After a short break, they loaded up their knapsacks and ascended the last two hundred feet to the summit. When they reached the crater at an altitude of forty-four hundred feet, they were exhausted, muddy, and sweaty. Fighting heavy winds, they hiked across a rocky ridge to the Étang des Palmistes, the cool spring lake at the center of the caldera. What they found there shocked and terrified them to their core. The peaceful lake had turned into a pit of black lava that bubbled up with ferocious intensity. Emilie stared at the molten rock in shock. Her limbs trembled, and her heart pounded as she realized the volcano had entered a perilous new phase. It was spewing up all the magma from deep inside the chamber, and there was no telling how this would end. She looked over at Professor Landes, but the terror in his face told her all she needed to know: Mount Pelée was on the verge of eruption.
Part 2
Chapter 14
The climbers stood on the crater rim, staring at the horrifying scene. No one dared speak. The black lava frothed and hissed like a witch’s cauldron, and it glinted with an eerie metallic sheen. It seemed to be coming from deep inside the earth. And there was no life anywhere. Ashes coated every surface. The climbers stared at it, shaken and disturbed. Emilie feared that if the black lava continued to bubble up, it would spill over the sides of the mountain, destroying everything in its path.
Adding to the gloom, sulfurous clouds floated over the lava pit like ghostly apparitions, leaving an overpowering stench of sulfur in their wake. Emilie realized that their very lives depended on the integrity of the crater rim, that if it were to suddenly give way from the pressure of the lava, they would all be engulfed in the boiling mud. That thought sent a shiver up her spine.
There was a slight rustling noise behind Emilie. When she turned, she saw that the porters had fled. Where they once stood was only a pile of baggage and a residual cloud of dust. Their footprints continued for several yards before disappearing down the side of the mountain. Crestfallen, she realized the expedition was now short two members. She pointed this out to Professor Landes, but he was too shaken to reply. She was suddenly gripped with a primal fear and a need to escape, but she remained steadfast, unwilling to desert her companions.
Rémy looked especially troubled. “Professor Landes, I think we’ve got a serious problem on our hands. This thing’s going to blow.”
“That’s putting it mildly,” said Aubert. “Who was it that said this blasted volcano is extinct? I’d like to have a serious chat with the bugger.”
Durancy’s face was noticeably grave. “Sah, I suggest we get out of here at once. It is not safe here. In a place where birds die, man cannot live for very long.”
“Yes, yes, as soon as I take some photographs for the governor,” said Landes.
“There’s no need to panic,” said M. Mirville. “I still think this volcano will die down and go back to sleep.”
“Or maybe not,” said Aubert. “We can’t afford to take that chance.”
The grim looks on everyone’s faces told Emilie they agreed with Aubert.
Taking out her binoculars, Emilie scanned the lava field. She realized the situation was far worse than anyone could have predicted. The crater rim resembled the jagged edges of a gigantic vase that could at any point plummet off the side of the mountain, unleashing an avalanche of muddy lava on every plantation for miles, including hers.
“Professor Landes,” she said, “it doesn’t make any sense. If Mount Pelée is extinct, where did all the lava come from? Is this some kind of new geological phenomenon?”
Landes looked perplexed. “I wish I knew the answer to that. The lava you see here came from deep underground. It was forced up the chamber by high temperatures and high pressures, changing form and texture as it reached the surface. At this point it’s impossible to predict when and if it will die down. Pelée has not had a major eruption for hundreds of years. We must hope for the best.”
“I agree,” added Mirville. “Most likely the lava signifies the worst is over, and the volcano will soon be on the wane.”
“With all due respect,” said Rémy, clearly agitated, “the volcano does not appear to be on the wane. I hope that’s not what you plan on telling the governor.”
“I haven’t decided what I’m going to tell the governor,” interrupted Mirville. “But nothing here changes my mind. I’m sure it’s just a passing phase and the worst is over. Don’t you agree, Landes?”
