mp.godfather-第5部分

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　his　father。　But　so　far　she　seemed　to　regard　the　Don　as　a　slightly　unethical　businessman。　Michael　decided　to　tell　her　part　of　the　truth　indirectly。　He　explained　that　Luca　Brasi　was　one　of　the　most　feared　men　in　the　Eastern　underworld。　His　great　talent；　it　was　said；　was　that　he　could　do　a　job　of　murder　all　by　himself；　without　confederates；　which　automatically　made　discovery　and　conviction　by　the　law　almost　impossible。　Michael　grimaced　and　said；　〃I　don't　know　whether　all　that　stuff　is　true。　I　do　know　he　is　sort　of　a　friend　to　my　father。〃
　
　For　the　first　time　Kay　began　to　understand。　She　asked　a　little　incredulously；　〃You're　not　hinting　that　a　man　like　that　works　for　your　father？〃
　
　The　hell　with　it；　he　thought。　He　said；　straight　out；　〃Nearly　fifteen　years　ago　some　people　wanted　to　take　over　my　father's　oil　importing　business。　They　tried　to　kill　him　and　nearly　did。　Luca　Brasi　went　after　them。　The　story　is　that　he　killed　six　men　in　two　weeks　and　that　ended　the　famous　olive　oil　war。〃　He　smiled　as　if　it　were　a　joke。
　
　Kay　shuddered。　〃You　mean　your　father　was　shot　by　gangsters？〃
　
　〃Fifteen　years　ago；〃　Michael　said。　〃Everything's　been　peaceful　since　then。〃　He　was　afraid　he　had　gone　too　far。
　
　〃You're　trying　to　scare　me；〃　Kay　said。　〃You　just　don't　want　me　to　marry　you。〃　She　smiled　at　him　and　poked　his　ribs　with　her　elbow。　〃Very　clever。〃
　
　Michael　smiled　back　at　her。　〃I　want　you　to　think　about　it；〃　he　said。
　
　〃Did　he　really　kill　six　men？〃　Kay　asked。
　
　〃That's　what　the　newspapers　claimed；〃　Mike　said。　〃Nobody　ever　proved　it。　But　there's　another　story　about　him　that　nobody　ever　tells。　It's　supposed　to　be　so　terrible　that　even　my　father　won't　talk　about　it。　Tom　Hagen　knows　the　story　and　he　won't　tell　me。　Once　I　kidded　him；　I　said；　'When　will　I　be　old　enough　to　hear　that　story　about　Luca？'　and　Tom　said；　'When　you're　a　hundred。'　〃　Michael　sipped　his　glass　of　wine。　〃That　must　be　some　story。　That　must　be　some　Luca。〃
　
　Luca　Brasi　was　indeed　a　man　to　frighten　the　devil　in　hell　himself。　Short；　squat；　massive…skulled；　his　presence　sent　out　alarm　bells　of　danger。　His　face　was　stamped　into　a　mask　of　fury。　The　eyes　were　brown　but　with　none　of　the　warmth　of　that　color；　more　a　deadly　tan。　The　mouth　was　not　so　much　cruel　as　lifeless；　thin；　rubbery　and　the　color　of　veal。
　
　Brasi's　reputation　for　violence　was　awesome　and　his　devotion　to　Don　Corleone　legendary。　He　was；　in　himself；　one　of　the　great　blocks　that　supported　the　Don's　power　structure。　His　kind　was　a　rarity。
　
　Luca　Brasi　did　not　fear　the　police；　he　did　not　fear　society；　he　did　not　fear　God；　he　did　not　fear　hell；　he　did　not　fear　or　love　his　fellow　man。　But　he　had　elected；　he　had　chosen；　to　fear　and　love　Don　Corleone。　Ushered　into　the　presence　of　the　Don；　the　terrible　Brasi　held　himself　stiff　with　respect。　He　stuttered　over　the　flowery　congatulations　he　offered　and　his　formal　hope　that　the　first　grandchild　would　be　masculine。　He　then　handed　the　Don　an　envelope　stuffed　with　cash　as　a　gift　for　the　bridal　couple。
　
　So　that　was　what　he　wanted　to　do。　Hagen　noticed　the　change　in　Don　Corleone。　The　Don　received　Brasi　as　a　king　greets　a　subject　who　has　done　him　an　enormous　service；　never　familiar　but　with　regal　respect。　With　every　gesture；　with　every　word；　Don　Corleone　made　it　clear　to　Luca　Brasi　that　he　was　valued。　Not　for　one　moment　did　he　show　surprise　at　the　wedding　gift　being　presented　to　him　personally。　He　understood。
　
　The　money　in　the　envelope　was　sure　to　be　more　than　anyone　else　had　given。　Brasi　had　spent　many　hours　deciding　on　the　sum；　paring　it　to　what　the　other　guests　might　offer。　He　wanted　to　be　the　most　generous　to　show　that　he　had　the　most　respect；　and　that　was　why　he　had　given　his　envelope　to　the　Don　personally；　a　gaucherie　the　Don　overlooked　in　his　own　flowery　sentence　of　thanks。　Hagen　saw　Luca　Brasi's　face　lose　its　mask　of　fury；　swell　with　pride　and　pleasure。　Brasi　kissed　the　Don's　hand　before　he　went　out　the　door　that　Hagen　held　open。　Hagen　prudently　gave　Brasi　a　friendly　smile　which　the　squat　man　acknowledged　with　a　polite　stretching　of　rubbery；　veal…colored　lips。
