Blood From a Stone (136 page)

“
P
ay
m
e
bac
k
?”
S
a
m
son
sa
i
d
l
oo
k
i
ng co
n
f
used.
“
Y
ou don
’
t
o
w
e
m
e
an
y
t
h
i
n
g
.
I
d
i
d
w
hat
an
y
one
w
ou
l
d
ha
v
e
.”

“
Y
ou sa
v
ed
m
y
lif
e.”
T
he o
l
d
m
an nodd
e
d.

S
a
m
son
d
r
ew
i
n a
r
a
gg
ed b
r
ea
t
h,
as
he
f
e
l
t
H
a
r
o
l
d
’
s
t
hou
g
h
t
s.
Sh
it
.
N
ow
t
h
i
s
o
l
d
f
art
t
h
i
nks
I’
m so
m
e
fl
a
m
i
ng
w
i
nged
avenger,  of
a
l
l
t
h
i
ngs. 
F
unny….s
i
nce
h
i
s
new
‘f
an c
l
ub
‘
,
A
dr
i
e
ll
e and
M
ax
i
m
us
apparen
tl
y
w
ere exac
tl
y
t
ha
t
.

T
he
o
l
d
m
an
’
s
b
r
o
w
s
k
n
i
t
t
o
g
e
t
he
r
.
“I a
i
n
’
t
no
o
l
d
f
a
r
t
y
ou
k
no
w
.
I
‘
m
on
l
y
60.”

S
a
m
son
d
r
ew
back
i
n
su
r
p
ri
se.
D
a
m
n.
H
e cou
l
d s
til
l
f
eel
t
he
o
l
d
m
an
’
s soul
and
t
he o
l
d
m
an cou
l
d
f
eel
h
i
s.
H
ow
l
ong
w
ou
l
d
i
t
l
as
t
?
A
nd how
m
uch?

“
O
h!
S
o
rr
y
.
H
a
r
o
l
d.”
S
a
m
son  sh
r
u
gg
ed  and
s
m
il
ed
sheep
i
sh
l
y
.
“
N
o
o
ff
ense.
A
nd
I
’
m
not
an
an
g
e
l
.
J
ust…a
fri
end.”

T
he
o
l
d
m
an
shook
h
i
s
head.
“I
k
now
e
x
ac
tl
y
w
hat
y
ou
a
r
e.
A
nd
I
k
now
I
l
ook
o
l
de
r
, too! Hell,
I
’
v
e
li
v
ed
h
a
r
d.
N
ow
t
e
l
l
m
e
w
hat
can I
do
t
o pay
y
a bac
k
.”

S
a
m
son
d
r
ew
i
n
a
l
ong
b
r
ea
t
h
and
t
hou
g
ht
about
i
t
f
or a
m
o
m
ent
be
f
o
r
e
he
fi
na
ll
y spo
k
e.
“
G
o
t
o
t
he she
lt
e
r
.
G
et c
l
eaned  up, 
t
a
k
e
a
sho
w
e
r
,  and 
g
et
y
ou
r
se
l
f
so
m
e
fr
esh c
l
o
t
hes.
A
sk
t
hem
t
o
he
l
p
y
ou
g
et
back
on
y
our
f
ee
t
.
G
et
a
j
ob
m
a
y
be…and
v
o
l
un
t
eer
t
he
r
e
t
o he
l
p
o
t
he
r
s
w
ho a
r
e
j
ust
li
k
e
y
ou.
I dunno…
a
f
ew
hou
r
s
a
w
ee
k
.
H
e
l
p
so
m
eone
e
l
s
e
.
J
ust
li
k
e I
he
l
ped
y
ou.
T
ha
t’
s
how
y
ou can pay
m
e bac
k
.”

T
he
o
l
d
m
an
nodded.
“I  s
w
ear
I
’l
l
do
i
t
,
y
our h
i
g
hness, s
ir
.”

S
a
m
son
l
oo
k
ed
a
l
m
ost
a
l
a
r
m
ed.
“
D
on
’
t
ca
l
l
m
e
t
ha
t
!
I
’
m
j
us
t
…a…”
h
i
s
v
o
i
ce
d
r
opped
o
ff
.
T
o
say
he
w
as
j
ust
a
m
an
w
ou
l
d
be
a
li
e.
C
r
ea
t
u
r
e?
N
o.
B
l
ock
of
s
t
one?
Pa
r
ti
a
ll
y
.
H
e shook
h
i
s
head. “
N
e
v
er
m
i
nd.
J
ust
p
r
o
m
i
se
y
ou
’l
l
do
it
.”