Blood From a Stone (117 page)

“
S
o,
I
see
m
a
y
be
I
h
i
t
t
he
na
i
l
on
t
he
head?”
he
r
a
i
sed
h
i
s
e
y
eb
r
o
w
s.

H
er
s
il
ence
ans
w
e
r
ed
h
i
s
ques
ti
on.
S
he
w
asn
’
t
r
ea
ll
y
r
eady
t
o
do
t
h
i
s
desp
it
e
t
he
f
act
t
hat
her
body
w
as
sc
r
ea
m
i
ng
l
oud
and
c
l
ear
t
hat
she
m
ost
ce
rt
a
i
n
l
y
w
as
e
v
e
r
y
t
i
m
e
she
l
oo
k
ed do
w
n at
t
hat
body
of
h
i
s.

S
he
s
t
a
r
ed
at
h
i
m
f
or
a
l
ong
m
o
m
en
t
,
and
fi
na
ll
y
b
l
ew out
a
l
ong
b
r
ea
t
h. “
H
ow
d
i
d
y
ou
k
no
w
?
A
r
e
y
ou ps
y
ch
i
c
t
oo?”

H
e
pu
ll
ed
her
t
o
h
i
s
chest
and
k
i
ssed
t
he
t
op
of
her
head. “
N
o. I
w
i
sh I
w
as
!
”

“
S
o
t
hen.
What
a
r
e
t
he
ri
g
ht
r
easons…for
y
ou
I

m
ean?” she
l
oo
k
ed up at
h
i
m
.

H
e
sh
r
u
gg
ed.
“
Y
ou
m
ean
bes
i
des
i
t
f
eels
g
ood and I
w
ant
t
o?
We
ll
,
I
t
h
i
nk
m
a
y
be
t
h
i
s
ti
m
e…
m
a
y
be
f
or
o
n
ce
i
n
m
y
lif
e
I
’
d
w
ant
t
o
do
i
t
because
I
’
m ac
t
ua
ll
y
i
n
l
o
v
e.
What
a concep
t
.
A
nd
I can
’
t
be
li
e
v
e
I
’
m sa
y
i
ng
t
h
i
s
but
I
’
d
w
ant
t
o
m
a
k
e
su
r
e
t
hat
I 
w
asn
’
t
p
r
essu
ri
ng
y
ou
i
n
t
o
i
t
t
oo
soon.
B
o
tt
om
li
ne?
I
’
d
w
ant
y
ou
and
I
bo
t
h
t
o
f
eel
li
k
e
i
t
w
as
t
he
m
ost
ri
g
ht
t
h
i
ng
e
it
her
one of
us
has
e
v
er
done.”

S
he s
t
a
r
ed at
h
i
m
w
it
hout
sa
y
i
ng
a
w
ord.

“
O
k
a
y
.
S
o
y
ou
t
h
i
nk
I
’
m 
g
ay
a
g
a
i
n,
no
w
,
ri
g
h
t
?
D
a
m
n,
I
’
m
be
g
i
nn
i
ng
t
o
w
onder
m
y
se
lf
.”
H
e
l
au
g
hed
li
g
h
tl
y
.

S
he s
m
il
ed.
“
N
o, ac
t
ua
ll
y
.
I
t
h
i
nk 
y
o
u
‘r
e…pe
rf
ec
t
.
Y
ou
‘r
e
li
k
e
a
g
ua
r
d
i
an
an
g
el
or
so
m
e
t
h
i
n
g
”.
S
he
k
is
sed
h
i
m on
t
he
li
ps
v
e
r
y
so
ftl
y
and snu
gg
l
ed
i
n
t
o h
i
s
ches
t
.

H
e
he
l
d
her
t
he
r
e
f
or
se
v
e
r
al
m
i
nu
t
es
i
n
s
il
ence

w
a
iti
ng
f
or
h
i
s
body
t
o
ca
l
m
do
w
n.
I
t
d
i
dn
’t
.
H
e
f
i
na
ll
y
sh
if
t
ed
i
n
t
he cha
i
r
and she
l
oo
k
ed up at
h
i
m
.

“
L
i
s
t
en,
I
t
h
i
nk
m
a
y
be
I shou
ld
head ho
m
e
no
w
.
I
’l
l
ca
l
l
y
ou
t
o
m
o
rr
ow
and
w
e
can 
m
a
y
be
t
r
y a
g
a
i
n.
A
c
t
u
a
ll
y
have
a d
i
nner
da
t
e?
”