Blood From a Stone (133 page)

“
H
ey
budd
y
.
C
an
y
ou
hear
m
e?
I
’
m
g
o
i
ng
t
o
g
et
y
ou so
m
e he
l
p.”

T
he
o
l
d
m
an
m
ade
no
g
es
t
u
r
e
or
i
nd
i
ca
ti
on
t
hat
he
’
d hea
r
d
t
he
w
o
r
ds.
H
i
s
e
y
es
r
o
ll
ed
back
i
n
h
i
s
head
a
nd
he d
rift
ed o
ff
.

S
a
m
son
l
oo
k
ed
a
r
ound
as
i
f
t
o
g
et
so
m
e
he
l
p,
but
t
he
r
e
w
as
no
one
c
l
ose
b
y
.
H
e
qu
i
c
k
l
y
r
e
m
o
v
ed
h
i
s
j
ac
k
et
and
w
it
hout
t
hou
g
h
t
,
co
v
e
r
ed
t
he
m
an
’
s
fr
ee
z
i
ng bod
y
.
He
pu
ll
ed out
h
i
s
ce
l
l
phone
t
o ca
l
l
f
or
an a
m
bu
l
ance,
and s
t
opped co
l
d
w
hen
a
t
hou
g
ht
ca
m
e
t
o
m
i
nd.
H
e
’
d
t
r
i
ed h
i
s ab
iliti
es out
on an
i
m
a
l
s…but
not
yet
on a hu
m
an be
i
ng.
W
ou
l
d
i
t
w
or
k
?
W
ere
t
here any
r
i
sks
i
n do
i
ng so?

W
hat
i
f
t
he
m
an
t
u
r
ned
t
o
s
t
one
i
n
t
hree
w
ee
k
s
w
hen
S
a
m
son
’
s
o
w
n
body
s
l
o
w
ed
t
o
a
s
t
ands
til
l
as
t
he
cu
r
se
ca
m
e
f
or
h
i
m
once
m
o
r
e?
Wasn
’
t
i
t
j
ust
be
tt
er
t
o
l
et
h
i
m d
i
e,
t
han
t
o poss
i
b
l
y
conde
m
n
h
i
m
t
o
a
poss
i
b
l
e
ex
i
s
t
ence
s
i
m
il
a
r
t
o
h
i
s o
w
n?
H
e
l
oo
k
ed
do
w
n
at
t
he
m
an
w
ho
’
s
lif
e
hung
by
a
t
h
r
ead
and
so
m
ehow
he
k
new
he
cou
l
dn
’
t
j
ust
l
et
h
i
m
d
i
e he
r
e.
N
ot
i
f
he
he
l
d
t
he po
w
er
t
o sa
v
e h
i
m
.
A
nd he
cou
l
d on
l
y p
r
ay
t
hat
t
he
cu
r
se
w
as
h
i
s
a
l
one….a
pa
y
back
f
or
h
i
s
o
w
n a
c
ti
ons.

T
he
o
l
d
m
an
’
s
b
r
ea
t
h
w
as
co
m
i
ng
i
n
bare
l
y aud
i
b
l
e
w
hee
z
es
now
and
t
he
r
e
w
as
li
k
e
l
y no
ti
m
e
f
or
an
a
m
b
u
l
ance an
y
w
a
y
.
S
a
m
son
s
til
l
d
i
a
l
ed 911 and
g
a
v
e
t
hem
t
he
l
oca
ti
on of
w
he
r
e
t
hey
w
e
r
e
w
a
iti
n
g
.
H
e
l
oo
k
ed
do
w
n
and dec
i
ded
he
had no
t
h
i
ng
t
o
l
ose
and
e
v
e
r
y
t
h
i
ng
t
o
g
a
i
n
f
or
t
hem
bo
t
h
by
at
l
east
tr
y
i
ng
t
o
sa
v
e
h
i
m
be
f
o
r
e
t
hey
g
ot
t
he
r
e.
I
f
i
t
w
o
r
k
ed,
t
hen
he
w
ou
l
d
ha
v
e
done
t
he
m
an a
g
r
eat
f
a
v
o
r
…
i
f
he
f
a
il
ed,
t
hen
t
he
pa
r
a
m
ed
i
cs
and
po
li
ce
cou
l
d
t
a
k
e
o
v
er
and
see
w
hat
t
hey
cou
l
d do
t
o sa
v
e h
i
m
…
i
f
t
hey
cou
l
d sa
v
e h
i
m
.