mp.godfather-第61节

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chest；　he　said　to　Bonasera；　〃Well；　old　friend；　are　you　ready　to　do　me　this　service？〃
　
　Bonasera　nodded。　The　Don　followed　the　stretcher　into　the　embalming　room　and　Bonasera　trailed　after　him。　The　corpse　was　on　one　of　the　guttered　tables。　Don　Corleone　made　a　tiny　gesture　with　his　hat　and　the　other　men　left　the　room。
　
　Bonasera　whispered；　〃What　do　you　wish　me　to　do？〃
　
　Don　Corleone　was　staring　at　the　table。　〃I　want　you　to　use　all　your　powers；　all　your　skill；　as　you　love　me；〃　he　said。　〃I　do　not　wish　his　mother　to　see　him　as　he　is。〃　He　went　to　the　table　and　drew　down　the　gray　blanket。　Amerigo　Bonasera　against　all　his　will；　against　all　his　years　of　training　and　experience；　let　out　a　gasp　of　horror。　On　the　embalming　able　was　the　bullet…smashed　face　of　Sonny　Corleone。　The　left　eye　drowned　in　blood　had　a　star　fracture　in　its　lens。　The　bridge　of　his　nose　and　left　cheekbone　were　hammered　into　Pulp。
　
　For　one　fraction　of　a　second　the　Don　put　out　his　hand　to　support　himself　against　Bonasera's　body。　〃See　how　they　have　massacred　my　son；〃　he　said。
　
　Chapter　19
　
　Perhaps　it　was　the　stalemate　that　made　Sonny　Corleone　embark　on　the　bloody　course　of　attrition　that　ended　in　his　own　death。　Perhaps　it　was　his　dark　violent　nature　given　full　rein。
　
　In　any　case；　that　spring　and　summer　he　mounts　senseless　raids　on　enemy　auxiliaries。　Tattaglia　Family　pimps　were　shot　to　death　in　Harlem；　dock　goons　were　massacred。　Union　officials　who　owed　allegiance　to　the　Five　Families　were　warned　to　stay　neutral；　and　when　the　Corleone　bookmakers　and　shylocks　were　still　barred　from　the　docks；　Sonny　sent　Clemenza　and　his　regime　to　wreak　havoc　upon　the　long　shore。
　
　This　slaughter　was　senseless　because　it　could　not　affect　affect　the　oute　of　the　war。　Sonny　was　a　brilliant　tactician　and　wears　his　brilliant　victories。　But　what　was　needed　was　the　strategical　genius　of　Don　Corleone。　The　whole　thing　degenerated　into　such　a　deadly　guerrilla　war　that　both　sides　found　themselves　losing　a　great　deal　of　revenue　and　lives　to　no　purpose。　The　Corleone　Family　was　finally　forced　to　close　down　some　of　its　most　profitable　bookmaking　stations；　including　the　book　given　to　son…in…law　Carlo　Rizzi　for　his　living。　Carlo　took　to　drink　and　running　with　chorus　girls　and　giving　his　wife　Connie　a　hard　time。　Since　his　beating　at　the　hands　of　Sonny　he　had　not　dared　to　hit　his　wife　again　but　he　had　not　slept　with　her。　Connie　had　thrown　herself　at　his　feet　and　he　had　spurned　her；　as　he　thought；　like　a　Roman；　with　exquisite　patrician　pleasure。　He　had　sneered　at　her；　〃Go　call　your　brother　and　tell　him　I　won't　screw　you；　maybe　he'll　beat　me　up　until　I　get　a　hard　on。〃
　
　But　he　was　in　deadly　fear　of　Sonny　though　they　treated　each　other　with　cold　politeness。　Carlo　had　the　sense　to　realize　that　Sonny　would　kill　him；　that　Sonny　was　a　man　who　could；　with　the　naturalness　of　an　animal；　kill　another　man；　while　he　himself　would　have　to　call　up　all　his　courage；　all　his　will；　to　mit　murder。　It　never　occurred　to　Carlo　that　because　of　this　he　was　a　better　man　than　Sonny　Corleone；　if　such　terms　could　be　used；　he　envied　Sonny　his　awesome　savagery；　a　savagery　which　was　now　being　a　legend。
