Blood From a Stone (241 page)

A
s
t
hey
s
t
ood
li
s
t
en
i
ng 
S
a
m
son
suddenly 
f
e
l
t
a
f
a
m
ili
ar
ch
il
l
a
g
a
i
nst
t
he
back of
h
i
s
nec
k
.
H
e
d
id
n
’
t
bo
t
her
t
o
t
u
r
n
a
r
ound
but
he
k
new
t
hat
A
d
ri
e
ll
e
w
as
l
u
r
k
i
ng
n
ea
r
b
y
.
H
e
w
onde
r
ed
i
f
W
ill
ow
cou
l
d
f
eel
her
t
oo,
but
she see
m
ed ob
li
v
i
ous
as
t
he
g
u
i
de
con
ti
nued
r
a
m
b
li
ng on
about
A
rt
hu
r
i
an
l
e
g
ends
and
t
he
v
a
ri
ous
s
t
o
ri
es
t
hat
had c
ir
cu
l
a
t
ed
t
h
r
ou
g
hout h
i
s
t
o
r
y
of
t
he
w
a
t
e
r
s
t
he
r
e be
i
ng
a
f
oun
t
a
i
n of
y
ou
t
h.

“
Y
ou
’r
e
r
unn
i
ng
out
of
ti
m
e….
l
ook
t
o
t
he
r
h
y
m
e.”
A
d
ri
e
ll
e
’
s
v
o
i
ce
r
ang
i
n h
i
s
head
li
k
e a so
f
t
m
e
l
od
y
.

“
D
i
d
y
ou
hear
t
ha
t
?”
he
sa
i
d
t
o
W
ill
ow
i
n
a
l
ow
w
h
i
spe
r
.

“
H
ear
w
ha
t
?” she sa
i
d,
l
oo
k
i
ng
pu
zz
l
e
d
.

“
N
o
t
h
i
n
g
.
N
e
v
er
m
i
nd.”
H
e
shook h
i
s
head.
“
I
’l
l
t
e
l
l
y
ou
l
a
t
e
r
.
”

W
ill
ow
nodded
and
w
r
apped her
a
r
m
s
a
r
o
und
S
a
m
son
’
s
w
a
i
st
as
t
he
g
u
i
de
fi
n
i
shed
t
he
t
our
and
t
hey headed back
up
t
he s
t
eep s
t
eps
t
o
t
he cou
rt
y
a
r
d.

T
hey
t
han
k
ed
t
he
i
r
g
u
i
de
and be
g
an
t
he descent
do
w
n
t
he
l
ong
c
r
a
gg
y
h
il
l
t
o
w
a
r
d
t
he
f
a
r
m be
l
ow
w
he
r
e
th
e
i
r
d
ri
v
er
w
ou
l
d be
w
a
iti
ng
t
o
t
a
k
e
t
hem
back
t
o
t
he c
it
y
.

T
he
y
h
i
k
ed
do
w
n
t
he
h
il
l
and
hu
rri
ed
l
y bus
tl
ed
i
n
t
o
t
he
w
a
r
m
t
h of
t
he car
t
hat
w
as
w
a
iti
n
g
.

“
T
he
littl
e
p
l
ace
I
’
d
been
hop
i
ng
we could  stay
i
s
c
l
osed
due
t
o
an
ill
ness
i
n
t
he
f
a
m
il
y
…so 
w
e
’l
l
be
s
t
a
y
i
ng
ri
g
ht
where we are. I hope you don’t mind,” he said.

“
O
f
cou
r
se
I don
’
t
m
i
nd.
A
n
y
w
he
r
e
i
s
f
i
ne
as
l
ong
as
y
ou
’r
e
t
he
r
e,”
she
sa
i
d
s
m
ili
ng
as
she
l
eaned
i
n
and
k
i
ssed h
i
m
.
“
T
hank
y
ou.
T
h
i
s….
w
as
j
ust
a
w
onde
rf
ul
a
ft
e
r
noon.
T
he cas
tl
e
w
as
f
an
t
as
ti
c
and
t
he
v
i
e
w
?
My
G
od.
I
’
d
on
l
y
seen
t
h
i
n
g
s
li
k
e
t
hat
i
n boo
k
s.”

H
e s
m
il
ed. “
I
’
m
g
l
ad
y
ou en
j
o
y
ed
it
,
m
y
l
a
d
y
.”

“
O
h,
y
eah. What
w
as
i
t
y
ou hea
r
d ea
rl
i
e
r
?”