Chapter 17 Section 12

Johnny Fontane casually waved the manservant away and said, "See you in the morning, Billy." The black butler bowed and exited the spacious dining-living room. , overlooking the Pacific Ocean from here.The nodding and bowing of the butler is an expression of farewell between friends, not the kind of servant's servility to the master.He said that because Johnny Fontane had company at dinner. Johnny's guest was a girl named Sharon Moore, who lived in Greenwich Village, New York City, and was in Hollywood to audition for a supporting role in a film created by her long-time lover, who had become famous in one fell swoop. .She had visited here back when Johnny was an actor at the Woltz Film Studios.Johnny saw that she was young and fresh, charming and smart, so he invited her to come to his place for dinner that evening.He often invites people to dinner, which is also known far and wide.And his invitation had the helm of a royal invitation, and of course she agreed.

Sharon Moore had heard of him for a long time, but Johnny hated the Hollywood way of "eat meat."He will never sleep with any girl unless he really likes her.There were exceptions, of course, when he was so drunk that he suddenly found himself in bed with a girl he couldn't even remember meeting or seeing.He was thirty-five now, divorced, had a falling out with his second wife, and probably touched a thousand women's naked bottoms, so he wasn't so eager.But there was something about Sharon Moore that stirred the waves of love in him, and that was why he invited her to dinner.

He doesn't eat much, but he knows that young and beautiful girls are insatiable for beautiful clothes, and they usually eat a lot when they are dating men, so the food on the table is very rich.There are also many wines: there are barrel-packed champagne, Scotch whiskey, rye whiskey, brandy and so on.There are also all kinds of strong liqueurs in the cupboard.After they finished eating, he led her into the spacious living room, which looked out to the Pacific Ocean through the glass windows.He put a stack of Ella Fitzgerald records on the cassette player, and sat down on the couch with Sharon.He chatted with her and learned something about her: Was she a naughty girl like a boy when she was young, or a delicate girl who was obsessed with boys?Did she look ordinary, or was she beautiful?Are you withdrawn by nature, or are you cheerful?He had always found these situations to be very emotional, and talking about such trivialities would arouse the passion he needed to sleep with a woman.

They were snuggled together on the sofa, very friendly, very comfortable.He kissed her on the lips, a cold, friendly kiss, and she let him do it without excitement.Outside the large, scenic windows, he could see the flat Pacific Ocean, a dark blue in the moonlight. "Why don't you play your own records?" Sha Rong asked him. There was a teasing tone in her voice.Johnny smiled at her, amused by her teasing. "I don't have that Hollywood flair," he said. "Play it for me," she said, "or you sing it to me. You know, you gotta sing it like you're in the movie, and I'll be like the girls see you on the screen, and I'll go crazy Get up and pour it limp upon you."

Johnny couldn't help laughing.I think he did this kind of thing when he was young, and the effect was always like acting. The girls deliberately pretended to be sensual and flattering, making them look limp, making their eyes teary and full of desire.Now he never sings to a girl again: first, he hasn't sung for months, and he is not sure about his voice; To sing so well.He could have played the records he made back then, but now he feels ashamed to hear his youthful, passionate voice, like an old, bald and fat old man who takes pictures of himself in his prime The kind of embarrassment you feel when you look at it.

"My voice is bad, I can't sing," he said. "Let's be honest, I feel like throwing up when I hear myself singing." They drank again. "I heard you did a great job in this movie," she said. "You don't get paid for acting. Is that true?" "It's just a token amount of money," Johnny said. He stood up, refilled her glass with brandy, handed her a cigarette with a gold pattern on it, and lit her with a lighter.She smoked and drank; he sat down beside her again.He had much more wine in his glass than hers, and he needed wine to make himself hot, excited, impulsive.His present situation was the opposite of the usual situation at a lover's tryst, and it was he himself and not the girl who needed to get drunk.Girls are usually full of wishes, but he himself is a little bit unmotivated.He's been so pissed off with his body the last two years.He used this simple method of rejuvenating his body: sleeping with a young girl for the night, buying her a few meals, giving her a costly present, and then letting her go with the most ingenious shake of his hand, without hurting her feelings.Afterwards, they could always say that they had a friendship with the famous Johnny Fontane.It's not real love, but when you meet a beautiful and really lovely girl, you can't stop such things.He hates the kind of slut who begs for nothing, the kind of woman who first presses on and then walks away.They told their friends that they had seduced the famous Johnny Fontane, and then added, as usual, that their friends had better try it too.But what puzzled him was that those husbands who flattered and behaved were telling him to his face that they forgave their wives.Because they think that even the most virtuous woman can be forgiven for hooking up with a singer and movie star like Johnny Fontane.This really put him at a disadvantage.

He loved the Ella Fitzgerald recordings on the record, the clean singing, the clean lyrics, the only thing in life he really understood.He knew he understood this far better than anyone else in the world.Now, leaning back on the sofa, the brandy warming his throat, he felt a desire to sing, not to sing the tune but to hum the words to the record, but he couldn't do that in front of strangers. of.He was sipping wine with a wine glass in one hand, casually put the other hand on Sha Rong's thigh, and lifted the skirt up, revealing the milky white thigh.What if he had become as weak in this respect as his voice?

Now he is ready.He put the glass down on the long low intarsia table and turned to face her.He was very sure, very composed, and very soft.In his gestures of caress there is neither concealment nor indulgence of sensual frenzy.He kisses her on the lips.She also said that his kisses were passionate but not indulgent; he liked warm and gentle kisses.Later, she moved her lips from his, twisted her supine body on the sofa slightly, and reached for the wine glass in a calm but unmistakable refusal.This has happened before, occasionally, but it happened.John also picked up his glass and smoked a cigarette.

