Chapter 25 Section 19

Perhaps it was because of the stalemate that Sonny Corleone had embarked on a bloody war of attrition that ended in his own death. Perhaps it was because his violent nature had lost its grip that he had come to this point.In short, during the spring and summer of that year, he launched senseless attacks on enemy affiliated personnel.Those who raised the flag for the Tattaglia family in Harlem were killed one by one.Thugs who broke up the dockworkers' strike were massacred.Union officials in the five major families have been warned: to remain neutral.While the bookmakers and moneylenders sent by Corleone were still barred from the docklands, Sonny sent Clemenza with his troops to slay the waterfront along the Panhandle.

This kind of hacking and killing is meaningless, because this approach cannot affect the outcome of the war.Sonny was a fine tactician and he had won great victories, but he lacked the strategic genius that Don Corleone had, and the whole situation fell into a trap that the enemy had already recorded because it was his long-term goal. Since the Achilles heel, so he is also very strict in this regard.Although Lucy was not aware of it, she was under the supervision of the Sandino Corps twenty-four hours a day: as soon as an apartment on her floor became available, it was rented by the most reliable soldiers of the Sandino Corps .

The Don was recovering and would soon be back in power, and by then the tide of battle would surely turn in favor of the Corleones.Sonny was sure of that.Plus, while he's defending his family empire, he also has to win his father's approval, since the status of the family empire doesn't have to be primogeniture, and he has to solidify his inheritance of the Corleone Empire. But the enemy was also analyzing the situation and had come to the conclusion that the only way to avoid total defeat was to kill Sonny Corleone.At this time, their understanding of the situation went a step further, and they believed that it was still possible to negotiate with the old man to solve the problem, because the old man was well known for his reasonable style.They began to hate Sonny's bloodthirsty style, thinking it was barbaric and lacked the keen sense of a businessman, and no one wanted to see that kind of chaos again.

One evening, Connie Corleone received an anonymous phone call, listening to the voice, the caller was a girl, and it was calling Carlo. "Who are you?" Connie asked. The girl on the phone giggled and said, "Me, I'm Carlo's girlfriend. I want to tell him that I can't see him tonight, and I have something to go out of town." "You rotten bitch," Connie Corleone yelled into the phone, "you rotten bitch, rotten bitch." Carlo had gone to the track to gamble that afternoon, and when he got home he was upset because he had lost the bet.Besides, he was half-drunk at this time, as he was always drinking, as he often carried a bottle with him.No sooner had he stepped through the door than Connie began screaming and cursing at him.He ignored her and went into the bathroom to take a shower.He came out of the bathroom, stood naked in front of her, wiped himself, and prepared to dress up beautifully before going out.

Connie stood there with her hands on her hips, her lips pouted and her face pale with rage. "You're not going anywhere," she said, "your mistress called and said she won't be with you tonight, you bastard, you have the audacity to give you my number Bitch, I'm going to kill you, you little bastard," she said, and she lunged at him, kicking and grabbing. He shielded her with a muscular arm, keeping her from getting close to his body. "You're crazy," he said calmly. But she could see it: he was getting worried, as if he knew that the crazy girl he had been sleeping with lately was really going to pull off such a trick.

"She's playing tricks all over the place, it's really bad," Caro said. She dodges his arm and pounces on him to scratch his face.She scratched his face with her nails, and he gently pushed her away with admirable patience.She saw it through: because she was pregnant, he was so tolerant to her.This time, she became more daring, and felt that she could vent her anger quickly. She saw his timidity, and it filled her with haughty delight. "Just stay at home," she said, "and don't think about going out." "Okay, okay," he said. He was still undressed, except for a pair of shorts.He likes to just walk around the house, proud of his V-shape shape and his blond, downy skin.Connie eyed him hungrily.He forced a laugh.

"You at least give me something to eat first, huh?" She lost her temper.He demanded a duty from her, at least a duty which she owed.She is good at cooking, which she learned from her mother.The first dish she made was fried veal with green peppers, and while the pot was still on the fire, she made another platter.Meanwhile, Carlo lay in bed reading the forecast for the next day's race.There was a full glass of whiskey next to him, and he sipped it as he read the forecast. Connie went into the bedroom, but she stood in the doorway, as if she hadn't been invited to come to the bed.

