The Godfather

 “The Godfather” By Mario Puzo
 
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do you figure the Don killed or had killed.” 
Tom Hagen turned away. “I’ll tell you one thing you didn’t learn from him: talking the way 
you’re talking now. There are things that have to be done and you do them and you 
never talk about them. You don’t try to justify them. They can’t be justified. You just do 
them. Then you forget it.” 
Michael Corleone frowned. He said quietly, “As the Consigliere, you agree that it’s 
dangerous to the Don and our Family to let Sollozzo live?” 
“Yes,” Hagen said. 
“OK,” Michael said. “Then I have to kill him.” 
Michael Corleone stood in front of Jack Dempsey’s restaurant on Broadway and waited 
for his pickup. He looked at his watch. It said five minutes to eight. Sollozzo was going 
to be punctual. Michael had made sure he was there in plenty of time. He had been 
waiting fifteen minutes. 
All during the ride from Long Beach into the city he had been trying to forget what he 
had said to Hagen. For if he believed what he said, then his life was set on an 
irrevocable course. And yet, could it be otherwise after tonight? He might be dead after 
tonight if he didn’t stop all this crap, Michael thought grimly. He had to keep his mind on 
the business at hand. Sollozzo was no dummy and McCluskey was a very tough egg. 
He felt the ache in his wired jaw and welcomed the pain, it would keep him alert. 
Broadway wasn’t that crowded on this cold winter night, even though it was near theater 
time. Michael flinched as a long black car pulled up to the curb and the driver, leaning 
over, opened the front door and said, “Get in, Mike.” He didn’t know the driver, a young 
punk with slick black hair and an open shirt, but he got in. In the back seat were Captain 
McCluskey and Sollozzo. 
Sollozzo reached a hand over the back of the seat and Michael shook it. The hand was 
firm, warm and dry. Sollozzo said, “I’m glad you came, Mike. I hope we can straighten 
everything out. All this is terrible, it’s not the way I wanted things to happen at all. It 
should never have happened.” 
Michael Corleone said quietly, “I hope we can settle things tonight, I don’t want my 
father bothered any more.” 
“He won’t be,” Sollozzo said sincerely. “I swear to you by my children he won’t be. Just 
keep an open mind when we talk. I hope you’re not a hothead like your brother Sonny. 

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