Woltz's house looked like something from a film. It was a huge pinkwalled house surrounded by beautiful gardens, lakes and fields full of horses. Woltz welcomed Tom like an old friend, gave him a drink and showed him around. 'Why didn't you tell me you worked for Corleone, Tom?' he asked. 'I don't like to use his name unless it's really necessary.'
Woltz took Tom by the arm. 'Come with me, Tom,' he said. 'I want to show you something really beautiful.'
Woltz led Tom into a white building which was guarded by private detectives. Inside the building there were rows of horses. Woltz led Tom straight towards a beautiful horse with smooth black skin and a large, white, diamond-shaped mark between its eyes.
'You have an eye for beauty, don't you, Tom?' Woltz said proudly. 'This is Khartoum, the greatest racehorse in the world. I bought him in England for $600,000.' He looked lovingly into the animal's enormous dark eyes for a long time, talking to it softly like a lover, forgetting about Tom. Tom coughed with embarrassment. Woltz touched the horse one last time on the neck, then said to Tom: 'Let's go and have dinner.' 'Corleone is Johnny's godfather,' Tom began to explain at dinner. Although there were only two people at the table, the food was served by three waiters. 'To Italians, that's very important.'
I respect that, 'Woltz said. 'Just tell him he can ask me anything he likes. But not this. This is one favour I can't give him.'