mp.godfather-第16章

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　car　her　long　legs　tottered　like　a　crippled　foal's。　Her　mother　supported　the　child；　helping　her　into　the　car；　hissing　mands　into　her　ear。　The　mother's　head　turned　for　a　quick　furtive　look　at　Hagen　and　he　saw　in　her　eyes　a　burning；　hawklike　triumph。　Then　she　too　disappeared　into　the　limousine。
　
　So　that　was　why　he　hadn't　got　the　plane　ride　from　Los　Angeles；　Hagen　thought。　The　girl　and　her　mother　had　made　the　trip　with　the　movie　producer。　That　had　given　Woltz　enough　time　to　relax　before　dinner　and　do　the　job　on　the　little　kid。　And　Johnny　wanted　to　live　in　this　world？　Good　luck　to　him；　and　good　luck　to　Woltz。
　
　**********
　
　Paulie　Gatto　hated　quickie　jobs；　especially　when　they　involved　violence。　He　liked　to　plan　things　ahead。　And　something　like　tonight；　even　though　it　was　punk　stuff；　could　turn　into　serious　business　if　somebody　made　a　mistake。　Now；　sipping　his　beer；　he　glanced　around；　checking　how　the　two　young　punks　were　making　out　with　the　two　little　tramps　at　the　bar。
　
　Paulie　Gatto　knew　everything　there　was　to　know　about　those　two　punks。　Their　names　were　Jerry　Wagner　and　Kevin　Moonan。　They　were　both　about　twenty　years　old；　goodlooking；　brown…haired；　tall；　well…built。　Both　were　due　to　go　back　to　college　out　of　town　in　two　weeks；　both　had　fathers　with　political　influence　and　this；　with　their　college　student　classification；　had　so　far　kept　them　out　of　the　draft。　They　were　both　also　under　suspended　sentences　for　assaulting　the　daughter　of　Amerigo　Bonasera。　The　lousy　bastards；　Paulie　Gatto　thought。　Draft　dodging；　violating　their　probation　by　drinking　in　a　bar　after　midnight；　chasing　floozies。　Young　punks。　Paulie　Gatto　had　been　deferred　from　the　draft　himself　because　his　doctor　had　furnished　the　draft　board　with　documents　showing　that　this　patient；　male；　white；　aged　twenty…six；　unmarried；　had　received　electrical　shock　treatments　for　a　mental　condition。　All　false；　of　course；　but　Paulie　Gatto　felt　that　he　had　earned　his　draft　exemption。　It　had　been　arranged　by　Clemenza　after　Gatto　had　〃made　his　bones〃　in　the　family　business。
　
　It　was　Clemenza　who　had　told　him　that　this　job　must　be　rushed　through；　before　the　boys　went　to　college。　Why　the　hell　did　it　have　to　be　done　in　New　York；　Gatto　wondered。　Clemenza　was　always　giving　extra　orders　instead　of　just　giving　out　the　job。　Now　if　those　two　little　tramps　walked　out　with　the　punks　it　would　be　another　night　wasted。
　
　He　could　hear　one　of　the　girls　laughing　and　saying；　〃Are　you　crazy；　Jerry？　I'm　not　going　in　any　car　with　you。　I　don't　want　to　wind　up　in　the　hospital　like　that　other　poor　girl。〃　Her　voice　was　spitefully　rich　with　satisfaction。　That　was　enough　for　Gatto。　He　finished　up　his　beer　and　walked　out　into　the　dark　street。　Perfect。　It　was　after　midnight。　There　was　only　one　other　bar　that　showed　light。　The　rest　of　the　stores　were　closed。　The　precinct　patrol　car　had　been　taken　care　of　by　Clemenza。　They　wouldn't　be　around　that　way　until　they　got　a　radio　call　and　then　they'd　e　slow。
　
　He　leaned　against　the　four…door　Chevy　sedan。　In　the　back　seat　two　men　were　sitting；　almost　invisible；　although　they　were　very　big　men。　Paulie　said；　〃Take　them　when　they　e　out。〃
　
　He　still　thought　it　had　all　been　set　up　too　fast。　Clemenza　had　given　him　copies　of　the　police　mug　shots　of　the　two　punks；　the　dope　on　where　the　punks　went　drinking　every　night　to　pick　up　bar　girls。　Paulie　had　recruited　two　of　the　strong…arms　in　the　family　and　fingered　the　punks　for　them。　He　had　also　given　them　their　instructions。　No　blows　on　the　top　or　the　back　of　the　head；　there　was　to　be　no　accidental　fatality。　Other　than　that　they　could　go　as　far　as　they　liked。　He　had　given　them　only　one　warning：　〃If　those　punks　get　out　of　the　hospital　in　less　than　a　month；　you　guys　go　back　to　driving　trucks。〃
　
　The　two　big　men　were　getting　out　of　the　car。　They　were　both　ex…boxers　who　had　never　made　it　past　the　small　clubs　and　had　been　fixed　up　by　Sonny　Corleone　with　a　little　loan…shark　action　so　that　they　could　make　a　decent　living。　They　were；　naturally；　anxious　to　show　their　gratitude。
　
