mp.godfather-第50章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


a　fair　contract。　〃I　expect　you　to　save　me　more　dough　this　way；〃　he　told　the　man　frankly。　
　
　So　he　was　surprised　when　the　executive　producer　came　to　him　and　told　him　the　union　rep　had　to　be　taken　care　of　to　the　tune　of　fifty　thousand　dollars。　There　were　a　lot　of　problems　dealing　with　overtime　and　hiring　and　the　fifty　thousand　dollars　would　be　well　spent。　Johnny　debated　whether　the　executive　producer　was　hustling　him　and　then　said；　〃Send　the　union　guy　to　me。〃
　
　The　union　guy　was　Billy　Goff。　Johnny　said　to　him；　〃I　thought　the　union　stuff　was　fixed　by　my　friends。　I　was　told　not　to　worry　about　it。　At　all。〃
　
　Goff　said；　〃Who　told　you　that？〃
　
　Johnny　said；　〃You　know　goddamn　well　who　told　me。　I　won't　say　his　name　but　if　he　tells　me　something　that's　it。〃
　
　Goff　said；　〃Things　have　changed。　Your　friend　is　in　trouble　and　his　word　don't　go　this　far　west　anymore。〃
　
　Johnny　shrugged。　〃See　me　in　a　couple　of　days。　OK？〃
　
　Goff　smiled。　〃Sure；　Johnny；〃　he　said。　〃But　calling　in　New　York　ain't　going　to　help　you。〃
　
　But　calling　New　York　did　help。　Johnny　spoke　to　Hagen　at　his　office。　Hagen　told　him　bluntly　not　to　pay。　〃Your　Godfather　will　be　sore　as　hell　if　you　pay　that　bastard　a　dime；〃　he　told　Johnny。　〃It　will　make　the　Don　lose　respect　and　right　now　he　can't　afford　that。〃
　
　〃Can　I　talk　to　the　Don？〃　Johnny　asked。　〃Will　you　talk　to　him？　I　gotta　get　the　picture　rolling。〃
　
　〃Nobody　can　talk　to　the　Don　right　now；〃　Hagen　said。　〃He's　too　sick。　I'll　talk　to　Sonny　about　fixing　things　up。　But　I'll　make　the　decision　on　this。　Don't　pay　that　smart　bastard　a　dime。　If　anything　changes；　I'll　let　you　know。〃
　
　Annoyed；　Johnny　hung　up。　Union　trouble　could　add　a　fortune　to　making　the　film　and　screw　up　the　works　generally。　For　a　moment　he　debated　slipping　Goff　the　fifty　grand　on　the　quiet。　After　all；　the　Don　telling　him　something　and　Hagen　telling　him　something　and　giving　him　orders　were　two　different　things。　But　he　decided　to　wait　for　a　few　days。
　
　By　waiting　he　saved　fifty　thousand　dollars。　Two　nights　later；　Goff　was　found　shot　to　death　in　his　home　in　Glendale。　There　was　no　more　talk　of　union　trouble。　Johnny　was　a　little　shaken　by　the　killing。　It　was　the　first　time　the　long　arm　of　the　Don　had　struck　such　a　lethal　blow　so　close　to　him。
　
　As　the　weeks　went　by　and　he　became　busier　and　busier　with　getting　the　script　ready；　casting　the　movie　and　working　out　production　details；　Johnny　Fontane　forgot　about　his　voice；　his　not　being　able　to　sing。　Yet　when　the　Academy　Award　nominations　came　out　and　he　found　himself　one　of　the　candidates；　he　was　depressed　because　he　was　not　asked　to　sing　one　of　the　songs　nominated　for　the　Oscar　at　the　ceremony　that　would　be　televised　nationally。　But　he　shrugged　it　off　and　kept　working。　He　had　no　hope　of　winning　the　Academy　Award　now　that　his　Godfather　was　no　longer　able　to　put　pressure　on；　but　getting　the　nomination　had　some　value。
　
　The　record　he　and　Nino　had　cut；　the　one　of　Italian　songs；　was　selling　much　better　than　anything　he　had　cut　lately；　but　he　knew　that　it　was　Nino's　success　more　than　his。　He　resigned　himself　to　never　being　able　to　again　sing　professionally。
　
　Once　a　week　he　had　dinner　with　Ginny　and　the　kids。　No　matter　how　hectic　things　got　he　never　skipped　that　duty。　But　he　didn't　sleep　with　Ginny。　Meanwhile　his　second　wife　had　finagled　a　Mexican　divorce　and　so　he　was　a　bachelor　again。　Oddly　enough　he　was　not　that　frantic　to　bang　starlets　who　would　have　been　easy　meat。　He　was　too　snobbish　really。　He　was　hurt　that　none　of　the　young　stars；　the　actresses　who　were　still　on　top；　ever　gave　him　a　tumble。　But　it　was　good　to　work　hard。　Most　nights　he　would　go　home　alone；　put　his　old　records　on　the　player；　have　a　drink　and　hum　along　with　them　for　a　few　bars。　He　had　been　good；　damn　good。　He　hadn't　realized　how　good　he　was。　Even　aside　from　the　special　voice；　which　could　have　happened　to　anybody；　he　was　good。　He　had　been　a　real　artist　and　never　knew　it；　and　never　knew　how　much　he　loved　it。　He'd　ruined　his　voice　with　booze　and　tobacco　and　broads　just　when　he　really　knew　what　it　was　all　about。
