mp.godfather-第84章

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　Nino　Valenti。　They　both　shook　hands　with　Jules　and　then　paid　no　further　attention　to　him。　They　were　kidding　Lucy；　talking　about　the　old　neighborhood　in　New　York；　about　people　and　events　Jules　had　no　way　of　sharing。　So　he　said　to　Lucy；　〃I'll　drop　by　later；　I　have　to　see　Dr。　Kellner　anyway。〃
　
　But　Johnny　Fontane　was　turning　the　charm　on　him。　〃Hey；　buddy；　we　have　to　leave　ourselves；　you　keep　Lucy　pany。　Take　good　care　of　her；　Doc。〃　Jules　noticed　a　peculiar　hoarseness　in　Johnny　Fontane's　voice　and　remembered　suddenly　that　the　man　hadn't　sung　in　public　for　over　a　year　now；　that　he　had　won　the　Academy　Award　for　his　acting。　Could　the　man's　voice　have　changed　so　late　in　life　and　the　papers　keeping　it　a　secret；　everybody　keeping　it　a　secret？　Jules　loved　inside　gossip　and　kept　listening　to　Fontane's　voice　in　an　attempt　to　diagnose　the　trouble。　It　could　be　simple　strain；　or　too　much　booze　and　cigarettes　or　even　too　much　women。　The　voice　had　an　ugly　timbre　to　it；　he　could　never　be　called　the　sweet　crooner　anymore。
　
　〃You　sound　like　you　have　a　cold；〃　Jules　said　to　Johnny　Fontane。
　
　Fontane　said　politely；　〃Just　strain；　I　tried　to　sing　last　night。　I　guess　I　just　can't　accept　the　fact　that　my　voice　changed；　getting　old　you　know。〃　He　gave　Jules　a　what…the…hell　grin。
　
　Jules　said　casually；　〃Didn't　you　get　a　doctor　to　look　at　it？　Maybe　it's　something　that　can　be　fixed。〃
　
　Fontane　was　not　so　charming　now。　He　gave　Jules　a　long　cool　look。　〃That's　the　first　thing　I　did　nearly　two　years　ago。　Best　specialists。　My　own　doctor　who's　supposed　to　be　the　top　guy　out　here　in　California。　They　told　me　to　get　a　lot　of　rest。　Nothing　wrong；　just　getting　older。　A　man's　voice　changes　when　he　gets　older。〃
　
　Fontane　ignored　him　after　that；　paying　attention　to　Lucy；　charming　her　as　he　charmed　all　women。　Jules　kept　listening　to　the　voice。　There　had　to　be　a　growth　on　those　vocal　cords。　But　then　why　the　hell　hadn't　the　specialists　spotted　it？　Was　it　malignant　and　inoperable？　Then　there　was　other　stuff。
　
　He　interrupted　Fontane　to　ask；　〃When　was　the　last　time　you　got　examined　by　a　specialist？〃
　
　Fontane　was　obviously　irritated　but　trying。　to　be　polite　for　Lucy's　sake。　〃About　eighteen　months　ago。〃　he　said。
　
　〃Does　your　own　doctor　take　a　look　once　in　a　while？〃　Jules　asked。
　
　〃Sure　he　does；〃　Johnny　Fontane　said　irritably。　〃He　gives　me　a　codeine　spray　and　checks　me　out。　He　told　me　it's　just　my　voice　aging；　that　all　the　drinking　and　smoking　and　other　stuff。　Maybe　you　know　more　than　he　does？〃
　
　Jules　asked；　〃What's　his　name？〃
　
　Fontane　said　with　just　a　faint　flicker　of　pride；　〃Tucker；　Dr。　James　Tucker。　What　do　you　think　of　him？〃
　
　The　name　was　familiar；　linked　to　famous　movie　stars；　female；　and　to　an　expensive　health　farm。
　
　〃He's　a　sharp　dresser；〃　Jules　said　with　a　grin。
　
　Fontane　was　angry　now。　〃You　think　you're　a　better　doctor　than　he　is？〃
　
　Jules　laughed。　〃Are　you　a　better　singer　than　Carmen　Lombardo？〃　He　was　surprised　to　see　Nino　Valenti　break　up　in　laughter；　banging　his　head　on　his　chair。　The　joke　hadn't　been　that　good。　Then　on　the　wings　of　those　guffaws　he　caught　the　smell　of　bourbon　and　knew　that　even　this　early　in　the　morning　Mr。　Valenti；　whoever　the　hell　he　was；　was　at　least　half　drunk。
　
　Fontane　was　grinning　at　his　friend。　〃Hey；　you're　supposed　to　be　laughing　at　my　jokes；　not　his。〃　Meanwhile　Lucy　stretched　out　her　hand　to　Jules　and　drew　him　to　her　bedside。
　
　〃He　looks　like　a　bum　but　he's　a　brilliant　surgeon；〃　LUCY　told　them。　〃If　he　says　he's　better　than　Dr。　Tucker　then　he's　better　than　Dr。　Tucker。　You　listen　to　him；　Johnny。〃
　
　The　nurse　came　in　and　told　them　they　would　have　to　leave。　The　resident　was　going　to　do　some　work　on　Lucy　and　needed　privacy。　Jules　was　amused　to　see　Lucy　turn　her　head　away　so　when　Johnny　Fontane　and　Nino　Valenti　kissed　her　they　would　hit　her　cheek　instead　of　her　mouth；　but　they　seemed　to　expect　it。　She　let　Jules　kiss　her　on　the　mouth　and　whispered；　〃e　back　this　afternoon；　please？〃　he　nodded。
　
　Out　in　the　corridor；　Valenti　asked　him；　〃What　was　the　operation　for？　Anything　serious？〃
