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

Don Corleone said simply. тАЬThese are troubles I canтАЩt help you with.тАЭ He paused, then asked, тАЬWhatтАЩs the matter with your voice?тАЭ

All the assured charm, the self-mockery, disappeared from Johnny FontaneтАЩs face. He said almost brokenly, тАЬGodfather, I canтАЩt sing anymore, something happened to my throat, the doctors donтАЩt know what.тАЭ Hagen and the Don looked at him with surprise, Johnny had always been so tough. Fontane went on. тАЬMy two pictures made a lot of money. I was a big star. Now they throw me out. The head of the studio always hated my guts and now heтАЩs paying me off.тАЭ

Don Corleone stood before his godson and asked grimly, тАЬWhy doesnтАЩt this man like you?тАЭ

тАЬI used to sing those songs for the liberal organizations, you know, all that stuff you never liked me to do. Well, Jack Woltz didnтАЩt like it either. He called me a Communist, but he couldnтАЩt make it stick. Then I snatched a girl he had saved for himself. It was strictly a one-night stand and she came after me. What the hell could I do? Then my whore second wife throws me out. And Ginny and the kids wonтАЩt take me back unless I come crawling on my hands and knees, and I canтАЩt sing anymore. Godfather, what the hell can I do?тАЭ

Don CorleoneтАЩs face had become cold without a hint of sympathy. He said contemptuously, тАЬYou can start by acting like a man.тАЭ Suddenly anger contorted his face. He shouted. тАЬLIKE A MAN!тАЭ He reached over the desk and grabbed Johnny Fontane by the hair of his head in a gesture that was savagely affectionate. тАЬBy Christ in heaven, is it possible that you spent so much time in my presence and turned out no better than this? A Hollywood finocchio who weeps and begs for pity? Who cries out like a womanтАФтАЩWhat shall I do? Oh, what shall I do?тАЩтАЭ

The mimicry of the Don was so extraordinary, so unexpected, that Hagen and Johnny were startled into laughter. Don Corleone was pleased. For a moment he reflected on how much he loved this godson. How would his own three sons have reacted to such a tongue-lashing? Santino would have sulked and behaved badly for weeks afterward. Fredo would have been cowed. Michael would have given him a cold smile and gone out of the house, not to be seen for months. But Johnny, ah, what a fine chap he was, smiling now, gathering strength, knowing already the true purpose of his Godfather.

Don Corleone went on. тАЬYou took the woman of your boss, a man more powerful than yourself, then you complain he wonтАЩt help you. What nonsense. You left your family, your children without a father, to marry a whore and you weep because they donтАЩt welcome you back with open arms. The whore, you donтАЩt hit her in the face because she is making a picture, then you are amazed because she laughs at you. You lived like a fool and you have come to a foolтАЩs end.тАЭ

Don Corleone paused to ask in a patient voice, тАЬ Are you willing to take my advice this time?тАЭ

Johnny Fontane shrugged. тАЬI canтАЩt marry Ginny again, not the way she wants. I have to gamble, I have to drink, I have to go out with the boys. Beautiful broads run after me and I never could resist them. Then I used to feel like a heel when I went back to Ginny. Christ, I canтАЩt go through all that crap again.тАЭ

It was rare that Don Corleone showed exasperation. тАЬI didnтАЩt tell you to get married again. Do what you want. ItтАЩs good you wish to be a father to your children. A man who is not a father to his children can never be a real man. But then, you must make their mother accept you. Who says you canтАЩt see them every day? Who says you canтАЩt live in the same house? Who says you canтАЩt live your life exactly as you want to live it?тАЭ

Johnny Fontane laughed. тАЬGodfather, not all women are like the old Italian wives. Ginny wonтАЩt stand for it.тАЭ

Now the Don was mocking. тАЬBecause you acted like a finocchio. You gave her more than the court said. You didnтАЩt hit the other in the face because she was making a picture. You let women dictate your actions and they are not competent in this world, though certainly they will be saints in heaven while we men burn in hell. And then IтАЩve watched you all these years.тАЭ The DonтАЩs voice became earnest. тАЬYouтАЩve been a fine godson, youтАЩve given me all the respect. But what of your other old friends? One year you run around with this person, the next year with another person. That Italian boy who was so funny in the movies, he had some bad luck and you never saw him again because you were more famous. And how about your old, old comrade that you went to school with, who was your partner singing? Nino. He drinks too much out of disappointment but he never complains. He works hard driving the gravel truck and sings weekends for a few dollars. He never says anything against you. You couldnтАЩt help him a bit? Why not? He sings well.тАЭ

