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chest； he said to Bonasera； 〃Well； old friend； are you ready to do me this service？〃
Bonasera nodded。 The Don followed the stretcher into the embalming room and Bonasera trailed after him。 The corpse was on one of the guttered tables。 Don Corleone made a tiny gesture with his hat and the other men left the room。
Bonasera whispered； 〃What do you wish me to do？〃
Don Corleone was staring at the table。 〃I want you to use all your powers； all your skill； as you love me；〃 he said。 〃I do not wish his mother to see him as he is。〃 He went to the table and drew down the gray blanket。 Amerigo Bonasera against all his will； against all his years of training and experience； let out a gasp of horror。 On the embalming able was the bullet…smashed face of Sonny Corleone。 The left eye drowned in blood had a star fracture in its lens。 The bridge of his nose and left cheekbone were hammered into Pulp。
For one fraction of a second the Don put out his hand to support himself against Bonasera's body。 〃See how they have massacred my son；〃 he said。
Chapter 19
Perhaps it was the stalemate that made Sonny Corleone embark on the bloody course of attrition that ended in his own death。 Perhaps it was his dark violent nature given full rein。
In any case； that spring and summer he mounts senseless raids on enemy auxiliaries。 Tattaglia Family pimps were shot to death in Harlem； dock goons were massacred。 Union officials who owed allegiance to the Five Families were warned to stay neutral； and when the Corleone bookmakers and shylocks were still barred from the docks； Sonny sent Clemenza and his regime to wreak havoc upon the long shore。
This slaughter was senseless because it could not affect affect the oute of the war。 Sonny was a brilliant tactician and wears his brilliant victories。 But what was needed was the strategical genius of Don Corleone。 The whole thing degenerated into such a deadly guerrilla war that both sides found themselves losing a great deal of revenue and lives to no purpose。 The Corleone Family was finally forced to close down some of its most profitable bookmaking stations； including the book given to son…in…law Carlo Rizzi for his living。 Carlo took to drink and running with chorus girls and giving his wife Connie a hard time。 Since his beating at the hands of Sonny he had not dared to hit his wife again but he had not slept with her。 Connie had thrown herself at his feet and he had spurned her； as he thought； like a Roman； with exquisite patrician pleasure。 He had sneered at her； 〃Go call your brother and tell him I won't screw you； maybe he'll beat me up until I get a hard on。〃
But he was in deadly fear of Sonny though they treated each other with cold politeness。 Carlo had the sense to realize that Sonny would kill him； that Sonny was a man who could； with the naturalness of an animal； kill another man； while he himself would have to call up all his courage； all his will； to mit murder。 It never occurred to Carlo that because of this he was a better man than Sonny Corleone； if such terms could be used； he envied Sonny his awesome savagery； a savagery which was now being a legend。
Tom Hagen； as the Consigliere； disapproved of Sonny's tactics and yet decided not to protest to the Don simply because the tactics； to some extent； worked。 The Five Families seemed to be cowed； finally； as the attrition went on； and their counterblows weakened and finally ceased altogether。 Hagen at first distrusted this seeming pacification of the enemy but Sonny was jubilant。 〃I'll pour it on；〃 he told Hagen； 〃and then those bastards will e begging for a deal。〃
Sonny was worried about other things。 His wife was giving him a hard time because the rumors had gotten to her that Lucy Mancini had bewitched her husband。 And though she joked publicly about her Sonny's equipment and technique； he had stayed away from her too long and she missed him in her bed； and she was making life miserable for him with her nagging。
In addition to this Sonny was under the enormous strain of being a marked man。 He had to be extraordinarily careful in all his movements and he knew that his visits to Lucy Mancini had been charted by the enemy。 But here he took elaborate precautions since this was the traditional vulnerable spot。 He was safe there。 Though Lucy had not the slightest suspicion； she was watched twenty…four hours a day by men of the Santino regime and when an apartment became vacant on her floor it was immediately rented by one of the most reliable men of that regime。
The Don was recovering and would soon be able to resume mand。 At that time the tide of battle must swing to the Corleone Family。 This Sonny was sure of。 Meanwhile he would guard his Family's empire； earn the respect of his father； and； since the position was not hereditary to an absolute degree； cement his claim as heir to the Corleone Empire。
But the enemy was making its plans。 They too had analyzed the situation and had e to the conclusion that the only way to stave off plete defeat was to kill Sonny Corleone。 They understood the situation better now and felt it was possible to negotiate with the Don； known for his logical reasonableness。 They had e to hate Sonny for his bloodthirstiness； which they considered barbaric。 Also not good business sense。 Nobody wanted the old days back again with all its turmoil and trouble。
One evening Connie Corleone received an anonymous phone call； a girl's voice； asking for Carlo。 〃Who is this？〃 Connie asked。
The girl on the other end giggled and said； 〃I'm a friend of Carlo's。 I just wanted to tell him I can't see him tonight。 I have to go out of town。〃
〃You lousy bitch；〃 Connie Corleone said。 She screamed it again into the phone。 〃You lousy tramp bitch。〃 There was a click on the other end。
Carlo had gone to the track for that afternoon and when he came home in the late evening he was sore at losing and half drunk from the bottle he always carried。 As soon as he stepped into the door； Connie started screaming curses at him。 He ignored her and went in to take a shower。 When he came out he dried his naked body in front of her and started dolling up to go out。
