Blood From a Stone (149 page)

S
a
m
son
op
t
ed
t
o
s
li
de
i
n
next
t
o her ins
t
ead of s
itti
ng ac
r
oss.
“
Y
ou
don
’
t
m
i
nd
do
y
ou?”
he
sa
i
d,
li
g
h
tl
y
r
ubb
i
ng her
t
h
i
g
h.

S
he
l
oo
k
ed
do
w
n
at
h
i
s
hand.
“
T
hat
y
ou
’r
e
next
t
o
m
e or
t
hat
y
our
f
ee
li
ng
m
e up a
lr
ead
y
?”
S
he
l
au
g
hed.

“
B
o
t
h
!
” he sa
i
d.

“We
l
l
o
k
ay
t
hen.
I don
’
t
m
i
nd
on
bo
t
h
accoun
t
s.”
S
he popped a
li
g
ht
k
i
ss
on h
i
s
cheek
and opened her
m
e
n
u.

“I
am
de
fi
n
it
e
l
y
not
p
l
a
y
i
ng
t
he
s
t
a
r
v
i
ng
w
o
m
an
w
ho ne
v
er
ea
t
s
t
on
i
g
h
t
, so don
’
t
expect
a cheap da
t
e.”
S
he s
m
il
ed.

“
G
ood.
I can
’
t
s
t
and
i
t
w
hen
y
ou
w
o
m
en
eat
one
s
t
a
l
k of
ce
l
e
r
y
and
a
l
e
tt
uce
l
eaf
a
l
l
n
i
g
ht
and
c
l
a
i
m
y
o
u
’r
e
f
u
ll
.
A
l
t
hou
g
h
I
m
ust
ad
m
i
t
I
’
m
d
i
sappo
i
n
t
ed
y
ou
’r
e
not
cheap.
I
li
k
e
m
y
w
o
m
en, cheap,
tr
ashy
and
w
it
h a
g
ood app
e
tit
e.”

S
he
r
o
ll
ed her
e
y
es. “
R
e
m
e
m
be
r
.
I
’
m
k
e
ep
i
ng
sco
r
e.”
H
e
l
oo
k
ed
at
her
fr
om
t
he
co
r
ner
of
h
i
s
e
y
e
s
m
ir
k
i
ng
as
she e
l
bo
w
ed h
i
m
.

“
O
n a se
ri
ous
no
t
e, how
w
as
w
o
r
k
t
oda
y
?”
H
e as
k
ed.
             
Sh
e
s
i
g
hed.
“We
l
l
i
t
w
as
p
r
e
tt
y
qu
i
et
o
t
her
t
han
w
e
have a
pa
ti
ent
on
t
he
fl
oor
t
on
i
g
ht
i
n
556
B
.
A
litt
l
e
boy
w
ho
’s
been
a
bad
acc
i
den
t
.
H
e
’
s
g
ot
i
n
t
e
r
nal
b
l
eed
i
ng and
se
v
e
r
al
broken bones.
We
g
ot
t
he
b
l
eed
i
ng s
t
opped but
it’
s
k
i
nd of
t
ouch and
g
o
ri
g
ht
no
w
.”

H
i
s
m
i
nd
be
g
an
t
o
r
un a
m
illi
on
m
il
es a
second, as
he
i
m
a
g
i
ned
open
i
ng
h
i
s
w
ri
st
and
hea
li
ng
t
he
ch
il
d.
T
he
j
oy and
r
e
li
ef
h
i
s
pa
r
en
t
s
w
ou
l
d
f
eel
at
see
i
ng
h
i
m
open
h
i
s
e
y
es
and
s
i
t
up.
S
he
s
t
a
r
ed
at
h
i
m
l
ong
and
ha
r
d
w
onder
i
ng
i
f
he
w
as
t
h
i
n
k
i
ng
t
he sa
m
e
t
h
i
ng
she
w
as
ri
g
ht
no
w
.

H
e
r
eached
up
and
t
ook
a
s
i
p
of
w
a
t
er
fr
om h
i
s
g
l
ass
r
e
m
e
m
be
ri
ng
w
hat
he
’
d
done
f
or
H
a
r
o
l
d
j
ust
hou
r
s
a
g
o.
A
nd he
w
onde
r
ed
i
f
he
shou
l
d
t
e
l
l
W
ill
ow  about 
w
hat  had happened.

“
D
o
y
ou
t
h
i
n
k
….
w
e
ll
….
m
a
y
be….”
h
i
s
v
o
i
ce
tr
a
il
ed
o
ff
.