　
　Sometimes　Nino　came　over　for　a　drink　and　listened　with　him　and　Johnny　would　say　to　him　scornfully；　〃You　guinea　bastard；　you　never　sang　like　that　in　your　life。〃　And　Nino　would　give　him　that　curiously　charming　smile　and　shake　his　head　and　say；　〃No；　and　I　never　will；〃　in　a　sympathetic　voice；　as　if　he　knew　what　Johnny　was　thinking。
　
　Finally；　a　week　before　shooting　the　new　picture；　the　Academy　Award　night　rolled　around。　Johnny　invited　Nino　to　e　along　but　Nino　refused。　Johnny　said；　〃Buddy；　I　never　asked　you　a　favor；　right？　Do　me　a　favor　tonight　and　e　with　me。　You're　the　only　guy　who'll　really　feel　sorry　for　me　if　I　don't　win。〃
　
　For　one　moment　Nino　looked　startled。　Then　he　said；　〃Sure；　old　buddy；　I　can　make　it。〃　He　paused　for　a　moment　and　said；　〃if　you　don't　win；　forget　it。　Just　get　as　drunk　as　you　can　get　and　I'll　take　care　of　you。　Hell；　I　won't　even　drink　myself　tonight。　How　about　that　for　being　a　buddy？〃
　
　〃Man；〃　Johnny　Fontane　said；　〃that's　some　buddy。〃
　
　The　Academy　Award　night　came　and　Nino　kept　his　promise。　He　came　to　Johnny's　house　dead　sober　and　they　left　for　the　presentation　theater　together。　Nino　wondered　why　Johnny　hadn't　invited　any　of　his　girls　or　his　ex…wives　to　the　Award　dinner。　Especially　Ginny。　Didn't　he　think　Ginny　would　root　for　him？　Nino　wished　he　could　have　just　one　drink；　it　looked　like　a　long　bad　night。
　
　Nino　Valenti　found　the　whole　Academy　Award　affair　a　bore　until　the　winner　of　the　best　male　actor　was　announced。　When　he　heard　the　words　〃Johnny　Fontane；〃　he　found　himself　jumping　into　the　air　and　applauding。　Johnny　reached　out　a　hand　for　him　to　shake　and　Nino　shook　it。　He　knew　his　buddy　needed　human　contact　with　someone　he　trusted　and　Nino　felt　an　enormous　sadness　that　Johnny　didn't　have　anyone　better　than　himself　to　touch　in　his　moment　of　glory。
　
　What　followed　was　an　absolute　nightmare。　Jack　Woltz's　picture　had　swept　all　the　major　awards　and　so　the　studio's　party　was　swamped　with　newspaper　people　and　all　the　on…the…make　hustlers；　male　and　female。　Nino　kept　his　promise　to　remain　sober；　and　he　tried　to　watch　over　Johnny。　But　the　women　of　the　party　kept　pulling　Johnny　Fontane　into　bedrooms　for　a　little　chat　and　Johnny　kept　getting　drunker　and　drunker。
　
　Meanwhile　the　woman　who　had　won　the　award　for　the　best　actress　was　suffering　the　same　fate　but　loving　it　more　and　handling　it　better。　Nino　turned　her　down；　the　only　man　at　the　party　to　do　so。
　
　Finally　somebody　had　a　great　idea。　The　public　mating　of　the　two　winners；　everybody　else　at　the　party　to　be　spectators　in　the　stands。　The　actress　was　stripped　down　and　the　other　women　started　to　undress　Johnny　Fontane。　It　was　then　that　Nino；　the　only　sober　person　there；　grabbed　the　half…clothed　Johnny　and　slung　him　over　his　shoulder　and　fought　his　way　out　of　the　house　and　to　their　car。　As　he　drove　Johnny　home；　Nino　thought　that　if　that　was　success；　he　didn't　want　it。
　
　Book　Three
　
　Chapter　14
　
　The　Don　was　a　real　man　at　the　age　of　twelve。　Short；　dark；　slender；　living　in　the　strange　Moorish…looking　village　of　Corleone　in　Sicily；　he　had　been　born　Vito　Andolini；　but　when　strange　men　came　to　kill　the　son　of　the　man　they　had　murdered；　his　mother　sent　the　young　boy　to　America　to　stay　with　friends。　And　in　the　new　land　he　changed　his　name　to　Corleone　to　preserve　some　tie　with　his　native　village。　It　was　one　of　the　few　gestures　of　sentiment　he　was　ever　to　make。
　
　In　Sicily　at　the　turn　of　the　century　the　Mafia　was　the　second　government；　far　more　powerful　than　the　official　one　in　Rome。　Vito　Corleone's　father　became　involved　in　a　feud　with　another　villager　who　took　his　case　to　the　Mafia。　The　father　refused　to　knuckle　under　and　in　a　public　quarrel　killed　the　local　Mafia　chief。　A　week　later　he　himself　was　found　dead；　his　body　torn　apart　by　lupara　blasts。　A　month　after　the　funeral　Mafia　gunmen　came　inquiring　after　the　young　boy；　Vito。　They　had　decided　that　he　was　too　close　to　manhood；　that　he　might　try；　to　avenge　the　death　of　his　father　in　the　years　to　e。　The　twelve…year…old　Vito　was　hidden　by　relatives　and　shipped　to　America。　There　he　was　boarded　with　the　Abbandandos；　whose　son　Genco　w