The Well of Ascension, Page 93

Page 93

  Sazed did so, and Elend took a deep breath, standing with hands clasped behind his back. He had gone back to his white uniforms, and stood with a commanding posture despite his obvious frustration.

  Someone stole my friend the scholar away, Sazed thought, and left a king in his place. "I assume this is about Lady Vin, Lord Elend?"

  "Yes," Elend said, beginning to pace, gesturing with one hand as he spoke. "She doesnt make any sense, Sazed. I expect that—hell, I count on it. Shes not just female, shes Vin. But, Im left unsure how to react. One minute she seems warm to me—like we were before this mess hit the city—and the next minute shes distant and stiff. "

  "Perhaps shes just confused herself. "

  "Perhaps," Elend agreed. "But shouldnt at least one of us know what is going on in our relationship? Honestly, Saze, sometimes I just think were too different to be together. "

  Sazed smiled. "Oh, I dont know about that, Lord Elend. You may be surprised at how similarly the two of you think. "

  "I doubt that," Elend said, continuing to pace. "Shes Mistborn; Im just a regular man. She grew up on the streets; I grew up in a mansion. She is wily and clever; Im book-learned. "

  "She is extremely competent, and so are you," Sazed said. "She was oppressed by her brother, you by your father. Both of you hated the Final Empire, and fought it. And both of you think far too much about what should be, rather than what is. "

  Elend paused, looking at Sazed. "What does that mean?"

  "It means that I think you two are right for each other," Sazed said. "I am not supposed to make such judgments, and truly, this is just the opinion of a man who hasnt seen much of you two in the last few months. But, I believe it to be true. "

  "And our differences?" Elend asked.

  "At first glance, the key and the lock it fits may seem very different," Sazed said. "Different in shape, different in function, different in design. The man who looks at them without knowledge of their true nature might think them opposites, for one is meant to open, and the other to keep closed. Yet, upon closer examination, he might see that without one, the other becomes useless. The wise man then sees that both lock and key were created for the same purpose. "

  Elend smiled. "You need to write a book sometime, Sazed. Thats as profound as anything Ive read. "

  Sazed flushed, but glanced at the stack of papers on the desktop. Would they be his legacy? He wasnt certain if they were profound, but they did represent the most cohesive attempt that hed ever made at writing something original. True, most of the sheets contained quotes or references, but a great deal of the text also included his thoughts and annotations.

  "So," Elend said, "what should I do?"

  "About Lady Vin?" Sazed asked. "I would suggest simply giving her—and yourself—a little more time. "

  "Time is at a premium these days, Saze. "

  "When is it not?"

  "When your city isnt besieged by two armies," Elend said, "one of them led by a megalomaniac tyrant, the other by a reckless fool. "

  "Yes," Sazed said slowly. "Yes, I think you may be right. I should return to my studies. "

  Elend frowned. "What are you working on, anyway?"

  "Something that has little relevance to your current problem, I fear," Sazed said. "Tindwyl and I are collecting and compiling references about the Deepness and the Hero of Ages. "

  "The Deepness. . . Vin mentioned it, too. You really think it might return?"

  "I think it has returned, Lord Elend," Sazed said. "It never left, really. I believe the Deepness was—is—the mists. "

  "But, why. . . " Elend said, then held up a hand. "Ill read your conclusions when you have finished. I cant afford to get sidetracked right now. Thank you, Sazed, for your advice. "

  Yes, a king indeed, Sazed thought.

  "Tindwyl," Elend said, "you may come back in now. Sazed, good day. " Elend turned toward the door, and it cracked open slowly. Tindwyl strode in, hiding her embarrassment.

  "How did you know I was out there?" she asked.

  "I guessed," Elend said. "Youre as bad as Vin. Anyway, good day, both of you. "

  Tindwyl frowned as he left; then she glanced at Sazed.

  "You really did do a fine job with him," Sazed said.

  "Too fine a job," Tindwyl said, sitting. "I actually think that if the people had let him remain in command, he might have found a way to save the city. Come, we must return to work—this time, I actually did send someone for lunch, so we should get as much done as possible before it arrives. "

  Sazed nodded, seating himself and picking up his pen. Yet, he found it difficult to focus on his work. His mind kept returning to Vin and Elend. He wasnt certain why it was so important to him that they make their relationship work. Perhaps it was simply because they were both friends of his, and he wished to see them happy.

  Or perhaps there was something else. Those two were the best Luthadel had to offer. The most powerful Mistborn of the skaa underground, and the most noble leader of the aristocratic culture. They needed each other, and the Final Empire needed them both.

  Plus, there was the work he was doing. The specific pronoun used in much of the Terris prophetic language was gender neutral. The actual word meant "it," though it was commonly translated into modern tongues as "he. " Yet each "he" in his book could also have been written as "she. " If Vin really was the Hero of Ages. . .

  I need to find a way to get them out of the city, Sazed thought, a sudden realization washing over him. Those two must not be here when Luthadel falls.