"The food is on the table," she said. "I don't feel like eating right now," he said, still reading the forecast. "The food is on the table," said Connie firmly. "Go to hell," Carlo said. He drank what was left of the whiskey in the glass, poured more into the glass, and ignored her. Connie went back to the kitchen, grabbed the plate full of food, and slammed it into the sink.Carlo came to the kitchen.He looked at the greasy veal and the green peppers splattered all over the wall, and his tidiness was stimulated and he flew into a rage. "You spoiled bitch," he said viciously, "clean up for me quickly, or I'll kick the shit out of you."

"I don't clean and I don't die," said Connie. She stretched out her hands like tiger's claws, wishing to tear his naked chest into pieces. Carlo went back to the bedroom, and when he came out, he had the belt in his hand, folded in half and held in his hand. "Clean it up quickly." The threat in the words was clear.She stood there motionless as he swung the belt and gave her padded buttocks a hard swipe.The belt twitched, stinging a little, but it didn't really hurt anything.Connie backed toward the cupboard.She reached into the drawer, pulled out a long, large bread knife, and held it ready for battle.

Carlo laughed. "The Corleone girls are murderers too!" he said. He put the belt on the dining table and walked up to her with his bare hands.She slashed with the knife desperately, but her pregnant body was inconvenient to charge, so he dodged.She stabbed him in the groin and wanted to kill him.He disarmed her easily.Then he began to slap her, slowly and moderately, in order to hurt her but not break her skin.She retreated around the table, trying to escape.He chased her all the way to the bedroom, and she tried desperately to bite his hand, but he grabbed her by the hair and held her head high.He slapped her again, causing her pain and humiliation, and finally she whimpered and cried like a little girl.Then he tossed her contemptuously onto the bed, drinking from a whiskey bottle on the bedside table, very drunk, his pale blue eyes twinkling Connie was finally afraid of the weird light.

