mp.godfather-第72部分

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emade　stuff；　much　stronger　than　that　sold　in　stores；　the　gift　of　an　old　friend　who　every　year　presented　the　Don　with　a　small　truckload。
　
　〃My　wife　was　weeping　before　she　fell　asleep；〃　Don　Corleone　said。　〃Outside　my　window　I　saw　my　caporegimes　ing　to　the　house　and　it　is　midnight。　So；　Consigliere　of　mine；　I　think　you　should　tell　your　Don　what　everyone　knows。〃
　
　Hagen　said　quietly；　〃I　didn't　tell　Mama　anything。　I　was　about　to　e　up　and　wake　you　and　tell　you　the　news　myself。　In　another　moment　I　would　have　e　to　waken　you。〃
　
　Don　Corleone　said　impassively；　〃But　you　needed　a　drink　first。〃
　
　〃Yes；〃　Hagen　said。
　
　〃You've　had　your　drink；〃　the　Don　said。　〃You　can　tell　me　now。〃　There　was　just　the　faintest　hint　of　reproach　for　Hagen's　weakness。
　
　〃They　shot　Sonny　on　the　causeway；〃　Hagen　said。　〃He's　dead。〃
　
　Don　Corleone　blinked。　For　just　the　fraction　of　a　second　the　wall　of　his　will　disintegrated　and　the　draining　of　his　physical　strength　was　plain　on　his　face。　Then　he　recovered。
　
　He　clasped　his　hands　in　front　of　him　on　top　of　the　desk　and　looked　directly　into　Hagen's　eyes。　〃Tell　me　everything　that　happened；〃　he　said。　He　held　up　one　of　his　hands。　〃No；　wait　until　Clemenza　and　Tessio　arrive　so　you　won't　have　to　tell　it　all　again。〃
　
　It　was　only　a　few　moments　later　that　the　two　caporegimes　were　escorted　into　the　room　by　a　bodyguard。　They　saw　at　once　that　the　Don　knew　about　his　son's　death　because　the　Don　stood　up　to　receive　them。　They　embraced　him　as　old　rades　were　permitted　to　do。　They　all　had　a　drink　of　anisette　which　Hagen　poured　them　before　he　told　them　the　story　of　that　night。
　
　Don　Corleone　asked　only　one　question　at　the　end。　〃Is　it　certain　my　son　is　dead？〃
　
　Clemenza　answered。　〃Yes；〃　he　said。　〃The　bodyguards　were　of　Santino's　regime　but　picked　by　me。　I　questioned　them　when　they　came　to　my　house。　They　saw　his　body　in　the　light　of　the　tollhouse。　He　could　not　live　with　the　wounds　they　saw。　They　place　their　lives　in　forfeit　for　what　they　say。〃
　
　Don　Corleone　accepted　this　final　verdict　without　any　sign　of　emotion　except　for　a　few　moments　of　silence。　Then　he　said；　〃None　of　you　are　to　concern　yourselves　with　this　affair。　None　of　you　are　to　mit　any　acts　of　vengeance；　none　of　you　are　to　make　any　inquiries　to　track　down　the　murderers　of　my　son　without　my　express　mand。　There　will　be　no　further　acts　of　war　against　the　Five　Families　without　my　express　and　personal　wish。　Our　Family　will　cease　all　business　operations　and　cease　to　protect　any　of　our　business　operations　until　after　my　son's　funeral。　Then　we　will　meet　here　again　and　decide　what　must　be　done。　Tonight　we　must　do　what　we　can　for　Santino；　we　must　bury　him　as　a　Christian。　I　will　have　friends　of　mine　arrange　things　with　the　police　and　all　other　proper　authorities。　Clemenza；　you　will　remain　with　me　at　all　times　as　my　bodyguard；　you　and　the　men　of　your　regime。　Tessio；　you　will　guard　all　other　members　of　my　Family。　Tom；　I　want　you　to　call　Amerigo　Bonasera　and　tell　him　I　will　need　his　services　at　some　time　during　this　night。　To　wait　for　me　at　his　establishment。　It　may　be　an　hour；　two　hours；　three　hours。　Do　you　all　understand　that？〃
　
　The　three　men　nodded。　Don　Corleone　said；　〃Clemenza；　get　some　men　and　cars　and　wait　for　me。　I　will　be　ready　in　a　few　minutes。　Tom；　you　did　well。　In　the　morning　I　want　Constanzia　with　her　mother。　Make　arrangements　for　her　and　her　husband　to　live　in　the　mall。　Have　Sandra's　friends；　the　women；　go　to　her　house　to　stay　with　her。　My　wife　will　go　there　also　when　I　have　spoken　with　her。　My　wife　will　tell　her　the　misfortune　and　the　women　will　arrange　for　the　church　to　say　their　masses　and　prayers　for　his　soul。〃
　
　The　Don　got　up　from　his　leather　armchair。　The　other　men　rose　with　him　and　Clemenza　and　Tessio　embraced　him　again。　Hagen　held　the　door　open　for　the　Don；　who　paused　to　look　at　him　for　a　moment。　Then　the　Don　put　his　hand　on　Hagen's　cheek；　embraced　him　quickly；　and　said；　in　Italian；　〃You've　been　a　good　son。　You　fort　me。〃　Telling　Hagen　that　he　had　acted　properly　in　this　terrible　time。　The　Don　went　up　to　his　bedroom　to　speak　to　his　wife。　It　was　then　that　Hagen　made　the　call　to　Amerigo　Bonasera　for　the　undertaker　to　redeem　the　favor　he　owed　to　the　Corleones。
