caporegimes, who brought
their complaints to the family council table. But there was nothing to be done. The
bankers were told to go out of business. Local Negro free-lancers were allowed to take
over the operation in Harlem, the richest territory, and they operated in such scattered
fashion that the police found it hard to pin them down.
After the death of Captain McCluskey, some newspapers printed stories involving him
with Sollozzo. They published proof that McCluskey had received large sums of money
in cash, shortly before his death. These stories had been planted by Hagen, the
information supplied by him. The Police Department refused to confirm or deny these
stories, but they were taking effect. The police force got the word through informers,
through police on the Family payroll, that McCluskey had been a rogue cop
(продажный полицейский; rogue [r∂ug] – жулик, мошенник).
Not that he had taken money or clean graft (взятка, подкуп), there was no rank-and-
file onus to that (за это бы никто не бросил в него камень; rank-and-file – члены
какой-либо организации /исключая руководителей или офицеров/, рядовые члены;
onus – бремя; ответственность, долг ['∂un∂s]). But that he had taken the dirtiest of
dirty money; murder and drugs money. And in the morality of policemen, this was
unforgivable.
Hagen understood that the policeman believes in law and order in a curiously
innocent way. He believes in it more than does the public he serves. Law and order is,
Мультиязыковой проект Ильи Франкаwww.franklang.ru
after all, the magic from which he derives his power, individual power which he
cherishes as nearly all men cherish individual power. And yet there is always the
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smoldering resentment (тлеющее, теплящееся негодование, возмущение, чувство
обиды [rı'zentm∂nt]) against the public he serves. They are at the same time his ward
(опека, подопечный) and his prey (добыча). As wards they are ungrateful, abusive
(оскорбительный, бранный; /здесь/ оскорбляющие [∂'bju:sıv]; to abuse [∂'bju:z] –
оскорблять, ругать) and demanding. As prey they are slippery and dangerous, full of
guile (обман, хитрость, вероломство [gaıl]). As soon as one is in the policeman's
clutches (когти, лапы) the mechanism of the society the policeman defends marshals
(выстраивать /войска/) all its resources to cheat him of his prize. The fix is put in by
politicians. Judges give lenient (мягкий, снисходительный [‘li:nj∂nt]) suspended
sentences to the worst hoodlums. Governors of the States and the President of the
United States himself give full pardons, assuming that respected lawyers have not
already won his acquittal (оправдание /юр./ [∂'kwıtl]). After a time the cop learns. Why
should he not collect the fees these hoodlums are paying? He needs it more. His
children, why should they not go to college? Why shouldn't his wife shop in more
expensive places? Why shouldn't he himself get the sun with a winter vacation in
Florida? After all, he risks his life and that is no joke.
But usually he draws the line against accepting dirty graft. He will take money to let a
bookmaker operate. He will take money from a man who hates getting parking tickets or
speeding tickets. He will allow call girls and prostitutes to ply their trade; for a
consideration. These are vices natural to a man. But usually he will not take a payoff for
drugs, armed robberies, rape, murder and other assorted (смешанный) perversions. In
his mind these attack the very core (сердцевина) of his personal authority and cannot
be countenanced (countenance [‘kauntın∂ns] – выражение лица; to keep one’s
countenance – не показывать вида; to countenance – терпеть, одобрять,
санкционировать).
