"It's incredible," said he.

"Totally," said I.

"I never heard the like," said he.

"Well you're hearing it now," said I.

"I know," said he. "Morning, noon, and night."

"And in all times of temptation," I added.

We chuckled, remembering our catechism.

"Still you have to admit it really is incredible," said he.

"Just so," said I.

"When did it start?" mused he.

"I don't know," said I. "It's a mystery to me."

"To me too," said he.

We sat and pondered in silence.

"It was never like that when I was growing up," said he, breaking the silence.

"Indeed it wasn't,"I agreed. "Not in Donegal anyway."

"Nor anywhere else," said the man from Dublin. "Not even in Ringsend!"

His emphasis was telling.

There was another pause.

"Like galloping consumption it is," said he.

"Like the plague itself"," said I.

We watched the haze from petrol fumes as the sun tried in vain to penetrate it.

"It's getting worse," said I. "Only this afternoon I heard a man on the telly talking about the lessons taught by previous history."

"Incredible," said the man from Dublin.

"Not ancient history, not recent history. Previous history!"

"I suppose next he'll be referring to lessons taught by future history?"

"I wouldn't put it past him," said I.

"Incredible," said the man from Dublin.

"You don't have to keep on saying that!"

"Saying what?" asked the man from Dublin.

" 'Incredible'. You're beginning to sound just like them."

"Them who?

"Like every damn sports caster, commentator, talk show host, every damn get who gets in front of a microphone. Just listen to them.

"What an incredible shot, putt, drive, jump, catch, pass, strike, save, run, deke, race, recovery, aim, temperament, steal, dress, hair-do, style, walk, composure, talent, grasp, tone, range, career, touch, approach, improvement, lapse, success, performance, memory, handicap, tenacity, genius, idiot, moron, flair, ability, brilliance, hopelessness, dexterity, boldness, colour, mixture, shading, chiaroscuro, authenticity, pourtrayal, departure, deviousness, atmosphere, creativity, gift-"

"Credibility," offered the man from Dublin.

"What"?

"Incredible credibility".

"Now you're having me on. You're asking me to say that something that is credible is incredible."

"Exactly," said the man from Dublin.

That's incredible," said I.