mp.godfather-第58部分

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　The　tactic　was　successful。　Not　so　much　because　of　its　ferocity　but　because　of　the　chilling　swiftness；　the　quickness　of　the　Don's　reaction。　If　his　intelligence　was　so　good；　any　further　moves　would　be　fraught　with　danger。　It　was　better；　far　wiser；　to　accept　the　offer　of　friendship　with　its　implied　payoff。　The　Capones；　sent　back　word　that　they　would　not　interfere。
　
　The　odds　were　now　equal。　And　Vito　Corleone　had　earned　an　enormous　amount　of　〃respect〃　throughout　the　United　States　underworld　with　his　humiliation　of　the　Capones。　For　six　months　he　out…generaled　Maranzano。　He　raided　the　crap　games　under　that　man's　protection；　located　his　biggest　policy　banker　in　Harlem　and　had　him　relieved　of　a　day's　play　not　only　in　money　but　in　records。　He　engaged　his　enemies　on　all　fronts。　Even　in　the　garment　centers　he　sent　Clemenza　and　his　men　to　fight　on　the　side　of　the　unionists　against　the　enforcers　on　the　payroll　of　Maranzano　and　the　owners　of　the　dress　firms。　And　on　all　fronts　his　superior　intelligence　and　organization　made　him　the　victor。　Clemenza's　jolly　ferocity；　which　Corleone　employed　judiciously；　also　helped　turn　the　tide　of　battle。　And　then　Don　Corleone　sent　the　held…back　reserve　of　the　Tessio　regime　after　Maranzano　himself。
　
　By　this　time　Maranzano　had　dispatched　emissaries　suing　for　a　peace。　Vito　Corleone　refused　to　see　them；　put　them　off　on　one　pretext　or　another。　The　Maranzano　soldiers　were　deserting　their　leader；　not　wishing　to　die　in　a　losing　cause。　Bookmakers　and　shylocks　were　paying　the　Corleone　organization　their　protection　money。　The　war　was　all　but　over。
　
　And　then　finally　on　New　Year's　Eve　of　1933。　Tessio　got　inside　the　defenses　of　Maranzano　himself。　The　Maranzano　lieutenants　were　anxious　for　a　deal　and　agreed　to　lead　their　chief　to　the　slaughter。　They　told　him　that　a　meeting　had　been　arranged　in　a　Brooklyn　restaurant　with　Corleone　and　they　acpanied　Maranzano　as　his　bodyguards。　They　left　hum　sitting　at　a　checkered　table；　morosely　munching　a　piece　of　bread；　and　fled　the　restaurant　as　Tessio　and　four　of　his　men　entered。　The　execution　was　swift　and　sure。　Maranzano；　his　mouth　full　of　half…chewed　bread；　was　riddled　with　bullets。　The　war　was　over。
　
　The　Maranzano　empire　was　incorporated　into　the　Corleone　operation。　Don　Corleone　set　up　a　system　of　tribute；　allowing　all　incumbents　to　remain　in　their　bookmaking　and　policy　number　spots。　As　a　bonus　he　had　a　foothold　in　the　unions　of　the　garment　center　which　in　later　years　was　to　prove　extremely　important。　And　now　that　he　had　settled　his　business　affairs　the　Don　found　trouble　at　home。
　
　Santino　Corleone；　Sonny；　was　sixteen　years　old　and　grown　to　an　astonishing　six　feet　with　broad　shoulders　and　a　heavy　face　that　was　sensual　but　by　no　means　effeminate。　But　where　Fredo　was　a　quiet　boy；　and　Michael；　of　course；　a　toddler；　Santino　was　constantly　in　trouble。　He　got　into　fights；　did　badly　in　school　and；　finally；　Clemenza；　who　was　the　boy's　godfather　and　had　a　duty　to　speak；　came　to　Don　Corleone　one　evening　and　informed　him　that　his　son　had　taken　part　in　an　armed　robbery；　a　stupid　affair　which　could　have　gone　very　badly。　Sonny　was　obvidusly　the　ringleader；　the　two　other　boys　in　the　robbery　his　followers。
　
　It　was　one　of　the　very　few　times　that　Vito　Corleone　lost　his　temper。　Tom　Hagen　had　been　living　in　his　home　for　three　years　and　he　asked　Clemenza　if　the　orphan　boy　had　been　involved。　Clemenza　shook　his　head。　Don　Corleone　had　a　car　sent　to　bring　Santino　to　his　offices　in　the　Genco　Pura　Olive　Oil　pany。
　
　For　the　first　time；　the　Don　met　defeat。　Alone　with　his　son；　he　gave　full　vent　to　his　rage；　cursing　the　hulking　Sonny　in　Sicilian　dialect；　a　language　so　much　more　satisfying　than　any　other　for　expressing　rage。　He　ended　up　with　a　question。　〃What　gave　you　the　right　to　mit　such　an　act？　What　made　you　wish　to　mit　such　an　act？〃
　
　Sonny　stood　there；　angry；　refusing　to　answer。　The　Don　said　with　contempt；　〃And　so　stupid。　What　did　you　earn　for　that　night's　work？　Fifty　dollars　each？　Twenty　dollars？　You　risked　your　life　for　twenty　dollars；　eh？〃
　
