Крестный отец

           NotthatIwanttomakeenemies,Ineverbelievedinthat.Butlet’sjustenjoyourselvesnow.Wecantalkbusinessafterdinner."

           SurprisinglyWoltzprovedtobeatrulyconsideratehost.Heexplainedhisnewmethods,innovationsthathehopedwouldmakehisstablethemostsuccessfulinAmerica.Thestableswereallfire-proofed,sanitizedtothehighestdegree,andguardedbyaspecialsecuritydetailofprivatedetectives.FinallyWoltzledhimtoastallwhichhadahugebronzeplaqueattachedtoitsoutsidewall.Ontheplaquewasthename"Khartoum."

           Thehorseinsidethestallwas,eventoHagen’sinexperiencedeyes,abeautifulanimal.Khartoum’sskinwasjetblackexceptforadiamond-shapedwhitepatchonhishugeforehead.Thegreatbrowneyesglintedlikegoldenapples,theblackskinoverthetautbodywassilk.Woltzsaidwithchildishpride,"Thegreatestracehorseintheworld.IboughthiminEnglandlastyearforsixhundredgrand.IbeteventheRussianCzarsneverpaidthatmuchforasinglehorse.ButI’mnotgoingtoracehim,I’mgoingtoputhimtostud.I’mgoingtobuildthegreatestracingstablethiscountryhaseverknown."Hestrokedthehorse’smaneandcalledoutsoftly,"Khartoum,Khartoum."Therewasrealloveinhisvoiceandtheanimalresponded.WoltzsaidtoHagen,"I’magoodhorseman,youknow,andthefirsttimeIeverrodeIwasfiftyyearsold."Helaughed."MaybeoneofmygrandmothersinRussiagotrapedbyaCossackandIgothisblood."