She spoke her mind, very sweetly, very softly. "It's not because I don't like you, Johnny, you're cuter than I thought. And it's not because I'm not that girl. It's just that I need to be teased and aroused, you know what I mean ?" Johnny Fontane smiled at her, still fond of her. "Could it be that I can't tease you?" She was a little embarrassed. "Well, you also know that when you became a famous singer and a big celebrity, I was still a baby. Fate just staggered me with you. I am a junior; to be honest, I am not fake. Seriously, if I was a big girl when you were a star, I would take my panties off."

This time he didn't like her very much.She's sweet, smart, and intelligent.She didn't fall into his arms because his back door could help her in the show, she was a frank girl.But, besides this, he felt something else, which had happened several times before.The girl he was dating had made up her mind not to sleep with him, even though she liked him very much, just so that she could tell her friend or self-indulgence that she had voluntarily passed up the chance to seduce the famous Johnny Fontane .He realized now: he was getting old.He is not angry.It's just that he doesn't like her as much now as before; he really liked her very much before.

Because he wasn't as fond of her now as he was before, he felt much more at ease.As he drank, he gazed at the Pacific Ocean.She said: "I hope you're not chilled, Johnny, but I'm being blunt. I think a girl in Hollywood can just walk away in a situation like that. It's like kissing your hand goodnight when you say goodbye at night. I haven't Come here, don't understand the rules here." Johnny smiled at her, touched her cheek, and reached down and pulled her skirt over her round, bare knees. "I'm not chilling," he said. "An old-fashioned tryst would be fun, too." They each drank another glass of wine, kissed each other coldly, and she decided to go.Johnny said gently, "May I take you to dinner some night?" She simply came to be completely frank and sincere, and brought the problem to the fore. "I know you don't want to waste your time and end up with nothing," she said. "Thanks, I had a good time tonight. Someday I'll tell my kids, 'I'm with the famous Johnny Fong. Tan had dinner with him, in his mansion.'” He smiled at her again. "Also tell your kids that you didn't give in," he said.They both laughed out loud. "My kids won't believe that," she said. Then, Johnny said with air, "I'd like to write you a letter, would you?" She shook her head. He continued: "If anyone doubts you, you can call me, and I promise to clarify the problem for you. I said that I chased and chased all over the house, but you have always maintained your chastity. In this way, OK?" He was really mean in the end, and he also felt that he had hurt the girl's face.He understood that he meant that he wasn't pushing her too hard, and the sweetness of her victory was greatly diminished by that.She was the winner tonight because she still lacked wrist and charisma.When she told how she rejected the famous Johnny.When Fang Tan had a temper like hers, she would smile awkwardly and say, "Of course, he didn't force it." He felt a little sympathetic to her, so he said: "If you get bored sooner or later, just give me a call, okay? I don't necessarily sleep with every girl I know." "I'll call you." With that, she walked out the door. He had to get through the long night alone.He could have adopted what Jack Woltz called the "butcher shop policy," a swarm of willing starlets, but what he longed for was a human partner.He longed to be able to talk like a human being.He thought of his first wife, Virginia.Now that production on that film is over, he can spend more time caring for his children.He would like to be part of their life again.He was also worried about Virginia.She couldn't handle the swanky hipsters of Hollywood who were likely to come after her so they could brag that they had hooked Johnny Fontane's first wife.As far as he knows, no one has been able to blow such cowhide.However, when it comes to his second wife, every man can probably brag like that.After thinking about it, he felt very uncomfortable, so he picked up the phone. It was no surprise that he recognized her voice immediately.When he was ten years old, they both learned to sing in music class. "Hey, Ginny," he said, "what are you doing tonight? May I come and sit for a while?" "Yes," she said, "but the kids are asleep and I don't