by men and angels to be seen, / In roaring he shall rise and on the surface die.”
“What’s that, then?” inquired John.
“The kraken wakes,” murmured Nimrod.
CHAPTER 2
GROANIN QUITS
V esuvius is the most densely populated volcanic region in the world. For the three million Italians who live near the volcano, the fact that smoke had started billowing from the crater would have seemed uncomfortable enough. But Vesuvius is not the only volcano in Italy, nor indeed the largest. Mount Etna in Sicily is more than twice as big as Vesuvius and, according to the television news, began a powerful eruption minutes after the earthquake had struck southern Italy. Stromboli, another of the three active volcanoes in Italy — this one on an island off the coast of Sicily — also began its first eruption since 2003.
“Fascinating,” said Nimrod as they watched the television in his handsomely appointed hotel suite. “It’s highly unusual that all three volcanoes should become simultaneously active. It seems that we have arrived in Italy at a most interesting time.”
“And I always thought Italy was a nice, quiet country,” said John.
“Oh, but it is,” insisted Nimrod. “All the same, I’d better call my friend, Professor Sturloson in Reykjavik.”
“Why would you want to do that, sir?” inquired Groanin.
“Surely you remember, Professor Sturloson, Groanin?”
“Naturally, I remember him, sir. He is a rather hard man to forget.”
“Then don’t be a fool. He’ll want to know what’s happening here as soon as possible.”
But when Nimrod telephoned the professor at his laboratory in Iceland he was told that Sturloson was out of the country and given a cell phone number to call. Nimrod dialed again and spoke to the professor’s assistant, Axel Heimskringla, who explained that he and Professor Sturloson were by a coincidence already in Italy and up on Vesuvius, and that the professor was unable to take Nimrod’s call because he was in the process of making a descent into the crater to take some rock samples.
“Please inform the professor I’m on my way to help,” Nimrod told Axel Heimskringla. “And that I’ll be there within a couple of hours.”
“Oh, Lord,” groaned Groanin and, sitting down at an antique desk, he began to write a letter.
When Nimrod had finished speaking to Axel Heimskringla, Groanin stood up stiffly and waited politely for a moment to interrupt his master, who was packing a backpack and outlining his plans.
“If we leave now,” he told the twins, “we can make the seven minutes past seven Circumvesuviana train from Sorrento to Pompei Scavi. Assuming it’s still running afterthe earthquake. From there we can take a taxi or the bus as far as the upper parking area and then walk to the summit. Assuming it’s not closed because of the ash plume. If it’s closed, we’ll have to hike up the whole mountain so you’d better wear stout shoes, take a walking stick if you have one, and bring lots of bottled water.”
“You want to go up Vesuvius?” John’s tone was incredulous. “Just when it’s started to get active again. Are you crazy?”
“A bit of smoke isn’t going to harm you, boy,” said Nimrod. “You should know that by now, being a good part smoke yourself.”
“Suppose it erupts,” objected Philippa, “while we’re up there. What then? I’d rather not repeat the experience of my mother and end up like a flying potato chip.”
“Yeah,” said John. “It’s not so easy to find another body. Besides, I’m kind of attached to the one I already have.”
“I do have some experience of knowing when a volcano is going to erupt and when it’s not,” said Nimrod. “After the earthquake of A.D. 63, which seemed to have reawakened Vesuvius, it was another sixteen years before it erupted properly and destroyed Pompeii, in A.D. 79.
Sixteen years.
And Snorri Sturloson would hardly be making a descent into the crater if he thought it was about to
“What’s that, then?” inquired John.
“The kraken wakes,” murmured Nimrod.
CHAPTER 2
GROANIN QUITS
V esuvius is the most densely populated volcanic region in the world. For the three million Italians who live near the volcano, the fact that smoke had started billowing from the crater would have seemed uncomfortable enough. But Vesuvius is not the only volcano in Italy, nor indeed the largest. Mount Etna in Sicily is more than twice as big as Vesuvius and, according to the television news, began a powerful eruption minutes after the earthquake had struck southern Italy. Stromboli, another of the three active volcanoes in Italy — this one on an island off the coast of Sicily — also began its first eruption since 2003.
“Fascinating,” said Nimrod as they watched the television in his handsomely appointed hotel suite. “It’s highly unusual that all three volcanoes should become simultaneously active. It seems that we have arrived in Italy at a most interesting time.”
“And I always thought Italy was a nice, quiet country,” said John.
“Oh, but it is,” insisted Nimrod. “All the same, I’d better call my friend, Professor Sturloson in Reykjavik.”
“Why would you want to do that, sir?” inquired Groanin.
“Surely you remember, Professor Sturloson, Groanin?”
“Naturally, I remember him, sir. He is a rather hard man to forget.”
“Then don’t be a fool. He’ll want to know what’s happening here as soon as possible.”
But when Nimrod telephoned the professor at his laboratory in Iceland he was told that Sturloson was out of the country and given a cell phone number to call. Nimrod dialed again and spoke to the professor’s assistant, Axel Heimskringla, who explained that he and Professor Sturloson were by a coincidence already in Italy and up on Vesuvius, and that the professor was unable to take Nimrod’s call because he was in the process of making a descent into the crater to take some rock samples.
“Please inform the professor I’m on my way to help,” Nimrod told Axel Heimskringla. “And that I’ll be there within a couple of hours.”
“Oh, Lord,” groaned Groanin and, sitting down at an antique desk, he began to write a letter.
When Nimrod had finished speaking to Axel Heimskringla, Groanin stood up stiffly and waited politely for a moment to interrupt his master, who was packing a backpack and outlining his plans.
“If we leave now,” he told the twins, “we can make the seven minutes past seven Circumvesuviana train from Sorrento to Pompei Scavi. Assuming it’s still running afterthe earthquake. From there we can take a taxi or the bus as far as the upper parking area and then walk to the summit. Assuming it’s not closed because of the ash plume. If it’s closed, we’ll have to hike up the whole mountain so you’d better wear stout shoes, take a walking stick if you have one, and bring lots of bottled water.”
“You want to go up Vesuvius?” John’s tone was incredulous. “Just when it’s started to get active again. Are you crazy?”
“A bit of smoke isn’t going to harm you, boy,” said Nimrod. “You should know that by now, being a good part smoke yourself.”
“Suppose it erupts,” objected Philippa, “while we’re up there. What then? I’d rather not repeat the experience of my mother and end up like a flying potato chip.”
“Yeah,” said John. “It’s not so easy to find another body. Besides, I’m kind of attached to the one I already have.”
“I do have some experience of knowing when a volcano is going to erupt and when it’s not,” said Nimrod. “After the earthquake of A.D. 63, which seemed to have reawakened Vesuvius, it was another sixteen years before it erupted properly and destroyed Pompeii, in A.D. 79.
Sixteen years.
And Snorri Sturloson would hardly be making a descent into the crater if he thought it was about to
Similar Books
The Regency Detective
David Lassman
Hunks Pulled Over
Marie Rochelle
Sins of Eden
S.M. Reine
The Summer Tree
Guy Gavriel Kay
Lena
Jacqueline Woodson
Love Becomes Her
Donna Hill
The Veiled Dragon
Troy Denning
Legacy of Desire
Marina Anderson
When Sysadmins Ruled the Earth
Cory Doctorow