mp.godfather-第96节

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l　after　I　couldn't　find　anything　I　really　liked。〃　Kay　smiled　her　thanks；　understood　immediately　that　she　was　to　tell　Michael　this　fine　tale。　She　was　on　her　way　to　being　a　Sicilian。
　
　Also　during　that　year；　Nino　Valenti　died　of　a　cerebral　hemorrhage。　His　death　made　the　front　pages　of　the　tabloids　because　the　movie　Johnny　Fontane　had　featured　him　in　had　opened　a　few　weeks　before　and　was　a　smash　hit；　establishing　Nino　as　a　major　star。　The　papers　mentioned　that　Johnny　Fontane　was　handling　the　funeral　arrangements；　that　the　funeral　would　be　private；　only　family　and　close　friends　to　attend。　One　sensational　story　even　claimed　that　in　an　interview　Johnny　Fontane　had　blamed　himself　for　his　friend's　death；　that　he　should　have　forced　his　friend　to　place　himself　under　medical　care；　but　the　reporter　made　it　sound　like　the　usual　self…reproach　of　the　sensitive　but　innocent　bystander　to　a　tragedy。　Johnny　Fontane　had　made　his　childhood　friend；　Nino　Valenti；　a　movie　star　and　what　more　could　a　friend　do？
　
　No　member　of　the　Corleone　Family　attended　the　California　funeral　except　Freddie。　Lucy　and　Jules　Segal　attended。　The　Don　himself　had　wanted　to　go　to　California　but　had　suffered　a　slight　heart　attack；　which　kept　him　in　his　bed　for　a　month。　He　sent　a　huge　floral　wreath　instead。　Albert　Neri　was　also　sent　West　as　the　official　representative　of　the　Family。
　
　Two　days　after　Nino's　funeral；　Moe　Greene　was　shot　to　death　in　the　Hollywood　home　of　his　movie…star　mistress；　Albert　Neri　did　not　reappear　in　New　York　until　almost　a　month　later。　He　had　taken　his　vacation　in　the　Caribbean　and　returned　to　duty　tanned　almost　black。　Michael　Corleone　weled　him　with　a　smile　and　a　few　words　of　praise；　which　included　the　information　that　Neri　would　from　then　on　receive　an　extra　〃living；〃　the　Family　ine　from　an　East　Side　〃book〃　considered　especially　rich。　Neri　was　content；　satisfied　that　he　lived　in　a　world　that　properly　rewarded　a　man　who　did　his　duty。
　
　Book　eight
　
　Chapter　29
　
　Michael　Corleone　had　taken　precautions　against　every　eventuality。　His　planning　was　faultless；　his　security　impeccable。　He　was　patient；　hoping　to　use　the　full　year　to　prepare。　But　he　was　not　to　get　his　necessary　year　because　fate　itself　took　a　stand　against　him；　and　in　the　most　surprising　fashion。　For　it　was　the　Godfather；　the　great　Don　himself；　who　failed　Michael　Corleone。
　
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　On　one　sunny　Sunday　morning；　while　the　women　were　at　church；　Don　Vito　Corleone　dressed　in　his　gardening　uniform：　baggy　gray　trousers；　a　faded　blue　shirt；　battered　dirty…brown　fedora　decorated　by　a　stained　gray　silk　hatband。　The　Don　had　gained　considerable　weight　in　his　few　years　and　worked　on　his　tomato　vines；　he　said；　for　the　sake　of　his　health。　But　he　deceived　no　one。
　
