The Namesake Read Online Free PDF Page A

education to use flattering the boss.’
    ‘The Prefect ?’ said Blume. ‘Isn’t that title a bit too judicial-sounding?’
    ‘I think it’s more ecclesiastic, like Michele Greco used to be called the “Pope”. When the Catholic Church is establishing itself among heathens, it sends out a mission. If the mission is successful, the mission becomes a prefecture. If the prefecture grows in size, it becomes a vicariate. If the vicariate is consolidated, it becomes a diocese. Megale, one of the first missionaries into Germany, obviously sees the Mafia conquest of the Rhine–Westphalia region as being only at the second stage.’
    ‘Let’s get back to Tony,’ said Blume. ‘As the crimine , he has the firepower, access to killers, control over the arsenal.’
    ‘That can be taken away from him, and you should not underestimate the importance of the mastro di giornata , especially when you’re talking about a locale operating outside Italy. The mastro di giornata doesn’t just call meetings, deal with protocol, and act as an intermediary, he is also responsible for maintaining the traditions of the Society, and that is extremely important for a locale based abroad. The Ndrangheta is not just a criminal organization, it’s a system of belief.’
    ‘OK, so Curmaci’s important.’
    ‘Agazio Curmaci is almost certainly a santista , or maybe even higher,’ said Arconti. ‘All the signs are there.’
    ‘I thought a santista was a rank above the boss of a locale ,’ said Blume. ‘It seems weird he could be both above and below the boss at the same time.’
    ‘It’s not really a rank. It’s more a function. A santista is dedicated to interfacing with the authorities and the world of business. He will be a member of Rotary clubs, Masonic lodges, business associations, political parties, planning committees and so on. He’ll exchange political favours and will appear as legitimate as possible. But, and this is where the Ndrangheta excels, a santista is even allowed to help the police if he sees it as being in the long-term interest of the Society. He can sacrifice his companions. If he is a santista , then he’s sort of outside the Society and inside it too. He’s allowed to make decisions that go far beyond his official title. Not only could Curmaci overrule Tony, he could even overrule Old Megale if he felt it was in the best interests of the Society.’
    ‘But his comrades don’t know he’s a santista ?’
    ‘Not necessarily.’
    ‘And you do?’
    Arconti looked flustered. ‘No, I don’t. But I have a feeling.’
    ‘A feeling that Curmaci can do what he pleases?’
    ‘Not what he pleases. There are rules, and they are intricate. The Ndrangheta has a system that allows for controlled betrayal of parts for the sake of the general preservation of the whole. Cosa Nostra never managed it. In some ways it’s hard not to admire these people.’
    ‘Are you saying that because you’re Calabrian, too, Magistrate?’
    ‘I am proud as well as ashamed of what my people can do,’ said Arconti. ‘Look at Megale, the “Prefect of Westphalia”, to give the murderous old goatherd his full honorific title. He controls a vast fortune that he made by buying up thousands of offices and homes in East Germany after the collapse of Communism, most of which he did from behind bars. Or take his son, Tony; or better, Agazio Curmaci. They too have untold wealth, but live like they’ve taken a vow of poverty. Their families live in tumbledown houses in Locri. It’s not just money that drives them, Blume. Remember that.’
    The magistrate paused and raised his left arm in the air as if trying to gauge the weight of something. ‘Old Megale was released from prison in Germany last week. Don’t you think it’s odd that those two clowns with the pills, the Cuzzocrea brothers, should turn up, a few days before the release?’
    ‘No,’ said Blume. ‘I don’t see it as odd. I don’t see the connection.’
    ‘Maybe