mp.godfather-第59节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


t　going　again　before　he　gets　better。　We　have　the　go…ahead　from　the　cops　to　operate。　The　first　thing　is　the　policy　banks　in　Harlem。　The　black　boys　up　there　had　their　fun；　now　we　have　to　take　it　back。　They　screwed　up　the　works　but　good；　just　like　they　usually　do　when　they　run　things。　A　lot　of　their　runners　didn't　pay　off　winners。　They　drive　up　in　Cadillacs　and　tell　their　players　they　gotta　wait　for　their　dough　or　maybe　just　pay　them　half　what　they　win。　I　don't　want　any　runner　looking　rich　to　his　players。　I　don't　want　them　dressing　too　good。　I　don't　want　them　driving　new　cars。　I　don't　want　them　welching　on　paying　a　winner。　And　I　don't　want　any　free…lancers　staying　in　business；　they　give　us　a　bad　name。　Tom；　let's　get　that　project　moving　right　away。　Everything　else　will　fall　in　line　as　soon　as　you　send　out　the　word　that　the　lid　is　off。〃
　
　Hagen　said；　〃There　are　some　very　tough　boys　up　in　Harlem。　They　got　a　taste　of　the　big　money。　They　won't　go　back　to　being　runners　or　sub…bankers　again。〃
　
　Sonny　shrugged。　〃Just　give　their　names　to　Clemenza。　That's　his　job；　straightening　them　out。〃
　
　Clemenza　said　to　Hagen；　〃No　problem。〃
　
　It　was　Tessio　wbo　brought　up　the　most　important　question。　〃Once　we　start　operating；　the　five　Families　start　their　raids。　They'll　hit　our　bankers　in　Harlem　and　out　bookmakers　on　the　East　Side。　They　may　even　try　to　make　things　tough　for　the　garment　center　outfits　we　service。　This　war　is　going　to　cost　a　lot　of　money。〃
　
　〃Mabe　they　won't；〃　Sonny　said。　〃They　know　we'll　hit　them　right　back。　I〃ve　got　peace　feelers　out　and　maybe　we　can　settle　everything　by　paying　an　indemnity　for　the　Tattaglia　kid。〃
　
　Hagen　said；　〃We're　getting　the　cold　shoulder　on　those　negotiations。　They　lost　a　lot　of　dough　the　last　few　months　and　they　blame　us　for　it。　With　justice。　I　think　what　they　want　is　for　us　to　agree　to　e　in　on　the　narcotics　trade；　to　use　the　Family　influence　politically。　In　other　words；　Sollozzo's　deal　minus　Sollozzo。　But　they　won't　broach　that　until　they've　hurt　us　with　some　sort　of　bat　action。　Then　after　we've　been　softened　up　they　figure　we'll　listen　to　a　proposition　on　narcotic。〃
　
　Sonny　said　curtly；　〃No　deal　on　drugs。　The　Don　said　no　and　it's　no　until　he　changes　it。〃
　
　Hagen　said　briskly；　〃Then　we're　faced　with　a　tactical　problem。　Our　money　is　out　in　the　open。　Bookmaking　and　policy。　We　can　be　hit。　But　the　Tattaglia　Family　has　prostitution　and　call　girls　and　the　dock　unions。　How　the　hell　are　we　going　to　hit　them？　The　other　Families　are　in　some　gambling。　But　most　of　them　are　in　the　construction　trades；　shylocking；　controlling　the　unions；　getting　the　government　contracts。　They　get　a　lot　from　strong…arm　and　other　stuff　that　involves　innocent　people。　Their　money　isn't　out　in　the　street。　The　Tattaglia　nightclub　is　too　famous　to　touch　it；　it　would　cause　too　much　of　a　stink。　And　with　the　Don　still　out　of　action　their　political　influence　matches　ours。　So　we've　got　a　real　problem　here。〃
　
　〃It's　my　problem；　Tom；〃　Sonny　said。　〃I'll　find　the　answer。　Keep　the　negotiation　alive　and　follow　through　on　the　other　stuff。　Let's　go　back　into　business　and　see　what　happens。　Then　we'll　take　it　from　there。　Clemenza　and　Tessio　have　plenty　of　soldiers；　we　can　match　the　whole　Five　Families　gun　for　gun　if　that's　the　way　they　want　it。　We'll　just　go　to　the　mattresses。〃
　
　There　was　no　problem　getting　the　free…lance　Negro　bankers　out　of　business。　The　police　were　informed　and　cracked　down。　With　a　special　effort。　At　that　time　it　was　not　possible　for　a　Negro　to　make　a　payoff　to　a　high　police　or　political　official　to　keep　such　an　operation　going。　This　was　due　to　racial　prejudice　and　racial　distrust　more　than　anything　else。　But　Harlem　had　always　been　considered　a　minor　problem；　and　its　settlement　was　expected。
　
　The　Five　Families　struck　in　an　unexpected　direction。　Two　powerful　officials　in　the　garment　unions　were　killed；　officials　who　were　members　of　the　Corleone　Family。　Then　the　Corleone　Family　shylocks　were　barred　from　the　waterfront　piers　as　were　the　Corleone　Family　bookmakers。　The　longshoremen's　union　locals　had　gone　over　to　the　Five　Families。　Corleone　bookmakers　all　over　the　city　were　threatened　to　persuade　them　to　change　their　allegiance。　The　biggest　numbers　banker　in　Harlem；　an　old　friend　and　ally　of　the　Corleone　Family；　was　brutally　murdered。　There　was　no　longer　any　option。　Sonny　told　his　caporegimes　to　go　to　the　mattresses。
　