　
　Jules　shook　his　head。　〃Just　a　little　female　plumbing。　Absolutely　routine；　please　believe　me。　I'm　more　concerned　than　you　are；　I　hope　to　marry　the　girl。〃
　
　They　were　looking　at　him　appraisingly　so　he　asked；　〃How　did　you　find　out　she　was　in　the　hospital？〃
　
　〃Freddie　called　us　and　asked　us　to　look　in；〃　Fontane　said。　〃We　all　grew　up　in　the　same　neighborhood。　Lucy　was　maid　of　honor　when　Freddie's　sister　got　married。〃
　
　〃Oh；〃　Jules　said。　He　didn't　let　on　that　he　knew　the　whole　story；　perhaps　because　they　were　so　cagey　about　protecting　Lucy　and　her　affair　with　Sonny。
　
　As　they　walked　down　the　corridor；　Jules　said　to　Fontane；　〃I　have　visiting　doctor's　privileges　here；　why　don't　you　let　me　have　a　look　at　your　throat？〃
　
　Fontane　shook　his　head。　〃I'm　in　a　hurry。〃
　
　Nino　Valenti　said；　〃That's　a　million…dollar　throat；　he　can't　have　cheap　doctors　looking　down　it。〃　Jules　saw　Valenti　was　grinning　at　him；　obviously　on　his　side。
　
　Jules　said　cheerfully；　〃I'm　no　cheap　doctor。　I　was　the　brightest　young　surgeon　and　diagnostician　on　the　East　Coast　until　they　got　me　on　an　abortion　rap。〃
　
　As　he　had　known　it　would；　that　made　them　take　him　seriously。　By　admitting　his　crime　he　inspired　belief　in　his　claim　of　high　petence。　Valenti　recovered　first。　〃If　Johnny　can't　use　you；　I　got　a　girl　friend　I　want　you　to　look　at；　not　at　her　throat　though。〃
　
　Fontane　said　to　him　nervously；　〃How　long　will　you　take？〃
　
　〃Ten　minutes；〃　Jules　said。　It　was　a　lie　but　he　believed　in　telling　lies　to　people。　Truth　telling　and　medicine　just　didn't　go　together　except　in　dire　emergencies；　if　then。
　
　〃OK；〃　Fontane　said。　His　voice　was　darker；　hoarser；　with　fright。
　
　Jules　recruited　a　nurse　and　a　consulting　room。　It　didn't　have　everything　he　needed　but　there　was　enough。　In　less　than　ten　minutes　he　knew　there　was　a　growth　on　the　vocal　cords；　that　was　easy。　Tucker；　that　inpetent　sartorial　son　of　a　bitch　of　a　Hollywood　phony；　should　have　been　able　to　spot　it。　Christ；　maybe　the　guy　didn't　even　have　a　license　and　if　he　did　it　should　be　taken　away　from　him。　Jules　didn't　pay　any　attention　to　the　two　men　now。　He　picked　up　the　phone　and　asked　for　the　throat　man　at　the　hospital　to　e　down。　Then　he　swung　around　and　said　to　Nino　Valenti；　〃I　think　it　might　be　a　long　wait　for　you；　you'd　better　leave。〃
　
　Fontane　stared　at　him　in　utter　disbelief。　〃You　son　of　a　bitch；　you　think　you're　going　to　keep　me　here？　You　think　you're　going　to　fuck　around　with　my　throat？〃
　
　Jules；　with　more　pleasure　than　he　would　have　thought　possible；　gave　it　to　him　straight　between　the　eyes。　〃You　can　do　whatever　you　like；〃　he　said。　〃You've　got　a　growth　of　some　sort　on　your　vocal　cords；　in　your　larynx。　If　you　stay　here　the　next　few　hours；　we　can　nail　it　down；　whether　it's　malignant　or　nonmalignant。　We　can　make　a　decision　for　surgery　or　treatment。　I　can　give　you　the　whole　story。　I　can　give　you　the　name　of　a　top　specialist　in　America　and　we　can　have　him　out　here　on　the　plane　tonight；　with　your　money　that　is；　and　if　I　think　it　necessary。　But　you　can　walk　out　of　here　and　see　your　quack　buddy　or　sweat　while　you　decide　to　see　another　doctor；　or　get　referred　to　somebody　inpetent。　Then　if　it's　malignant　and　gets　big　enough　they'll　cut　out　your　whole　larynx　or　you'll　die。　Or　you　can　just　sweat。　Stick　here　with　me　and　we　can　get　it　all　squared　away　in　a　few　hours。　You　got　anything　more　important　to　do？〃
　
　Valenti　said；　〃Let's　stick　around；　Johnny；　what　the　hell。　I'll　go　down　the　hall　and　call　the　studio。　I　won't　tell　them　anything；　just　that　we're　held　up。　Then　I'll　e　back　here　and　keep　you　pany。〃
　
　It　proved　to　be　a　very　long　afternoon　but　a　rewarding　one。　The　diagnosis　of　the　staff　throat　man　was　perfectly　sound　as　far　as　Jules　could　see　after　the　X　rays　and　swab　analysis。　Halfway　through；　Johnny　Fontane；　his　mouth　soaked　with　iodine；　retching　over　the　roll　of　gauze　stuck　in　his　mouth；　tried　to　gait。　Nino　Valenti　grabbed　him　by　the　shoulders　and　slammed　him　back　into　a　chair。　When　it　was　all　over　Jules　grinned　at　Fontane　and　said；　〃Warts。〃
　
　Fontane　didn't　grasp　it。　Jules　said　again。　〃Just　some　wa