Bulletproof vest in his hands. Wrapped In the vest was a huge dead fish.

66 Clemenza said drily, "The Turk has heard about his spy Paulie Gatto."

67 Tessio said just as dryly, "And now we know about Luca Brasi."

Sonny lit a cigar and took a shot of whiskey. Michael, bewildered, said, "What

the hell does that fish mean?" It was Hagen the Irisher, the Consigliori, who

 

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answered him. "The fish means that Luca Brasi is sleeping on the bottom of the

ocean," he said. "It's an old Sicilian message."

 

 

Chapter 9

 

 

1 When Michael Corleone went into the city that night it was with a depressed spirit.

He felt that he was being enmeshed in the Family business (запутан; mesh – петля,

ячейка сети) against his will and he resented Sonny using him even to answer the

phone (to resent [rı’zent] – возмущаться, обижаться). He felt uncomfortable being on

the inside of the Family councils (участвуя в совещаниях; council [kaunsl]) as if he

could be absolutely trusted with such secrets as murder. And now, going to see Kay, he

felt guilty about her also. He had never been completely honest (совершенно

откровенен: «честен» ['onıst]) with her about his family. He had told her about them

but always with little jokes and colorful anecdotes that made them seem more like

adventurers in a Technicolor movie (technicolor – яркий, живой, сочный /о красках/;

Technicolor – система цветного кино /а также фирменное название/) than what they

really were. And now his father had been shot down in the street and his eldest brother

was making plans for murder. That was putting it plainly and simply (это если говорить

без прикрас, как есть; plain – плоский, ровный; простой, беспримесный; очевидный,

ясный) but that was never how he would tell it to Kay. He had already said his father

being shot was more like an "accident" and that all the trouble was over. Hell, it looked

like it was just beginning. Sonny and Tom were off-center on this guy Sollozzo (совсем

на нем помешались; off-center – периферийный; эксцентричный), they were still

underrating him (недооценивали), even though Sonny was smart enough to see the

danger. Michael tried to think what the Turk might have up his sleeve. He was obviously

a bold man (отважный; энергичный, самоуверенный), a clever man, a man of

extraordinary force. You had to figure him to come up with a real surprise. But then

Sonny and Tom and Clemenza and Tessio were all agreed that everything was under

control and they all had more experience than he did. He was the "civilian" in this war,

Michael thought wryly. And they'd have to give him a hell of a lot better medals than

he'd gotten in World War II to make him join this one.

2 Thinking this made him feel guilty about not feeling more sympathy for his father. His

own father shot full of holes and yet in a curious way Michael, better than anyone else,

understood when Tom had said it was just business, not personal. That his father had

paid for the power he had wielded all his life (обладал), the respect he had extorted

 

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from all those around him (которое он требовал, заставлял себе выказывать; to

extort [ıks’to:t] – вымогать, выпытывать).

3 What Michael wanted was out, out of all this, to lead his own life. But he couldn't cut

loose from the family until the crisis was over. He had to help in a civilian capacity (в

качестве гражданского /не военного/ лица). With sudden clarity he realized that he

was annoyed with the role assigned to him (что его раздражает предназначенная,

отведенная ему роль), that of the privileged noncombatant, the excused conscientious

objector («извиненного сознательного = по совести отказывающегося»; to object

[∂b’Gekt] – возражать). That was why the word "civilian" kept popping into his skull

(выскакивало в его голове: «черепе») in such an irritating way (таким

раздражающим образом; to irritate ['ırıteıt] – возмущать, раздражать, сердить).

4 When he got to the hotel, Kay was waiting for him in the lobby. (A couple of

Clemenza's people had driven him into town and dropped him off on a nearby corner

after making sure (после того, как убедились) they were not followed.)

5 They had dinner together and some drinks. "What time are you going to visit your

father?" Kay asked.

6 Michael looked at his watch. "Visiting hours end at eight-thirty. I think I'll go after

everybody has left. They'll let me up. He has a private room and his own nurses so I

can just sit with him for a while. I don't think he can talk yet or even know if I'm there.

But I have to show respect."

7 Kay said quietly, "I feel so sorry for your father, he seemed like such a nice man at

the wedding. I can't believe the things the papers are printing about him (печатают). I'm

sure most of it's not true."

8 Michael said politely, "I don't think so either." He was surprised to find himself so

secretive with Kay. He loved her, he trusted her, but he would never tell her anything

about his father or the Family. She was an outsider.

9 "What about you?" Kay asked. "Are you going to get mixed up in this gang war the

papers are talking about so gleefully (с таким ликованием; gleeful – радостный,

ликующий; glee – веселье, ликование)?"

10 Michael grinned, unbuttoned his jacket and held it wide open. "Look, no guns," he

said. Kay laughed.

11 It was getting late and they went up to their room. She mixed a drink for both of

them and sat on his lap as they drank. Beneath her dress she was all silk until his hand

touched the glowing skin of her thigh. They fell back on the bed together and made love

with all their clothes on, their mouths glued together (to glue – приклеивать,

 

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склеивать). When they were finished they lay very still, feeling the heat of their bodies

burning through their garments. Kay murmured, "Is that what you soldiers call a

quickie?"

12 "Yeah," Michael said.

13 "It's not bad," Kay said in a judicious voice (рассуждающим, оценивающим

голосом [dGu:’dı∫∂s]).

14 They dozed off (задремали) until Michael suddenly started up anxiously and

looked at his watch. "Damn," he said. "It's nearly ten. I have to get down to the hospital."

He went to the bathroom to wash up and comb his hair. Kay came in after him and put

her arms around his waist from behind. "When are we going to get married?" she asked.

15 "Whenever you say," Michael said. "As soon as this family thing quiets down and

my old man gets better. I think you'd better explain things to your parents though."

16 "What should I explain?" Kay said quietly.

17 Michael ran the comb through his hair. "Just say that you've met a brave,

handsome guy of Italian descent (спуск, скат, склон; происхождение [dı'sent]. Top

marks at Dartmouth. Distinguished Service Cross during the war plus the Purple Heart

(медаль, дающаяся за полученные в бою раны; to distinguish oneself in battle –

отличиться в бою; to distinguish – отличать, различать). Honest. Hard-working. But

his father is a Mafia chief who has to kill bad people, sometimes bribe high government

officials (to bribe – подкупать, давать взятку) and in his line of work gets shot full of

holes himself. But that has nothing to do with his honest hard-working son. Do you think

you can remember all that?"

18 Kay let go his body and leaned against the door of the bathroom. "Is he really?" she

said. "Does he really?" She paused. "Kill people?"

19 Michael finished combing his hair. "I don't really know," he said. "Nobody really

knows. But I wouldn't be surprised."

20 Before he went out the door she asked, "When will I see you again?"

21 Michael kissed her. "I want you to go home and think things over in that little hick

town of yours," he said. "I don't want you to get mixed up in this business in any way.

After the Christmas holidays I'll be back at school and we'll get together up in Hanover.

OK?"

22 "OK," she said. She watched him go out the door, saw him wave before he stepped

into the elevator (to wave – помахать /рукой/). She had never felt so close to him,

never so much in love and if someone had told her she would not see Michael again

 

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until three years passed, she would not have been able to bear the anguish of it

(вынести эту тоску, это мучение [‘жŋwı∫]).