Chapter 34 Section 28

On the flight back to New York, Michael Corleone breathed a sigh of relief and tried to get some sleep.But, to no avail, the most terrible period of his life came, perhaps the fatal one.Now, it can no longer be postponed.Everything is ready, all the work is ready, two years of preparatory work is enough, and there is no possibility of delay.When the Don formally announced his retirement to his regiment commanders and members of the Corleone family last week, Michael knew it was his father telling him that "the time has come." Now, it has been almost three years since he returned to China, and it has been almost two years since he married Kai.During these three years, I was mainly familiar with the business activities of the family.He talked for a long time with Tom Hagen, and for a long time with the old man.He was amazed to learn how rich and powerful the Corleone family really was.The Corleone family owned extremely expensive real estate in downtown New York, owning an entire office building.The family actually owned two brokerage buildings on Wall Street, several banks on Long Island, and several clothing center companies through aliases or nominees.All this combined with the illegal gambling industry is really scary enough.

What Michael Corleone finds most interesting in reviewing the past dealings of the Corleone family is that shortly after the war, the Corleone family received a considerable amount of protection from a large group of speculators who copied music records without authorization. host.These speculators specialize in copying and reselling records recorded by famous singers, and they have made all the performances so flawless that they have never been caught.Of course, the singers and original recording dealers got nothing on the records they wholesaled to stores.Michael Corleone noticed that Johnny Fontane also lost a lot of money to this kind of falsification, because at the time his records were also the biggest hits in the country.

He asked Tom Hagen what was the secret.Why did the old man agree to cheat his godson.Hegenland shrugged.Business is business.Besides, John was not a good thing in the old man's mind, and John divorced his childhood sweetheart to marry Margot Yahiton, which made the old man very unhappy. "So why did the counterfeiters stop their counterfeiting all of a sudden?" Michael asked. "Did the police find them?" Hagen shook his head. "The old man stopped protecting them. Connie stopped protecting when she got married." This is a typical case, and he has seen it a lot.On the one hand, the old man is helping those who are in misfortune, but on the other hand, he has intervened to cause those people's misfortune.This, not by intrigue, nor artful arrangement, but by the diversity of his interests, or by the natural laws of the universe.The interpenetration of good and evil is a regular phenomenon in the natural law of the universe.

Michael and Kay were married in the mountains of New England.They held the wedding in silence, only the woman's family and a few friends of the woman attended.After they were married, they moved back to Long Beach Township Boulevard.Michael was amazed at how well Kay got on with her husband's parents and all the people who lived on the Mall.Needless to say, she conceived immediately, as one would expect of a good old Italian wife, and this did something to the harmony of the family.Then, two years later, a second child began to form in the womb. Kai plans to pick him up at the airport.She often went to meet him and was always so happy to see him come back from business trips.Every time he came back to see her, he was very happy.But this time is an exception.This is because the end of this business trip means that he must start the action he has been preparing to take for three years.The commanders of the corps also have to wait for him.And he, Michael Corleone, was going to issue orders and make decisions.These orders and decisions will definitely determine the fate of him and his family.

Every morning, when Kay Adams Corleone got up to nurse the baby, she would see Mama Corleone driving off the Mall in a car driven by a bodyguard and returning an hour later.Soon Kay heard that her mother-in-law went to church to pray every morning.As soon as the old lady came back, she would drop in to sit, have some morning coffee, and also see her new grandson. Mrs. Corleone kept asking Kay why she wasn't a Catholic, ignoring the fact that Kay's children had been baptized Protestants.So Kay felt that she might as well ask the old lady why she had to go to church every morning, and whether going to church every morning was the duty of a Catholic.

The old lady seemed to think that going to church every morning might be the main obstacle to Kay's conversion to Catholicism, so she said quickly: "Oh, no, no, some Catholics only go to church on Easter and Christmas all the year, It’s okay to go to church whenever you feel like going to church.”, Kai laughed. "Then why do you go to church early every morning?" Mrs. Corleone said very naturally, "I, I pray for my husband." Pointing down at the floor, she said, "I pray for him and he won't go to hell." .” She paused for a moment. "I pray for his soul every day and he will go to heaven." She pointed upwards at the spring sky.

