mp.godfather-第94节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


t　this　car　rode　behind　the　limousine　until　it　reached　Long　Beach。
　
　Kay　never　asked　Michael　how　his　business　had　gone。　Even　such　polite　questions　were　understood　to　be　awkward；　not　that　he　wouldn't　give　her　an　equally　polite　answer；　but　it　would　remind　them　both　of　the　forbidden　territory　their　marriage　could　never　include。　Kay　didn't　mind　anymore。　But　when　Michael　told　her　he　would　have　to　spend　the　evening　with　his　father　to　tell　him　about　the　Vegas　trip；　she　couldn't　help　making　a　little　frown　of　disappointment。
　
　〃I'm　sorry；〃　Michael　said。　〃Tomorrow　night　we'll　go　into　New　York　and　see　a　show　and　have　dinner；　OK？〃　He　patted　her　stomach；　she　was　almost　seven　months　pregnant。　〃After　the　kid　es　you'll　be　tied　down　again。　Hell；　you're　more　Italian　than　Yankee。　Two　kids　in　two　years。〃
　
　Kay　said　tartly；　〃And　you're　more　Yankee　than　Italian。　Your　first　evening　home　and　you　spend　it　on　business。〃　But　she　smiled　at　him　when　she　said　it。　〃You　won't　be　home　late？〃
　
　〃Before　midnight；〃　Michael　said。　〃Don't　wait　up　for　me　if　you　feel　tired。〃
　
　〃I'll　wait　up；〃　Kay　said。
　
　**********
　
　At　the　meeting　that　night；　in　the　corner　room　library　of　Don　Corleone's　house；　were　the　Don　himself；　Michael；　Tom　Hagen；　Carlo　Rizzi；　and　the　two　caporegimes；　Clemenza　and　Tessio。
　
　The　atmosphere　of　the　meeting　was　by　no　means　so　congenial　as　in　former　days。　Ever　since　Don　Corleone　had　announced　his　semiretirement　and　Michael's　take…over　of　the　Family　business；　there　had　been　some　strain。　Succession　in　control　of　such　an　enterprise　as　the　Family　was　by　no　means　hereditary。　In　any　other　Family　powerful　caporegimes　such　as　Clemenza　and　Tessio　might　have　succeeded　to　the　position　of　Don。　Or　at　least　they　might　have　been　allowed　to　split　off　and　form　their　own　Family。
　
　Then；　too；　ever　since　Don　Corleone　had　made　the　peace　with　the　Five　Families；　the　strength　of　the　Corleone　Family　had　declined。　The　Barzini　Family　was　now　indisputably　the　most　powerful　one　in　the　New　York　area；　allied　as　they　were　to　the　Tattaglias；　they　now　held　the　position　the　Corleone　Family　had　once　held。　Also　they　were　slyly　whittling　down　the　power　of　the　Corleone　Family；　muscling　into　their　gambling　areas；　testing　the　Corleones'　reactions　and；　finding　them　weak；　establishing　their　own　bookmakers。
　
　The　Barzinis　and　Tattaglias　were　delighted　with　the　Don's　retirement。　Michael；　formidable　as　he　might　prove　to　be；　could　never　hope　to　equal　the　Don　in　cunning　and　influence　for　at　least　another　decade。　The　Corleone　Family　was　definitely　in　a　decline。
　
　It　had；　of　course；　suffered　serious　misfortunes。　Freddie　had　proved　to　be　nothing　more　than　an　innkeeper　and　ladies'　man；　the　idiom　for　ladies'　man　untranslatable　but　connotating　a　greedy　infant　always　at　its　mother's　nipple…　in　short；　unmanly。　Sonny's　death　too；　had　been　a　disaster。　Sonny　had　been　a　man　to　be　feared；　not　to　be　taken　lightly。　Of　course　he　had　made　a　mistake　in　sending　his　younger　brother；　Michael；　to　kill　the　Turk　and　the　police　captain。　