Title: Off the Record

Author: Samara McDowell

In: Sport 32: Summer 2004

Publication details: Fergus Barrowman, December 2004

Part of: Sport

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Nectar

‘You haven't been having much of that cider recently,’ Jonathan tells Riki across the table, chewing, grinning, shifting, his eyes alight with that manic gleam.

Riki looks back at him. ‘Nah man,’ he says mildly. Riki exudes a kind of stillness, where Jonathan is constantly moving. Riki plays straight man much of the time: this is the game they play together, to their mutual advantage.

‘You used to like that cider in the morning, didn't you?’ Jonathan says.

‘Yeah,’ Riki says.

‘What was that cider called again, man?’ Jonathan presses. Riki looks away.

‘Dickon, man,’ he says.

‘Yeah,’ Jonathan says, laughing, returning to his sausages.

According to Jonathan and Riki, there really is a beverage somewhere in the world labouring under the brand of Dickon cider. All you can think is, even in the unlikely event that this is true, trust those two to have found it.