[TheStellarEnsemble.com] The Godfather - Mario Puzo

Corleone never lets his friends down.”Woltz stood up abruptly. “I’ve listened to about enough. Thugs don’t give me orders, Igive them orders. If I pick up this phone, you’ll spend the night in jail. And if that Mafiagoombah tries any rough stuff, he’ll find out I’m not a band leader. Yeah, I heard that story too.Listen, your Mr. Corleone will never know what hit him. Even if I have to use my influence atthe White House.”The stupid, stupid son of a bitch. How the hell did he get to be a pezzonovante, Hagenwondered. Advisor to the President, head of the biggest movie studio in the world. Definitely theDon should get into the movie business. And the guy was taking his words at their sentimentalface value. He was not getting the message.“Thank you for the dinner and a pleasant evening,” Hagen said. “Could you give metransportation to the airport? I don’t think I’ll spend the night.” He smiled coldly at Woltz. “Mr.Corleone is a man who insists on hearing bad news at once.”While waiting in the floodlit colonnade of the mansion for his car, Hagen saw twowomen about to enter a long limousine already parked in the driveway. They were the beautifultwelve-year-old blond girl and her mother he had seen in Woltz’s office that morning. But nowthe girl’s exquisitely cut mouth seemed to have smeared into a thick, pink mass. Her sea-blueeyes were filmed over and when she walked down the steps toward the open car her long legstottered like a crippled foal’s. Her mother supported the child, helping her into the car, hissingcommands into her ear. The mother’s head turned for a quick furtive look at Hagen and he sawin her eyes a burning, hawk-like triumph. Then she too disappeared into the limousine.So that was why he hadn’t got the plane ride from Los Angeles, Hagen thought. The girland her mother had made the trip with the movie producer. That had given Woltz enough time torelax before dinner and do the job on the little kid. And Johnny wanted to live in this world?Good luck to him, and good luck to Woltz.Paulie Gatto hated quickie jobs, especially when they involved violence. He liked to planthings ahead. And something like tonight, even though it was punk stuff, could turn into seriousbusiness if somebody made a mistake. Now, sipping his beer, he glanced around, checking howthe two young punks were making out with the two little tramps at the bar.Paulie Gatto knew everything there was to know about those two punks. Their names54