Chapter 4 01-4

It was Sunday night before Tom Hagen kissed his wife good-bye and drove straight to the airport.Armed with Special No. 1 priority card (a gratifying gift from a Pentagon General Staff officer), he boarded a plane to Los Angeles without incident. It was a busy day for Tom Hagen, but a busy one.Genco Abbandando was dead at three o'clock in the morning; when Don Corleone returned from the hospital he had informed Hagen that he was now the official staff officer.This meant that Hagen would be a very rich man and, of course, powerful. This appointment broke the tradition that the staff had always been pure-blooded Sicilians.Nor does the fact that Hagen is a member of the Corleone family change conventional wisdom on the matter.Because it's a question of lineage.Only those who have been accustomed to the style of silence after being exposed to it from birth, that is, the principle of keeping one's mouth shut, are qualified to serve as "consultants"

this crucial job. Between Don Corleone, who decides policy, and the staff who actually carry out the orders, there are three layers of personnel, or three buffer layers.With such a system, it is impossible for any problem to be traced back to the top.Unless the staff mutiny.That morning Don Corleone had given specific instructions on what to do with the two young men who had wounded Amerigo Bonasera's daughter.But he gave the order privately to Tom Hagen.That day, too, in private, without anyone else present, Hagen passed the order on to Clemenza.Clemenza then told Paulie Gatto to go on a mission.Paulie Gatto immediately gathered people to carry out the task.Paulie Gatto and his men would never know why such a special mission was undertaken, or who gave the order.To involve the Don would require every link in the chain to betray the Don; which never happened, but was always possible.Ways to guard against this possibility are also well known.It is to remove a link in the chain.

As the name suggests, the task of "consultant" is the old man's adviser, his right hand, his assistant brain, and also his closest partner and closest friend.He drove for the old man when he had an important business trip; during the meeting, he came out to get some snacks, coffee, sandwiches, and fresh cigars for the old man.He would know or almost know everything the Don knew, that is, see into every cell of the power structure.He is the only person in the world who can put the old man to death.But never heard of a staff officer betraying an old man.Nothing like this had ever occurred in any of the powerful Sicilian families established in America.Because betrayal has no future.Everyone in the staff knew that if he was loyal, he would be rich, powerful, and respected.In case of misfortune, his wife and son will be protected and cared for, just as they were when he was alive.If he stays loyal.

On certain issues, the staff officer was able to act on behalf of his old man in a more open manner, but he could not implicate his master.It was just such a problem that Hagen flew to California to solve.He understood that his career as a staff officer would be seriously affected by the success or failure of this mission.By family business standards whether Johnny Fontane got his coveted part in the war movie, or did not, was a minor matter.Even more important is the meeting with Virgil Sollozzo next Friday.But Hagen knew that to the Don personally, both were of equal importance, which settled the matter for any good staff officer.

The piston plane vibrated violently, shaking Tom Hagen's already strained nervous system.He asked the waitress for a martini to calm himself down.The Don and Johnny had already outlined to him the character of Jack Woltz, the studio boss.But, he confirmed, the Don would keep his promise to Johnny.His job is to negotiate and engage. Hagen leaned back in his chair, recalling all the information he had been given.Jack Woltz is one of the owners of the three major film studios in Hollywood, and his own studio holds dozens of stars by contract.He is a member of the film division of the US President's War Information Advisory Committee, which means that he helped make propaganda films.He attended the banquet at the White House.He entertained J. Edgar Hoover in his home.But none of these are worth paying attention to, they are just official links.Wultz did not have any personal political power, mainly because he was an extreme reactionary, but also because he was a power-obsessed madman who liked to abuse his power, regardless of the consequences of such recklessness. Get out of the ground.

Hagen sighed, there was really no way to "get hold" of Jack Woltz.He opened his briefcase and tried to do some copying, but he was too tired.He ordered another martini and went on to reflect on his life. He had nothing to regret, and really, he felt extremely lucky.Whatever the reason, the path he chose ten years ago has proven right for him.He is accomplished and he feels life has meaning. Tom Hagen was thirty-five years old, tall, slender, with cropped hair and ordinary features.He was a lawyer: although he also practiced law for three years after passing the bar exam, he did not do actual concrete legal work for the Corleone family.

