As darkness closed in on Northern Ireland last night, there was fear in many hearts. After the Billy Wright assassination and the speedy retaliation at a Dungannon hotel, yet again people asked: "What next?"
The biggest worry was further tit-for-tat action. There was the related concern that all this violence could destabilise the mainstream paramilitary organisations.
The impact of Wright's death on the Ulster Volunteer Force was a particular concern. Some members may have a residual regard for their former associate and there would also be a firm view in Protestant paramilitary circles that the INLA had broken the unwritten rule that you don't shoot people in prison.
There would also be a feeling among loyalists that the Provisional IRA is involved in this somewhere.
Retaliation by loyalists inevitably puts republicans under pressure to counter strike. Although the IRA ceasefire appears solid at this time, past experience has shown that its continuance can never be taken for granted.
When all else is taken from the people of Northern Ireland, they will still have their conspiracy theories. But to coin a phrase: "Just because you're a conspiracy theorist doesn't mean there is no conspiracy."
With the multi-party talks in such a fragile state, it cannot be ruled out that the weekend's events were part of a grand plan to destabilise the peace process.
If there is hard evidence of such a conspiracy, reporters would like to see it. Another theory is that mainstream loyalists colluded with republicans to remove a thorn from both their sides. But whatever about conspiracies, the consequences of the weekend's events are clear.
A continuing atmosphere of violence and tension is not conducive to democratic dialogue and agreement. There is cause for some hope in the fact that neither the INLA nor the LVF are part of the process. Indeed, some would argue that the demise of a charismatic leader will greatly damage the LVF and make it easier for the mainstream Protestant paramilitaries to remain at the talks table.
The sinister comment from the LVF about expanding its theatre of operations will be taken as a threat to the Republic and will no doubt lead to a tightening of security South of the Border.
Conspiracy theorists are feeding off the fact that a weapon was smuggled into the Maze Prison to kill Billy Wright. But nothing that happens in that place will surprise anyone. The past year has been a chapter of disasters from the point of view of the authorities, with republicans trying to tunnel their way out, a republican prisoner escaping in woman's clothes and now the assassination of the jail's best-known inmate.
Dr Mo Mowlam will not, of course, pay any heed to the call for her resignation from Mr Ken Maginnis of the Ulster Unionist Party. Nor is her security minister, Mr Adam Ingram, likely to take the fall. But there was considerable speculation last night that a head might roll in the area of prison administration.
The autonomy enjoyed by inmates belonging to the different factions and the continuing political pressure for concessions to prisoners makes the Maze a difficult place to run. Everyone knows if there is a settlement the prisoners will have to be released speedily and this is not conducive to discipline either.
Meanwhile, talks resume on January 12th. The latest violence casts uncertainty over everything but at this stage it seems likely most parties will re-assemble at Stormont.
There is little indication, however, that negotiations are about to go into high gear, despite the urgings of both the British and Irish governments. Even the temporary re-siting of the talks to London and Dublin is in doubt because of unionist misgivings about the cost - which they put at £260,000 - and the political rationale of such a move at this stage.
Sinn Fein is busy heaping the blame for a lack of progress on the heads of the Ulster Unionists and their "negative agenda". The republicans claim there are elements in the UUP leadership more comfortable with a war situation in Northern Ireland.
UUP sources for their part claim there is a separate process going on between Provisional republicans and the British government. They are unhappy with the lack of accountability for events in the Maze, adding that if such a chain of events occurred in Portlaoise or in English prisons there would be hell to pay. "The whole thing is unbelievable and somebody somewhere ought to be accountable."
The irony is that, even if progress were being made in the talks, there would probably still be violence as attempts to wreck the negotiations intensified. Either way, the one gloomy certainty as Northern Ireland faces a new year is that there will be more deaths and further violence. The only question is, how much and can it be ended in long run?