　Two　apartments　were　set　up　in　the　city　and　furnished　with　mattresses　for　the　button　men　to　sleep　on；　a　refrigerator　for　food；　and　guns　and　ammunition。　Clemenza　staffed　one　apartment　and　Tessio　the　other。　All　Family　bookmakers　were　given　bodyguard　teams。　The　policy　bankers　in　Harlem；　however；　had　gone　over　to　the　enemy　and　at　the　moment　nothing　could　be　done　about　that。　All　this　cost　the　Corleone　Family　a　great　deal　of　money　and　very　little　was　ing　in。　As　the　next　few　months　went　by；　other　things　became　obvious。　The　most　important　was　that　the　Corleone　Family　had　overmatched　itself。
　
　There　were　reasons　for　this。　With　the　Don　still　too　weak　to　take　a　part；　a　great　deal　of　the　Family's　political　strength　was　neutralized。　Also；　the　last　ten　years　of　peace　had　seriously　eroded　the　fighting　qualities　of　the　two　caporegimes；　Clemenza　and　Tessio。　Clemenza　was　still　a　petent　executioner　and　administrator　but　he　no　longer　had　the　energy　or　the　youthful　strength　to　lead　troops。　Tessio　had　mellowed　with　age　and　was　not　ruthless　enough。　Tom　Hagen；　despite　his　abilities；　was　simply　not　suited　to　be　a　Consigliere　in　a　time　of　war。　His　main　fault　was　that　he　was　not　a　Sicilian。
　
　Sonny　Corleone　recognized　these　weaknesses　in　the　Family's　wartime　posture　but　could　not　take　any　steps　to　remedy　them。　He　was　not　the　Don　and　only　the　Don　could　replace　the　caporegimes　and　the　Consigliere。　And　the　very　act　of　replacement　would　make　the　situation　more　dangerous；　might　precipitate　some　treachery。　At　first；　Sonny　had　thought　of　fighting　a　holding　action　until　the　Don　could　bee　well　enough　to　take　charge；　but　with　the　defection　of　the　policy　bankers；　the　terrorization　of　the　bookmakers；　the　Family　position　was　being　precarious。　He　decided　to　strike　back。
　
　But　he　decided　to　strike　right　at　the　heart　of　the　enemy。　He　planned　the　execution　of　the　heads　of　the　five　Families　in　one　grand　tactical　maneuver。　To　that　purpose　he　put　into　effect　an　elaborate　system　of　surveillance　of　these　leaders。　But　after　a　week　the　enemy　chiefs　promptly；　dived　underground　and　were　seen　no　more　in　public。
　
　The　Five　Families　and　the　Corleone　Empire　were　in　stalemate。
　
　Chapter　18
　
　Amerigo　Bonasera　lived　only　a　few　blocks　from　his　undertaking　establishment　on　Mulberry　Street　and　so　always　went　home　for　supper。　Evenings　he　returned　to　his　place　of　business；　dutifully　joining　those　mourners　paying　their　respects　to　the　dead　who　lay　in　state　in　his　somber　parlors。
　
　He　always　resented　the　jokes　made　about　his　profession；　the　macabre　technical　details　which　were　so　unimportant。　Of　course　none　of　his　friends　or　family　or　neighbors　would　make　such　jokes。　Any　profession　was　worthy　of　respect　to　men　who　for　centuries　earned　bread　by　the　sweat　of　their　brows。
　
　Now　at　supper　with　his　wife　in　their　solidly　furnished　apartment；　gilt　statues　of　the　Virgin　Mary　with　their　red…glassed　candles　flickering　on　the　sideboard；　Bonasera　lit　a　Camel　cigarette　and　took　a　relaxing　glass　of　American　whiskey。　His　wife　brought　steaming　plates　of　soup　to　the　table。　The　two　of　them　were　alone　now；　he　had　sent　his　daughter　to　live　in　Boston　with　her　mother's　sister；　where　she　could　forget　her　terrible　experience　and　her　injuries　at　the　hands　of　the　two　ruffians　Don　Corleone　had　punished。
　
　As　they　ate　their　soup　his　wife　asked；　〃Are　you　going　back　to　work　tonight？〃
　
　Amerigo　Bonasera　nodded。　His　wife　respected　his　work　but　did　not　understand　it。　She　did　not　understand　that　the　technical　part　of　his　profession　was　the　least　important。　She　thought；　like　most　other　people；　that　he　was　paid　for　his　skill　in　making　the　dead　look　so　lifelike　in　their　coffins。　And　indeed　his　skill　in　this　was　legendary。　But　even　more　important；　even　more　necessary　was　his　physical　presence　at　the　wake。　When　the　bereaved　family　came　at　night　to　receive　their　blood　relatives　and　their　friends　beside　the　coffin　of　their　loved　one；　they　needed　Amerigo　Bonasera　with　them。
　
　For　he　was　a　strict　chaperone　to　death。　His　face　always　grave；　yet　strong　and　forting；　his　voice　unwavering；　yet　muted　to　a　low　register；　he　manded　the　mourning　ritual。　He　could　quiet　grief　that　was　too　unseemly；　he　could　rebuke　unruly　children　whose　parents　had　not　the　heart　to　chastise。　Never　cloying　in　the　tender　of　his　condolences；　yet　never　was　he　offhand。　Once　a　family　used　Amerigo　Bonasera　to　speed　a　loved　one　on；　they　came　back　to　him　again　and　again。　And　he　never；　never；　deserted　one　of　his　clients　on　that　terrible　last　night　above　ground。
　
　Usually　he　allowed　himself　a　little　nap　after　supper。　Then　he　washed　and　shaved　afresh；　talcum　powder　generously　used　to　shroud　the　heavy　black　beard。　A　mouthwash　always。　He　respectfully　changed　into　fresh　linen；　white　gleaming　shirt；　the　black　tie；　a　freshly　pressed　dark　suit；　dull　black　shoes　and　black　socks。　And