mp.godfather-第66章

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pital　room　with　all　equipment　necessary　for　any　emergency。　Nurses　specially　recruited　and　checked　had　been　hired　for　round…the…clock　care；　and　Dr。　Kennedy；　with　the　payment　of　a　huge　fee；　had　been　persuaded　to　bee　the　physician　in　residence　to　this　private　hospital。　At　least　until　the　Don　would　need　only　nursing　care。
　
　The　mall　itself　was　made　impregnable。　Button　men　were　moved　into　the　extra　houses；　the　tenants　sent　on　vacations　to　their　native　villages　in　Italy；　all　expenses　paid。
　
　Freddie　Corleone　had　been　sent　to　Las　Vegas　to　recuperate　and　also　to　scout　out　the　ground　for　a　Family　operation　in　the　luxury　hotel…gambling　casino　plex　that　was　springing　up。　Las　Vegas　was　part　of　the　West　Coast　empire　still　neutral　and　the　Don　of　that　empire　had　guaranteed　Freddie's　safety　there。　The　New　York　five　Families　had　no　desire　to　make　more　enemies　by　going　into　Vegas　after　Freddie　Corleone。　They　had　enough　trouble　on　their　hands　in　New　York。
　
　Dr。　Kennedy　had　forbade　any　discussion　of　business　in　front　of　the　Don。　This　edict　was　pletely　disregarded。　The　Don　insisted　on　the　council　of　war　being　held　in　his　room。　Sonny；　Tom　Hagen；　Pete　Clemenza　and　Tessio　gathered　there　the　very　first　night　of　his　homeing。
　
　Don　Corleone　was　too　weak　to　speak　much　but　he　wished　to　listen　and　exercise　veto　powers。　When　it　was　explained　that　Freddie　had　been　sent　to　Las　Vegas　to　learn　the　gambling　casino　business　he　nodded　his　head　approvingly。　When　he　learned　that　Bruno　Tattaglia　had　been　killed　by　Corleone　button　men　he　shook　his　head　and　sighed。　But　what　distressed　him　most　of　all　was　learning　that　Michael　had　killed　Sollozzo　and　Captain　McCluskey　and　had　then　been　forced　to　flee　to　Sicily。　When　he　heard　this　he　motioned　them　out　and　they　continued　the　conference　in　the　corner　room　that　held　the　law　library。
　
　Sonny　Corleone　relaxed　in　the　huge　armchair　behind　the　desk。　〃I　think　we'd　better　let　the　old　man　take　it　easy　for　a　couple　of　weeks；　until　the　doc　says　he　can　do　business。〃　He　paused。　〃I'd　like　to　have　it　going　again　before　he　gets　better。　We　have　the　go…ahead　from　the　cops　to　operate。　The　first　thing　is　the　policy　banks　in　Harlem。　The　black　boys　up　there　had　their　fun；　now　we　have　to　take　it　back。　They　screwed　up　the　works　but　good；　just　like　they　usually　do　when　they　run　things。　A　lot　of　their　runners　didn't　pay　off　winners。　They　drive　up　in　Cadillacs　and　tell　their　players　they　gotta　wait　for　their　dough　or　maybe　just　pay　them　half　what　they　win。　I　don't　want　any　runner　looking　rich　to　his　players。　I　don't　want　them　dressing　too　good。　I　don't　want　them　driving　new　cars。　I　don't　want　them　welching　on　paying　a　winner。　And　I　don't　want　any　free…lancers　staying　in　business；　they　give　us　a　bad　name。　Tom；　let's　get　that　project　moving　right　away。　Everything　else　will　fall　in　line　as　soon　as　you　send　out　the　word　that　the　lid　is　off。〃
　
　Hagen　said；　〃There　are　some　very　tough　boys　up　in　Harlem。　They　got　a　taste　of　the　big　money。　They　won't　go　back　to　being　runners　or　sub…bankers　again。〃
　
　Sonny　shrugged。　〃Just　give　their　names　to　Clemenza。　That's　his　job；　straightening　them　out。〃
　
　Clemenza　said　to　Hagen；　〃No　problem。〃
　
　It　was　Tessio　wbo　brought　up　the　most　important　question。　〃Once　we　start　operating；　the　five　Families　start　their　raids。　They'll　hit　our　bankers　in　Harlem　and　out　bookmakers　on　the　East　Side。　They　may　even　try　to　make　things　tough　for　the　garment　center　outfits　we　service。　This　war　is　going　to　cost　a　lot　of　money。〃
　
　〃Mabe　they　won't；〃　Sonny　said。　〃They　know　we'll　hit　them　right　back。　I〃ve　got　peace　feelers　out　and　maybe　we　can　settle　everything　by　paying　an　indemnity　for　the　Tattaglia　kid。〃
　
　Hagen　said；　〃We're　getting　the　cold　shoulder　on　those　negotiations。　They　lost　a　lot　of　dough　the　last　few　months　and　they　blame　us　for　it。　With　justice。　I　think　what　they　want　is　for　us　to　agree　to　e　in　on　the　narcotics　trade；　to　use　the　Family　influence　politically。　In　other　words；　Sollozzo's　deal　minus　Sollozzo。　But　they　won't　broach　that　until　they've　hurt　us　with　some　sort　of　bat　action。　Then　after　we've　been　softened　up　they　figure　we'll　listen　to　a　proposition　on　narcotic。〃