She had a childlike smile on her face as she said these words.It seemed as though she were somehow twisting her husband's will, or that her efforts to twist his will were futile.It was almost a joke when she said it, too, in her peculiarly stern, old-woman Italian way.This time, too, she always showed disrespect to the great old man whenever her doctor was not present. "Then, how does my father-in-law react emotionally?" Kai asked politely. Mama Corleone shrugged. "He's been a whole other guy since they shot him. He made Michael do all the work; he tends the vegetable garden all day, the peppers, the potpourri. Like he's still a farmer. But then again, men are always like that."

Sometime in the morning Connie Corleone would lead her two children down the avenue to see Kay and chat with her.Kay adored Connie, her bubbly personality, and her preference for her brother Michael.Connie taught Kay how to cook Italian dishes, and sometimes brought Michael to try her own special dishes. As usual, she asked Kay again this morning what Michael thought of her husband Carlo.Does Michael really like Carlo, as he seems?Carlo had always had minor entanglements with the family in the past, but in recent years, he had changed his ways.He did a good job in union work, but he had to work hard, many hours a day.Carlo really liked Michael, something Connie often said.But then again, everyone likes Michael now, just as everyone liked his father back then.Michael was the very embodiment of the Don.Michael intends to run the family's traditional olive oil business.The bits really couldn't have been better.

Kay had read Connie's mind long before that: when Connie mentioned her husband's connection to the family, she was anxious to hear a word of praise for Carlo.Kay would be foolish not to see that Connie had a nervous concern about whether or not Michael liked Carlo.One night Kay posed the question to Michael, noting that Sonny Corleone had never been talked about, not indirectly, at least not in her presence.Once he tried to express his condolences to Sonny in the presence of the old man and the old lady, but the old couple listened but said nothing and ignored them when they were done.She also tried to talk Connie about her older brother, to no avail.

Sonny's widow, Sandra, moved to Florida with her children because her parents lived there.With some financial arrangements, she and her children lived happily, but Sonny died with no fixed assets of her own. Michael barely explained what happened the night Sonny was killed: first Carlo beat his wife Connie, then Connie called the Greenway, and it was Sonny who answered the phone, and Sonny went crazy after answering the phone He also rushed out.So Connie and Carlo have been nervously worried that other members of the family will blame her for indirectly causing Sonny's death, or blame her husband Carlo.This does not appear to be the case, as evidenced by the fact that the family gave Connie and Carlo a house on the Boulevard, and that Carlo was promoted to an important position in the union system.And Carlo has also reformed his evil ways and returned to the right. He must not drink too much, stop promiscuous whoring, and stop desperately trying to show off.In the past two years, the family has been very satisfied with his work and attitude, and no one blames him for the past.

