Blood From a Stone (231 page)

C
H
AP
T
E
R
T
W
EN
T
Y
-F
OU
R

T
he
next
t
w
o da
y
s passed
li
k
e a
w
h
irl
w
i
nd as
t
hey pac
k
ed
g
ot
pape
r
w
o
r
k
t
o
g
e
t
he
r
,
app
li
ed
f
or
and
g
ot
pas
s
po
rt
s
,
and
t
ook
ca
r
e of
e
v
e
r
y
t
h
i
ng
t
hat
needed
t
o be done.

S
asha
w
ou
l
d
be
t
a
k
i
ng
ca
r
e
of
C
i
sco
a
n
d
t
he
house, and
S
a
m
son had
m
ade su
r
e a
l
l
of
h
i
s be
l
on
g
i
n
g
s
w
e
r
e secu
r
e.

T
he
r
e
w
as
m
o
r
e
t
h
i
ng
t
hat
he
w
an
t
ed
t
o
check on be
f
o
r
e
l
ea
v
i
n
g
…he
w
as
cu
ri
ous
as
t
o
how
o
l
d
H
a
r
o
l
d
w
as d
o
i
n
g
,
and
w
as
r
e
li
e
v
ed
w
hen
t
he
o
l
d
m
an
g
r
ee
t
ed
h
i
m as
he en
t
e
r
ed
t
he
she
lt
e
r
.
H
e
see
m
ed
b
ri
g
h
t
-
e
y
ed,
ha
l
e
and hea
rt
y
.
S
a
m
son cou
l
d on
l
y
hope
t
hat
t
he cond
iti
on
w
as pe
r
m
a
nen
t
.

“M
i
s
t
er
A
n
g
e
l
!
”
sa
i
d
H
a
r
o
l
d
straightening his shirt, and smoothing back his hair,
as Samson approached.

S
a
m
son
s
m
il
ed.
“I
t
o
l
d
y
ou…
I
’
m
no
an
g
e
l
.
I
’
m
j
ust
a
fri
end.”

             
“
H
ow
a
r
e
y
ou
f
ee
li
n
g
,
H
a
r
o
l
d?”
he
as
k
ed
,
w
it
h
s
i
n
ce
r
e
i
n
t
e
r
es
t
.

“
I
’
m
gettin’
be
tt
er
e
v
e
r
y
da
y
.
S
e
v
en
da
y
s
now
w
it
h
out a
d
ri
n
k
!
A
nd
I
k
ept
m
y
p
r
o
m
i
se
t
o
y
a
t
oo.
I
’
m
he
l
p
i
ng
he
r
e and ea
r
n
i
n’
m
y
k
eep.”

“I
can
see
t
ha
t
,”
S
a
m
son
nodded.
“
Y
ou’
r
e
a
g
ood
m
an.”

             
H
a
r
o
l
d
l
oo
k
ed
a
b
i
t
m
i
s
t
y
-
e
y
ed
f
or
a
m
o
m
ent
be
f
o
r
e
h
e
spo
k
e
a
g
a
i
n.
“
N
o
one
’
s
e
v
er
sa
i
d
t
hat
t
o
m
e
i
n
al
l
m
y
lif
e.
I a
i
n
’
t
ne
v
er
been
g
ood
enou
g
h
f
or
an
y
one
t
o
say
it
.
T
hat
i
s
‘
ti
l no
w
…cuz
a
w
hat
y
a done
f
or
m
e.”

“
H
a
r
o
l
d.
Y
ou
w
e
r
e a
l
w
a
y
s a
g
ood
m
an
…
.
y
ou
j
ust d
i
dn
’
t
be
li
e
v
e
i
n
y
ou
r
se
lf
.
I
f
w
hat
I d
i
d
f
or
y
ou
s
o
m
ehow b
r
ou
g
ht
i
t
ou
t
,
t
hen
so
be
it
.
N
ow
it’
s
up
t
o
y
ou
t
o
s
t
ay on
t
he pa
t
h.”

S
a
m
son
paused
f
or
a
m
o
m
ent
as
he
r
ea
li
z
ed
w
hat
he
’
d
j
ust
sa
i
d.
S
t
ay
i
ng
on
t
he
pa
t
h.
B
e
li
ev
i
ng
i
n
h
i
m
se
lf
.
Wasn
’
t
t
hat
t
he
w
o
r
ds
t
hat
bo
t
h
A
d
ri
e
ll
e
and
Max
i
m
us
had
s
a
i
d
t
o h
i
m
?
S
tr
an
g
e.