‘No wonder they all live there,’ I said. ‘Do we know where the slaves are quartered within the settlement? And what of the refining machine and the dwelling place of the White-faced Lord who tends it?’

‘I do not know where the White-faced Lord dwells, but the map we have created shows the location of the ore-refining shed. As for the slave quarters, all slaves, whether they are enslaved Redlanders or foreign slaves, have their own dwellings within certain regions of the city, and within them they are relatively free, though no one may venture elsewhere without the permission of one of the slavemasters. The slaves come each day to their place of work even as a free person might do, save that they have no choice in what they do and they receive no payment.’

‘A strange kind of slavery,’ I mused. ‘But how are they fed and clothed?’

‘Mostly they tend to their own needs,’ Sarn said. ‘They have garden plots where they grow food and the slaves have various skills such as weaving, and barter amongst themselves for the things they need. I think it had to be this way because there are ten times as many slaves as slavemasters. Indeed, rather than seeing them as slaves in the traditional sense, it might be better to regard them as a people ruled harshly by a small powerful upper class of despotic and privileged masters who demand complete obedience and submissiveness. So long as people perform their tasks, and obey all rules, they may otherwise do as they will. Of course there are many constraints and rules and the penalties for transgression are severe, but it may be that this limited freedom is the reason for the passivity of the Redlanders.’

‘That or the knowledge that anyone who gives trouble is sentenced to labour in a mine hard by the lair of a mutant beast or sent to the Spit to be sold on,’ Wila added.

‘I have dreamed of Matthew speaking about this beast,’ I murmured. ‘I wonder that it does not come out of its lair and rampage about the city.’

‘Maybe it is too well fed to bother,’ Sarn said grimly. ‘Indeed, keeping it sated may be another reason the slavemasters send miners to work in the adjacent mine.’ She drew a long breath. ‘Well, I think that is probably as much as will be useful to you in the guildmerge.’

I frowned. ‘I take it the map will not be ready in time for the merge?’

Sarn shook her head.

‘Then in that case you had better come along to the guildmerge so that you can describe the layout of the Red City.’ Her cheeks were flushed with excitement as the three of them began to pack up their papers and notes. I thanked them, adding, ‘You have done good and important work. In truth I cannot begin to imagine how you got so much from the dream-books.’