I had to admit he had a valid point.

"Well if it ever gets you down you can feel a rosy glow knowing you’re helping to give Sisyphus a break." He rested back in his seat almost crowing with triumph.

Draining his pint, he left me to mull over his story while he visited the gents, promising to regale me on his return with the inside dope on Hercules, the Augean Stables and Shergar’s disappearance. I never did get to hear about that as he got involved with a drunk at the urinal who headbutted him rather harshly, supposing him to have been ogling his privates. As the wail of the ambulance siren grew distant I considered that on the whole he should be pleased to have notched up some playtime for the old boulder pusher.