I was never convinced by the way FFC deals with Tom. The very fact that Tom was still out and Michael kept things secretly from him does not make sense in my opinion.
It is easy to say where in the novel FFC got the idea of his being out, but the novel clearly shows us that very soon he was back in, and not as just a lawyer.
When Michael says to Tom that he is out, he says it to everyone: “Tom Hagen is no longer the consigliere. He’s going to be our lawyer in Vegas. In about two months he’ll move out there permanently with his family. Strictly as a lawyer. Nobody goes to him with any other business as of now, this minute. <…> Besides, if I ever need any advice, who’s a better counselor than my father?”
This is not a simple speech. Why was he saying all this? There are four people to hear it. Neri, who was under his own command as personal bodyguard, and didn’t need to be told “not to go to Tom”, Carlo, who was condemned never to see Vegas, and two capos who were to remain in NY anyway, so the speech about Tom’s future employment in Vegas was of no use to them. Besides these three, as we learn later, were suspected by Vito and Mike as future traitors. One of them was, to their almost certain knowledge, already a spy of Barzini’s, the other two might betray at any moment. So, I believe, it was all (I mean all Mike’s performance at this meeting) directed and meant for Barzini, who will certainly learn the details sooner or later through one of them, who will betray. That’s why he proceeds telling them not to recruit new men for their regimes, stay still and wait for some negotiations that will solve everything before Corleones move to Vegas.
In fact, he fakes the 5 Families exactly as they did it with Sonny – he shows that he is not going to do anything, that he sits quietly and prepares nothing. To put them at their peace, he does not react on their provocations, as they did then. And Tom’s peaceful legal settlement in Vegas is another proof that he is no danger, his best forces are moved out of NY, including Intellectual forces.
It doesn’t mean that he underrates or distrusts Tom in any way. He plays a dreadfully dangerous game of chess with his enemies and moves his chessmen in the way that serves his plans best. Here’s the continuation of dialogue, when everyone left and there’s only Tom, Vito and Michael:
Tom: “Mike, why are you cutting me out of action?”
Mike: “You’ll be my number1 man in Vegas… etc. <…>
Tom: “I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about Rocco Lampone building a secret regime without my knowledge. I’m talking about you dealing direct with Neri rather than through me or a caporegime. <…> so, why am I out of the action?”
Michael faced him and without flinching gave it to him straight. “Tom, you are not a wartime consigliere. Things may get tough with this move we are trying to make and we may have to fight. And I want to get you out of the line of fire too, just in case.”
This is not such a very simple speech too. Why tell that straight? He was so subtly manipulative already that he couldn’t just say a thing to make Tom flush, without a purpose. And why to say polar things – you’re no good consigliere but I love you so much that I want to get you out of the line of fire?
He was not expecting war, we know that secret regime was used to prepare and fulfill his elaborate plan quickly and quietly. So he didn’t need any special wartime consigliere. With Tom around, he lost nothing, he might as well listen to his father’s advices rather than Tom’s. Then why mention it? Strange?
No, I don’t think so. Michael might awake the sense of guilt in Tom with one aim – to make him accept the decision and the situation that he didn’t understand without questioning, resign and do what he was told to. He doesn’t want to explain anything before it was necessary, and yet they both, Don and him, held Tom in such esteem as to understand that he will figure everything out soon enough.
Reproach worked, but Vito pitied Tom at last. Later the Don says: “Tom, it’s not just Michael. I advised him on these matters. There are things that may have to be done that I don’t want in any way to be responsible for. That is my wish, not Michael’s I never thought you were a bad consigliere. I thought Santino a bad Don <…> For reasons which you can’t know, you must have no part in what may happen. By the way, I told Michael that Lampone’s secret regime would not escape your eye. So that shows I have faith in you."
He gives him enough to understand that all reasons for his being out that were stated before, (legal status, not a wartime consigliere, etc) are invalid. Real reasons he “can’t know”. But he, Vito, wishes to spare him something. Later he says to Mike: “He can’t be involved in this”.
What it was we may guess easily. In the first place, Carlo’s execution. The thing Don “didn’t want in any way to be responsible for”. And second – execution of another closest Family member, who will turn traitoir, if it will not be Carlo himself. Also it might be concern for his safety, and not being messed in the massacre in any way so he wouldn’t lose his legal status, but these were additional reasons. Main was, that Michael had to convince Barzini in his safety in any dealings with himself. The major war, or even important operation, wouldn’t be arranged without a consigliere, and Barzini didn’t know how Michael rated Tom’s warring qualities. So he might surmise that if such an important figure as Tom is moved to legal field, nothing dangerous will happen before “legalization”. As in chess sometimes you have to sacrifice important chessmen to clear your way. Tom was ideal sacrifice – important, but not a big loss being out, because the Don himself remained on the spot to advise him.
But everything didn’t go as was expected. The Don died earlier than Mike was ready. It brought changes in their plans, he even had to make wholly new plan. And now he had no choice – he needed someone to act as buffer and arrange everything swiftly and efficiently. And a very significant scene between him and Tom follows after the funeral:
“Michael smiled at Hagen. “I guess you’ve figured everything out by now.” Hagen nodded. “It wasn’t hard. Except why you wanted me out of the action. But I put on my Sicilian hat and I finally figured that too.” Michael laughed. “The old man said you would. But that’s a luxury I can’t afford anymore. I need you here…”
So, Tom is returned to Consigliere spot. He is inside of everything, and, except the details of operation, they never meant to keep it secret from him – they knew that he would figure everything out. On the next day, when Tom said obvious thing, Mike is a bit angry and he says: “I don’t need a consigliere to give me that kind of advice.” So we know from his own lips that he considers Hagen his consigliere. And we have no reason to think that he will be removed again. There are no reasons anymore.
And that Mike would keep things in secret from him for no better reason than “respecting and loving him so much” – sounds absolutely ridiculous. Tom was no nice maiden, and Michael, intelligent as he was, would never mess tender feelings with business matters, and would never repeat Sonny’s mistake underrating Tom’s advice. Tom was part of the most illegal, even criminal transactions of the Family during his work with Vito, without losing his legitimacy or self-esteem in any way. Business with Roth was actually legit, except only pushing Klingman out… But that was terrible secret, really! Tom would never tumble.
After all the subtleties of Puzo’s book the way everyone begin to act in FFC’s sequel seems almost unbearably primitive, if not stupid.