"Then why don't you invite the two of them over for a talk one night, and you can reassure your sister too!" Kay went on to say, "Your sister is so pitiful, she is always nervous about your treatment of her husband." Opinion. You might as well just tell her and tell her to get those wild thoughts out of her head." "Well, I can't do that," Michael said. "Our policy is not to talk about these issues among family members." "And will you allow me to tell her what you told me?" asked Kay. This was originally a reasonable suggestion, but he thought about it for a long time.This puzzled her.Finally, he said, "Kay, I'm a big party. I don't think it's good to talk about it. She's going to be suspicious anyway. There's nothing anyone can do about it." Kai froze.She sensed that Michael had always been colder to his sister than to anyone else, even though Connie loved him. "It's true that you don't blame Connie for Sonny's murder?" she asked. Michael sighed. "Of course not," he said. "She's my sister, and I'm very fond of her. I'm sorry for her. Carol, though he's getting better, is a really bad husband. Let's forget him and be good." When it comes to character, Kai has never broken the casserole and asked the end, so she stopped being long-winded.In addition, she knew that Michael would not take tough things, but if he came to tough things, he would be ruthless and determined.She knew that she was the only person in the world who could influence his will.But at the same time, she also understands that using this power too often will damage it.After living with him for two years, she loved him even more. She loved him because he was extraordinarily generous and never judgemental in even the smallest things.She could already see that he was a very powerful figure now.People kept coming to him to discuss problems and ask him for help.People are always obedient and respectful to him.There was, however, one of his qualities which made him especially lovable to her, comparatively speaking. Here's what happened: Ever since Michael returned from Sicily with a battered face, everyone in the family had urged him to undergo corrective surgery.His mother constantly pushes him.At a Sunday reunion, as the Corleone family gathered on the avenue, his mother yelled at Michael: "Looking at you like this is like a robber in a movie. For the sake of Jesus Christ, for your poor wife, you'd better have your face repaired earlier. After repairing, you won't be always Runny nose. You look like a drunk Irishman when you runny nose." The old man sat at the top of the table and saw everything clearly.He looked at Kay and asked, "Does he dislike him like that? Kai shook his head.So, the old man said to his wife: "He is no longer under your control. You are too busy and mind your own business." The old lady calmed down immediately after hearing this.Not because she was afraid of her husband, but because it was unseemly to argue with him on such matters in the presence of other people. But Connie, the old man's favorite, had just come into the banquet hall from the kitchen, where she was in charge of preparing the dishes for the family dinner, her face was flushed by the fire, and she immediately took over and said: "I think he should have his face trimmed. He was the most handsome of our parents before he was hurt. Mike, you'd better take advice and promise to have your face trimmed." Michael looked at her, absent-mindedly.It seems that he didn't seem to listen to what he said just now, he just didn't say a word. Connie came and stood beside her father. "You can also say something to persuade him," she said to the old man.She put her hands affectionately on his shoulders, and touched his neck with her hands.She was the only one who could be so intimate with the old man.Her affection for her father is like a little girl's affection for her father, a kind of trust. The old man patted her hand and said, "We are all famished with hunger, quickly bring up the thin strips of solid noodles, let's chat while we eat." Connie looked back at her husband and said, "Carol, tell Michael to fix his face too. Maybe he will listen to you." over their friendly