Blood From a Stone (88 page)

B
ut
t
hen
he
w
as
j
u
m
p
i
ng  ahead
of
h
i
m
s
e
lf
.
T
i
m
e
w
ou
l
d
t
e
l
l
exac
tl
y
w
hat
t
h
i
s
a
l
l
m
ean
t
, he
p
r
esu
m
ed.
F
or
no
w
, he
w
ou
l
d
s
i
m
p
l
y
con
ti
nue
a
l
ong
h
i
s
usual
pa
t
h
and
had
t
o
m
a
k
e
p
l
ans
as
i
f
he
w
ou
l
d
be
t
a
k
en
by
T
he
C
han
g
e
a
g
a
i
n
i
n
a
f
ew
w
ee
k
s.
B
u
t
,
h
i
s
m
i
nd
be
g
an
t
o
p
l
ay out
a
w
ho
l
e
d
iff
e
r
ent scena
ri
o 
of 
poss
i
b
iliti
es. 
A
nd 
none 
of 
t
hem  
i
nc
l
ud
e
d
C
han
g
i
n
g
!

H
e
w
an
t
ed
m
o
r
e
t
han
an
y
t
h
i
ng
t
o
l
ay back do
w
n
and see
i
f
h
i
s
body
w
ou
l
d
s
l
eep
a
g
a
i
n,
but
t
he
exc
it
e
m
e
nt
he
f
e
l
t
w
as
not
g
o
i
ng
t
o a
ll
ow
an
y
t
h
i
ng
e
v
en c
l
ose
t
o
t
ha
t
.

H
e
needed
t
o
k
now
j
ust
one
t
h
i
ng
f
or
n
o
w
.
Was
he s
til
l
bound
by
t
he
cu
r
se?
H
e
g
r
abbed
a
w
i
ne
opener
fr
om
t
he d
r
a
w
er
i
n
t
he
co
ff
ee
t
ab
l
e,
opened
i
t
up,
and
nea
tl
y s
li
ced
a s
m
a
l
l
cut
i
n
t
o
h
i
s
pa
l
m
w
it
h
t
he
po
i
n
t
ed
co
r
k
sc
r
e
w
.
H
e
he
l
d h
i
s
b
r
ea
t
h
w
a
iti
ng
t
o
see
w
hat
happened.
W
it
h
i
n
se
c
onds
t
he
w
ound
c
l
osed
it
se
l
f
and
be
g
an
hea
li
ng o
v
e
r
.
A
m
i
nu
t
e
l
a
t
er
t
he
r
e
w
as
no
tr
ace
t
hat
h
i
s
s
k
i
n
had
been cut
at
a
ll
.
H
e s
i
g
hed
f
ee
li
ng
bo
t
h d
i
sappo
i
n
t
ed and
r
e
li
e
v
ed at
t
he sa
m
e
ti
m
e.

O
k
a
y
.
A
t
l
east
he
k
new
w
he
r
e
he
s
t
ood
on
t
hat
one.
H
e
w
as not
fr
ee, but
he
’
d been
g
r
an
t
ed so
m
e s
m
a
l
l
r
e
p
ri
e
v
e
i
n
t
hat
he
’
d s
l
ep
t
. We
ll
.
S
h
it
.
I
t
w
as
a s
t
a
rt
!
P
e
r
ha
p
s
i
t
w
ou
l
d
l
ead
t
o
m
o
r
e?

H
e
s
t
ood,
t
oss
i
ng
t
he
co
r
k
sc
r
ew
on
t
o
the
t
ab
l
e
and
t
hen
headed
do
w
n
t
he
ha
l
l
t
o
t
he
ba
t
h
r
oo
m
,
fli
pped
on
t
he
li
g
ht
and
t
u
r
ned
on
t
he
sho
w
e
r
.
I
t
w
as
4
am and
ha
r
d
l
y
a
soul
w
as
s
tirri
ng out
i
n
t
he
w
o
rl
d.
N
ot
t
hat
i
t
m
a
t
t
e
r
e
d
…
t
h
i
s
w
as
w
hat
he
w
as
used
t
o,
a
ft
er
a
ll
.
B
e
i
ng
a
w
a
k
e du
ri
ng
a
l
l
hou
r
s
of
t
he day
and n
i
g
h
t
.
A
l
one.

A
s
t
he
s
t
ea
m
y
w
a
t
er
s
l
u
i
ced
do
w
n
h
i
s
body h
i
s
m
i
nd
w
ou
l
dn
’
t
l
et
g
o
of
t
he
t
hou
g
ht
of
ca
lli
ng W
ill
o
w
.
He
’
d
j
ust expe
ri
enced
t
he
m
ost
ex
tr
ao
r
d
i
na
r
y
t
h
i
ng
t
hat
had
h
appened
t
o h
i
m
i
n
fi
v
e
cen
t
u
ri
es
and
t
he
r
e
w
as
no
one
t
o
sha
r
e
i
t
w
it
h.
B
ut
i
f
t
he
r
e
w
as, she
w
ou
l
d be
t
he one.