The Sicilian

truth was a source of power, a lever of control, why should anyone give  it away?
The Mafia chiefs. the Friends of the Friends, heads of small local clans in the many villages of Sicily, came in holiday finery to plead the cause of students who were relatives or sons of wealthy landowners, or sons of friends, who were failing in their courses at the University. who would not get degrees unless some firm action was taken. And these degrees were of The utmost importance. How else would families get rid of sons who had no ambition, no talent, no intelligence? Parents would have to support sons the rest of their lives. But with degrees, slips of parchment from the University, these same rascals could be come teachers, doctors, members of Parliament, or if worse came to worst, minor administrative functionaries of the state. 
Hector Adonis shrugged: history consoled him. His beloved British, in their greatest days of Empire, had entrusted their armies to equally incompetent sons of the rich, whose parents bought them commissions in the army and the commands of great ships. Still the Empire had prospered. True these commanders had led their men to unnecessary slaughters, yet it must be said that the commander had died with their men. bravery had been an imperative of their class. And that dying had at least solved the problem of incompetent and feckless men becoming a burden to the state. Italians were not so chivalrous or so coldly practical. They loved their children, saved them from personal disasters and let the state look after itself.
Again it was like the English he so much admired, those people who could be so subtly rude that you basked in their insults for days before you realized they had mortally wounded you
True Christians, they would never shame a statue of the Virgin Mary, but in the hot blood of vendetta they would shotgun the Pope himself for breaking omerta, the ancient code of silence to any authority. In this land with its countless statues of Jesus, there was no belief in the doctrine of turning the other cheek. In this benighted land “forgiveness" was the refuge of the coward.
centuries ago the Normans had painted their houses white, the Greeks always used blue, the Arabs various pinks and red. And the Jews used yellow
The Holy Church itself needs our help, must defend itself against powerfu enemies. The Communists and Socialists, those misguided liberals, must be fought against, and that takes money. What a comfort to Mother Church are the faithful! Their need for our holy relics supplies the money to crush the infidels and fills a need in their own souls. If we did not supply them they would waste their money on gambling and wine and shameful women don't you agree?
Mafia, in Arabic, means a place of sanctuary, and the word took its place in the Sicilian language when the Saracens ruled  the country in the tenth century
A belief in ones own virtue is far more dangerous than a belief in one’s cunning
A mans first duty is to keep himself alive. Then comes what everyone calls honor..... You are alive and he is dead. Always remember that and live your life not to be a hero but to remain alive. With time, heroes seem a little foolish.

 IT was the first lesson Michael received from his father and the one he learned best. It was to color his future life, persuade him to make terrible decisions he could never have dreamed of mak ing before, It's changed his perception of honor and his awe of heroism. It helped him to survive, but it made him unhappy.