mama　Corleone；　the　Don's　wife；　being　driven　away　from　the　mall　by　one　of　the　bodyguards；　to　return　an　hour　later。　Kay　soon　learned　that　her　mother…in…law　went　to　church　every　single　morning。　Often　on　her　return；　the　old　woman　stopped　by　for　morning　coffee　and　to　see　her　new　grandchild。
　
　Mama　Corleone　always　started　off　by　asking　Kay　why　she　didn't　think　of　being　a　Catholic；　ignoring　the　fact　that　Kay's　child　had　already　been　baptized　a　Protestant。　So　Kay　felt　it　was　proper　to　ask　the　old　woman　why　she　went　to　church　every　morning；　whether　that　was　a　necessary　part　of　being　a　Catholic。
　
　As　if　she　thought　that　this　might　have　stopped　Kay　from　converting　the　old　woman　said；　〃Oh；　no；　no；　some　Catholics　only　go　to　church　on　Easter　and　Christmas。　You　go　when　you　feel　like　going。〃
　
　Kay　laughed。　〃Then　why　do　you　go　every　single　morning？〃
　
　In　a　pletely　natural　way；　Mama　Corleone　said；　〃I　go　for　my　husband；〃　she　pointed　down　toward　the　floor；　〃so　he　don't　go　down　there。〃　She　paused。　〃I　say　prayers　for　his　soul　every　day　so　he　go　up　there。〃　She　pointed　heavenward。　She　said　this　with　an　impish　smile；　as　if　she　were　subverting　her　husband's　will　in　some　way；　or　as　if　it　were　a　losing　cause。　It　was　said　jokingly　almost；　in　her　grim；　Italian；　old　crone　fashion。　And　as　always　when　her　husband　was　not　present；　there　was　an　attitude　of　disrespect　to　the　great　Don。
　
　〃How　is　your　husband　feeling？〃　Kay　asked　politely。
　
　Mama　Corleone　shrugged。　〃He's　not　the　same　man　since　they　shot　him。　He　lets　Michael　do　all　the　work；　he　just　plays　the　fool　with　his　garden；　his　peppers；　his　tomatoes。　As　if　he　were　some　peasant　still。　But　men　are　always　like　that。〃
　
　Later　in　the　morning　Connie　Corleone　would　walk　across　the　mall　with　her　two　children　to　pay　Kay　a　visit　and　chat。　Kay　liked　Connie；　her　vivaciousness；　her　obvious　fondness　for　her　brother　Michael。　Connie　had　taught　Kay　how　to　cook　some　Italian　dishes　but　sometimes　brought　her　own　more　expert　concoctions　over　for　Michael　to　 taste。
　
　Now　this　morning　as　she　usually　did；　she　asked　Kay　what　Michael　thou