Крестный отец

           Ihear,DonCorleone,thatyouhaveasmanyjudgesinyourpocketasabootblackhaspiecesofsilver."

           DonCorleonedidn’tbothertoacknowledgethecompliment."Whatpercentageformyfamily?"heasked.

           Sollozzo’seyesgleamed."Fiftypercent."Hepausedandthensaidinavoicethatwasalmostacaress,"Inthefirstyearyoursharewouldbethreeorfourmilliondollars.Thenitwouldgoup."

           DonCorleonesaid,"AndwhatisthepercentageoftheTattagliafamily?"

           ForthefirsttimeSollozzoseemedtobenervous."Theywillreceivesomethingfrommyshare.Ineedsomehelpintheoperations."

           "So,"DonCorleonesaid,"Ireceivefiftypercentmerelyforfinanceandlegalprotection.Ihavenoworriesaboutoperations,isthatwhatyoutellme?"

           Sollozzonodded."Ifyouthinktwomilliondollarsincashis‘merelyfinance,’Icongratulateyou,DonCorleone."

           TheDonsaidquietly,"IconsentedtoseeyououtofmyrespectfortheTattagliasandbecauseI’veheardyouareaseriousmantobetreatedalsowithrespect.ImustsaynotoyoubutImustgiveyoumyreasons.Theprofitsinyourbusinessarehugebutsoaretherisks.Youroperation,ifIwerepartofit,coulddamagemyotherinterests.It’strueIhavemany,manyfriendsinpolitics,buttheywouldnotbesofriendlyifmybusinesswerenarcoticsinsteadofgambling.Theythinkgamblingissomethinglikeliquor,aharmlessvice,andtheythinknarcoticsadirtybusiness.No,don’tprotest.I’mtellingyoutheirthoughts,notmine.