　
　Tom　Hagen；　as　the　Consigliere；　disapproved　of　Sonny's　tactics　and　yet　decided　not　to　protest　to　the　Don　simply　because　the　tactics；　to　some　extent；　worked。　The　Five　Families　seemed　to　be　cowed；　finally；　as　the　attrition　went　on；　and　their　counterblows　weakened　and　finally　ceased　altogether。　Hagen　at　first　distrusted　this　seeming　pacification　of　the　enemy　but　Sonny　was　jubilant。　〃I'll　pour　it　on；〃　he　told　Hagen；　〃and　then　those　bastards　will　e　begging　for　a　deal。〃
　
　Sonny　was　worried　about　other　things。　His　wife　was　giving　him　a　hard　time　because　the　rumors　had　gotten　to　her　that　Lucy　Mancini　had　bewitched　her　husband。　And　though　she　joked　publicly　about　her　Sonny's　equipment　and　technique；　he　had　stayed　away　from　her　too　long　and　she　missed　him　in　her　bed；　and　she　was　making　life　miserable　for　him　with　her　nagging。
　
　In　addition　to　this　Sonny　was　under　the　enormous　strain　of　being　a　marked　man。　He　had　to　be　extraordinarily　careful　in　all　his　movements　and　he　knew　that　his　visits　to　Lucy　Mancini　had　been　charted　by　the　enemy。　But　here　he　took　elaborate　precautions　since　this　was　the　traditional　vulnerable　spot。　He　was　safe　there。　Though　Lucy　had　not　the　slightest　suspicion；　she　was　watched　twenty…four　hours　a　day　by　men　of　the　Santino　regime　and　when　an　apartment　became　vacant　on　her　floor　it　was　immediately　rented　by　one　of　the　most　reliable　men　of　that　regime。
　
　The　Don　was　recovering　and　would　soon　be　able　to　resume　mand。　At　that　time　the　tide　of　battle　must　swing　to　the　Corleone　Family。　This　Sonny　was　sure　of。　Meanwhile　he　would　guard　his　Family's　empire；　earn　the　respect　of　his　father；　and；　since　the　position　was　not　hereditary　to　an　absolute　degree；　cement　his　claim　as　heir　to　the　Corleone　Empire。
　
　But　the　enemy　was　making　its　plans。　They　too　had　analyzed　the　situation　and　had　e　to　the　conclusion　that　the　only　way　to　stave　off　plete　defeat　was　to　kill　Sonny　Corleone。　They　understood　the　situation　better　now　and　felt　it　was　possible　to　negotiate　with　the　Don；　known　for　his　logical　reasonableness。　They　had　e　to　hate　Sonny　for　his　bloodthirstiness；　which　they　considered　barbaric。　Also　not　good　business　sense。　Nobody　wanted　the　old　days　back　again　with　all　its　turmoil　and　trouble。
　
　One　evening　Connie　Corleone　received　an　anonymous　phone　call；　a　girl's　voice；　asking　for　Carlo。　〃Who　is　this？〃　Connie　asked。
　
　The　girl　on　the　other　end　giggled　and　said；　〃I'm　a　friend　of　Carlo's。　I　just　wanted　to　tell　him　I　can't　see　him　tonight。　I　have　to　go　out　of　town。〃
　
　〃You　lousy　bitch；〃　Connie　Corleone　said。　She　screamed　it　again　into　the　phone。　〃You　lousy　tramp　bitch。〃　There　was　a　click　on　the　other　end。
　
　Carlo　had　gone　to　the　track　for　that　afternoon　and　when　he　came　home　in　the　late　evening　he　was　sore　at　losing　and　half　drunk　from　the　bottle　he　always　carried。　As　soon　as　he　stepped　into　the　door；　Connie　started　screaming　curses　at　him。　He　ignored　her　and　went　in　to　take　a　shower。　When　he　came　out　he　dried　his　naked　body　in　front　of　her　and　started　dolling　up　to　go　out。
