The Godfather

 “The Godfather” By Mario Puzo
 
231
the light of the tollhouse. He could not live with the wounds they saw. They place their 
lives in forfeit for what they say.” 
Don Corleone accepted this final verdict without any sign of emotion except for a few 
moments of silence. Then he said, “None of you are to concern yourselves with this 
affair. None of you are to commit any acts of vengeance, none of you are to make any 
inquiries to track down the murderers of my son without my express command. There 
will be no further acts of war against the Five Families without my express and personal 
wish. Our Family will cease all business operations and cease to protect any of our 
business operations until after my son’s funeral. Then we will meet here again and 
decide what must be done. Tonight we must do what we can for Santino, we must bury 
him as a Christian. I will have friends of mine arrange things with the police and all other 
proper authorities. Clemenza, you will remain with me at all times as my bodyguard, you 
and the men of your regime. Tessio, you will guard all other members of my Family. 
Tom, I want you to call Amerigo Bonasera and tell him I will need his services at some 
time during this night. To wait for me at his establishment. It may be an hour, two hours, 
three hours. Do you all understand that?” 
The three men nodded. Don Corleone said, “Clemenza, get some men and cars and 
wait for me. I will be ready in a few minutes. Tom, you did well. In the morning I want 
Constanzia with her mother. Make arrangements for her and her husband to live in the 
mall. Have Sandra’s friends, the women, go to her house to stay with her. My wife will 
go there also when I have spoken with her. My wife will tell her the misfortune and the 
women will arrange for the church to say their masses and prayers for his soul.” 
The Don got up from his leather armchair. The other men rose with him and Clemenza 
and Tessio embraced him again. Hagen held the door open for the Don, who paused to 
look at him for a moment. Then the Don put his hand on Hagen’s cheek, embraced him 
quickly, and said, in Italian, “You’ve been a good son. You comfort me.” Telling Hagen 
that he had acted properly in this terrible time. The Don went up to his bedroom to 
speak to his wife. It was then that Hagen made the call to Amerigo Bonasera for the 
undertaker to redeem the favor he owed to the Corleones.