Professor Landes just stared at the black lava, lost in thought. His eyes looked haunted; his brow was furrowed and wet with perspiration. He coughed a little from the fumes and looked troubled by this new discovery, like finding out that an extinct species of dinosaur has been alive and well all along. As the team walked around the perimeter of the crater, the repercussions of their discovery struck Emilie as more disturbing than anything they could have predicted. The ramifications, she realized, could be enormous for everyone who lived in the vicinity of Mount Pelée. She stared at the men’s faces—each one lost in his thoughts—and cried out when projectiles began bursting out of the crater. With a tremendous boom, rocks and boulders shot out of the crater like cannonballs, terrifying them. The expedition members stared in horror at the display of nature’s power. Emilie clung to Durancy, watching as the missiles exploded like meteors; she was filled with a sense of impending doom. There was no end to the lava; it frothed up as if from a massive furnace. She watched with astonishment, her heart pounding so hard she could scarcely breathe.
“Professor Landes, this looks serious,” said Emilie. “Our lives might be in grave danger. There’s no telling what may happen.”
Professor Landes scoffed at this notion. “We’ve got to remain calm. There has to be a reasonable explanation for all this magma. In all the years I’ve been studying Pelée, there was never any hint it was going to erupt.”
Rémy looked frustrated. “As far as I’m concerned, all this lava points to only one conclusion: that the whole damn thing is about to erupt. We’ve got to take every precaution. We were sent up here to collect any data that confirm this, so the governor can take the necessary precautions to protect the public.”
“Don’t jump to conclusions,” said Mirville, clearly agitated. “We’ve got to remain calm.”
“I think we should leave at once,” said Emilie. “Perhaps if we hurry, we can catch up with the porters. We must get back before nightfall.”
Professor Landes shook his head. “I still have to take photographs for the governor and collect samples of the sulfur crystals. But I will try to be quick.”
“The damn thing looks like the bloody pits of hell,” said Aubert, his face reddening from the heat. “Gather all the evidence you want, but make it quick.”
Rémy removed his pith helmet to wipe his forehead. “Yes, let’s finish quickly and get out of here. The porters have already fled. Now we’ll have to carry everything ourselves.”
Professor Landes approached the crater to take some samples, his face turning red with each step.
“It’s sweltering,” said Landes, loosening his collar. “I can’t begin to guess the temperature of the lava. I can’t get close enough to take a reading.”
“I don’t advise you to get too close unless you want a permanent suntan,” said Aubert, fanning his face with his pith helmet. His khaki tunic was soaked with sweat.
“Please keep a safe distance, sah,” said Durancy, staring uneasily at the lava pit. “And Mam’selle Emilie, please stay next to me for your own safety. I promised your father I would protect you.”
“Mlle Dujon, do as he says,” said Rémy. “It’s not safe for you to wander around by yourself, no matter how many times you’ve climbed the mountain. Now is no time for heroics.”
Emilie backed away from the crater. By now the heat was almost unbearable. They were over thirty feet from the crater, yet the radiant heat was so intense they could feel it burning their clothes. As each projectile shot out, they cried out in astonishment, gaping at the fiery boulders as they soare
d through the air to dizzying heights.
After Landes had collected his samples, he set up the tripod for the camera. Rémy bent down to gather some pumice stones, which he stored in his knapsack. When he was done, he said, “Professor Landes, I think we’ve seen enough. When you’re done taking photographs, let’s head back and write our report.”
“Yes, but before we go, I want to see the lower summit,” he said, pointing westward. “It lies about fifty feet below us in that direction.”
Rémy took out his binoculars and peered at the lower summit.
“I see sulfur clouds rising from there as well,” said Rémy. “Seems odd.”
They hiked around the perimeter of the crater, cognizant that the volcano could erupt at any moment. Professor Landes surveyed the ghastly scene with haunted eyes, sweat dripping down his temples. “Mon Dieu, for years we picnicked and swam here. I never imagined—”
“You never imagined that one day the volcano would start acting like a volcano?” interrupted Aubert.
