Blood From a Stone (166 page)

H
e
shook h
i
s
head.
“
N
o.
A
nd
I
’
d p
r
e
f
er
t
o
k
eep
i
t
t
hat
w
a
y
,
t
hank
y
ou
v
e
r
y
m
uch.”

“
P
r
o
m
i
se?”

“I
p
r
o
m
i
se.”

“
O
k
a
y
.”
S
he
nodded,
dec
i
d
i
ng
t
o
p
l
ace
her
tr
ust
i
n
h
i
s
w
o
r
ds.
“
S
o
t
hen
w
hat
i
s
it
?”
S
he
l
eaned
back
i
n
t
he
boo
t
h,
r
ea
rr
an
g
i
ng
t
he nap
k
i
n
i
n her
l
ap.

H
i
s
m
i
nd
w
as
r
ee
li
ng
tr
y
i
ng
t
o
co
m
e
up
w
it
h so
m
e
t
h
i
n
g
…an
y
t
h
i
ng
t
o
t
e
l
l
her
ri
g
ht
about
no
w
.
B
e
c
ause a
l
t
hou
g
h
he
w
as
w
illi
ng
t
o
t
a
l
k
about
sa
v
i
ng
C
i
sco
and
t
he
littl
e
ca
t
….he
ll
,
m
a
y
be
he
’
d
e
v
en
t
e
l
l
her
about
H
ar
o
l
d…at
l
east
e
v
en
t
ua
ll
y
,
t
he
one
t
h
i
ng  he
w
as
u
tt
e
rl
y  ce
r
t
a
i
n
he cou
l
dn
’
t
d
i
sc
l
ose
w
as
t
he co
m
p
l
e
t
e
tr
u
t
h of
h
i
s
cu
r
se.

“We
ll
,
I
w
as
so
r
t
of
s
til
l
a
fr
a
i
d
t
hat
y
ou
m
i
g
ht
d
it
ch
m
e
once
y
ou
f
ound
out
about
t
h
i
s
ab
ilit
y
t
o
heal
an
i
m
a
l
s
w
it
h
m
y b
l
ood
and
I
’
d hoped
y
ou
w
ou
l
dn
‘
t
fi
nd out
about
t
he soul sha
ri
ng
t
h
i
n
g
.
Y
ou
k
no
w
,
I on
l
y
j
ust
f
ound
out
abo
u
t
i
t
m
y
se
l
f and
i
t
p
r
e
tt
y
m
uch
sca
r
ed
t
he
li
v
i
ng
sh
i
t
out
of
m
e
.
S
o
w
hat
w
as
g
o
i
ng
t
o happen
w
hen
you
f
ound ou
t
?”

A
lt
hou
g
h
he
’
d
p
r
o
m
i
sed
her
hones
t
y and
had
f
e
l
t
a
fr
eedom
t
hat
ca
m
e
w
it
h
l
e
tti
ng
g
o of
so
m
e pa
r
t
of
h
i
s pas
t
…he
f
ound
t
hat
i
n
t
h
i
s
pa
rti
cu
l
ar
i
ns
t
ance
he
w
as
g
o
i
ng
t
o
ha
v
e
t
o
g
o
back
t
o
h
i
s
o
l
d
w
a
y
s
of
be
i
ng a da
m
ned
g
ood
li
a
r
.
A
nd he hoped
t
hat
he
w
as
as
g
ood at
i
t
now
as
he
’
d been back
t
hen.

S
he
shook her
head and
l
au
g
hed. “
Y
ou a
r
e
so
f
u
l
l
of sh
it
.
N
ow
t
e
l
l
m
e
t
he
r
eal
tr
u
t
h.”

H
e
he
l
d
h
i
s
g
r
ound
not
fli
nch
i
ng
one
i
o
t
a.
“
O
k
a
y
.
I am
f
u
l
l
of
sh
it
.
T
hat
I
’l
l
g
i
v
e
y
ou,
because
m
ost
m
en
a
r
e.”
H
e s
m
ir
k
ed.
“
B
u
t
,
se
ri
ous
l
y
.
I am
t
e
lli
ng
y
ou
t
he
tr
u
t
h.
T
ha
t’
s
it
.
T
h
i
nk about
it
.
I
f
i
t
w
e
r
e
y
ou,
how
w
ou
l
d
y
ou
f
ee
l…
.ha
v
i
ng so
m
eone
e
l
se
fi
nd
out
about
so
m
e
t
h
i
ng
li
k
e
t
ha
t
,
w
hen
y
ou
’r
e a
lr
eady sca
r
ed
y
ou
r
se
l
f
and
don
’
t
k
now
w
hat
i
t
i
s
a
nd don
‘
t
k
now
i
f
so
m
eone
w
il
l
co
m
e haul
y
ou a
w
a
y
.
O
r
i
f
t
he
pe
r
son
y
ou
‘r
e
tr
y
i
ng
t
o
ha
v
e
a
r
e
l
a
ti
onsh
i
p
w
it
h
w
il
l
be
t
e
rr
i
fi
ed
and ca
l
l
t
o ha
v
e
y
ou hau
l
ed a
w
ay
w
hen
t
hey
fi
nd ou
t
.”