Blood From a Stone (154 page)

             
“
L
i
s
t
en,
w
hy
don
’
t
w
e
chan
g
e
t
he
sub
j
e
c
t
,
f
or
now an
y
w
a
y
?
We
can
co
m
e
back
t
o
t
h
i
s
hea
v
y
du
t
y
s
t
u
f
f
l
a
t
e
r
.
L
e
t’
s
j
ust
en
j
oy
d
i
nner
and
m
a
k
e
t
h
i
s
i
n
t
o
t
he
da
t
e
w
e
w
e
r
e
supposed
t
o ha
v
e
l
ast
n
i
g
h
t
.”

S
he
nodded.
“
O
k
a
y
.
D
ea
l
.
B
ut
y
ou
’r
e
not
g
e
tti
ng
out of
t
h
i
s
one
t
hat
eas
il
y
.”

H
e
nodded.
“
Y
eah,
I
’
m
su
r
e
I
w
on
’t
.
I
r
e
m
e
m
ber
y
our
t
enac
it
y ou
t
s
i
de
of
V
e
l
v
e
t
.
Y
ou
j
ust
w
ou
l
dn
’
t
l
et
i
t
g
o.”
H
e s
m
ir
k
ed
at
he
r
.
“
B
ut
t
hen,
t
ha
t’
s
one
of
t
he
t
h
i
n
g
s
I
r
ea
ll
y
li
k
e about
y
ou.
Y
ou don
’
t
g
i
v
e up.”

S
he
l
au
g
hed.
“I 
k
no
w
.
I
’
m  a
C
ap
ri
co
r
n.
We
’r
e s
t
ubbo
r
n
g
oa
t
s
t
hat
j
ust
c
li
m
b up a h
il
l
‘
ti
l
w
e
g
et
t
o
t
he
t
op.
R
a
i
n,
w
i
nd,
m
ud
….bou
l
de
r
s.
D
oesn
’
t
m
a
tter
.
We
j
ust
k
eep at
i
t
un
ti
l
w
e
r
each
t
he
g
oa
l
.”

“
I
’
m
not
g
o
i
ng
t
o a
r
g
ue
t
hat
one,” he
sa
i
d.

“
S
pea
k
i
ng
of
g
oa
l
s,”
she
sa
i
d
d
r
y
l
y
,
“
s
i
nce
w
e
need

‘ri
g
ht
r
easons’
t
o be
t
o
g
e
t
he
r
,
i
n
m
o
r
e
w
a
y
s
t
han
j
ust
ha
v
i
ng d
i
nner
and
such,
w
hy don
’
t
y
ou
t
e
l
l
m
e
m
o
r
e
about
y
ou
r
se
lf
?
I
m
ean,
t
he
be
tt
er
w
e
g
et
t
o
k
now
one ano
t
her
t
he
m
o
r
e
r
e
a
sons
w
e
’l
l
ha
v
e
and
t
he
be
tt
er
chance
so
m
e
of
t
hem
w
il
l
be
ri
g
h
t
.”
S
he s
m
il
ed.

H
e
nodded.
“
T
hat
w
as
p
r
obab
l
y 
t
he
c
l
e
v
e
r
est
and
m
ost
ana
l
y
ti
cal
app
r
oach
t
o
tr
y
i
ng
t
o
fi
nd
a
g
ood
r
eason
t
o
g
et
l
a
i
d
I
’
v
e
e
v
er
hea
r
d
bes
i
des
one
of
m
y
o
w
n.”
H
e
l
au
g
hed
out
l
oud. “
I
’
m
i
m
p
r
essed.”

S
he
s
m
il
ed
and
t
ook
a
g
u
l
p
of
w
i
ne.
“
I
fi
g
u
r
ed
y
ou
’
d
li
k
e
t
hat
one.”

“
S
o,
w
hat
g
ot
y
ou
i
n
t
o
t
he
an
ti
que
and s
t
one
s
t
a
t
ua
r
y bus
i
ness?
I
m
ean
t
ha
t’
s
not
a
t
y
p
i
cal
ca
r
eer
cho
i
ce.
Was
i
t
a
f
a
m
il
y
bus
i
ness
y
ou
t
ook
o
v
e
r
?”

H
e s
i
g
hed. “We
ll
…s
o
r
t
o
f
.”

“
I
’
m
so
rr
y
,”
she
sa
i
d.
“I  hope
it’
s
n
o
t
a
pa
i
n
f
ul sub
j
ec
t
. I
k
now
y
ou sa
i
d
y
our
pa
r
en
t
s
w
e
r
e
g
one.”