As Dante and Virgil approach the burning desert, they see the souls of the blasphemers lying in agony on the ground, swatting away burning embers. They also see the souls of the usurers (unscrupulous money lenders) crouching in the rain of flames, as well as the souls of the sodomites who wander around aimlessly through the falling fire.
As they walk across a safe part of the sand, one of the souls from a group of the sodomites comes running toward them.
