 My dear boy, it is merely burning sulfur. That is the common thing with a volcanic eruption. But if the flames engulf us, they will not engulf us. Well, I suppose it's all the same. Whether we choke to death, burn to death, or drown in scalding water. There is no water. We are rising on a bed of lava. What is the time, good heavens? Eight o'clock, master. Eight o'clock of the morning. Strange. It's gone very quietly.