Крестный отец

           "Iknowyoucandoit,"hesaid."Iwasn’tlaughingatwhatyousaid.Iwasjustlaughingathowfunnythingsturnout.IalwayssaidyouwerethetoughestoneintheFamily,tougherthantheDonhimself.Youweretheonlyonewhocouldstandofftheoldman.Irememberyouwhenyouwereakid.Whatatemperyouhadthen.Hell,youevenusedtofightmeandIwasalotolderthanyou.AndFreddiehadtobeattheshitoutofyouatleastonceaweek.AndnowSollozzohasyoufiguredforthesofttouchintheFamilybecauseyouletMcCluskeyhityouwithoutfightingbackandyouwouldn’tgetmixedupintheFamilyfights.Hefigureshegotnothingtoworryaboutifhemeetsyouheadtohead.AndMcCluskeytoo,he’sgotyoufiguredforayellowguinea."Sonnypausedandthensaidsoftly,"Butyou’reaCorleoneafterall,yousonofabitch.AndIwastheonlyonewhoknewit.I’vebeensittingherewaitingforthelastthreedays,eversincetheoldmangotshot,waitingforyoutocrackoutofthatIvyLeague,warherobullshitcharacteryou’vebeenwearing.I’vebeenwaitingforyoutobecomemyrightarmsowecankillthosefucksthataretryingtodestroyourfatherandourFamily.Andallittookwasasockonthejaw.Howdoyoulikethat?"Sonnymadeacomicalgesture,apunch,andrepeated,"Howdoyoulikethat?"

           Thetensionhadrelaxedintheroom.Mikeshookhishead."Sonny,I’mdoingitbecauseit’stheonlythingtodo.Ican’tgiveSollozzoanothercrackattheoldman.