want to wake them up." "You don't have to wake them up. I just want to talk to you." Her voice was a little hesitant at first, and then she carefully controlled herself so as not to show any irritation."Is there anything that must be discussed? Is there anything important?" she asked. "No," Johnny said, "I just finished filming that film today; I thought maybe I could come and see you and talk to you. If you don't think it's going to wake the kids up, maybe I could just drop by and see them." .” "Then you come," she said. "You played the part you wanted to play, and I'm happy for you." "Thank you," he said, "I'll be here in half an hour." Johnny Fontane arrived at the Beverly Hills, which had once been his home, but did not get out of the car right away.He sat inside for a while, gazing at the house.He remembered what his godfather had said, that he could create his own life as he wished.If you know what your desire is, there is a chance of success, but what exactly is his desire? His first wife was waiting for him at the door.She was beautiful, small, dark, and a lovely Italian girl.She never fooled around with other men, which was very valuable to him.Does he still want her?He asked himself, and the answer was a "no".One thing is certain, that is, it is impossible for him to express his love to her on his own initiative.Because the relationship between the two of them was too old and tasteless, and there were some things that had nothing to do with sex, she would never forgive him.But now they are no longer enemies. She made him some coffee and some home-made pastries and made him sit in the living room. "You can lie on the sofa and rest," she said, "it seems that you are tired." He took off his coat and shoes and loosened his tie; she sat in the opposite chair with a serious smile on her face. "Strange," she said. "What's weird?" he asked, drinking his coffee and accidentally spilling it on his shirt. "The famous Johnny Fontane doesn't go out for trysts, he just gets bored," she said. "The famous Johnny Fontane would have been lucky if he could get away with women," he said. It was rare for him to speak so bluntly.Ginny asked, "What happened?" Johnny gave her a wry smile. "I was having a tryst with a girl at my apartment; she threw me off and walked away. You know, it's a relief to me." To his surprise, he saw a look of anger on Ginny's face. "Don't worry about those little sluts," she said. "That woman must have thought you'd be interested in her that way." Ginny was actually annoyed at the girl for rejecting him. "Oh, it's boring," he said. "I'm sick of this stuff. I'm getting old. I can't even sing a song now, and I think I'm going to give a woman a hard time. You see, I It doesn't look old at the moment." She said sincerely: "You usually look much better than your photos." Johnny shook his head. "I'm getting fat and I'm going bald. Damn, if this movie doesn't get me back in the movie business, I might as well be baking pies. But I might put you in production." In the factory, you still look like a good-looking talent." She looked thirty-five years old, she was thirty-five years old, but she was only thirty-five years old after all.In Hollywood, this age is equivalent to a hundred years old.Young and beautiful girls are everywhere, all of them are short-lived, fresh for one year, and some can be fresh for two years.Some are so beautiful that a man's heart might stop beating when he sees them, but once she opens her golden mouth and shows her beautiful teeth, once their eagerness to become famous blinds the lovely sparkle in their eyes, they lose their freshness .Girls who are not impressive can compete with them.You can talk about charm, cleverness, and chic if you like, but the naked sensual beauty of a girl is still the overwhelming force.If there weren't so many such girls, there might be a glimmer of hope for an ordinary-looking, dignified woman.So Ginny felt that what he just said was just trying to flatter her.He was always likable in that, and even in the days of his national fame and prosperity he was always courteous to women, courting them, lighting cigarettes for them, opening doors for them, because he was so courteous As usual, it was all for himself, so the impression he left on the girls who accompanied him to hang out was also very deep.He did this to all girls, even to girls he met overnight, and to girls whose names he didn't know. She smiled at him, a friendly