The warm oranges and reds of the slowly setting sun did not offer him any heat or comfort, in fact he was colder now than before. His pace had slowed and each step had become a jarring insult to his body but it was a clear night and the moon was there dimly lighting the rocky path.

Loose rock slipped under his feet, he fell like a stone. The impact shook him and from his tweed jacket down to his breeks and brogues, he was now covered in the earth from the hillside. He picked himself up, surprised and relieved to be bruised but not battered or broken by the fall. Nothing can stop me today, he thought, and if it did it would not matter.

Returning to the city, he saw the lights of a public house and felt certain if at any time in his life he had deserved a pint, that time was this instant, today. Tomorrow was another matter entirely.