Blood From a Stone (162 page)

Sh
it
.
H
ow
w
as
he
g
o
i
ng 
t
o
g
o 
t
h
r
ou
g
h 
w
it
h 
t
h
i
s? Ma
y
be a
P
l
an B
w
as
i
n o
r
de
r
.

H
e
t
ook her
hand
i
n
h
i
s
o
w
n,
and
sa
i
d,
qu
i
e
tl
y
, “
Y
eah.
A
c
t
ua
ll
y
I
d
i
d.”
H
e s
i
g
hed and
l
oo
k
ed at
t
he
fl
oo
r
.

S
he
i
nha
l
ed deep
l
y
. “
I
t’
s o
k
a
y
.
A
ft
er
l
ast
n
i
g
h
t’
s
littl
e escapade…I
g
uess
t
h
i
s
i
s
j
ust
i
c
i
ng on
a
ca
k
e
w
ho
’
s
l
a
y
e
r
s
a
r
e
g
r
o
w
i
ng by
t
he
m
i
nu
t
e.
T
hank
y
ou
f
or
be
i
ng honest
w
it
h
m
e.”
S
he
b
l
ew
out
a
l
ong ca
l
m
i
ng b
r
ea
t
h
and
squee
z
ed h
i
s
hand. “I cou
l
d
f
eel
y
ou
j
ust
t
hen.
I don
’
t
k
now
how
or
w
h
y
.
A
nd
qu
it
e hones
tl
y
,
i
t
sca
r
es
t
he
li
v
i
ng
sh
i
t
out
of
m
e,
but
I cou
l
d
f
ee
l
…
y
ou….
y
our
sou
l
.
I  don
’
t
r
ea
ll
y
k
now
how  e
l
se
t
o desc
ri
be
it
.”
S
he
sh
r
u
gg
ed. “
I
s
t
h
i
s
w
hat
ha
p
pened
t
o
y
ou
w
it
h
C
i
sco?
W
it
h 
t
he
ca
t
?
I
s
t
hat
how
y
ou 
k
new
C
i
sco
w
a
s
n
’
t
g
o
i
ng
t
o hu
r
t
us?”

H
e nodded. “
P
r
e
tt
y
m
uch.“

“
S
o
t
hen.
D
oes
t
h
i
s
m
ean
y
ou
can
r
ead
m
y
m
i
nd
or so
m
e
t
h
i
n
g
?“
S
he
l
au
g
hed
and
shook
her
head.
“I
m
ean…
it’
s
k
i
nd
of
i
n
tr
us
i
v
e…
i
f
y
ou  can.
H
as
t
h
i
s
happened 
t
o
y
ou be
f
o
r
e? W
it
h
m
e, I
m
ean?”

H
e
shook
h
i
s
head.
“
N
o.
I can
’
t
r
ead
y
our
m
i
nd.
A
nd
y
eah,
i
t
happened
be
f
o
r
e.
B
ut
on
l
y once
f
or
a
sp
li
t
second. I don
’
t
k
now
w
hat
i
t
i
s
any
m
o
r
e
t
han
y
ou do.“

S
he
s
t
a
r
ed
at
h
i
m
,
s
k
ep
ti
ca
ll
y
,
w
e
i
g
hing
h
i
s
w
o
r
ds. “
L
i
s
t
en,”
he
sa
i
d
i
n
a
v
o
i
ce
t
hat
w
ou
l
d
b
r
ook
no a
r
g
u
m
en
t
.
“I
can
’
t
r
ead
y
our
m
i
nd
W
ill
o
w
.
A
n
y
m
o
r
e
t
han
y
ou can
re
ad
m
i
ne
ri
g
ht
no
w
…
…or
any
m
o
r
e
t
han
y
ou
cou
l
d
r
ead
m
i
ne
e
v
en
w
hen
y
ou
f
e
l
t
m
y
sou
l
.
I
t’
s
m
o
r
e
li
k
e
a
v
e
r
y
s
tr
ong
i
m
p
r
ess
i
on.
I
t’
s
ha
r
d
t
o
desc
ri
be,
but
it’
s
not
t
e
l
epa
t
h
y
.
Y
ou
f
e
l
t
it
,
so
y
ou
shou
l
d
k
now
t
ha
t
.
Y
eah…
y
ou
cou
l
d
tel
l
w
hat
I
’
m
f
ee
li
ng
and
y
es
y
ou
can
p
i
ck
up
so
m
e
d
i
s
t
ant
i
m
p
r
ess
i
ons of
t
hou
g
h
t
.
B
ut
it’
s
not
t
he
sa
m
e
t
h
i
ng
as
be
i
ng
a
bl
e
t
o
r
ead e
v
e
r
y
t
h
i
ng
so
m
e
one 
t
h
i
n
k
s 
i
n 
a 
g
i
v
en 
m
o
m
en
t
. 
I
t’
s
m
o
r
e…
v
a
g
ue.“