Hagen's face suddenly became smoothly impassive. Then he said, "OK, I'll keep this
purely business."
Johnny Fontane put his drink down and went over to stand in front of Hagen. "I'm
sorry I said that, Tom," he said. "Christ, I'm sorry. I'm taking it out on you because I
wanta kill that bastard Jack Woltz and I'm afraid to tell off (отчитывать, бранить,
разносить) my Godfather. So I get sore at you." There were tears in his eyes. He threw
the empty whiskey glass against the wall but so weakly that the heavy shot glass did not
even shatter and rolled along the floor back to him so that he looked down at it in baffled
(озадаченный, сбитый с толку) fury. Then he laughed. "Jesus Christ," he said.
He walked over to the other side of the room and sat opposite Hagen. "You know, I had
everything my own way for a long time. Then I divorced Ginny and everything started
going sour. I lost my voice. My records stopped selling. I didn't get any more movie work.
And then my Godfather got sore at me and wouldn't talk to me on the phone or see me
when I came into New York. You were always the guy barring the path and I blamed
you, but I knew you wouldn't do it without orders from the Don. But you can't get sore at
him. It's like getting sore at God. So I curse you. But you've been right all along the line.
And to show you I mean my apology I'm taking your advice. No more booze until I get
my voice back. OK?"
The apology was sincere. Hagen forgot his anger. There must be something to this
thirty-five-year-old boy or the Don would not be so fond of him. He said, "Forget it,
14
Johnny." He was embarrassed at the depth of Johnny's feeling and embarrassed by the
suspicion that it might have been inspired by fear, fear that he might turn the Don
against him. And of course the Don could never be turned by anyone for any reason.
His affection was mutable only by himself.
"Things aren't so bad," he told Johnny. "The Don says he can cancel out everything
Woltz does against you. That you will almost certainly win the Award. But he feels that
won't solve your problem. He wants to know if you have the brains and balls to become
a producer on your own, make your own movies from top to bottom."
"How the hell is he going to get me the Award?" Johnny asked incredulously.
Hagen said sharply, "How do you find it so easy to believe that Woltz can finagle
(добиваться чего-либо нечестными или обходными путями, жульничать [fı'neıgl]) it
and your Godfather can't? Now since it's necessary to get your faith for the other part of
our deal I must tell you this. Just keep it to yourself. Your Godfather is a much more
powerful man than Jack Woltz. And he is much more powerful in areas far more critical.
How can he swing the Award? He controls, or controls the people who control, all the
labor unions in the industry, all the people or nearly all the people who vote. Of course
you have to be good, you have to be in contention (конкуренция; спор) on your own
merits. And your Godfather has more brains than Jack Woltz. He doesn't go up to these
people and put a gun to their heads and say, 'Vote for Johnny Fontane or you are out of
a job.' He doesn't strong-man where strong-arm doesn't work or leaves too many hard
feelings. He'll make those people vote for you because they want to. But they won't
want to unless he takes an interest. Now just take my word for it that he can get you the
Award. And that if he doesn't do it, you won't get it."
"OK," Johnny said. "I believe you. And I have the balls and brains to be a producer but
I don't have the money. No bank would finance me. It takes millions to support a movie."
Hagen said dryly, "When you get the Award, start making plans to produce three of
your own movies. Hire the best people in the business, the best technicians, the best
stars, whoever you need. Plan on three to five movies."
"You're crazy," Johnny said. "That many movies could mean twenty million bucks."
"When you need the money," Hagen said, "get in touch with me. I'll give you the name
of the bank out here in California to ask for financing. Don't worry, they finance movies
all the time. Just ask them for the money in the ordinary way, with the proper
justifications, like a regular business deal. They will approve. But first you have to see
me and tell me the figures and the plans. OK?"
Johnny was silent for a long time. Then he said quietly, "Is there anything else?"
15
Hagen smiled. "You mean, do you have to do any favors in return for a loan of twenty
million dollars? Sure you will." He waited for Johnny to say something. "Nothing you
wouldn't do anyway if the Don asked you to do it for him."
Johnny said, "The Don has to ask me himself if it's something serious, you know what
I mean? I won't take your word or Sonny's for it."
Hagen was surprised by this good sense. Fontane had some brains after all. He had
sense to know that the Don was too fond of him, and too smart, to ask him to do
something foolishly dangerous, whereas Sonny might. He said to Johnny, "Let me
reassure you on one thing. Your Godfather has given me and Sonny strict instructions
not to involve you in any way in anything that might get you bad publicity through our
fault. And he will never do that himself. I guarantee you that any favor he asks of you,
you will offer to do before he requests it. OK?"
Johnny smiled. "OK," he said.
Hagen said, "Also he has faith in you. He thinks you have brains and so he figures the
bank will make money on the investment, which means he will make money on it. So it's
really a business deal, never forget that. Don't go screwing around with the money. You
may be his favorite godson but twenty million bucks is a lot of dough. He has to stick his
neck out to make sure you get it."
"Tell him not to worry," Johnny said. "If a guy like Jack Woltz can be a big movie
genius, anybody can."
"That's what your Godfather figures," Hagen said. "Can you have me driven back to
the airport? I've said all I have to say. When you do start signing contracts for
everything, hire your own lawyers, I won't be in on it. But I'd like to see everything
before you sign, if that's OK with you. Also, you'll never have any labor troubles. That
will cut costs on your pictures to some extent, so when the accountants lump (lump –
глыба, кусок; to lump – смешивать, валить в одну кучу) some of that in, disregard
those figures."
Johnny said cautiously, "Do I have to get your OK on anything else, scripts, stars, any
of that?"
Hagen shook his head. "No," he said. "It may happen that the Don would object to
something but he'll object to you direct if he does. But I can't imagine what that would be.
16
Movies don't affect him at all, in any way, so he has no interest. And he doesn't believe
in meddling, that I can tell you from experience."
"Good," Johnny said. "I'll drive you to the airport myself. And thank the Godfather for
me. I'd call him up and thank him but he never comes to the phone. Why is that, by the
way?"
Hagen shrugged. "He hardly ever talks on the phone. He doesn't want his voice
recorded, even saying something perfectly innocent. He's afraid that they can splice
(соединять внахлест, сращивать /концы чего-либо/ /строит./; склеивать встык
/ленту, пленку/) the words together so that it sounds as if he says something else. I
think that's what it is. Anyway his only worry is that someday he'll be framed (to frame –