As a child, he had been Sonny Corleone's playmate.Hagen's mother, already blind, died when he was eleven.Hagen's father was a heavy-drinking, hopeless alcoholic.He was originally a diligent carpenter, and he never did a single sinful thing in his life, but drinking ruined his family, and finally killed himself. Tom Hagen became an orphan, wandering on the streets, and sleeping at night on the porch.His sister had been adopted into an orphanage, but in the 1920s the social welfare establishment did not consider boys over the age of twelve.For boys above the age of twelve are always so ungrateful that they often run away and refuse handouts.Hagen had an eye disease then.Neighbors to the east and Xishe whispered quietly, saying that his eye disease was infected or inherited from his mother.In this way, others may also be infected by him, and everyone avoids him.Sonny Corleone brought his friend home and asked to keep him.Tom Hagen was served a hot plate of spaghetti with tomato sauce, a meal he never forgot.After eating, they brought him a folding steel frame bed for him to sleep on.

Don Corleone, in the most natural way, without saying a word or discussing it in any way, acquiesced to the boy's stay in his home.Don Corleone also took the boy to an ophthalmologist and he was cured.He sent him to college, to law school.Throughout the process, the old man did not appear as a father, but as a guardian.The old man treated Hagen with no apparent affection; it was strange to say that he was much more polite to Hagen than to his own son, and never imposed the will of his father on him.After graduating from college, he went to law school for further study.This is also the child's own decision.The boy heard the old man once say:

"A lawyer with a briefcase can swindle more than a hundred robbers with guns." However, when it was very nerve-wracking for the father, Sonny and Freddie insisted on devoting themselves to the family business after they graduated from high school.Only Michael went to college and then enlisted in the Marine Corps the day after Pearl Harbor. After Hagen passed the bar exam, he got married and started a new family.The bride was a young Italian girl from New Jersey, a college graduate, and a college graduate was a rarity in those days.The wedding, of course, took place at Don Corleone's.Afterwards, the old man took the initiative to support Hagen in the career he wanted to engage in, recruited some people who wanted to go to court to find him, and was responsible for arranging his law firm, helping him acquire real estate and establish a family business.

Tom Hagen bowed his head and said to the old man: "I'm happy to be at your service." The old man was pleasantly surprised. "You know who I am?" he asked. Hagen nodded.He hadn't really understood the power of the old man--not then.And he didn't really understand it in the following ten years, until he became an acting staff officer after Genco Abbandando fell ill.But he nodded, his eyes fixed on the old man's. "I'll serve you like your son," said Hagen. The implication is to be completely loyal, to fully accept the old man's authority as a parent.The old man understood it in the same way.For the first time since the young man came into his home, he showed him fatherly love with this understanding.He took Hagen into his arms and gave him a quick hug.After that he regarded him as his own son, but he still sometimes said:

"Tom, don't forget your biological parents." It seemed that he was reminding himself. Hagen never forgot.His mother is simply a "children's dementia patient" and a sloppy woman, tortured by anemia and numb, and she doesn't even have motherly love for her own children.Hagen hated his father.His mother's blindness horrified him: the eye disease which he contracted later was fatal to him, and he thought he would become blind.When his father died, when he was eleven years old, a strange idea came into Tom Hagen's head.He wandered the streets like an animal waiting to die until the fateful day Sonny found him sleeping on someone's front porch and brought him home.The changes that followed were nothing short of miraculous.However, for several years, he has been having