Blood From a Stone (213 page)

“
Y
eah.
I as
k
ed
her
i
f
she
w
as
an
an
g
el
and
i
f
he
w
as one
of
t
he
m
.
S
he
sa
i
d
no
he
w
asn
‘t
…but
t
hat
he
m
i
g
h
t
be
r
e
al soon.”

W
ill
ow
g
asped
be
f
o
r
e
she
cou
l
d
s
t
op
he
r
se
lf
,
her
m
i
nd
r
ac
i
ng
a
m
illi
on
m
il
es
a second.

“
A
r
e
y
ou o
k
a
y
,
l
ad
y
?”
D
a
v
i
d as
k
ed.

“
Y
eah.
I
’
m
fi
ne,”
she
sa
i
d,
qu
i
c
k
l
y
c
o
m
pos
i
ng
he
r
se
l
f and s
m
ili
ng
at
h
i
m
.

“
D
i
d
t
he
l
ady
w
it
h
t
he
g
o
l
d
ha
i
r
say
an
y
t
h
i
ng
e
l
se
t
o
y
ou?”

             
H
e
shook
h
i
s
head.
“
N
ope.
S
he
j
ust
s
t
a
rt
ed
t
o
d
i
sappear
and
she
t
o
l
d
m
e
g
ood
b
y
e
i
n
m
y
m
i
nd.”
H
e
t
hou
g
ht ha
r
d
f
or
a
m
o
m
ent
and
t
hen
added,
“
B
ut
I
d
i
d
ask
h
e
r
i
f
I
’
d see h
i
m
a
g
a
i
n and she sa
i
d
m
a
y
be I
w
ou
l
d.”

W
ill
ow
m
a
i
n
t
a
i
ned
her
ca
l
m de
m
eanor
a
n
d
a
f
ew
m
o
m
en
t
s
l
a
t
e
r
,
D
a
v
i
d
’
s
m
o
t
her
r
e
t
u
r
ned
w
it
h a sand
w
i
ch and soda.

“
T
hank
y
ou
so
m
uch
f
or
s
itti
ng he
r
e
w
it
h h
i
m
.
T
hey
w
on
’
t
l
et
h
i
m
g
o
t
o
back
t
o
t
he
p
l
ay
a
r
ea
j
ust
y
e
t
…
t
hey
w
ant
t
o
doub
l
e
check
a
f
ew
t
h
i
n
g
s.
B
ut
I
’
m hop
i
ng
w
e
’r
e
a
l
l
done and out
of
he
r
e by
supper
ti
m
e.”

“
I
’
m
su
r
e
y
ou
w
il
l
be,” sa
i
d W
ill
ow
l
i
g
h
tl
y
as
she
r
ose
fr
om
t
he
cha
ir
.
S
he
t
ouched
t
he
ti
p
of
D
a
v
i
d
’
s
nose
qu
i
c
k
l
y
w
it
h
her
fi
n
g
e
r
.
“
N
ow
I ha
v
e
t
o
g
o…I ha
v
e
t
o
g
o
l
o
o
k
i
n
on so
m
e
of
t
he
o
t
her
k
i
ds.
Y
ou
be
g
ood
f
or
y
our
m
o
mm
y
,
o
k
a
y
?
A
nd
y
ou ha
v
e
f
un.”

D
a
v
i
d
’
s
f
ace
t
ook
on
a
l
ook  of
su
r
p
ri
s
e
as
he
m
o
ti
oned
f
or
her
t
o
l
ean do
w
n so he cou
l
d
w
h
i
sper
i
n her
ea
r
.

“
T
ha
t’
s
w
hat
he
sa
i
d!
R
i
g
ht
be
f
o
r
e he
l
e
ft
!
”
H
e s
m
il
ed and nodded.

S
he
w
h
i
spe
r
ed
bac
k
,
“We
l
l
it’
s
g
ood a
d
v
i
ce.
S
o
y
ou
f
o
ll
ow
it
.
O
k
a
y
?
A
nd
y
ou
k
eep
y
our
p
r
o
m
i
se
t
oo.
N
o
one
e
l
se can
k
now
he
w
as
he
r
e except
us.”

D
a
v
i
d
nodded,
h
i
s
m
o
t
her
l
oo
k
i
ng  pu
zz
led.
“What
w
as
t
hat
a
l
l
abou
t
?” she sa
i
d
l
au
g
h
i
n
g
.

W
ill
ow
sh
r
u
gg
ed.  “
O
h, 
y
ou 
k
now
k
i
ds.
T
hey
ha
v
e so
m
e
e
v
e
r
y
day
t
h
i
n
g
s
t
hey
t
u
r
n
i
n
t
o
sec
r
e
t
s.
H
e
w
a
s
t
e
lli
ng
m
e
he
hopes
y
ou
’l
l
l
et
h
i
m
ha
v
e
so
m
e
m
o
r
e
i
ce
c
r
eam
be
f
o
r
e he
l
ea
v
es.”
S
he
w
i
n
k
ed
at
D
a
v
i
d
and
he
n
odded  e
v
er
so s
li
g
h
tl
y
i
n cahoo
t
s.