Our lands here are fertile, capable of feeding our population no matter how quickly it grows. As a result, life is cheap. Did you see that slave gir... the shaman gutted in the square? Every town of any real size sacrifices a girl like her. Every year. I hear the cities sometimes sacrifice a dozen or more. Our legends tell of battles where untold scores died gloriously for the sake of Arkadia. In a war, I don’t think anyone would bat an eye at throwing away hundreds or even thousands of. .. Dante’s Inferno!”“That is what I have been told,” Karen replied. “But I know nothing except this place.”Logan nodded. “The Circle of Lust. Well, that certainly explains everyone’s obsession with sex. That would also mean there are other Circles for the rest of the seven deadly sins.” He tried to tick them off on his fingers. Anger, greed, um ... wrath?”Karen spoke up in a soft voice. “Pride, envy, gluttony, lust, wrath, greed, and sloth.”“Right,” he nodded. “Yes. Thank you, Karen. I’m not a. . drill?”She nodded. “Exactly. I just finished my last assay. It confirms everything I’ve found so far.” Responding to a silent command, the facto that had been following her wheeled and turned as it brought its four upper limbs together, digits spreading like the petals of a lotus. A projected image sprang up between us, a familiar Ship rendering of Old Sol in logarithmic scale: the four inner planets huddled closely around the warmth of a yellow star, the cooler gas giants orbiting distant. Wyatt nodded. ‘I’m fine now. So, dinner? I know a good Italian place.’ Sarah nodded. They turned in their bowling shoes and balls, then walked to the place Wyatt mentioned. They got a table and ordered, then started to just talk. ‘So, you’re new in town.’ Wyatt prompted. ‘Yeah. It’s weird, moving and shit. You know?’ She asked. Wyatt shook his head. ‘No idea. Never moved before. Lived in Rosedale my whole life.’ They talked throughout the meal, laughing and smiling almost perpetually. When the.