nightmares, dreaming that he has become a blind old man, begging all over the street, tapping the ground with a white stick to find his way as he walks.A few of his blind children followed behind and beat with small white sticks as they walked.Some mornings, when he awoke, with Don Corleone's face etched into his mind for a split second, he felt safe again. But the old man insisted that he spend another three years in general legal practice in addition to fulfilling his obligations to the family.This practice turned out to be invaluable, and it dispelled any doubts in Hagen's mind about serving Don Corleone.He worked out for two years in various offices of a criminal law firm with ties to the Don.It was acknowledged that he had special qualities in legal matters.He had done a good job; in the six years since he had started serving the family, Don Corleone had not once accused him of anything wrong.When he was appointed acting adviser, the other powerful Sicilian families contemptuously called the Corleones the "Irish Gang."This made Hagen dumbfounded, and at the same time indirectly reminded him that he would never succeed the old man and become the head of the family business.However, he himself is quite content.That, has never been the goal of his struggle, because this kind of ambition would be a kind of "disrespect" to his benefactor, and to his benefactor's pure-blood family. When the plane landed in Los Angeles, the sky was still dark.Hagen checked in at the hotel, showered, shaved, and watched dawn break across the city.He had breakfast and newspapers brought to his room, then lay down and waited until ten o'clock, which was his appointment with Jack Woltz.It's kind of surprising how easy it is to settle on a date with someone like that. The day before, Hagen had called one of the most powerful figures in the various film unions, a man named Bill Goff.Following Don Corleone's instructions, Hagen told Goff to arrange a visit to Jack Woltz the next day, which was tantamount to suggesting to Woltz that if Hagen was not satisfied with the outcome of the meeting, it might A strike breaks out at a movie studio.An hour later, Hagen received a call from Goff, saying that an appointment was scheduled for ten o'clock in the morning.Wultz is aware of the possibility of a strike, but he doesn't seem to take it seriously.Goff told Hagen the truth and added: "If things really got to that point, I'd have to talk to the old man myself." "He'll come to you when he gets to that point," said Hagen. He said this to avoid talking dead on specific issues.Hagen wasn't surprised that Goff was obedient to the old man.In terms of organizational structure, this family empire has not gone beyond the scope of the New York area at present, but the old man Corleone has adopted the method of helping the leaders of various trade unions, and his personal influence has long been expanded into it.Many union leaders still owe him debts. But an appointment at ten o'clock in the morning was a sign of insubstantiality.That meant he would be the first person on the date list; the first one would not be invited to lunch.It also meant that Woltz underestimated him.Obviously, Guo Fu did not show enough deterrent force when negotiating, maybe Wultz has put him on the bribery list.The old man never liked to show his face, which was sometimes not good for the family business, because his name was of little importance to outsiders. It turned out that his analysis was correct, and Woltz was long overdue.After the appointed time came, Hagen was made to wait for another half an hour, but Hagen didn't care much.The reception room is very luxurious and luxurious, comfortable and comfortable.On the couch opposite him sat a very pretty little girl.Hagen had never seen such a beautiful little girl.She was only eleven or twelve years old, and she was dressed like an adult. The materials were expensive, but she looked very plain.Her hair was blond, so beautiful that you would hardly believe that there was such beauty in the world; her eyes were sea-blue, large, and mysterious; her mouth was the color of raspberry, fresh, and crimson.She was guarded by a woman, apparently her mother.The woman stared