　As　if　he　had　not　heard　these　last　words；　Sonny　said　defiantly；　〃I　saw　you　kill　Fanucci。〃
　
　The　Don　said；　〃Ahhh〃　and　sank　back　in　his　chair。　He　waited。
　
　Sonny　said；　〃When　Fanucci　left　the　building；　Mama　said　I　could　go　up　the　house。　I　saw　you　go　up　the　roof　and　I　followed　you。　I　saw　everything　you　did。　I　stayed　up　there　and　I　saw　you　throw　away　the　wallet　and　the　gun。〃
　
　The　Don　sighed。　〃Well；　then　I　can't　talk　to　you　about　how　you　should　behave。　Don't　you　want　to　finish　school；　don't　you　want　to　be　a　lawyer？　Lawyers　can　steal　more　money　with　a　briefcase　than　a　thousand　men　with　guns　and　masks。〃
　
　Sonny　grinned　at　him　and　said　slyly；　〃I　want　to　enter　the　family　business。〃　When　he　saw　that　the　Don's　face　remained　impassive；　that　he　did　not　laugh　at　the　joke；　he　added　hastily；　〃I　can　learn　how　to　sell　olive　oil。〃
　
　Still　the　Don　did　not　answer。　Finally　he　shrugged。　〃Every　man　has　one　destiny；〃　he　said。　He　did　not　add　that　the　witnessing　of　Fanucci's　murder　had　decided　that　of　his　son。　He　merely　turned　away　and　added　quietly；　〃e　in　tomorrow　morning　at　nine　o'clock。　Genco　will　show　you　what　to　do。〃
　
　But　Genco　Abbandando；　with　that　shrewd　insight　that　a　Consigliere　must　have；　realized　the　true　wish　of　the　Don　and　used　Sonny　mostly　as　a　bodyguard　for　his　father；　a　position　in　which　he　could　also　learn　the　subtleties　of　being　a　Don。　And　it　brought　out　a　professorial　instinct　in　the　Don　himself；　who　often　gave　lectures　on　how　to　succeed　for　the　benefit　of　his　eldest　son。
　
　Besides　his　oft…repeated　theory　that　a　man　has　but　one　destiny；　the　Don　constantly　reproved　Sonny　for　that　young　man's　outbursts　of　temper。　The　Don　considered　a　use　of　threats　the　most　foolish　kind　of　exposure；　the　unleashing　of　anger　without　forethought　as　the　most　dangerous　indulgence。　No　one　had　ever　heard　the　Don　utter　a　naked　threat；　no　one　had　ever　seen　him　in　an　uncontrollable　rage。　It　was　unthinkable。　And　so　he　tried　to　teach　Sonny　his　own　disciplines。　He　claimed　that　there　was　no　greater　natural　advantage　in　life　than　having　an　enemy　overestimate　your　faults；　unless　it　was　to　have　a　friend　underestimate　your　virtues。
　
　The　caporegime；　Clemenza；　took；　Sonny　in　hand　and　taught　him　how　to　shoot　and　to　wield　a　garrot。　Sonny　had　no　taste　for　the　Italian　rope；　he　was　too　Americanized。　He　preferred　the　simple；　direct；　impersonal　Anglo…Saxon　gun；　which　saddened　Clemenza。　But　Sonny　became　a　constant　and　wele　panion　to　his　father；　driving　his　car；　helping　him　in　little　details。　For　the　next　two　years　he　seemed　like　the　usual　son　entering　his　father's　business；　not　too　bright；　not　too　eager；　content　to　hold　down　a　soft　job。
　
　Meanwhile　his　boyhood　chum　and　semiadopted　brother　Tom　Hagen　was　going　to　college。　Fredo　was　still　in　high　school；　Michael；　the　youngest　brother；　was　in　grammar　school；　and　baby　sister　Connie　was　a　toddling　girl　of　four。　The　family　had　long　since　moved　to　an　apartment　house　in　the　Bronx。　Don　Corleone　was　considering　buying　a　house　in　Long　Island；　but　he　wanted　to　fit　this　in　with　other　plans　he　was　formulating。
　
　Vito　Corleone　was　a　man　with　vision。　All　the　great　cities　of　America　were　being　torn　by　underworld　strife。　Guerrilla　wars　by　the　dozen　flared　up；　ambitious　hoodlums　trying　to　carve　themselves　a　bit　of　empire；　men　like　Corleone　himself　were　trying　to　keep　their　borders　and　rackets　secure。　Don　Corleone　saw　that　the　newspapers　and　government　agencies　were　using　these　killings　to　get　stricter　and　stricter　laws；　to　use　harsher　police　methods。　He　foresaw　that　public　indignation　might　even　lead　to　a　suspension　of　democratic　procedures　which　could　be　fatal　to　him　and　his　people。　His　own　empire；　internally；　was　secure。　He　decided　to　bring　peace　to　all　the　warring　factions　in　New　York　City　and　then　in　the　nation。
　
　He　had　no　illusions　about　the　dangerousness　of　his　mission。　He　spent　the　first　year　meeting　with　different　chiefs　of　gangs　in　New　York；　laying　the　groundwork；　sounding　them　out；　proposing　spheres　of　influence　that　would　be　honored　by　a　loosely　bound　confederated　council。　But　there　were　too　many　factions；　too　many　special　interests　that　conflicted。　Agreement　was　impossible。　Like