Some privy to the process suspect that Lord Irvine is now reluctant to take the lead on the government's plans to reform the House of Lords, for fear of the revenge other ministers would take once he is the one with concrete proposals to defend.

ECONOMIST: A wigging for Lord Irvine

We already know that the tomb is booby-trapped by all manner of ancient curses, and, soon enough, the massed ranks of special effects arrive to take revenge.

NEWYORKER: The Mummy

General Guei has told French military officials they must take President Bedie out of the country immediately for his own safety, suggesting that mutinous soldiers might want to take revenge against him.

BBC: Ivory Coast rebels tighten grip

Indeed, there are even fears that, if Mr Taylor is convicted, his loyalists could take revenge against those who brought the case to trial in the first place, including members of the present government.

ECONOMIST: Charles Taylor on trial

Many of Marquetalia's residents fled to the jungles, to take up arms and plan revenge.

ECONOMIST: Colombia

But it his fear -- as the title of his new book, "The Last Generation: How Nature Will Take Her Revenge for Climate Change" (it is called "With Speed and Violence" in the U.S.), suggests -- that we still haven't fully realised the apocalyptic forces we have awoken and the reality of what is at stake if global warming continues untrammelled.

CNN: Climate change action: Too little, too late?

The decision was opposed by leaders of the Czech underground, who feared rightly that Hitler would take out on them his thirst for revenge.

FORBES: Former Secretary of State Albright: 'What Would We Have Done?'