at Hagen, trying to overwhelm him with her arrogance.This made Hagen so angry that he wanted to punch her a few times.He treated the woman equally coldly, thinking to himself: The little girl is an angel, and the mother is a devil. Finally, a well-dressed, well-built, middle-aged woman finally arrived and led him through a series of offices and into the office of the studio boss.What impressed Hagen was that these offices were beautifully furnished and staffed beautifully.He couldn't help laughing.They're smart guys, and they're all temporarily wronged by their desperate attempts to get in the door of film actors: most of them will probably either work in these offices for the rest of their lives, or admit defeat and pack up their bags and go home. Jack Woltz was tall and enormously built, with a pot belly that was hidden from view by the artful tailoring of his clothes.Hagen knew his experience.When Woltz was ten years old, he carried empty beer kegs and pushed carts on the West Side.At the age of twenty, he helped his father force garment workers to work.At the age of thirty, he left New York and moved west. He invested his money in theaters where tickets only sold for nickels, and later founded a film studio.By the age of forty, he has become the most powerful tycoon in the film industry, but he is still rude and lustful, like a greedy jackal, who only wants to stalk young stars like sheep.At fifty, he has changed.He had social language lessons, learned how to dress from an English footman, and learned how to be genteel from an English housekeeper.After the death of his first wife, he married a world-famous beauty.She's an actress who doesn't like acting.Now in his sixties, he collects old paintings and is a member of the Presidential Advisory Council.The funds accumulated in his name to promote the development of the film industry have reached hundreds of millions of dollars.His daughter married an English lord; his son married an Italian princess. His latest hobby, as every movie columnist reports, is building his own stables for racehorses, for which he's spent $10 million in the last year.Because he bought a famous British racehorse named "Katumu" for 600,000 U.S. dollars, he announced that this ever-victorious racehorse would retire and be kept as a stallion. Stables bred elite stallions, and he made headlines in no time. He received Hagen politely, his tanned, well-shaven face flinching into a grimace and a forced smile.In spite of all the money he spent trying to look younger, and despite the best grooming by the most skilled beauticians, his age was palpable.But there was great vigor in his every move; and there was about him the air of Don Corleone, that is to say, the feeling of absolute authority in his own world. Hagen got to the point at the outset of the negotiations.He said he was an emissary from a friend of Johnny Fontane's.He added that this friend was very capable; and that if Mr. Woltz would promise a trifle, the friend would swear to Mr. Woltz an oath of gratitude and eternal friendship.That little thing puts Johnny Fontane in the cast of the new war movie, which starts shooting next week. The face was expressionless. "What can that friend of yours do for me?" Woltz asked.There was a domineering arrogance in his tone. Hagen deliberately played dumb against his domineering arrogance.He just explained: "You have the trouble and threats that workers are showing up. My friend can absolutely guarantee that that trouble will be eliminated. You have a top male star who makes a lot of money for your studio, he used to smoke marijuana, Recently switched to heroin. My friend can guarantee that the male star will never get any more heroin. If any other small thing happens in the next few years, just give me a call and I can solve your problem." Jack Woltz listened to this as if he were listening to a child bragging.Then he said gruffly and deliberately in an East Coast accent: "You want to frighten me?" Hagen calmly said, "I absolutely don't want to. I'm doing something for a friend. I've explained it clearly to you, and you won't lose money if you do it this way." Woltz looked as if he was about to lose his temper a long time