smile. "Johnny, you know you remind me of something. It's been twelve years and you don't have to call me." He sighed and stretched out on the sofa. "I'm not kidding, Ginny, you still look good. I wish I could look like you." She didn't react directly to his words.She could see that he was a little depressed. "Do you think the film is okay? Will the film do you any good?" she asked. Johnny nodded. "It will pay off. It will bring back the good old days for me. If I can get the Academy Award and be resourceful and seize the opportunity, I can relive the good times even if I don't sing. By then Maybe I can give you and the kids some more money." "We have more than enough money," Ginny said. "I want to see the kids more," Johnny said, "and I want to keep my head down. Why can't I come here for dinner every Friday night? I swear I'll never miss coming every Friday, no matter what. It doesn't matter how far I am from here, and it doesn't matter how busy I am. At that time, I will come to spend the weekend whenever possible, or the children can spend a few days with me during the winter and summer vacations." Ginny placed an ashtray on his chest. "I think it's okay," she said. "The reason why I insist on not remarrying is because I want you to continue to be their father." She said these words without any emotion, but Johnny Fontane, staring at the ceiling, knew that she said these words to dilute the unpleasant past.When their marriage had just broken up and his career was going downhill, she had said some cruel things. "By the way, I want you to guess who called me," she said. Johnny didn't usually play tricks like that, and he never guessed. "Who?" he asked. Ginny said, "You can make random guesses." Johnny said nothing. "Your godfather," she said. Johnny was amazed. "He never talks to anybody on the phone. What did he say to you?" "He asked me to help you," Ginny said. "He said you were going to be as lucky as ever, that you were making a comeback, but you needed people to trust you. I asked him, why should I help you? He said, because you My boy's real father. He was a good old man, and people made up horrible stories about him." Virginia hated the phone; she had ripped out many of the wires in the house except for the ones in the bedroom and the kitchen.Then they heard the telephone ringing in the kitchen, and she answered it.She returned to the living room with a look of wonder on her face. "It's you, Johnny," she said. "It's Tom Hagen. It's something important." Tom Hagen's voice was calm: "Johnny, the godfather wants me to see you. Now that the film is over, he wants me to arrange some things to help you. He wants me to fly tomorrow morning. You can Come to Los Angeles to pick me up? I have to fly back to New York that night, so you don't have to worry about me pestering you and delaying you all night." "Okay, Tom," Johnny said, "don't worry about me losing a night. Stay overnight and get some rest. I can throw an impromptu dance, and you can meet famous people from the movie world." He often offered to throw balls for his guests.He did not want his old neighbors to think that it was a disgrace for him to associate with them. "Thank you," Hagen said, "but I have to catch a late-night flight. Well, you're going to meet the eleven-a.m. flight out of New York, okay?" "Okay," Johnny said. "Don't get out of the car then," Hagen said. "When I get off the plane, you send someone to pick me up and just lead me into the car." "Okay," Johnny said. Back in the living room, Ginny looked at him questioningly. "My godfather devised a plan for me to help me until the end," John said. "He managed to get me to play the leading role in that movie. I don't know how he did it yet, but I hope it's better for him to stay out of it in the future." He sat down on the sofa again, feeling very tired. Ginny said, "Why don't you just sleep in the guest bedroom? Don't go back tonight; you can have breakfast with the kids. It chills me to think of you all alone in that flat of yours. Are you lonely?" "I don't usually spend much time at home," Johnny said. She laughed: "Then your old problems haven't changed much." She paused for a while and said, "Shall I tidy up the other bedroom for you?" Johnny said, "Why can't I be in your bedroom?" Her face suddenly turned red. "No," she said. She smiled at him, and he smiled at her, and they remained friends. When Johnny woke up the next day, the sun was scorching his ass.Judging by the sunlight