Runa and Antyza walked together, though Runa was quickly lagging. The sun was dipping lower, and with it the heat. That didn’t stop Runa from longing for their nightly ration of water. It was the same for all of the slaves. They were each given a yam and a drink of water in the morning and then a yam in the evening as well.

It was enough to keep them going but the water was barely enough to live and any excess was given to people as they collapsed on the ...