Carlo sat with his legs spread apart, continuing to pour his drink. He reached out, grabbed a large piece of flesh on her fat leg, and twisted it hard, and she yelled for mercy. "You're fat as a pig," he said in a tone of disgust.After saying that, he walked away and walked out of the bedroom. Completely paralyzed and stupefied, she lay in bed afraid to see what her husband was doing in the other room, and at last she got up and went to the door and peered into the living room.Carlo opened another bottle of whiskey and sprawled lazily on the sofa.After a while, he fell unconscious and fell into a drowsy sleep.She sneaked into the kitchen and called her parents in Long Beach.She wanted her mother to send for her, and she hoped it wasn't Sonny who answered the phone, but Tom Hagen or her mother. About ten o'clock at night, the telephone rang in the Corleones' kitchen.It was answered by one of the old man's bodyguards who respectfully handed it over to Connie's mother, but Mrs Corleone could hardly hear what her daughter was saying because Connie was nervous and agitated , but on the other hand deliberately lowered her voice so that her husband would not hear it.Another reason was that her face was swollen from blows, and her swollen lips slurred her speech.Mrs. Corleone gestured to the bodyguard to fetch Sonny.Sonny and Hagen were in the living room now. Sonny came to the kitchen and took the phone from his mother. "It's me, Connie," he said. Connie was afraid of her husband, and also of the possible reaction of her brother, so her voice became more slurred.She babbled, "Sonny, just send a car to get me home, and I'll tell you about it in person. It's nothing, Sonny, don't come, please send Tom." Come on, Sonny, it's really nothing, it's just that I want to go back to my mother's house." At this moment, Hagen also came in.The old man had just been sedated in the upstairs bedroom and was asleep.This made it necessary for Hagen to keep a close eye on Sonny in case something went wrong.The two room guards were in the kitchen too, and Sonny was on the phone and they were all watching him. There was no doubt that the ferocity of Sonny's nature rose from a deep, mysterious well of emotion.Everyone watched, and they really saw the blood rushing to his neck with swollen veins, and they really saw the hatred blindfolding his eyes.Every part of his face twitched and contracted, and then his face turned gray, like that of a patient struggling with death, except that the adrenaline was still pumping through him and making his hands tremble.However, when he spoke to his sister, he controlled his voice well and kept his tone low.He said: "Just wait there, just wait there!" After that, he hung up the phone. He stood for a while, then said, "Damn son of a bitch, goddam son of a bitch," and he ran out. Hagen knew that the look on Sonny's face showed that he had lost all reason.There was nothing Sonny could do right now.Hagen also knew that a car ride into town would calm Sonny down and make him a little more sensible.But it may also prompt him to become even more dangerous to others, although reason will also prompt him to protect himself from the possible consequences of his rage.Hagen heard the car roaring to life and said to the two bodyguards, "Go and follow him." Then, he made a few phone calls.He arranged for a few soldiers of Sonny's regiment who lived in the city to go to Carlo Rizzi's house as soon as possible, trying to keep Carlo from staying at home.Several other soldiers stood beside Connie, waiting for Sonny to arrive.Hagen wanted to get ahead of Sonny, knowing the Don would have his back.His concern was that Sonny might kill Carlo.He expected no trouble from the enemy.It has been a long time since the five major families have taken any action, and they are obviously seeking some kind of peace. Sonny had recovered, or partially recovered, his sanity as he rumbled off the avenue in his Beuke.He saw the two bodyguards get into a car and followed behind, and he tacitly allowed them to follow behind.He didn't foresee any danger, the Five Families had long since ceased to fight back, had ceased to fight seriously, and there was a small pistol in a secret locker behind the dashboard of the car; the car was registered to a member of Sonny's Corps , so legally he would have little trouble personally.But, as he expected, no weapons were needed.He didn't even know what he was going to do with Carlo Rize. Now he had a chance to think it over: he knew he couldn't kill the father of an unborn baby, especially since that father was his sister's husband.He shouldn't kill someone just because the couple quarreled.Carlo was a villain, and Sonny felt responsible, too, because it was through him that his sister had met the little bastard. The other side of Sonny's brutal character was that he couldn't bear to hit a woman, and really never did; he couldn't bear to hurt children or other weak people or animals.Carlo couldn't fight back when he scolded or hit him that day, which made Sonny unable to bear to kill him, and the pitiful appearance of utter subservience disarmed Sonny.When he was a child, he was also soft-hearted.Grown up, he turned into a murderous executioner, which was entirely his fate to decide later. But this time, Sonny thought as he drove, he was going to settle the matter once and for all.He drove the Bewke straight to the Channel Causeway; once on the causeway he could reach the Jones Beach Parkway on the other side.Every time he goes to New York, he takes this road because there are not many vehicles on this road. When he arrived, he decided, he would send the two bodyguards to escort Connie home to her parents, and he would stay for a private interview with her brother-in-law.He had no idea what to do after the meeting.If that little bastard did hurt Connie, he was going