Английский язык с Крестным Отцом
Шрифт:
Hagen. "You've let the Bocchicchio hostages go?"
Hagen nodded. "I called Clemenza as soon as I got home."
Corleone turned to the massive Clemenza. The caporegime nodded. "I released them.
Tell me, Godfather, is it possible for a Sicilian to be as dumb as the Bocchicchios
pretend to be?"
124
Don Corleone smiled a little. "They are clever enough to make a good living. Why is it
so necessary to be more clever than that? It's not the Bocchicchios who cause the
troubles of this world. But it's true, they haven't got the Sicilian head."
They were all in a relaxed mood, now that the war was over. Don Corleone himself
mixed drinks and brought one to each man. The Don sipped his carefully and lit up a
cigar.
"I want nothing set forth to discover what happened to Sonny, that's done with and to
be forgotten. I want all cooperation with the other Families even if they become a little
greedy and we don't get our proper share in things. I want nothing to break this peace
no matter what the provocation until we've found a way to bring Michael home. And I
want that to be first thing on your minds. Remember this, when he comes back he must
come back in absolute safety. I don't mean from the Tattaglias or the Barzinis. What I'm
concerned about are the police. Sure, we can get rid of the real evidence against him;
that waiter won't testify, nor that spectator or gunman or whatever he was. The real
evidence is the least of our worries since we know about it. What we have to worry
about is the police framing false evidence because their informers have assured them
that Michael Corleone is the man who killed their captain. Very well. We have to
demand that the Five Families do everything in their power to correct this belief of the
police. All their informers who work with the police must come up with new stories. I
think after my speech this afternoon they will understand it is to their interest to do so.
But that's not enough. We have to come up with something special so Michael won't
ever have to worry about that again. Otherwise there's no point in him coming back to
this country. So let's all think about that. That's the most important matter.
"Now, any man should be allowed one foolishness in his life. I have had mine. I want
all the land around the mall bought, the houses bought. I don't want any man able to
look out his window into my garden even if it's a mile away. I want a fence around the
mall and I want the mall to be on full protection all the time. I want a gate in that fence.
In short, I wish now to live in a fortress. Let me say to you now that I will never go into
the city to work again. I will be semiretired. I feel an urge to work in the garden, to make
a little wine when the grapes are in season. I want to live in my house. The only time I'll
leave is to go on a little vacation or to see someone on important business and then I
want all precautions taken. Now don't take this amiss. I'm not preparing anything. I'm
being prudent, I've always been a prudent man, there is nothing I find so little to my
taste as carelessness in life. Women and children can afford to be careless, men cannot.
125
Be leisurely in all these things, no frantic (неистовый,
our friends. It can be done in such a way as to seem natural.
"Now I'm going to leave things more and more up to each of you three. I want the
Santino regime disbanded and the men placed in your regimes. That should reassure
our friends and show that I mean peace. Tom, I want you to put together a group of men
who will go to Las Vegas and give me a full report on what is going on out there. Tell me
about Fredo, what is really happening out there, I hear I wouldn't recognize my own son.
It seems he's a cook now, that he amuses himself with young girls more than a grown
man should. Well, he was always too serious when he was young and he was never the
man for Family business. But let's find out what really can be done out there."
Hagen said quietly, "Should we send your son-in-law? After all, Carlo is a native of
Nevada, he knows his way around."
Don Corleone shook his head. "No, my wife is lonely here without any of her children.
I want Constanzia and her husband moved into one of the houses on the mall. I want
Carlo given a responsible job, maybe I've been too harsh on him, and" – Don Corleone
made a grimace – "I'm short of sons. Take him out of the gambling and put him in with
the unions where he can do some paper work and a lot of talking. He's a good talker."
There was the tiniest note of contempt in the Don's voice.
Hagen nodded. "OK, Clemenza and I will go over all the people and put together a
group to do the Vegas job. Do you want me to call Freddie home for a few days?"
The Don shook his head. He said cruelly, "What for? My wife can still cook our meals.
Let him stay out there." The three men shifted uneasily in their seats. They had not
realized Freddie was in such severe disfavor with his father and they suspected it must
be because of something they did not know.
Don Corleone sighed. "I hope to grow some good green peppers and tomatoes in the
garden this year, more than we can eat. I'll make you presents of them. I want a little
peace, a little quiet and tranquillity for my old age. Well, that's all. Have another drink if
you like."
It was a dismissal. The men rose. Hagen accompanied Clemenza and Tessio to their
cars and arranged meetings with them to thrash out (тщательно обсудить, выяснить,