Blood From a Stone (131 page)

             
S
a
m
son
s
i
g
hed
hea
v
il
y
.
“
T
a
ll
.
B
l
onde
w
it
h
l
ong
ha
i
r
.
O
h,
j
ee
z
…
l
e
t’
s
see.
N
o
t
h
i
ng
out
of
t
he
o
r
d
i
na
r
y
r
ea
ll
y
,
except
m
a
y
be
j
ust
a
b
i
t
see
-t
hrough?
!
”
H
e
r
a
i
sed
h
i
s e
y
e
b
r
o
w
s
sacas
ti
ca
ll
y
. “
I
’
m
su
r
e
y
ou ne
v
er
no
ti
ced, h
mmm
?”

T
he
m
an
shook
h
i
s
head
i
n
exaspe
r
a
ti
o
n
,
supp
r
ess
i
ng

a
s
li
g
ht
s
m
il
e.
“
Adrielle
k
no
w
s
be
tt
er
t
han
t
o
ha
v
e
r
e
v
e
a
l
ed
he
r
se
l
f
t
o
y
ou.”

S
a
m
son
nodded.
“
Y
eah.
S
he a
lr
eady
t
o
l
d
m
e her
na
m
e and
t
hat
she
’
s
a
G
ua
r
d
i
an….
A
n
g
e
l
. Wha
t
e
v
er
y
ou pe
o
pl
e a
r
e.
A
nd
y
ou?
Y
ou
k
now
he
r
,
ob
v
i
ous
l
y
y
ou
’r
e
a
ffili
a
t
ed so
m
e
ho
w
.”

“
Y
es. My
na
m
e
i
s
Max
i
m
us.
S
he
i
s
m
y
m
a
t
e.”

S
a
m
son
s
li
d
i
n
t
o
t
he boo
t
h. “
O
k
a
y
, Ma
x
.
Y
ou don
’
t
m
i
nd
i
f
I ca
l
l
y
ou
Max,
do
y
ou?“
H
e
d
i
dn
’
t
w
a
i
t
f
or
Max
i
m
us
t
o
r
espond.
“
L
e
t’
s
j
ust
s
k
i
p
t
he
bu
ll
sh
it
.
O
b
v
i
ous
l
y
bo
t
h
of
y
ou
k
now
w
ho
I am and
y
ou
k
now
w
hy
I
’
m he
r
e…
w
hat
I
’
m
tr
y
i
ng
t
o
do.
S
o
can
’
t
y
ou
j
ust
t
e
l
l
m
e
how
t
he
he
l
l
t
o
b
r
eak
t
he cu
r
se?”

“
I
t
doesn
’
t
w
o
r
k
t
hat
w
a
y
,”
t
he
m
an sa
i
d qu
i
e
tl
y
. “
I
’
m not
supposed
t
o be he
r
e at
a
ll
.
N
e
it
her
i
s
she.”

“
T
hen
w
hy
a
r
e
y
ou?
T
o
annoy
m
e?
T
o
rt
ure
m
e
by d
r
opp
i
ng
h
i
n
t
s?”

Max
i
m
us 
shook   h
i
s   head.   “
H
a
r
d
l
y
.   We
’r
e   not pe
r
m
itt
ed
t
o
b
r
eak
t
he
r
u
l
es,
but
w
e
fi
g
u
r
ed
t
hat
w
e
m
ay
g
i
v
e
y
ou
so
m
e
s
m
a
l
l
c
l
ues
and
he
l
p
y
ou
a
l
ong
t
he
w
a
y
.
A
nd
w
hen
t
he
ti
m
e co
m
es pe
r
haps
m
a
k
e an
A
sens
i
on
t
o
t
he next
l
e
v
e
l
.”

S
a
m
son
’
s
b
r
o
w
s
k
n
i
t
t
o
g
e
t
he
r
.
“
T
he
ne
x
t
l
e
v
e
l
?
T
he next
l
e
v
el
of
w
ha
t
?”

Max
i
m
us
be
g
an
t
o sh
i
mm
er
s
li
g
h
tl
y
.
“
Yo
u
’
l
l
fi
nd out soon
enou
g
h.”
T
he
w
o
r
ds
w
e
r
e
not
sa
i
d a
l
oud but
i
n
st
ead see
m
ed
t
o
m
a
t
e
ri
a
li
z
e
i
ns
i
de
S
a
m
son
’
s
head.

Max
i
m
us
l
oo
k
ed at
t
he
coun
t
er
t
o
m
a
k
e su
r
e
no one e
l
se
w
as
t
he
r
e
be
f
o
r
e
he
be
g
an
t
o de
m
a
t
e
ri
a
li
z
e.
H
e
r
a
i
sed
t
he paper
back
up
t
o co
v
er
h
i
s
f
ea
t
u
r
es.