to cripple that little bastard.But the fresh air of the sea, brought by the wind across the causeway, cooled his feverish rage.He kept the windows down all the way. He was already on the Jones Beach Causeway.Because at this time of year, at this time of night, the road is usually clear of traffic, so as usual, he drove the car very fast, driving at high speed until he reached the main road on the other side, and even on the other side. On the main road, there are still very few vehicles passing by.He drove the car very fast at first, then gradually slowed down.He left his bodyguard's car far behind. The causeway was poorly lit and not even a car.Far ahead, he saw a white cone-shaped hut managing the toll booth, and there were several huts next to the toll booth, but these huts only had people inside during the day when there were more vehicles and pedestrians. keep watch.Sonny fumbled in his pocket for some change as he parked the car slowly.He had no change, so he took out his wallet and took out a large bill from it.He drove the car into the well-lit, vaulted passage.He was surprised that a car blocked the narrow channel set up by the toll booth, and the driver was obviously asking the toll collector something.Sonny honked his horn, and the car moved obediently forward to keep his car in the narrow passage. Sonny handed the big bill to the toll collector and waited for change.At this time, he took the opportunity to close the window hastily, and the night wind from the Atlantic Ocean was blowing on his body, and it was cool; When I went to pick up the money, my head and body were gone. Now Sonny saw that the car wasn't going straight ahead, but was parked a few feet ahead, still blocking the road, and at the same time he caught a glimpse of a car hiding in the unlit toll booth shack to the right from ahead. People; but, he didn't have time to think about this. Before he said it, a car suddenly stopped in front of him, and two people got out of it and walked towards him.The toll collector was still missing.He suddenly realized: he couldn't survive.At the moment, his head was clear, but his ferocity was completely drained, as if the last, real danger before his eyes had cleansed him. Even so, his tall body immediately reacted instinctively to escape from death, and quickly rushed to the car door and broke the lock.The man in the dark suddenly opened fire, and the bullet hit Sonny Corleone in the head and neck just as his tall body was about to rush out of the car door.At this time, the two people in front also raised their guns, and the man hiding in the dark cabin stopped shooting.Sonny fell on the asphalt, half of his leg still in the car door.The two men fired at Sonny's body again, then kicked him in the face.They kicked him in the face even more in disgrace, just to leave traces of vengeful brutality. Seconds later, the four men—the three assassins and the phony toll collector—were all in their car and headed across to the Grass Creek Parkway on Jones Beach.And the pursuers from behind were blocked: Sonny's car and his body blocked the narrow passage in front of the toll booth.Minutes later, Sonny's bodyguards arrived at the scene and found Sonny's body lying there, with no intention of pursuing the killer.They drove around in the car and returned to Boracay.At the first payphone station not far from the causeway, one of them jumped down and called Tom Hagen.His report was very short and crisp. "Sonny was shot at the Jones Beach Causeway Tollbooth." Hagen's voice was also very calm. "Got it," he said. "Go to Clemenza's house. Tell him to come here right away and he'll give you a mission." Hagen answered the phone from the kitchen, where Mrs. Corleone was busily preparing a quick meal for her daughter.He kept his countenance the same; the old lady could not see that any trouble had happened.If she had the heart, she could have noticed it, but she lived with the old man for a long time, and realized a truth, that is: don't meddle in other people's business, don't watch his words, it is a wiser attitude.If there is something she needs to know, people will tell her in time; if there is something that she should not know, it is fine for her not to know.She felt at ease not to share the pain of the men in the family.Then again, do men share the pain of women?She brews her coffee and sets the table with no expression.As far as her experience is concerned, mental pain and fear cannot reduce physical hunger, and eating can reduce pain.If the doctor tried to calm her down with drugs, she would fly into a fit of rage.This is of course because she has been influenced by relatively primitive culture since she was a child. And so she let Tom Hagen slip away, into his corner conference room.As soon as he entered the conference room, Hagen began to tremble all over, very violently.He had to sit down with his legs clamped tightly, his shoulders shrugged and shrunk, and his head seemed to sink in between them.The hands are clasped together between the knees, as if praying to the devil. At this time, he knew that he was not worthy to be a family adviser during the war.He was deceived, fooled, and fascinated by the timid appearance of the five big families.They have been silent for a long time, but they have been laying out terrible traps.People are strategizing, waiting for the opportunity, and they will not show their blood when they are provoked at will.People are biding their time to deliver a blow that will knock you down.Such an opportunity has finally arrived.The old staff officer Genco Abbandan would never suffer such a disadvantage. Even if the mice were hiding in the hole and plotting tricks, he would find out in time and smoke them out with smoke, and at the same time he would be more vigilant.Thinking of this, Hagen was very sad.Sang Fan is his brother and his savior.Sonny