mp.godfather-第68节

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ave　some　influence　but　many　of　the　people　who　respect　my　counsel　might　lose　this　respect　if　drugs　bee　involved　in　our　relationship。　They　are　afraid　to　be　involved　in　such　business　and　they　have　strong　feelings　about　it。　Even　policemen　who　help　us　in　gambling　and　other　things　would　refuse　to　help　us　in　drugs。　So　to　ask　me　to　perform　a　service　in　these　matters　is　to　ask　me　to　do　a　disservice　to　myself。　But　I'm　willing　to　do　even　that　if　all　of　you　think　it　proper　in　order　to　adjust　other　matters。〃
　
　When　Don　Corleone　had　finished　speaking　the　room　became　much　more　relaxed　with　more　whisperings　and　cross　talk。　He　had　conceded　the　important　point。　He　would　offer　his　protection　to　any　organized　business　venture　in　drugs。　He　was；　in　effect；　agreeing　almost　entirely　to　Sollozzo's　original　proposal　if　that　proposal　was　endorsed　by　the　national　group　gathered　here。　It　was　understood　that　he　would　never　participate　in　the　operational　phase；　nor　would　he　invest　his　money。　He　would　merely　use　his　protective　influence　with　the　legal　apparatus。　But　this　was　a　formidable　concession。
　
　The　Don　of　Los　Angeles；　Frank　Falcone；　spoke　to　answer。　〃There's　no　way　of　stopping　our　people　from　going　into　that　business。　。They　go　in　on　their　own　and　they　get　is　trouble。　There's　too　much　money　in　it　to　resist。　So　it's　more　dangerous　if　we　don't　go　in。　At　least　if　we　control　it　we　can　cover　it　better；　organize　it　better；　make　sure　it　causes　less　trouble。　Being　in　it　is　not　so　bad；　there　has　to　be　control；　there　has　to　be　protection；　there　has　to　be　organization；　we　can't　have　everybody　running　around　doing　just　what　they　please　like　a　bunch　of　anarchists。〃
　
　The　Don　of　Detroit；　more　friendly　to　Corleone　than　any　of　the　others；　also　now　spoke　against　his　friend's　position；　in　the　interest　of　reasonableness。　〃I　don't　believe　in　drugs；〃　he　said。　〃For　years　I　paid　my　people　extra　so　they　wouldn't　do　that　kind　of　business。　But　it　didn't　matter；　it　didn't　help。　Somebody　es　to　them　and　says；　'I　have　powders；　if　you　put　up　the　three…；　four…thousand…dollar　investment　we　can　make　fifty　thousand　distributing。'　Who　can　resist　such　a　profit？　And　they　are　so　busy　with　their　little　side　business　they　neglect　the　work　I　pay　them　to　do。　There's　more　money　in　drugs。　It's　getting　bigger　all　the　time。　There's　no　way　to　stop　it　so　we　have　to　control　the　business　and　keep　it　respectable。　I　don't　want　any　of　it　near　schools；　I　don't　want　any　of　it　sold　to　children。　That　is　an　infamita。　In　my　city　I　would　try　to　keep　the　traffic　in　the　dark　people；　the　colored。　They　are　the　best　customers；　the　least　troublesome　and　they　are　animals　anyway。　They　have　no　respect　for　their　wives　or　their　families　or　for　themselves。　Let　them　lose　their　souls　with　drugs。　But　something　has　to　be　done；　we　just　can't　let　people　do　as　they　please　and　make　trouble　for　everyone。〃
　
　This　speech　of　the　Detroit　Don　was　received　with　loud　murmurs　of　approval。　He　had　hit　the　nail　on　the　head。　You　couldn't　even　pay　people　to　stay　out　of　the　drug　traffic。　As　for　his　remarks　about　children；　that　was　his　well…known　sensibility；　his　tenderheartedness　speaking。　After　all；　who　would　sell　drugs　to　children？　Where　would　children　get　the　money？　As　for　his　remarks　about　the　coloreds；　that　was　not　even　heard。　The　Negroes　were　considered　of　absolutely　no　account；　of　no　force　whatsoever。　That　they　had　allowed　society　to　grind　them　into　the　dust　proved　them　of　no　account　and　his　mentioning　them　in　any　way　proved　that　the　Don　of　Detroit　had　a　mind　that　always　wavered　toward　irrelevancies。
　
　All　the　Dons　spoke。　Ail　of　them　deplored　the　traffic　in　drugs　as　a　bad　thing　that　would　cause　trouble　but　agreed　there　was　no　way　to　control　it。　There　was；　simply；　too　much　money　to　be　made　in　the　business；　therefore　it　followed　that　there　would　be　men　who　would　dare　anything　to　dabble　in　it。　That　was　human　nature。
　
　It　was　finally　agreed。　Drug　traffic　would　be　permitted　and　Don　Corleone　must　give　it　some　legal　protection　in　the　East。　It　was　understood　that　the　Barzini　and　Tattaglia　Families　would　do　most　of　the　large…scale　operations。　With　this　out　of　the　way　the　conference　was　able　to　move　on　to　other　matters　of　a　wider　interest。　There　were　many　plex　problems　to　be　solved。　It　was　agreed　that　Las　Vegas　and　Miami　were　to　be　open　cities　where　any　of　the　Families　could　operate。　They　all　recognized　that　these　were　the　cities　of　the　future。　It　was　also　agreed　that　no　violence　would　be　permitted　in　these　cities　and　that　petty　criminals　of　all　types　were　to　be　discouraged。　It　was　agreed　that　in　momentous　affairs；　in　executions　that　were　necessary　but　might　cause　too　much　of　a　public　outcry；　the　execution　must　be　approved　by　this　council。　It　was　agreed　that　button　men　and　other　soldiers　were　to　be　restrained　from　violent　crimes　and　acts　of　vengeance　against　each　other　on　personal　matters。　It　was　agreed　that　Families　would　do　each　other　services　when　requested；　such　as　providing　executioners；　technical　assistance　in　pursuing　certain　courses　of　action　such　as　bribing　jurors；　which　in　some　instances　could　be　vital。　These　discussions；　informal；　colloquial　and　on　a　high　level；　took　time　and　were　broken　by　lunch　and　drinks　from　the　buffet　bar。
