Blood From a Stone (31 page)

             
A
s
f
or
t
he
cu
r
se,
he
’
d
r
ac
k
ed h
i
s b
r
a
i
n and h
i
s
so
u
l
f
or

any
poss
i
b
ilit
y
w
h
i
ch
m
i
g
ht
be
t
he
cu
r
e
o
v
er
and
o
v
er
a
g
a
i
n
i
n e
v
e
r
y 
Aw
a
k
en
i
n
g
.
I
n despe
r
a
ti
on,
  he
’
d  e
v
en
tri
ed
o
n
ce  or
t
w
i
ce
t
o
f
a
l
l
i
n
l
o
v
e,
k
no
w
i
ng
i
t
w
as
a
l
l
w
r
on
g
,
b
u
t
p
r
o
ceed
i
ng
none
t
he
l
ess,
i
n
t
he
hopes
t
hat
t
he
o
l
d
‘o
n
l
y
l
o
v
e
’
s
k
i
ss
can b
r
eak
t
he
w
i
c
k
ed
cu
r
se’
bu
ll
sh
i
t
m
i
g
ht
w
o
r
k
.
B
u
t
,
o
f
cou
r
se he hadn
’
t
r
ea
ll
y
been
i
n
l
o
v
e and
i
t
hadn
’
t
w
o
r
k
ed e
i
t
he
r
.

             
I
ns
t
ead
he
’
d
f
ound
on
l
y
one
co
l
d
and
u
n
y
i
e
l
d
i
ng

tr
u
t
h:
i
t
had
f
o
ll
o
w
ed
h
i
m
f
or
fi
v
e
cen
t
u
ri
es
ac
r
o
s
s
t
he
ocean
t
o
A
m
e
ri
ca.
A
nd
t
hat
tr
u
t
h
w
as
s
i
m
p
l
y
t
hat
t
he
r
e
w
as
no
w
ay
t
o
b
r
eak
t
h
i
s
cu
r
se,
and
i
f
t
he
r
e
w
as,
i
t
w
as
li
k
e
squee
z
i
ng b
l
ood
fr
om
a s
t
one….
lit
e
r
a
ll
y
,
i
n h
i
s
case.

A
nd
i
t
w
as
so
m
e
t
h
i
ng he
had
t
o a
l
w
a
y
s
k
eep
i
n
m
i
nd
w
hen
he
m
et
so
m
eone
he
i
n
iti
a
ll
y
f
e
l
t
a
ttr
ac
t
ed
t
o,
li
k
e
t
h
i
s
g
ir
l
W
ill
o
w
.
S
he
cou
l
d
ne
v
er
m
ean
an
y
t
h
i
ng
t
o
h
i
m
,
and he needed
t
o
m
a
k
e
su
r
e
he
w
ou
l
d
not
m
ean
an
y
t
h
i
ng 
t
o
her e
it
he
r
.
B
ut
he
fi
g
u
r
ed
s
i
nce
he
a
lr
eady had
her
nu
m
ber
and
g
o
tt
en
t
o
k
now
her
j
ust
a
littl
e
b
it
,
w
e
ll
….
i
t
m
i
g
h
t
l
ead
t
o a d
i
nner
or
t
w
o
and
m
a
y
be
a
f
ew  n
i
g
h
t
s
t
o
g
e
t
her
i
n  b
e
d so
m
e
ti
m
e
du
ri
ng
t
he
next
m
on
t
h
i
f
she
w
as
g
a
m
e.
H
e
w
ou
l
d
j
ust
m
a
k
e
i
t
v
e
r
y
c
l
ear
fr
om
m
i
nu
t
e
one
t
hat
i
t
w
as
no
t
h
i
ng s
e
ri
ous…he
w
as
abso
l
u
t
e
l
y
not
l
oo
k
i
ng
f
or
a
r
e
l
a
ti
onsh
i
p
and
encou
r
a
g
e
each
of
t
hem
t
o
see
o
t
he
r
s
so
t
he
r
e
w
as
n
o a
t
t
ach
m
en
t
.

“
S
A
M
S
ON
!
H
e
ll
o
!
”
H
e 
w
as 
j
a
rr
ed
back
t
o
r
ea
l
i
t
y
. “
D
i
dn
’
t
y
ou hear
m
e? I
sa
i
d,
y
es,
y
ou can sha
r
e our
cab
!
”

H
e
snapped
back
t
o
p
r
esent
ti
m
e
v
e
r
y qu
i
c
k
l
y
.
“
Y
ea
h
!
I
’
m so
rr
y
.
I
’l
l
m
a
k
e
su
r
e
y
ou
g
et
ho
m
e
o
k
ay
and
t
h
e
n
I
’l
l
ha
v
e
t
he d
ri
v
er
t
a
k
e
m
e
t
o
m
y
p
l
ace.”