had been his hero when they were little children.Sonny had never abused him or threatened him, but had always treated him with love.Sollozzo hugged him when Sollozzo let him out.Sonny's joy at that reunion was genuine.It seemed to Hagen that there was no logical necessity for Sonny to grow up and become a ruthless, murderous man. The reason he had slipped out of the kitchen was because he must not tell Mrs. Corleone the sad news of his son's death.He had never felt that she was his mother, but he had felt that the Don was his father and Sonny his brother.He felt for her what he felt for Freddie and Michael and Connie.This kind of affection is usually friendly, but it lacks the affection of a loving person.However, he still couldn't bear to confide the bad news to her.In a few short months, she had lost all her sons: Freddie had gone into exile in Nevada; Michael had hid in the west to save his life; and now Sonny was dead.Which of the thirty sons did she love the most?She can't see it at all in her usual behavior. After only a few minutes, Hagen calmed down and grabbed the phone.He dialed Connie's phone number, and the phone rang for a long time before hearing Connie's whispering voice. Hei said gently to her: "Connie, this is Tom, wake up your husband, I have something to say to him." Connie said in a low, frightened voice, "Is Sonny coming here, Tom? "No," said Hagen. "Sonny isn't coming to you, don't you worry. Wake Carlo up and say I have something very important to tell him." Connie said, "Tom, he just hit me, and I'm afraid. If he knows I called my mother's, he'll hit me again." Hagen said softly, "He won't hit you again. He'll talk to me and I'll talk to him and everything will be fine. Just tell him he has to answer the phone. That's it, okay?" " It was almost five minutes before Carlo's voice was heard on the phone, a voice muffled by whiskey and drowsiness, Hagen speaking harshly to keep him focused. "Listen, Carlo," he said, "I'm going to tell you some terrible news, and you've got to get ready now, because when I tell you that news, I want you to answer me in a very casual tone. , it doesn't seem so shocking. I told Connie that it was very important, so you had to make up a story and coax her. You just told her that the family decided that you should move to the mall, and that There's an important job for you. And the old man has finally decided to give you a chance to make things better for both of you. Do you understand?" There was a hopeful tone in Carlo's voice when he replied, "Yes, yes." Hagen continued, "In a few minutes, two of my guys will be knocking on your door and trying to take you away. Just tell them I want them to call me first, and don't say anything else. .I'll instruct them to keep you at home with Connie. Is that all right?" "Yes, yes, I see," Carlo said.His voice was excited.The tense tone in Hagen's voice seemed to have finally concentrated his energy, and he had a premonition that the news to be said next was very important. Hagen cut to the chase, "They shot Sonny tonight, it's a secret. Connie called him while you were asleep, and he was ambushed on his way to your place." , but I don't want her to know that, and even if she guesses, I don't want her to know with certainty. She'll think it's all her fault. Now I want you to be with her tonight, but there's nothing about it. Don't tell her. I want you to reconcile with her and be a perfect husband who loves his wife. And I want you to remain a good husband at least until she gives birth to the baby. I'll find someone else for Kang in the morning Ni said, her elder brother was beaten to death, and this person may be you, the old man, or her mother. In addition, I want you to stay by her side, promise me this request, and I will take care of you in the future, you understand?" Carlo's voice trembled. "I'll do it, Tom. I'll do it. Listen to me. I've been on good terms with you. I appreciate you, understand?" "I understand," said Hagen, "no one will accuse you of fighting with Connie and making this a mess, and you don't have to worry about it. I'm responsible." He paused for a moment, then said softly and encouragingly. , "Right now, cheer up and care about Connie." After that, he hung up the phone. He had learned the virtue of not threatening, the old man had taught him, but Carlo read the implication correctly, and he was now a narrow escape. Hagen called again, this time to Tessio, and told him to get to Long Beach Boulevard immediately.He didn't give a reason, and Tessio didn't ask.Hagen sighed, and now the scene he feared the most was about to be revealed. He must wake up the old man from the drugged stupor and explain to the most beloved person in the world: He has failed his commission and failed to protect his country and the life of his eldest son. He must explain to the old man: unless He took part in the command battle while sick, otherwise everything would be lost.Hagen never deluded himself, and only the great old man himself could have wrought a stalemate out of such a fiasco.Hagen didn't even bother to ask the doctor's opinion, because it would be a waste of time to ask a doctor's opinion.Regardless of the doctor's prohibition, he must also tell the news to his adoptive father, and die with him.As for what the old man will do, it is of course conceivable and beyond doubt.The old man must know the news, and he must take command in person to fight the battle, or order Hagen to surrender to the five families and hand over the power of the Corleone family to them. But Hagen, despite his devotion, shuddered.He tried his best to be mentally prepared, first of all to be calm, and to examine his crimes from all angles.Too much blaming can only add to the old man's grief.All his shortcomings as a wartime staff officer, as he recounted them, could only prompt the old man