　
　Sonny　said　curtly；　〃No　deal　on　drugs。　The　Don　said　no　and　it's　no　until　he　changes　it。〃
　
　Hagen　said　briskly；　〃Then　we're　faced　with　a　tactical　problem。　Our　money　is　out　in　the　open。　Bookmaking　and　policy。　We　can　be　hit。　But　the　Tattaglia　Family　has　prostitution　and　call　girls　and　the　dock　unions。　How　the　hell　are　we　going　to　hit　them？　The　other　Families　are　in　some　gambling。　But　most　of　them　are　in　the　construction　trades；　shylocking；　controlling　the　unions；　getting　the　government　contracts。　They　get　a　lot　from　strong…arm　and　other　stuff　that　involves　innocent　people。　Their　money　isn't　out　in　the　street。　The　Tattaglia　nightclub　is　too　famous　to　touch　it；　it　would　cause　too　much　of　a　stink。　And　with　the　Don　still　out　of　action　their　political　influence　matches　ours。　So　we've　got　a　real　problem　here。〃
　
　〃It's　my　problem；　Tom；〃　Sonny　said。　〃I'll　find　the　answer。　Keep　the　negotiation　alive　and　follow　through　on　the　other　stuff。　Let's　go　back　into　business　and　see　what　happens。　Then　we'll　take　it　from　there。　Clemenza　and　Tessio　have　plenty　of　soldiers；　we　can　match　the　whole　Five　Families　gun　for　gun　if　that's　the　way　they　want　it。　We'll　just　go　to　the　mattresses。〃
　
　There　was　no　problem　getting　the　free…lance　Negro　bankers　out　of　business。　The　police　were　informed　and　cracked　down。　With　a　special　effort。　At　that　time　it　was　not　possible　for　a　Negro　to　make　a　payoff　to　a　high　police　or　political　official　to　keep　such　an　operation　going。　This　was　due　to　racial　prejudice　and　racial　distrust　more　than　anything　else。　But　Harlem　had　always　been　considered　a　minor　problem；　and　its　settlement　was　expected。
　
　The　Five　Families　struck　in　an　unexpected　direction。　Two　powerful　officials　in　the　garment　unions　were　killed；　officials　who　were　members　of　the　Corleone　Family。　Then　the　Corleone　Family　shylocks　were　barred　from　the　waterfront　piers　as　were　the　Corleone　Family　bookmakers。　The　longshoremen's　union　locals　had　gone　over　to　the　Five　Families。　Corleone　bookmakers　all　over　the　city　were　threatened　to　persuade　them　to　change　their　allegiance。　The　biggest　numbers　banker　in　Harlem；　an　old　friend　and　ally　of　the　Corleone　Family；　was　brutally　murdered。　There　was　no　longer　any　option。　Sonny　told　his　caporegimes　to　go　to　the　mattresses。
　
　Two　apartments　were　set　up　in　the　city　and　furnished　with　mattresses　for　the　button　men　to　sleep　on；　a　refrigerator　for　food；　and　guns　and　ammunition。　Clemenza　staffed　one　apartment　and　Tessio　the　other。　All　Family　bookmakers　were　given　bodyguard　teams。　The　policy　bankers　in　Harlem；　however；　had　gone　over　to　the　enemy　and　at　the　moment　nothing　could　be　done　about　that。　All　this　cost　the　Corleone　Family　a　great　deal　of　money　and　very　little　was　ing　in。　As　the　next　few　months　went　by；　other　things　became　obvious。　The　most　important　was　that　the　Corleone　Family　had　overmatched　itself。
　
　There　were　reasons　for　this。　With　the　Don　still　too　weak　to　take　a　part；　a　great　deal　of　the　Family's　political　strength　was　neutralized。　Also；　the　last　ten　years　of　peace　had　seriously　eroded　the　fighting　qualities　of　the　two　caporegimes；　Clemenza　and　Tessio。　Clemenza　was　still　a　petent　executioner　and　administrator　but　he　no　longer　had　the　energy　or　the　youthful　strength　to　lead　troops。　Tessio　had　mellowed　with　age　and　was　not　ruthless　enough。　Tom　Hagen；　despite　his　abilities；　was　simply　not　suited　to　be　a　Consigliere　in　a　time　of　war。　His　main　fault　was　that　he　was　not　a　Sicilian。
　
　Sonny　Corleone　recognized　these　weaknesses　in　the　Family's　wartime　posture　but　could　not　take　any　steps　to　remedy　them。　He　was　not　the　Don　and　only　the　Don　could　replace　the　caporegimes　and　the　Consigliere。　And　the　very　act　of　replacement　would　make　the　situation　more　dangerous；　might　precipitate　some　treachery。　At　first；　Sonny　had　thought　of　fighting　a　holding　action　until　the　Don　could　bee　well　enough　to　take　charge；　but　with　the　defection　of　the　policy　bankers；　the　terrorization　of　the　bookmakers；　the　Family　position　was　being　precarious。　He　decided　to　strike　back。
　
　But　he　decided　to　strike　ri