Blood From a Stone (219 page)

S
he
nodded
i
n
a
g
r
ee
m
en
t
,
but
a
l
so
s
li
g
h
tl
y a
fr
a
i
d of
w
hat
he
m
i
g
ht
sa
y
. What
i
f
he
’
d dec
i
ded he d
i
dn
’
t
want
t
o see her
a
g
a
i
n a
ft
er
t
he
w
ay
she
’
d ac
t
ed
t
h
i
s
a
ft
e
r
noon?

“
B
e
f
o
r
e
y
ou
say
an
y
t
h
i
n
g
,
I
j
ust
w
ant
t
o
t
e
l
l
y
ou
t
hat
I
tr
ust
y
ou.
I
be
li
e
v
e
i
n
us
and
I
k
now
t
hat
so
m
eho
w
…
so
m
e
w
ay
w
e
can
w
o
r
k
t
h
r
ou
g
h
t
h
i
s
t
h
i
n
g
.”
S
he
s
m
il
ed
li
g
h
tl
y
hop
i
ng
t
o ease
t
he
t
ens
i
on she
f
e
lt
.

“
C
an I
co
m
e
i
n?” he sa
i
d.

S
he
s
m
ir
k
ed.
“I
be
li
e
v
e
y
ou
’
v
e
as
k
ed
m
e
t
hat
que
s
ti
on
be
f
o
r
e.”

             
H
e
s
m
il
ed
bac
k
.
“
Y
ou have me on that one.
B
ut
t
his
ti
m
e,”
he
s
i
g
hed, “
m
y
i
n
t
en
ti
ons
a
r
e
m
o
r
e…nob
l
e.”

T
he
y
w
a
l
k
ed
o
v
er
t
o
her
couch and he
sat
do
w
n b
e
s
i
de her
as
she
pu
ll
ed
her
b
l
an
k
et
a
r
ound
he
r
se
l
f
tr
y
i
ng
t
o
f
end
o
f
f
t
he ch
il
l
fr
om
ha
v
i
ng
t
he door
open
i
n
t
he
fr
ee
z
i
ng
a
ir
.

H
e
t
ook
her
hand
i
n
h
i
s
o
w
n.
“I ha
v
en’t
been co
m
p
l
e
t
e
l
y
honest
w
it
h 
y
ou,”
he
sa
i
d
hea
v
il
y
.
“
Y
ou
k
now about
w
hat
m
y
b
l
ood
can
do
but
y
ou
don
’
t
k
now
t
he
r
est
of
t
he s
t
o
r
y
.”

S
he
s
w
a
ll
o
w
ed
ha
r
d.
“
D
oes
t
h
i
s
ha
v
e
a
n
y
t
h
i
ng
t
o
do
w
it
h
t
he
g
o
l
den ha
ir
ed
l
ad
y
?”

S
a
m
son
l
oo
k
ed a
l
a
r
m
ed. “
Y
ou
’
v
e seen h
e
r
?”

W
ill
ow
shook her
head.
“
N
o.
B
ut
D
a
v
i
d
t
o
l
d
m
e
she ca
m
e
t
o
h
i
s
r
oo
m
.”
H
er
e
y
es
w
e
ll
ed
up
w
it
h
t
ea
r
s.
“
S
he
sa
i
d
t
hat
y
ou
w
ou
l
d
be
an
an
g
el
soon…or
so
m
e
t
h
i
ng
li
k
e
t
ha
t
.”
S
he
r
eached
f
o
r
w
a
r
d
and
put
her
a
r
m
s
a
r
ound
h
i
s  ne
c
k
. “
P
l
ease
t
e
l
l
m
e
y
ou
’r
e not
g
o
i
ng
t
o d
i
e.”

H
e
s
m
il
ed.
“We
ll
,
t
hat
w
asn
’
t
on
m
y ‘to-do list’
f
or
t
he
w
ee
k
. What
d
i
d she say
t
o
D
a
v
i
d?”

“I
don
’
t
k
no
w
…o
t
her
t
han
y
ou beco
m
i
ng
one of
t
he
m
. Who
i
s
she?”

S
a
m
son
shook
h
i
s
head.
“I
don
’
t
k
no
w
.
I
’
v
e
on
l
y seen her
a
coup
l
e
of
ti
m
es.
S
he
sa
i
d
she
w
as
so
m
e
k
i
nd
o
f
g
ua
r
d
i
an or
so
m
e
t
h
i
n
g
.”

“
D
oes
she
k
now
about
y
our
b
l
ood?
I
s
s
h
e
t
he one
w
ho d
i
d
t
h
i
s
t
o
y
ou?”