Blood From a Stone (259 page)

S
a
m
son
cou
l
d
f
eel
h
i
m
:
t
he
bo
y
’
s
na
m
e
w
as
D
an
i
e
l
.
H
e
’
d
been
han
g
i
ng out
w
it
h
h
i
s
budd
i
es
and
ha
r
sh
w
o
r
ds
had soon
t
u
r
ned
t
o
v
i
o
l
ence
o
v
er
no
m
o
r
e
t
han
a
bag
of
w
eed
and
a
f
ew
bee
r
s.
T
he
boy sat
up
as
h
i
s
ashen
pa
ll
or
f
a
d
ed
and
w
as
r
ep
l
aced
by
a
m
o
r
e
hea
lt
hy co
l
o
r
,
l
oo
k
i
ng a
b
i
t
da
z
ed
and
t
hen ho
rrifi
ed
t
o see
t
he b
l
ood on h
i
s
w
h
it
e sh
irt
.

“
I
t’
s
o
k
a
y
,
D
an
i
e
l
,”
S
a
m
son nodded. “
Y
ou
’r
e
f
i
ne.”

T
he
y
oung
m
an
s
l
o
w
l
y
s
t
ood up exa
m
i
n
i
n
g
h
i
m
se
l
f
a
l
l
o
v
er
be
f
o
r
e
l
oo
k
i
ng
S
a
m
son
i
n
t
he
e
y
e.
“
Y
ou
sa
v
ed
m
y
lif
e.
I
…don
’
t
k
now
w
hat
t
o sa
y
.”

“
Y
ou
don
’
t
ha
v
e
t
o
say
an
y
t
h
i
n
g
.
I
n
f
act
I
w
ou
l
d
be
v
e
r
y
g
r
a
t
e
f
ul
i
f
y
ou
p
r
e
t
end
y
ou
ne
v
er
saw
m
e?”
H
e
s
m
il
ed and
nodded,
k
no
w
i
ng
t
he
boy cou
l
d
f
eel
h
i
s
m
i
nd
ri
g
ht
now qu
it
e c
l
ea
rl
y
.

D
an
i
el
shook h
i
s
hand.
“
T
hank
y
ou,
S
a
m
son?
Y
our na
m
e
’
s
S
a
m
son
i
sn
’
t
it
.”
H
e
l
oo
k
ed
s
li
g
h
tl
y sha
k
en
as
t
he sensa
ti
on
f
aded
a
w
ay and
he cou
l
d no
l
on
g
er
f
eel
S
a
m
son
’
s soul
w
it
h
i
n
h
i
s
o
w
n.
“I
g
uess
I
‘l
l
see
y
ou
a
r
ound,
so
m
eda
y
,
m
an. I
k
now
y
ou
‘r
e
l
oo
k
i
ng
o
v
er
m
y
shou
l
de
r
.”

S
a
m
son
s
m
il
ed.
“
N
ot
exac
tl
y
.
I
w
as
j
u
s
t
at
t
he
ri
g
ht p
l
ace
at
t
he
ri
g
ht
ti
m
e.”
H
e
sh
r
u
gg
ed. “
I
’
d be
tt
er
g
et
out
of he
r
e….
t
he
r
e
’
s
so
m
eone
co
m
i
ng
out
of
t
he
s
t
o
r
e.”
A
p
o
li
ce s
ir
en
sudden
l
y
w
a
il
ed
i
n
t
he
d
i
s
t
ance,
g
r
o
w
i
ng
l
ou
d
er
as
i
t a
p
p
r
oached
t
he nea
r
by
i
n
t
e
r
sec
ti
on.

“What
do
I say
about
a
l
l
t
he
b
l
ood?“
D
an
i
el
sa
i
d
l
oo
k
i
ng
t
e
rrifi
ed. “What
i
f
t
hey
t
h
i
nk
I
k
ill
ed so
m
eone?”

“
T
a
k
e
o
f
f
t
he
sh
ir
t
and
t
oss
it
.
Wash
y
ou
r
se
l
f
up o
v
er
t
he
r
e
w
it
h
t
he
w
a
t
er
hose
and
t
e
l
l
t
he
cops
t
hey
shot
at
y
ou and
m
i
ssed.
N
o
one
w
il
l
e
v
er
k
now
w
hat
r
ea
ll
y ha
p
pened.
E
xcept
t
he
g
u
y
s
w
ho
d
i
d
t
h
i
s
t
o
y
ou.“
H
e
s
m
il
ed.
“
I
’
m su
r
e
i
t
w
il
l
sca
r
e
t
he
li
v
i
ng
sh
i
t
out
of
t
hem
w
hen
t
hey  s
e
e
y
ou
t
o
m
o
rr
ow
a
li
v
e
and
w
e
ll
.
K
a
r
m
a
has
a
w
ay
of
k
i
c
k
i
ng
y
our ass….and
i
t
w
il
l
k
i
ck
t
he
ir
s.
T
r
ust
m
e on
t
hat
one.”