The Godfather

 “The Godfather” By Mario Puzo
 
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limousine until it reached Long Beach. 
Kay never asked Michael how his business had gone. Even such polite questions were 
understood to be awkward, not that he wouldn’t give her an equally polite answer, but it 
would remind them both of the forbidden territory their marriage could never include. 
Kay didn’t mind anymore. But when Michael told her he would have to spend the 
evening with his father to tell him about the Vegas trip, she couldn’t help making a little 
frown of disappointment. 
“I’m sorry,” Michael said. “Tomorrow night we’ll go into New York and see a show and 
have dinner, OK?” He patted her stomach, she was almost seven months pregnant. 
“After the kid comes you’ll be tied down again. Hell, you’re more Italian than Yankee. 
Two kids in two years.” 
Kay said tartly, “And you’re more Yankee than Italian. Your first evening home and you 
spend it on business.” But she smiled at him when she said it. “You won’t be home 
late?” 
“Before midnight,” Michael said. “Don’t wait up for me if you feel tired.” 
“I’ll wait up,” Kay said. 
* * *
At the meeting that night, in the corner room library of Don Corleone’s house, were the 
Don himself, Michael, Tom Hagen, Carlo Rizzi, and the two caporegimes, Clemenza 
and Tessio. 
The atmosphere of the meeting was by no means so congenial as in former days. Ever 
since Don Corleone had announced his semiretirement and Michael’s take-over of the 
Family business, there had been some strain. Succession in control of such an 
enterprise as the Family was by no means hereditary. In any other Family powerful 
caporegimes such as Clemenza and Tessio might have succeeded to the position of 
Don. Or at least they might have been allowed to split off and form their own Family. 
Then, too, ever since Don Corleone had made the peace with the Five Families, the 
strength of the Corleone Family had declined. The Barzini Family was now indisputably 
the most powerful one in the New York area; allied as they were to the Tattaglias, they 
now held the position the Corleone Family had once held. Also they were slyly whittling 
down the power of the Corleone Family, muscling into their gambling areas, testing the 
Corleones’ reactions and, finding them weak, establishing their own bookmakers. 

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