For the first time, Woltz succeeded in astounding Hagen. He found it

Inconceivable that a grown man of substance would let such trivialities affect his

Judgment in an affair of business, and one of such importance. In Hagen's world,

The Corleones' world, the physical beauty, the sexual power of women, carried

Not the slightest weight in worldly matters. It was a private affair, except, of

Course, in matters of marriage and family disgrace. Hagen decided to make one

Last try.

2 "You are absolutely right, Mr. Woltz," Hagen said. "But are your grievances

That major? I don't think you've understood how important this very small favor is

To my client. Mr. Corleone held the infant Johnny in his arms when he was

Baptized. When Johnny's father died, Mr. Corleone assumed the duties of

Parenthood, indeed he is called 'Godfather' by many, many people who wish to

Show their respect and gratitude for the help he has given them. Mr. Corleone

never lets his friends down."

3 Woltz stood up abruptly. "I've listened to about enough. Thugs don't give me

Orders, I give them orders. If I pick I up this phone, you'll spend the night in jail.

And if that Mafia goombah tries any rough stuff, he'll find out I'm not a band

Leader. Yeah, I heard that story too. Listen, your Mr. Corleone will never know

what hit him. Even if I have to use my influence at the White House."

4 The stupid, stupid son of a bitch. How the hell did he get to be a pezzonovante,

Hagen wondered. Advisor to the President, head of the biggest movie studio in

The world. Definitely the Don should get into the movie business. And the guy

Was taking his words at their sentimental face value. He was not getting the

Message.

5 "Thank you for the dinner and a pleasant evening," Hagen said. "Could you

give me transportation to the airport? I don't think I'll spend the night." He smiled

coldly at Woltz. "Mr. Corleone is a man who insists on hearing bad news at once."

While waiting in the floodlit colonnade of the mansion for his car, Hagen saw

Two women about to enter a long limousine already parked in the driveway. They

Were the beautiful twelve-year-old blond girl and her mother he had seen in

Woltz's office that morning. But now the girl's exquisitely cut mouth seemed to

Have smeared into a thick, pink mass. Her sea-blue eyes were filmed over and

When she walked down the steps toward the open car her long legs tottered like a

Crippled foal's. Her mother supported the child, helping her into the car, hissing

Commands into her ear. The mother's head turned for a quick furtive look at

 

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Hagen and he saw in her eyes a burning, hawklike triumph. Then she too

Disappeared into the limousine.

So that was why he hadn't got the plane ride from Los Angeles, Hagen thought.

The girl and her mother had made the trip with the movie producer. That had

Given Woltz enough time to relax before dinner and do the job on the little kid.

And Johnny wanted to live in this world? Good luck to him, and good luck to

Woltz.

 

 

1 Paulie Gatto hated quickie jobs (на скорую руку), especially when they involved

violence (особенно если они включали = предполагали насилие). He liked to plan

things ahead (заранее планировать; ahead – предстоящий, впереди). And

something like tonight, even though it was punk stuff, could turn into serious business if

somebody made a mistake. Now, sipping his beer, he glanced around, checking how

the two young punks were making out (справляются, как у них идут дела) with the two

little tramps (шлюшками; tramp – бродяга; /сленг/ проститутка) at the bar.

2 Paulie Gatto knew everything there was to know about those two punks. Their

names were Jerry Wagner and Kevin Moonan. They were both about twenty years old,

good-looking, brown-haired, tall, well-built. Both were due to go back to college

(должны были, ожидалось, что; due – должный, ожидаемый) out of town in two

weeks, both had fathers with political influence and this, with their college student

classification (наряду со студенческим статусом), had so far kept them out of the draft

(пока давало им возможность избежать призыва /в армию/; to draw – тащить,

волочить). They were both also under suspended sentences for assaulting the

daughter of Amerigo Bonasera (за попытку изнасилования; to assault [∂‘so:lt]–

нападать, набрасываться). The lousy bastards (вшивые ублюдки), Paulie Gatto

thought. Draft dodging (уклонение от призыва; to dodge – избегать, увертываться,

уклоняться), violating their probation (нарушение своего условного срока,

освобождения на поруки; to violate [‘vaı∂leıt] – нарушать, попирать) by drinking in a

bar after midnight, chasing floozies (охота на шлюх; to chase – гнаться,

преследовать, охотиться; floozie – шлюха /сленг/). Young punks. Paulie Gatto had

been deferred from the draft himself (ему самому была предоставлена отсрочка; to

defer [dı'f∂:] – задерживать, отсрочивать) because his doctor had furnished the draft

board (предоставил комиссии; to furnish – снабжать, предоставлять) with

documents showing that this patient, male, white, aged twenty-six, unmarried, had

received electrical shock treatments (лечение, процедуры; to treat – обращаться;

