mp.godfather-第40节

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'll　make　those　people　vote　for　you　because　they　want　to。　But　they　won't　want　to　unless　he　takes　an　interest。　Now　just　take　my　word　for　it　that　he　can　get　you　the　Award。　And　that　if　he　doesn't　do　it；　you　won't　get　it。〃
　
　〃OK；〃　Johnny　said。　〃I　believe　you。　And　I　have　the　balls　and　brains　to　be　a　producer　but　I　don't　have　the　money。　No　bank　would　finance　me。　It　takes　millions　to　support　a　movie。〃
　
　Hagen　said　dryly；　〃When　you　get　the　Award；　start　making　plans　to　produce　three　of　your　own　movies。　Hire　the　best　people　in　the　business；　the　best　technicians；　the　best　stars；　whoever　you　need。　Plan　on　three　to　five　movies。〃
　
　〃You're　crazy；〃　Johnny　said。　〃That　many　movies　could　mean　twenty　million　bucks。〃
　
　〃When　you　need　the　money；〃　Hagen　said；　〃get　in　touch　with　me。　I'll　give　you　the　name　of　the　bank　out　here　in　California　to　ask　for　financing。　Don't　worry；　they　finance　movies　all　the　time。　Just　ask　them　for　the　money　in　the　ordinary　way；　with　the　proper　justifications；　like　a　regular　business　deal。　They　will　approve。　But　first　you　have　to　see　me　and　tell　me　the　figures　and　the　plans。　OK？〃
　
　Johnny　was　silent　for　a　long　time。　Then　he　said　quietly；　〃Is　there　anything　else？〃
　
　Hagen　smiled。　〃You　mean；　do　you　have　to　do　any　favors　in　return　for　a　loan　of　twenty　million　dollars？　Sure　you　will。〃　He　waited　for　Johnny　to　say　something。　〃Nothing　you　wouldn't　do　anyway　if　the　Don　asked　you　to　do　it　for　him。〃
　
　Johnny　said；　〃The　Don　has　to　ask　me　himself　if　it's　something　serious；　you　know　what　I　mean？　I　won't　take　your　word　or　Sonny's　for　it。〃
　
　Hagen　was　surprised　by　this　good　sense。　Fontane　had　some　brains　after　all。　He　had　sense　to　know　that　the　Don　was　too　fond　of　him；　and　too　smart；　to　ask　him　to　do　something　foolishly　dangerous；　whereas　Sonny　might。　He　said　to　Johnny；　〃Let　me　reassure　you　on　one　thing。　Your　Godfather　has　given　me　and　Sonny　strict　instructions　not　to　involve　you　in　any　way　in　anything　that　might　get　you　bad　publicity；　through　our　fault。　And　he　will　never　do　that　himself。　I　guarantee　you　that　any　favor　he　asks　of　you；　you　will　offer　to　do　before　he　requests　it。　OK？〃
　
　Johnny　smiled。〃OK；〃　he　said。
　
　Hagen　said；　〃Also　he　has　faith　in　you。　He　thinks　you　have　brains　and　so　he　figures　the　bank　will　make　money　on　the　investment；　which　means　he　will　make　money　on　it。　So　it's　really　a　business　deal；　never　forget　that。　Don't　go　screwing　around　with　the　money。　You　may　be　his　favorite　godson　but　twenty　million　bucks　is　a　lot　of　dough。　He　has　to　stick　his　neck　out　to　make　sure　you　get　it。〃
　
　〃Tell　him　not　to　worry；〃　Johnny　said。　〃If　a　guy　like　Jack　Woltz　can　be　a　big　movie　genius；　anybody　can。〃
　
　〃That's　what　your　Godfather　figures；〃　Hagen　said。　〃Can　you　have　me　driven　back　to　the　airport？　I've　said　all　I　have　to　say。　When　you　do　start　signing　contracts　for　everything；　hire　your　own　lawyers；　I　won't　be　in　on　it。　But　I'd　like　to　see　everything　before　you　sign；　if　that's　OK　with　you。　Also；　you'll　never　have　any　labor　troubles。　That　will　cut　costs　on　your　pictures　to　some　extent；　so　when　the　accountants　lump　some　of　that　in；　disregard　those　figures。〃
