mp.godfather-第13章

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　any　undertaking　he　desired；　to　send　him　law　clients；　furnish　his　office；　start　him　in　real　estate。
　
　Tom　Hagen　had　bowed　his　head　and　said　to　the　Don；　〃I　would　like　to　work　for　you。〃
　
　The　Don　was　surprised；　yet　pleased。　〃You　know　who　I　am？〃　he　asked。
　
　Hagen　nodded。　He　hadn't　really　known　the　extent　of　the　Don's　power；　not　then。　He　did　not　really　know　in　the　ten　years　that　followed　until　he　was　made　the　acting　Consigliere　after　Genco　Abbandando　became　ill。　But　he　nodded　and　met　the　Don's　eyes　with　his　own。　〃I　would　work　for　you　like　your　sons；〃　Hagen　said；　meaning　with　plete　loyalty；　with　plete　acceptance　of　the　Don's　parental　divinity。　The　Don；　with　that　understanding　which　was　even　then　building　the　legend　of　his　greatness；　showed　the　young　man　the　first　mark　of　fatherly　affection　since　he　hade　into　his　household。　He　took　Hagen　into　his　arms　for　a　quick　embrace　and　afterward　treated　him　more　like　a　true　son；　though　he　would　sometimes　say；　〃Tom；　never　forget　your　parents；〃　as　if　he　were　reminding　himself　as　well　as　Hagen。
　
　There　was　no　chance　that　Hagen　would　forget。　His　mother　had　been　near　moronic　and　slovenly；　so　ridden　by　anemia　she　could　not　feel　affection　for　her　children　or　make　a　pretense　of　it。　His　father　Hagen　had　hated。　His　mother's　blindness　before　she　died　had　terrified　him　and　his　own　eye　infection　had　been　a　stroke　of　doom。　He　had　been　sure　he　would　go　blind。　When　his　father　died；　Tom　Hagen's　eleven…year…old　mind　had　snapped　in　a　curious　way。　He　had　roamed　the　streets　like　an　animal　waiting　for　death　until　the　fateful　day　Sonny　found　him　sleeping　in　the　back　of　a　hallway　and　brought　him　to　his　home。　What　had　happened　afterward　was　a　miracle。　But　for　years　Hagen　had　had　nightmares；　dreaming　he　had　grown　to　manhood　blind；　tapping　a　white　cane；　his　blind　children　behind　him　tap…tapping　with　their　little　white　canes　as　they　begged　in　the　streets。　Some　mornings　when　he　woke　the　face　of　Don　Corleone　was　imprinted　on　his　brain　in　that　first　conscious　moment　and　he　would　feel　safe。
　
　But　the　Don　had　insisted　that　he　put　in　three　years　of　general　law　practice　in　addition　to　his　duties　for　the　family　business。　This　experience　had　proved　invaluable　later　on；　and　also　removed　any　doubts　in　Hagen's　mind　about　working　for　Don　Corleone。　He　had　then　spent　two　years　of　training　in　the　offices　of　a　top　firm　of　criminal　lawyers　in　which　the　Don　had　some　influence。　It　was　apparent　to　everyone　that　he　had　a　flair　for　this　branch　of　the　law。　He　did　well　and　when　he　went　into　the　full…time　service　of　the　family　business；　Don　Corleone　had　not　been　able　to　reproach　him　once　in　the　six　years　that　followed。
　
　When　he　had　been　made　the　acting　Consigliere；　the　other　powerful　Sicilian　families　referred　contemptuously　to　the　Corleone　family　as　the　〃Irish　gang。〃　This　had　amused　Hagen。　It　had　also　taught　him　that　he　could　never　hope　to　succeed　the　Don　as　the　head　of　the　family　business。　But　he　was　content。　That　had　never　been　his　goal；　such　an　ambition　would　have　been　a　〃disrespect〃　to　his　benefactor　and　his　benefactor's　blood　family。
　
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　It　was　still　dark　when　the　plane　landed　in　Los　Angeles。　Hagen　checked　into　his　hotel；　showered　and　shaved；　and　watched　dawn　e　over　the　city。　He　ordered　breakfast　and　newspapers　to　be　sent　up　to　his　room　and　relaxed　until　it　was　time　for　his　ten　A。M。　appointment　with　Jack　Woltz。　The　appointment　had　been　surprisingly　easy　to　make。
　
　The　day　before；　Hagen　had　called　the　most　powerful　man　in　the　movie　labor　unions；　a　man　named　Billy　Goff。　Acting　on　instructions　from　Don　Corleone；　Hagen　had　told　Goff　to　arrange　an　appointment　on　the　next　day　for　Hagen　to　call　on　Jack　Woltz；　that　he　should　hint　to　Woltz　that　if　Hagen　was　not　made　happy　by　the　results　of　the　interview；　there　could　be　a　labor　strike　at　the　movie　studio。　An　hour　later　Hagen　received　a　call　from　Goff。　The　appointment　would　be　at　ten　A。M。　Woltz　had　gotten　the　message　about　the　possible　labor　strike　but　hadn't　seemed　too　impressed；　Goff　said。　He　added；　〃If　it　really　es　down　to　that；　I　gotta　talk　to　the　Don　myself。〃
