Крестный отец

           Hisbiggesthowlwasreservedforauthoritieswhohaditintheirpowertoissueandcancelliquorlicensesforhisnightclubsandcabarets.HesworehehadmademoremillionairesthanWallStreetwiththemoneyhehadpaidthosethievingguardiansofofficialseals.

           InacuriouswayhisalmostvictoriouswaragainsttheCorleoneFamilyhadnotwonhimtherespectitdeserved.TheyknewhisstrengthhadcomefirstfromSollozzoandthenfromtheBarziniFamily.Alsothefactthatwiththeadvantageofsurprisehehadnotwoncompletevictorywasevidenceagainsthim.Ifhehadbeenmoreefficient,allthistroublecouldhavebeenavoided.ThedeathofDonCorleonewouldhavemeanttheendofthewar.

           Itwasproper,sincetheyhadbothlostsonsintheirwaragainsteachother,thatDonCorleoneandPhillipTattagliashouldacknowledgeeachother’spresenceonlywithaformalnod.DonCorleonewastheobjectofattention,theothermenstudyinghimtoseewhatmarkofweaknesshadbeenleftonhimbyhiswoundsanddefeats.ThepuzzlingfactorwaswhyDonCorleonehadsuedforpeaceafterthedeathofhisfavoriteson.Itwasanacknowledgmentofdefeatandwouldalmostsurelyleadtoalesseningofhispower.Buttheywouldsoonknow.

           Thereweregreetings,thereweredrinkstobeservedandalmostanotherhalfhourwentbybeforeDonCorleonetookhisseatatthepolishedwalnuttable.Unobtrusively,HagensatinthechairslightlytotheDon’sleftandbehindhim.ThiswasthesignalfortheotherDonstomaketheirwaytothetable.