　
　Finally　Don　Barzini　sought　to　bring　the　meeting　to　an　end。　〃That's　the　whole　matter　then；〃　he　said。　〃We　have　the　peace　and　let　me　pay　my　respects　to　Don　Corleone；　whom　we　all　have　known　over　the　years　as　a　man　of　his　word。　If　there　are　any　more　differences　we　can　meet　again；　we　need　not　bee　foolish　again。　On　my　part　the　road　is　new　and　fresh。　I'm　glad　this　is　all　settled。〃
　
　Only　Phillip　Tattaglia　was　a　little　worried　still。　The　murder　of　Santino　Corleone　made　him　the　most　vulnerable　person　in　this　group　if　war　broke　out　again。　He　spoke　at　length　for　the　first　time。
　
　〃I've　agreed　to　everything　here；　I'm　willing　to　forget　my　own　misfortune。　But　I　would　like　to　hear　some　strict　assurances　from　Corleone。　Will　he　attempt　any　individual　vengeance？　When　time　goes　by　and　his　position　perhaps　bees　stronger；　will　he　forget　that　we　have　sworn　our　friendship？　How　am　I　to　know　that　in　three　or　four　years　he　won't　feel　that　he's　been　ill　served；　forced　against　his　will　to　this　agreement　and　so　free　to　break　it？　Will　we　have　to　guard　against　each　other　all　the　time？　Or　can　we　truly　go　in　peace　with　peace　of　mind？　Would　Corleone　give　us　all　his　assurances　as　I　now　give　mine？〃
　
　It　was　then　that　Don　Corleone　gave　the　speech　that　would　be　long　remembered；　and　that　reaffirmed　his　position　as　the　most　far…seeing　statesman　among　them；　so　full　of　mon　sense；　so　direct　from　the　heart；　and　to　the　heart　of　the　matter。　In　it　he　coined　a　phrase　that　was　to　bee　as　famous　in　its　way　as　Churchill's　Iron　Curtain；　though　not　public　knowledge　until　more　than　ten　years　later。
　
　For　the　first　time　he　stood　up　to　address　the　council。　He　was　short　and　a　little　thin　from　his　〃illness；〃　perhaps　his　sixty　years　showed　a　bit　more　but　there　was　no　question　that　he　had　regained　all　his　former　strength；　and　had　all　his　wits。
　
　〃What　manner　of　men　are　we　then；　if　we　do　not　have　our　reason；〃　he　said。　〃We　are　all　no　better　than　beasts　in　a　jungle　if　that　were　the　case。　But　we　have　reason；　we　can　reason　with　each　other　and　we　can　reason　with　ourselves。　To　what　purpose　would　I　start　all　these　troubles　again；　the　violence　and　the　turmoil？　My　son　is　dead　and　that　is　a　misfortune　and　I　must　bear　it；　not　make　the　innocent　world　around　me　suffer　with　me。　And　so　I　say；　I　give　my　honor；　that　I　will　never　seek　vengeance；　I　will　never　seek　knowledge　of　the　deeds　that　have　been　done　in　the　past。　I　will　leave　here　with　a　pure　heart。
　
　〃Let　me　say　that　we　must　always　look　to　our　interests。　We　are　all　men　who　have　refused　to　be　fools；　who　have　refused　to　be　puppets　dancing　on　a　string　pulled　by　the　men　on　high。　We　have　been　fortunate　here　in　this　country。　Already　most　of　our　children　have　found　a　better　life。　Some　of　you　have　sons　who　are　professors；　scientists；　musicians；　and　you　are　fortunate。　Perhaps　your　grandchildren　will　bee　the　new　pezzonovanti。　None　of　us　here　want　to　see　our　children　follow　in　our　footsteps；　it's　too　hard　a　life。　They　can　be　as　others；　their　position　and　security　won　by　our　courage。　I　have　grandchildren　now　and　I　hope　their　children　may　someday；　who　knows；　be　a　governor；　a　President；　nothing's　impossible　herein　America。　But　we　have　to　progress　with　the　times。　The　time　is　past　for　guns　and　killings　and　massacres。　We　have　to　be　cxmning　like　the　business　people；　there's　more　money　in　it　and　it's　better　for　our　children　and　our　grandchildren。
　
　〃As　for　our　own　deeds；　we　are　not　responsible　to　the　。90　calibers　the　pezzonovantis　who　take　it　upon　themselves　to　decide　what　we　shall　do　with　our　lives；　who　declare　wars　they　wish　us　to　fight　in　to　protect　what　they　own。　Who　is　to　say　we　should　obey　the　laws　they　make　for　their　own　interest　and　to　our　hurt？　And　who　are　they　then　to　meddle　when　we　look　after　our　own　interests？　Sonna　coca　nostra；〃　Don　Corleone　said；　〃these　are　our　own　affairs。　We　will　manage　our　world　for　ourselves　because　it　is　our　world；　cosa　nostra。　And　so　we　have　to　stick　together　to　guard　against　outside　meddlers。　Otherwise　they　will　put　the　ring　in　our　nose　as　they　have　put　the　rin