mp.godfather-第103部分

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ican　gamblers。
　
　Moe　Greene　said　to　his　bodyguards；　〃Draw　some　chips　for　all　these　people　so　that　they　can　gamble　on　the　house。〃　He　obviously　meant　Jules；　Lucy；　Johnny　Fontane　and　Michael's　bodyguard；　Albert　Neri。
　
　Michael　Corleone　nodded　agreeably。　〃That's　a　good　idea。〃　It　was　only　then　that　Neri　got　out　of　his　chair　and　prepared　to　follow　the　others　out。
　
　After　the　good…byes　were　said；　there　were　Freddie；　Tom　Hagen；　Moe　Greene　and　Michael　Corleone　left　in　the　room。
　
　Greene　put　his　drink　down　on　the　table　and　said　with　barely　controlled　fury；　〃What's　this　I　hear　the　Corleone　Family　is　going　to　buy　me　out？　I'll　buy　you　out。　You　don't　buy　me　out。〃
　
　Michael　said　reasonably；　〃Your　casino　has　been　losing　money　against　all　the　odds。　There's　something　wrong　with　the　way　you　operate。　Maybe　we　can　do　better。〃
　
　Greene　laughed　harshly。　〃You　goddamn　Dagos；　I　do　you　a　favor　and　take　Freddie　in　when　you're　having　a　bad　time　and　now　you　push　me　out。　That's　what　you　think。　I　don't　get　pushed　out　by　nobody　and　I　got　friends　that　will　back　me　up。〃
　
　Michael　was　still　quietly　reasonable。　〃You　took　Freddie　in　because　the　Corleone　Family　gave　you　a　big　chunk　of　money　to　finish　furnishing　your　hotel。　And　bankroll　your　casino。　And　because　the　Molinari　Family　on　the　Coast　guaranteed　his　safety　and　gave　you　some　service　for　taking　him　in。　The　Corleone　Family　and　you　are　evened　out。　I　don't　know　what　you're　getting　sore　about。　We'll　buy　your　share　at　any　reasonable　price　you　name；　what's　wrong　with　that？　What's　unfair　about　that？　With　your　casino　losing　money　we're　doing　you　a　favor。〃
　
　Greene　shook　his　head。　〃The　Corleone　Family　don't　have　that　much　muscle　anymore。　The　Godfather　is　sick。　You're　getting　chased　out　of　New　York　by　the　other　Families　and　you　think　you　can　find　easier　pickings　here。　I'll　give　you　some　advice；　Mike；　don't　try。〃
　
　Michael　said　softly；　〃Is　that　why　you　thought　you　could　slap　Freddie　around　in　public？〃
　
　Tom　Hagen；　startled；　turned　his　attention　to　Freddie。　Freddie　Corleone's　face　was　getting　red。　〃Ah；　Mike；　that　wasn't　anything。　Moe　didn't　mean　anything。　He　flies　off　the　handle　sometimes；　but　me　and　him　are　good　friends。　Right；　Moe？〃
　
　Greene　was　wary。　〃Yeah；　sure。　Sometimes　I　got　to　kick　asses　to　make　this　place　run　right。　I　got　sore　at　Freddie　because　he　was　banging　all　the　cocktail　waitresses　and　letting　them　goof　off　on　the　job。　We　had　a　little　argument　and　I　straightened　him　out。〃
　
　Michael's　face　was　impassive　when　he　said　to　his　brother；　〃You　straightened　out；　Freddie？〃
　
　Freddie　stared　sullenly　at　his　younger　brother。　He　didn't　answer。　Greene　laughed　and　said；　〃The　son　of　a　bitch　was　taking　them　to　bed　two　at　a　time；　the　old　sandwich　job。　Freddie；　I　gotta　admit　you　really　put　it　to　those　broads。　Nobody　else　could　make　them　happy　after　you　got　through　with　them。〃
　
　Hagen　saw　that　this　had　caught　Michael　by　surprise。　They　looked　at　each　other。　This　was　perhaps　the　real　reason　the　Don　was　displeased　with　Freddie。　The　Don　was　straitlaced　about　sex。　He　would　consider　such　cavorting　by　his　son　Freddie；　two　girls　at　a　time；　as　degeneracy。　Allowing　himself　to　be　physically　humiliated　by　a　man　like　Moe　Greene　would　decrease　respect　for　the　Corleone　Family。　That　too　would　be　part　of　the　reason　for　being　in　his　father's　bad　books。
　
　Michael　rising　from　his　chair；　said；　in　a　tone　of　dismissal；　〃I　have　to　get　back　to　New　York　tomorrow；　so　think　about　your　price。〃
　
　Greene　said　savagely；　〃You　son　of　a　bitch；　you　think　you　can　just　brush　me　off　like　that？　I　killed　more　men　than　you　before　I　could　jerk　off。　I'll　fly　to　New　York　and　talk　to　the　Don　himself。　I'll　make　him　an　offer。〃
　
　Freddie　said　nervously　to　Tom　Hagen；　〃Tom；　you're　the　Consigliere；　you　can　talk　to　the　Don　and　advise　him。〃
　
　It　was　then　that　Michael　turned　the　full　chilly　blast　of　his　personality　on　the　two　Vegas　men。　〃The　Don　has　sort　of　semiretired；〃　he　said。　〃I'm　running　the　Family　business　now。　And　I've　removed　Tom　from　the　Consigliere　spot。　He'll　be　strictly　my　lawyer　here　in　Vegas。　He'll　be　moving　out　with　his　family　in　a　couple　of　months　to　get　all　the　legal　work　started。　So　anything　you　have　to　say；　say　it　to　me。〃
