Years passed, she would not have been able to bear the anguish of it.

 

 

1 When Michael got out of the cab in front of the French Hospital he was surprised to

see that the street was completely deserted (совершенно пуста). When he entered the

hospital he was even more surprised to find the lobby empty. Damn it, what the hell

were Clemenza and Tessio doing? Sure, they never went to West Point (американская

Военная академия) but they knew enough about tactics to have outposts (аванпосты,

сторожевое охранение, заставы). A couple of their men should have been in the lobby

at least.

2 Even the latest visitors had departed, it was almost ten-thirty at night. Michael was

tense and alert now (напряжен и возбужден). He didn't bother to stop at the

information desk (и не подумал: «не побеспокоился»), he already knew his father's

room number up on the fourth floor. He took the self-service elevator. Oddly enough

nobody stopped him until he reached the nurses' station on the fourth floor. But he

strode right past her query (не обращая внимание на ее вопрос; query ['kwı∂rı] –

 

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вопрос) and on to his father's room. There was no one outside the door. Where the hell

were the two detectives who were supposed (которые, как предполагалось) to be

waiting around to guard and question the old man? Where the hell were Tessio and

Clemenza's people? Could there be someone inside the room? But the door was open.

Michael went in. There was a figure in the bed and by the December moonlight straining

through the window (просачивающийся; to strain – напрягать, растягивать;

процеживать) Michael could see his father's face. Even now it was impassive, the

chest heaved shallowly (едва вздымалась; shallow – мелкий, неглубокий) with his

uneven breath (неровным дыханием [breθ]). Tubes hung from steel gallows (со

стальных дуг, подставок) beside the bed and ran into his nose. On the floor was a

glass jar (банка, кувшин) receiving the poisons emptied from his stomach (из его

желудка ['stΛm∂k]) by other tubes. Michael stayed there for a few moments to make

sure his father was all right, then backed out of the room.

3 He told the nurse, "My name is Michael Corleone, I just want to sit with my father.

What happened to the detectives who were supposed to be guarding him?"

4 The nurse was a pretty young thing with a great deal of confidence in the power of

her office (с большой долей уверенности в могуществе ее должности). "Oh, your

father just had too many visitors, it interfered with the hospital service (это мешалони:

«вмешивалось, перебивало»)," she said. "The police came and made them all leave

about ten minutes ago. And then just five minutes ago I had to call the detectives to the

phone for an emergency alarm from their headquarters (срочная тревога из их

управления; emergency [ı’m∂:dG∂nsı] – непредвиденный случай, крайняя

необходимость), and then they left too. But don't worry, I look in on your father often

and I can hear any sound from his room. That's why we leave the doors open."

5 "Thank you," Michael said. "I'll sit with him for a little while. OK?"

6 She smiled at him. "Just for a little bit and then I'm afraid you'll have to leave. It's the

rules (правила), you know."

7 Michael went back into his father's room. He took the phone from its cradle and got

the hospital operator to give him the house in Long Beach, the phone in the comer

office room. Sonny answered. Michael whispered, "Sonny, I'm down at the hospital, I

came down late. Sonny, there's nobody here. None of Tessio's people. No detectives at

the door. The old man was completely unprotected." His voice was trembling.

8 There was a long silence and then Sonny's voice came, low and impressed, "This is

Sollozzo's move (ход: «движение») you were talking about."

 

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9 Michael said, "That's what I figured too. But how did he get the cops to clear

everybody out and where did they go? What happened to Tessio's men? Jesus Christ,

has that bastard Sollozzo got the New York Police Department in his pocket too?"

10 "Take it easy, kid." Sonny's voice was soothing. "We got lucky again with you going

to visit the hospital so late. Stay in the old man's room. Lock the door from the inside. I'll

have some men there inside of fifteen minutes, soon as I make some calls. Just sit tight

and don't panic. OK, kid?"

11 "I won't panic," Michael said. For the first time since it had all started he felt a

furious anger rising in him (яростный гнев), a cold hatred for his father's enemies

(ненависть к врагам; hatred [‘heıtrıd]).

12 He hung up the phone and rang the buzzer for the nurse (звонок, кнопку вызова;

to buzz – жужжать). He decided to use his own judgment (решил действовать по

своему разумению) and disregard Sonny's orders (не принимать во внимание

приказов, указаний Сонни). When the nurse came in he said, "I don't want you to get

frightened, but we have to move my father right away. To another room or another floor.

Can you disconnect all these tubes (отключить) so we can wheel the bed out?"

13 The nurse said, "That's ridiculous (смешно [rı’dıkjul∂s]). We have to get permission

from the doctor (разрешение)."

14 Michael spoke very quickly. "You've read about my father in the papers. You've

seen that there's no one here tonight to guard him. Now I've just gotten word some men

will come into the hospital to kill him. Please believe me and help me." He could be

extraordinarily persuasive (убедительным, убеждающим [p∂s'weısıv]; to persuade

[p∂s'weıd] – убедить) when he wanted to be.

15 The nurse said, "We don't have to disconnect the tubes. We can wheel the stand

with the bed."

16 "Do you have an empty room?" Michael whispered.

17 "At the end of the hall," the nurse said.

18 It was done in a matter of moments, very quickly and very efficiently. Then Michael

said to the nurse, "Stay here with him until help comes. If you're outside at your station

you might get hurt."

19 At that moment he heard his father's voice from the bed, hoarse (охрипший,

сиплый [ho:s]) but full of strength, "Michael, is it you? What happened, what is it?"

20 Michael leaned over the bed. He took his father's hand in his. "It's Mike," he said.

"Don't be afraid. Now listen, don't make any noise at all, especially if somebody calls out

your name. Some people want to kill you, understand? But I'm here so don't be afraid."

 

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21 Don Corleone, still not fully conscious (сознательный, сознающий [‘kon∫∂s]) of

what had happened to him the day before, in terrible pain, yet smiled benevolently (все

же улыбнулся благодушно, снисходительно: «благожелательно») on his youngest

son, wanting to tell him, but it was too much effort (усилие [‘ef∂t]), "Why should I be

afraid now? Strange men have come to kill me ever since I was twelve years old."