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"No di to cover it up a bit "Wait, I know!" I hurried into the other roo a match, I lit them quickly, then set them down on the kitchen table "See? Even breakfast for dinner can have ambience"

I looked across the table at hiht,under the porch, and an intense-looking se, God bless it I smiled back at him, then took a bite of toast

"So, Clark, does your family still live here in town?"

"Oh no, now it’sanother coat of strawberry jelly on his toast He licked each finger; jellying toast by candlelight was a messy business "So where are you fro to place your accent all week"

Damn Had it really only been a week? "My accent?"

"Yes, it’s very specific Not just generic back east, although I’eneral area, yes" I nodded, enjoying where this was going Philadelphia natives did have a very specific accent, although most couldn’t place it

"It’s not New York"

"State or city?" I asked

"It’s neither And it’s not Boston It’s not New Jersey, although I ade of that accent is lirin

"You’re close Philadelphia Specifically, a little town just outside the city"

"Philadelphia So tell me, what do you do back there in Philadelphia?"

"Well, until recently I owned my own software company"

He dropped his toast "You owned your ohat?"

"Yep I’rae and went out on my own"

"So what did you specialize in?"

"In a nutshell? I write progra You know, look for needles in a cyber haystack? Just sold a new prograo"