ago, and suddenly his face was full of anger, his thick black-dyed eyebrows were tightly locked, his eyes stared, and a thick wrinkle appeared above them.He threw himself on the table and said to Hagen: "Well, you oily son of a bitch, let me tell you and your master - whoever he is - that there's no way Johnny Fountain is in that picture. I don't give a shit How many sneaky little maggots will suddenly come out of wood such as windows, floors, tables, chairs and benches." After that, he leaned back: "Man, I have a piece of advice for you: I think you have heard of John Edgar Hoover a long time ago?" Woltz grinned mockingly—"He's got a great personal relationship with me. If I let him know that I'm being pressured by other people, you boys will have a hard time and don't know what's going on!" Hagen listened patiently.He had expected that a man in Woltz's position would be more sensible.Is it possible that a person who acts so stupidly can climb to the top of a company with hundreds of millions of funds?It was worth considering that the old man was looking for new investments: if the top people in the sector were such dunces, the film industry would be the ideal sector to invest in.Hagen didn't take the insult just now to heart.He had learned the art of negotiation directly from the Don. "Don't get angry." This is the old man's teaching. "Never make a threat, just reason with someone." The word "reason" sounds much more reasonable in Italian, a bit like the sound of the word "knead".The art of reasoning consists in putting aside all insults, all threats.He hit you on the left cheek, so turn the right cheek and let him hit you again.Hagen had seen the old man sit at the negotiating table for eight hours straight, enduring repeated insults, trying to convince a notorious, arrogant, domineering lunatic to turn over his head.After eight hours of efforts to no avail, Don Corleone raised his hands resignedly and said to the rest of the negotiating table, "No one can talk to this man." Then he walked out of the meeting room with his head held high.The madman who was always flying and domineering suddenly turned pale with fright, and sent secret envoys to invite the old man back to the meeting room.A deal was made, but two or three months later the madman was shot dead in the barber shop where he used to get his hair cut. Now, Hagen spoke again, in the most general tone. "Look at my business card," he said, "I'm a lawyer. How could I ask for trouble despite my status as a lawyer? Did I say a threatening word?All I'm trying to say is this: I'm ready to accept any conditions you might ask in order to get Johnny Fontane in that movie.I think that for such a trifle, I have offered a reward of great value.I also understand that this is a small matter that benefits you personally.Johnny told me, by your own admission, that he was perfect for that part.Besides, if this were not the case, this request would never have been made.Also, if you're worried about not getting much out of your investment, my client is willing to fund the film.However, let me make my point clear so that there are no misunderstandings.We know you say what you say, no one can force you, and no one wants to force you.We are also aware of your friendship with Mr. Hoover, and I may add that my superior respects you for it, and he respects that friendship very much. " Woltz had been scribbling absently with a large red quill pen.As soon as money was mentioned, his interest came, and he stopped writing and drawing.He said in a tone of contempt and pretended concern: "The budget for this film is five million." Hagen hissed softly to show that he had been impressed.Then, very casually, he said: "My boss has many friends. Whatever he decides to do, his friends will support him." It was only then that Woltz began to take the whole matter seriously.He looked carefully at Hagen's card. "I've never heard of you," he said. "I know most of the barristers in New York, but what kind of lawyer are you?" "I am involved in the business of those noble associations," said Hagen dryly. "I only deal with cases commissioned by my association." After that, he stood up. "I don't want to waste your time any longer." He