Blood From a Stone (45 page)

S
a
m
son
l
oo
k
ed
ou
t
s
i
de and nodded
i
n a
g
r
ee
m
en
t
.
T
he
t
hou
g
ht
of
spend
i
ng 
t
he
n
i
g
ht
on  a
w
a
r
m
couch 
w
a
t
c
hi
ng
t
e
l
e
v
i
s
i
on
at
t
he
cabb
i
e
’
s
fri
end
’
s
p
l
ace
w
as
de
f
i
nit
e
l
y a
be
tt
er op
ti
on
t
han
w
a
l
k
i
ng
back
t
o
t
he
g
r
a
v
e
y
a
r
d
i
n
t
he
b
l
i
nd
i
ng sno
w
.
H
e
s
t
a
rt
ed
t
o
accept
t
he
cabb
i
e
’
s
p
r
o
posa
l
,
as
k
i
ng
i
f
h
i
s
fri
end
w
ou
l
d
m
i
nd
t
he do
g
, but
W
ill
ow
i
n
t
e
rr
up
t
ed
t
he
m
.

“
S
a
m
son,
li
s
t
en,
I
k
now
t
h
i
s
m
i
g
ht
co
m
e o
f
f
w
r
on
g
,
or
m
a
y
be
t
oo
f
o
r
w
a
r
d?
H
ow
do
I say
t
h
i
s
w
it
hout
sound
i
ng
li
k
e….he
ll
…I
don
‘
t
e
v
en
k
now
w
ha
t
!
”
S
he
l
au
g
hed ne
r
v
ou
s
l
y
. “
A
n
y
w
a
y
….
y
ou
can
s
t
ay he
r
e
w
it
h
m
e
and
S
asha
t
on
i
g
ht
i
f
y
ou
’
d
li
k
e.
Y
ou
can
s
l
eep
on
m
y couch.
A
nd
y
es,
t
he
dog can s
t
ay
t
oo. We
ce
rt
a
i
n
l
y
can
’
t
put
h
i
m
back
out
i
n
t
he co
l
d.”

H
er
hand
s
tr
o
k
ed
h
i
s
so
f
t
b
r
o
w
n
i
sh
f
ur
t
o
ca
l
m
t
he ne
r
v
ousness
she
w
as
su
r
e
w
as
e
v
i
dent
i
n
her
v
o
i
ce.
S
asha
’
s b
r
o
w
s
w
ent
up
and
her
e
y
es
w
i
dened
but
W
ill
ow
j
ust
g
a
v
e
her
t
he,
I
know
w
hat
I’
m
do
i
ng so don
’
t
argue!
l
oo
k
.

S
he
f
e
l
t
sa
f
e
w
it
h
S
a
m
son. 
H
e
’
d
ri
s
k
e
d
h
i
m
se
l
f
f
or her
and he
t
ook
i
n
t
h
i
s poor
ho
m
e
l
ess
dog
on a co
l
d n
i
g
ht
e
v
en
t
hou
g
h
i
t
had
a
tt
ac
k
ed
t
he
m
.
H
e
so
m
ehow
k
new
t
hat
i
t
j
ust needed
so
m
e
l
o
v
e
and
a
w
a
r
m p
l
ace
t
o
s
l
eep.
T
he
r
e
m
ust
be so
m
e
t
h
i
ng
decent
i
ns
i
de of
h
i
m
f
or
h
i
m
t
o ha
v
e done
t
ha
t
.

Hmmm
.
W
hat
t
o do?
H
e
w
ondered
t
o h
i
m
se
lf
…
t
here
w
ou
l
d
of
course
be
no
s
l
eep
i
ng
f
or
h
i
m but
t
hat
w
as
i
rre
l
e
vant r
i
ght 
no
w
. 
T
he 
m
a
i
n 
ques
ti
on 
w
as 
shou
l
d 
he   do  
t
he gen
tl
e
m
an
l
y
t
h
i
ng  and 
i
ns
i
st
on  go
i
ng 
w
it
h 
t
he  cabb
i
e  or shou
l
d he
t
ake her
up on her
o
ff
er?

W
ill
ow
spo
k
e up a
g
a
i
n
t
h
i
s
ti
m
e
w
it
h
m
o
r
e u
r
g
enc
y
.

“I
i
ns
i
s
t
.
R
ea
ll
y
.
I
t’
s
o
k
a
y
.”
S
he
l
o
o
k
ed
at
t
he
cabb
i
e and
w
i
n
k
ed
as
she
added,
“
A
nd
i
f
an
y
t
h
i
ng happens
t
o
us,
y
ou a
r
e
a
w
it
ness
!
”
S
he
g
r
abbed
S
a
m
son
’
s
hand and s
t
a
r
t
ed
t
o pu
l
l h
i
m out
of
t
he
cab
be
f
o
r
e
he
cou
l
d
p
r
o
t
es
t
.
H
e
l
oo
k
ed
at
t
he cabb
i
e and sh
r
u
gg
ed.