[TheStellarEnsemble.com] The Godfather - Mario Puzo

“All right,” she said.They walked along the green country road. Hagen asked quietly, “Why did you runaway?”Kay said, “Because Michael lied to me. Because he made a fool of me when he stoodGodfather to Connie’s boy. He betrayed me. I can’t love a man like that. I can’t live with it. Ican’t let him be father to my children.”“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Hagen said. She turned on him withnow-justified rage. “I mean that he killed his sister’s husband. Do you understand that?” Shepaused for a moment. “And he lied to me.”They walked on for a long time in silence. Finally Hagen said, “You have no way ofreally knowing that’s all true. But just for the sake of argument let’s assume that it’s true. I’m notsaying it is, remember. But what if I gave you what might be some justification for what he did.Or rather some possible justifications?”Kay looked at him scornfully. “That’s the first time I’ve seen the lawyer side of you, Tom.It’s not your best side.”Hagen grinned. “OK. Just hear me out. What if Carlo had put Sonny on the spot, fingeredhim. What if Carlo beating up Connie that time was a deliberate plot to get Sonny out in the open,that they knew he would take the route over the Jones Beach Causeway? What if Carlo had beenpaid to help get Sonny killed? Then what?”Kay didn’t answer. Hagen went on. “And what if the Don, a great man, couldn’t bringhimself to do what he had to do, avenge his son’s death by killing his daughter’s husband? Whatif that, finally, was too much for him, and he made Michael his successor, knowing that Michaelwould take that load off his shoulders, would take that guilt?”“It was all over with,” Kay said, tears springing into her eyes. “Everybody was happy.Why couldn’t Carlo be forgiven? Why couldn’t everything go on and everybody forget?”She had led across a meadow to a tree-shaded brook. Hagen sank down on the grass andsighed. He looked around, sighed again and said, “In this world you could do it.”Kay said, “He’s not the man I married.”Hagen laughed shortly. “If he were, he’d be dead now. You’d be a widow now. You’dhave no problem.”Kay blazed out at him. “What the hell does that mean? Come on, Tom, speak out straight390