held out his hand, and Woltz grabbed his hand and shook it.Hagen took a few steps toward the door, then turned back to face Woltz. "I know you have to deal with many people who pretend to be great. In my case, on the contrary, I have deliberately pretended to be insignificant. Why don't you use our mutual friendship to make a correct estimate of me? If you are going to re- If you think about it, please call the hotel where I am staying." He paused for a moment, then said: "To add something that may sound outrageous to you: My client can do things for you that even Mr. Hoover cannot do." He caught the film studio owner's eyes squinting.Woltz had already sensed that there was something in this remark, and Hagen tried his best to put on a flattering tone and said: "I hope your business continues to thrive. Our country needs what you're doing." Late in the afternoon that day, Hagen received a call from the secretary of the film studio owner, saying that a car would pick him up within an hour and take him to Mr. Woltz's country house for dinner.She said the car would take three hours to get there, and that there was alcohol and snacks in the car.Knowing that Woltz was going there on his private jet, Hagen wondered why he wasn't being asked to fly too?The female secretary added very politely: "Mr. Woltz also advises you to take your excursion bag. He intends to send you to the airport early in the morning." "Well, it's settled," said Hagen. Another puzzling question, how did Woltz know he was going to catch an early flight back to New York?Possibly Woltz sent a private eye to follow him, gathering as much information as he could.From this point of view, Woltz must know that he represents the old man, which shows that he knows the old man somewhat, and also shows that he is now willing to reconsider the matter seriously.Hagen thought: Maybe it will work out a bit in the end.Perhaps Woltz is more sensible than he was this morning.Woltz's villa looks like an inexplicable movie set: a plantation-style mansion, a vast garden, surrounded by a very elegant cinder road that only allows horses and cars, and has been repaired by a large group of horses. Stables and pastures have been opened up.Fences, flowerbeds, and lawns are as meticulously manicured as movie star nails. Woltz received Hagen on the glass-paneled, air-conditioned verandah.The boss was in casual clothes, a sky-blue silk shirt with an open neckline, mustard-coloured slacks, and moccasin sandals.Against the background of this bright and luxurious costume, his rough face can really shock people to see.He handed Hagen an oversized glass martini glass and picked one up from the tray himself.His attitude was much more friendly than the previous half day, and he put his hand on Hagen's shoulder and said: "There is still a while before dinner, let's take a look at my horse." As they were walking towards the stable, he said: "I've finally figured you out. Tom, you should have told me your boss was Corleone. This morning I thought you were some third-rate coward that Johnny invited to scare me. And I'm not used to frightening. Not because I want to make enemies, but because I don't approve of frightening at all. But let's take it easy for now! Serious business, after dinner." Unexpectedly, Woltz turned out to be a host who really cared about his guests.He wanted his stable to be the most successful in America.To this end, he adopted some new methods and new measures, and explained them one by one.The stables are fire-proofed, kept to the highest degree of cleanliness and guarded by a full-time security team.Finally, Woltz showed him the isolated stables, where the name "Katum" was written on a large brass plaque on the wall. The horse in the stable was a handsome horse, even to Hagen's inexperienced eye. Katumu's body is black and shiny, and there is a diamond-shaped white hair on his big forehead.The big brown eyes are shining like a pair of golden apples; the round body is covered with black hair, like black silk.Woltz said with childlike arrogance: "It's the best racehorse in the world. I bought it from England last year for six hundred thousand dollars. I bet not even the Tsar of Russia would have