mp.godfather-第12章

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　across　to　the　clerk；　who　picked　it　up　and　immediately　said；　〃Mr。　and　Mrs。　Michael　Corleone。〃
　
　Back　in　the　car；　Paulie　Gatto　said；　〃Nice　dame。〃
　
　Clemenza　grunted。　〃Mike　is　doing　the　job　on　her。〃　Unless；　he　thought；　they　were　really　married。　〃Pick　me　up　early　in　the　morning；〃　he　told　Paulie　Gatto。　〃Hagen　got　some　deal　for　us　that　gotta　be　done　right　away。〃
　
　**********
　
　It　was　late　Sunday　night　before　Tom　Hagen　could　kiss　his　wife　good…bye　and　drive　out　to　the　airport。　With　his　special　number　one　priority　（a　grateful　gift　from　a　Pentagon　staff　general　officer）　he　had　no　trouble　getting　on　a　plane　to　Los　Angeles。
　
　It　had　been　a　busy　but　satisfying　day　for　Tom　Hagen。　Genco　Abbandando　had　died　at　three　in　the　morning　and　when　Don　Corleone　returned　from　the　hospital；　he　had　informed　Hagen　that　he　was　now　officially　the　new　Consigliere　to　the　family。　This　meant　that　Hagen　was　sure　to　bee　a　very　rich　man；　to　say　nothing　of　power。
　
　The　Don　had　broken　a　long…standing　tradition。　The　Consigliere　was　always　a　full…blooded　Sicilian；　and　the　fact　that　Hagen　had　been　brought　up　as　a　member　of　the　Don's　family　made　no　difference　to　that　tradition。　It　was　a　question　of　blood。　Only　a　Sicilian　born　to　the　ways　of　ormerta；　the　law　of　silence；　could　be　trusted　in　the　key　post　of　Consigliere。　Between　the　head　of　the　family；　Don　Corleone；　who　dictated　policy；　and　the　operating　level　of　men　who　actually　carried　out　the　orders　of　the　Don；　there　were　three　layers；　or　buffers。　In　that　way　nothing　could　be　traced　to　the　top。　Unless　the　Consigliere　turned　traitor。　That　Sunday　morning　Don　Corleone　gave　explicit　instructions　on　what　should　be　done　to　the　two　young　men　who　had　beaten　the　daughter　of　Amerigo　Bonasera。　But　he　had　given　those　orders　in　private　to　Tom　Hagen。　Later　in　the　day　Hagen　had；　also　in　private　without　witnesses；　instructed　Clemenza。　In　turn　Clemenza　had　told　Paulie　Gatto　to　execute　the　mission。　Paulie　Gatto　would　now　muster　the　necessary　manpower　and　execute　the　orders。　Paulie　Gatto　and　his　men　would　not　know　why　this　particular　task　was　being　carried　out　or　who　had　ordered　it　originally。　Each　link　of　the　chain　would　have　to　turn　traitor　for　the　Don　to　be　involved　and　though　it　had　never　yet　happened；　there　was　always　the　possibility。　The　cure　for　that　possibility　also　was　known。　Only　one　link　in　the　chain　had　to　disappear。
　
　The　Consigliere　was　also　what　his　name　implied。　He　was　the　counselor　to　the　Don；　his　right…hand　man；　his　auxiliary　brain。　He　was　also　his　closest　panion　and　his　closest　friend。　On　important　trips　he　would　drive　the　Don's　car；　at　conferences　he　would　go　out　and　get　the　Don　refreshments；　coffee　and　sandwiches；　fresh　cigars。　He　would　know　everything　the　Don　knew　or　nearly　everything；　all　the　cells　of　power。　He　was　the　one　man　in　the　world　who　could　bring　the　Don　crashing　down　to　destruction。　But　no　Consigliere　had　ever　betrayed　a　Don；　not　in　the　memory　of　any　of　the　powerful　Sicilian　families　who　had　established　themselves　in　America。　There　was　no　future　in　it。　And　every　Consigliere　knew　that　if　he　kept　the　faith；　he　would　bee　rich；　wield　power　and　win　respect。　If　misfortune　came；　his　wife　and　children　would　be　sheltered　and　cared　for　as　if　he　were　alive　or　free。　If　he　kept　the　faith。
　
　In　some　matters　the　Consigliere　had　to　act　for　his　Don　in　a　more　open　way　and　yet　not　involve　his　principal。　Hagen　was　flying　to　California　on　just　such　a　matter。　He　realized　that　his　career　as　Consigliere　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。　Far　more　important　was　the　meeting　Hagen　had　set　up　with　Virgil　Sollozzo　the　following　Friday。　But　Hagen　knew　that　to　the　Don；　both　were　of　equal　importance；　which　settled　the　matter　for　any　good　Consigliere。
　
　The　piston　plane　shook　Tom　Hagen's　already　nervous　insides　and　he　ordered　a　martini　from　the　hostess　to　quiet　them。　Both　the　Don　and　Johnny　had　briefed　him　on　the　character　of　the　movie　producer；　Jack　Woltz。　From　everything　that　Johnny　said；　Hagen　knew　he　would　never　be　able　to　persuade　Woltz。　But　he　also　had　no　doubt　whatsoever　that　the　Don　would　keep　his　promise　to　Johnny。　His　own　role　was　that　of　negotiator　and　contact。
