Blood From a Stone (137 page)

T
he
o
l
d
m
an
nodded
as
t
he
s
ir
ens
of
t
h
e
a
m
b
u
l
ance and
fir
e
tr
uck
ca
m
e
w
it
h
i
n
r
an
g
e.

T
he
o
l
d
m
an
s
t
epped
f
o
r
w
a
r
d
and
sa
i
d,
“
Y
ou
g
o
on.
I
’l
l
g
et
t
hem
out
of
he
r
e.
I
’l
l
t
e
l
l
t
hem
I
w
as
as
l
eep
and
y
ou
m
i
s
t
a
k
en
l
y
t
hou
g
ht
I
w
as
dead
or
d
y
i
n
g
.
Y
ou
a
i
n
‘
t
e
v
en
g
o
tt
a s
t
a
y
.
We
don
‘
t
w
ant
‘
em
g
e
tti
n
t
oo
i
n
t
e
r
es
t
ed
i
n
y
o
u,
y
ou be
i
n‘
w
ho
y
ou a
r
e and a
ll
.”

S
a
m
son
s
m
ir
k
ed
at
h
i
m
and
nodded.
“
O
k
ay
t
hen.
I
f
y
ou need
m
e, I
li
v
e ac
r
oss
t
he s
tr
ee
t
.”

T
he
o
l
d
m
an
nodded.
“I
t
h
i
nk
t
h
i
n
g
s
are
g
o
i
ng
t
o
be d
iff
e
r
ent
a
r
ound
he
r
e.”
A
n
e
rr
ant
t
ear
d
r
opped
do
w
n
h
i
s
cheek and
he
             
r
eached
             
f
o
r
w
a
r
d
             
t
o hug
S
a
m
son. “
T
hank
y
ou,
M
r
.
S
a
m
son…s
ir
.
T
ha
t‘
s
y
er
na
m
e
a
i
n
’
t
it
?
I
ca
i
n
’
t
see
i
n
s
i
de
y
our
m
i
nd an
y
m
o
r
e no
w
, but
t
ha
t’
s
w
hat na
m
e
j
ust
popped
i
n
m
y
head
out
a
no
w
he
r
e
w
hen
I
cou
l
d
!
!
T
hank
y
ou
f
er
w
hat
y
ou d
i
d. I
s
w
ear
I
w
on
’
t
ne
v
er
f
o
r
g
et
it
.”
S
a
m
son
cou
l
d
f
eel
t
he
connec
ti
on
be
t
w
een
t
hem
w
ea
k
en
i
ng
t
o
t
he
po
i
nt
t
hat
i
t
w
as
no
t
h
i
ng
m
o
r
e
t
h
a
n
a
f
aded
w
h
i
sp….
j
ust
enou
g
h
t
o be a connec
ti
on
i
n
t
he sp
iri
t
w
o
rl
d, but not
enou
g
h
t
o
r
ead
m
i
nds.
H
i
s
b
r
o
w
s
k
n
i
t
t
o
g
e
t
he
r
.
H
mmm
. Must
be
d
iff
e
r
ent
w
hen
he
d
i
d
t
he
b
l
ood
tri
ck
w
it
h
a
hu
m
an
t
han
i
t
w
as
w
it
h
an
an
i
m
a
l
.
D
a
m
n.
A
l
l
t
hese
‘r
u
l
es’
w
e
r
e
ha
r
d
t
o
k
eep up
w
it
h!

S
a
m
son hu
gg
ed
t
he o
l
d
m
an
f
or
j
ust
a
s
econd and
t
hen
l
et
h
i
m
g
o.
T
he o
l
d
m
an o
ff
e
r
ed h
i
m
back
h
i
s
j
ac
k
e
t
.

S
a
m
son
shook
h
i
s
head
and
be
g
an
t
o
w
a
l
k o
ff
.
“
Y
ou
k
eep
it
.
I ha
v
e
ano
t
he
r
.
I
t’l
l
a
l
w
a
y
s
r
e
m
i
nd
y
ou
of
w
hat ha
p
pened
he
r
e
t
oday and
y
our
p
r
o
m
i
se
t
o
he
l
p so
m
eone e
l
se
li
k
e I
he
l
ped
y
ou.”

T
he
o
l
d
m
an
nodded.
“
Y
ou
’
d
be
tt
er
g
it
.
T
he
y
’r
e co
m
i
n
g
.”
T
he
o
l
d
m
an
g
es
t
u
r
ed
t
o
w
a
r
d
t
he 
fir
e 
tr
uck
and po
li
ce
ca
r
.
“
O
h,
and
en
j
oy
y
er
d
i
nner
w
it
h
t
hat
l
ady
fri
end
of
y
e
r
s
t
on
i
g
h
t
.
I saw
her
i
n
y
er
m
i
nd….pu
rt
y
.
A
nd
she
li
k
es
y
a,
y
a
k
no
w
.”
H
e
w
i
n
k
ed.