mp.godfather-第74节

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　absolutely。　Then　she　thought　of　something　else。　〃How　much　will　it　cost？〃
　
　Jules　frowned。　〃I　haven't　the　facilities　here　for　surgery　like　that　and　I'm　not　the　expert　at　it。　But　I　have　a　friend　in　Los　Angeles　who's　the　best　in　the　field　and　has　facilities　at　the　best　hospital。　In　fact　he　tightens　up　all　the　movie　stars；　when　those　dames　find　out　that　getting　their　faces　and　breasts　lifted　isn't　the　whole　answer　to　making　a　man　love　them。　He　owes　me　a　few　favors　so　it　won't　cost　anything。　I　do　his　abortions　for　him。　Listen；　if　it　weren't　unethical　I'd　tell　you　the　names　of　some　of　the　movie　sex　queens　who　have　had　the　operation。〃
　
　She　was　immediately　curious。　〃Oh；　e　on；　tell　me；〃　she　said。　〃e　on。〃　It　would　be　a　delicious　piece　of　gossip　and　one　of　the　things　about　Juice　was　that　she　could　show　her　feminine　love　of　gossip　without　him　making　fun　of　it。
　
　〃I'll　tell　you　if　you　have　dinner　with　me　and　spend　the　night　with　me；〃　Jules　said。　〃We　have　a　lot　of　lost　time　to　make　up　for　because　of　your　silliness。〃
　
　Lucy　felt　an　overwhelming　affection　to　him　for　being　so　kind　and　she　was　able　to　say；　〃You　don't　have　to　sleep　with　me；　you　know　you　won't　enjoy　it　the　way　I　am　now。〃
　
　Jules　burst　out　laughing。　〃You　dope；　you　incredible　dope。　Didn't　you　ever　hear　of　any　other　way　of　making　love；　far　more　ancient；　far　more　civilized。　Are　you　really　that　innocent？〃
　
　〃Oh　that；〃　she　said。　。
　
　〃Oh　that；〃　he　mimicked　her。　〃Nice　girls　don't　do　that；　manly　men　don't　do　that。　Even　in　the　year　1948。　Well；　baby；　I　can　take　you　to　the　house　of　a　little　old　lady　right　here　is　Las　Vegas　who　was　the　youngest　madam　of　the　most　popular　whorehouse　in　the　wild　west　days；　back　is　1880；　I　think　it　was。　She　likes　to　talk　about　the　old　days。　You　know　what　she　told　me？　That　these　gunslingers；　those　manly；　virile；　straight…shooting　cowboys　would　always　ask　the　girls　for　a　'French；'　what　we　actors　call　fellatio；　what　you　call　'oh　that。'　Did　you　ever　think　of　doing　'oh　that'　with　your　beloved　Sonny？〃
　
　For　the　first　time　she　truly　surprised　him。　She　turned　on　him　with　what　he　could　think　of　only　as　a　Mona　Lisa　smile　（his　scientific　mind　immediately　darting　off　on　a　tangent；　could　this　be　the　solving　of　that　centuries…old　mystery？）　and　said　quietly；　〃I　did　everything　with　Sonny。〃　It　was　the　first　time　she　had　ever　admitted　anything　like　that　to　anyone。
　
　Two　weeks　later　Jules　Segal　stood　in　the　operating　room　of　the　Los　Angeles　hospital　and　watched　his　friend　Dr。　Frederick　Kellner　perform　the　specialty。　Before　Lucy　was　put　under　anesthesia；　Jules　leaned　over　and　whispered；　〃I　told　him　you　were　my　special　girl　so　he's　going　to　put　in　some　real　tight　walls。〃　But　the　preliminary　pill　had　already　made　her　dopey　and　she　didn't　laugh　or　smile。　His　teasing　remark　did　take　away　some　of　the　terror　of　the　operation。
　
