Lucky Dog 1 translations 08 Giulio route 04 best

Part 3: Daivan

Chapter 8

Don Bondone

Suddenly, a knock echoes through the room.

Bernardo: What is it?

Bernardo’s Subordinate B: …The Consigliere and … one of the direttores are here to see you.

Gian: Grampa Cavalli?  Wonder what’s up?

Giulio: …

Then I notice…  Giulio’s expression’s changed.  His eyes are expressionless and lifeless, like nothing I’ve ever seen before.

No … I’ve seen this before.  It’s how Giulio looked back in the joint and back when we were on the run.  His blank expression, like he’s closed himself off from the world…

What the hell’s going on…?

Gian: Giulio?  What’s wrong?

Giulio: …O-Oh.  No.  I-It’s … nothing…

Giulio suddenly swivels his eyes towards me at my voice … but…  For some reason, I think I see shades of confusion, or maybe fear, in his eyes.

     

Bernardo takes me and Giulio up to the lounge on the top floor.  We head for the sofas by the window that we’d used for the captain conference awhile ago.

No waiters, and no soldiers either.  No guards.  There, in the open space empty of people, stood two black shadows – a smaller one, and a stocky, sturdy-looking barrel-like one…

Bernardo: My pardons, Counselor Cavalli.  Signor Bondone.  What has prompted your visit at this late hour…?

It’s Grampa Cavalli and … the other person looks familiar.

Don Bondone.

The head of the distinguished Bondone family and one of the top executives in the CR:5 Board, and … he’s also Giulio’s grandfather.

Counselor Cavalli and Executive Bondone watch us … and slowly, only the two of them lower themselves onto the sofa.  We stay standing, awaiting their words.

…Everyone here’s a capo, but … standing before the elderly Counselor and executive, we’ve got to act like the youngsters we are.  Even I know that much.

The three of us stand stock still, waiting for the elders’ words.  Grampa Cavalli gives a cough and starts speaking.

Cavalli: No, I personally have nothing of importance to say, but Sig. Bondone wishes to talk on behalf of the Board—

Bondone: Yes.  I am here to inform those of the caporegime cinque of the Board’s apprehensions and stances on the present circumstances.

Bernardo: ‘Apprehensions’…?

Man…  Bondone the wily old baboon…  He sure reeks of haughtiness and arrogance, like he’s glaring down his nose at all the puny humans that dare stand before him.

Bondone: To think that the family would become useless so soon following Alessandro’s disappearance.  …The Board is very displeased with how this incident has played out.

Bernardo: Which incident would you be talking about?  We are quite proud of the fact that we have not made any blunders worthy of a reprimand yet.

Hmph, and the old man looks at Bernardo like he’s spotted trash by the side of the road.

Bondone: We have been laboring for the sake of this city – for the family – since you were still leaking in your cribs.  This time, too, we were in the process of completing negotiations that would have resolved this entire conflict…

Bondone: …when you all came along and put all our efforts to waste – trampling our negations, our preparations underfoot.  The Board will never forgive such mockery!

Wow.  The baboon’s acting like he’s even higher on the ladder than Counselor Cavalli, than the head captain Bernardo, and even higher than the old man!

Technically … Capo del Salto’s on top in our family the CR:5 (although he’s MIA).

After that, there’s Counselor Cavalli, whose position’s honorary but it’s got voice.  Below that’s the five capos – us – where Bernardo, as the head captain, is sorta the leader.

Below that, each of the captains’ve got their protégé soldatos, and those soldiers’ve got their own minions.

That’s the family, all laid out.  Outside of that pyramid…

There’s the directors of the Board, like Grandpa Bondone here.  The directors are more like the family’s “supporters” than properly made men like the soldiers and the captains.

It’s made up of men from families that’ve supported our family generation after generation – old veteran soldiers who’ve gotten too old to run their rackets and guys who couldn’t make captain (these are the great majority).

Because almost all of them are full-blooded Italian, and on top of that many of them are rich, rich chairs and big stockholders of companies supported by the family, they’ve got a voice in the family – as you can see.