coming in through the cracks in the curtains, it could be judged that he had overslept.The sun never shines in from that direction, except in the afternoon.He called out, "Hi, Ginny. Can I have breakfast now?" Her voice came from far away: "It's coming soon." She must have prepared it long ago, and the food was warming in the stove.The plate is also ready, and it's enough to put the food in it when the time comes.So as Johnny was lighting his first cigarette of waking life, the bedroom door opened and his two little girls came in pushing the breakfast cart. The two girls were so beautiful, it broke his heart.The two of them were radiant, with delicate features, and their eyes twinkled, showing surprise and eagerness to rush towards him.They both wore old-fashioned hair in long braids, antique smocks, and patent leather shoes.They stood at the breakfast table watching him while he stubbed out his cigarette, waiting for him to call them and throwing his arms around them.Then they both threw themselves into his arms.He pressed his own cheek between their fresh, fragrant cheeks, and his beard made them both scream.Ginny appeared at the bedroom door, pushing the breakfast trolley forward so he could sit on the bed and eat breakfast.She sat next to him on the edge of the bed and poured him coffee and spread butter on his toast.Two little girls sat on the sofa and looked at him.In terms of age, the two of them are no longer cuddling with pillows on the bed, or little dolls that people lift and shake.They were already paying attention to grooming their hair; it turned out to be a mess.He thought: Ah, Christ, they're going to be grown-ups, and Hollywood hooligans are going to be chasing them soon. When he ate, he shared some toast and ham with them, and let them chew a few coffees, which was an old habit left over from his early years: when he sang in the orchestra, he rarely ate with them. , so when he eats (for example, breakfast in the afternoon and dinner in the morning), they also like to share his food.This inversion of what to eat at what time amuses them from having steak and French fries at seven in the morning and ham and eggs in the afternoon. Only Ginny and his few close friends knew how much he loved his girls.When I got divorced and left this family, this was the most troublesome problem.One of the things he fought and fought for was for him to remain their father.He beat around the bush and made Ginny understand that he didn't want her to remarry, not because he was jealous, but because he couldn't lose his status as the child's father.He paid her on time, and in terms of financial income, it would be of great benefit to her not to remarry. The tacit understanding between the two parties was that she could sympathize with people, as long as they did not become members of her family.In this respect, however, he had absolute confidence in her.She was surprisingly shy and prim in relation to relationships.Hollywood bums who depend on rich women flocked to her, salivating at the benefits of her famous ex-husband's prestige after marrying her, but in the end they all fell short. Empty joy. He wasn't at all worried that she'd be thinking about getting back together because he'd suggested sleeping with her the night before.Neither of them wants to restore the relationship between husband and wife back then.She knew: his desire for beauties, his urge to women who were younger and more beautiful than her could not be curbed.It goes without saying that he often slept with the female stars he rehearsed with, and that his masculine charm was as irresistible to them as their beauty was to him. "You've got to get dressed quickly," Ginny said. "Tom's plane's coming." She hissed like a chicken, and the two girls backed out. "Hey," Johnny said, "Ginnie, by the way, do you know that I'm getting a divorce? I'm a free person again." She watched him get dressed.Since they made a new agreement after Don Corleone's daughter got married, he used to keep clean clothes in her house. "Christmas is only two weeks away," she said, "shall you be included?" For the first time, she thought about his holiday life.When he had a good voice, the holidays were the time to sing for big bucks, but even then Christmas was sacred, a time not to be passed lightly.If he let this Christmas pass this year, it would be the second Christmas he missed.Last Christmas he was courting his second wife in Spain, desperately begging her to