　
　Nobody　answered。　Michael　said　formally；　〃Freddie；　you're　my　older　brother；　I　have　respect　for　you。　But　don't　ever　take　sides　with　anybody　against　the　Family　again。　I　won't　even　mention　it　to　the　Don。〃　He　turned　to　Moe　Greene。　〃Don't　insult　people　who　are　trying　to　help　you。　You'd　do　better　to　use　your　energy　to　find　out　why　the　casino　is　losing　money。　The　Corleone　Family　has　big　dough　invested　here　and　we're　not　getting　our　money's　worth；　but　I　still　didn't　e　here　to　abuse　you。　I　offer　a　helping　hand。　Well；　if　you　prefer　to　spit　on　that　helping　hand；　that's　your　business。　I　can't　say　any　more。〃
　
　He　had　not　once　raised　his　voice　but　his　words　had　a　sobering　effect　on　both　Greene　and　Freddie。　Michael　stared　at　both　of　them；　moving　away　from　the　table　to　indicate　that　he　expected　them　both　to　leave。　Hagen　went　to　the　door　and　opened　it。　Both　men　left　without　saying　good　night。
　
　**********
　
　The　next　morning　Michael　Corleone　got　the　message　from　Moe　Greene：　he　would　not　sell　his　share　of　the　hotel　at　any　price。　It　was　Freddie　who　delivered　the　message。　Michael　shrugged　and　said　to　his　brother；　〃I　want　to　see　Nino　before　I　go　back　to　New　York。〃
　
　In　Nino's　suite　they　found　Johnny　Fontane　sitting　on　the　couch　eating　breakfast。　Jules　was　examining　Nino　behind　the　closed　drapes　of　the　bedroom。　Finally　the　drapes　were　drawn　back。　Michael　was　shocked　at　how　Nino　looked。　The　man　was　visibly　disintegrating。　The　eyes　were　dazed；　the　mouth　loose；　all　the　muscles　of　his　face　slack。　Michael　sat　on　his　bedside　and　said；　〃Nino；　it's　good　to　catch　up　with　you。　The　Don　always　asks　about　you。〃
　
　Nino　grinned；　it　was　the　old　grin。　〃Tell　him　I'm　dying。　Tell　him　show　business　is　more　dangerous　than　the　olive　oil　business。〃
　
　〃You'll　be　OK；〃　Michael　said。　〃If　there's　anything　bothering　you　that　the　Family　can　help；　just　tell　me。〃
　
　Nino　shook　his　head。　〃There's　nothing；〃　he　said。　〃Nothing。〃
　
　Michael　chatted　for　a　few　more　moments　and　then　left。　Freddie　acpanied　him　and　his　party　to　the　airport；　but　at　Michael's　request　didn't　hang　around　for　departure　time。　As　he　boarded　the　plane　with　Tom　Hagen　and　Al　Neri；　Michael　turned　to　Neri　and　said；　〃Did　you　make　him　good？〃
　
　Neri　tapped　his　forehead。　〃I　got　Moe　Greene　mugged　and　numbered　up　here。〃
　
　Chapter　28
　
　On　the　plane　ride　back　to　New　York；　Michael　Corleone　relaxed　and　tried　to　sleep。　It　was　useless。　The　most　terrible　period　of　his　life　was　approaching；　perhaps　even　a　fatal　time。　It　could　no　longer　be　put　off。　Everything　was　in　readiness；　all　precautions　had　been　taken；　two　years　of　precautions。　There　could　be　no　further　delay。　Last　week　when　the　Don　had　formally　announced　his　retirement　to　the　caporegimes　and　other　members　of　the　Corleone　Family；　Michael　knew　that　this　was　his　father's　way　of　telling　him　the　time　was　ripe。
　
　It　was　almost　three　years　now　since　he　had　returned　home　and　over　two　years　since　he　had　married　Kay。　The　three　years　had　been　spent　in　learning　the　Family　business。　He　had　put　in　long　hours　with　Tom　Hagen；　long　hours　with　the　Don。　He　was　amazed　at　how　wealthy　and　powerful　the　Corleone　Family　truly　was。　It　owned　tremendously　valuable　real　estate　in　midtown　New　York；　whole　office　buildings。　It　owned；　through　fronts；　partnerships　in　two　Wall　Street　brokerage　houses；　pieces　of　banks　on　Long　Island；　partnerships　in　some　garment　center　firms；　all　this　in　addition　to　its　illegal　operations　in　gambling。
　
　The　most　interesting　thing　Michael　Corleone　learned；　in　going　back　over　past　transactions　of　the　Corleone　Family；　was　that　the　Family　had　received　some　protection　ine　shortly　after　the　war　from　a　group　of　music　record　counterfeiters。　The　counterfeiters　duplicated　and　sold　phonograph　records　of　famous　artists；　packaging　everything　so　skillfully　they　were　never　caught。　Naturally　on　the　records　they　sold　to　stores　the　artists　and　original　production　pany　received　not　a　penny。　Michael　Corleone　noticed　that　Johnny　Fontane　had　lost　a　lot　of　money　owing　to