What has four fingers and one thumb, but isn't alive

Which conclusion about the eldest magician does this excerpt support

What is the most important point that the authors make in this paragraph? most enslaved people worked under fair to good conditions. enslaved workers had decent lives if they had fair overseers. plantations often were harsh because of the cruelty of those in charge. men with absolute power can lose the sense of what it means to be good.

Who appears to be the protagonist in this story?