　
　Connie　stood　with　hands　on　hips；　her　face　pointy　and　white　with　rage。　〃You're　not　going　anyplace；〃　she　said。　〃Your　girl　friend　called　and　said　she　can't　make　it　tonight。　You　lousy　bastard；　you　have　the　nerve　to　give　your　whores　my　phone　number。　I'll　kill　you；　you　bastard。〃　She　rushed　at　him；　kicking　and　scratching。
　
　He　held　her　off　with　one　muscular　forearm。　〃You're　crazy；〃　he　said　coldly。　But　she　could　see　he　was　worried；　as　if　he　knew　the　crazy　girl　he　was　screwing　would　actually　pull　such　a　stunt。　〃She　was　kidding　around；　some　nut；〃　Carlo　said。
　
　Connie　ducked　around　his　arm　and　clawed　at　his　face。　She　got　a　little　bit　of　his　cheek　under　her　fingernails。　With　surprising　patience　he　pushed　her　away。　She　noticed　he　was　careful　because　of　her　pregnancy　and　that　gave　her　the　courage　to　feed　her　rage。　She　was　also　excited。　Pretty　soon　she　wouldn't　be　able　to　do　anything；　the　doctor　had　said　no　sex　for　the　last　two　months　and　she　wanted　it；　before　the　last　two　months　started。　Yet　her　wish　to　inflict　a　physical　injury　on　Carlo　was　very　real　too。　She　followed　him　into　the　bedroom。
　
　She　could　see　he　was　scared　and　that　filled　her　with　contemptuous　delight。　〃You're　staying　home；〃　she　said；　〃you're　not　going　out。〃
　
　〃OK；　OK；〃　he　said。　He　was　still　undressed；　only　wearing　his　shorts。　He　liked　to　go　around　the　house　like　that；　he　was　proud　of　his　V…shaped　body；　the　golden　skin。　Connie　looked　at　him　hungrily。　He　tried　to　laugh。　〃You　gonna　give　me　something　to　eat　at　least？〃
　
　That　mollified　her；　his　calling　on　her　duties；　one　of　them　at　least。　She　was　a　good　cook；　she　had　learned　that　from　her　mother。　She　sauteed　veal　and　peppers；　preparing　a　mixed　salad　while　the　pan　simmered。　Meanwhile　Carlo　stretched　out　on　his　bed　to　read　the　next　day's　racing　form。　He　had　a　water　glass　full　of　whiskey　beside　him　which　he　kept　sipping　at。
　
　Connie　came　into　the　bedroom。　She　stood　in　the　doorway　as　if　she　could　not　e　close　to　the　bed　without　being　invited。　〃The　food　is　on　the　table；〃　she　said。
　
　〃I'm　not　hungry　yet；〃　he　said；　still　reading　the　racing　form。
　
　〃It's　on　the　table；〃　Connie　said　stubbornly。
　
　〃Stick　it　up　your　ass；〃　Carlo　said。　He　drank　off　the　rest　of　the　whiskey　in　the　water　glass；　tilted　the　bottle　to　fill　it　again。　He　paid　no　more　attention　to　her。
　
　Connie　went　into　the　kitchen；　picked　up　the　plates　filled　with　food　and　smashed　them　against　the　sink。　The　loud　crashes　brought　Carlo　in　from　the　bedroom。　He　looked　at　the　greasy　veal　and　peppers　splattered　all　over　the　kitchen　walls　and　his　finicky　neatness　was　outraged。　〃You　filthy　guinea　spoiled　brat；〃　he　said　venomously。　〃Clean　that　up　right　now　or　I'll　kick　the　shit　out　of　you。〃
　
　〃Like　hell　I　will；〃　Connie　said。　She　held　her　hands　like　claws　ready　to　scratch　his　bare　chest　to　ribbons。
　
　Carlo　went　back　into　the　bedroom　and　when　he　came　out　he　was　holding　his　belt　doubled　in　his　hand。　〃Clean　it　up；〃　he　said　and　there　was　no　mistaking　the　menace　in　his　voice。　She　stood　there　not　moving　and　he　sw