[TheStellarEnsemble.com] The Godfather - Mario Puzo

notoriously straitlaced in matters of sex.Virgil “the Turk” Sollozzo was a powerfully built, medium-sized man of darkcomplexion who could have been taken for a true Turk. He had a scimitar of a nose and cruelblack eyes. He also had an impressive dignity.Sonny Corleone met him at the door and brought him into the office where Hagen and theDon waited. Hagen thought he had never seen a more dangerous-looking man except for LucaBrasi.There were polite handshakings all around. If the Don ever asks me if this man has balls,I would have to answer yes, Hagen thought. He had never seen such force in one man, not eventhe Don. In fact the Don appeared at his worst. He was being a little too simple, a little toopeasantlike in his greeting.Sollozzo came to the point immediately. The business was narcotics. Everything was setup. Certain poppy fields in Turkey had pledged him certain amounts every year. He had aprotected plant in France to convert into morphine. He had an absolutely secure plant in Sicily toprocess into heroin. Smuggling into both countries was as positively safe as such matters couldbe. Entry into the United States would entail about five percent losses since the FBI itself wasincorruptible, as they both knew. But the profits would be enormous, the risk nonexistent.“Then why do you come to me?” the Don asked politely. “How have I deserved yourgenerosity?”Sollozzo’s dark face remained impassive. “I need two million dollars cash,” he said.“Equally important, I need a man who has powerful friends in the important places. Some of mycouriers will be caught over the years. That is inevitable. They will all have clean records, that Ipromise. So it will be logical for judges to give light sentences. I need a friend who canguarantee that when my people get in trouble they won’t spend more than a year or two in jail.Then they won’t talk. But if they get ten and twenty years, who knows? In this world there aremany weak individuals. They may talk, they may jeopardize more important people. Legalprotection is a must. I hear, Don Corleone, that you have as many judges in your pocket as abootblack has pieces of silver.”Don Corleone didn’t bother to acknowledge the compliment. “What percentage for myfamily?” he asked.63