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17 Luca always carried a gun. He had a license to carry a gun, probably the most

expensive gun license ever issued anyplace, anytime. It had cost a total of ten

thousand dollars but it would keep him out of jail if he was frisked by the cops.

As a top executive operating official of the Family he rated the license. But

tonight, just in case he could finish off the job, he wanted a "safe" gun. One that

could not possibly be traced. But then thinking the matter over, he decided that

he would just listen to the proposition tonight and report back to the Godfather,

Don Corleone.

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18 He made his way back to the club but he did not drink any more. Instead he

wandered out to 48th Street, where he had a leisurely late supper at Patsy's, his

favorite Italian restaurant. When it was time for his appointment he drifted uptown

to the club entrance. The doorman was no longer there when he went in. The

hatcheck girl was gone. Only Bruno Tattaglia waited to greet him and lead him to

the deserted bar at the side of the room. Before him he could see the desert of

small tables with the polished yellow wood dance floor gleaming like a small

diamond in the middle of them. In the shadows was the empty bandstand, out of

it grew the skeleton metal stalk of a microphone.

19 Luca sat at the bar and Bruno Tattaglia went behind it. Luca refused the drink

offered to him and lit a cigarette. It was possible that this would turn out to be

something else, not the Turk. But then he saw Sollozzo emerge out of the

shadows at the far end of the room.

20 Sollozzo shook his hand and sat at the bar next to him. Tattaglia put a glass

in front of the Turk, who nodded his thanks. "Do you know who I am?" asked

Sollozzo.

21 Luca nodded. He smiled grimly. The rats were being flushed out of their holes.

It would be his pleasure to take care of this renegade Sicilian.

22 "Do you know what I am going to ask of you?" Sollozzo asked.

23 Luca shook his head.

24 "There's big business to be made," Sollozzo said. "I mean millions for

everybody at the top level. On the first shipment I can guarantee you fifty

thousand dollars. I'm talking about drugs. It's the coming thing."

25 Luca said, "Why come to me? You want me to talk to my Don?"

26 Sollozzo grimaced. "I've already talked to the Don. He wants no part of it. All

right, I can do without him. But I need somebody strong to protect the operation

physically. I understand you're not happy with your Family, you might make a

switch."

27 Luca shrugged. "If the offer is good enough."

28 Sollozzo had been watching him intently and seemed to have come to a

decision. "Think about my offer for a few days and then we'll talk again," he said.

He put out his hand but Luca pretended not to see it and busied himself putting a

cigarette in his mouth. Behind the bar, Bruno Tattaglia made a lighter appear

magically and held it to Luca's cigarette. And then he did a strange thing. He

dropped the lighter on the bar and grabbed Luca's right hand, holding it tight.

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