　
　Lying　back　in　his　seat；　Hagen　went　over　all　the　information　given　to　him　that　day。　Jack　Woltz　was　one　of　the　three　most　important　movie　producers　in　Hollywood；　owner　of　his　own　studio　with　dozens　of　stars　under　contract。　He　was　on　the　President　of　the　United　States'　Advisory　Council　for　War　Information；　Cinematic　Division；　which　meant　simply　that　he　helped　make　propaganda　movies。　He　had　had　dinner　at　the　White　House。　He　had　entertained　J。　Edgar　Hoover　in　his　Hollywood　home。　But　none　of　this　was　as　impressive　as　it　sounded。　They　were　all　official　relationships。　Woltz　didn't　have　any　personal　political　power；　mainly　because　he　was　an　extreme　reactionary；　partly　because　he　was　a　megalomaniac　who　loved　to　wield　power　wildly　without　regard　to　the　fact　that　by　so　doing　legions　of　enemies　sprang　up　out　of　the　ground。
　
　Hagen　sighed。　There　would　be　no　way　to　〃handle〃　Jack　Woltz。　He　opened　his　briefcase　and　tried　to　get　some　paper　work　done；　but　he　was　too　tired。　He　ordered　another　martini　and　reflected　on　his　life。　He　had　no　regrets；　indeed　he　felt　that　he　had　been　extremely　lucky。　Whatever　the　reason；　the　course　he　had　chosen　ten　years　ago　had　proved　to　be　right　for　him。　He　was　successful；　he　was　as　happy　as　any　grown　man　could　reasonably　expect；　and　he　found　life　interesting。
　
　Tom　Hagen　was　thirty…five　years　old；　a　tall　crew…cut　man；　very　slender；　very　ordinary…looking。　He　was　a　lawyer　but　did　not　do　the　actual　detailed　legal　work　for　the　Corleone　family　business　though　he　had　practiced　law　for　three　years　after　passing　the　bar　exam。
　
　At　the　age　of　eleven　he　had　been　a　playmate　of　eleven…year…old　Sonny　Corleone。　Hagen's　mother　had　gone　blind　and　then　died　during　his　eleventh　year。　Hagen's　father；　a　heavy　drinker；　had　bee　a　hopeless　drunkard。　A　hardworking　carpenter；　he　had　never　done　a　dishonest　thing　in　his　life。　But　his　drinking　destroyed　his　family　and　finally　killed　him。　Tom　Hagen　was　left　an　orphan　who　wandered　the　streets　and　slept　in　hallways。　His　younger　sister　had　been　put　in　a　foster　home；　but　in　the　1920's　the　social　agencies　did　not　follow　up　cases　of　eleven…year…old　boys　who　were　so　ungrateful　as　to　run　from　their　charity。　Hagen；　too；　had　an　eye　infection。　Neighbors　whispered　that　he　had　caught　or　inherited　it　from　his　mother　and　so　therefore　it　could　be　caught　from　him。　He　was　shunned。　Sonny　Corleone；　a　warmhearted　and　imperious　eleven…year…old；　had　brought　his　friend　home　and　demanded　that　he　be　taken　in。　Tom　Hagen　was　given　a　hot　dish　of　spaghetti　with　oily　rich　tomato　sauce；　the　taste　of　which　he　had　never　forgotten；　and　then　given　a　metal　folding　bed　to　sleep　on。
　
　In　the　most　natural　way；　without　a　word　being　spoken　or　the　matter　discussed　in　any　fashion；　Don　Corleone　had　permitted　the　boy　to　stay　in　his　household。　Don　Corleone　himself　took　the　boy　to　a　special　doctor　and　had　his　eye　infection　cured。　He　sent　him　to　college　and　law　school。　In　all　this　the　Don　acted　not　as　a　father　but　rather　as　a　guardian。　There　was　no　show　of　affection　but　oddly　enough　the　Don　treated　Hagen　more　courteously　than　his　own　sons；　did　not　impose　a　parental　will　upon　him。　It　was　the　boy's　decision　to　go　to　law　school　after　college。　He　had　heard　Don　Corleone　say　once；　〃A　lawyer　with　his　briefcase　can　steal　more　than　a　hundred　men　with　guns。〃　Meanwhile；　much　to　the　annoyance　of　their　father；　Sonny　and　Freddie　insisted　on　going　into　the　family　business　after　graduation　from　high　school。　Only　Michael　had　gone　on　to　college；　and　he　had　enlisted　in　the　Marines　the　day　after　Pearl　Harbor。
　
　After　he　passed　the　bar　exam；　Hagen　married　to　start　his　own　family。　The　bride　was　a　young　Italian　girl　from　New　Jersey；　rare　at　that　time　for　being　a　college　graduate。　After　the　wedding；　which　was　of　course　held　in　the　home　of　Don　Corleone；　the　Don　offered　to　support　Hagen　in　any　undertaking　he　desired；　to　send　him　law　clients；　furnish　his　office；　start　him　in　real　estate。