Blood From a Stone (161 page)

S
he
s
t
a
r
ed
at
h
i
m
f
or
a
l
ong
m
o
m
en
t
,
d
ri
n
k
i
ng
i
n
t
he beau
tif
ul
t
u
r
quo
i
se
b
l
ue
of
h
i
s
e
y
es
and
bas
k
i
ng
i
n
t
he
w
a
r
m
t
h of
h
i
s
w
o
r
ds.

H
er
m
o
m
ent
of
r
e
v
e
ri
e
w
as
soon
b
r
o
k
en
ho
w
e
v
er
by a sudden
sensa
ti
on
of
t
he
r
oom
see
m
i
ng
t
o
w
a
v
er
li
k
e
an
oas
i
s
i
n
t
he
heat
of
a
dese
r
t
m
ir
a
g
e.
F
or
a
sp
li
t
second she
f
e
l
t
as
i
f
t
hey
w
e
r
e
one
and
t
he
sa
m
e…
t
he
i
r
sou
l
s
i
n
t
e
r
m
i
n
g
l
e
d
.
A
nd she
k
new
i
n
t
hat
sp
li
t
second
w
it
h ce
rt
a
i
n
t
y
t
hat
h
e
w
as
i
ndeed be
i
ng
honest
w
it
h
her
about
how he
f
e
lt
.
B
ut
t
he
r
e
w
as so
m
e
t
h
i
ng
e
l
se he
w
as
g
ua
r
d
i
n
g
.

T
he
f
ee
li
ng
w
as
g
one
i
n
an
i
ns
t
ant
but
i
t
had d
i
s
t
u
r
bed her
and
a
s
w
eat
b
r
o
k
e
out
on
her
b
r
ow and
she
f
e
l
t
a
s
li
g
ht anx
i
e
t
y
and d
i
zz
i
ness. W
HA
T
on ea
rt
h had
j
ust
ha
p
pened?

H
e
sh
ift
ed
i
n
h
i
s
cha
ir
.
S
a
m
son
k
new
e
xac
tl
y
w
hat had
happened
t
o
her
i
n
t
hat
m
o
m
ent
because
he
f
e
l
t
i
t
t
oo. What
t
he
he
l
l
w
as
g
o
i
ng
on?
P
e
r
haps
t
hat
fl
ee
ti
ng
m
o
m
ent back at
her
p
l
ace
w
hen he
’
d
k
i
ssed her
and
f
e
l
t
her
soul
w
as so
m
e
t
h
i
ng
m
o
r
e
t
han
he
’
d
i
m
a
g
i
ned
i
t
w
as. Ma
y
be
i
t
w
o
r
k
ed bo
t
h
w
a
y
s.
Ki
nd of
li
k
e
w
hat
had happened
w
it
h
H
a
r
o
l
d.

I
f
t
hat
w
as
i
ndeed
t
he
case…oh, bo
y
.
T
h
i
s
shou
l
d be
i
n
t
e
r
es
ti
n
g
.
H
e
w
as
pu
zz
l
ed
because
w
it
h
H
a
r
o
l
d
i
t
had
w
o
r
n o
f
f
m
i
nu
t
es
a
ft
er
he
’
d
sa
v
ed
h
i
s
lif
e,
and
so 
f
ar
hadn
’
t
r
e
t
u
r
ned.
S
o
w
hy
w
as
t
h
i
s
happen
i
ng
w
it
h he
r
, a
g
a
i
n…no
w
?

T
he
r
e
w
as
no
ti
m
e
t
o
w
o
rr
y about
t
hat
ri
g
ht
no
w
.
H
e needed
t
o
p
l
ay
s
t
up
i
d
he
supposed
and
p
r
e
t
end
no
t
h
i
ng had happened.
N
ot
li
k
e
l
y
t
hat
i
t
w
ou
l
d
w
o
r
k
, but
he
’
d
g
i
v
e
i
t
a
tr
y
.

H
e
r
eached
out
t
o
her
a
r
m
.
“
H
ey a
r
e
y
ou
a
lri
g
h
t
?
Y
ou
l
ook
fl
ushed.
Y
ou
’r
e not
a
ll
e
r
g
i
c
t
o she
l
l
fi
sh a
r
e
y
ou?”

S
he
shook
her
head
no,
qu
i
c
k
l
y
co
m
i
ng
out
of
her da
z
e.
“
Y
ou
d
i
dn
’t
…I
m
ean….d
i
d
y
ou
j
ust
f
eel
w
hat
I
f
e
lt
?
D
on
’
t
li
e
t
o
m
e.
P
l
ease.”
S
he
l
oo
k
ed
h
i
m dead
i
n
th
e
e
y
e p
l
ead
i
ng
f
or
t
he
tr
u
t
h.