Part 25 (1/2)
Elend nodded. ”I'm hoping that he'll talk to me, now that I'm actually here.”
”Slowswift does seem to think that Yomen is a good man. Maybe he'll listen.”
”Somehow, I doubt it,” Elend said. He sat softly for a moment, then made a fist, gritting his teeth in frustration. ”I told the others that I want to try diplomacy, but I know know that Yomen is going to reject my message. That's why I brought my army in the first place-I could have just sent you to sneak in, like you did in Urteau. However, sneaking in didn't help us much there; we still have to secure the city if we want the supplies. that Yomen is going to reject my message. That's why I brought my army in the first place-I could have just sent you to sneak in, like you did in Urteau. However, sneaking in didn't help us much there; we still have to secure the city if we want the supplies.
”We need need this city. Even if you hadn't felt so driven to discover what was in the cache, I would have come here. The threat Yomen poses to our kingdom is too strong, and the possibility that the Lord Ruler left important information in that cache can't be ignored. Yomen has grain in that storage, but the land here won't get enough sunlight to grow it. So, he'll probably feed it to the people-a waste, when we don't have enough to plant and fill the Central Dominance. We have to take this city, or at least make an ally out of it. this city. Even if you hadn't felt so driven to discover what was in the cache, I would have come here. The threat Yomen poses to our kingdom is too strong, and the possibility that the Lord Ruler left important information in that cache can't be ignored. Yomen has grain in that storage, but the land here won't get enough sunlight to grow it. So, he'll probably feed it to the people-a waste, when we don't have enough to plant and fill the Central Dominance. We have to take this city, or at least make an ally out of it.
”But, what do I do if Yomen won't talk? Send armies to attack nearby villages? Poison the city's supplies? If you're right, then he's found the cache, which means he'll have more food than we hoped. Unless we destroy that, he might outlast our siege. But, if I do destroy it, his people will starve . . .” Elend shook his head. ”Do you remember when I executed Jastes?”
”That was well within your right,” Vin said quickly.
”I believe it was,” Elend said. ”But I killed him because he led a group of koloss to my city, then let them ravage my people. I've nearly done the same thing here. There are twenty thousand of the beasts outside.”
”You can control them.”
”Jastes thought he could control them too,” Elend said. ”I don't want to turn those creatures loose, Vin. But what if the siege fails, and I have to try and break Yomen's fortifications? I won't be able to do that without the koloss.” He shook his head. ”If only I could talk talk to Yomen. Perhaps I could make him see reason, or at least convince myself that he needs to fall.” to Yomen. Perhaps I could make him see reason, or at least convince myself that he needs to fall.”
Vin paused. ”There . . . might be a way.”
Elend glanced over, catching her eyes.
”They're still staging b.a.l.l.s inside the city,” Vin said. ”And King Yomen attends every one.”
Elend blinked. At first, he a.s.sumed that he must have misunderstood her. However, the look in her eyes-that wild determination-persuaded him otherwise. Sometimes, he saw a touch of the Survivor in her; or, at least, of the man the stories claimed Kelsier had been. Bold to the point of recklessness. Brave and brash. He'd rubbed off on Vin more than she liked to admit.
”Vin,” he said flatly, ”did you just suggest that we attend a ball ball being held in the middle of a city we're besieging?” being held in the middle of a city we're besieging?”
Vin shrugged. ”Sure. Why not? We're both Mistborn-we can get into that city without much trouble at all.”
”Yes, but . . .” He trailed off.
I'd have a room filled with the very n.o.bility I'm hoping to intimidate-not to mention have access to the man who refuses to meet with me, in a situation where he'd have trouble running away without looking like a coward.
”You think it's a good idea,” Vin said, smiling impishly.
”It's a crazy crazy idea,” Elend said. ”I'm emperor-I shouldn't be sneaking into the enemy city so I can go to a party.” idea,” Elend said. ”I'm emperor-I shouldn't be sneaking into the enemy city so I can go to a party.”
Vin narrowed her eyes, staring at him.
”I will admit, however,” Elend said, ”that the concept does does have considerable charm.” have considerable charm.”
”Yomen won't come meet us,” Vin said, ”so we go in and crash his party.”
”It's been a while since I've been to a ball,” Elend said speculatively. ”I'll have to dig up some good reading material for old time's sake.”
