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rinned at Fontane and said； 〃Warts。〃
Fontane didn't grasp it。 Jules said again。 〃Just some warts。 We'll slice them right off like skin off baloney。 In a few months you'll be OK。〃
Valenti let out a yell but Fontane was still frowning。 〃How about singing afterward； how will it affect my singing？〃
Jules shrugged。 〃On that there's no guarantee。 But since you can't sing now what's the difference？〃
Fontane looked at him with distaste。 〃Kid； you don't know what the hell you're talking about。 You act like you're giving me good news when what you're telling me is maybe I won't sing anymore。 Is that right； maybe I won't sing anymore？〃
Finally Jules was disgusted。 He'd operated as a real doctor and it had been a pleasure。 He had done this bastard a real favor and he was acting as if he'd been done dirt。 Jules said coldly； 〃Listen； Mr。 Fontane； I'm a doctor of medicine and you can call me Doctor； not kid。 And I did give you very good news。 When I brought you down here I was certain that you had a malignant growth in your larynx which would entail cutting out your whole voice box。 Or which could kill you。 I was worried that I might have to tell you that you were a dead man。 And I was so delighted when I could say the word 'warts。' Because your singing gave me so much pleasure； helped me seduce girls when I was younger and you're a real artist。 But also you're a very spoiled guy。 Do you think because you're Johnny Fontane you can't get cancer？ Or a brain tumor that's inoperable。 Or a failure of the heart？ Do you think you're never going to die？ Well； it's not all sweet music and if you want to see real trouble take a walk through this hospital and you'll sing a love song about warts。 So just stop the crap and get on with what you have to do。 Your Adolphe Menjou medical man can get you the proper surgeon but if he tries to get into the operating room I suggest you have him arrested for attempted murder。〃
Jules started to walk out of the room when Valenti said； 〃Attaboy； Doc； that's telling him。〃
Jules whirled around and said； 〃Do you always get looped before noontime？〃
Valenti said； 〃Sure；〃 and grinned at him and with such good humor that Jules said more gently than he had meant to； 〃You have to figure you'll be dead in five years if you keep that up。〃
Valenti was lumbering up to him with little dancing steps。 He threw his arms around Jules； his breath stank of bourbon。 He was laughing very hard。 〃Five years？〃 he asked still' laughing。 〃Is it going to take that long？〃
**********
A month after her operation Lucy Mancini sat beside the Vegas hotel pool； one hand holding a cocktail； the other hand stroking Jules' head； which lay in her lap。
〃You don't have to build up your courage；〃 Jules said teasingly。 〃I have champagne waiting in our suite。〃
〃Are you sure it's OK so soon？〃 Lucy asked。
〃I'm the doctor；〃 Jules said。 〃Tonight's the big night。 Do you realize I'll be the first surgeon in medical history who tried out the results of his 'medical first' operation？ You know； the Before and After。 I'm going to enjoy writing it up for the journals。 Let's see； 'while the Before was distinctly pleasurable for psychological reasons and the sophistication of the surgeon…instructor； the post…operative coitus was extremely rewarding strictly for its neurological〃… he stopped talking because Lucy had yanked on his hair hard enough for him to yell with pain。
She smiled down at him。 〃If you're not satisfied tonight I can really say it's your fault；〃 she said。
〃I guarantee my work。 I planned it even though I just let old Kellner do the manual labor；〃 Jules said。 〃Now let's just rest up； we have a long night of research ahead。〃
When they went up to their suite… they were living together now… Lucy found a surprise waiting： a gourmet supper and next to her champagne glass； a jeweler's box with a huge diamond engagement ring inside it。
〃That shows you how much confidence I have in my work；〃 Jules said。 〃Now let's see you earn it。〃
He was very tender； very gentle with her。 She was a little scary at first； her flesh jumping away from his touch but then； reassured； she felt her body building up to a passion she had never known； and when they were done the first time and Jules whispered； 〃I do good work；〃 she whispered back； 〃Oh； yes； you do； yes； you do。〃 And they both laughed to each other as they started making love again。
Book six
Chapter 23
After five months of exile in Sicily； Michael Corleone came finally to understand his father's character and his destiny。 He came to understand men like Luca Brasi； the ruthless caporegime Clemenza； his mother's resignation and acceptance of her role。 For in Sicily he saw what they would have been if they had chosen not to struggle against their fate。 He understood why the Don always said； 〃A man has only one destiny。〃 He came to understand the contempt for authority and legal government； the hatred for any man who broke omerta； the law of silence。
Dressed in old clothes and a billed cap； Michael had been transported from the ship docked at Palermo to the interior of the Sicilian island； to the very heart of a province controlled by the Mafia； where the local capo…mafioso was greatly indebted to his father for some past service。 The province held the town of Corleone； whose name the Don had taken when he emigrated to America so long ago。 But there were no longer any of the Don's relatives alive。 The women had died of old age。 All the men had been killed in vendettas or had also emigrated； either to America； Brazil or to some other province on the Italian mainland。 He was to learn later that this small poverty…stricken town had the highest murder rate of any place in the world。
Michael was installed as a guest in the home of a bachelor uncle of the capo…mafioso。 The uncle； in his seventies； was also the doctor for the district。 The capo…mafioso was a man in his late fifties named Don Tommasino and he operated as the gabbellotto for a huge estate belonging to one of Sicily's most noble families。 The gabbellotto； a sort of overseer to the estates of the rich； also guaranteed that the poor would not try to claim land not being cultivated； would not try to encroach in any way on the estate； by poaching or trying to farm it as squatters。 In short； the gabbellotto was a mafioso who for a certain sum of money protected the real estate of the rich from all claims made on it by the poor； legal or illegal。 When any poor peasant tried to implement the law which permitted him to buy uncultivated land； the gabbellotto frightened him off with threats of bodily harm or death。 It was that simple。
Don Tommasino also controlled the water rights in the area and vetoed the local building of any new dams by the Roman government。 Such dams would ruin the lucrative business of selling water from the artesian wells he controlled； make water too cheap； ruin the whole important water economy so laboriously built up over hundreds of years。 However； Don Tommasino was an old…fashioned Mafia chief and would have nothing to do with dope traffic or prostitution。 In this Don Tommasino was at odds with the new breed of Mafia leaders springing up in big cities like Palermo； new men who； influenced by American gangsters deported to Italy； had no such scruples。
The Mafia chief was an extremely portly man； a 〃man with a belly；〃 literally as well as is the figurative sense that meant a man able to inspire fear in his fellow men。 Under his protection； Michael had nothing to fear； yet it was considered necessary to keep the fugitive's identity a secret。 And so Michael was restricted to the walled estate of Dr。 Taza； the Don's uncle。
Dr。 Taza was tall for a Sicilian； almost six feet； and had ruddy cheeks and snow…white hair。 Though in his seventies； he went every week to Palermo to pay his respects to the younger prostitutes of that city； the younger the better。 Dr。 Taza's other vice was reading。 He read everything and talked about what he read to his fellow townsmen； patients who were illiterate （scanned and fully proofed by iliter8） peasants； the estate shepherds； and this gave him a local