[ He sits back, lifts the bottle and makes a show of squinting at the level of liquid. Then he makes a show of whispering a few calculations, translating liquor to time-it-will-take-to-drink-said-liquor. Then, with a nod, he says: ]

If it will take longer than, oh, twenty-five minutes, then I should say that you ought to shorten the story. But any shorter than that, and yes, dear man, I want the story.