"The Godfather" - читать интересную книгу автора (Mario Puzo)

Surprisingly Woltz proved to be a truly considerate host. He explained his new methods, innovations that he hoped would make his stable the most successful in America. The stables were all fire-proofed, sanitized to the highest degree, and guarded by a special security detail of private detectives. Finally Woltz led him to a stall which had a huge bronze plaque attached to its outside wall. On the plaque was the name тАЬKhartoum.тАЭ

The horse inside the stall was, even to HagenтАЩs inexperienced eyes, a beautiful animal. KhartoumтАЩs skin was jet black except for a diamond-shaped white patch on his huge forehead. The great brown eyes glinted like golden apples, the black skin over the taut body was silk. Woltz said with childish pride, тАЬThe greatest racehorse in the world. I bought him in England last year for six hundred grand. I bet even the Russian Czars never paid that much for a single horse. But IтАЩm not going to race him, IтАЩm going to put him to stud. IтАЩm going to build the greatest racing stable this country has ever known.тАЭ He stroked the horseтАЩs mane and called out softly, тАЬKhartoum, Khartoum.тАЭ There was real love in his voice and the animal responded. Woltz said to Hagen, тАЬIтАЩm a good horseman, you know, and the first time I ever rode I was fifty years old.тАЭ He laughed. тАЬMaybe one of my grandmothers in Russia got raped by a Cossack and I got his blood.тАЭ He tickled KhartoumтАЩs belly and said with sincere admiration, тАЬLook at that cock on him. I should have such a cock.тАЭ

They went back to the mansion to have dinner. It was served by three waiters under the command of a butler, the table linen and ware were all gold thread and silver, but Hagen found the food mediocre. Woltz obviously lived alone, and just as obviously was not a man who cared about food. Hagen waited until they had both lit up huge Havana cigars before he asked Woltz, тАЬDoes Johnny get it or not?тАЭ

тАЬI canтАЩt,тАЭ Woltz said. тАЬI canтАЩt put Johnny into that picture even if I wanted to. The contracts are all signed for all the performers and the cameras roll next week. ThereтАЩs no way I can swing it.тАЭ

Hagen said impatiently, тАЬMr. Woltz, the big advantage of dealing with a man at the top is that such an excuse is not valid. You can do anything you want to do.тАЭ He puffed on his cigar. тАЬDonтАЩt you believe my client can keep his promises?тАЭ

Woltz said dryly, тАЬI believe that IтАЩm going to have labor trouble. Goff called me up on that, the son of a bitch, and the way he talked to me youтАЩd never guess I pay him a hundred grand a year under the table. And I believe you can get that fag he-man star of mine off heroin. But I donтАЩt care about that and I can finance my own pictures. Because I hate that bastard Fontane. Tell your boss this is one favor I canтАЩt give but that he should try me again on anything else. Anything at all.тАЭ

Hagen thought, you sneaky bastard, then why the hell did you bring me all the way out here? The producer had something on his mind. Hagen said coldly, тАЬI donтАЩt think you understand the situation. Mr. Corleone is Johnny FontaneтАЩs godfather. That is a very close, a very sacred religious relationship.тАЭ Woltz bowed his head in respect at this reference to religion. Hagen went on. тАЬItalians have a little joke, that the world is so hard a man must have two fathers to look after him, and thatтАЩs why they have godfathers. Since JohnnyтАЩs father died, Mr. Corleone feels his responsibility even more deeply. As for trying you again, Mr. Corleone is much too sensitive. He never asks a second favor where he has been refused the first.тАЭ

Woltz shrugged. тАЬIтАЩm sorry. The answer is still no. But since youтАЩre here, what will it cost me to have that labor trouble cleared up? In cash. Right now.тАЭ

That solved one puzzle for Hagen. Why Woltz was putting in so much time on him when he had already decided not to give Johnny the part. And that could not be changed at this meeting. Woltz felt secure; he was not afraid of the power of Don Corleone. And certainly Woltz with his national political connections, his acquaintanceship with the FBI chief, his huge personal fortune and his absolute power in the film industry, could not feel threatened by Don Corleone. To any intelligent man, even to Hagen, it seemed that Woltz had correctly assessed his position. He was impregnable to the Don if he was willing to take the losses the labor struggle would cost. There was only one thing wrong with the whole equation. Don Corleone had promised his godson he would get the part and Don Corleone had never, to HagenтАЩs knowledge, broken his word in such matters.

Hagen said quietly, тАЬYou are deliberately misunderstanding me. You are trying to make me an accomplice to extortion. Mr. Corleone promises only to speak in your favor on this labor trouble as a matter of friendship in return for your speaking in behalf of his client. A friendly exchange. of influence, nothing more. But I can see you donтАЩt take me seriously. Personally, I think that is a mistake.тАЭ

Woltz, as if he had been waiting for such a moment, let himself get angry. тАЬI understood perfectly,тАЭ he said. тАЬThatтАЩs the Mafia style, isnтАЩt is? All olive oil and sweet talk when what youтАЩre really doing is/making threats. So let me lay it on the line. Johnny Fontane will never get that part and heтАЩs perfect for it. It would make him a great star. But he never will be because I hate that pinko punk and IтАЩm going to run him out of the movies. And IтАЩll tell you why. He ruined one of my most valuable prot├йg├йes. For five years I had this girl under training, singing, dancing, acting lessons, I spent hundreds of thousands of dollars. I was going to make her a star. IтАЩll be even more frank, just to show you that IтАЩm not a hard-hearted man, that it wasnтАЩt all dollars and cents. That girl was beautiful and she was the greatest piece of ass IтАЩve ever had and IтАЩve had them allover the world. She could suck you out like a water pump. Then Johnny comes along with that olive-oil voice and guinea charm and she runs off. She threw it all away just to make me ridiculous. A man in my position, Mr. Hagen, canтАЩt afford to look ridiculous. I have to pay Johnny off.тАЭ

For the first time, Woltz succeeded in astounding Hagen. He found it inconceivable that a grown man of substance would let such trivialities affect his judgment in an affair of business, and one of such importance. In HagenтАЩs world, the CorleonesтАЩ world, the physical beauty, the sexual power of women, carried not the slightest weight in worldly matters. It was a private affair, except, of course, in matters of marriage and family disgrace. Hagen decided to make one last try.

