Blood From a Stone (245 page)

“
I
’
v
e
g
one
o
v
er
t
hat
one
so
m
any
ti
m
es
I can
’
t
coun
t
.
B
ut
no
t
h
i
n
g
,” he sa
i
d, sha
k
i
ng
h
i
s
head.

“We
ll
,
w
hen
w
e
g
et
back
t
o
t
he
S
t
a
t
es
next
w
ee
k
, I
am
t
a
k
i
ng
so
m
e
of
y
our
b
l
ood
w
he
t
her
y
ou
li
k
e
i
t
or
n
o
t
.
I
t
m
ay be
t
he
on
l
y
w
ay
t
o
fi
nd
a
cu
r
e.
I
f
I
can
t
est
i
t
a
n
d
at
l
east
see
i
f
t
he
r
e
’
s
any abno
r
m
a
liti
es,
m
a
y
be
t
hat
w
il
l
g
i
v
e
m
e
so
m
e
c
l
ues as
t
o how
w
e
m
i
g
ht
c
r
ea
t
e so
m
e
k
i
nd of
an
t
i
do
t
e.”

H
e
s
m
il
ed.
“I
t
hou
g
ht
w
e
a
lr
eady  a
g
r
eed 
w
e
w
e
r
e
g
o
i
ng
t
o
not
w
o
rr
y about
next
w
eek and
i
ns
t
ead
en
j
oy
ri
g
ht no
w
?”
H
e
r
eached o
v
er
and
t
ook
her
hand
i
n h
i
s
o
w
n.

“
S
t
op
tr
y
i
ng
t
o
a
v
o
i
d
t
he
sub
j
ect
of
g
i
v
i
ng
m
e
so
m
e b
l
ood sa
m
p
l
es
!
” she sa
i
d
fir
m
l
y
.

H
e s
t
a
r
ed at
her
f
or
a
l
ong
m
o
m
en
t
. “
Ok
a
y
.”

“
O
k
ay
w
ha
t
?
Y
ou
’l
l
s
t
op
tr
y
i
ng
t
o
a
v
o
i
d
it
,
or
y
ou
’l
l
g
i
v
e
m
e
t
he sa
m
p
l
es?”

“
I
’l
l
g
i
v
e
y
ou so
m
e sa
m
p
l
es,” he sa
i
d
v
e
r
y
qu
i
e
tl
y
.
             
S
he s
m
il
ed. “
R
ea
ll
y
?”

H
e nodded.

T
he
w
a
itr
ess
ca
m
e
back
w
it
h
a
l
a
r
g
e
pi
t
cher
of
da
r
k a
l
e
and
t
w
o
m
u
g
s,
and
qu
i
c
k
l
y
t
ook
t
he
i
r
o
r
der
f
or
so
m
e
r
oast
l
a
m
b
w
it
h
po
t
a
t
oes
and
l
ee
k
s,
as
t
hey  n
i
bb
l
ed
on
h
o
t ho
m
e
m
ade b
r
ead,
fr
esh
fr
om
t
he o
v
en.

             
“
H
a
v
e
             
y
ou
             
t
o
l
d
             
y
our
             
f
a
m
il
y
             
y
ou
’r
e
             
he
r
e
i
n
Wa
l
es…
w
it
h
‘
so
m
e
g
uy
y
ou
m
et
at
a
ba
r
’
y
e
t
?”
H
e
l
a
u
g
hed
li
g
h
t
l
y
.

“
S
o
r
t
o
f
.
I
t
o
l
d
t
hem
I
’
d
m
et
so
m
eone
t
hat
I
’
d
been da
ti
ng
f
or
a
w
h
il
e
no
w
….
w
h
i
ch
i
s
of
cou
r
se
a
li
e,
a
nd
t
hat
y
ou
’
d
as
k
ed
m
e
t
o
co
m
e
o
v
er
he
r
e
on
a
tri
p
w
it
h
y
ou.”
S
he sh
r
u
gg
ed.
“I
j
ust
d
i
dn
’
t
w
ant
t
o
w
o
rr
y
t
he
m
.
I hope
y
ou
don
’
t
m
i
nd.”

“I
don
’
t
m
i
nd
at
a
ll
,
i
n
f
ac
t
,
I
w
i
sh
I
w
as
ab
l
e
t
o
m
eet
t
hem
and
g
et
t
o
k
now
t
he
m
,” he sa
i
d qu
i
e
tl
y
.