"'They've got it,' said Rhadamanthus, 'let them stew in it.'
"'They refuse to stew,' replied the spokesman, wringing his hands.
"Rhadamanthus sat up.
"'It is an axiom in law,' said he, 'that however complicated an event may be, there can never be more than one person at the extreme bottom of it. Who is the person?'
"'It is one Brien of the O'Brien nation, late of the kingdom of Kerry. A bad one! He got the maximum punishment a week ago.'
"For the first time in his life Rhadamanthus was disturbed. He scratched his head, and it was the first time he had ever done that either.
"'You say he got the maximum,' said Rhadamanthus, 'then it's a fix! I have damned him for ever, and better or worse than that cannot be done. It is none of my business,' said he angrily, and he had the deputation removed by force.
"But that did not ease the trouble. The contagion spread until ten million billions of voices were chanting in unison, and uncountable multitudes were listening between their pangs.
"'Who stole the threepenny-bit? Who stole the threepenny-bit?'
"That was still their cry. Heaven rang with it as well as hell. Space was filled with that rhythmic tumult. Chaos and empty Nox had a new discord added to their elemental throes. Another memorial was drafted below, showing that unless the missing coin was restored to its owner hell would have to close its doors. There was a veiled menace in the memorial also, for Clause 6 hinted that if hell was allowed to go by the board heaven might find itself in some jeopardy thereafter.