 

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лечить) for a mental condition (состояние психики, психическое состояние; condition

– условие; состояние, положение). All false of course, but Paulie Gatto felt that he

had earned his draft exemption (что заработал свое освобождение /от армии/). It had

been arranged by Clemenza after Gatto had "made his bones" («сделал свои кости» =

прошел испытание, совершив преступление) in the family business.

3 It was Clemenza who had told him that this job must be rushed through (должно

быть проделано очень быстро; to rush – делать бросок, нестись), before the boys

went to college. Why the hell did it have to be done in New York (это должно быть

сделано), Gatto wondered. Clemenza was always giving extra orders instead of just

giving out the job. Now if those two little tramps walked out with the punks it would be

another night wasted (потрачена зря; to waste – тратить /зря/).

4 He could hear one of the girls laughing and saying, "Are you crazy, Jerry? I'm not

going in any car with you. I don't want to wind up in the hospital (кончить в госпитале;

to wind up – сматывать, подтягивать, заканчивать; to wind – наматывать) like that

other poor girl." Her voice was spitefully rich with satisfaction (был полон язвительного

злорадства: «злорадно насыщен удовлетворением»; spiteful – злорадный,

язвительный; spite – злоба, озлобленность). That was enough for Gatto. He finished

up his beer and walked out into the dark street. Perfect. It was after midnight. There was

only one other bar that showed light. The rest of the stores were closed (остальные

магазины были закрыты; store – склад; магазин). The precinct patrol car (о

/полицейской/ машине, патрулирующей участок; precinct [‘pri:sıŋkt]–

административный округ, относящийся к определенному полицейскому участку)

had been taken care of by Clemenza (позаботился). They wouldn't be around that way

until they got a radio call (не заедут сюда, пока не получат вызова) and then they'd

come slow (и даже тогда приедут медленно).

5 He leaned against the four-door Chevy sedan. In the back seat two men were sitting,

almost invisible, although they were very big men. Paulie said, "Take them when they

come out."

6 He still thought it had all been set up too fast (подготовлено, спланировано

слишком быстро). Clemenza had given him copies of the police mug shots

(полицейских фотографий; mug – /пивная/ кружка; /сленг/ лицо, рот; mug shot –

фотография /сделанная в полиции/) of the two punks, the dope (подсказку; dope –

густое смазывающее вещество, смазка; to dope up – /сленг/ выискивать, выяснять)

on where the punks went drinking every night to pick up bar girls. Paulie had recruited

two of the strong-arms (громил) in the family and fingered the punks for them (указал).

 

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He had also given them their instructions. No blows on the top or the back of the head

(никаких ударов по темени или затылку), there was to be no accidental fatality (не

должно быть никаких случайных несчастных случаев; fatality [f∂'tжlıtı] – рок,

обреченность, фатальность; смерть /от несчастного случая/). Other than that (в

остальном же) they could go as far as they liked. He had given them only one warning:

"If those punks get out of the hospital in less than a month, you guys go back to driving

trucks."

7 The two big men were getting out of the car. They were both ex-boxers who had

never made it past the small clubs (которым никогда не удалось выбраться за

пределы маленьких клубов) and had been fixed up by Sonny Corleone (были

обеспечены /долей/; to fixed up – организовать, уладить, договориться; дать приют)

with a little loan-shark action (loan-shark – гангстер-ростовщик, человек, ссужающий

деньги под грабительские проценты; to loan – одалживать, ссужать + shark – акула)

so that they could make a decent living (достойное существование, достойный

заработок). They were, naturally, anxious to show their gratitude (стремились

показать свою благодарность; anxious [‘жŋk∫∂s] – озабоченный, беспокоящийся;

сильно желающий /чего-либо/).