Don Corleone settled into an armchair puffing his Di Nobili cigar. Hagen kept a box of them in his room. He had tried to get the Don to switch to Havanas but the Don claimed they hurt his throat.

3 " Do we know everything necessary for us to know? " the Don asked.

4 Hagen opened the folder that held his notes. The notes were in no way incriminating, merely cryptic reminders to make sure he touched on every important detail. " Sollozzo is coming to us for help, " Hagen said. " He will ask the family to put up at least a million dollars and to promise some sort of immunity from the law. For that we get a piece of the action, nobody knows how much. Sollozzo is vouched for by the Tattaglia family and they may have a piece of the action. The action is narcotics. Sollozzo has the contacts in Turkey, where they grow the poppy. From there he ships to Sicily. No trouble. In Sicily he has the plant to process into heroin. He has safety-valve operations to bring it down to morphine and bring it up to heroin if necessary. But it would seem that the processing plant in Sicily is protected in every way. The only hitch is bringing it into this country, and then distribution. Also initial capital. A million dollars cash doesn't grow on trees." Hagen saw Don Corleone grimace. The old man hated unnecessary flourishes in business matters. He went on hastily.

5 " They call Sollozzo the Turk. Two reasons. He's spent a lot of time in Turkey and is supposed to have a Turkish wife and kids. Second. He's supposed to be very quick with the knife, or was, when he was young. Only in matters of business, though, and with some sort of reasonable complaint. A very competent man and his own boss. He has a record, he's done two terms in prison, one in Italy, one in the United States, and he's known to the authorities as a narcotics man. This could be a plus for us. It means that he'll never get immunity to testify, since he's considered the top and, of course, because of his record. Also he has an American wife and three children and he is a good family man. He'll stand still for any rap as long as he knows that they will be well taken care of for living money."

 

1 The Don puffed on his cigar and said, " Santino, what do you think? "

2 Hagen knew what Sonny would say. Sonny was chafing (сердился, раздражался; chafe – ссадина; гнев, досада) at being under the Don's thumb (что он все время находится под опекой: «под большим пальцем Дона» [θ Lm]). He wanted a big operation of his own. Something like this would be perfect.

3 Sonny took a long slug of scotch (глоток /спиртного – сленг/). " There's a lot of money in that white powder (в этом белом порошке), " he said. " But it could be dangerous (опасно; danger ['deı ndG∂ ] – опасность). Some people could wind up in jail for twenty years. I'd say that if we kept out of the operations end, just stuck to protection and financing (если ограничимся), it might be a good idea."

4 Hagen looked at Sonny approvingly (одобрительно). He had played his cards well. He had stuck to the obvious (держался очевидного), much the best course for him.

5 The Don puffed on his cigar. " And you, Tom, what do you think? "

6 Hagen composed himself to be absolutely honest. He had already come to the conclusion (к заключению) that the Don would refuse Sollozzo's proposition (отвергнет предложение). But what was worse, Hagen was convinced (убежден; to convince [k∂ n’vı ns] – убеждать) that for one of the few times in his experience, the Don had not thought things through (не продумал /как следует/). He was not looking far enough ahead.

7 " Go ahead (давай, начинай, вперед), Tom, " the Don said encouragingly (подбадривающе; encourage [ı n’kLrı dG] – ободрять, поддерживать). " Not even a Sicilian Consigliori always agrees with the boss." They all laughed.

8   " I think you should say yes, " Hagen said. " You know all the obvious reasons. But the most important one is this. There is more money potential in narcotics than in any other business. If we don't get into it, somebody else will, maybe the Tattaglia family. With the revenue (с доходом, выручкой ['revı nju: ]) they earn they can amass (собрать, скопить [∂ ‘mæ s]) more and more police and political power. Their family will become stronger than ours. Eventually (в конце концов) they will come after us to take away what we have. It's just like countries. If they arm (вооружаются), we have to arm. If they become stronger economically, they become a threat to us (угрозой). Now we have the gambling and we have the unions and right now they are the best things to have. But I think narcotics is the coming thing («грядущая вещь» = в этом будущее, это самая перспективная вещь). I think we have to have a piece of that action or we risk everything we have. Not now, but maybe ten years from now.

9 The Don seemed enormously impressed. He puffed on his cigar and murmured, " That's the most important thing of course." He sighed and got to his feet. " What time do I have to meet this infidel tomorrow (этого неверного = турка, мусульманина; infidel [‘ı nfı d∂ l])? "

10 Hagen said hopefully, " He'll be here at ten in the morning." Maybe the Don would go for it (пойдет на это).

11 " I'll want you both here with me, " the Don said. He rose, stretching (потянувшись), and took his son by the arm. " Santino, get some sleep tonight, you look like the devil himself. Take care of yourself, you won't be young forever (вечно)."

12 Sonny, encouraged by this sign of fatherly concern (заботы [k∂ n's∂: n]), asked the question Hagen did not dare to ask (не осмелился). " Pop, what's your answer going to be? "

13 Don Corleone smiled. " How do I know until I hear the percentages (о процентах; percentage [p∂ 'sentı dG] – процент, процентное отчисление, доля) and other details? Besides I have to have time to think over the advice given here tonight (о данном здесь сегодня вечером совете). After all, I'm not a man who does things rashly (поспешно)." As he went out the door he said casually to Hagen, " Do you have in your notes that the Turk made his living from prostitution before the war? As the Tattaglia family does now. Write that down before you forget." There was just a touch of derision (маленький оттенок насмешки [dı ’rı G∂ n]) in the Don's voice and Hagen flushed (покраснел, залился краской; to flush – забить струей, хлынуть; прилить /о крови/). He had deliberately not mentioned it (сознательно, нарочно не упомянул; to deliberate [dı ’lı b∂ rı t] – /глубоко/ обдумывать, размышлять), legitimately so since it really had no bearing (законно, потому что это не относилось к делу, не имело основания; bearing – ношение; опора; отношение; смысл), but he had feared it might prejudice the Don's decision (/негативно/ повлиять на решение; to prejudice [‘predGudı s] – предубеждать, создавать предвзятое мнение, настраивать против). He was notoriously straitlaced in matters of sex (было известно насколько он щепетилен: «туго стянут, зашнурован» в вопросах пола).

 

1 The Don puffed on his cigar and said, " Santino, what do you think? "

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