Though　necessary　in　a　tactical　sense；　as　a　long…term　strategy　it　proved　to　be　a　serious　error。　It　had　forced　the　Don；　eventually；　to　rise　from　his　sickbed。　It　had　deprived　Michael　of　two　years　of　valuable　experience　and　training　under　his　father's　tutelage。　And　of　course　an　Irish　as　a　Consigliere　had　been　the　only　foolishness　the　Don　had　ever　perpetrated。　No　Irishman　could　hope　to　equal　a　Sicilian　for　cunning。　So　went　the　opinion　of　all　the　Families　and　they　were　naturally　more　respectful　to　the　Barzini…Tattaglia　alliance　than　to　the　Corleones。　Their　opinion　of　Michael　was　that　he　was　not　equal　to　Sonny　in　force　though　more　intelligent　certainly；　but　not　as　intelligent　as　his　father。　A　mediocre　successor　and　a　man　not　to　be　feared　too　greatly。
　
　Also；　though　the　Don　was　generally　admired　for　his　statesmanship　in　making　the　peace；　the　fact　that　he　had　not　avenged　Sonny's　murder　lost　the　Family　a　great　deal　of　respect。　It　was　recognized　that　such　statesmanship　sprang　out　of　weakness。
　
　All　this　was　known　to　the　men　sitting　in　the　room　and　perhaps　even　believed　by　a　few。　Carlo　Rizzi　liked　Michael　but　did　not　fear　him　as　he　had　feared　Sonny。　Clemenza；　too；　though　he　gave　Michael　credit　for　a　bravura　performance　with　the　Turk　and　the　police　captain；　could　not　help　thinking　Michael　too　soft　to　be　a　Don。　Clemenza　had　hoped　to　be　glven　permission　to　form　his　own　Family；　to　have　his　own　empire　split　away　from　the　Corleone。　But　the　Don　had　indicated　that　this　was　not　to　be　and　Clemenza　respected　the　Don　too　much　to　disobey。　Unless　of　course　the　whole　situation　became　intolerable。
　
　Tessio　had　a　better　opinion　of　Michael。　He　sensed　something　else　in　the　young　man：　a　force　cleverly　kept　hidden；　a　man　jealously　guarding　his　true　strength　from　public　gaze；　following　the　Don's　precept　that　a　friend　should　always　underestimate　your　virtues　and　an　enemy　overestimate　your　faults。
　
　The　Don　himself　and　Tom　Hagen　were　of　course　under　no　illusions　about　Michael。　The　Don　would　never　have　retired　if　he　had　not　had　absolute　faith　in　his　son's　ability　to　retrieve　the　Family　position。　Hagen　had　been　Michael's　teacher　for　the　last　two　years　and　was　amazed　at　how　quickly　Michael　grasped　all　the　intricacies　of　the　Family　business。　Truly　his　father's　son。
　
　Clemenza　and　Tessio　were　annoyed　with　Michael　because　he　had　reduced　the　strength　of　their　regimes　and　had　never　reconstituted　Sonny's　regime。　The　Corleone　Family；　in　effect；　had　now　only　two　fighting　divisions　with　less　personnel　than　formerly。　Clemenza　and　Tessio　considered　this　suicidal；　especially　with　the　Barzini…Tattaglia　encroachments　on　their　empires。　So　now　they　were　hopeful　these　errors　might　be　corrected　at　this　extraordinary　meeting　convened　by　the　Don。
　