relations with others. Carlo was handsomely tanned by the sun; his blond hair was well cut and neatly combed.He said, sipping the house wine from his glass, "No one has the right to tell Michael what to do." Carlo had been a different man since he moved to the avenue.He knows his position in the family, so he never deviates from it. Behind all these phenomena lay something Kai did not understand, that is, something invisible to the naked eye.As a woman, she could see that Connie was trying to please her father, but she played it beautifully, even sincerely, but not from the heart.Carlo's answer was equivalent to hitting his forehead to the ground and knocking his head, and Michael paid no attention to all this. Kai didn't take the doctor's deformed face to heart, but he worried about the sinus problems it would cause.Facial contouring surgery will also work well to heal sinus problems.For this reason, she wanted Michael to go to the hospital for the necessary surgery.However, she knew in her heart that he would rather keep his deformed face.She was sure the old man knew it in his heart. But Kay was surprised once, after the birth of her first child, when Michael volunteered to come to the maternity hospital and ask her, "Do you want me to get my face done?" Kai nodded. "You understand the psychology of children. When your son grows up and understands that your face is not normal, he will be sad too. I just don't want our children to see your face. Myself I don't care a bit, I'm glad it's true, Michael." "Okay," he said, smiling at her, "I'm going to operate." After she came home from the hospital, he began to make all the necessary arrangements.The operation was successful, and the original depression on the left side of the face was almost invisible. Everyone in the family was happy, but no one seemed happier than Connie.She visited Michael in the hospital every day, always taking Carlo with her.When Michael first came home, she hugged him hard, kissed him, then looked at him appreciatively and said, "Now he looks like my old dainty brother again." Only the old man remained indifferent, shrugging his shoulders and commenting: "What's the difference?" But Kai felt a sense of gratitude.She knew that Michael modified his face against his own wishes.The reason why he wronged himself was because she made such a request to him.She was the only person in the world who could make him act against his will. On the afternoon of Michael's return from Vegas, Rocco Rapine drove up to the boulevard, asked Kay to get into the car, and took her to the airport to meet her husband.She was always there to greet her husband when he came back from business trips, mainly because she always felt lonely without him on the heavily guarded boulevard. She saw him get off the plane with Tom Hagen and Albert Neri.Kay didn't like Neri, because his cool-headed brutality reminded her of Luke Brasi.She saw Neri walk behind Michael, then scuttled beside him, and saw his piercing eyes quickly scan everyone in the vicinity.Michael and his party were the first to see Kai was Neri.Neri touched Michael on the shoulder and told him to turn in Kay's direction. Kay ran up and threw herself into her husband's arms; he let her go after a few quick kisses.He, Tom Hagen, and Kay got into the limousine; Albert Nelly disappeared somewhere.In fact, Neri got into another car with two other men.This car followed that car all the way to Long Beach Town, but I didn't see it. Kay never asked Michael how the mission was going.Even polite questions like this are tacitly understood by both parties as embarrassing questions.It wasn't because he didn't want to give her an equally polite answer, but asking them would remind them that the forbidden zone was definitely not included in the scope of their marriage.Kai no longer cared about such matters at all.But she frowned in disappointment when Michael told her that he was going to his father's in the evening to report to the old man about his trip to Vegas. "I'm sorry," Michael said, "tomorrow night, let's go to the center of New York to see a show and have a meal, okay?" After that, he patted her belly lightly. She