Without a shred of trust Hagen got into the car.

 

 

1 Michael Corleone had lied to Hagen. He was already in New York, and he had called

from a room in the Hotel Pennsylvania less than ten blocks away. When he hung up the

phone, Kay Adams put out her cigarette and said, "Mike, what a good fibber you are

(враль, выдумщик)."

2 Michael sat down beside her on the bed. "All for you, honey; if I told my family we

were in town we'd have to go there right away. Then we couldn't go out to dinner, we

couldn't go to the theater, and we couldn't sleep together tonight. Not in my father's

house, not when we're not married." He put his arms around her and kissed her gently

on the lips. Her mouth was sweet and he gently pulled her down on the bed. She closed

her eyes, waiting for him to make love to her and Michael felt an enormous happiness.

He had spent the war years fighting in the Pacific, and on those bloody islands (на этих

окровавленных; проклятых островах) he had dreamed of a girl like Kay Adams. Of a

beauty like hers. A fair (прекрасное; светлое) and fragile (хрупкое ['frжdGaıl]) body,

milky-skinned and electrified by passion. She opened her eyes and then pulled his head

down to kiss him. They made love until it was time for dinner and the theater.

3 After dinner they walked past the brightly lit department stores full of holiday

shoppers and Michael said to her, "What shall I get you for Christmas?"

4 She pressed against him. "Just you," she said. "Do you think your father will approve

of me?"

 

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5 Michael said gently, "That's not really the question. Will your parents approve of

me?"

6 Kay shrugged. "I don't care," she said.

7 Michael said, "I even thought of changing my name, legally, but if something

happened, that wouldn't really help. You sure you want to be a Corleone?" He said it

only half-jokingly.

8 "Yes," she said without smiling. They pressed against each other. They had decided

to get married during Christmas week, a quiet civil ceremony at City Hall with just two

friends as witnesses. But Michael had insisted he must tell his father. He had explained

that his father would not object in any way as long as it was not done in secrecy. Kay

was doubtful. She said she could not tell her parents until after the marriage. "Of course

they'll think I'm pregnant (беременна)," she said. Michael grinned. "So will my parents,"

he said.

9 What neither of them mentioned was the fact that Michael would have to cut his

close ties (порвать близкие связи) with his family. They both understood that Michael

had already done so to some extent (до определенной степени) and yet they both felt

guilty (виноватыми) about this fact.

10 They planned to finish college, seeing each other weekends and living together

during summer vacations. It seemed like a happy life.

11 The play was a musical called Carousel and its sentimental story of a braggart thief

(braggart – хвастун, хвастливый ['brжg∂t]) made them smile at each other with

amusement. When they came out of the theater it had turned cold. Kay snuggled up to

him (прижалась) and said, "After we're married, will you beat me and then steal a star

for a present?"

12 Michael laughed. "I'm going to be a mathematics professor," he said. Then he

asked, "Do you want something to eat before we go to the hotel?"

13 Kay shook her head. She looked up at him meaningfully. As always he was

touched by her eagerness to make love. He smiled down at her, and they kissed in the

cold street. Michael felt hungry, and he decided to order sandwiches sent up to the

room.

14 In the hotel lobby (большой коридор, холл) Michael pushed Kay toward the

newsstand and said, "Get the papers while I get the key." He had to wait in a small line

(в очереди); the hotel was still short of help despite the end of the war. Michael got his

room key and looked around impatiently for Kay. She was standing by the newsstand,

staring down at a newspaper she held in her hand. He walked toward her. She looked

 

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up at him. Her eyes were filled with tears. "Oh, Mike," she said, "oh, Mike." He took the

paper from her hands. The first thing he saw was a photo of his father lying in the street,

his head in a pool of blood (в луже крови). A man was sitting on the curb weeping like a

child. It was his brother Freddie. Michael Corleone felt his body turning to ice. There

was no grief, no fear, just cold rage. He said to Kay, "Go up to the room." But he had to

take her by the arm and lead her into the elevator. They rode up together in silence. In

their room, Michael sat down on the bed and opened the paper. The headlines said,

VITO CORLEONE SHOT. ALLEGED (предполагаемый) RACKET CHIEF CRITICALLY

WOUNDED. OPERATED ON UNDER HEAVY POLICE GUARD. BLOODY MOB WAR

FEARED (опасность гангстерской войны; mob – толпа, чернь; банда).

15 Michael felt the weakness in his legs. He said to Kay, "He's not dead, the bastards

didn't kill him." He read the story again. His father had been shot at five in the afternoon.

That meant that while he had been making love to Kay, having dinner, enjoying the

theater, his father was near death. Michael felt sick with guilt.

16 Kay said "Shall we go down to the hospital now?" Michael shook his head. "Let me

call the house first. The people who did this are crazy and now that the old man's still

alive they'l be desperate (в отчаянии, готовы на все /в своем безвыходном

положении/ ['desp∂rıt]). Who the hell knows what they'll pull next (что они еще устроят,

сделают; to pull – тянуть)."

17 Both phones in the Long Beach house were busy and it was almost twenty minutes

before Michael could get through. He heard Sonny's voice saying, "Yeah."

18 "Sonny, it's me." Michael said.

19 He could hear the relief in Sonny's voice. "Jesus, kid, you had us worried. Where

the hell are you? I've sent people to that hick town of yours (hick – захолустный) to see

what happened."

20 "How's the old man?" Michael said. "How bad is he hurt?"

21 "Pretty bad," Sonny said. "They shot him five times. But he's tough. Sonny's voice

was proud. "The doctors said he'll pull through. Listen, kid, I'm busy, I can't talk, where

are you?"

22 "In New York," Michael said. "Didn't Tom tell you I was coming down?"

23 Sonny's voice dropped a little. "They've snatched Tom (сцапали, стащили). That's

why I was worried about you. His wife is here. She don't know and neither do the cops. I

don't want them to know. The bastards who pulled this must be crazy. I want you to get

out here right away and keep your mouth shut. OK?"

24 "OK," Mike said, "do you know who did it?"

 

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25 "Sure," Sonny said. "And as soon as Luca Brasi checks in (объявится; to check in

– регистрироваться; отмечать приход на работу) they're gonna (= going to) be dead

meat. We still have all the horses."

26 "I'll be out in a hour," Mike said. "In a cab." He hung up. The papers had been on

the streets for over three hours. There must have been radio news reports. It was

almost impossible that Luca hadn't heard the news. Thoughtfully Michael pondered the

question (размышлял). Where was Luca Brasi? It was the same question that Hagen

was asking himself at that moment. It was the same question that was worrying Sonny

Corleone out in Long Beach.