“Well, I don’t advise you to go swimming there now,” said Rémy. “Not unless you want to turn into a petrified rock.”
To demonstrate his point, he picked up a branch and threw it in the lava. All at once a reddish-orange flame shot out and consumed the branch, the fire crackling and dancing on the surface. The sight of it was terrifying. The noxious fumes that accompanied the explosion were so powerful they hacked and coughed despite covering their noses and mouths.
That’s when they saw the dead birds.
Emilie was the first to see them. She hiked ahead of the others, and when she stumbled upon the bodies of hundreds of dead birds, she stopped short.
She pointed at their ghostly white bodies. “Look, they’re all dead.”
Landes’s eyes went wide. “There are hundreds of them, asphyxiated. They must have died from carbon dioxide poisoning. The volcano is emitting huge quantities of it.”
“What is carbon dioxide?” said Emilie.
“It is a gas that is denser than air and cannot sustain fire or animal life. It’s all around us. If it wasn’t for the constant flow of fresh air, we’d be as dead as these poor wretches.”
Emilie felt the blood draining from her face. She saw the look of unease that overcame Rémy and Aubert, their muscles tensing, as if expecting a sudden attack.
“Come on, gentlemen, let’s head down to the lower valley,” said Professor Landes. “I want to see what the situation is like down there.”
“That sounds reasonable,” said M. Mirville, whose face did not exactly agree with his words. He pulled out his barometer, and Emilie watched his eyes widen with shock when he observed the wild fluctuations of the needle. She drew closer and watched with growing unease as the needle oscillated out of control.
“M. Mirville, what’s going on?” she said. “Why is the barometer vibrating like that?”
“It means the atmospheric pressure is dropping rapidly,” said Mirville. “I’ve never seen anything like it in my life. I’ve read that barometric depressions combined with microseismic movements indicate a high level of volcanic activity, but we shouldn’t jump to any conclusions. There might be an approaching storm.”
Rémy grabbed the barometer and studied it. “It’s definitely picking up some magnetic matter in the atmosphere, some type of magnetic currents.” He looked around with unease. Emilie stared in his eyes and tried to read his thoughts. But before he could say anything more, Mirville grabbed the instrument and stuffed it in his pocket.
“It could also mean nothing,” he said. “We have to keep our wits about us. The last thing we need is a panic on our hands.”
Rémy grew silent, his face a mask of worry.
They hiked around Morne La Croix and made their way down to the lower valley some fifty feet below. As they descended by means of a path cut into the side of the cliff, their progress was slowed by the overgrowth of vines and creepers. Durancy and Césaire took the lead, slashing at the overgrowth to make a path. One by one they descended to the lower crater, and when they reached the bottom, they were shocked once more by the sight that awaited them.
Chapter 15
Surrounded by clouds of steam, Emilie was shocked to see that the lower crater was an enormous field of black sludge. She willed her legs to carry her across the muddy surface when every instinct told her to flee. Yet something akin to fascination and curiosity pulled her forward. When they reached the edge of the pit, they looked on in horror. The dry crater had transformed into a frothing pit of black lava, from which noxious gases were rising. The men were noticeably troubled by the sight. They stared at it with palpable fear, sweat pouring down their temples. Their hands trembled as they surveyed the shocking sight through binoculars. To Emilie it looked as if the lava was bubbling up from subterranean fires, exactly as Jules Verne described them in Journey to the Center of the Earth. The only difference was they were atop a forty-four-thousand-foot mountain five miles from a bustling town, not miles beneath the earth’s crust. She shuddered, thinking there were now two craters in active eruption.