Suddenly, Vin grew pale. Elend paused, glancing at her, sensing that something was wrong. Not with what he'd said, something else. What is it? a.s.sa.s.sins? Mist spirits? Koloss? What is it? a.s.sa.s.sins? Mist spirits? Koloss?
”I just realized something,” Vin said, looking at him with those intense eyes of hers. ”I can't go to a ball-I didn't bring a gown!”
The Lord Ruler didn't just forbid certain technologies, he suppressed technological advancement completely. It seems odd now that during the entirety of his thousand-year reign, very little progress was made. Farming techniques, architectural methods-even fas.h.i.+on remained remarkably stable during the Lord Ruler's reign.
He constructed his perfect empire, then tried to make it stay that way. For the most part, he was successful. Pocket watches-another Khlenni appropriation-that were made in the tenth century of the empire were nearly identical to those made during the first. Everything stayed the same.
Until it all collapsed, of course.
29.
LIKE MOST CITIES IN THE FINAL EMPIRE, Urteau had been forbidden a city wall. In the early days of Sazed's life, before he'd rebelled, the fact that cities couldn't build fortifications had always seemed a subtle indication to him of the Lord Ruler's vulnerability. After all, if the Lord Ruler was worried about rebellions and cities that could stand against him, then perhaps he knew something that n.o.body else did: that he Urteau had been forbidden a city wall. In the early days of Sazed's life, before he'd rebelled, the fact that cities couldn't build fortifications had always seemed a subtle indication to him of the Lord Ruler's vulnerability. After all, if the Lord Ruler was worried about rebellions and cities that could stand against him, then perhaps he knew something that n.o.body else did: that he could could be defeated. be defeated.
Thoughts like those had led Sazed to Mare, and finally to Kelsier. And now, they led him to the city of Urteau-a city that finally had had rebelled against n.o.ble leaders.h.i.+p. Unfortunately, it lumped Elend Venture in with all the other n.o.bles. rebelled against n.o.ble leaders.h.i.+p. Unfortunately, it lumped Elend Venture in with all the other n.o.bles.
”I don't like this, Master Keeper,” Captain Goradel said, walking beside Sazed, who-for the sake of his image-now rode in the carriage with Breeze and Allrianne. After leaving the Terris people behind, Sazed had hurriedly caught up with Breeze and the others, and they were finally entering the city that was their destination.
”Things are supposed to be kind of brutal in there,” Goradel continued. ”I don't think you'll be safe.”
”I doubt it's as bad as you think,” Sazed said.
”What if they take you captive?” Goradel asked.
”My dear man,” Breeze said, leaning forward to look out at Goradel. ”That's why kings send send amba.s.sadors. This way, if someone gets captured, the king is still safe. We, my friend, are something Elend can never be: expendable.” amba.s.sadors. This way, if someone gets captured, the king is still safe. We, my friend, are something Elend can never be: expendable.”
Goradel frowned at that. ”I don't feel very expendable.” don't feel very expendable.”
Sazed peered out of the carriage, looking at the city through the falling ash. It was large, and was one of the oldest cities in the empire. He noted with interest that as they approached, the road sloped downward, entering an empty ca.n.a.l trough.
”What's this?” Allrianne asked, sticking her blond head out of the other side of the carriage. ”Why'd they build their roads in ditches?”
”Ca.n.a.ls, my dear,” Breeze said. ”The city used to be filled with them. Now they're empty-an earthquake or something diverted a river.”
”It's creepy,” she said, bringing her head back in. ”It makes the buildings look twice as tall.”
As they entered the city proper-their two hundred soldiers marching around them in formation-they were met by a delegation of Urteau soldiers in brown uniforms. Sazed had sent word ahead of their coming, of course, and the king-the Citizen, they called him-had given Sazed leave to bring his small contingent of troops into the city.
”They say that their king wants to meet with you immediately, Master Terrisman,” Goradel said, walking back to the carriage.
”The man doesn't waste time, does he?” Breeze asked.
”We'll go, then,” Sazed said, nodding to Goradel.
”You aren't wanted here.”
Quellion, the Citizen, was a short-haired man with rough skin and an almost military bearing. Sazed wondered where the man-apparently a simple farmer before the Collapse-had gained such leaders.h.i.+p skills.
”I realize that you have no desire to see foreign soldiers in your city,” Sazed said carefully. ”However, you must have realized that we do not come to conquer. Two hundred men is hardly an invading force.”