Part 56 (1/2)

”No,” Spook whispered, feeling fully lucid for the first time since the evening's violence had started. He pulled himself free of Sazed's grip and ran back toward the burning building.

”Spook!” Two voices yelled in the night.

Spook approached the flames. His breathing grew forced, and his skin grew hot. The fire was bright-consuming. He dashed right for it. Then, at the moment when the pain became too great, he extinguished his tin.

And became numb.

It happened just as it had before, when he had been trapped in the building without any metals. Flaring tin for so long had expanded his senses, but now that he wasn't burning it at all, those same senses became dull. His entire body grew deadened, lacking feeling or sensation.

He burst through the doorway into the building, flames raining around him.

His body burned. But, he couldn't feel the flames, and the pain could not drive him back. The fire was bright enough that even his weakened eyes could still see. He dashed forward, ignoring fire, heat, and smoke.

Survivor of the Flames.

He knew the fires were killing him. Yet, he forced himself onward, continuing to move long after the pain should have rendered him unconscious. He reached the room at the back, skidding and sliding down the broken ladder.

The cavern was dark. He stumbled through it, pus.h.i.+ng his way past shelves and furniture, making his way along the wall, moving with a desperation that warned him that his time was short. His body wasn't working right anymore-he had pushed it too far, and he no longer had pewter.

He was glad for the darkness. As he finally stumbled against Sazed's machine, he knew that he would have been horrified to see what the flames had done to his arms.

Groaning quietly, he felt for and found the lever-or, through numb hands, what he hoped was the lever. His fingers no longer worked. So, he simply threw his weight against it, moving the gears as required.

Then he slid down to the ground, feeling only cold and dark.

PART FIVE.

TRUST.

I do not know what went on in the minds of the koloss-what memories they retained, what human emotions they truly still knew. I do know that our discovery of the one creature, who named himself Human, was tremendously fortunate. Without his struggle to become human again, we might never have understood the link between the koloss, Hemalurgy, and the Inquisitors.

Of course, there was another part for him to play. Granted, not large, but still important, all things considered.

59.

URTEAU HAD SEEN BETTER DAYS.

Vin certainly did her work here well, TenSoon thought as he padded through the city, shocked at the destruction. About two years ago-before he'd been sent to spy on Vin-he had been Straff Venture's kandra, and had often visited Urteau. While it had never matched Luthadel's n.o.ble majesty or sprawling poverty, it had been a fine city, worthy of being the seat of a Great House. TenSoon thought as he padded through the city, shocked at the destruction. About two years ago-before he'd been sent to spy on Vin-he had been Straff Venture's kandra, and had often visited Urteau. While it had never matched Luthadel's n.o.ble majesty or sprawling poverty, it had been a fine city, worthy of being the seat of a Great House.

Now, a good third of the city was a burned ruin. Those buildings that hadn't burned down were either abandoned or overcrowded-an odd mixture, in TenSoon's opinion. Apparently, n.o.ble homes were avoided, while skaa buildings were overpacked.

More remarkable, however, were the ca.n.a.ls. They had been refilled somehow. TenSoon sat on his haunches, watching the occasional makes.h.i.+ft boat push its way through a ca.n.a.l, displacing the patina of ash that covered the water. Here and there, debris and refuse clogged the waterways, but they were pa.s.sable in most places.

He rose, shaking his canine head, continuing on his way. He'd stowed the bag with Kelsier's bones outside, not wanting to look odd carrying a pack on his back.

What had been the purpose of burning the city, then restoring its ca.n.a.ls? He would likely have to wait to find the answer. He'd seen no army camped outside; if Vin had been here, she'd already moved on to another location. His goal now was to find what pa.s.sed for leaders.h.i.+p in the remains of the city, then continue on his way, hunting down the Hero of Ages.

As he walked, he heard the people talking-speaking of how they'd managed to survive the fires that had claimed much of the city. They actually seemed cheerful. There was despair, too, but there seemed an inordinate amount of happiness. This was not a city whose people had been conquered.

They feel they defeated the fire, TenSoon thought, making his way along a more crowded street. TenSoon thought, making his way along a more crowded street. They don't see losing a third of the city as a disaster-they see saving two-thirds of it as a miracle. They don't see losing a third of the city as a disaster-they see saving two-thirds of it as a miracle.

He followed the flow of traffic toward the center of town, where he finally found the soldiers he'd expected. They were definitely Elend's, bearing the spear and the scroll on the arms of their uniforms. However, they defended an unlikely location: a Ministry building.

TenSoon sat back on his haunches, c.o.c.king his head. The building was obviously a center of operations. People bustled about under the eyes of the watchful soldiers, moving in and out. If he wanted answers, he'd need to get inside. He briefly considered going to fetch Kelsier's bones from outside the city. However, he discarded that thought. He wasn't certain if he wanted to deal with the ramifications of making the Survivor appear again. There was another way to get in-equally shocking, perhaps, but far less theologically disturbing.

He padded over to the front of the building and walked up the steps, drawing a few startled looks. As he approached the front doors, one of the guards shouted at him, waving the b.u.t.t of a spear his direction.

”Here now!” the man said. ”This is no place for dogs. Whose hound is this?”

TenSoon sat back on his haunches. ”I belong to no man,” he said.

The guard jumped back in shock, and TenSoon got a twisted sense of pleasure. He immediately chided himself. The world was ending, and he went about startling random soldiers. Still, it was was an advantage of wearing a dog's body that he'd never considered. . . . an advantage of wearing a dog's body that he'd never considered. . . .

”Wha . . .” the soldier said, looking around to see if he were the victim of some joke.

”I said,” TenSoon repeated, ”that I belong to no man. I am my own master.”

It was a strange concept-the weight of which, undoubtedly, the guard could never grasp. TenSoon, a kandra, was outside of the Homeland without a Contract. As far as he knew, he was the first of his people to do such a thing in seven hundred years. It felt oddly . . . satisfying.

Several people were staring at him now. Other guards had approached, looking to their comrade for an explanation.

TenSoon gambled. ”I've come from Emperor Venture,” he said. ”I bear a message for your leaders here.”

To TenSoon's satisfaction, several of the other guards jumped. The first one, however-now an old hand when it came to talking dogs-raised a hesitant finger, pointing into the building. ”In there.”

”Thank you,” TenSoon said, rising and walking through a now-quiet crowd as he made his way into the Ministry offices. He heard comments about ”trick” and ”well-trained” behind him, and noticed several guards running past him, faces urgent. He wound his way through groups and lines of people, all ignorant of the odd occurrence at the entrance to the building. At the end of the lines, TenSoon found . . .

Breeze. The Soother sat in a throne-like chair, holding a cup of wine, looking very pleased with himself as he made proclamations and settled disputes. He looked much as he had when TenSoon had served as Vin's servant. One of the guards stood whispering to Breeze. Both eyed TenSoon as he padded up to the front of the line. The guard paled slightly, but Breeze just leaned forward, smiling.

”So,” he said, tapping his cane lightly against the marble floor. ”Were you always a kandra, or did you eat the bones of Vin's hound recently?”

TenSoon sat. ”I was always a kandra.”

Breeze nodded. ”I knew there was something odd about you-far too well behaved for a wolfhound.” He smiled, sipping his wine. ”Lord Renoux, I presume? It's been a while.”

”I'm not him, actually,” TenSoon said. ”I'm a different kandra. It's . . . complicated.”

That gave Breeze pause. He eyed TenSoon, and TenSoon felt just a moment of panic. Breeze was a Soother-and, like all Soothers, he held the power to take control of TenSoon's body. The Secret.