mp.godfather-第105部分

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eared　him　to　her　above　everything　else。
　
　Ever　since　Michael　had　e　back　from　Sicily　with　his　broken　face；　everybody　in　the　Family　had　tried　to　get　him　to　undergo　corrective　surgery。　Michael's　mother　was　after　him　constantly；　one　Sunday　dinner　with　all　the　Corleones　gathered　on　the　mall　she　shouted　at　Michael；　〃You　look　like　a　gangster　in　the　movies；　get　your　face　fixed　for　the　sake　of　Jesus　Christ　and　your　poor　wife。　And　so　your　nose　will　stop　running　like　a　drunken　Irish。〃
　
　The　Don；　at　the　head　of　the　table；　watching　everything；　said　to　Kay；　〃Does　it　bother　you？〃
　
　Kay　shook　her　head。　The　Don　said　to　his　wife。　〃He's　out　of　your　hands；　it's　no　concern　of　yours。〃　The　old　woman　immediately　held　her　peace。　Not　that　she　feared　her　husband　but　because　it　would　have　been　disrespectful　to　dispute　him　in　such　a　matter　before　the　others。
　
　But　Connie；　the　Don's　favorite；　came　in　from　the　kitchen；　where　she　was　cooking　the　Sunday　dinner；　her　face　flushed　from　the　stove；　and　said；　〃I　think　he　should　get　his　face　fixed。　He　was　the　most　handsome　one　in　the　family　before　he　got　hurt。　e　on；　Mike；　say　you'll　do　it。〃
　
　Michael　looked　at　her　in　an　absentminded　fashion。　It　seemed　as　if　he　really　and　truly　had　not　heard　anything　said。　He　didn't　answer。
　
　Connie　came　to　stand　beside　her　father。　〃Make　him　do　it；〃　she　said　to　the　Don。　Her　two　hands　rested　affectionately　on　his　shoulders　and　she　rubbed　his　neck。　She　was　the　only　one　who　was　ever　so　familiar　with　the　Don。　Her　affection　for　her　father　was　touching。　It　was　trusting；　like　a　little　girl's。　The　Don　patted　one　of　her　hands　and　said；　〃We're　all　starving　here。　Put　the　spaghetti　on　the　table　and　then　chatter。〃
　
　Connie　turned　to　her　husband　and　said；　〃Carlo；　you　tell　Mike　to　get　his　face　fixed。　Maybe　he'll　listen　to　you。〃　Her　voice　implied　that　Michael　and　Carlo　Rizzi　had　some　friendly　relationship　over　and　above　anyone　else's。
　
　Carlo；　handsomely　sunburned；　blond　hair　neatly　cut　and　bed；　sipped　at　his　glass　of　homemade　wine　and　said；　〃Nobody　can　tell　Mike　what　to　do。〃　Carlo　had　bee　a　different　man　since　moving　into　the　mall。　He　knew　his　place　in　the　Family　and　kept　to　it。
　
　There　was　something　that　Kay　didn't　understand　in　all　this；　something　that　didn't　quite　meet　the　eye。　As　a　woman　she　could　see　that　Connie　was　deliberately　charming　her　father；　though　it　was　beautifully　done　and　even　sincere。　Yet　it　was　not　spontaneous。　Carlo's　reply　had　been　a　manly　knuckling　of　his　forehead。　Michael　had　absolutely　ignored　everything。
　
　Kay　didn't　care　about　her　husband's　disfigurement　but　she　worried　about　his　sinus　trouble　which　sprang　from　it。　Surgery　repair　of　the　face　would　cure　the　sinus　also。　For　that　reason　she　wanted　Michael　to　enter　the　hospital　and　get　the　necessary　work　done。　But　she　understood　that　in　a　curious　way　he　desired　his　disfigurement。　She　was　sure　that　the　Don　understood　this　too。
　
　But　after　Kay　gave　birth　to　her　first　child；　she　was　surprised　by　Michael　asking　her；　〃Do　you　want　me　to　get　my　face　fixed？〃
　
　Kay　nodded。　〃You　know　how　kids　are；　your　son　will　feel　bad　about　your　face　when　he　gets　old　enough　to　understand　it's　not　normal。　I　just　don't　want　our　child　to　see　it。　I　don't　mind　at　all；　honestly；　Michael。〃
　
　〃OK。〃　He　smiled　at　her。　〃I'll　do　it。〃
　
　He　waited　until　she　was　home　from　the　hospital　and　then　made　all　the　necessary　arrangements。　The　operation　was　successful。　The　cheek　indentation　was　now　just　barely　noticeable。
　
　Everybody　in　the　Family　was　delighted；　but　Connie　more　so　than　anyone。　She　visited　Michael　every　day　in　the　hospital；　dragging　Carlo　along。　When　Michael　came　home；　she　gave　him　a　big　hug　and　a　kiss　and　looked　at　him　admiringly　and　said；　〃Now　you're　my　handsome　brother　again。〃
　
　Only　the　Don　was　unimpressed；　shrugging　his　shoulders　and　remarking；　〃What's　the　difference？〃
　
　But　Kay　was　grateful。　She　knew　that　Michael　had　done　it　against　all　his　own　inclinations。　Had　done　it　because　she　had　asked　him　to；　and　that　she　was　the　only　person　in　the　world　who　could　make　him　act　against　his　own　nature。
