The Godfather

 “The Godfather” By Mario Puzo
 
170
destined path. 
When they finished the bottle of wine, Vito said cautiously to Clemenza and Tessio, “If 
you like, why not give me two hundred dollars each to pay to Fanucci? I guarantee he 
will accept that amount from me. Then leave everything in my hands. I’ll settle this 
problem to your satisfaction.” 
At once Clemenza’s eyes gleamed with suspicion. Vito said to him coldly, “I never lie to 
people I have accepted as my friends. Speak to Fanucci yourself tomorrow. Let him ask 
you for the money. But don’t pay him. And don’t in any way quarrel with him. Tell him 
you have to get the money and will give it to me to give him. Let him understand that 
you are willing to pay what he asks. Don’t bargain. I’ll quarrel over the price with him. 
There’s no point making him angry with us if he’s as dangerous a man as you say he is.” 
They left it at that. The next day Clemenza spoke with Fanucci to make sure that Vito 
was not making up the story. Then Clemenza came to Vito’s apartment and gave him 
the two hundred dollars. He peered at Vito Corleone and said, “Fanucci told me nothing 
below three hundred dollars, how will you make him take less?” 
Vito Corleone said reasonably, “Surely that’s no concern of yours. Just remember that 
I’ve done you a service.” 
Tessio came later. Tessio was more reserved than Clemenza, sharper, more clever but 
with less force. He sensed something amiss, something not quite right. He was a little 
worried. He said to Vito Corleone, “Watch yourself with that bastard of a Black Hand, 
he’s tricky as a priest. Do you want me to be here when you hand him the money, as a 
witness?” 
Vito Corleone shook his head. He didn’t even bother to answer. He merely said to 
Tessio, “Tell Fanucci I’ll pay him the money here, in my house at nine o’clock tonight. I’ll 
have to give him a glass of wine and talk, reason with him to take the lesser sum.” 
Tessio shook his head. “You won’t have much luck. Fanucci never retreats.” 
“I’ll reason with him,” Vito Corleone said. It was to become a famous phrase in the years 
to come. It was to become the warning rattle before a deadly strike. When he became a 
Don and asked opponents to sit down and reason with him, they understood it was the 
last chance to resolve an affair without bloodshed and murder. 
Vito Corleone told his wife to take the two children, Sonny and Fredo, down into the 
street after supper and on no account to let them come up to the house until he gave 

---