Johnny Fontane said with patient weariness, тАЬGodfather, he just hasnтАЩt got enough talent. HeтАЩs OK, but heтАЩs not big time.тАЭ

Don Corleone lidded his eyes almost closed and then said, тАЬAnd you, godson, you now, you just donтАЩt have talent enough. Shall I get you a job on the gravel truck with Nino?тАЭ When Johnny didnтАЩt answer, the Don went on. тАЬFriendship is everything. Friendship is more than talent. It is more than government. It is almost the equal of family. Never forget that. If you had built up a wall of friendships you wouldnтАЩt have to ask me to help. Now tell me, why canтАЩt you sing? You sang well in the garden. As well as Nino.тАЭ

Hagen and Johnny smiled at this delicate thrust. It was JohnnyтАЩs turn to be patronizingly patient. тАЬMy voice is weak. I sing one or two songs and then I canтАЩt sing again for hours or days. I canтАЩt make it through the rehearsals or the retakes. My voice is weak, itтАЩs got some sort of sickness.тАЭ

тАЬSo you have woman trouble. Your voice is sick. Now tell me the trouble youтАЩre having with this Hollywood pezzonovante who wonтАЩt let you work.тАЭ The Don was getting down to business.

тАЬHeтАЩs bigger than one of your pezzonovantes, тАЬ Johnny said. тАЬHe owns the studio. He advises the President on movie propaganda for the war. Just a month ago he bought the movie rights to the biggest novel of the year. A best seller. And the main character is a guy just like me. I wouldnтАЩt even have to act, just be myself. I wouldnтАЩt even have to sing. I might even win the Academy Award. Everybody knows itтАЩs perfect for me and IтАЩd be big again. As an actor. But that bastard Jack Woltz is paying me off, he wonтАЩt give it to me. I offered to do it for nothing, for a minimum price and he still says no. He sent the word that if I come and kiss his ass in the studio commissary, maybe heтАЩll think about it.тАЭ

Don Corleone dismissed this emotional nonsense with a wave of his hand. Among reasonable men problems of business could always be solved. He patted his godson on the shoulder. тАЬYouтАЩre discouraged. Nobody cares about you, so you think. And youтАЩve lost a lot of weight. You drink a lot, eh? You donтАЩt sleep and you take pills?тАЭ He shook his head disapprovingly.

тАЬNow I want you to follow my orders,тАЭ the Don said. тАЬI want you to stay in my house for one month. I want you to eat well, to rest and sleep. I want you to be my companion, I enjoy your company, and maybe you can learn something about the world from your Godfather that might even help you in the great Hollywood. But no singing, no drinking and no women. At the end of the month you can go back to Hollywood and this pezzonovante, this .90 caliber will give you that job you want. Done?тАЭ

Johnny Fontane could not altogether believe that the Don had such power. But his Godfather had never said such and such a thing could be done without having it done. тАЬThis guy is a personal friend of J. Edgar Hoover,тАЭ Johnny said. тАЬYou canтАЩt even raise your voice to him.тАЭ

тАЬHeтАЩs a businessman,тАЭ the Don said blandly. тАЬIтАЩll make him an offer he canтАЩt refuse.тАЭ

тАЬItтАЩs too late,тАЭ Johnny said.тАЭ All the contracts have been signed and they start shooting in a week. ItтАЩs absolutely impossible.тАЭ

Don Corleone said, тАЬGo, go back to the party. Your friends are waiting for you. Leave everything to me.тАЭ He pushed Johnny Fontane out of the room.

Hagen sat behind the desk, and made notes. The Don heaved a sigh and asked, тАЬIs there anything else?тАЭ

тАЬSollozzo canтАЩt be put off any more. YouтАЩll have to see him this week.тАЭ Hagen held his pen over the calendar.