In this canto, Dante and Virgil finally make it out of the sixth subring of the 8th circle. As they cross the next bolgia, a disgruntled voice draws them down to take a closer look. They discover the seventh subring is full of snakes and thieves. Our travelers speak with one of these thieves, a political opponent of Dante's, who tells them about his greatest crime and offers the pilgrim a discouraging prophecy.