This references the popular warning 'there is fire on the mountain', echoing the urgency and timeliness of this story.
In former times, fishermen would brave the late hours to fish in the deepest seas, keeping warm with fires on their boats. Nowadays, the sight of flames at sea signifies something more ominous and disturbing: gas flaring and bunkering. Here, Godwin sits at the bow, guided by Piro's wisdom. The interplay of youth and age, descendant and ancestor, sky and sea, reflects the eternal cycle of life and death.