was almost seven years pregnant. It's been a month. "When the baby is born, you're locked up again. Why, really, you're more Italian than New England. Two babies in two years. Kay said sourly, "But you're more New England than Italian. You spend your first night home on business." But all the time he said this he was talking to him. smiling. "You won't be back very late, will you?" "Before midnight," Michael said, "don't wait for me, you're tired, you go to sleep." "I'm going to wait for you, I don't sleep," he said. The meeting that evening was held in the library of Don Corleone's house.There were the Don, Michael, Tom Hagen, Carlo Rizzi, and the Commanders Clemenza and Tessio. The atmosphere at this meeting was not at all as harmonious as in previous meetings.There had been some tension between them ever since Don Corleone had announced his semi-retirement, with Michael taking over the family affairs.Control of a business like a family, by convention, is not passed down from father to son at all.In other houses, powerful commanders like Clemenza and Tessio are likely to succeed.Otherwise, they will approve the split and establish their own family systems. In addition, since Don Corleone made peace with the five major families, the strength of the Corleone family has gone from bad to worse.For now, the Bazzini family is undoubtedly the most powerful family in the New York area.After this family formed an alliance with the Tattaglia family, it replaced the original position of the Corleone family.In addition, this family also quietly and gradually weakened the strength of the Corleone family, and slowly squeezed into the gambling field of the Corleone family.They test Corleone's reactions, find the family weak, and set about setting up their own lottery gambling registry. Bazzini and Tattaglia were genuinely pleased to hear that Don Corleone had retired.Michael, perhaps later on could prove to be daunting.But for at least ten years, his wrists will never be on par with the old man.The Corleone family is definitely in decline. Needless to say, the Corleone family has suffered a series of misfortunes.Practice has proved that Freddie is nothing more than a plaything in the hands of an innkeeper and a woman. Although it is difficult to describe the characteristics of the so-called plaything in the hands of a woman, it generally means that he is always nestled in his mother's arms and suckling. Greedy baby.In short, unmanly.Also, Sonny's death was a disaster.Sonny is a terrible man and cannot be humiliated.Of course he made a mistake by sending his little brother to shoot the "Turk" and the police officer.While such an action was necessary tactically, it was a serious mistake from a long-term strategic point of view.The consequences of that action finally forced the old man to get up from the hospital bed.That action cost Michael the two years of practical exercise under his father's tutelage.Besides, the appointment of an Irishman as a staff officer was the only foolish thing the old man had ever done in his life.For cunning no Irishman can compare with a Sicilian.The views were shared by the major families, and they naturally respected the Bazzini-Tattaglia alliance more than the Corleones.The families' opinion of Michael was that he had more brains but not as much courage as Sonny, and that although he had brains he was not as brave as his father.He was nothing more than a mediocre heir, a character not to be fussed about. Also, while the Don was generally praised for his truce-making statesmanship, he never took revenge on Sonny to bring down his family's prestige.Such statesmanship is widely seen as a sign of weakness. Everyone in the room knows all these things, and maybe a few people even believe it.Carlo Rizzi liked Michael, but was not as afraid of him as he was of Sonny.Clemenza, though he praised Michael for his performance against the "Turk" and the police officer, couldn't help feeling that Michael was too weak to be an old man.Clemenza had long hoped to be allowed to start his own family, break away from the Corleone system, and run his own empire.However, the old man said that this kind of plan is