marry him. "Well," he said, "Christmas Eve and Christmas Day." He didn't mention New Year's Eve.New Year's Eve was his once-in-a-lifetime night of carousing, getting drunk with his friends; he didn't need a mother-in-law among them on an occasion like this. She helped him put on his coat and brushed it a few times. He was very tidy.She could see that he was frowning, because the shirt he had just put on was not ironed to his liking, and the cuff buttons he hadn't used in a long time seemed a little too fancy for his current taste in dressing.She smiled softly and said: "Tom doesn't pay attention to such a small problem of clothing." Ginny led the two daughters and sent him out onto the driveway.Two children held his hand, one on each side, and his ex-wife followed behind, keeping a little distance.He looked very happy.She also felt very happy.He walked up to the car, turned around, and took turns lifting the girls up into the air one by one, lowering them down and kissing them.Then, he kissed his ex-wife as well and got into the car.He never liked lingering goodbyes. Preparations had been arranged by his external contacts and assistants, and there was a rental car waiting at his home with the driver inside.Also sitting in the car was his contact and another entourage.Johnny parked his car, got into the rented car, and drove straight to the airport.His external contact got out to pick up Tom Hagen, who sat in the car and waited; Tom got in, they shook hands, and they drove home. There was only him and Tom in the living room, and there was something cold between them, for Hagen got in the way of his attempts to contact the Don when he was angry with him, and during the dreary days before Connie's wedding. He has always been worried about Hagen's behavior.Hagen never tried to justify his actions, nor could he try to.For part of his job was to be a lightning rod for people's anger: People were afraid to express their anger at the Don himself because of his power, even though he should have been reprimanded for what he had done. "Your godfather sent me here to help you with a few things," said Hagen. "I want to get this sorted out before Christmas." Johnny Fontane shrugged and said: "The film was done. The manager was straight up and treated me well. The shots I was in were too important to cut out and throw on the floor in the editing room and have Woltz pay me for free. He couldn't A film worth $10 million can easily be ruined. So now it all depends on what people think of my performance in the film." Hagen reminded him: "Does winning an Academy Award really make an astonishing difference to an actor's career, and on the other hand, is stereotyped publicity just pointless?" He paused for a moment, then hastily added: "What kind of awards, publicity, if you leave out the honor, of course it is meaningless. What everyone is fighting for is honor." Johnny grinned at him. "And, apart from my godfather, and you, Tom, publicity isn't a lot of crap, and an Academy Award can make an actor ten years famous. He's entitled to choose parts. Crowds go to his plays. That's Obviously not everything, but for an actor, it is the most important thing. I guess I will get an academy award. Not because I am a great actor, but because I am famous as a singer .That role is very simple, even an idiot can play it, and I am also very personable, this is not a joke." Tom Hagen shrugged and said: "Your godfather told me that, as it stands, you have no chance of winning the prize." Johnny Fontane was angry. "What are you talking about? The film hasn't even been edited, let alone screened. And the old man isn't even in the film industry, why did you fly three thousand miles just to tell me that shit?" He was almost excited Tears flowed. Hagen said worriedly, "Johnny, I don't know anything about the film industry. Don't forget, I'm just a little correspondent for the old man. But we've put your The problem has been discussed several times throughout. He is worried about you, about your future, he feels that you need his help. He wants to solve your problem once and for all, and that is what I am here for, to give things a push. But, Johnny, you are always getting older, it is impossible to always think of yourself as a singer or an actor. You have to think of yourself as a locomotive, as a flesh-and-blood warrior, and think about your future." Johnny Fontane laughed and filled his glass. "If I don't get the academy award this