　Dr。　Kellner　made　his　incision　with　the　confidence　of　a　pool　shark　making　an　easy　shot。　The　technique　of　any　operation　to　strengthen　the　pelvic　floor　required　the　acplishment　of　two　objectives。　The　musculofibrous　pelvic　sling　had　to　be　shortened　so　that　the　slack　was　taken　up。　And　of　course　the　vaginal　opening；　the　weak　spot　itself　in　the　pelvic　floor；　had　to　be　brought　forward；　brought　under　the　pubic　arch　and　so　relieved　from　the　line　of　direct　pressure　above。　Repairing　the　pelvic　sling　was　called　perincorrhaphy。　Suturing　the　vaginal　wall　was　called　colporrhaphy。
　
　Jules　saw　that　Dr。　Kellner　was　working　carefully　now；　the　big　danger　in　the　cutting　was　going　too　deep　and　hitting　the　rectum。　It　was　a　fairly　unplicated　case；　Jules　had　studied　all　the　X　rays　and　tests。　Nothing　should　go　wrong　except　that　in　surgery　something　could　always　go　wrong。
　
　Kellner　was　working　on　the　diaphragm　sling；　the　T　forceps　held　the　vaginal　flap；　and　exposing　the　ani　muscle　and　the　fasci　which　formed　its　sheath。　Kellner's　gauze…covered　fingers　were　pushing　aside　loose　connective　tissue。　Jules　kept　his　eyes　on　the　vaginal　wall　for　the　appearance　of　the　veins；　the　telltale　danger　signal　of　injuring　the　rectum。　But　old　Kellner　knew　his　stuff。　He　was　building　a　new　snatch　as　easily　as　a　carpenter　nails　together　two…by…four　studs。
　
　Kenner　was　trimming　away　the　excess　vaginal　wall　using　the　fastening…down　stitch　to　close　the　〃bite〃　taken　out　of　the　tissue　of　the　redundant　angle；　insuring　that　no　troublesome　projections　would　form。　Kellner　was　trying　to　insert　three　fingers　into　the　narrowed　opening　of　the　lumen；　then　two。　He　just　managed　to　get　two　fingers　in；　probing　deeply　and　for　a　moment　he　looked　up　at　Jules　and　his　china…blue　eyes　over　the　gauze　mask　twinkled　as　though　asking　if　that　was　narrow　enough。　Then　he　was　busy　again　with　his　sutures。
　
　It　was　all　over。　They　wheeled　Lucy　out　to　the　recovery　room　and　Jules　talked　to　Kellner。　Kellner　was　cheerful；　the　best　sign　that　everything　had　gone　well。　〃No　plications　at　all；　my　boy；〃　he　told　Jules。　〃Nothing　growing　in　there；　very　simple　case。　She　has　wonderful　body　tone；　unusual　in　these　cases　and　now　she's　in　first…class　shape　for　fun　and　games。　I　envy　you；　my　boy。　Of　course　you'll　have　to　wait　a　little　while　but　then　I　guarantee　you'll　like　my　work。〃
　
　Jules　laughed。　〃You're　a　true　Pygmalion；　Doctor。　Really；　you　were　marvelous。〃
　
　Dr。　Kellner　grunted。　〃That's　all　child's　play；　like　your　abortions。　If　society　would　only　be　realistic；　people　like　you　and　I；　really　talented　people；　could　do　important　work　and　leave　this　stuff　for　the　hacks。　By　the　way；　I'll　be　sending　you　a　girl　next　week；　a　very　nice　girl；　they　seem　to　be　the　ones　who　always　get　in　trouble。　That　will　make　us　all　square　for　this　job　today。〃
　
　Jules　shook　his　hand。　〃Thanks；　Doctor。　e　out　yourself　sometime　and　I'll　see　that　you　get　all　the　courtesies　of　the　house。〃
　
　Kellner　gave　him　a　wry　smile。　〃I　gamble　every　day；　I　don't　need　your　roulette　wheels　and　crap　tables。　I　knock　heads　with　fate　too　often　as　it　is。　You're　going　to　waste　out　there；　Jules。　Another　couple　of　years　and　you　can　forget　about　serious　surgery。　You　won't　be　up　to　it。〃　He　turned　away。
　