not allowed, and Clemenza also respected the old man and had no intention of disobeying his orders.Should the whole situation become intolerable, that would, of course, be another matter. Tessio is more fond of Michael.He felt another kind of temperament in this young man: he usually does not show his edge, and hides it very cleverly, for fear of exposing his true strength to the broad daylight; he sticks to the old man's training, that is, let his friends underestimate you Make the enemy overestimate your weaknesses. The trust placed in Michael by the Don himself and Tom Hagen was not an unfounded fantasy.If the old man didn't have absolute confidence in his son's ability to revive his family's prestige, he would never retire.Hagen has been Michael's teacher for nearly two years.He marveled at how quickly Michael had mastered the intricacies of family affairs.Michael really deserved his father's good son. The generals, Clemenza and Tessio, were annoyed that Michael had weakened their regiment, and had no desire to rebuild Sonny's old regiment.At present, the Corleone family is really only two combat divisions, and the number of people is much smaller than before.Clemenza and Tessio both considered the situation suicide.Especially Bazzini.The Tattaglia Alliance is eyeing their territory and making progress.For the moment, therefore, the two of them hoped that at this unusual meeting called by the Don, these mistakes would be corrected. Michael spoke first, reporting to the crowd his Vegas trip and Mo Green's refusal to buy out his shares. "However, we're going to make him a proposal he can't live without," Michael said. "As you all know, the Corleone family is going to move the center of their activities west. We're going to build four annexed hotels along the river." Casinos in the city, but this can’t be done right away. We need time to get things ready.” Then he said directly to Clemenza: “Peter, and Tessio, I ask you both to agree. follow me freely and unreservedly for another year; after the full year, both of you can split off from the Corleone family, start your own house, be your own boss, and establish your own family organization. Of course, it goes without saying Yu, we still have to maintain our friendship until then. But for now, I ask you to obey my leadership without any scruples. If you think that some problems need to be convened to solve them, you have to be a little patient." Tessio spoke. "Since Mo Green wants to talk to your father, why don't you agree? The old man was always good at persuading anyone, and his reasonable eloquence has never been ignored by anyone." The old man answered bluntly, "I'm retired, and if I interfered Michael would lose authority. Besides, I don't want to talk to that guy." Tessio remembered the story he'd heard about Mo Green slapping Fred Corleone in the Vegas hotel one night and sending him spinning.He felt something was wrong.He leaned back in his chair, thinking that Mo Greene was dead.The Corleone Family didn't want to convince him. Carlo Rizzi spoke. "Is the Corleone family going to shut down all New York activities?" Michael nodded. "We're going to sell the olive oil business, and we'll hand over what's left over to Tessio and Clemenza as much as possible. But, Carlo, I hope you don't worry about your position. You grew up in Nevada; you know what it's like in that state; you know what it's like. I want you to be my right hand man when we move there." Carlo leaned back in his chair, grateful and flushed.His fortune has come, and he is about to enter the center of power. Michael went on to speak: "Tom Hagen will no longer be a consultant from today. He will act as our attorney in Vegas. In about five months, he will move his family there to settle down .From this moment on, from this minute onwards, no one can talk to him about anything else. He is a lawyer, and only a lawyer. It is my own opinion to do so. Besides, if I need someone else's advice , where is there a more competent staff officer than my father?" He made everyone laugh.But a joke is a joke, and they all understood the overtones.Tom Hagen is gone, he no longer holds any real power.They wanted