red out o' their senses by the
police!

PADNA
'Tis the hell of a thing, entirely! I don't see what's
gained be closin' the pubs at all, unless it be to give
the police somethin' to do.

MICUS
The overfed and undertaught bla'gards!

PADNA
As far as I can see, there's as much drink sold as if
the pubs were never closed.

MICUS
There is, an' more; for if it wasn't forbidden to drink
porter, it might be thought as little about as water.

PADNA
I don't believe that, Micus. Did you ever hear of a
pint or even a gallon of water makin' any one feel
like Napoleon?

[_Mrs. Cotter enters and places drinks on table_.

PADNA (_handing money_)
There ye are, ma'am.

MRS. COTTER (_takes money_)
Hurry now like good boys, for forty shillin's is a lot
to pay for a pint o' porter, an' that's what 'twill cost
ye if the police comes in an' finds ye here. An' I'll
lose me license into the bargain.
[_Exit_.

MICUS
One would think be the way the police are talked
about that they had charge of the whole Universe!

PADNA
An' who else has charge of it but themselves an' the
magistrates, or justices o' the pace, as they're called?

MICUS
They're worse than the police.

PADNA
They're as bad anyway, an' that's bad enough.

MICUS (_scornfully_)
Justices o' the pace!

PADNA
Micus!

MICUS
What?

PADNA (_thoughtfully_)
There's no justice in the world.

MICUS
Damn the bit! Sure 'tisn't porter we should be drinkin'
a cold night like this!

PADNA (_as he sips from pint_)
'Tis well to have it these times.

MICUS
The world is goin' to the dogs, I'm afraid.

PADNA
'Tisn't goin' at all, but gone.

MICUS
An' nobody seems to care.

PADNA
Some pretend they do, like the preachers, but they're
paid for it. I do be often wonderin' after readin' the
newspapers if God has forgotten about the world
altogether.

MICUS
I wouldn't be surprised, for nothin' seems to be right.
There's the police, for instance. They can do what
they like, an' we must do what we're told, like childer.

PADNA
Isn't the world a star, Micus?

MICUS (_with pint to his mouth_)
Of course it is.

PADNA
Then it must be the way that it got lost among all
the other stars one sees on a frosty night.

MICUS
Are there min in the other stars too?

PADNA
So I believe.

MICUS
That's queer.

PADNA
Sure, everythin' is queer.

MICUS
If the min in the other stars are like the peelers, there
won't be much room in Hell after the good are