　The　truth　was；　he　loved　tending　his　garden；　he　loved　the　sight　of　it　early　on　a　morning。　It　brought　back　his　childhood　in　Sicily　sixty　years　ago；　brought　it　back　without　the　terror；　the　sorrow　of　his　own　father's　death。　Now　the　beans　in　their　rows　grew　little　white　flowers　on　top；　strong　green　stalks　of　scallion　fenced　everything　in。　At　the　foot　of　the　garden　a　spouted　barrel　stood　guard。　It　was　filled　with　liquidy　cow　manure；　the　finest　garden　fertilizer。　Also　in　that　lower　part　of　the　garden　were　the　square　wooden　frames　he　had　built　with　his　own　hands；　the　sticks　cross…tied　with　thick　white　string。　Over　these　frames　crawled　the　tomato　vines。
　
　The　Don　hastened　to　water　his　garden。　It　must　be　done　before　the　sun　waxed　too　hot　and　turned　the　water　into　a　prism　of　fire　that　could　burn　his　lettuce　leaves　like　paper。　Sun　was　more　important　than　water；　water　also　was　important；　but　the　two；　imprudently　mixed；　could　cause　great　misfortune。
　
　The　Don　moved　through　his　garden　hunting　for　ants。　If　ants　were　present；　it　meant　that　lice　were　in　his　vegetables　and　the　ants　were　going　after　the　lice　and　he　would　have　to　spray。
　
　He　had　watered　just　in　time。　The　sun　was　being　hot　and　the　Don　thought；　〃Prudence。　Prudence。〃　But　there　were　just　a　few　more　plants　to　be　supported　by　sticks　and　he　bent　down　again。　He　would　go　back　into　the　house　when　he　finished　this　last　row。
　
　Quite　suddenly　it　felt　as　if　the　sun　had　e　down　very　close　to　his　head。　The　air　filled　with　dancing　golden　specks。　Michael's　oldest　boy　came　running　through　the　garden　toward　where　the　Don　knelt　and　the　boy　was　enveloped　by　a　yellow　shield　of　blinding　light。　But　the　Don　was　not　to　be　tricked；　he　was　too　old　a　hand。　Death　hid　behind　that　flaming　yellow　shield　ready　to　pounce　out　on　him　and　the　Don　with　a　wave　of　his　hand　warned　the　boy　away　from　his　presence。　Just　in　time。　The　sledgehammer　blow　inside　his　chest　made　him　choke　for　air。　The　Don　pitched　forward　into　the　earth。
　
　The　boy　raced　away　to　call　his　father。　Michael　Corleone　and　some　men　at　the　mall　gate　ran　to　the　garden　and　found　the　Don　lying　prone；　clutching　handfuls　of　earth。　They　lifted　the　Don　up　and　carried　him　to　the　shade　of　his　stone…flagged　patio。　Michael　knelt　beside　his　father；　holding　his　hand；　while　the　other　men　called　for　an　ambulance　and　doctor。
　
　With　a　great　effort　the　Don　opened　his　eyes　to　see　his　son　once　more。　The　massive　heart　attack　had　turned　his　ruddy　face　almost　blue。　He　was　in　extremis。　He　smelled　the　garden；　the　yellow　shield　of　light　smote　his　eyes；　and　he　whispered；　〃Life　is　so　beautiful。〃
　
　He　was　spared　the　sight　of　his　women's　tears；　dying　before　they　came　back　from　church；　dying　before　the　ambulance　arrived；　or　the　doctor。　He　died　surrounded　by　men；　holding　the　hand　of　the　son　he　had　most　loved。
　
　The　funeral　was　royal。　The　Five　Families　sent　their　Dons　and　caporegimes；　as　did　the　Tessio　and　Clemenza　Families。　Johnny　Fontane　made　the　tabloid　headlines　by　attending　the　funeral　despite　the　advice　of　Michael　not　to　appear。　Fontane　gave　a　statement　to　the　newspapers　that　Vito　Corleone　was　his　Godfather　and　the　finest　man　he　had　ever　known　and　that　he　was　honored　to　be　permitted　to　pay　his　last　respects　to　such　a　man　and　didn't　give　a　damn　who　knew　it。
　
