It was an ancient ring that I had bought in Egypt, fashioned of gold in which was set a very hard basalt or other black stone.

On this was engraved the ank or looped cross, which was the Egyptian symbol of Life, and round it a snake, the symbol of Eternity.

The gold was for the most part melted, but the stone, being so hard and protected by the shield and asbestos cloak, for such I suppose it was, had resisted the fury of the flash.

Only now it was white instead of black, like a burnt onyx that had known the funeral pyre.

Indeed, perhaps it was an onyx.