The Godfather

 “The Godfather” By Mario Puzo
 
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Kay said, “He’s not the man I married.” 
Hagen laughed shortly. “If he were, he’d be dead now. You’d be a widow now. You’d 
have no problem.” 
Kay blazed out at him. “What the hell does that mean? Come on, Tom, speak out 
straight once in your life. I know Michael can’t, but you’re not Sicilian, you can tell a 
woman the truth, you can treat her like an equal, a fellow human being.” 
There was another long silence. Hagen shook his head. “You’ve got Mike wrong. You’re 
mad because he lied to you. Well, he warned you never to ask him about business. 
You’re mad because he was Godfather to Carlo’s boy. But you made him do that. 
Actually it was the right move for him to make if he was going to take action against 
Carlo. The classical tactical move to win the victim’s trust.” Hagen gave her a grim 
smile. “Is that straight enough talk for you?” But Kay bowed her head. 
Hagen went on. “I’ll give you some more straight talk. After the Don died, Mike was set 
up to be killed. Do you know who set him up? Tessio. So Tessio had to be killed. Carlo 
had to be killed. Because treachery can’t be forgiven. Michael could have forgiven it, but 
people never forgive themselves and so they would always be dangerous. Michael 
really liked Tessio. He loves his sister. But he would be shirking his duty to you and his 
children, to his whole family, to me and my family, if he let Tessio and Carlo go free. 
They would have been a danger to us all, all our lives.” 
Kay had been listening to this with tears running down her face. “Is that what Michael 
sent you up here to tell me?” 
Hagen looked at her in genuine surprise. “No,” he said. “He told me to tell you you could 
have everything you want and do everything you want as long as you take good care of 
the kids.” Hagen smiled. “He said to tell you that you’re his Don. That’s just a joke.” 
Kay put her hand on Hagen’s arm. “He didn’t order you to tell me all the other things?” 
Hagen hesitated a moment as if debating whether to tell her a final truth. “You still don’t 
understand,” he said. “If you told Michael what I’ve told you today, I’m a dead man.” He 
paused again. “You and the children are the only people on this earth he couldn’t harm.” 
It was a long five minutes after that Kay rose from the grass and they started walking 
back to the house. When they were almost there, Kay said to Hagen, “After supper, can 
you drive me and the kids to New York in your car?” 
“That’s what I came for,” Hagen said. 

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