mp.godfather-第76部分

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amily。　It　was　noted　that　he　had　said　the　discussion　of　other　business　was　useless　until　the　peace　he　asked　for　was　given。　It　was　noted　that　he　had　asked　for　the　old　status　quo；　that　he　would　lose　nothing　despite　his　having　got　the　worst　of　it　over　the　past　year。
　
　However；　it　was　Emilio　Barzini　who　answered　Don　Corleone；　not　Tattaglia。　He　was　curt　and　to　the　point　without　being　rude　or　insulting。
　
　〃That　is　all　true　enough；〃　Barzini　said。　〃But　there's　a　little　more。　Don　Corleone　is　too　modest。　The　fact　is　that　Sollozzo　and　the　Tattaglias　could　not　go　into　their　new　business　without　the　assistance　of　Don　Corleone。　In　fact；　his　disapproval　injured　them。　That's　not　his　fault　of　course。　The　fact　remains　that　judges　and　politicians　who　would　accept　favors　from　Don　Corleone；　even　on　drugs；　would　not　allow　themselves　to　be　influenced　by　anybody　else　when　it　came　to　narcotics。　Sollozzo　couldn't　operate　if　he　didn't　have　some　insurance　of　his　people　being　treated　gently。　We　all　know　that。　We　would　all　be　poor　men　otherwise。　And　now　that　they　have　increased　the　penalties　the　judges　and　the　prosecuting　attorneys　drive　a　hard　bargain　when　one　of　our　people　get　in　trouble　with　narcotics。　Even　a　Sicilian　sentenced　to　twenty　years　might　break　the　omerta　and　talk　his　brains　out。　That　can't　happen。　Don　Corleone　controls　all　that　apparatus。　His　refusal　to　let　us　use　it　is　not　the　act　of　a　friend。　He　takes　the　bread　out　of　the　mouths　of　our　families。　Times　have　changed；　it's　not　like　the　old　days　where　everyone　can　go　his　own　way。　If　Corleone　had　all　the　judges　in　New　York；　then　he　must　share　them　or　let　us　others　use　them。　Certainly　he　can　present　a　bill　for　such　services；　we're　not　munists；　after　all。　But　he　has　to　let　us　draw　water　from　the　well。　It's　that　simple。〃
　
　When　Barzini　had　finished　talking　there　was　a　silence。　The　lines　were　now　drawn；　there　could　be　no　return　to　the　old　status　quo。　What　was　more　important　was　that　Barzini　by　speaking　out　was　saying　that　if　peace　was　not　made　he　would　openly　join　the　Tattaglia　in　their　war　against　the　Corleone。　And　he　had　scored　a　telling　point。　Their　lives　and　their　fortunes　depended　upon　their　doing　each　other　services；　the　denial　of　a　favor　asked　by　a　friend　was　an　act　of　aggression。　Favors　were　not　asked　lightly　and　so　could　not　be　lightly　refused。
　
　Don　Corleone　finally　spoke　to　answer。　〃My　friends；〃　he　said；　〃I　didn't　refuse　out　of　spite。　You　all　know　me。　When　have　I　ever　refused　an　acmodation？　That's　simply　not　in　my　nature。　But　I　had　to　refuse　this　time。　Why？　Because　I　think　this　drug　business　will　destroy　us　in　the　years　to　e。　There　is　too　much　strong　feeling　about　such　traffic　in　this　country。　It's　not　like　whiskey　or　gambling　or　even　women　which　most　people　want　and　is　forbidden　them　by　the　pezzonovante　of　the　church　and　the　government。　But　drugs　are　dangerous　for　everyone　connected　with　them。　It　could　jeopardize　all　other　business。　And　let　me　say　I'm　flattered　by　the　belief　that　I　am　so　powerful　with　the　judges　and　law　officials；　I　wish　it　were　true。　I　do　have　some　influence　but　many　of　the　people　who　respect　my　counsel　might　lose　this　respect　if　drugs　bee　involved　in　our　relationship。　They　are　afraid　to　be　involved　in　such　business　and　they　have　strong　feelings　about　it。　Even　policemen　who　help　us　in　gambling　and　other　things　would　refuse　to　help　us　in　drugs。　So　to　ask　me　to　perform　a　service　in　these　matters　is　to　ask　me　to　do　a　disservice　to　myself。　But　I'm　willing　to　do　even　that　if　all　of　you　think　it　proper　in　order　to　adjust　other　matters。〃
　
　When　Don　Corleone　had　finished　speaking　the　room　became　much　more　relaxed　with　more　whisperings　and　cross　talk。　He　had　conceded　the　important　point。　He　would　offer　his　protection　to　any　organized　business　venture　in　drugs。　He　was；　in　effect；　agreeing　almost　entirely　to　Sollozzo's　original　proposal　if　that　proposal　was　endorsed　by　the　national　group　gathered　here。　It　was　understood　that　he　would　never　participate　in　the　operational　phase；　nor　would　he　invest　his　money。　He　would　merely　use　his　protective　influence　with　the　legal　apparatus。　But　this　was　a　formidable　concession。