time, then I'm done. My voice is bad. If I get my voice back, then I can make a breakthrough. Well, it's too much. How could my godfather Know I won't win the prize? Well, I'm sure he will know. He's never been wrong in judgment." Hagen lit a very thin cigar. "We've got word that Jack Woltz is not willing to take studio money to back you as a candidate. In fact, he puts out a message to every voter that he doesn't want you elected; on the other hand, he And put down advertising money and everything that might help you get elected. He's still trying to get another kid to get as many votes as possible to compete with you. He's using all kinds of wooing methods— Placement of work, money, and beauty tricks, in short, they are unscrupulous. On the one hand, he will do everything possible to prevent you from winning the award, and on the other hand, he wants to avoid or minimize the loss of the film." 约翰昵·方檀耸耸肩，给自己的玻璃杯里倒满了威士忌，一饮而尽。 “这一下，我算完了。” 黑根噘起嘴，很反感地打量着他。 “喝酒是治不好你的嗓子的，”他说。 “别啰嗦了，”约翰昵说。 黑根立刻板起面孔，装出一本正经的样子，然后说： “好，我就单纯就事论事吧。” 约翰昵·方檀放下酒杯，走过来，站在黑根面前。 “汤姆，对不起，刚才我的话不妥，”他说，“基督啊，我很抱歉。我恨不得一下子干掉那个狗杂种杰克·乌尔茨而又怕说出我的教父，所以就在你身上出气，因而也就对你发起火来。” 他说话时眼泪汪汪的。他把喝完了威士忌的空玻璃杯往墙上扔去，但仍得软弱无力，又厚又结实的玻璃杯并没有碰破，掉下去之后在地板上向他滚来了。他怀着满腔无处发泄的闷气，低头望着向他滚回来的玻璃杯。接着，他又放声大笑。 “耶稣基督啊……”他念了起来。 他走到屋子边，坐在黑根的对面。 “你知道我在很长一段时间里一切都是很顺心的。后来，我同琪妮离了婚，接着一切都别扭起来了。我的嗓子完蛋了。我灌的唱片卖不出去。我就再也得不到参加拍制影片的工作了。于是，我教父也生我的气，不愿意在电话上同我通话，甚至我到了纽约市，他也不愿意见我。你老是堵着我的路。我怪你，但是我心里明白你没有老头子的命令是不会那样干的。但是，我可不能生他的气，生他的气就像生上帝的气一样。所以我咒骂起你来了，但是你始终是正确的。为了向你表示我认错的诚意，我马上接受你的忠告，嗓子不恢复，我就不再酗酒了。你不生气了吧？” 认错是诚恳的，黑根早忘记了他的愤怒。这个男子汉身上一定有点什么名堂，不然老头子也不会这么喜欢他。He said: “过去的事，忘掉就算了，约翰昵。” 看到约翰昵发自内心深处的激动感情，他觉得很窘迫。同时，约翰昵也害怕他唆使老头子来反对他而疑神疑鬼，因此约翰昵也觉得很窘迫。其实，老头子绝不可能受任何人的唆使，以任何理由都不可能，他的感情只能由他本人去扭转。 “情况并没有那么严重，”他对约翰昵说。“老头子说他能够消除乌尔茨为危害你而干的每一桩事的后果，还说差不多可以肯定你会得奖。但是他觉得这还不能彻底解决你的问题。他想了解一下你有没有头脑和胆略来当个自力经营的制片厂厂长，用清一色的自己人建立起来的制片厂。” “他究竟打算怎样使我得奖呢？”约翰昵以不相信的语气问道。 黑根针锋相对地反问道：“你是怎么搞的，就那么相信乌尔茨能够瞒天过海而你教父就不能？现在看来有必要让你对我们所进行的活动的另一面产生信心，我得把实情告诉你。你自己知道就行了，别给外人讲。你教父这个人比乌尔茨要神通广大得多，而且在更加关键的领域，他也要神通广大得多。他怎么能够左右学会奖呢？他控制着电影工业界所有的工会，或者控制着那些电影工业界的人们，还控制着全部或几乎全部投票的人。当然罗，你自己必须争气；你必须凭着自己的成就来竞争。你教父比杰克·乌尔茨更有头脑。他并不突然出现在这些人的面前，用枪抵着他们的脑袋，说：'投约翰昵·方檀的票，不然就要算你的伙食帐。'在武力的威胁无济于事的场合，或可能树敌过多的时候，他是不使用武力威胁的。他会想办法让那些人自愿投你的票。但是，他要是不插一手，他们就不会自愿。眼下你就相信我的话吧：他能够使你得奖。还有，要是他撒手不管，你就不会得奖。” “对，”约翰昵说，“我相信你的话。但自己建立一个制片厂我虽然有胆略和头脑，但是我可没有那么多钱。没有哪家银行愿意给我提供资金。支持一部影片的拍摄所需要的美元，是要以百万为单位来计算的。” 黑根直截了当地说：“等你得奖之后，你就着手制订计划，准备生产三部你自己的影片，录用电影界最优秀的人员，最优秀的技师，最优秀的明星，你需要谁就录用谁。制订生产三部到五部影片的计划。” “你在说疯话，”约翰昵说，“那么多影片可能需要两千万美元。” “当你需要钱的时候，”黑根说，“就同我联系一下，到时候我就把加利福尼亚的银行的名字告诉你，向你提供资金。甭担心，这家银行一直都在为影片提供资金。按正常手续向他们要求贷款，要有正当理由，就像正规生意来往一样，他们会同意的。但你首先得见见我，并把钱的数目和计划告诉我。这样行吗？” 约翰昵沉默了好久，然后平心静气地说： “还有条件吗？” Hagen smiled. “你的意思是说，你是否必须为两千万美元的贷款做些什么来报恩吗？肯定你得做点什么。” 他停下来等约翰昵表态。 “如果老头子要求你为他做点什么，该没有什么不愿意做的吧。” 约翰昵说：“如果有严重的问题，那就必须由老头子本人直接向我提出，你明白我的意思吗？在这一点上，我不听你的，也不听桑儿的。” 黑根对他有如此清醒的理智感到叹服。方檀不愧为有头脑的人，他意识到，老头子太喜欢他了，不会要求他去干那些又愚蠢又危险的事情，而桑儿却可能要求他去冒险。他对约翰昵说： “让我再说明一下，你可以对这个问题放心：你教父给我和桑儿都下了严格的命令，不许我们以任何方式牵连你，以免由于我们的错误判断而破坏你的声誉。他本人绝对不会要求你冒险去干任何蠢事、我敢向你保证：他要求你办的任何事情，在他提出要求之前，你也会主动去办。你看，行吗？” 约翰昵微笑了。 "OK," he said. 黑根说：“还有，他对你很信任。他认为你是有头脑的，所以他估计银行给你的投资是会赚钱的。这意思也就是说，他也会随之赚钱。因此这是一桩地地道道的生意上的交易，这一点你可千万别忘记，可别拿这些钱到处乱花。你尽管是他得意的教子，但两千万美元也可是一大笔钱。为了保证你能得到这笔钱，他本人也要担很大的风险。” “转告他，叫他别焦心，”约翰昵说。“如果像杰克·乌尔茨这样一个蠢货都可以成为电影界的天才，那任何人也都可以。” “你教父也是这样认为的，”黑根说。“你能想办法用汽车送我到飞机场吗？我要说的话都已经说完了。当你为采取每一个步骤而开始签订合同的时候，要先雇好律师，我是不会直接参加的。但是，如果你觉得方便的话，我愿意事先看看你准备签订的每个合同。还有，你也绝对不会遇到任何劳资纠纷，在某种程度上这就降低了你影片的成本，所以当会计师把这点也计算在内的时候，你就可以不考虑这类开支。” 约翰昵谨慎地问道： “在别的事情上，比方剧本、明星，诸如此类的各个方面，我也必须先征求你的同意吗？” Hagen shook his head. "No need," he said. “可能发生这种情况，就是老头子到时候也许会反对一些什么。但是如果他真要反对什么的话，他也会直接提出来。眼下我还想象不出他反对的可能是些什么。电影根本感动不了他，因为他也没有兴趣。而他是不爱多管闲事的，这我凭经验可以告诉你。” “说得很好，”约翰昵说，“我自己开车送你到飞机场，请代我感谢教父。我本来想打电话感谢他，但是他从来不接电话。顺便请问一下，这是怎么回事？” Hagen shrugged. “他难得对着电话筒说话。他不想让他的声音被录下来，哪怕说的是一些完全无妨的话也罢。他唯恐人家把他的话东拼西凑起来，这样一乱拼凑，听上去好像他说的是另外的意思。我想就是这么一回事。总而言之，他唯一担心的就是有朝一日当局会给他罗织罪状，所以他不愿意让人家抓住把柄。” 他俩坐上汽车，直驱飞机场。黑根在想，约翰昵这个人比他原来估计的要好得多。他已经领会到一些道理，他亲自开车送他到飞机场这个事实就证明了这一点。还有，文明礼貌，这是老头子一向重视的。还有，他承认错误，而且认错时态度很真诚。他认识约翰呢已经很久了，知道刚才约翰昵认错绝不是由于恐惧。约翰昵很有胆量，因此他常常闹别扭，同制片厂老板闹，也同他的姘头闹。他是不怕老头子的少数几个人中的一个，据黑根所知，只有方檀和迈克尔才敢于这样。 在今后几年里，他同方檀见面的机会一定很多。下一步方檀将经受新的考验，这也将考验出他究竟有多么精明。他一定得为老头子做些什么事情，但在做的时候绝不能显出是老头子硬要他做的，或坚持要他履行协议去做的。黑根心里在盘算着：约翰昵·方檀是否精明得能够领悟出这桩交易中的这个微妙之处。 约翰昵把黑根送到飞机场，让他下了汽车之后（黑根坚持不让约翰昵陪着他在附近游来荡去地等飞机），就驱车回到琪妮的家里。她看到他又来了，感到很诧异。但是他想要待在她家里，以便可以安安静静地想想问题，订订计划。他知道黑根给他出的点子是极为重要的，他一生命运正在随之转变。他曾经是红极一时的大明星，但在三十五岁这个年纪上就像废物一样给冲进臭水沟了。在这方面他对自己并不抱任何天真的幻想，即使他获得最佳演员的学会奖，这究竟能起什么大不了的作用？要是他嗓子不恢复，什么作用也起不了。他将落到二流演员的地位，没有实权，也没有实惠。就拿拒绝了他的那个女郎来说吧，她本来是又可爱又精明又善于卖弄大腿的行家。