to see Hagen's reaction, but he was expressionless. Clemenza said loudly in his characteristic voice, "A year from now, you're saying, we'll be able to separate, isn't that right?" "Maybe it won't take a year," Michael said politely. "Of course, you can continue to stay in the Corleone family. It's up to you to choose. However, most of our strength will soon be gone." Move west, and you may organize your forces better then." Tessio said calmly: "In that case, I think you should allow us to recruit new soldiers to enrich our regiment. The Bazzini family is constantly advancing on my territory, and my party must teach them a little lesson, let them understand A little politeness may be the best policy." Michael shook his head. "No, that won't work. Stand still, and all issues must be negotiated. Before we leave, we must settle all issues properly." Tessio wasn't going to stop there.He spoke directly to the old man, obviously at the risk of offending Michael. "Forgive me, Godfather, and forgive me, in light of our friendship for many years. But I think you and your son are all wrong about Nevada. How can you hope to get anything there without the power here to back you up?" How about success? These two bases are interrelated. After you leave, the two major forces of Bazini and Tattaglia will rise up, and we will not be able to deal with them. Peter and I will suffer, and sooner or later we will be oppressed by others. I don't like Zizny. What I want to say is this: The Corleone family must move on the basis of strength, not weakness. We should relocate Strengthen your regiment, at least take back our lost territory on Capitol Island." The old man shook his head. "Reconciliation is my own proposal, remember, I can't break my own words." Tessio couldn't help but to speak again: "Since the peace was made, Bazzini has been known to be provocative. Besides, since Michael is the new head of the Corleone family, what else can be done?" Bind his hands and feet, and prevent him from taking any action he thinks fit? Your words cannot firmly bind his hands and feet." Michael interrupted suddenly, and he said in a leader's tone: "some things that are being negotiated can answer your questions and solve your doubts. If you think my words are not valid, then you can ask your old man gone." However, Tessio now felt that he had gone too far.If he dared to ask the old man directly, he would be hostile to Michael.So, he shrugged and said, "Anyway, the purpose of my saying those words is for the benefit of the whole family, not for my personal benefit. I will take care of my personal affairs." Michael smiled at him friendly. "Tessio, I never doubted you. I never doubted you. But trust me. Of course, I'm not as good as you and Peter in these matters, but whatever you say, I There's always my dad to point it out, and it won't be a big deal. In the end, we're all going to be alright." The meeting was over, and the big news was that Clemenza and Tessio would be allowed to build their respective family organizations on top of their respective regiments.Tessio controlled the casinos and marinas in Brooklyn; Clemenza controlled the casinos in Manhattan; After the two commanders left, they were not very satisfied, and their hearts were still in turmoil.Carlo Rizzi has been reluctant to leave, hoping that his chance to be considered a full member of the family has finally arrived.But he soon understood that Michael didn't mean that at all, and he left.The old man, Tom Hagen, and Michael were the only ones left in the corner library.Albert Neri escorted Carlo out the gate of the building, and Carlo noticed Neri standing at the door watching him as he walked down the well-lit avenue. In the library, thirty people are relaxed, and only a family can be so relaxed.Michael poured some cinnamon for the old man and Scotch for Tom Hagen.He also poured himself a drink, which was rare for him to drink a strong drink. At this time, Tom Hei was the first to speak: "Michael, why did you tear down my platform? Michael looked surprised. "You're my number one assistant in Vegas. Our office needs to be in compliance with the law, and you know the