e&tg 11

[rone]

Suddenly, i remembered something.  "Hey!  Feren said i could get a beer when i got here!"

"Did he now."  N'Jeet chuckled.  He stopped walking and whistled a little tune and a scrub jay flew down.  He whispered at it and it flew off.  "Let's wait here while he comes back with something."  He snapped his fingers.  "Oh, damn, i had a point earlier, but i digressed.  Cities?  Pollution?"  I nodded.  "Kromalir.  It is the largest city, by far, on the continent, in both area and population.  Do you know how bad its pollution is?"

I shrugged.  "I imagine it's pretty bad."

He shook his head.  "It is practically immaculate.  The Wyrmsbreath River runs through the city, and it is as clean at its mouth, where it runs into the Great Ocean, as it is when it first enters the city.  A city that size should be burning down a forest every year as fuel, but the forests nearby show little use, and some of that is nearby towns and settlements.  The fuel spent should be choking the air above it with soot, but the air is clear.  The city should be surrounded with farms to feed it, but there are only a few."  He shook his head again.  "It is a mystery.  I hear that there are certain magics in place that deal with the city's needs, but i know of no magic that can do it on such a scale, and in so many respects."

"Huh.  I had no idea," i said.  "It sounds pretty cool, i guess."

"Cool?"  He sighed.  "It is a marvel, a miracle.  A great source of envy for me, i'll tell you.  And, no doubt, for others.  Which raises more questions: If these magics exist, why have they not been shared with other cities?  Why hasn't the Empire of Tashpar invaded Kromalir?  How does a city as diverse and populated as Kromalir remain stable politically, and why has it remained independent and unallied with any nation?"  He fell silent.  After a while, a very tired scrub jay returned with a wineskin, which it dropped into N'Jeet's hands.  He gave it to me.  "Your ale, lad.  You deserve it, certainly, for letting an old man ramble."