　Michael　started　off　by　telling　them　about　his　trip　to　Vegas　and　Moe　Greene's　refusing　the　offer　to　buy　him　out。　〃But　we'll　make　him　an　offer　he　can't　refuse；〃　Michael　said。　〃You　already　know　the　Corleone　Family　plans　to　move　its　operations　West。　We'll　have　four　of　the　hotel　casinos　on　the　Strip。　But　it　can't　be　right　away。　We　need　time　to　get　things　straightened　out。〃　He　spoke　directly　to　Clemenza。　〃Pete；　you　and　Tessio；　I　want　you　to　go　along　with　me　for　a　year　without　questioning　and　without　reservations。　At　the　end　of　that　year；　both　of　you　can　split　off　from　the　Corleone　Family　and　be　your　own　bosses；　have　your　own　Families。　Of　course　it　goes　without　saying　we'd　maintain　our　friendship；　I　wouldn't　insult　you　and　your　respect　for　my　father　by　thinking　otherwise　for　a　minute。　But　up　until　that　time　l　want　you　just　to　follow　my　lead　and　don't　worry。　There　are　negotiations　going　on　that　will　solve　problems　that　you　think　are　not　solvable。　So　just　be　a　little　patient。〃
　
　Tessio　spoke　up。　〃If　Moe　Greene　wanted　to　talk　to　your　father；　why　not　let　him？　The　Don　could　always　persuade　anybody；　there　was　never　anyone　who　could　stand　up　to　his　reasonableness。〃
　
　The　Don　answered　this　directly。　〃I've　retired；　Michael　would　lose　respect　if　I　interfered。　And　besides　that's　a　man　I'd　rather　not　talk　to。〃
　
　Tessio　remembered　the　stories　he'd　heard　about　Moe　Greene　slapping　Freddie　Corleone　around　one　night　in　the　Vegas　hotel。　He　began　to　smell　a　rat。　He　leaned　back。　Moe　Greene　was　a　dead　man；　he　thought。　The　Corleone　Family　did　not　wish　to　persuade　him。
　
　Carlo　Rizzi　spoke　up。　〃Is　the　Corleone　Family　going　to　stop　operating　in　New　York　altogether？〃
　
　Michael　nodded。　〃We're　selling　the　olive　oil　business。　Everything　we　can；　we　turn　over　to　Tessio　and　Clemenza。　But；　Carlo；　I　don't　want　you　to　worry　about　your　job。　You　grew　up　in　Nevada；　you　know　the　state；　you　know　the　people。　I'm　counting　on　you　being　my　right…hand　man　when　we　make　our　move　out　there。〃
　
　Carlo　leaned　back；　his　face　flushed　with　gratification。　His　time　was　ing；　he　would　move　in　the　constellations　of　power。
　Michael　went　on。　〃Tom　Hagen　is　no　longer　the　Consigliere。　He's　going　to　be　our　lawyer　in　Vegas。　In　about　two　months　he'll　move　out　there　permanently　with　his　family。　Strictly　as　a　lawyer。　Nobody　goes　to　him　with　any　other　business　as　of　now；　this　minute。　He's　a　lawyer　and　that's　all。　No　reflection　on　Tom。　That's　the　way　I　want　it。　Besides；　if　I　ever　need　any　advice；　who's　a　better　counselor　than　my　father？〃　They　all　laughed。　But　they　had　gotten　the　message　despite　the　joke。　Tom　Hagen　was　out；　he　no　longer　held　any　power。　They　all　took　their　fleeting　glances　to　check　Hagen's　reaction　but　his　face　was　impassive。
　
　Clemenza　spoke　up　in　his　fat　man's　wheeze。　〃Then　in　a　year's　time　we're　on　our　own；　is　that　it？〃
　
　〃Maybe　less；〃　Michael　said　courteously。　〃Of　course　you　can　always　remain　part　of　the　Family；　that's　your　choice。　But　most　of　our　strength　will　be　out　West　and　maybe　you'd　do　better　organized　on　your　own。〃
　
　Tessio　said　quietly；　〃In　that　case　I　think　you　should　give　us　permission　to　recruit　new　men　for　our　regimes。　Those　Barzini　bastards　keep　chiseling　in　on　my　territory。　I　think　maybe　it　would　be　wise　to　teach　them　a　little　lesson　in　manners。〃
　
　Michael　shook　his　head。　〃No。　No　good。　Just　stay　still。　All　that　stuff　will　be　negotiated；　everything　will　be　straightened　out　before　we　leave。〃
　
　Tessio　was　not　to　be　so　easil