The party hiked across the muddy surface, enveloped in vaporous clouds that made them cough and gasp for breath. Everywhere they looked, pools of black lava were bubbling up from the depths, sending up wisps of smoke. Adding to the horror, the hissing steam became so loud it sounded like a deafening roar. Emilie looked at Rémy’s eyes and saw raw fear. Even the normally jovial Césaire looked disturbed and Durancy clutched his cutlass so tightly his arm muscles bulged. They stared in shock at this new discovery. No one said anything. There was no explanation for this shocking phenomenon, but they all agreed that the dry crater looked even more fearsome than the first crater. It resembled a lake of boiling black lava. And even more disturbing, draped along the crater walls were the remnants of dead trees coated in a thick black slime. There was no sign of life anywhere. Every now and then, rocks and boulders would burst out of the crater with an explosion like cannon fire.
“Professor Landes,” said Emilie. “The volcano is erupting. I think we had better get out of here as quickly as possible.”
“Don’t worry, I don’t believe we’re in any immediate danger,” said Landes. “The volcano can experience seismic shocks like this for years before it dies down.”
“Professor Landes is right,” said M. Mirville. “It looks worse than it is. I think all this release of gas and steam signifies that the volcano will soon die down. Our job is to reassure the public they’re in no immediate danger.”
Emilie looked at him skeptically but said nothing.
Off to the side, they spotted an enormous cinder cone over thirty feet high that was spewing jets of boiling water and clouds of steam. Landes remarked that he had never observed a cinder cone before, and it appeared to be acting as a sort of plug for the magma below.
“God only knows what will happen if this cork blows its top,” said Aubert.
“Gentlemen, I think we’ve seen enough,” said Rémy. “The gas fumes here are quite toxic. Let’s head back and write our report.”
As they were getting ready to leave, Aubert called out to them.
“Look there!” He pointed to the middle of the lava lake. “Do you see those green leaves floating on the lava like tiny islands? It’s amazing how they can survive at such high temperatures.”
Landes strained to catch sight of the greenish leaves floating on the surface amid ashes and cinders. When he realized the source of the vegetation, his face paled noticeably.
“Gentlemen, those leaves are not small islands. I believe they are the tops of trees that once stood over sixty feet high.”
Everyone stared in shock, the implications too frightening to imagine.
Stunned by their findings, the scientific committee hurried back across the black sludge, gathered up their equipment, and headed down the mountain as quickly as possible. Every now and then a boom would ring out, sending rocks raining down on the surrounding countryside. There was no sign of the porters anywhere.
During the descent there was no more laughter, no more joking. Everyone was exhausted and haunted by what they had seen. By the time they reached Morne-Rouge, they were covered in ash and soot, bruised, bleeding, and their boots were caked with muddy lava. Emilie stared in shock at her silver belt buckle, silver buttons, and coins. Each item had turned an eerie bluish-black color, instantly tarnished.
While they were retrieving their horses at the barn, Emilie said, “Professor Landes, what are you going to tell the governor?”
“I hardly know what to say,” he said, looking perplexed. “I’m still stunned by what we found. I’m not sure I believe it myself. The volcano certainly looks as if it’s on the verge of eruption, but it’s hard to say . . .”
“We have to tell him the truth,” said Rémy. “At the very least, we should warn him about the potential danger to the public so he can develop an evacuation plan. Thank goodness we took photographs.”
“Our main job is to calm the public, not rile them up,” said Landes. “But I’ll give it some thought. Tomorrow we have to report to the governor at the Hôtel Intendance.”
“I’ll be there,” said Rémy. “There are villages within a few miles of the crater. Those people have to be warned about the danger of projectiles. If the steam pressure builds, there’s no way to predict where the debris will fall, not to mention the lava.”
“Let’s not get too hasty,” said Mirville. “Any flow of lava will surely run down the ravines into the sea. And don’t forget, Saint-Pierre is over five miles away. The civilians are in no immediate danger in my opinion. I’m sure the worst is over, and we should downplay the situation as much as possible so as not to cause a panic.”
Emilie noticed that Rémy remained skeptical but said nothing.
Island on Fire Page 10