Blood From a Stone (204 page)

i
ndeed
s
til
l
t
he
se
lfi
sh
p
i
ece
of
sh
i
t
t
hat
w
ou
l
d
d
o so
m
e
t
h
i
ng
li
k
e
t
ha
t
.
T
en
Aw
a
k
en
i
n
g
s
a
g
o,
he
’
d
ha
v
e
t
hou
g
ht
n
ot
h
i
ng of such
a
t
h
i
n
g
.
B
ut
he
r
e
and
no
w
….and
w
it
h he
r
, so
m
e
t
h
i
ng
had chan
g
ed.
C
ho
i
ces
had been
m
ade.

H
e
t
hou
g
ht
back o
v
er
t
he
m
o
m
en
t
s
he
’
d
been s
t
an
d
i
ng ou
t
s
i
de
her
doo
r
.
When
he
a
l
m
ost
t
u
r
ned
a
r
ound
and 
l
e
f
t be
f
o
r
e
g
o
i
ng
i
ns
i
de
t
o
spend
t
he
n
i
g
h
t
.
Y
es,
he
’
d
w
a
l
k
ed
i
n her
door
and
t
a
k
en
her
t
o
bed.
A
nd
i
t
w
as
f
or
a
r
e
a
son a
lri
g
h
t
, but
i
t
w
asn
’
t
w
hat
she
w
as
accus
i
ng
h
i
m o
f
.
A
nd
he
k
new
w
it
hout
a doubt
t
hat
ri
g
ht
he
r
e and no
w
, he spo
k
e
t
he
tr
u
t
h.

“
I
’
m
not
l
e
tti
ng
y
ou
w
a
l
k  out
of
he
r
e
m
ad,
not
k
no
w
i
ng
i
f
y
ou e
v
en
m
ade
i
t
ho
m
e a
lri
g
h
t
.”

“
I
’
m
a
b
i
g
g
irl
.
I
w
as
fi
ne
be
f
o
r
e
y
ou
ca
m
e…and
I
’
m su
r
e
I
’l
l
be
fi
ne
a
ft
er
y
ou
’r
e
g
one.
I
k
now how
t
o
ca
l
l
a
cab,” she sa
i
d
fir
m
l
y
.

“
P
l
ease
don
’
t
j
ust
w
a
l
k out
on
m
e
li
k
e
t
h
i
s.
L
et
m
e at
l
east
d
ri
v
e
y
ou
ho
m
e,
and
t
hen
I p
r
o
m
i
se
i
f
y
ou
don
’
t
w
ant
t
o
t
a
l
k
t
o
m
e or
see
m
e a
g
a
i
n,
I
’l
l
l
ea
v
e
y
ou a
l
one.”

“
F
i
ne,”
she
sa
i
d
as
she
s
t
a
rt
ed
t
o
g
et
up
and
w
a
l
k
t
o
t
he door
of
t
he d
i
ne
r
.

H
e
t
h
r
ew
a
f
ew buc
k
s
do
w
n
on
t
he
t
ab
l
e
t
o
co
v
er
t
he co
ff
ee and
f
o
ll
o
w
ed her
out
t
he doo
r
.

C
H
AP
T
E
R
T
W
EN
T
Y

T
he
d
ri
v
e
back
t
o
her
house
f
e
l
t
li
k
e
an
e
t
e
r
n
it
y
a
s
t
hey
sat
t
he
r
e
i
n
s
il
ence.
H
e
w
an
t
ed
t
o
spea
k
,
but
f
e
l
t
t
hat do
i
ng
so
w
ou
l
d
on
l
y
m
a
k
e
t
h
i
n
g
s
w
o
r
se
t
han
t
hey
a
l
r
eady
w
e
r
e.

H
e
pu
ll
ed
i
n
t
o
her
d
ri
v
e
w
ay
and
she
t
u
r
ned
t
o
h
i
m as he
r
eached
f
or
her
hand.

“
S
a
m
son.
J
us
t
…
l
et
i
t
g
o.
I
don
’
t
k
now
how
t
o
deal
w
it
h
t
h
i
s.
I
j
ust
can
’
t
be
li
e
v
e
t
hat
y
ou
w
ou
l
d do
s
o
m
e
t
h
i
ng
li
k
e
t
h
i
s,
k
no
w
i
ng
how
dan
g
e
r
ous
i
t
cou
l
d
be
and
a
f
t
er
y
ou
sa
i
d
y
ou
w
ou
l
dn
’t
.”

“
S
o…a
r
e
w
e
done?
Y
ou
a
r
e
j
ust
t
h
r
o
w
i
ng e
v
e
r
y
t
h
i
ng a
w
ay
o
v
er
t
h
i
s
w
it
hout
e
v
en
g
i
v
i
ng
m
e a chance?”

“A
chance
t
o
do
W
HA
T
?
!
”
she
spa
t
.
“Mo
r
e of
y
our p
l
a
y
i
ng
G
od?”
S
he shook
her
head.

“
I
’
m
not
p
l
a
y
i
ng
G
od,
W
ill
o
w
,”
he
sa
i
d
so
ftl
y but
i
n
a
v
o
i
ce
t
hat
w
ou
l
d a
ll
ow
no a
r
g
u
m
en
t
.

“
T
hen
j
ust
w
hat
t
he
he
l
l
do
y
ou
ca
l
l
i
t
?” she sa
i
d.
H
er e
y
es bu
r
ned a ho
l
e
t
h
r
ou
g
h h
i
m
.

“
I
s
i
t
p
l
a
y
i
ng
G
od
w
hen
y
ou
or
one
of
t
he doc
t
o
r
s
i
n
y
our
hosp
it
al
pe
rf
o
r
m
s
a
lif
esa
v
i
ng su
r
g
e
r
y
…or
g
i
v
e
s a
k
i
d a shot
of
pen
i
c
illi
n
t
hat
k
ill
s
an
i
n
f
ec
ti
on
t
hat
w
o
u
l
d
t
a
k
e
t
hem out
i
f
y
ou d
i
dn
’t
?”
H
e
r
a
i
sed
i
s b
r
o
w
s.

“
T
hat
i
s
NO
T
t
he
sa
m
e
t
h
i
ng and
y
ou
k
n
ow
it
,”
she sa
i
d an
g
ril
y
.

“
Y
es.
I
t
i
s.
I
j
ust
ha
v
e
a
d
iff
e
r
ent
bag
of
t
oo
l
s
t
o
w
o
r
k
w
it
h.
I
k
new
da
m
ned
w
e
l
l
t
hat
t
he
r
e
m
i
g
ht
be
ri
s
k
s
i
n
w
hat
I
w
as
do
i
n
g
…but
I
j
ust
had
t
o
g
o on
w
hat
I
‘
d
seen
so
f
a
r
,
and
I can
t
e
l
l
y
ou
t
hat
k
i
d
w
as
not
g
o
i
ng
t
o
m
a
k
e
i
t
i
f
I
hadn
‘
t
s
t
epped
i
n. I
f
e
l
t
h
i
s sou
l
.”

S
he
shook
her
head.
“
A
nd
w
ha
t
?
Y
ou
t
hink
y
ou
ha
v
e
no
f
a
il
u
r
e
r
a
t
e?
What
i
f
so
m
e
t
h
i
ng
happens
t
o
t
hat
li
t
tl
e bo
y
…or
t
hat
o
l
d
m
an.
H
ow
a
r
e
y
ou
g
o
i
ng
t
o
f
eel
t
hen?”