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

Woltz let the doctor give him a very mild sedation. It helped him calm down again and to think sensibly. What really shocked him was the casualness with which this man Corleone had ordered the destruction of a world-famous horse worth six hundred thousand dollars. Six hundred thousand dollars! And that was just for openers. Woltz shuddered. He thought of this life he had built up. He was rich. He could have the most beautiful women in the world by crooking his finger and promising a contract. He was received by kings and queens. He lived a life as perfect as money and power could make it. It was crazy to risk all this because of a whim. Maybe he could get to Corleone. What was the legal penalty for killing a racehorse? He laughed wildly and his doctor and servants watched him with nervous anxiety. Another thought occurred to him. He would be the laughingstock of California merely because someone had contemptuously defied his power in such arrogant fashion. That decided him. That and the thought that maybe, maybe they wouldnтАЩt kill him. That they had something much more clever and painful in reserve.

Woltz gave the necessary orders. His personal confidential staff swung into action. The servants and the doctor were sworn to secrecy on pain of incurring the studioтАЩs and WoltzтАЩs undying enmity. Word was given to the press that the racehorse Khartoum had died of an illness contracted during his shipment from England. Orders were given to bury the remains in a secret place on the estate.

Six hours later Johnny Fontane received a phone call from the executive producer of the film telling him to report for work the following Monday.



That evening, Hagen went to the DonтАЩs house to prepare him for the important meeting the next day with Virgil Sollozzo. The Don had summoned his eldest son to attend, and Sonny Corleone, his heavy Cupid-shaped face drawn with fatigue, was sipping at a glass of water. He must still be humping that maid of honor, Hagen thought. Another worry.

Don Corleone settled into an armchair puffing his Di Nobili cigar. Hagen kept a box of them in his room. He had tried to get the Don to switch to Havanas but the Don claimed they hurt his throat.

тАЬDo we know everything necessary for us to know?тАЭ the Don asked.

Hagen opened the folder that held his notes. The notes were in no way incriminating, merely cryptic reminders to make sure he touched on every important detail. тАЬSollozzo is coming to us for help,тАЭ Hagen said. тАЬHe will ask the family to put up at least a million dollars and to promise some sort of immunity from the law. For that we get a piece of the action, nobody knows how much. Sollozzo is vouched for by the Tattaglia family and they may have a piece of the action. The action is narcotics. Sollozzo has the contacts in Turkey, where they grow the poppy. From there he ships to Sicily. No trouble. In Sicily he has the plant to process into heroin. He has safety-valve operations to bring it down to morphine and bring it up to heroin if necessary. But it would seem that the processing plant in Sicily is protected in every way. The only hitch is bringing it into this country, and then distribution. Also initial capital. A million dollars cash doesnтАЩt grow on trees.тАЭ Hagen saw Don Corleone grimace. The old man hated unnecessary flourishes in business matters. He went on hastily.

тАЬThey call Sollozzo the Turk. Two reasons. HeтАЩs spent a lot of time in Turkey and is supposed to have a Turkish wife and kids. Second. HeтАЩs supposed to be very quick with the knife, of was, when he was young. Only in matters of business, though, and with some sort of reasonable complaint. A very competent man and his own boss. He has a record, heтАЩs done two terms in prison, one in Italy, one in the United States, and heтАЩs known to the authorities as a narcotics man. This could be a plus for us. It means that heтАЩll neveblqut immunity to testify, since heтАЩs considered the top and, of course, because of his record. Also he has an American wife and three children and he is a good family man. HeтАЩll stand still for any rap as long as he knows that they will be well taken care of for living money.тАЭ

The Don puffed on his cigar and said, тАЬSantino, what do you think?тАЭ

Hagen knew what Sonny would say. Sonny was chafing at being under the DonтАЩs thumb. He wanted a big operation of his own. Something like this would be perfect.

Sonny took a long slug of scotch. тАЬThereтАЩs a lot of money in that white powder,тАЭ he said. тАЬBut it could be dangerous. Some people could wind up in jail for twenty years. IтАЩd say that if we kept out of the operations end, just stuck to protection and financing, it might be a good idea.тАЭ

Hagen looked at Sonny approvingly. He had played his cards well. He had stuck to the obvious, much the best course for him.

The Don puffed on his cigar. тАЬAnd you, Tom, what do you think?тАЭ

Hagen composed himself to be absolutely honest. He had already come to the conclusion that the Don would refuse SollozzoтАЩs proposition. But what was worse, Hagen was convinced that for one of the few times in his experience, the Don had not thought things through. He was not looking far enough ahead.

тАЬGo ahead, Tom,тАЭ the Don said encouragingly. тАЬNot even a Sicilian Consigliere always agrees with the boss.тАЭ They all laughed.

тАЬI think you should say yes,тАЭ Hagen said. тАЬYou know all the obvious reasons. But the most important one is this. There is more money potential in narcotics than in any other business. If we donтАЩt get into it, somebody else will, maybe the Tattaglia family. With the revenue they earn they can amass more and more police and political power. Their family will become stronger than ours. Eventually they will come after us to take away what we have. ItтАЩs just like countries. If they arm, we have to arm. If they become stronger economically, they become a threat to us. Now we have the gambling and we have the unions and right now they are the best things to have. But I think narcotics is the coming thing. I think we have to have a piece of that action or we risk everything we have. Not now, but maybe ten years from now.тАЭ

The Don seemed enormously impressed. He puffed on his cigar and murmured, тАЬThatтАЩs the most important thing of course.тАЭ He sighed and got to his feet. тАЬWhat time do I have to meet this infidel tomorrow?тАЭ

Hagen said hopefully, тАЬHeтАЩll be here at ten in the morning.тАЭ Maybe the Don would go for it.

тАЬIтАЩll want you both here with me,тАЭ the Don said. He rose, stretching, and took his son by the arm. тАЬSantino, get some sleep tonight, you look like the devil himself. Take care of yourself, you wonтАЩt be young forever.тАЭ

Sonny, encouraged by this sign of fatherly concern, asked the question Hagen did not dare to ask. тАЬPop, whatтАЩs your answer going to be?тАЭ

Don Corleone smiled. тАЬHow do I know until I hear the percentages and other details? Besides I have to have time to think over the advice given here tonight. After all, IтАЩm not a man who does things rashly.тАЭ As he went out the door he said casually to Hagen, тАЬDo you have in your notes that the Turk made his living from prostitution before the war? As the Tattaglia family does now. Write that down before you forget.тАЭ There was just a touch of derision in the DonтАЩs voice and Hagen flushed. He had deliberately not mentioned it, legitimately so since it really had no bearing, but he had feared it might prejudice the DonтАЩs decision. He was notoriously straitlaced in matters of sex.



Virgil тАЬthe TurkтАЭ Sollozzo was a powerfully built, medium-sized man of dark complexion who could have been taken for a true Turk. He had a scimitar of a nose and cruel black eyes. He also had an impressive dignity.

Sonny Corleone met him at the door and brought him into the office where Hagen and the Don waited. Hagen thought he had never seen a more dangerous-looking man except for Luca Brasi.