Connie stood with hands on hips； her face pointy and white with rage。 〃You're not going anyplace；〃 she said。 〃Your girl friend called and said she can't make it tonight。 You lousy bastard； you have the nerve to give your whores my phone number。 I'll kill you； you bastard。〃 She rushed at him； kicking and scratching。
He held her off with one muscular forearm。 〃You're crazy；〃 he said coldly。 But she could see he was worried； as if he knew the crazy girl he was screwing would actually pull such a stunt。 〃She was kidding around； some nut；〃 Carlo said。
Connie ducked around his arm and clawed at his face。 She got a little bit of his cheek under her fingernails。 With surprising patience he pushed her away。 She noticed he was careful because of her pregnancy and that gave her the courage to feed her rage。 She was also excited。 Pretty soon she wouldn't be able to do anything； the doctor had said no sex for the last two months and she wanted it； before the last two months started。 Yet her wish to inflict a physical injury on Carlo was very real too。 She followed him into the bedroom。
She could see he was scared and that filled her with contemptuous delight。 〃You're staying home；〃 she said； 〃you're not going out。〃
〃OK； OK；〃 he said。 He was still undressed； only wearing his shorts。 He liked to go around the house like that； he was proud of his V…shaped body； the golden skin。 Connie looked at him hungrily。 He tried to laugh。 〃You gonna give me something to eat at least？〃
That mollified her； his calling on her duties； one of them at least。 She was a good cook； she had learned that from her mother。 She sauteed veal and peppers； preparing a mixed salad while the pan simmered。 Meanwhile Carlo stretched out on his bed to read the next day's racing form。 He had a water glass full of whiskey beside him which he kept sipping at。
Connie came into the bedroom。 She stood in the doorway as if she could not e close to the bed without being invited。 〃The food is on the table；〃 she said。
〃I'm not hungry yet；〃 he said； still reading the racing form。
〃It's on the table；〃 Connie said stubbornly。
〃Stick it up your ass；〃 Carlo said。 He drank off the rest of the whiskey in the water glass； tilted the bottle to fill it again。 He paid no more attention to her。
Connie went into the kitchen； picked up the plates filled with food and smashed them against the sink。 The loud crashes brought Carlo in from the bedroom。 He looked at the greasy veal and peppers splattered all over the kitchen walls and his finicky neatness was outraged。 〃You filthy guinea spoiled brat；〃 he said venomously。 〃Clean that up right now or I'll kick the shit out of you。〃
〃Like hell I will；〃 Connie said。 She held her hands like claws ready to scratch his bare chest to ribbons。
Carlo went back into the bedroom and when he came out he was holding his belt doubled in his hand。 〃Clean it up；〃 he said and there was no mistaking the menace in his voice。 She stood there not moving and he swung the belt against her heavily padded hips； the leather stinging but not really hurting。 Connie retreated to the kitchen cabinets and her hand went into one of the drawers to haul out the long bread knife。 She held it ready。
Carlo laughed。 〃Even the female Corleones are murderers；〃 he said。 He put the belt down on the kitchen table and advanced toward her。 She tried a sudden lunge but her pregnant heavy body made her slow and he eluded the thrust she aimed at his groin in such deadly earnest。 He disarmed her easily and then he started to slap her face with a slow medium…heavy stroke so as not to break the skin。 He hit her again and again as she retreated around the kitchen table trying to escape him and he pursued her into the bedroom。 She tried to bite his hand and he grabbed her by the hair to lift her head up。 He slapped her face until she began to weep like a little girl； with pain and humiliation。 Then he threw her contemptuously onto the bed。 He drank from the bottle of whiskey still on the night table。 He seemed very drunk now； his light blue eyes had a crazy glint in them and finally Connie was truly afraid。
Carlo straddled his legs apart and drank from the bottle。 He reached down and grabbed a chunk of her pregnant heavy thigh in his hand。 He squeezed very hard； hurting her and making her beg for mercy。 〃You're fat as a pig；〃 he said with disgust and walked out of the bedroom。
Thoroughly frightened and cowed； she lay in the bed； not daring to see what her husband was doing in the other room。 Finally she rose and went to the door to peer into the living room。 Carlo had opened a fresh bottle of whiskey and was sprawled on the sofa。 In a little while he would drink himself into sodden sleep and she could sneak into the kitchen and call her family in Long Beach。 She would tell her mother to send someone out here to get her。 She just hoped Sonny didn't answer the phone； she knew it would be best to talk to Tom Hagen or her mother。
It was nearly ten o'clock at night when the kitchen phone in Don Corleone's house rang。 It was answered by one of the Don's bodyguards who dutifully turned the phone over to Connie's mother。 But Mrs。 Corleone could hardly understand what her daughter was saying； the girl was hysterical yet trying to whisper so that her husband in the next room would not hear her。 Also her face had bee swollen because of the slaps； and her puffy lips thickened her speech。 Mrs。 Corleone made a sign to the bodyguard that he should call Sonny； who was in the living room with Tom Hagen。
Sonny came into the kitchen and took the phone from his mother。 〃Yeah； Connie；〃 he said。
Connie was so frightened both of her husband and of what her brother would do that her speech became worse。 She babbled； 〃Sonny； just send a car to bring me home； I'll tell you then； it's nothing； Sonny。 Don't you e。 Send Tom； please； Sonny。 It's nothing； I just want to e home。〃
By this time Hagen had e into the room。 The Don was already under a sedated sleep in the bedroom above and Hage