Blood From a Stone (85 page)

H
e
suc
k
ed
i
n
a
deep
b
r
ea
t
h,
d
r
a
gg
i
ng
h
i
s
ha
i
r
back
fr
om
h
i
s
da
m
p
f
ace
and
s
tr
u
gg
l
ed
t
o
d
i
g
est
t
he
eno
r
m
it
y of
it
. What
t
he
he
l
l
w
as
g
o
i
ng
on?

H
e
had
not
k
no
w
n
t
he
sensa
ti
on
of
s
w
eet
s
l
u
m
ber
or of
d
r
ea
m
i
ng
f
or
fi
v
e
hund
r
ed
y
ea
r
s,
and
he
had
t
o
s
w
a
ll
ow back
t
he
e
m
o
ti
on
t
hat
w
as
bu
r
n
i
ng
i
n
h
i
s
t
h
r
oat
at
t
he
r
ea
li
z
a
ti
on.

S
o
m
e
t
h
i
ng
w
as
de
fi
n
it
e
l
y
w
r
on
g
…or
m
a
y
be
ri
g
h
t
, and he
had
no
i
dea
w
ha
t
.
C
h
ri
st
a
l
m
i
g
h
t
y
!
H
ow
had
t
h
i
s happened? What
had he done
t
hat
w
as
so d
iff
e
r
en
t
?

Was
i
t
t
he
k
i
ss?
C
ou
l
dn
’
t
ha
v
e
been 
t
h
a
t
,
b
e
cause he
’
d
k
i
ssed
p
l
en
t
y
of
w
o
m
en
s
i
nce
he
’
d
beco
m
e
a
b
lo
ck of s
t
one.
L
o
v
e?
We
ll
, he
’
d had
f
ee
li
n
g
s
f
or
so
m
e
of
th
e
w
o
m
en he
’
d
t
a
k
en
up
w
it
h
i
n
o
t
her
Aw
a
k
en
i
n
g
s.
N
ow 
g
r
an
t
e
d
, W
ill
ow
w
as
so
m
e
t
h
i
ng
e
l
se,
but
he
’
d
ce
rt
a
i
n
l
y
k
no
w
n
so
m
e
f
a
irl
y 
i
n
t
ense
f
ee
li
n
g
s
of
pass
i
on
s
i
nce
he
’
d
t
a
k
en
on
t
h
i
s cu
r
se,
and
assu
m
i
ng
i
t
m
i
g
ht
ha
v
e
been
l
o
v
e,
i
t
had
ne
v
er sa
v
ed
h
i
s
so
rr
y ass
be
f
o
r
e.
N
ot
e
v
en
a
li
t
tl
e.
S
o
w
ha
t
t
he
he
l
l
w
as
it
?

H
e
s
li
d
h
i
s
l
e
g
s
f
o
r
w
a
r
d
t
o
g
et
up
and
w
as
o
v
e
rt
a
k
en by
a
w
a
v
e
of
w
ea
k
ness
t
hat
f
o
r
ced
h
i
m
t
o
s
i
t
back
f
or
a
f
ew
m
o
m
en
t
s.
I
t
passed
qu
i
c
k
l
y and
he s
t
ood
and
headed
t
o
t
he ba
t
h
r
oo
m
.
H
e
l
eaned
o
v
er
t
he
s
i
nk sp
l
ash
i
ng cool
w
a
t
er
on
h
i
s
f
e
v
e
r
ed
f
ace.
H
e
f
e
l
t
so
t
h
ir
s
t
y and
g
u
l
ped
do
w
n
s
e
v
e
r
al
l
a
r
g
e hand
f
u
l
s
of
w
a
t
e
r
,
be
f
o
r
e
fi
na
ll
y shu
tti
ng o
f
f
t
he
f
auce
t
,
g
r
a
b
b
i
ng
t
he
t
o
w
el
and d
r
y
i
ng
o
ff
.

H
e
s
t
a
r
ed
at
h
i
s
f
ace
i
n
t
he
m
irr
or
a
n
d
no
t
ed
t
he
fl
ush at
h
i
s
chee
k
bones
as
i
f
he
’
d  been  bu
r
ned. 
P
u
zz
li
n
g
.
H
e cou
l
dn
’
t
be
g
e
tti
ng
s
i
ck because
ob
v
i
ous
l
y
,
he
ne
v
e
r
g
ot
s
i
c
k
!
T
hen
a
g
a
i
n,
he
ne
v
er
s
l
ept
e
it
he
r
,
so
m
a
y
be
t
hat
ce
r
t
a
i
n
t
y
w
as out
t
he
w
i
ndow
now
t
oo.