　
　When　the　door　closed　Don　Corleone　gave　a　small　sigh　of　relief。　Brasi　was　the　only　man　in　the　world　who　could　make　him　nervous。　The　man　was　like　a　natural　force；　not　truly　subject　to　control。　He　had　to　be　handled　as　gingerly　as　dynamite。　The　Don　shrugged。　Even　dynamite　could　be　exploded　harmlessly　if　the　need　arose。　He　looked　questioningly　at　Hagen。　〃Is　Bonasera　the　only　one　left？〃
　
　Hagen　nodded。　Don　Corleone　frowned　in　thought；　then　said；　〃Before　you　bring　him　in；　tell　Santino　to　e　here。　He　should　learn　some　things。〃
　
　Out　in　the　garden；　Hagen　searched　anxiously　for　Sonny　Corleone。　He　told　the　waiting　Bonasera　to　be　patient　and　went　over　to　Michael　Corleone　and　his　girl　friend。　〃Did　you　see　Sonny　around？〃　he　asked。　Michael　shook　his　head。　Damn；　Hagen　thought；　if　Sonny　was　screwing　the　maid　of　honor　all　this　time　there　was　going　to　be　a　mess　of　trouble。　His　wife；　the　young　girl's　family；　it　could　be　a　disaster。　Anxiously　he　hurried　to　the　entrance　through　which　he　had　seen　Sonny　disappear　almost　a　half　hour　ago。
　
　Seeing　Hagen　go　into　the　house；　Kay　Adams　asked　Michael　Corleone；　〃Who　is　he？　You　introduced　him　as　your　brother　but　his　name　is　different　and　he　certainly　doesn't　look　Italian。〃
　
　〃Tom　lived　with　us　since　he　was　twelve　years　old；〃　Michael　said。　〃His　parents　died　and　he　was　roaming　around　the　streets　with　this　bad　eye　infection。　Sonny　brought　him　home　one　night　and　he　just　stayed。　He　didn't　have　anyplace　to　go。　He　lived　with　us　until　he　got　married。〃
　
　Kay　Adams　was　thrilled。　〃That's　really　romantic；〃　she　said。　〃Your　father　must　be　a　warmhearted　person。　To　adopt　somebody　just　like　that　when　he　had　so　many　children　of　his　own。〃
　
　Michael　didn't　bother　to　point　out　that　immigrant　Italians　considered　four　children　a　small　family。　He　merely　said；　〃Tom　wasn't　adopted。　He　just　lived　with　us。〃
　
　〃Oh；〃　Kay　said；　then　asked　curiously；　〃why　didn't　you　adopt　him？〃
　
　Michael　laughed。　〃Because　my　father　said　it　would　be　disrespectful　for　Tom　to　change　his　name。　Disrespectful　to　his　own　parents。〃
　
　They　saw　Hagen　shoo　Sonny　through　the　French　door　into　the　Don's　office　and　then　crook　a　finger　at　Amerigo　Bonasera。　〃Why　do　they　bother　your　father　with　business　on　a　day　like　this？〃　Kay　asked。
　
　Michael　laughed　again。　〃Because　they　know　that　by　tradition　no　Sicilian　can　refuse　a　request　on　his　daughter's　wedding　day。　And　no　Sicilian　ever　lets　a　chance　like　that　go　by。〃
　
　**********
　
　Lucy　Mancini　lifted　her　pink　gown　off　the　floor　and　ran　up　the　steps。　Sonny　Corleone's　heavy　Cupid　face；　redly　obscene　with　winey　lust；　frightened　her；　but　she　had　teased　him　for　the　past　week　to　just　this　end。　In　her　two　college　love　affairs　she　had　felt　nothing　and　neither　of　them　lasted　more　than　a　week。　Quarreling；　her　second　lover　had　mumbled　something　about　her　being　〃too　big　down　there。〃　Lucy　had　understood　and　for　the　rest　of　the　school　term　had　refused　to　go　out　on　any　dates。
　
　During　the　summer；　preparing　for　the　wedding　of　her　best　friend；　Connie　Corleone；　Lucy　heard　the　whispered　stories　about　Sonny。　One　Sunday　afternoon　in　the　Corleone　kitchen；　Sonny's　wife　Sandra　gossiped　freely。　Sandra　was　a　coarse；　good…natured　woman　who　had　been　born　in　Italy　but　brought　to　America　as　a　small　child。　She　was　strongly　built　with　great　breasts　and　had　already　borne　three　children　in　five　years　of　marriage。　Sandra　and　the　other　women　teased　Connie　about　the　terrors　of　the　nuptial　bed。　〃My　God；〃　Sandra　had　giggled；　〃when　I　saw　that　pole　of　Sonny's　for　the　first　time　and　realized　he　was　going　to　stick　it　into　me；　I　yelled　bloody　murder。　After　the　first　year　my　insides　felt　as　mushy　as　macaroni　boiled　for　an　hour。　When　I　heard　he　was　doing　the　job　on　other　girls　I　went　to　church　and　lit　a　candle。〃
　
　They　had　all　laughed　but　Lucy　had　felt　her　flesh　twitching　between　her　legs。
　
　Now　as　she　ran　up　the　steps　toward　Sonny　a　tremendous　flash　of　desire　went　through　her　body。　On　the　landing　Sonny　grabbed　her　hand　and　pulled　her　down　the　hall　into　an　empty　bedroom。　Her　legs　went　weak　as　the　door　closed　behind　them。　She　felt　Sonny's　mout