假使他仍然是天字第一号大红人，她当时会那么冷淡吗？现在有老头子当后盾，他可以同好莱坞的任何人比比高低了。他可以当国王了。约翰昵情不自禁地笑起来，妈的，他甚至可以当老头子了。 同琪妮在一起过上几周或者更久一点，倒也是挺好的。他每天带孩子出去玩玩，也许还可以请几个朋友来坐坐。他可以戒酒，戒烟，真正爱护自己的身体。也许他的嗓子又会洪亮起来。如果嗓子真恢复了，再加上老头子的资助，他就是无与伦比的了。在美国国情的许可下，他可以真正生活得尽可能地接近古代国王或皇帝。这将不取决于他的嗓子能保持多久，也不取决于群众把他作为演员能关心多久。这将是以金钱为根基的帝国，是最特殊的、最令人梦寐以求的权力。 琪妮把客人卧室给他整理好了。双方的默契是：他不跟她同房；他俩不是以夫妇关系在一起生活的。他俩绝不可能破镜重圆了。虽然外界的街谈巷议的专栏作家和电影迷都把他俩婚姻破裂的责任一股脑儿推到他身上，但是很奇怪，他们双方一致认为，她对他们的离婚甚至应负更大的责任。 当约翰昵·方檀成了最受群众喜爱的歌唱家和音乐喜剧片明星之后，他绝对没有想过要抛弃自己的老婆和孩子。他身上意大利气味大重了，思想也太守旧了。自然罗，他早就同别的女人勾勾搭搭。干他那一行，这也是难免的，加上他经常受到明眸善睐的女郎的引诱，也就更难免了。尽管他是个瘦瘦的、单薄的小子，但却具有拉丁民族中典型的筋骨人的特点。 琪妮把咖啡和糕饼端进他的卧室，放在长桌子上。他简单地告诉她说，黑根正在帮助他把贷款收拢起来作为电影制片基金；她听了也很激动。他又可以受到重视了。但是，她根本不了解考利昂老头子到底有多大神通，所以她也不理解黑根从纽约市远道赶来的实际意义。他还告诉她说，在涉及法律的具体问题上，黑根也会帮忙。 他俩喝完咖啡之后，他说晚上就要开始工作，打些电话，为将来拟定计划。 “全部资金的一半将记在孩子的名下，”他告诉她说。 她对他感激地笑了，又吻了他一下，表示祝他晚安，然后就离开了他的屋子。 在他的写字台上有个玻璃碟子，里面摆满了他所喜爱的、上面标有烟厂名字起首字母交织图案的香烟，还有个特制的能保持定湿度的雪茄烟盒，里面装的是同铅笔一样粗细的古巴黑色雪茄烟。约翰昵把身子向后一仰，靠着椅背，开始一个接一个地打电话，他的头脑在飞转。他打电话给一部畅销小说的作者；他的新影片就要以这部小说为蓝本。作者是个和他同样年纪的人，出身也是很苦的，而现在却成了文艺界的名流。他来到好莱坞，本来指望人家把他当作顶梁柱来重用，而实际上却像大多数作家一样被当成了狗屎堆。约翰昵曾亲眼见过这位作家有一天晚上在“布郎·达比”饭店受辱的经过。这位作家同一位有名的胸脯长得很美的小女明星上街去玩，肯定是要过夜的。但是他们正在吃饭的时候，正好来了个鼠头鼠脑的喜剧演员，伸出无名指向小女明星摇晃了一下，她就甩下作家，跟着人家走了。这件事使这位作家对什么样的人在好莱坞情场的角逐中是名列前茅的，心中大致有谱了。他写的书使他誉满全球也是无济于事的。一个小女明星总喜欢那种最低级下贱的、鼠头鼠脑的、最善于招摇撞骗的电影界的风云人物。 现在约翰昵打电话给作家在纽约的家里，感谢作家在书里为他写出了那个了不起的角色。他把这位作家夸奖得忘记了自己一天能吃几碗饭，能屙几堆屎。然后他随随便便地间作家下一部小说进展得如何，大致内容是些什么。当作家在给他介绍书中特别有趣的一章时，他点着了一支雪茄烟，一面抽，一面听，末了他说： “哎呀，好，你写完了之后我想先读为快。给我寄一本，怎么样？也许我可以使你大大捞一把，反正比你从乌尔茨那里得到的要更多一点。” 作家声音里流露出来的感激涕零的急切语气使他明白：他是猜对了。乌尔茨敲了这个作家的竹杠，用了他的书，却只给微不足道的一点点钱。约翰昵还提到圣诞节假期过后，他可能马上要到纽约来，问作家到时候是否愿意同他的几个朋友一道吃顿饭。 “我认识几个漂亮女人，”约翰昵开玩笑地说。 作家听了哈哈一笑，说：“行。” 接着，约翰昵给他刚刚完成的影片的制片主任和摄影师打电话，感谢他们在那部影片里对他的帮助。他用信任的语气告诉他们说：他知道乌尔茨同他作对，因而他更加感谢他们的帮助。还说如果有什么事情可以为他们效劳的话，只消打个电话就行了。 然后，他就打最困难的一个电话，这是直接打给乌尔茨本人的。他为自己能在那部影片里担任那个角色而向他表示感谢，还告诉他说，他是多么乐意随时为他工作。他说这些话的目的，纯粹是为了迷惑乌尔茨。他做事一向是光明磊落、直来直去的。几天之后乌尔茨就会发现他耍的花招，对打这次电话的哄骗行为也会使他大吃一惊。这恰巧就是约翰昵·方檀要他产生的感觉。 之后，他坐在写字台旁，抽他的雪茄烟。在旁边小桌上放着威士忌，但是他曾经对他自己和黑根作过一种非正式的保证：他不再喝酒了。甚至现在他抽烟也是不应该的。其实这也是枉费心机，他的嗓子出了毛病，靠戒烟戒酒是无济于事的。只要不过分也无妨，但是烟酒能提神，而他需要的是发挥全身的解数，因为当前面临着只有战斗才有出路的紧要关头。 眼下这栋房子里鸦雀无声：他离婚了的妻子睡着了，他可爱的女儿睡着了，他可以回想当牢遗弃她们这段可怕的经历，为了他现在的第二房妻子这个妓女一样的烂母狗而遗弃了她们。但是，即使现在一想起她，也不由得发笑，她在许多方面仍不失为可爱的女人。另外，使他这一生免于毁灭的唯一的关键，就是那一天他早已下定决心绝不恨女人。或者更具体他说，不能恨他的第一房妻子和他的女儿，他的女朋友，他的第二房妻子，以及从二次结婚之后新交的那些女朋友，最后还有莎蓉·慕尔。 他原来是跟着乐团到处旅行的，走到哪儿就在哪儿唱歌。接着他就成了无线电广播剧的明星，电影剧团舞台演出时的明星。最后他终于参加拍摄电影了。在这一段时间，他的生活是如意的，他想要怎么生活就怎么生活，他想要勾引哪个女人就勾引哪个女人，但是他绝对不让这类事情影响他的个人生活。后来他就拜倒在玛葛特·娅希彤的裙下，她很快成了他的第二房妻子；他想她真是到了发疯的地步。于是他的事业就活见鬼了，他的嗓子活见鬼了，他的家庭也活见鬼了。最后他终于落得个山穷水尽，走投无路。 关键的问题是，他为人一向大方，正派。当他同他第一房妻子离婚时，他把自己所有的一切都交给了她。他还保证：他赚得一切，灌的每张唱片，演出的每部电影，以及每次在夜总会的表演，总之，一切活动所得，他的两个女儿都将分到一份。当年他有钱有名，也没有克扣过他的第一房妻子；他慷慨地帮助过她的兄弟姐妹，她的父母，她小时候一道上过学的女同学以及她们的家属。他从来都不是势利之徒。他曾在他妻子的两个妹妹的婚礼上唱过歌，这本来是他不愿干的。他从来没有拒绝过她提出来的任何要求。 当他倒霉的时候，当他得不到电影拍摄工作的时候，当他再也不能唱歌的时候，当他的第二房妻子背叛了他的时候，他就来同琪妮和他们的女儿过上几天。一天晚上他因为感到无地自容，多少有点像是要求她的宽容。那天他听了自己灌的唱片，他的声音难听极了，他还责怪录音技师故意捣鬼，暗中破坏了录音效果。最后他才确信，他的声音本来就是那个样子。他把那张唱片砸碎了，以后就拒不唱歌。他感到非常惭愧，因此除了在康妮·考利昂的婚礼上同尼诺那次合唱之后，他连一个音符也没有唱过。 琪妮在了解到他的种种不幸遭遇时，脸上流露出来的神情，他一直没有忘记。那种神情在她脸上仅仅出现了一秒钟，但这已足够使他永远难忘了。那是一种幸灾乐祸的神情。那种神情只能使他相信：这几年来她一直在鄙视他，恨他。但她很快就恢复了常态，向他表示了冷漠而礼貌的同情。他也故意装糊涂，对她的同情表示感谢。在随后的一些日子里，他曾去看过他多年来最喜欢的一些女郎中的三个女郎，他同这些女郎一直保持着友谊，有时还同她们友好地在一起睡觉。他曾经尽了力所能及的一切去帮助过她们，他给这些女郎送的礼物或提供的工作机会，若折合成钱的话，等于十几万美元。在她们的脸上，他也瞥见了同样幸灾乐祸的神情一闪而过。 就在这段时间里，他懂得了他必须下个决心：他得学学好莱坞许多其他男人的样子，比方那些飞黄腾达的制片厂厂长、作家、主任、演员，一个个像猛兽一样，怀着性欲的仇恨扑向漂亮女人。在为别人使用自己的魔力和金钱方面，他满可以吝啬吝啬、计较计较、以防背叛，还要时刻注意女人出卖他、遗弃他。 但他心里明白，不去爱女人，他是受不了的；不管女人是多么背信弃义，水性杨花，如果他不继续爱她们，那他的精神中的某些方面就会死亡。而他最爱的那些女人却暗暗喜欢看到他受命运的捉弄而毁灭、而出丑，这也没有关系；那些女人一直对他喜怒无常，方式很骇人听闻，但不是在性爱方面，这也没有关系。他没有别的办法，无法拒绝她们。因此他向她们都表示爱情，给她们送礼物；她们的幸灾乐祸给他带来的伤害，他藏在心里。他过去生活在不受女人左右的极端自由之中，生活在人情味最充分的氛围之中，他明白他已得到报应，因此他原谅她们。但是目前他对她们不忠，他却一点儿不感到内疚。回顾他是怎么对待琪妮的，他也一点儿不感到内疚。他一方面坚持要继续独占他的孩子的父亲地位，另一方面却绝不考虑同贼复婚，也不把这一点明确告诉她。他从顶峰跌落下来，一切都丢光了，唯一抢救下来的也就是这个作风。说到他对女人造成的创伤，他已经变得麻木不仁了。 他累了，想睡觉，但记忆中有一件事怎么也摆脱不了：同尼诺·华伦提一道唱歌的事。这一下子使他恍然大悟！他想到没有比这更能使考利昂老头子高兴的了。他抓起电话，要接线员给他接通纽约。他先给桑儿·考利昂打电话，问他尼诺·华伦提的电话号码。接着他给尼诺打电话。尼诺的声音同往常一样，听上去有点喝醉了。 “嗨，尼诺，愿意到这儿来给我工作吗？我需要一个信得过的人。” 尼诺故意开玩笑地说：“哎呀！我拿不定主意，约翰昵。我找到一个开车的好工作，沿途同家庭主妇嘻嘻哈哈，每周争得一百五。你打算出多少钱？” “我一开始每周就可以给你五百，而且还可以给你牵线，让你同电影明星玩玩，怎么样？”约翰昵说，“说不定我还要请你到我办的晚会上唱唱歌。” “哎呀，好吧，让我想一想，”尼诺说，“让我把这个问题同我的律师、会计师、卡车方面的助手谈一谈。” “嗨，你别瞎扯蛋，尼诺，”约翰昵说，“我这儿需要你。我要你明天早晨坐飞机来先签个每周五百、为期一年的私人合同。另外，如果你把我的姘头偷去一个，我解雇你，那你也至少可以拿到一年的薪金，行吗？” 双方停了好一会。尼诺认真起来了。 “嗨，约翰昵，你是开玩笑吧？” 约翰昵说：“我是认真的，小东西。请到我设在纽约的代办处联系吧。那儿有你的飞机票，也会给你一些路费。我明天一早首先给他们打电话，你下午到那儿去，行吗？到时候飞机来了，我去接你，把你领到我家来。” 双方又停了好一会，然后尼诺又开腔了，他的声音显得很舒缓，也有点心神不定。 “好吧，约翰昵。” 他的声音听上去不再有醉意了。 约翰昵挂上电话，准备上床睡觉了。他把那张录制的唱片砸碎了，他感到比任何时候都要好受一些。