paid that much for a horse. But I I don’t plan to let it race any more, but keep it for breeding, and I plan to build the largest horse racing stable in the country.” As he stroked the horse's mane, he cried tenderly: "Katum, Katoum!" The animal also nodded in understanding and wagged its tail.Woltz said to Hagen: "I'm still a good rider by nature, you know? I didn't start" until I was in my fifties. He laughed loudly, "Maybe my grandmother was raped by Cossacks in Russia when she was young, so I also have Cossack blood." ,, he scratched Katum's belly with his hand to make it itch, and said in a tone of convincing: "Look at the guy under it, how pompous it is!" They went back to the building for dinner, the tablecloth was woven with gold and silver thread, and the tableware was all inlaid with gold and silver, but the food was not very good.It's clear that Woltz lives here as a single; it's also clear that he's a light eater.Hagen kept off topic.It wasn't until they were both lighting up their Havana cigarettes before the snow that he asked Wultz: "Is Johnny going to be in that movie anyway?" "I can't," Woltz said, "I can't put Johnny in that movie, even if I wanted to. The whole cast is already signed: shooting starts next week, and there's really no turning back for me." room." Hagen couldn't help it, and said: "Mr. Woltz, one of the great advantages of dealing with people in the highest position is that it can make such excuses untenable. In fact, you can do whatever you want. Made it." He took a sip of the Xueqian cigarette and said: "Do you not believe that my client can keep his word?" Woltz said quietly, "I'm sure I'm going to get into trouble with the union. Goff called me about it. Goff the son of a bitch, from the way he said it to me." , you have no idea I'm going to pay him $100,000. And I'm sure you guys can keep my same-sex, masculine star from getting heroin. But, I don't care about that: I can afford enough money for the films I want to make.Mainly because I hate that little bastard Fontane.Tell your boss: This is something I can't agree to. You might as well ask other questions to test me, any other questions will do. " Hagen thought to himself, "You mean old bastard, if that's the case, why did you invite me out to the country? The studio owner has something on his mind." Hagen said coldly: "I don't think you understand that Mr. Corleone is Johnny Fontane's godfather. It's a very close, very sacred religious relationship." Whenever he mentioned religion, Wultz bowed his head in devotion.Hagen said: "There's a little joke in Italy that says the world is too dangerous for a man to have two fathers to take care of him, so they both have a godfather. Since Johnny's father is dead, Mr. Corleone feels more responsible. Significant. Mr. Corleone isn't going to be so cowardly when it comes to testing you. He's never going to make a second request, anywhere, if the first request is denied." Woltz shrugged his shoulders and said: "I'm sorry, but the answer is still no, but since you're here, I'd like to ask, how much will it cost me to clear up the troubles brewing in the union? Cash, immediately." With that said, a mystery in Hagen's mind was solved. Since Woltz had already decided not to assign that role to Johnny, why did he spend so much time.That decision seemed irreversible.Woltz had nothing to fear: he had no fear of Don Corleone's power.Of course, Woltz, with his political prowess in the middle of the country, his friendship with the head of the FBI, his vast wealth, and his absolute authority in the film industry, is Not afraid of the threat of Don Corleone.To any sane person, even Hagen, Woltz's assessment of himself seemed correct.If he was willing to bear the losses that the workers' struggle might cause, there was nothing the old man could do.But Don Corleone had promised his godson that he would get the part.And Don Corleone, as far as Hagen knew, had never broken his word on such matters. Hagen calmly said, "You're deliberately misrepresenting me. You're trying to make me an accomplice in extortion. Mr. Corleone promised to speak well for you on the issue of the trade union dispute, as a gesture of friendship, and hoped to reciprocate. This It's a friendly exchange, nothing more. But, I can see, you don't take it seriously. In my personal opinion, you're making a mistake." Woltz seemed to have been waiting for such a comment, and then lost his temper. "I've been fully aware," he said, "that's how the underground works, right? When you're making a real threat, it's all olive oil, slippery, sweet-speaking Honey. So let me get the point straight. Johnny Fontane will never get the part, even though he's a good fit for it. Playing the part would make him a great star.