The Godfather

 “The Godfather” By Mario Puzo
 
241
by before Don Corleone took his seat at the polished walnut table. Unobtrusively, Hagen 
sat in the chair slightly to the Don’s left and behind him. This was the signal for the other 
Dons to make their way to the table. Their aides sat behind them, the Consiglieres up 
close so that they could offer any advice when needed. 
Don Corleone was the first to speak and he spoke as if nothing had happened. As if he 
had not been grievously wounded and his eldest son slain, his empire in a shambles, his 
personal family scattered, Freddie in the West and under the protection of the Molinari 
Family and Michael secreted in the wastelands of Sicily. He spoke naturally, in Sicilian 
dialect. 
“I want to thank you all for coming,” he said. “I consider it a service done to me 
personally and I am in the debt of each and every one of you. And so I will say at the 
beginning that I am here not to quarrel or convince, but only to reason and as a 
reasonable man do everything possible for us all to part friends here too. I give my word 
on that, and some of you who know me well know I do not give my word lightly. Ah, well, 
let’s get down to business.. We are all honorable men here, we don’t have to give each 
other assurances as if we were lawyers.” 
He paused. None of the others spoke. Some were smoking cigars, others sipping their 
drinks. All of these men were good listeners, patient men. They had one other thing in 
common. They were those rarities, men who had refused to accept the rule of organized 
society, men who refused the dominion of other men. There was no force, no mortal 
man who could bend them to their will unless they wished it. They were men who 
guarded their free will with wiles and murder. Their wills could be subverted only by 
death. Or the utmost reasonableness. 
Don Corleone sighed. “How did things ever go so far?” he asked rhetorically. “Well, no 
matter. A lot of foolishness has come to pass. It was so unfortunate, so unnecessary. 
But let me tell what happened, as I see it.” 
He paused to see if someone would object to his telling his side of the story. 
“Thank God my health has been restored and maybe I can help set this affair aright. 
Perhaps my son was too rash, too headstrong, I don’t say no to that. Anyway let me just 
say that Sollozzo came to me with a business affair in which he asked me for my money 
and my influence. He said he had the interest of the Tattaglia Family. The affair involved 
drugs, in which I have no interest. I’m a quiet man and such endeavors are too lively for 
my taste. I explained this to Sollozzo, with all respect for him and the Tattaglia Family. I 

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