  He put aside his notes and immediately began writing a quick series of letters.

  The two are not the same.

  46

  BREEZE COULD SMELL INTRIGUE FROM two streets away. Unlike many of his fellow thieves, he hadnt grown up impoverished, nor had he been forced to live in the underground. Hed grown up in a place far more cutthroat: an aristocratic court. Fortunately, the other crewmembers didnt treat him differently because of his full-blooded noble origin.

  That was, of course, because they didnt know about it.

  His upbringing afforded him certain understandings. Things that he doubted any skaa thief, no matter how competent, knew. Skaa intrigue made a brutal kind of sense; it was a matter of naked life and death. You betrayed your allies for money, for power, or to protect yourself.

  In the noble courts, intrigue was more abstract. Betrayals wouldnt often end with either party dead, but the ramifications could span generations. It was a game—so much of one, in fact, that the young Breeze had found the open brutality of the skaa underground to be refreshing.

  He sipped his warm mug of mulled wine, eyeing the note in his fingers. Hed come to believe that he wouldnt have to worry about intracrew conspiracies anymore: Kelsiers crew was an almost sickeningly tight group, and Breeze did everything within his Allomantic powers to keep it that way. Hed seen what infighting could do to a family.

  That was why he was so surprised to receive this letter. Despite its mock innocence, he could easily pick out the signs. The hurried pace of the writing, smudged in places but not rewritten. Phrases like "No need to tell others of this" and "do not wish to cause alarm. " The extra drops of sealing wax, spread gratuitously on the lip of the letter, as if to give extra protection against prying eyes.

  There was no mistaking the tone of the missive. Breeze had been invited to a conspiratorial conference. But, why in the Lord Rulers name would Sazed, of all people, want to meet in secret?

  Breeze sighed, pulling out his dueling cane and using it to steady himself. He grew light-headed sometimes when he stood; it was a minor malady hed always had, though it seemed to have grown worse during the last few years. He glanced over his shoulder as his vision cleared, toward where Allrianne slept in his bed.

  I should probably feel more guilty about her, he thought, smiling despite himself and reaching to put his vest and jacket o
n over his trousers and shirt. But. . . well, were all going to be dead in a few days anyway. An afternoon spent speaking with Clubs could certainly put ones life in perspective.

  Breeze wandered out into the hallway, making his way though the gloomy, inadequately lit Venture passageways. Honestly, he thought, I understand the value in saving lamp oil, but things are depressing enough right now without the dark corridors.

  The meeting place was only a few short twists away. Breeze located it easily because of the two soldiers standing watch outside the door. Demouxs men—soldiers who reported to the captain religiously, as well as vocationally.

  Interesting, Breeze thought, remaining hidden in the side hallway. He quested out with his Allomantic powers and Soothed the men, taking away their relaxation and certainty, leaving behind anxiety and nervousness. The guards began to grow restless, shuffling. Finally, one turned and opened the door, checking on the room inside. The motion gave Breeze a full view of the rooms contents. Only one man sat within. Sazed.

  Breeze stood quietly, trying to decide his next course of action. There was nothing incriminating in the letter; this couldnt all simply be a trap on Elends part, could it? An obscure attempt at finding out which crewmembers would betray him and which wouldnt? Seemed like too distrustful a move for the good-natured boy. Besides, if that were the case, Sazed would have to try and get Breeze to do more than simply meet in a clandestine location.

  The door swung closed, the soldier returning to his place. I can trust Sazed, cant I? Breeze thought. But, if that was the case, why the quiet meeting? Was Breeze overreacting?

  No, the guards proved that Sazed worried about this meeting being discovered. It was suspicious. If it were anyone else, Breeze would have gone straight to Elend. But Sazed. . .

  Breeze sighed, then wandered into the hallway, dueling cane clicking against the floor. Might as well see what he has to say. Besides, if he is planning something devious, itd almost be worth the danger to see it. Despite the letter, despite the strange circumstances, Breeze had trouble imagining a Terrisman being involved in something that wasnt completely honest.

  Perhaps the Lord Ruler had had the same problem.

  Breeze nodded to the soldiers, Soothing away their anxiety and restoring them to a more temperate humor. There was another reason why he was willing to chance the meeting. Breeze was only just beginning to realize how dangerous his predicament was. Luthadel would soon fall. Every instinct hed nurtured during thirty years in the underground was telling him to run.

  That feeling made him more likely to take risks. The Breeze of a few years earlier would already have abandoned the city. Damn you, Kelsier, he thought as he pushed open the door.

  Sazed looked up with surprise from his table. The room was sparse, with several chairs and only two lamps. "Youre early, Lord Breeze," Sazed said, standing quickly.

  "Of course I am," Breeze snapped. "I had to make certain this wasnt a trap of some sort. " He paused. "This isnt a trap of some sort, right?"

  "Trap?" Sazed asked. "What are you talking about?"

  "Oh, dont sound so shocked," Breeze said. "This is no simple meeting. "