　When　Jerry　Wagner　and　Kevin　Moonan　came　out　of　the　bar　they　were　perfect　setups。　The　bar　girl's　taunts　had　left　their　adolescent　vanity　prickly。　Paulie　Gatto；　leaning　against　the　fender　of　his　car；　called　out　to　them　with　a　teasing　laugh；　〃Hey；　Casanova；　those　broads　really　brushed　you　off。〃
　
　The　two　young　men　turned　on　him　with　delight。　Paulie　Gatto　looked　like　a　perfect　outlet　for　their　humiliation。　Ferret…faced；　short；　slightly　built　and　a　wise　guy　in　the　bargain。　They　pounced　on　him　eagerly　and　immediately　found　their　arms　pinned　by　two　men　grabbing　them　from　behind。　At　the　same　moment　Paulie　Gatto　had　slipped　onto　his　right　hand　a　specially　made　set　of　brass　knuckles　studded　with　one…sixteenth…inch　iron　spikes。　His　timing　was　good；　he　worked　out　in　the　gym　three　times　a　week。　He　smashed　the　punk　named　Wagner　right　on　the　nose。　The　man　holding　Wagner　lifted　him　up　off　the　ground　and　Paulie　swung　his　arm；　uppercutting　into　the　perfectly　positioned　groin。　Wagner　went　limp　and　the　big　man　dropped　him。　This　had　taken　no　more　than　six　seconds。
　
　Now　both　of　them　turned　their　attention　to　Kevin　Moonan；　who　was　trying　to　shout。　The　man　holding　him　from　behind　did　so　easily　with　one　huge　muscled　arm。　The　other　hand　he　put　around　Moonan's　throat　to　cut　off　any　sound。
　
　Paulie　Gatto　jumped　into　the　car　and　started　the　motor。　The　two　big　men　were　beating　Moonan　to　jelly。　They　did　so　with　frightening　deliberation；　as　if　they　had　all　the　time　in　the　world。　They　did　not　throw　punches　in　flurries　but　in　timed；　slow…motion　sequences　that　carried　the　full　weight　of　their　massive　bodies。　Each　blow　landed　with　a　splat　of　flesh　splitting　open。　Gatto　got　a　glimpse　of　Moonan's　face。　It　was　unrecognizable。　The　two　men　left　Moonan　lying　on　the　sidewalk　and　turned　their　attention　to　Wagner。　Wagner　was　trying　to　get　to　his　feet　and　he　started　to　scream　for　help。　Someone　came　out　of　the　bar　and　the　two　men　had　to　work　faster　now。　They　clubbed　Wagner　to　his　knees。　One　of　the　men　took　his　arm　and　twisted　it；　then　kicked　him　in　the　spine。　There　was　a　cracking　sound　and　Wagner's　scream　of　agony　brought　windows　open　all　along　the　street。　The　two　men　worked　very　quickly。　One　of　them　held　Wagner　up　by　using　his　two　hands　around　Wagner's　head　like　a　vise。　The　other　man　smashed　his　huge　fist　into　the　fixed　target。　There　were　more　people　ing　out　of　the　bar　but　none　tried　to　interfere。　Paulie　Gatto　yelled；　〃e　on；　enough。〃　The　two　big　men　jumped　into　the　car　and　Paulie　gunned　it　away；　Somebody　would　describe　the　car　and　read　the　license　plates　but　it　didn't　matter。　It　was　a　stolen　California　plate　and　there　were　one　hundred　thousand　black　Chevy　sedans　in　New　York　City。
　
　Chapter　02
　
　Tom　Hagen　went　to　his　law　office　in　the　city　on　Thursday　morning。　He　planned　to　catch　up　on　his　paper　work　so　as　to　have　everything　cleared　away　for　the　meeting　with　Virgil　Sollozzo　on　Friday。　A　meeting　of　such　importance　that　he　had　asked　the　Don　for　a　full　evening　of　talk　to　prepare　for　the　proposition　they　knew　Sollozzo　would　offer　the　family　business。　Hagen　wanted　to　have　all　little　details　cleared　away　so　that　he　could　go　to　that　preparatory　meeting　with　an　unencumbered　mind。
　
　The　Don　had　not　seemed　surprised　when　Hagen　returned　from　California　late　Tuesday　evening　and　told　him　the　results　of　the　negotiations　with　Woltz。　He　had　made　Hagen　go　over　every　detail　and　grimaced　with　distaste　when　Hagen　told　about　the　beautiful　little　girl　and　her　mother。　He　had　murmured　〃infamita；〃　his　strongest　disapproval。　He　had　asked　Hagen　one　final　question。　〃Does　this　man　have　real　balls？〃
　
　Hagen　considered　exactly　what　the　Don　meant　by　this　question。　Over　the　years　he　had　learned　that　the　Don's　values　were　so　different　from　those　of　most　people　that　his　words　also　could　have　a　different　meaning。　Did　Woltz　have　character？　Did　he　have　a　strong　will？　He　most　certainly　did；　but　that　was　not　what　the　Don　was　asking。　Did　the　movie　producer　have　the　courage　not　to　be　bluffed？　Did　he　have　the　willingness　to　suffer　heavy　financial　loss　delay　on　his　movies　would　mean；　the　scandal　of　his　big　star　exposed　as　a　user　of　heroin？　Again　the　answer　was　yes。　But　again　thi