The Volcano

Dumb with astonishment and amazement which bordered on

stupefaction, they fled the forest. Instinctively, they made

towards the Lidenbrook Sea. Discovering a rusty dagger on the

beach, and the carved initials of the explorer before them on a

slab of granite, they realised that thay were once again treading

the route of Arne Saknussemm. Following a short sea journey around

a cape, they came ashore where a dark tunnel plunged deep into

rock. Venturing down, their progress was halted by a piece of rock

blocking their way. After deciding to blow their way through, and

setting the charge, they put out to sea for safety. With the

explosion, the rocks before them opened like a curtain, and a

bottomless pit appeared in the shore. The explosion had caused an

earthquake, the abyss had opened up, and the sea was pouring into

it. Down and down they plunged into the huge gallery, but on

regaining their senses found their raft rising at tremendous

speed. Trapped in the shaft of an active volcano they rose through

the ages of man to be finally expelled out on a mountain-side

riddled with tiny lava streams. Their journey was completed and

they found themselves 3000 miles from their original starting

point in Iceland. They had entered by one volcano and they had

come out by another. With the blue mountains of Calabria in the

east they walked away from the mountain that had returned them.

The frightening Mount Etna.