тАЬYou are absolutely right, Mr. Woltz,тАЭ Hagen said. тАЬBut are your grievances that major? I donтАЩt think youтАЩve understood how important this very small favor is to my client. Mr. Corleone held the infant Johnny in his arms when he was baptized. When JohnnyтАЩs father died, Mr. Corleone assumed the duties of parenthood, indeed he is called тАШGodfatherтАЩ by many, many people who wish to show their respect and gratitude for the help he has given them. Mr. Corleone never lets his friends down.тАЭ

Woltz stood up abruptly. тАЬIтАЩve listened to about enough. Thugs donтАЩt give me orders, I give them orders. If I pick up this phone, youтАЩll spend the night in jail. And if that Mafia goombah tries any rough stuff, heтАЩll find out IтАЩm not a band leader. Yeah, I heard that story too. Listen, your Mr. Corleone will never know what hit him. Even if I have to use my influence at the White House.тАЭ

The stupid, stupid son of a bitch. How the hell did he get to be a pezzonovante, Hagen wondered. Advisor to the President, head of the biggest movie studio in the world. Definitely the Don should get into the movie business. And the guy was taking his words at their sentimental face value. He was not getting the message.

тАЬThank you for the dinner and a pleasant evening,тАЭ Hagen said. тАЬCould you give me transportation to the airport? I donтАЩt think IтАЩll spend the night.тАЭ He smiled coldly at Woltz. тАЬMr. Corleone is a man who insists on hearing bad news at once.тАЭ

While waiting in the floodlit colonnade of the mansion for his car, Hagen saw two women about to enter a long limousine already parked in the driveway. They were the beautiful twelve-year-old blond girl and her mother he had seen in WoltzтАЩs office that morning. But now the girlтАЩs exquisitely cut mouth seemed to have smeared into a thick, pink mass. Her sea-blue eyes were filmed over and when she walked down the steps toward the open car her long legs tottered like a crippled foalтАЩs. Her mother supported the child, helping her into the car, hissing commands into her ear. The motherтАЩs head turned for a quick furtive look at Hagen and he saw in her eyes a burning, hawk-like triumph. Then she too disappeared into the limousine.

So that was why he hadnтАЩt got the plane ride from Los Angeles, Hagen thought. The girl and her mother had made the trip with the movie producer. That had given Woltz enough time to relax before dinner and do the job on the little kid. And Johnny wanted to live in this world? Good luck to him, and good luck to Woltz.



Paulie Gatto hated quickie jobs, especially when they involved violence. He liked to plan things ahead. And something like tonight, even though it was punk stuff, could turn into serious business if somebody made a mistake. Now, sipping his beer, he glanced around, checking how the two young punks were making out with the two little tramps at the bar.

Paulie Gatto knew everything there was to know about those two punks. Their names were Jerry Wagner and Kevin Moonan. They were both about twenty years old, good-looking, brown-haired, tall, well-built. Both were due to go back to college out of town in two weeks, both had fathers with political influence and this, with their college student classification, had so far kept them out of the draft. They were both also under suspended sentences for assaulting the daughter of Amerigo Bonasera. The lousy bastards, Paulie Gatto thought. Draft dodging, violating their probation by drinking in a bar after midnight, chasing floozies. Young punks. Paulie Gatto had been deferred from the draft himself because his doctor had furnished the draft board with documents showing that this patient, male, white, aged twenty-six, unmarried, had received electrical shock treatments for a mental condition. All false, of course, but Paulie Gatto felt that he had earned his draft exemption. It had been arranged by Clemenza after Gatto had тАЬmade his bonesтАЭ in the family business.

It was Clemenza who had told him that this job must be rushed through, before the boys went to college. Why the hell did it have to be done in New York, Gatto wondered. Clemenza was always giving extra orders instead of just giving out the job. Now if those two little tramps walked out with the punks it would be another night wasted.

He could hear one of the girls laughing and saying, тАЬ Are you crazy, Jerry? IтАЩm not going in any car with you. I donтАЩt want to wind up in the hospital like that other poor girl.тАЭ Her voice was spitefully rich with satisfaction. That was enough for Gat to. He finished up his beer and walked out into the dark street. Perfect. It was after midnight. There was only one other bar that showed light. The rest of the stores were closed. The precinct patrol car had been taken care of by Clemenza. They wouldnтАЩt be around that way until they got a radio call and then theyтАЩd come slow.

He leaned against the four-door Chevy sedan. In the back seat two men were sitting, almost invisible, although they were very big men. Paulie said, тАЬTake them when they come out.тАЭ

He still thought it had all been set up too fast. Clemenza had given him copies of the police mug shots of the two punks, the dope on where the punks went drinking every night to pick up bar girls. Paulie had recruited two of the strong-arms in the family and fingered the punks for them. He had also given them their instructions. No blows on the top or the back of the head, there was to be no accidental fatality. Other than that they could go as far as they liked. He had given them only one warning: тАЬIf those punks get out of the hospital in less than a month, you guys go back to driving trucks.тАЭ