Крестный отец

           HehadalreadycometotheconclusionthattheDonwouldrefuseSollozzo’sproposition.Butwhatwasworse,Hagenwasconvincedthatforoneofthefewtimesinhisexperience,theDonhadnotthoughtthingsthrough.Hewasnotlookingfarenoughahead.

           "Goahead,Tom,"theDonsaidencouragingly."NotevenaSicilianConsiglierealwaysagreeswiththeboss."Theyalllaughed.

           "Ithinkyoushouldsayyes,"Hagensaid."Youknowalltheobviousreasons.Butthemostimportantoneisthis.Thereismoremoneypotentialinnarcoticsthaninanyotherbusiness.Ifwedon’tgetintoit,somebodyelsewill,maybetheTattagliafamily.Withtherevenuetheyearntheycanamassmoreandmorepoliceandpoliticalpower.Theirfamilywillbecomestrongerthanours.Eventuallytheywillcomeafterustotakeawaywhatwehave.It’sjustlikecountries.Iftheyarm,wehavetoarm.Iftheybecomestrongereconomically,theybecomeathreattous.Nowwehavethegamblingandwehavetheunionsandrightnowtheyarethebestthingstohave.ButIthinknarcoticsisthecomingthing.Ithinkwehavetohaveapieceofthatactionorweriskeverythingwehave.Notnow,butmaybetenyearsfromnow."

           TheDonseemedenormouslyimpressed.Hepuffedonhiscigarandmurmured,"That’sthemostimportantthingofcourse."Hesighedandgottohisfeet."WhattimedoIhavetomeetthisinfideltomorrow?"

           Hagensaidhopefully,"He’llbehereatteninthemorning."MaybetheDonwouldgoforit.

           "I’llwantyoubothherewithme,"theDonsaid.