Blood From a Stone (124 page)

“What
do
y
ou
w
an
t
?” he as
k
ed.

S
he
s
t
a
r
ed
at
h
i
m
i
n
appa
r
ent
s
il
ence
and
y
et
he
cou
l
d hear
her
v
o
i
ce
l
oud and c
l
ear
i
n h
i
s
head.

“My
na
m
e
i
s
A
d
ri
e
ll
e.
I
am
a
G
ua
r
d
i
an
…
y
our
G
ua
r
d
i
an.”

“What
t
he
he
l
l
i
s
a
g
ua
r
d
i
an?
Y
ou
m
ean
li
k
e
a
n
g
el
k
i
nd
of
g
ua
r
d
i
an?”
H
e
l
au
g
hed.
“
S
o
rr
y
m
a
’
a
m
,
but
I don
’
t b
e
li
e
v
e
i
n
t
hat
c
r
ap.”

“What
do
y
ou
be
li
e
v
e 
i
n 
S
a
m
son?” 
H
er
e
y
e
b
r
o
w
s
w
ent
up as
i
f
she
’
d sa
i
d
t
he
w
o
r
ds
a
l
oud.

“We
ll
.
I
be
li
e
v
e
i
n
cu
r
ses.
I can
t
e
l
l
y
ou
t
ha
t
!
”
H
e s
m
ir
k
ed.

A
d
ri
e
ll
e
s
m
il
ed.
“
Y
es,
so
y
ou
do.
A
nd
w
it
h
g
ood
r
eason.
What
e
l
se
do
y
ou
be
li
e
v
e
i
n?
D
o
y
ou be
li
e
v
e
i
n
y
ou
r
se
lf
?”

“
I
n
m
y
se
lf
? Wha
t’
s
t
hat
supposed
t
o
m
e
an?”

“
I
t
m
eans
w
hat
I sa
i
d.
D
o
y
ou
be
li
e
v
e
i
n
y
ou
r
se
lf
?
B
ecause
t
hat
be
li
ef
i
s
y
our
on
l
y
w
ay
out
of
t
h
i
s.”

“
Y
ou
m
ean
t
he cu
r
se,
ri
g
h
t
?”
H
i
s b
r
o
w
s
k
n
i
t
t
o
g
e
t
h
e
r
.
S
he nodded but
sa
i
d no
t
h
i
n
g
.

“
S
o
t
hen,
a
l
l
I ha
v
e
t
o
do
i
s
be
li
e
v
e
i
n
m
y
se
lf
,
and poo
f
!
J
ust
li
k
e
i
n a
f
a
ir
y
t
a
l
e.”

S
he 
s
m
il
ed. 
T
h
i
s 
one 
w
as 
qu
it
e 
t
he   co
m
ed
i
an.
“
H
a
r
d
l
y
.
B
ut
y
ou
‘r
e
ce
rt
a
i
n
l
y
g
o
i
ng
t
o
need
i
t
i
f
y
ou a
r
e
g
o
i
ng
t
o see
t
h
i
s
t
h
r
ou
g
h
t
o
t
he end.”

“
S
o….
y
ou
’r
e
sa
y
i
n
g
,
t
he
r
e
i
s
an
end
f
or
t
h
i
s
cu
r
se?
O
r do
y
ou
m
ean an end
t
o
m
e?
L
i
k
e dea
t
h or
so
m
e
t
h
i
n
g
.”

A
d
ri
e
ll
e
nodded
a
g
a
i
n
as
she
be
g
an
t
o
sh
i
mm
er
and
f
ade.“
Y
ou
w
il
l
k
no
w
.
J
ust
f
o
ll
ow
y
our
hea
r
t
i
n
a
l
l
t
h
i
n
g
s
and
y
ou
w
il
l
k
no
w
.
T
h
r
ou
g
h
t
he
b
l
ood
of
t
hy
w
ill
,
t
he
c
l
ock sha
l
l
s
t
and s
till
.”
A
nd
w
it
hout
ano
t
her
w
o
r
d she d
i
sa
p
pea
r
ed.

             
“Wa
it
!
”
he
sa
i
d
a
l
oud.
B
ut
i
t
w
as
t
oo
l
a
t
e.
S
he
w
as
g
one.

             
D
a
mm
it
!
!
What
d
i
d
i
t
m
ean?
H
ad
she
m
e
a
nt
t
he
r
e
w
as
a
w
ay
t
o
end
t
he
cu
r
se?
O
r
t
hat
i
t
w
ou
l
d be h
i
s o
w
n
end?
A
nd
w
hat
about
‘
b
l
ood
of
t
hy
w
ill
’
and
‘
t
he
c
l
ock sha
l
l
s
t
and
s
till’
.
T
hose
w
e
r
e
t
he
v
e
r
y
w
o
r
ds
t
hat
t
he p
ri
es
t
ess
had chan
t
ed…
t
he ones
t
hat
had
echoed
t
h
r
ou
g
h
h
i
s
m
i
nd
so
m
any
ti
m
es
o
v
er
t
he de
c
ades.
D
i
d
t
hat
ha
v
e
so
m
e
t
h
i
ng
t
o
do
w
it
h
h
i
s
b
lo
od
be
i
ng ab
l
e
t
o hea
l
?