　
　Johnny　said　cautiously；　〃Do　I　have　to　get　your　OK　on　anything　else；　scripts；　slats；　any　of　that？〃
　
　Hagen　shook　his　head。　〃No；〃　he　aid。　〃It　may　happen　that　the　Don　would　object　to　something　but　he'll　object　to　you　direct　if　he　does。　But　I　can't　imagine　what　that　would　be。　Movies　don't　affect　him　at　all；　in　any　way；　so　he　has　no　interest。　And　he　doesn't　believe　in　meddling；　that　I　can　tell　you　from　experience。〃
　
　〃Good；〃　Johnny　said。　〃I'll　drive　you　to　the　airport　myself。　And　thank　the　Godfather　for　me。　I'd　call　him　up　and　thank　him　but　he　never　es　to　the　phone。　Why　is　that；　by　the　way？〃
　
　Hagen　shrugged。　〃He　hardly　ever　talks　on　the　phone。　He　doesn't　want　his　voice　recorded；　even　saying　something　perfectly　innocent。　He's　afraid　that　they　can　splice　the　words　together　so　that　it　sounds　as　if　he　says　something　else。　I　think　that's　what　it　is。　Anyway　his　only　worry　is　that　someday　he'll　be　framed　by　the　authorities。　So　he　doesn't　want　to　give　them　an　edge。〃
　
　They　got　into　Johnny's　car　and　drove　to　the　airport。　Hagen　was　thinking　that　Johnny　was　a　better　guy　than　he　figured。　He'd　already　learned　something；　just　his　driving　him　personally　to　the　airport　proved　that。　The　personal　courtesy；　something　the　Don　himself　always　believed　in。　And　the　apology。　That　had　been　sincere。　He　had　known　Johnny　a　long　time　and　he　knew　the　apology　would　never　be　made　out　of　fear。　Johnny　had　always　had　guts。　That's　why　he　had　always　been　in　trouble；　with　his　movie　bosses　and　with　his　women。　He　was　also　one　of　the　few　people　who　was　not　afraid　of　the　Don。　Fontane　and　Michael　were　maybe　the　only　two　men　Hagen　knew　of　whom　this　could　be　said。　So　the　apology　was　sincere；　he　would　accept　it　as　such。　He　and　Johnny　would　have　to　see　a　lot　of　each　other　in　the　next　few　years。　And　Johnny　would　have　to　pass　the　next　test；　which　would　prove　how　smart　he　was。　He　would　have　to　do　something　for　the　Don　that　the　Don　would　never　ask　him　to　do　or　insist　that　he　do　as　part　of　the　agreement。　Hagen　wondered　if　Johnny　Fontane　was　smart　enough　to　figure　out　that　part　of　the　bargain。
　
　**********
　
　After　Johnny　dropped　Hagen　off　at　the　airport　（Hagen　insisted　that　Johnny　not　hang　around　for　his　plane　with　him）　he　drove　back　to　Ginny's　house。　She　was　surprised　to　see　him。　But　he　wanted　to　stay　at　her　place　so　that　he　would　have　time　to　think　things　out；　to　make　his　plans。　He　knew　that　what　Hagen　had　told　him　was　extremely　important；　that　his　whole　life　was　being　changed。　He　had　once　been　a　big　star　but　now　at　the　young　age　of　thirty…five　he　was　washed　up。　He　didn't　kid　himself　about　that。　Even　if　he　won　the　Award　as　best　actor；　what　the　hell　could　it　mean　at　the　most？　Nothing；　if　his　voice　didn't　e　back。　He'd　be　just　second…rate；　with　no　real　power；　no　real　juice。　Even　that　girl　turning　him　down；　she　had　been　nice　and　smart　and　acting　sort　of　hip；　but　would　she　have　been　so　cool　if　he　had　really　been　at　the　top？　Now　with　the　Don　backing　him　with　dough　he　could　be　as　big　as　anybody　in　Hollywood。　He　could　be　a　king。　Johnny　smiled。　Hell。　He　could　even　be　a　Don。