　
　〃If　it　es　to　that　he'll　talk　to　you；〃　Hagen　said。　By　saying　this　he　avoided　making　any　promises。　He　was　not　surprised　that　Goff　was　so　agreeable　to　the　Don's　wishes。　The　family　empire；　technically；　did　not　extend　beyond　the　New　York　area　but　Don　Corleone　had　first　bee　strong　by　helping　labor　leaders。　Many　of　them　still　owed　him　debts　of　friendship。
　
　But　the　ten　A。M。　appointment　was　a　bad　sign。　It　meant　that　he　would　be　first　on　the　appointment　list；　that　he　would　not　be　invited　to　lunch。　It　meant　that　Woltz　held　him　in　small　worth。　Goff　had　not　been　threatening　enough；　probably　because　Woltz　had　him　on　his　graft　payroll。　And　sometimes　the　Don's　success　in　keeping　himself　out　of　the　limelight　worked　to　the　disadvantage　of　the　family　business；　in　that　his　name　did　not　mean　anything　to　outside　circles。
　
　His　analysis　proved　correct。　Woltz　kept　him　waiting　for　a　half　hour　past　the　appointed　time。　Hagen　didn't　mind。　The　reception　room　was　very　plush；　very　fortable；　and　on　a　plum…colored　couch　opposite　him　sat　the　most　beautiful　child　Hagen　had　ever　seen。　She　was　no　more　than　eleven　or　twelve；　dressed　in　a　very　expensive　but　simple　way　as　a　grown　woman。　She　had　incredibly　golden　hair；　huge　deep　sea…blue　eyes　and　a　fresh　raspberry…red　mouth。　She　was　guarded　by　a　woman　obviously　her　mother；　who　tried　to　stare　Hagen　down　with　a　cold　arrogance　that　made　him　want　to　punch　her　in　the　face。　The　angel　child　and　the　dragon　mother；　Hagen　thought；　returning　the　mother's　cold　stare。
　
　Finally　an　exquisitely　dressed　but　stout　middle…aged　woman　came　to　lead　him　through　a　string　of　offices　to　the　office…apartment　of　the　movie　producer。　Hagen　was　impressed　by　the　beauty　of　the　offices　and　the　people　working　in　them。　He　smiled。　They　were　all　shrewdies；　trying　to　get　their　foot　in　the　movie　door　by　taking　office　jobs；　and　most　of　them　would　work　in　these　offices　for　the　rest　of　their　lives　or　until　they　accepted　defeat　and　returned　to　their　home　towns。
　
　Jack　Woltz　was　a　tall；　powerfully　built　man　with　a　heavy　paunch　almost　concealed　by　his　perfectly　tailored　suit。　Hagen　knew　his　history。　At　ten　years　of　age　Woltz　had　hustled　empty　beer　kegs　and　pushcarts　on　the　East　Side。　At　twenty　he　helped　his　father　sweat　garment　workers。　At　thirty　he　had　left　New　York　and　moved　West；　invested　in　the　nickelodeon　and　pioneered　motion　pictures。　At　forty…eight　he　had　been　the　most　powerful　movie　magnate　in　Hollywood；　still　rough…spoken；　rapaciously　amorous；　a　raging　wolf　ravaging　helpless　flocks　of　young　starlets。　At　fifty　he　transformed　himself。　He　took　speech　lessons；　learned　how　to　dress　from　an　English　valet　and　how　to　behave　socially　from　an　English　butler。　When　his　first　wife　died　he　married　a　world…famous　and　beautiful　actress　who　didn't　like　acting。　Now　at　the　age　of　sixty　he　collected　old　master　paintings；　was　a　member　of　the　President's　Advisory　mittee；　and　had　set　up　a　multimillion…dollar　foundation　in　his　name　to　promote　art　in　motion　pictures。　His　daughter　had　married　an　English　lord；　his　son　an　Italian　princess。
　
　His　latest　passion；　as　reported　dutifully　by　every　movie　columnist　in　America；　was　his　own　racing　stables　on　which　he　had　spent　ten　million　dollars　in　the　past　year。　He　had　made　headlines　by　purchasing　the　famed　English　racing　horse　Khartoum　for　the　incredible　price　of　six　hundred　thousand　dollars　and　then　announcing　that　the　undefeated　racer　would　be　retired　and　put　to　stud　exclusively　for　the　Woltz　stables。
　
　He　received　Hagen　courteously；　his　beautifully；　evenly　tanned；　meticulously　barbered　face　contorted　with　a　grimace　meant　to　be　a　smile。　Despite　all　the　money　spent；　despite　the　ministrations　of　the　most　knowledgeable　technicians；　his　age　showed；　the　flesh　of　his　face　looked　as　if　it　had　been　seamed　together。　But　there　was　an　enormous　vitality　in　his　movements　and　he　had　what　Don　Corleone　had；　the　air　of　a　man　who　manded　absolutely　the　world　in　which　he　lived。
　
　Hagen　came　directly　to　the　point。　That　he　was　an　emissary　from　a　friend　of　Johnny　Fontane。　That　this　friend　was　a　very　powerful　man　who　would　pledge　his　gratitude　and　undying　friendship　to　Mr。　Woltz　if