Part 67 (1/2)

He'd come all this way, believing that he'd been given one last chance to find the truth. Yet, now that he studied it, he was finding that it was shockingly similar to religions he had rejected as false.

”You seem disturbed, child,” Haddek said. ”Are you that worried about the things we say?”

”I apologize,” Sazed said. ”This is a personal problem, not related to the fate of the Hero of Ages.”

”Please, speak,” one of the others said.

”It is complicated,” Sazed said. ”For some time now, I have been searching through the religions of mankind, trying to ascertain which of their teachings were true. I had begun to despair that I would ever find a religion that offered the answers I sought. Then, I learned that my own religion still existed, protected by the kandra. I came here, hoping to find the truth.”

”This is the truth,” one of the kandra said.

”That's what every every religion teaches,” Sazed said, frustration mounting. ”Yet, in each of them I find inconsistencies, logical leaps, and demands of faith I find impossible to accept. religion teaches,” Sazed said, frustration mounting. ”Yet, in each of them I find inconsistencies, logical leaps, and demands of faith I find impossible to accept.

”It sounds to me, young one,” Haddek said, ”that you're searching for something that cannot be found.”

”The truth?” Sazed said.

”No,” Haddek replied. ”A religion that requires no faith of its believers.”

Another of the kandra elders nodded. ”We follow the Father and the First Contract, but our faith is not in him. It's in . . . something higher. We trust that Preservation planned for this day, and that his desire to protect will prove more powerful than Ruin's desire to destroy.”

”But you don't know,” Sazed said. ”You are offered proof only once you believe, but if you believe, you can find proof in anything. It is a logical conundrum.”

”Faith isn't about logic, son,” Haddek said. ”Perhaps that's your problem. You cannot 'disprove' the things you study, any more than we can prove to you that the Hero will save us. We simply must believe it, and accept the things Preservation has taught us.”

It wasn't enough for Sazed. However, for the moment, he decided to move on. He didn't have all the facts about the Terris religion yet. Perhaps once he had them, he would be able to sort this all out.

”You spoke of the prison of Ruin,” Sazed said. ”Tell me how this relates to the power that Lady Vin used.”

”G.o.ds don't have bodies like those of men,” Haddek said. ”They are . . . forces. Powers. Preservation's mind pa.s.sed, but he left his power behind.”

”In the form of a pool of liquid?” Sazed said.

The members of the First Generation nodded.

”And the dark black smoke outside?” Sazed asked.

”Ruin,” Haddek said. ”Waiting, watching, during his imprisonment.”

Sazed frowned. ”The cavern of smoke was very much larger than the Well of Ascension. Why the disparity? Was Ruin that that much more powerful?” much more powerful?”

Haddek snorted quietly. ”They were equally powerful, young one. They were forces, forces, not men. Two aspects of a single power. Is one side of a coin more 'powerful' than the other? They pushed equally upon the world around them.” not men. Two aspects of a single power. Is one side of a coin more 'powerful' than the other? They pushed equally upon the world around them.”

”Though,” one of the others added, ”there is a story that Preservation gave too much of himself to make mankind, to create something that had more more of Preservation in them than they had of Ruin. Yet, it would be only a small amount in each individual. Tiny . . . easy to miss, except over a long, long time . . .” of Preservation in them than they had of Ruin. Yet, it would be only a small amount in each individual. Tiny . . . easy to miss, except over a long, long time . . .”

”So, why the difference in size?” Sazed asked.

”You aren't seeing, young one,” Haddek said. ”The power in that pool, that wasn't Preservation.”

”But, you just said-”

”It was part part of Preservation, to be sure,” Haddek continued. ”But, he was a force-his influence is everywhere. Some of it, perhaps, concentrated into that pool. The rest is . . . elsewhere and everywhere.” of Preservation, to be sure,” Haddek continued. ”But, he was a force-his influence is everywhere. Some of it, perhaps, concentrated into that pool. The rest is . . . elsewhere and everywhere.”

”But Ruin, his mind was focused there,” another kandra said. ”And so, his power tended to coalesce there. Much more of it, at least, than that of Preservation.”

”But not all of it,” another one said, laughing.

Sazed c.o.c.ked his head. ”Not all of it? It, too, was spread out across the world, I a.s.sume?”

”In a way,” Haddek said.

”We now speak of things in the First Contract,” one of the other kandra warned.

Haddek paused, then turned, studying Sazed's eyes. ”If what this man says is true, then Ruin has escaped. That means he will be coming for his body. His . . . power.”

Sazed felt a chill. ”It's here?” he asked quietly.

Haddek nodded. ”We were to gather it. The First Contract, the Lord Ruler named it-our charge in this world.”

”The other Children had a purpose,” another kandra added. ”The koloss, they were created to fight. The Inquisitors, they were created to be priests. Our task was different.”

”Gather the power,” Haddek said. ”And protect it. Hide it. Keep it. For the Father knew Ruin would escape one day. And on that day, he would begin searching for his body.”

The group of aged kandra looked past Sazed. He frowned, turning to follow their eyes. They were looking toward the metal dais.

Slowly, Sazed stood, walking across the stone floor. The dais was large-perhaps twenty feet across-but not very high. He stepped onto it, causing one of the kandra behind him to gasp. Yet, none of them called out to stop him.

There was a seam down the middle of the circular platform, and a hole-perhaps the size of a large coin-at the center. Sazed peered through the hole, but it was too dark to see anything.

He stepped back.

I should have a little left, he thought, glancing toward his table, with its metal-minds. he thought, glancing toward his table, with its metal-minds. I refilled that ring for a few months before I gave up on my metalminds. I refilled that ring for a few months before I gave up on my metalminds.

He walked over quickly, selecting a small pewter ring off of the table. He slipped it on, then looked up at the members of the First Generation. They turned from his querying look.

”Do what you must, child,” Haddek said, his aged voice echoing in the room. ”We could not stop you if we wished.”

Sazed walked back to the dais, then tapped his pewtermind for the strength he had stored in it over a year ago. His body immediately grew several times stronger than normal, and his robes suddenly felt tight. With hands now thick with muscles, he reached down and-bracing himself against the rough floor-shoved against one side of the disk on the floor.

It ground against stone as it moved, uncovering a large pit. Something glittered beneath.

Sazed froze, his strength-and body-deflating as he released his pewtermind. His robes became loose again. The room was silent. Sazed stared at the half-covered pit, and at the enormous pile of nuggets hidden in the floor.

”The Trust, we call it,” Haddek said with a soft voice. ”Given for our safekeeping by the Father.”