Chapter 8 Snæfells at Last.
It was late in the day by the time we reached the other side of the river.
We only knew this by looking at the chronometer.
The sky was still as bright as noon, even though it was eight o'clock at night.
Iceland is so far north that the sun never sets during June and July.
It was hard going to sleep with the bright sun, but I got used to it.
Our slow but steady pace continued.
I stopped whenever Hans told me to.
I ate when he handed me food.
The volcano was always in the distance, but it never seemed to get any closer.
Eventually, Hans led us to a farmhouse.
He spoke with the farmer and his wife as we waited outside.
Then he returned to us.
He said we could sleep at the farmhouse that night and enjoy a bed for a change.
I cannot explain how happy I was to hear this news.
A bed.
It seemed too good to be true.
I could not understand a word the farmer and his wife said, but I understood.
They were very generous.
They made room for us, even though they had nineteen children.
They shared what little they had.
We had a bowl of soup, fish and berries.
I had a very peaceful sleep on a mattress filled with straw.
It felt like heaven.
I slept very well.
We left early the next day.
The volcano was finally looking closer.
At last I could see the progress we were making.
I was very happy when we finally arrived at the village of Strapi.
The village was located at the foot of the volcano.
It was wonderful knowing that the first part of our journey was done.
The village was small.
We traveled down the main street.
People looked at us through their windows, but no one came out to greet us.
I thought this was odd, yet who was I to judge?
Perhaps they were not used to strangers visiting their town.
Hans led us to the rectory where the minister lived.
Our guide asked if we could stay there while we prepared to climb the volcano.
The minister spoke with his wife in private.
When he came back, he agreed to our request.
The minister was not a friendly man.
Neither he nor his wife smiled.
They seemed to have no interest in conversation either.
There were no books in the house.
They were not even interested in talking about books.
My uncle decided we should leave as soon as possible.
He also decided that it was time to reveal the full plan to Hans.
My uncle told Hans that we would be traveling to the center of the earth and we were taking him with us.
I expected our guide to react in anger or shock.
Surely he would refuse to go on such a ridiculous journey.
That did not happen.
Hans just shrugged.
It didn't matter to him where we went.
He was hired as our guide.
He would lead us wherever my uncle wanted to go.
I started to wonder what would happen as we walked into a volcano.
Could we cause an eruption?
If we did, we would be too far down to do anything about it.
I mentioned my fear to my uncle.
I expected an argument from him.
Instead, he stopped what he was doing and looked at me.
Yes, he said.
I've thought of that, too.
I did not know what to say.
He was thinking the same thing?
Did that mean he was finally willing to turn back?
I have investigated this.
There are no signs that an eruption will occur.
We are quite safe, I promise.
Although I was still nervous, I took comfort in my uncle's words.
After all, he was a very smart man.
Uncle Lidenbrock made arrangements with Hans.
We would leave the minister's house early the next morning.
I had a terrible night's sleep.
My dreams were filled with explosions and danger.
I knew this was my last chance to sleep in a bed for a long time.
Still, I could not enjoy it.
The next morning, the horses were loaded and we were ready to leave.
The minister handed my uncle a sheet of paper.
It was a bill for our stay.
Uncle Lidenbrock paid him without a second thought.
He wanted to be on his way.
It was best just to leave this place behind.
Once we left the village of Strapi, we approached the volcano.
Snifitz was 5,000 feet high.
We stood at the base of the volcano and looked up.
It was going to be a slow and difficult trek to the top and we would have to leave our horses behind.
The climb was hard for many reasons.
First of all, the slope was very steep.
Second, many of the volcano's rocks were loose.
It was tough to hold on to them in order to climb.
Other rocks fell beside us, crashing below.
We were quickly exhausted.
Hans was so much faster than us.
He often disappeared behind a rocky overhang while we struggled to reach it.
Hans would then give a sharp whistle so we'd know which way to follow.
Whenever we came to a small ledge, we wanted to stop.
Even Uncle Lidenbrock was anxious to rest.
He asked Hans if we could stop.
Our guide shook his head no.
He said something to my uncle, then pointed.
Ah, Lidenbrock said.
Then he explained to me.
Look over there.
Do you see the dust and sand swirling?
It's coming this way.
We need to get out of its path and quickly.
Hans says we need to keep climbing.
We followed Hans again.
This likely danger gave us a new source of energy.
Uncle and I climbed as quickly as we could.
We decided to continue until we were safe at the summit of the volcano.
It was almost midnight by the time we reached the top.
We quickly found shelter inside the mouth of the crater.
There was a shelf about ten feet wide, just below the lip.
It was the perfect spot.
We were sheltered from the wind, and it was safe and dry.
I was very glad to lie down.
This time I had no nightmares.
It was a deep and well-deserved sleep.