to blame himself for his misjudgment of having chosen such an incompetent man for such an important post. Hagen deeply felt that he had to tell the truth, put forward his own analysis, what should be done to save the day, and then listened attentively.If the old man asked him to confess, he confessed honestly; if the old man welcomed his sorrow, he confessed his difficulties honestly and nakedly. Hagen looked up as soon as he heard the rumble of the engine. Several cars were approaching the mall.The commanders were approaching, and he intended to brief them first before going upstairs to wake Don Corleone.He stood up, went to the wine cabinet next to the desk, and took out a glass and a bottle of wine. He stood there like a ghost, and he couldn't even pour the wine into the glass. It closed softly, and looking back, it was Don Corleone, fully dressed for the first time since he had been shot. The old man walked down the hall and sat down in front of his big leather chair.His gait was a little stiff, and his clothes seemed a little baggy, as if they were hanging loosely.But to Hagen, he was just as he always was.His face was firm, showing the same power and toughness as before.He sat up straight in the armchair and said to Hagen, "Give me some anisette." Hagen took the bottle and poured them each a glass of fiery red anisette, slightly licorice.It was a home-made wine favored by peasants, much stronger than the ones sold in the tavern, and the old man's house wine was a gift from an old friend.This old friend sends a truckload of such wine to the old man every year. "My wife was crying until she fell asleep," said Don Corleone. "I looked out of the window and saw some of my headquarters coming into the house, but it's midnight, so my staff , I think you should truthfully report to your old man what everyone already knows." Hagen said unhurriedly, "I didn't say anything to Mama. I was just going up to wake you up, to give you the news straight away, and I would have woken you up in a minute. Don Corleone said flatly, "You've got to have some wine first, though." "Yes," said Hagen. "You drank the wine," said the old man. "Now you can tell me." The old man's overtones were an extremely veiled condemnation of Hagen's weakness. "They shot Sonny on the causeway," said Hagen, "and he killed him. Don Corleone blinked, and in about a second the walls of his will crumbled, and the exhaustion of his energy was evident in his countenance.Then: his demeanor was restored at once. His hands were clasped and clasped, resting on the table in front of him, looking Hagen straight in the eye. "Tell me everything that happened," he said. He held up his hand and said again, "Wait until Clemenza and Tessio arrive, lest you repeat yourself." A few minutes later, two commanders came in.For the old man stood up to meet them, and they saw at once that the old man knew his son was dead.They hugged him one by one, only old friends can hug him.Hagen poured each of them a glass of ouzo, and after they toasted, Hagen reported to them the changes that night. Don Corleone asked a question after listening: "Is my son really dead?" Clemenza answered that question. "It's really dead," he said. "The bodyguards were from the Sandino Corps, but I picked them. They came to my house afterward, and I questioned them carefully. They looked at them under the lights of the toll booth." Those who saw his body could clearly see the wounds on his body. With such injuries, it is impossible for him to be alive. They pledged their lives to guarantee that everything they said was true." When Don Corleone heard this conclusion, he didn't show any emotion. After only a few minutes of silence, he said: "Don't allow any of you to care about this matter. Without my order, don't allow any of you to go after the murderer of my son." Murderer. Without my clear instructions, no more military action is allowed against the five major families. Before my son's funeral, our family will stop all business activities and stop providing protection for any of our businesses. We will come to this place later to open a Yes, study to decide what must be done in the future. Tonight we will do our best to prepare for Sandino's funeral: we must bury him like a Christian, and I myself intend to clear my friend of something with the police and other relevant authorities. Lemenza, you will always be with me, be my bodyguard, you and all the generals in your regiment will be with me; Tessio, you will protect all the rest of my family; Tom , I'm going to give Amerigo Bonasera a call and tell him what time tonight I need him to wait for me at the funeral home maybe two or three hours. You guys understand Do I mean?" All three nodded.Don Corleone said again, "Have some people and cars waiting for me, and I'll be ready in a few minutes, Tom, you're doing the right thing. I want Constance to be with her mother early tomorrow morning, Arrange that she and her husband move to the avenue. Invite Sandra's friends, I mean women, to her house to keep company with her. My wife will come too, after I talk to her. Let her go. It's up to my wife to tell her the unfortunate incident. Those women went to mass at church and prayed for his soul." After finishing speaking, the old man stood up from the leather chair, and everyone else followed suit.Clemenza and Tessio hugged him again.Hagen opened the door for the old man. The old man stopped to look at him for a while, then reached out and touched his face, gave him a quick hug, and said in Italian: "Based on long-term performance, you are a good man." Son, you comfort me. He was saying, Hagen was just right at this terrible time. The old man went up to the bedroom to explain it to his wife. At this moment, Hagen told A Merigo Bonasera called and asked the undertaker to repay the kindness the Corleones had shown him.