According to Renard (ROBERT CARLYLE) in The World Is Not Enough, for thousands of years Hindu pilgrims have journeyed to this moody place in Azerbaijan to witness the miracle of the natural flames that never die, and to test their devotion to God by holding the scalding rocks in their hands as they say their daily prayers. Consequently, a suspicious Renard hands a properly scalding rock to his henchman Sasha Davidov (ULRICH THOMSEN), who is badly burned. Satisfied that Davidov is loyal, he then shoots Dr. Arkov (JEFF NUTTALL), his nuclear expert.