　The　wake　was　held　in　the　house　of　the　mall；　in　the　old…fashioned　style。　Amerigo　Bonasera　had　never　done　finer　work；　had　discharged　all　obligations；　by　preparing　his　old　friend　and　Godfather　as　lovingly　as　a　mother　prepares　a　bride　for　her　wedding。　Everyone　mented　on　how　not　even　death　itself　had　been　able　to　erase　the　nobility　and　the　dignity　of　the　great　Don's　countenance　and　such　remarks　made　Amerigo　Bonasera　fill　with　knowing　pride；　a　curious　sense　of　power。　Only　he　knew　what　a　terrible　massacre　death　had　perpetrated　on　the　Don's　appearance。
　
　All　the　old　friends　and　servitors　came。　Nazorine；　his　wife；　his　daughter　and　her　husband　and　their　children；　Lucy　Mancini　came　with　Freddie　from　Las　Vegas。　Tom　Hagen　and　his　wife　and　children；　the　Dons　from　San　Francisco　and　Los　Angeles；　Boston　and　Cleveland。　Rocco　Lampone　and　Albert　Neri　were　pallbearers　with　Clemenza　and　Tessio　and；　of　course；　the　sons　of　the　Don。　The　mall　and　all　its　houses　were　filled　with　floral　wreaths。
　
　Outside　the　gates　of　the　mall　were　the　newspapermen　and　photographers　and　a　small　truck　that　was　known　to　contain　FBI　men　with　their　movie　cameras　recording　this　epic。　Some　newspapermen　who　tried　to　crash　the　funeral　inside　found　that　the　gate　and　fence　were　manned　with　security　guards　who　demanded　identification　and　an　invitation　card。　And　though　they　were　treated　with　the　utmost　courtesy；　refreshment　sent　out　to　them；　they　were　not　permitted　inside。　They　tried　to　speak　with　some　of　the　people　ing　out　but　were　met　with　stony　stares　and　not　a　syllable。
　
　Michael　Corleone　spent　most　of　the　day　in　the　corner　library　room　with　Kay；　Tom　Hagen　and　Freddie。　People　were　ushered　in　to　see　him；　to　offer　their　condolences。　Michael　received　them　with　all　courtesy　even　when　some　of　them　addressed　him　as　Godfather　or　Don　Michael；　only　Kay　noticing　his　lips　tighten　with　displeasure。
　
　Clemenza　and　Tessio　came　to　join　this　inner　circle　and　Michael　personally　served　them　with　a　drink。　There　was　some　gossip　of　business。　Michael　informed　them　that　the　mall　and　all　its　houses　were　to　be　sold　to　a　development　and　construction　pany。　At　an　enormous　profit；　still　another　proof　of　the　great　Don's　genius。
　
　They　all　understood　that　now　the　whole　empire　would　be　in　the　West。　That　the　Corleone　Family　would　liquidate　its　power　in　New　York。　Such　action　had　been　awaiting　the　retirement　or　death　of　the　Don。
　
　It　was　nearly　ten　years　since　there　had　been　such　a　celebration　of　people　in　this　house；　nearly　ten　years　since　the　wedding　of　Constanzia　Corleone　and　Carlo　Rizzi；　so　somebody　said。　Michael　walked　to　the　window　that　looked　out　on　the　garden。　That　long　time　ago　he　had　sat　in　the　garden　with　Kay　never　dreaming　that　so　curious　a　destiny　was　to　be　his。　And　his　father　dying　had　said；　〃Life　is　so　beautiful。〃　Michael　could　never　remember　his　father　ever　having　uttered　a　word　about　death；　as　if　the　Don　respected　death　too　much　to　philosophize　about　it。
　
　It　was　time　for　the　cemetery。　It　was　time　to　bury　the　great　Don。　Michael　linked　his　arm　with　Kay's　and　went　out　into　the　garden　to　join　the　host　of　mourners。　Behind　him　came　the　caporegimes　followed　by　their　soldiers　and　then　all　the　humble　people　the　God