但是，他绝对不会有那样的机会，原因就是我恨他这个粉红色的小阿飞，我要把他赶出电影界。我也可以把内情告诉你。他把我门下最有价值的一个女演员，我的一个得意门生给毁了。五年来，我设法让这个姑娘听课，受训练，学唱歌，学跳舞，学表演；我已经花了几十万美元。我打算把她培养成一个明星。我不妨进一步坦白告诉你，以表明我并不是一个硬心肠的人，关键不在钱上。那个姑娘长得挺漂亮，是个大屁股，一个我从来没有见过的大屁股，而我在世界各地都摸过大屁股。她像水泵一样能把你汲干。但是，约翰昵插进来了，凭他那橄榄油似的滑溜溜的腔调和浅薄迷人的魅力，把她给拐走了。她两手一甩就走了，害得我让人嘲笑。处在我这种地位的人，黑根先生啊，让人嘲笑是受不了的。我必须让他滚！” 乌尔茨的话使黑根大吃一惊。他觉得不可思议的是，一个有产业的上了年纪的人竟会让这类区区小事左右他对一桩正经事的判断，而且还是一桩这么重大的正经事。在黑根的世界里，在考利昂一家的世界里，肉体美、女人的性魅力，在处理世俗事务的过程中是一点儿儿分量也没有的。男女之间的问题是无足轻重的私人小事，当然罗，除非涉及到婚姻和家庭荣辱。黑根决定再试一次。 “你说得绝对正确，乌尔茨先生，”黑根说，“但是，难道你因这些小事就如此伤心？ 我觉得你还没有理解这个小小的要求对我的委托人来说是何等重要。当约翰昵还是婴儿在受洗礼的时候，考利昂先生就把他抱在怀里。在约翰昵的父亲死后，考利昂先生就承担起了做父亲的义务。说实在的，有很多很多人对他所提供的帮助表示敬意和感激，都虔诚地称他为“教父”。考利昂先生对他的朋友绝对不会见死不救。 " 乌尔茨突如其来地站了起来。 “这一套我听烦了。恶棍没有资格给我下命令；我却有资格给他们下命令。如果我抓起这个电话，你今天晚上就得在监狱里过夜。要是那个地下黑帮的帮首胆敢对我来硬的，那么他就会发现我并不是一个只带领着少数几个人的小领班。哼，那种说法我早听说过了。你听着，到时候你的那位考利昂先生受到打击，他还不知道是从哪来的呢。即使闹到我不得不动用我在白宫的力量的地步，我也在所不惜。” 真是愚蠢的狗杂种。黑根真不明白像这样的蠢货怎么会青云直上而成为一个大亨、总统的顾问，世界上最大的电影制片厂的头头。老头子应该打进电影事业，这是肯定的了。眼前这个家伙对老头子的话，只从感情上去理解字面价值，他还没有领会其中的真正信息。 “你请我吃了这顿美餐，又过了一个愉快的夜晚，谢谢！”黑根说。“你能送我到飞机场去吗？我觉得我不必在这里过夜。”他对乌尔茨冷笑了一下，“考利昂先生一贯的作风是，遇到坏消息就必须立即听到汇报。” 黑根在门口等着，柱廊被泛光灯照得通明，外面停车道上早就停着一辆长长的高级大轿车。他看到两个女人正要上车。这两个女人就是他今天上午在乌尔茨办公室看到的那两个： 那个美丽的小姑娘和她的母亲。但现在，小姑娘那精雕细刻的柔美的嘴唇，由于乱涂乱抹而成了厚厚的粉红色的一团。她那双海蓝色的眼睛，也像蒙上了一层薄膜似的；当她一步步走下台阶，走向汽车时，她那长长的腿蹒蹒跚跚，活像伤了腿的小马驹。当妈妈的扶着孩子，搀着她上了汽车，同时一个劲儿给她小声发布命令。她偶一回头，急速地朝黑根瞟了一眼；他发觉她的眼睛里有一种鹰一般火辣辣的得意神色。然后，她也上了汽车。 这，也许就是他没有得到飞机坐的原因，黑根这样推测。这个小姑娘和她妈妈同电影制片厂的老板是同机飞来的。这样，乌尔茨在饭前就有充分时间休息一下；同时也顺便玩弄一下这个小小的少女。而约翰昵却偏偏要生活在这样的世界里，不知其故安在？但愿他走运，但愿乌尔茨走运。 鲍里·嘎吐对速战速决的任务很反感，尤其当任务牵涉到使用暴力的时候。他喜欢事前作好计划。比方今天晚上这个任务吧，虽然说起来委普通，但如果其中一个人失误，就可能使全局铸成大错。这时，他正在喝啤酒，不时打量着柜台边那个正在同小妓女拉拉扯扯的年轻小伙伏子。 鲍里·嘎吐对这两个小伙子的情况该知道的早就知道了。他们的名字，一个叫杰里·魏奈，一个叫克坟·蒙南。他们都二十岁左右，眉清目秀，褐色头发，高高的个儿，魁伟的体魄。他们在两星期之后就要回到大学去。他们的父亲都是很有政治势力的人。一来由于他们的父亲的政治势力，二来由于他们都是大学生，所以征兵一直没有征到他们的头上。他们因为殴打了亚美利哥·勃纳瑟拉的女儿，被判了缓期执行的徒刑。鲍里·嘎吐心里想，这两个卑鄙下流的小杂种，逃避兵役，违反缓刑规定，竟在后半夜到酒吧间喝酒，追逐荡妇。这两个小伙子真够呛。鲍里·嘎吐本人也曾经得到缓役，那是因为医生向征兵委员会提供了诊断证书，证明他是个病人，男，白种人，年龄26岁，未婚，因精神错乱症而受到了电震扰理疗。当然，所谓诊断证书也全是假的，不过鲍里·嘎吐觉得他得到免役是合理合法的。这全是克莱门扎在证明嘎吐对考利昂家族“忠诚”之后炮制的。 今天，正是克莱门扎告诉他这个任务必须果断完成，必须在这两个男娃娃回到大学之前完成。嘎吐不大明白为什么这个任务必须在纽约市内完成。克莱门扎一向的作风是，除了交代任务之外，总还要给些补充指示。眼下这两个小娼妇如果同两个小流氓一块出去，那他就又得白白放过一个晚上。 他听到其中一个女孩子一边哈哈大笑，一边说： “杰里，你疯啦！我才不想同你坐什么轿车。我怕像那个可怜的姑娘一样，到头来住进医院。” 她那种得意洋洋的神态，实在令人恶心。但这对嘎吐决定下一步该怎么办，不啻为充分的情报。他把啤酒一饮而尽，走了出去，躲在街道的黑暗处。时间是子夜过后，另外也只有一家酒吧间的灯还亮着，其他所有的商店全关门了。警察管区的巡逻车早就由克莱门扎料理好了。巡逻警察是不会到这一带来的，他们要收到无线电信号之后才会栅栅而来。 他紧靠着一一辆有四个门的“追猎”牌轿车站着。车内坐着两个人，虽说是两个块头很大的男子，但从外面几乎看不见。鲍里对里面说： “等那两个小流氓出来，就抓住他们。” 他仍然觉得一切都安排得太仓促了些，克莱门扎已经把警方给的这两个小流氓照的面部照片，以及这两个小流氓经常喝酒和纠缠酒吧女郎的地点都交给了他。鲍里挑选了两名打手并给他们下达了具体指示，不能打头顶，不能打后脑勺，也不可造成偶然死亡，除此而外，他们高兴怎么办就怎么办。他还向他们提出了一个警告： “如果那两个小流氓住医院不满一个月就痊愈出院，那你们两个小子就给我开卡车去。” 那两个人从汽车里出来了。他们原来都是拳击健将，只是在小小的俱乐部里出出风头而已，后来给桑儿·考利昂看中了。桑儿向他们作了一点点仗义疏财的表示，帮助他们过上了体体面面的生活。他们自然乐意表示他们的感激之情。 杰里·魏奈和克汶·蒙南在跨出酒吧大门之后就成了瓮中之鳖。鲍里·嘎吐正靠着汽车轮子上面的挡泥板，一看到他俩走过来，就发出戏弄的笑声，并冲着他俩喊： “嗨，冒失鬼，连那些下流女人也把你们推开啦。” 那两个年轻人嬉皮笑脸地向他转过身来。鲍里·嘎吐装得像只有招架之功，毫无还手之力的样子。嘎吐这个小伙子，鼠头鼠脑的，又矮小又瘦弱，干这种事很有一套。他们向他猛扑过来。说时迟，那时炔，他们被后面来的两个人紧紧地抓住了，鲍里·嘎吐趁机在右手戴上一套特制的指节铜套，上面还安满了十六分之一英寸长的铁钉。他的动作准确、麻利，对准那个叫魏奈的小流氓的鼻子噼里啪啦地打去，魏奈被抓起来，提得高高的，离开了地面；鲍里抡起胳膊，对准腹股沟用拳头向上直击。魏奈给打得软稀稀的了；那个提着他的大个子“啪”地一下把他丢在地上。这一切用了还不到六秒钟。 现在，他们把注意力转到克汶·蒙南身上，他挣扎着想呼喊，但从后面抓着他的那个人用一只粗大有力的胳膊轻而易举地就把他提了起来，用另一只手止住他的咽喉，卡得他连哼一声也不能了。 鲍里·嘎吐跳进汽车，准备开车了。那两个大个子把蒙南打成了肉浆。他们打得那么不慌不忙、从容不迫，简直令人吃惊，好像世界上所有的时间都归他们自由支配似的。他们的拳头并不像疾风暴雨那样乱甩乱打，而是有节奏的慢动作。仿佛每打一拳，拳头上都带着他们巨大身躯的全部重量；每一拳打下去，拳落处皮开肉绽。嘎吐从汽车里瞥视了一下蒙南的脸，已经不像人脸了。那两个人把蒙南扔下，让他躺在人行道上，接着又把注意力转到魏奈身上，魏奈拼命想站起来，并尖声怪叫地呼救。有几个人从酒吧间出来了。于是，那两人不得不加快速度。他们把他打得跪在地上，其中一个人揪住他一只胳膊猛地一扭，然后朝脊梁骨就是一脚。只听得“喀嚓”一声，魏奈痛得大叫，这时沿街的窗子都打开了。那两个人干得干净利落，其中一个用双手像老虎钳一样卡住魏奈的脑壳把他提了起来，另一个用巨大的拳头对准一个固定的目标“咚咚”地猛击。从酒吧间出来的人越来越多，但没有一个人插嘴。鲍里·嘎吐在汽车里又喊了一声： “快上车，行了。” 那两个大个子跳上车，鲍里加大油门，汽车飞也似地逃之夭夭了。也许有人会描述车型，记住执照牌号，但是起不了什么作用：一来执照是从加利福尼亚州偷来的，二来纽约市起码有十万辆“追猎”牌黑轿车。