[TheStellarEnsemble.com] The Godfather - Mario Puzo

All this was known to the men sitting in the room and perhaps even believed by a few.Carlo Rizzi liked Michael but did not fear him as he had feared Sonny. Clemenza, too, though hegave Michael credit for a bravura performance with the Turk and the police captain, could nothelp thinking Michael too soft to be a Don. Clemenza had hoped to be given permission to formhis own Family, to have his own empire split away from the Corleone. But the Don had indicatedthat this was not to be and Clemenza respected the Don too much to disobey. Unless of coursethe whole situation became intolerable.Tessio had a better opinion of Michael. He sensed something else in the young man: aforce cleverly kept hidden, a man jealously guarding his true strength from public gaze,following the Don’s precept that a friend should always underestimate your virtues and an enemyoverestimate your faults.The Don himself and Tom Hagen were of course under no illusions about Michael. TheDon would never have retired if he had not had absolute faith in his son’s ability to retrieve theFamily position. Hagen had been Michael’s teacher for the last two years and was amazed athow quickly Michael grasped all the intricacies of the Family business. Truly his father’s son.Clemenza and Tessio were annoyed with Michael because he had reduced the strength oftheir regimes and had never reconstituted Sonny’s regime. The Corleone Family, in effect, hadnow only two fighting divisions with less personnel than formerly. Clemenza and Tessioconsidered this suicidal, especially with the Barzini-Tattaglia encroachments on their empires.So now they were hopeful these errors might be corrected at this extraordinary meeting convenedby the Don.Michael started off by telling them about his trip to Vegas and Moe Greene’s refusing theoffer to buy him out. “But we’ll make him an offer he can’t refuse,” Michael said. “You alreadyknow the Corleone Family plans to move its operations West. We’ll have four of the hotelcasinos on the Strip. But it can’t be right away. We need time to get things straightened out.” Hespoke directly to Clemenza. “Pete, you and Tessio, I want you to go along with me for a yearwithout questioning and without reservations. At the end of that year, both of you can split offfrom the Corleone Family and be your own bosses, have your own Families. Of course it goeswithout saying we’d maintain our friendship, I wouldn’t insult you and your respect for myfather by thinking otherwise for a minute. But up until that time I want you just to follow mylead and don’t worry. There are negotiations going on that will solve problems that you think are351