A historic meeting between the Rev Ian Paisley and Gerry Adams in Belfast this morning could seal agreement on the DUP's proposal to form a powersharing government with Sinn Féin in early May.
That was the tantalising prospect on offer last night as hard, and possibly unprecedented, negotiations went to the wire. Whether or not it would happen in the end appeared down to a decision by Mr Adams.
However, the indications late last night were very positive, with still-cautious insiders saying the negotiations had seen "an advance, but not yet completion".
Assuming completion, plans were already being made for a series of bilateral meetings involving all the political parties - starting with that historic first between Sinn Féin and the DUP.
Mr Adams, however, was giving no clue as to whether he would relent in his opposition to necessary emergency legislation to extend the life of the Assembly to the DUP's proposed new devolution date, believed to be May 8th.
British prime minister Tony Blair had apparently left that decision to Mr Adams after the DUP leadership confirmed it would not comply with today's "deadline" stipulated by the British and Irish governments in the St Andrews Agreement.
As reported in Saturday's Irish Times, DUP officers had sanctioned an alternative strategy, rejecting today's deadline while at the same time firming up the party's commitment to share power. This position was confirmed to Mr Blair when he met the DUP delegation in Downing Street on Friday evening.
It is understood Mr Blair, in turn, made clear that, while he personally didn't care about the precise date for the commencement of devolved government, if the DUP could not persuade Mr Adams about the certainty of its May date then the Assembly would be dissolved.
The DUP's need to convince Mr Adams suggested the likelihood of the first formal contacts between the two parties over the weekend, although party and official sources refused to be drawn on the nature of the behind-the-scenes negotiations or the personnel involved.
The British government was hoping the clincher for Mr Adams would be the assurance that the resolution approved by the DUP executive on Saturday removed the party's previous "conditionality" about power-sharing and was carried with the support of the entire DUP parliamentary party.
Party sources confirmed that MPs Nigel Dodds, Gregory Campbell, David Simpson and William McCrea had all backed the alternative strategy, largely credited to deputy leader Peter Robinson, and fully supported by Dr Paisley.
The sources also confirmed the additional assurance for Mr Adams that there would be no further vote by the DUP executive, and that delegates were told on Saturday they were voting for or against an "absolute commitment" to enter government on the stated date.
The DUP resolution stated that it's "firm commitment" was offered "in an environment where no one, including government, goes back on any of the advances and commitments made." Given Sinn Féin agreement, Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain would act to preserve that "environment" by introducing emergency legislation in the House of Commons tomorrow, amending the existing Act and incorporating a May date for the appointment of ministers.
Senior British sources said yesterday that, provided agreement was reached, the May scenario offered a more stable prospect for devolved government than might have resulted from an attempt to force today's deadline on a divided DUP.