The murder of a police Captain was comparable to regicide (цареубийство
['redGısaıd]). But when it became known that McCluskey had been killed while in the
company of a notorious narcotics peddler, when it became known that he was
suspected of conspiracy to murder, the police desire for vengeance began to fade. Also,
after all, there were still mortgage (заклад, ипотека; закладная ['mo:gıdG]) payment to
be made, cars to be paid off, children to be launched (to launch – бросать, метать;
запускать /ракету/) into the world. Without their "sheet" money (деньги, получаемые
по списку /с нарушителей закона, кормящихся на их участке/); sheet – простыня;
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84
лист бумаги, печатный лист), policemen had to scramble (карабкаться, продираться,
бороться за обладание) to make ends meet. Unlicensed peddlers were good for lunch
money. Parking ticket payoffs came to nickels and dimes (nickel – монета в 5 центов;
dime – монета в 10 центов). Some of the more desperate even began shaking down
suspects (homosexuals, assaults (assault – нападение; изнасилование [∂'so:lt]) and
batteries (battery – побои, оскорбление действием /юр./) in the precinct squad rooms
(в полицейских участках; squad [skwod] – /воен./ группа, команда /здесь – на
дежурстве/). Finally the brass relented (начальство смягчилось; brass [brα:s] –
латунь, желтая медь; начальство, старший офицер /воен. жарг/). They raised the
prices and let the Families operate. Once again the payoff sheet (список выплат) was
typed up by the precinct bagman (странствующий торговец; коммивояжер /здесь
имеется в виду (насмешливо) полицейский, собирающий свою «долю»/), listing
every man assigned to the local station and what his cut was each month. Some
semblance of social order was restored.
It had been Hagen's idea to use private detectives to guard Don Corleone's hospital
room. These were, of course, supplemented by the much more formidable soldiers of
Tessio's regime. But Sonny was not satisfied even with this. By the middle of February,
when the Don could be moved without danger, he was taken by ambulance to his home
in the mall. The house had been renovated so that his bedroom was now a hospital
room with all equipment necessary for any emergency. Nurses specially recruited and
checked had been hired for round-the-clock care, and Dr. Kennedy, with the payment of
a huge fee, had been persuaded to become the physician in residence to this private
hospital. At least until the Don would need only nursing care.
The mall itself was made impregnable. Button men were moved into the extra houses,
the tenants sent on vacations to their native villages in Italy, all expenses paid.
Freddie Corleone had been sent to Las Vegas to recuperate and also to scout out
(разведать) the ground for a Family operation in the luxury hotel-gambling casino
complex that was springing up. Las Vegas was part of the West Coast empire still
neutral and the Don of that empire had guaranteed Freddie's safety there. The New
York five Families had no desire to make more enemies by going into Vegas after
Freddie Corleone. They had enough trouble on their hands in New York.
Dr. Kennedy had forbade any discussion of business in front of the Don. This edict
was completely disregarded. The Don insisted on the council of war being held in his
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85
room. Sonny, Tom Hagen, Pete Clemenza and Tessio gathered there the very first night
of his homecoming.
Don Corleone was too weak to speak much but he wished to listen and exercise veto
powers. When it was explained that Freddie had been sent to Las Vegas to learn the
gambling casino business, he nodded his head approvingly. When he learned that
Bruno Tattaglia had been killed by Corleone button men he shook his head and sighed.
But what distressed him most of all was learning that Michael had killed Sollozzo and
Captain McCluskey and had then been forced to flee to Sicily. When he heard this he
motioned them out and they continued the conference in the corner room that held the
law library.
Sonny Corleone relaxed in the huge armchair behind the desk. "I think we'd better let
the old man take it easy for a couple of weeks, until the doc says he can do business."
He paused. "I'd like to have it going again before he gets better. We have the go-ahead
from the cops to operate. The first thing is the policy banks in Harlem. The black boys
up there had their fun, now we have to take it back. They screwed up the works but
good, just like they usually do when they run things. A lot of their runners (runner –
/здесь/ руководящий бизнесом) didn't payoff winners. They drive up in Cadillacs and
tell their players they gotta wait for their dough or maybe just pay them half what they
win. I don't want any runner looking rich to his players. I don't want them dressing too
good. I don't want them driving new cars. I don't want them welching (to welch, to welsh
– скрыться, не уплатив проигрыша) on paying a winner. And I don't want any free-
lancers staying in business, they give us a bad name. Tom, let's get that project moving
right away. Everything else will fall in line as soon as you send out the word that the lid
is off («крышка открыта» = секретность снята, можно работать спокойно)."
Hagen said, "There are some very tough boys up in Harlem. They got a taste of the
big money. They won't go back to being runners or sub-bankers again."
Sonny shrugged. "Just give their names to Clemenza. That's his job, straightening