dome, which is called a condenser. Under it is a pit that’s around thirty feet deep and at the bottom a huge steel plate. Inside the main building and under the steel plate is a furnace. Bellows are run from the mill, keeping the furnace hot. All of the waste wood and grain from the other mills go there and to the foundry, too. The leftovers from the other mills are small and burn hot and fast. Also, the belongings of sick people can be burned here as well, and in some cases the corpses of the sick.”
“So whatever it is doesn’t spread, right?” asked Sasha. With her background, Keither figured she would show an interest in anything that kept illness from spreading.
“Right. The furnace makes the steel plate hot and boils off the water in the pit. There is another auger that is pumping water inside that dome, which is made of ceramics. Iumenta use a lot of ceramics; it’s one of their specialties. That water keeps the dome cold, so as steam hits is it, the steam condenses into water and is caught in a little ridge with holes that circles the rim of the dome, and then it goes into the river clean.”
“So the waste doesn’t infect another town,” said Legon.
“Correct. At the end of the day there is a stop in the pipe leading to the pit and people go in there and collect all of the remaining waste to be burnt in the furnace the next day. There are some other details from there, but you get how it works now,” he finished.
“Seems like a lot of time and money just to keep a workforce alive,” Keither added. He wasn’t sure just how bad the empire could be. After all, most people lived in relative comfort, and wasn’t it the good of the many that mattered? Moreover, he was feeling confident. None of the others could figure out the stuff he had, so why would Arkin be any different?
“It keeps your workforce healthy, yes. From my understanding this was a big fight with the Elves. Humans resisted placing measures like this in towns and cities because of the cost,” Arkin responded.
“So where the Elves failed the Iumenta have succeeded. Isn’t it possible that the Iumenta are not as bad as some people think, and that they think of the good of the many versus the cost?”
“You’d better not say the Iumenta are misunderstood, Keither,” Sasha said. He was taken aback by the tone in her voice. “Do you think the Royal Guard that killed a woman in front of your eyes was misunderstood? Or was that for the good of the many as well?” There was a defiant bite to her tone now. She did have a point, but the actions of an isolated group of human soldiers didn’t tarnish the entire Iumenta race. He began to open his mouth to retort but was cut off by Arkin.
“We are near town now. This talk can wait for later, and yes, Keither, it is a talk we will have. You don’t have to take my word. The Iumenta are not our friends. I’m sure you will be given more evidence than you have already.”
“But why not now? The…”
“Because we are fugitives and I don’t want attention, that’s why.” Arkin sounded irritated, like Keither had said something ignorant or childish. Was it wrong to want to continue the conversation?
* * * * *
Sasha felt anger seething in her. She couldn’t believe what Keither was saying. Didn’t he understand, didn’t he see how the queen was? This was all “academic” for him; he wasn’t in any near danger of being made a slave. He wasn’t there when they took Sara. She gripped the horn on her saddle harder, hearing the leather creak. It was rare for her to feel anger this strong, but when she did it was usually justified. It wasn’t that Keither didn’t have good points, the good of the many and such, but he was justifying the end result. There was a lot more to justice and good than most of the people having a comfortable lifestyle.
Or was there? She wasn’t sure. She knew the queen was evil, but why? That’s what mattered. Keither’s logic was sound but still she knew it was wrong. She thought hard, not noticing Salkay come closer and closer. Arkin had taught them one of the principles of the Mahann: “Black and white is all there is. Grey is just