Blood From a Stone (91 page)

H
e
w
a
l
k
ed
t
o
t
he
cupboa
r
d,
g
r
abbed
a
g
l
ass
and
fill
ed
i
t
w
it
h
w
a
t
e
r
,
headed
back
t
o
t
he
t
ab
l
e
and
s
t
a
r
ed
i
n
t
o
t
he
box at
t
he
r
a
t
s,
sea
r
ch
i
ng
f
or
any s
m
a
l
l
con
fir
m
a
ti
on
o
f
h
i
s susp
i
c
i
on.
S
til
l
nada.

Ma
y
be
he
needed
t
o p
i
ss
t
he
r
at
o
f
f
a
n
d
g
et
i
t
t
o b
it
e h
i
m
.
H
e
w
asn
’
t
k
een
on
t
he
i
dea
of
hu
rti
ng
t
he
lit
t
l
e
c
r
e
a
t
u
r
e
t
o
m
a
k
e
i
t
m
ad but
he had
t
o do so
m
e
t
h
i
ng
t
o
m
a
k
e it
b
it
e h
i
m
.
H
e
y
an
k
ed on
t
he
r
a
t’
s
t
a
i
l
g
i
n
g
e
rl
y
but
e
li
c
it
ed no
r
esponse.

H
e
s
i
g
hed  and 
t
hen  sa
i
d,  “
S
o
rr
y
littl
e 
g
u
y
”
b
e
f
o
r
e
g
i
v
i
ng
i
t
one
ha
r
d
pu
l
l
w
it
h
a
littl
e
t
w
i
s
t
.
T
he
ra
t
squea
k
ed, and
su
r
e
enou
g
h
r
eached
a
r
ound
and
na
il
ed
h
i
m
ha
r
d
i
n
t
he s
i
de
of
t
he
t
hu
m
b.
A d
r
op
or
t
w
o
of
b
l
ood.
N
o
e
l
ec
t
ri
c
it
y
…no an
y
t
h
i
ng
r
ea
ll
y
.

H
e
shook h
i
s
head
and
w
a
l
k
ed o
v
er
t
o
t
he couch.
H
e
l
ay bac
k
,
pu
lli
ng a
p
ill
ow
benea
t
h
h
i
s
head.
H
e
d
i
dn
’
t
w
ant
t
o ha
v
e
hope,
and
y
et
he
cou
l
dn
’
t
push
i
t
a
w
ay as
i
t
s
at
t
he
r
e
li
k
e a
hea
v
y
w
e
i
g
h
t
,
squa
r
e
l
y
i
n
t
he
m
i
dd
l
e
of
h
i
s
ches
t
.
T
hen a
g
a
i
n,
m
a
y
be
he
w
as
a
f
ool
f
or
t
h
i
n
k
i
ng
t
he
r
e
w
as
a
ny chance he
m
i
g
ht
be
fr
eed of
t
h
i
s
w
r
e
t
ched cu
r
se, and he s
h
ou
l
d
j
ust
g
i
v
e
i
t
up.

R
i
g
h
t
.
H
e
k
new
da
m
ned
w
e
l
l
t
hat
w
as
n
e
v
er
g
o
i
ng
t
o happen!
A
nd
r
e
m
e
m
be
ri
ng
t
he
p
r
o
m
i
se
he
’
d
l
et
escape
h
i
s
li
ps be
f
o
r
e
he
’
d
w
a
l
k
ed
out
of
W
ill
o
w
’
s
door
j
ust
hou
r
s
a
g
o
fill
ed h
i
m
w
it
h
e
v
en
m
o
r
e
r
eso
l
v
e.
Ma
y
be
i
t
w
asn
’
t
t
he
b
lo
od
a
ft
er
a
ll
….but
i
t
had
t
o
be
so
m
e
t
h
i
ng
and
he
w
as
g
o
i
ng
t
o
fi
g
u
r
e
i
t out
be
f
o
r
e
t
he next
C
han
g
e.

**********************************

S
asha
s
t
ood
i
n
t
he
m
i
dd
l
e
of W
ill
o
w
’
s
k
it
chen, a
r
m
s c
r
ossed
w
it
h one e
y
e
b
r
ow
r
a
i
sed.

“
O
k
a
y
,
so
y
ou
’r
e
t
e
lli
ng
m
e
he
k
i
sses
t
hat
hot
and
y
ou
l
et
h
i
m
g
o ho
m
e,
w
h
y
?”