Bondone: Hmph…

The old man’s eyes gleam with a frigid, intimidating light as he looks over me … before turning straight towards Giulio.

Bondone: Giulio.

It was a low voice, but it cracked with the snap of a whip.  In response…

Giulio: Yes…

Giulio quietly replies like he’s an automaton built to do so.  …G-Giulio’s acting … kinda weird.

I feel like he’s shrinking smaller and smaller.

Bondone: Starting tomorrow, you will move under my orders, understand?  It is not the time to be getting involved in worthless brawls.

…What?  The fuck’re you saying, you geezer?!  In an instant, Bernardo and I are rendered speechless.

Bondone: Before you are a captain, you are a man of the Bondone family – the heir of our distinguished family.  I cannot allow you to throw your life away in this game of war you insist on playing.

Bondone: In addition, I cannot allow you to ignore my opinions or the opinions of the Board any longer.  Starting tomorrow, I will give direct orders to Giulio.

Bernardo: …Do you intend to make the foolish mistake of establishing two directing commanders?

Bondone: You may use the other capos as you like.  However … I will be deciding who this boy’s opponents are.

Bernardo: Ngh…

Bernardo and Counselor Cavalli both look like they’d swallowed a rock.  Their eyes meet each other … and they nod.

Bernardo: Understood.  As you wish…  However, I would like for you to pass your targets through me instead of ordering Giulio directly.

Bondone: Hmph…  Very well.  I shall inform you of the district Giulio will be dispatched to tomorrow morning.  …However, remember this.

Bondone: When the damages from your little game of war start appearing in the family … you will not get off easily – no matter how favored you are in Capo del Salto’s eyes.

After spitting out the words, the old man, supported by bodyguard and cane, turns heel and walks away, as though not one of us – not even Giulio – existed in his eyes.

The waddling hulk disappears behind elevator doors…

Cavalli: Sigh…  Goodness…

Counselor Cavalli heaves a sigh of ten years and drops down into the sofa again, looking older than before.

Cavalli: Goodness, even you, Bernardo … saying all those unnecessary things and angering him…  We cannot afford to quarrel with the Board at such a critical time!

Bernardo: I am very well aware of it.  However, we cannot lose Giulio right now.

Giulio: Then … I … will be with Signor Gian, still?

Bernardo: We still don’t know.  We still have no idea what ridiculous mountain we’ll be forced to clamber over tomorrow.

Cavalli: Even so … Bernardo, why did you not inform the Board of today’s attacks?  The Directors are even bringing their grievances to me.

Bernardo: We couldn’t risk failing our first surprise attack.  I am certain that if I’d informed the Directors, there would’ve been 100 percent chance the information would’ve leaked.

“Certain?”  When Counselor Cavalli and I blurt the word out at the same time, Beranrdo chuckles and nods.

Bernardo: After we’d been imprisoned in that penitentiary, and after we’d escaped, for some reason all of our movements had been predicted perfectly.  However, there was nothing after we’d returned to Daivan.

Bernardo: If one of us with capo status or – pardon me, but – if the Consigliere had betrayed us, we wouldn’t have lasted a week in Daivan.

Cavalli: Because only me, the captains and the men under your direct control know about your whereabouts and travel destinations…  Then…

Bernardo: When we’d been imprisoned, the ones who’d mediated the information for us had been the Consigliere and everyone on the Board.  And, I told you of today’s attack…

Bernardo: …and the surprise attacks had succeeded almost perfectly, without a hint of foul play.  That is the root of my certainty.

Cavalli: Mgh…

‘I see,’ says Cavalli’s expression as deep trenches of worry appear over his face.

Bernardo pats me and Giulio on the shoulder.

Bernardo: I’m sorry.  You may have unnecessary trouble to deal with starting tomorrow…

Giulio: No, I … so long as I am with Signor Gian…

…‘Why me?’ I wanted to cut in with.  My usual words.  …But there was barely any sign of life in those eyes, in his voice.

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