　
　**********
　
　On　the　afternoon　of　Michael's　return　from　Vegas；　Rocco　Lampone　drove　the　limousine　to　the　mall　to　pick　up　Kay　so　that　she　could　meet　her　husband　at　the　airport。　She　always　met　her　husband　when　he　arrived　from　out　of　town；　mostly　because　she　felt　lonely　without　him；　living　as　she　did　in　the　fortified　mall。
　
　She　saw　him　e　off　the　plane　with　Tom　Hagen　and　the　new　man　he　had　working　for　him；　Albert　Neri。　Kay　didn't　care　much　for　Neri；　he　reminded　her　of　Luca　Brasi　in　his　quiet　ferociousness。　She　saw　Neri　drop　behind　Michael　and　off　to　the　side；　saw　his　quick　penetrating　glance　as　his　eyes　swept　over　everybody　nearby。　It　was　Neri　who　first　spotted　Kay　and　touched　Michael's　shoulder　to　make　him　look　in　the　proper　direction。
　
　Kay　ran　into　her　husband's　arms　and　he　quickly　kissed　her　and　let　her　go。　He　and　Tom　Hagen　and　Kay　got　into　the　limousine　and　Albert　Neri　vanished。　Kay　did　not　notice　that　Neri　had　gotten　into　another　car　with　two　other　men　and　that　this　car　rode　behind　the　limousine　until　it　reached　Long　Beach。
　
　Kay　never　asked　Michael　how　his　business　had　gone。　Even　such　polite　questions　were　understood　to　be　awkward；　not　that　he　wouldn't　give　her　an　equally　polite　answer；　but　it　would　remind　them　both　of　the　forbidden　territory　their　marriage　could　never　include。　Kay　didn't　mind　anymore。　But　when　Michael　told　her　he　would　have　to　spend　the　evening　with　his　father　to　tell　him　about　the　Vegas　trip；　she　couldn't　help　making　a　little　frown　of　disappointment。
　
　〃I'm　sorry；〃　Michael　said。　〃Tomorrow　night　we'll　go　into　New　York　and　see　a　show　and　have　dinner；　OK？〃　He　patted　her　stomach；　she　was　almost　seven　months　pregnant。　〃After　the　kid　es　you'll　be　tied　down　again。　Hell；　you're　more　Italian　than　Yankee。　Two　kids　in　two　years。〃
　
　Kay　said　tartly；　〃And　you're　more　Yankee　than　Italian。　Your　first　evening　home　and　you　spend　it　on　business。〃　But　she　smiled　at　him　when　she　said　it。　〃You　won't　be　home　late？〃
　
　〃Before　midnight；〃　Michael　said。　〃Don't　wait　up　for　me　if　you　feel　tired。〃
　
　〃I'll　wait　up；〃　Kay　said。
　
　**********
　
　At　the　meeting　that　night；　in　the　corner　room　library　of　Don　Corleone's　house；　were　the　Don　himself；　Michael；　Tom　Hagen；　Carlo　Rizzi；　and　the　two　caporegimes；　Clemenza　and　Tessio。
　
　The　atmosphere　of　the　meeting　was　by　no　means　so　congenial　as　in　former　days。　Ever　since　Don　Corleone　had　announced　his　semiretirement　and　Michael's　take…over　of　the　Family　business；　there　had　been　some　strain。　Succession　in　control　of　such　an　enterprise　as　the　Family　was　by　no　means　hereditary。　In　any　other　Family　powerful　caporegimes　such　as　Clemenza　and　Tessio　might　have　succeeded　to　the　position　of　Don。　Or　at　least　they　might　have　been　allowed　to　split　off　and　form　their　own　Family。
　
　Then；　too；　ever　since　Don　Corleone　had　made　the　peace　with　the　Five　Families；　the　strength　of　the　Corleone　Family　had　declined。　The　Barzini　Family　was　now　indisputably　the　most　powerful　one　in　the　New　York　area；　allied　as　they　were　to　the　Tattaglias；　they　now　held　the　position　the　Corleone　Family　had　once　held。　Also　they　were　slyly　whittling　down　the　power　of　the　Corleone　Family；　muscling　into　their　gambling　areas；　testing　the　Corleones'　reactions　and；　finding　them　weak；　establishing　their　own　bookmakers。
　
　The　Barzinis　and　Tattaglias　were　delighted　with　the　Don's　retirement。　Michael；　formidable　as　he　might　prove　to　be；　could　never　hope　to　equal　the　Don　in　cunning　and　influence　for　at　least　another　decade。　The　Corleone　Family　was　definitely　in　a　decline。
　
　It　had；　of　course；　suffered　serious　misfortunes。　Freddie　had　proved　to　be　nothing　more　than　an　innkeeper　and　ladies'　man；　the　idiom　for　ladies'　man　untranslatable　but　connotating　a　greedy　infant　always　at　its　mother's　nipple…　in　short；　unmanly。　Sonny's　death　too；　had　been　a　disaster。　Sonny　had　been　a　man　to　be　feared；　not　to　be　taken　lightly。　Of　course　he　had　made　a　mistake　in　sending　his　younger　brother；　Michael；　to　kill　the　Turk　and　the　police　captain。　Though　necessary　in　a　tactical　sense；　as　a　long…term　strategy　it　proved　to　be　a　serious　error。　It　had　forced　the　Don；　even