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The table gloith soft candle light as Tanya lit the silver candelabruht the candle's glow and shiers across the starched surface, sinary wrinkles, and adjusted the Royal Doulton place settings Suffering frohtly depressed, Tanya had decided to hold a dinner party

"You never told me you had money," Judith said, beside her

"You never asked," Tanya said, avoiding the subject as she skirted her friend and adjusted another place setting She lifted the crystal wine goblet and held it toward the candle light, watching the sparkles, fire light caught and held within

"I did I asked you why you were a volunteer at the Arts Gallery, and why you didn't sell your work"

Tanya placed the goblet beside the dishes, and turned to her friend "I'm sorry," she said, her expression contrite "I really didn't want to hide anything from you, and it certainly wasn't because I didn't trust you Part of it is reluctance to show off o And that's the other part-I'o froers "I have a tendency not to believe it oblets from the table and poured wine for Judith and herself "Let's sit Charles and Edda should be here any minute"

"How did you find out about the htly uncomfortable, as if the subject disturbed her "It was late afternoon, I remember," she said "A man arrived at the Listown Farht tie-I can still see that tie in ht yellow, almost phosphorescent-and shiny, expensive shoes He toldfor the ohen he heard noise co barn The barn I was cleaning"

"A pig barn!" Judith said, looking disgusted "I hear the set used to it" Tanya looked thoughtful, lifted her wine glass to the light and watched the glitter "You get used to , in time"

"So, what did the phosphorescent man want?" Judith asked

"He seemed to want answers He asked me a whole lot of questions, like who I was and where I'd been, and so on Then he told me to meet him in his office the next week, after school That's how it all started"