　Jules　knew　it　was　not　meant　as　a　reproach　but　as　a　warning。　Yet　it　took　the　heart　out　of　him　anyway。　Since　Lucy　wouldn't　be　out　of　the　recovery　room　for　at　least　twelve　hours；　he　went　out　on　the　town　and　got　drunk。　Part　of　getting　drunk　was　his　feeling　of　relief　that　everything　had　worker　out　so　well　with　Lucy。
　
　**********
　
　The　next　morning　when　he　went　to　the　hospital　to　visit　her　he　was　surprised　to　find　two　men　at　her　bedside　and　flowers　all　over　the　room。　Lucy　was　propped　up　on　pillows；　her　face　radiant。　Jules　was　surprised　because　Lucy　had　broken　with　her　family　and　had　told　him　not　to　notify　them　unless　something　went　wrong。　Of　course　Freddie　Corleone　knew　she　was　in　the　hospital　for　a　minor　operation；　that　had　been　necessary　so　that　they　both　could　get　time　off；　and　Freddie　had　told　Jules　that　the　hotel　would　pick　up　all　the　bills　for　Lucy。
　
　Lucy　was　introducing　them　and　one　of　the　men　Jules　recognized　instantly。　The　famous　Johnny　Fontane。　The　other　was　a　big；　muscular；　snotty…looking　Italian　guy　whose　name　was　Nino　Valenti。　They　both　shook　hands　with　Jules　and　then　paid　no　further　attention　to　him。　They　were　kidding　Lucy；　talking　about　the　old　neighborhood　in　New　York；　about　people　and　events　Jules　had　no　way　of　sharing。　So　he　said　to　Lucy；　〃I'll　drop　by　later；　I　have　to　see　Dr。　Kellner　anyway。〃
　
　But　Johnny　Fontane　was　turning　the　charm　on　him。　〃Hey；　buddy；　we　have　to　leave　ourselves；　you　keep　Lucy　pany。　Take　good　care　of　her；　Doc。〃　Jules　noticed　a　peculiar　hoarseness　in　Johnny　Fontane's　voice　and　remembered　suddenly　that　the　man　hadn't　sung　in　public　for　over　a　year　now；　that　he　had　won　the　Academy　Award　for　his　acting。　Could　the　man's　voice　have　changed　so　late　in　life　and　the　papers　keeping　it　a　secret；　everybody　keeping　it　a　secret？　Jules　loved　inside　gossip　and　kept　listening　to　Fontane's　voice　in　an　attempt　to　diagnose　the　trouble。　It　could　be　simple　strain；　or　too　much　booze　and　cigarettes　or　even　too　much　women。　The　voice　had　an　ugly　timbre　to　it；　he　could　never　be　called　the　sweet　crooner　anymore。
　
　〃You　sound　like　you　have　a　cold；〃　Jules　said　to　Johnny　Fontane。
　
　Fontane　said　politely；　〃Just　strain；　I　tried　to　sing　last　night。　I　guess　I　just　can't　accept　the　fact　that　my　voice　changed；　getting　old　you　know。〃　He　gave　Jules　a　what…the…hell　grin。
　
　Jules　said　casually；　〃Didn't　you　get　a　doctor　to　look　at　it？　Maybe　it's　something　that　can　be　fixed。〃
　
　Fontane　was　not　so　charming　now。　He　gave　Jules　a　long　cool　look。　〃That's　the　first　thing　I　did　nearly　two　years　ago。　Best　specialists。　My　own　doctor　who's　supposed　to　be　the　top　guy　out　here　in　California。　They　told　me　to　get　a　lot　of　rest。　Nothing　wrong；　just　getting　older。　A　man's　voice　changes　when　he　gets　older。〃
　
　Fontane　ignored　him　after　that；　paying　attention　to　Lucy；　charming　her　as　he　charmed　all　women。　Jules　kept　listening　to　the　voice。　There　had　to　be　a　growth　on　those　vocal　cords。　But　then　why　the　hell　hadn't　the　specialists　spotted　it？　Was　it　malignant　and　inoperable？　Then　there　was　other　stuff。
　
　He　interrupted　Fontane　to　ask；　〃When　was　the　last　time　you　got　examined　by　a　specialist？〃
　
　Fontane　was　obviously