[TheStellarEnsemble.com] The Godfather - Mario Puzo

into the hospital to kill him. Please believe me and help me.” He could be extraordinarilypersuasive when he wanted to be.The nurse said, “We don’t have to disconnect the tubes. We can wheel the stand with thebed.”“Do you have an empty room?” Michael whispered” At the end of the hall,” the nursesaid.It was done in a matter of moments, very quickly and very efficiently. Then Michael saidto the nurse, “Stay here with him until help comes. If you’re outside at your station you might gethurt.”At that moment he heard his father’s voice from the bed, hoarse but full of strength,“Michael, is it you? What happened, what is it?”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 yourname. Some people want to kill you, understand? But I’m here so don’t be afraid.”Don Corleone, still not fully conscious of what had happened to him the day before, interrible pain, yet smiled benevolently on his youngest son, wanting to tell him, but it was toomuch effort, “Why should I be afraid now? Strange men have come to kill me ever since I wastwelve years old.”Chapter 10The hospital was small and private with just one entrance. Michael looked through thewindow down into the street. There was a curved courtyard that had steps leading down into thestreet and the street was empty of cars. But whoever came into the hospital would have to comethrough that entrance. He knew he didn’t have much time so he ran out of the room and down thefour flights and through the wide doors of the ground floor entrance. Off to the side he saw theambulance yard and there was no car there, no ambulances either.Michael stood on the sidewalk outside the hospital and lit a cigarette. He unbuttoned hiscoat and stood in the light of a lamppost so that his features could be seen. A young man waswalking swiftly down from Ninth Avenue, a package under his arm. The young man wore acombat jacket and had a heavy shock of black hair. His face was familiar, when he came under108