law. What's more important than that?" Hagen gave a wry smile. "I'm not talking about the question, I'm talking about Rocco Rabon setting up a secret regiment behind my back. I'm saying you're dealing directly with Neri and not through me or the regiment commander. Of course, in case Rabon If you don't know what you're doing, that's another story." Michael said politely: "How did you find out about Rabon's regiment?" Hagen shrugged. "Don't worry, there are no loopholes, no outsiders will know. However, in this position, I can see everything clearly. You let Labon have his own way; you let Labon have a lot of freedom. In this way, his little empire Needs help. However, every new recruit he gets is reported to me. Also I've looked at every guy he's put on his payroll, and they're a little bit bigger in terms of tasks. By the way Come on, you've got the right man, Rabon. He's doing great." Michael made a face.If you really notice, you should say that it is not so good.In any case, it was the old man's own choice. " "Well," said Tom, "so take down my desk?" Michael faced him, not evasive at all, and said sharply: "Tom, you are not suitable as a staff officer in a war. With this great transfer, the situation may become serious, and we may be forced to fight. I also want to put You pull back from the line of fire, just in case." Hagen blushed with shame.If the old man himself said this directly, he would accept it with humiliation.But why did Michael make such a sudden decision? "Well," said Hagen, "I quite agree with Tessio, though. I think you're doing it all wrong. You move from weakness, and you move from strength. That's always been the case." It's bad luck. Barzney's like a wolf, and if he's going to tear your arm off, no other family will take the risk and help the Corleones." 老头子最后才发言：“汤姆，这不仅仅是迈克尔一个人的决定。在这些问题上是我给他出的主意。有些事情必须办，而我个人又不想负任何责任。这是我的愿望。我从来都不觉得你是个蹩脚参谋，我倒觉得桑迪诺是个蹩脚老头子。但愿他的灵魂安息。他有勇气，但是在我遭到不幸的日子里，实践证明他不是领导全家族的适当入选。谁能料到弗烈特竟堕落成女人脚下的哈巴狗？你也别感到委屈。迈克尔同你一样，也受到了我的完全信任。由于一些你所不能理解的原因，对今后所发生的事情你必须免于承担责任。附带说一下，我早向迈克尔吩咐过，拉朋的秘密兵团不能躲开你的监视。这也表明我对你是信任的。” 迈克尔哈哈大笑起来：“说老实话，我原来没有想到你会提出这个问题，汤姆。” 黑根知道迈克尔平静下来，就说：“也许我也可能帮帮忙。” 迈克尔毫不含糊地摇摇头。“你不参加，这已经决定了，汤姆。” 汤姆把杯子里的酒一饮而尽。在离开之前向迈克尔温和地反驳了一下，“你同你爸爸差不多一样有办法。但是，他身上另外有一点你还得好好学习。” “另外有一点，究竟指的是什么？”迈克尔很有礼貌地问道。 “如何说'不'字，”黑根回答说。 Michael nodded solemnly. “你说得对，”他说，“我会记住的。” 黑根走后，迈克尔对他父亲开玩笑地说：“你别的一切都教过了，如今你得给我讲一讲，如何向人们说'不'字。” 老头子走过去，坐在大桌子后面，说：“你对你所爱的人不能随便说'不'字，也不能常常说，这就是诀窍。当你说'不'字时，你得把'不'字说得听上去就像'是'字一样悦耳。另一个办法就是你得设法让他们说'不'字。你得耐心，还得不怕麻烦。不过，我是个老朽，你是新的时髦的一代，你不必听我这老一套。” 迈克尔放声大笑：“你说得对。那么，你真心同意把汤姆排除在外吗？” 老头子点点头，“不能把他牵连进来。” 迈克尔沉着冷静地说：“我觉得我应该告诉你，我打算执行的计划，不是纯粹为了给阿波罗妮娅和桑儿报仇。报仇也是天经地义的。忒希奥和汤姆对巴茨尼一家的看法是正确的。” 老头子点点头说：“报仇好比一盘放冷了之后味道才最香的菜。我本来不愿意订立那个和平协议，但是我知道，要是不订立一个和平协议，你就绝对无法活着回来。我感到吃惊的是巴茨尼竟然照样企图干掉你。也许那是和平谈判之前就安排好了的计划，他来不及撤销。你说人家并不想干掉托马辛诺老头子，有把握吗？” 迈克尔说：“扬言要干掉托马辛诺老头子只是个伎俩，而这种伎俩简直巧妙极了，就是让人看不出破绽，不过，我这个身临其境的人活下来了。我当时亲眼看到法布里吉奥出大门，逃跑了。因为我回来了，我才可以证实这一切。” “他们把那个法布里吉奥我到了吗？”老头子问道。 “我找到他了，”迈克尔说，“我是一年之前找到他的。他在布法罗市开了个小小的烤馅饼店。改了名，用的是假护照，假身份证。牧民法布里吉奥混得很不错。” 老头子点点头，说：“这样看来，再等下去也就毫无意义了。你什么时候开始干呢？” 迈克尔说：“我想等到恺生过孩子之后，以防临产时出什么毛病。我还要等到汤姆搬到韦加斯定居下来之后，以免他受牵连。我想，从现在算起，得等一年。” “你把这一切都准备好了吗？”他在问这句话时，眼睛并没有看迈克尔。 迈克尔柔和地说：“你不分担任务，也不负责任，一切由我负责。哪怕是你只行使否决权，我也不同意。万一你试图行使否决权，那我就脱离家族，走自己的路。你既然不负责任，那就一切都别管。” 老头子听罢，沉默了好久，然后叹了一口气，说：“就这样办吧。这就是我为什么要退休的原因，这就是我把一切都交给你的原因。我已经尽完了自己的本分，不再有这样的雄心了。有些任务，最能干的人反而承担不了。眼前碰到的问题就是个例子。” 在那一年里，恺·亚当姆斯。考利昂生了第二个孩子，又是个男娃娃。孩子生得很顺利，没有遇到任何麻烦。回到林荫道时，受到了盛大欢迎，简直就像公主回朝一样。康妮·考利昂给她送了一套婴儿用品，丝绸衣服、被褥等都是意大利手工制品，非常昂贵，非常漂亮。她对恺说：“这是卡罗买的。在我找不到真正喜欢的东西之后，卡罗跑遍了纽约，就是想买点特别的东西。” 恺微笑了一下，表示感谢，同时她马上意识到，她得把这个动听的故事讲给迈克尔听。她正在养成西西里人的作风：有话不明说，大家心照不宣就得了。 另外，在那一年里，尼诺·华伦提脑溢血死了。他的死，成了图文并茂的各小报的头版消息。这是因为约翰呢·方檀让他担任主角的那部影片几周前刚开始放映，轰动一时，尼诺成了广大观众心目中的大明星。报纸还提到约翰呢·方檀亲自料理安葬的各项工作，安葬没有大张旗鼓地进行，只有家属和亲友参加。有一条耸人听闻的消息还说，约翰呢·方檀在接见记者时公然责怪自己，说朋友之死，他自己也有一定过错，还说他本该强迫他接受治疗。但是，记者却把这种情况报导得好像是多愁善感的旁观者在悲剧面前表现的那种自我检讨。约翰呢·方檀把他儿童时代的朋友尼诺·华伦提培养成为电影明星，还能对一个朋友提出什么更高的要求呢？ 除了弗烈特，考利昂家族没有别的成员到加利福尼亚参加葬礼。璐西和裘里斯出席了。老头子本来打算去的，但他患了心脏病，因而卧床了一个月。他虽然没有去，却送了个大花圈。亚伯特·奈里以考利昂家族的官方代表赶到了西部。 尼诺葬礼后第二天，莫·格林就被击毙在他的电影明星情妇的好莱坞住所里。一个月后，亚伯特·奈里才出现在纽约：他到加勒比海度假去了，回来时简直晒成黑人了。迈克尔·考利昂对他表示了欢迎，方式很简单：微笑了一下，说了几句赞扬的话，同时通知奈里说，今后他将得到额外的“生活补贴”，也就是家族从帐本中给他拨出一笔收入，这种收入是特别优厚的。奈里感到很满意，觉得自己是生活在一个公正的世界里。在这个公正的世界里，谁完成了自己的任务，就可以得到相应的报酬。