　
　The　Don　of　Los　Angeles；　Frank　Falcone；　spoke　to　answer。　〃There's　no　way　of　stopping　our　people　from　going　into　that　business。　。They　go　in　on　their　own　and　they　get　is　trouble。　There's　too　much　money　in　it　to　resist。　So　it's　more　dangerous　if　we　don't　go　in。　At　least　if　we　control　it　we　can　cover　it　better；　organize　it　better；　make　sure　it　causes　less　trouble。　Being　in　it　is　not　so　bad；　there　has　to　be　control；　there　has　to　be　protection；　there　has　to　be　organization；　we　can't　have　everybody　running　around　doing　just　what　they　please　like　a　bunch　of　anarchists。〃
　
　The　Don　of　Detroit；　more　friendly　to　Corleone　than　any　of　the　others；　also　now　spoke　against　his　friend's　position；　in　the　interest　of　reasonableness。　〃I　don't　believe　in　drugs；〃　he　said。　〃For　years　I　paid　my　people　extra　so　they　wouldn't　do　that　kind　of　business。　But　it　didn't　matter；　it　didn't　help。　Somebody　es　to　them　and　says；　'I　have　powders；　if　you　put　up　the　three…；　four…thousand…dollar　investment　we　can　make　fifty　thousand　distributing。'　Who　can　resist　such　a　profit？　And　they　are　so　busy　with　their　little　side　business　they　neglect　the　work　I　pay　them　to　do。　There's　more　money　in　drugs。　It's　getting　bigger　all　the　time。　There's　no　way　to　stop　it　so　we　have　to　control　the　business　and　keep　it　respectable。　I　don't　want　any　of　it　near　schools；　I　don't　want　any　of　it　sold　to　children。　That　is　an　infamita。　In　my　city　I　would　try　to　keep　the　traffic　in　the　dark　people；　the　colored。　They　are　the　best　customers；　the　least　troublesome　and　they　are　animals　anyway。　They　have　no　respect　for　their　wives　or　their　families　or　for　themselves。　Let　them　lose　their　souls　with　drugs。　But　something　has　to　be　done；　we　just　can't　let　people　do　as　they　please　and　make　trouble　for　everyone。〃
　
　This　speech　of　the　Detroit　Don　was　received　with　loud　murmurs　of　approval。　He　had　hit　the　nail　on　the　head。　You　couldn't　even　pay　people　to　stay　out　of　the　drug　traffic。　As　for　his　remarks　about　children；　that　was　his　well…known　sensibility；　his　tenderheartedness　speaking。　After　all；　who　would　sell　drugs　to　children？　Where　would　children　get　the　money？　As　for　his　remarks　about　the　coloreds；　that　was　not　even　heard。　The　Negroes　were　considered　of　absolutely　no　account；　of　no　force　whatsoever。　That　they　had　allowed　society　to　grind　them　into　the　dust　proved　them　of　no　account　and　his　mentioning　them　in　any　way　proved　that　the　Don　of　Detroit　had　a　mind　that　always　wavered　toward　irrelevancies。
　
　All　the　Dons　spoke。　Ail　of　them　deplored　the　traffic　in　drugs　as　a　bad　thing　that　would　cause　trouble　but　agreed　there　was　no　way　to　control　it。　There　was；　simply；　too　much　money　to　be　made　in　the　business；　therefore　it　followed　that　there　would　be　men　who　would　dare　anything　to　dabble　in　it。　That　was　human　nature。
　
　It　was　finally　agreed。　Drug　traffic　would　be　permitted　and　Don　Corleone　must　give　it　some　legal　protection　in　the　East。　It　was　understood　that　the　Barzini　and　Tattaglia　Families　would　do　most　of　the　large…scale　operations。　With　this　out　of　the　way　the　conference　was　able　to　move　on　to　other　matters　of　a　wider　interest。　There　were　many　plex　problems　to　be　solved。　It　was　agreed　that　Las　Vegas　and　Miami　were　to　be　open　cities　where　any　of　the　Families　could　operate。　They　all　recognized　that　these　were　the　cities　of　the　future。　It　was　also　agreed　that　no　violence　would　be　permitted　in　these　cities　and　that　petty　criminals　of　all　types　were　to　be　discouraged。　It　was　agreed　that　in　momentous　affairs；　in　executions　that　were　necessary　but　might　cause　too　much　of　a　public　outcry；　the　execution　must　be　approved　by　this　council。　It　was　agreed　that　button　men　and　other　soldiers　were　to　be　restrained　from　violent　crimes　and　acts　of　vengeance　against　each　other　on　personal　matters。　It　was　agreed　that　Families　would　do　each　other　services　when　requested；　such　as　providing　executioners；　technical　assistance　in　pursuing　certain　courses　of　action　such　as　bribing　jurors；　which　in　some　instances　could　be　vital。　These　discussions；　informal；　colloquial　and　on　a　high　level；　took　time　and　were　broken　by　lunch　and　drin