Blood From a Stone (250 page)

T
ea
r
s
be
g
an
t
o
s
tr
eam do
w
n
her
f
ace
as
she
s
t
a
r
ed
at h
i
m
i
n d
i
sbe
li
e
f
. “I
w
on
’
t
e
v
er
t
a
k
e
i
t
o
ff
. I
s
w
ea
r
.”

H
e
s
t
ood
up
and
pu
ll
ed
her
c
l
ose,
ho
l
d
i
ng her
f
or
a
l
ong
ti
m
e
i
n
h
i
s
a
r
m
s
be
f
o
r
e
fi
na
ll
y cap
t
u
ri
ng her
li
ps
w
it
h
h
i
s as
i
f
k
i
ss
i
ng
her
f
or
t
he
l
ast
ti
m
e.
H
er
a
r
m
s
ti
g
h
t
ened
a
r
ound h
i
s
neck
as
i
f
she
’
d ne
v
er
l
et
h
i
m
g
o.

When
t
hey
fi
na
ll
y
ca
m
e
up
f
or
a
ir
,
he
pu
ll
ed
back
fr
om
he
r
,
b
r
ush
i
ng
a
f
ew
s
tr
ay
ha
ir
s
back
fr
om her
f
o
r
ehead and
w
i
p
i
ng
t
he
t
ea
r
s
fr
om under
her
e
y
es
w
it
h
t
he
p
ad
of
h
i
s
t
hu
m
b. “I
l
o
v
e
y
ou, W
ill
ow
D
a
lt
on.”

“
C
a
l
l
m
e
W
ill
ow
B
e
ll
m
a
i
ne,”
she
sa
i
d.
“
I
’
m chan
g
i
ng
m
y
na
m
e.”

H
e
s
m
il
ed.
“Won
’
t
y
our
f
a
m
il
y
be
a
b
i
t
upset
w
it
h
y
ou?
T
hat
w
il
l
r
equ
ir
e so
m
e exp
l
a
i
n
i
n
g
, don
’
t
y
ou
t
h
i
n
k
?”

“I don
’
t
ca
r
e.
I
’l
l
t
h
i
nk
of
so
m
e
t
h
i
n
g
,”
she
sa
i
d
l
au
g
h
i
ng
li
g
h
tl
y
and s
t
a
ri
ng
do
w
n at
t
he
ri
ng
on h
e
r
l
e
f
t
hand.

“
I
t’
s
beau
tif
u
l
,”
she
sa
i
d
so
ftl
y
.
“I am
so
hono
r
ed
t
o
w
ear
it
.”

“
G
ood,”
he
sa
i
d
so
ftl
y and
t
hen
s
m
ili
n
g
w
it
h
j
ust
a
b
i
t of
w
i
c
k
edness,
he
o
ff
e
r
ed
her
h
i
s
a
r
m and
added,
“Now
t
hat
w
as
one
of
t
hose
‘ri
g
ht
r
easons
‘
,
and
I
t
h
i
nk
m
a
y
be
w
e
’
d
be
tt
er
g
o back
t
o
t
he ho
t
el
and
t
a
k
e ad
v
an
t
a
g
e of
it
, h
mmm
?”
S
he
l
au
g
hed
out
l
oud,
and
g
r
abbed
h
i
s
a
r
m
as
t
hey
j
o
gg
ed back
t
o
w
a
r
d
t
he ho
t
e
l
.

When
t
hey
a
rri
v
ed
he
s
m
il
ed
as
t
hey
w
ent
i
ns
i
de,
t
h
r
ou
g
h
t
he
l
obby and
do
w
n
t
he
l
ong ha
ll
w
a
y
,
past
t
he
i
r
r
oo
m
. “Wa
it
!
We
’r
e
g
o
i
ng
t
he
w
r
ong
w
a
y
.”

H
e
shook h
i
s
head.
“
N
o
ac
t
ua
ll
y
w
e
’r
e no
t
.
S
i
nce I cou
l
dn
’
t
g
et
us
i
n
t
o
t
he
p
l
ace
I
’
d
o
ri
g
i
na
ll
y
w
an
t
e
d
I
dec
i
d
ed
t
o
r
ent
out
t
he
best
su
it
e
t
hey
ha
v
e
he
r
e.
I had
a
l
l
our
t
h
i
n
g
s
m
o
v
ed up
t
he
r
e
w
h
il
e
w
e
w
e
r
e ha
v
i
ng
d
i
nne
r
.”

S
he
s
m
il
ed 
w
it
h  d
i
sbe
li
ef
as
t
hey
s
t
e
p
ped 
i
n
t
o 
t
he e
l
e
v
a
t
or
and
headed
up
t
o
t
he
t
op
fl
oo
r
.
A
m
o
m
ent
l
a
t
er
t
hey s
t
epped
out
i
n
t
o
a
l
a
r
g
e
f
o
y
er
t
y
pe
a
r
ea
w
it
h
a p
ai
r of
l
a
r
g
e doub
l
e doo
r
s
and
S
a
m
son
r
eached
i
n h
i
s poc
k
et
f
or
t
he
k
e
y
.