　
　It　would　be　nice　living　with　Ginny　again　for　a　few　weeks；　maybe　longer。　He'd　take　the　kids　out　every　day；　maybe　have　a　few　friends　over。　He'd　stop　drinking　and　smoking；　really　take　care　of　himself。　Maybe　his　voice　would　get　strong　again。　If　that　happened　and　with　the　Don's　money；　he'd　be　unbeatable。　He'd　really　be　as　close　to　an　oldtime　king　or　emperor　as　it　was　possible　to　be　in　America。　And　it　wouldn't　depend　on　his　voice　holding　up　or　how　long　the　public　cared　about　him　as　an　actor。　It　would　be　an　empire　rooted　in　money　and　the　most　special；　the　most　coveted　kind　of　power。
　
　Ginny　had　the　guest　bedroom　made　up　for　him。　It　was　understood　that　he　would　not　share　her　room；　that　they　would　not　live　as　man　and　wife。　They　could　never　have　that　relationship　again。　And　though　the　outside　world　of　gossip　columnists　and　movie　fans　gave　the　blame　for　the　failure　of　their　marriage　solely　to　him；　yet　in　a　curious　way；　between　the　two　of　them；　they　both　knew　that　she　was　even　more　to　blame　for　their　divorce。
　
　When　Johnny　Fontane　because　the　most　popular　singer　and　movie　musical　edy　star　in　motion　pictures；　it　had　never　occurred　to　him　to　desert　his　wife　and　children。　He　was　too　Italian；　still　too　old…style。　Naturally　he　had　been　unfaithful。　That　had　been　impossible　to　avoid　in　his　business　and　the　temptations　to　which　he　was　continually　exposed。　And　despite　being　a　skinny；　delicate…looking　guy；　he　had　the　wiry　horniness　of　many　small…boned　Latin　types。　And　women　delighted　him　in　their　surprises。　He　loved　going　out　with　a　demure　sweet…faced　virginal…looking　girl　and　then　uncapping　her　breasts　to　find　them　so　unexpectedly　slopingly　full　and　rich；　lewdly　heavy　in　contrast　to　the　cameo　face。　He　loved　to　find　sexual　shyness　and　timidity　in　the　sexy…looking　girls　who　were　all　fake　motion　like　a　shifty　basketball　player；　vamping　as　if　they　had　slept　with　a　hundred　guys；　and　then　when　he　got　them　alone　having　to　battle　for　hours　to　get　in　and　do　the　job　and　finding　out　they　were　virgins。
　
　And　all　these　Hollywood　guys　laughed　at　his　fondness　for　virgins。　They　called　it　an　old　guinea　taste；　square；　and　look　how　long　it　took　to　make　a　virgin　give　you　a　blow　job　with　all　the　aggravation　and　then　they　usually　turned　out　to　be　a　lousy　piece　of　ass。　But　Johnny　knew　that　it　was　how　you　handled　a　young　girl。　You　had　to　e　on　to　her　the　right　way　and　then　what　could　be　greater　than　a　girl　who　was　tasting　her　first　dick　and　loving　it？　Ah；　it　was　so　great　breaking　them　in。　It　was　so　great　having　them　wrap　their　legs　around　you。　Their　thighs　were　all　different　shapes；　their　asses　were　different；　their　skins　were　all　different　colors　and　shades　of　white　and　brown　and　tan　and　when　he　had　slept　with　that　young　colored　girl　in　Detroit；　a　good　girl；　not　a　hustler；　the　young　daughter　of　a　jazz　singer　on　the　same　nightclub　bill　with　him；　she　had　been　one　of　the　sweetest　things　he　had　ever　had。　Her　lips　had　really　tasted　like　warm　honey　with　pepper　mixed　in　it；　her　dark　brown　skin　was　rich；　creamy；　and　she　had　been　as