　
　Book　five
　
　Chapter　20
　
　The　death　of　Santino　Corleone　sent　shock　waves　through　the　underworld　of　the　nation。　And　when　it　became　known　that　Don　Corleone　had　risen　from　his　sick　bed　to　take　charge　of　the　Family　affairs；　when　spies　at　the　funeral　reported　that　the　Don　seemed　to　be　fully　recovered；　the　heads　of　the　Five　Families　made　frantic　efforts　to　prepare　a　defense　against　the　bloody　retaliatory　war　that　was　sure　to　follow。　Nobody　made　the　mistake　of　assuming　that　Don　Corleone　could　be　held　cheaply　because　of　his　past　misfortunes。　He　was　a　man　who　had　made　only　a　few　mistakes　in　his　career　and　had　learned　from　every　one　of　them。
　
　Only　Hagen　guessed　the　Don's　real　intentions　and　was　not　surprised　when　emissaries　were　sent　to　the　Five　Families　to　propose　a　peace。　Not　only　to　propose　a　peace　but　a　meeting　of　all　the　Families　in　the　city　and　with　invitations　to　Families　all　over　the　United　States　to　attend。　Since　the　New　York　Families　were　the　most　powerful　in　the　country；　it　was　understood　that　their　welfare　affected　the　welfare　of　the　country　as　a　whole。
　
　At　first　there　were　suspicions。　Was　Don　Corleone　preparing　a　trap？　Was　he　trying　to　throw　his　enemies　off　their　guard？　Was　he　attempting　to　prepare　a　wholesale　massacre　to　avenge　his　son？　But　Don　Corleone　soon　made　it　clear　that　he　was　sincere。　Not　only　did　he　involve　all　the　Families　in　the　country　in　this　meeting；　but　made　no　move　to　put　his　own　people　on　a　war　footing　or　to　enlist　allies。　And　then　he　took　the　final　irrevocable　step　that　established　the　authenticity　of　these　intentions　and　assured　the　safety　of　the　grand　council　to　be　assembled。　He　called　on　the　services　of　the　Bocchicchio　Family。
　
　The　Bocchicchio　Family　was　unique　in　that；　once　a　particularly　ferocious　branch　of　the　Mafia　in　Sicily；　it　had　bee　an　instrument　of　peace　in　America。　Once　a　group　of　men　who　earned　their　living　by　a　savage　determination；　they　now　earned　their　living　in　what　perhaps　could　be　called　a　saintly　fashion。　The　Bocchicchios'　one　asset　was　a　closely　knit　structure　of　blood　relationships；　a　family　loyalty　severe　even　for　a　society　where　family　loyalty　came　before　loyalty　to　a　wife。
　
　The　Bocchicchio　Family；　extending　out　to　third　cousins；　had　once　numbered　nearly　two　hundred　when　they　ruled　the　particular　economy　of　a　small　section　of　southern　Sicily。　The　ine　for　the　entire　family　then　came　from　four　or　five　flour　mills；　by　no　means　owned　munally；　but　assuring　labor　and　bread　and　a　minimal　security　for　all　Family　members。　This　was　enough；　with　intermarriages；　for　them　to　present　a　mon　front　against　their　enemies。
　
　No　peting　mill；　no　dam　that　would　create　a　water　supply　to　their　petitors　or　ruin　their　own　selling　of　water；　was　allowed　to　be　built　in　their　corner　of　Sicily。　A　powerful　landowning　baron　once　tried　to　erect　his　own　mill　strictly　for　his　personal　use。　The　mill　was　burned　down。　He　called　on　the　carabineri　and　higher　authorities；　who　arrested　three　of　the　Bocchicchio　Family。　Even　before　the　trial　the　manor　house　of　the　baron　was　torched。　The　indictment　and　accusations　were　withdrawn。　A　few　months　later　one　of　the　highest　functionaries　in　the　Italian　government　arrived　in　Sicily　and　tried　to　solve　the　chronic　water　shortage　of　that　island　by　proposing　a　huge　dam。　Engineers　arrived　from　Rome　to　do　surveys　while　watched　by　grim　natives；　members　of　the　Bocchicchio　clan。　Police　flooded　the　area；　housed　in　a　specially　built　barracks。
　
　It　looked　like　nothing　could　stop　the　dam　from　being　built　and　supplies　and　equipment　had　actually　been　unloaded　in　Palermo。　That　was　as　far　as　they　got。　The　Bocchicchios　had　contacted　fellow　Mafia　chiefs　and　extracted　agreements　for　their　aid。　The　heavy　equipment　was　sabotaged；　the　lighter　equipment　stolen。　Mafia　deputies　in　the　Italian　Parliament　launched　a　bureaucratic　counterattack　against　the　planners。　This　went　on　for　several　years　and　in　that　time　Mussolini　came　to　power。　The　dictator　decreed　that　the　dam　must　be　built。　It　was　not。