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She recognized one of them Not the one who had taken the money earlier, but his companion, an older man Short and firm-featured, he stood with an iator seeht her familiarity came from her visit to the Canton of Finance with Camon, and she felt a stab of panic Then, however, she realized that this wasn’t the same man She’d seen him before, but not there He was…
My father, she realized with stupefaction
Reen had pointed hio; he had been inspecting the workers at a local forge Reen had taken Vin, sneaking her in, insisting that she at least see her father once--though she still didn’t understand why She had e to shrink down in her chair There was no way the nize her--he didn’t even know she existed She forcibly turned her attention away froet that good a look at the restricted her view
As she sat, she noticed so she hadn’t seen before--a lofty, inset balcony that ran just above the entire far wall It was like a counterpart to the alcove beneath the s, except it ran at the top of the wall, between the stained-glass s and the ceiling She could seedown upon the party below
Her instincts drew her toward the balcony, fro seen herself It would also give her a wonderful view of the banners and the s directly above her table, not to awk
Sazed had told her to stay, but the more she sat, the more she found her eyes draard the hidden balcony She itched to stand up and s and perhaps air them out a bit The presence of her father--oblivious of her or not--served only as another motivation for her to leave theht And I’ve done what Kelsier wanted, I’ve been seen by the nobility
She paused, then waved for a serving boy
He approached with alacrity "Yes, Lady Renoux?"
"How do I get up there?" Vin asked, pointing toward the balcony
"There are stairs just to the side of the orchestra, "
Vin nodded her thanks Then, determined, she stood andlance, and she walked with more confidence as she crossed the hallway to the stairwell
The stone corridor twisted upward, curling upon itself, its steps short but steep Little stained glass s, no wider than her hand, ran up the outside wall--though they were dark in color, lacking backlight Vin cliy, but she soon began to puff fro it up so that she didn’t trip A spark of burned pewter, however, h that she didn’t sweat and ruin her makeup
The climb proved to be worth the effort The upper balcony was dark--lit only by several save an alass s The area was quiet, and Vin felt practically alone as she approached the iron railing between two pillars, looking down The stone tiles of the floor below for of gray upon white
Mists? she wondered idly, leaning against the railing It, like the lantern bracket behind her, was intricate and detailed--both had been wrought in the for vines To her sides, the tops of the pillars were carved into stone ani off of the balcony
"Now, see, here’s the proble to refill your cup of wine"
The sudden voiceman stood behind her His suit wasn’t the finest she had seen, nor was his vest as bright as most Both coat and shirt seemed to fit too loosely, and his hair was just a bit disheveled He carried a cup of wine, and the outer pocket of his suit coat bulged with the shape of a book that was just a bit too big for its confines
"The proble man said, "you return to find that your favorite spot has been stolen by a pretty girl Now, a gentle the lady to her contemplations However, this is the best spot on the balcony--it’s the only place close enough to a lantern to have good reading light"
Vin flushed "I’uilty All for a cup of wine Look, there’s plenty of room for two people here--just scoot over a bit"
Vin paused Could she politely refuse? He obviously wanted her to stay near him--did he knoho she was? Should she try to find out his name, so she could tell Kelsier?
She stepped a bit to the side, and the ainst the side pillar, and, surprisingly, took out his book and began to read He was right: The lantern shined directly on the pages Vin stood for ahim, but he seemed completely absorbed He didn’t even pause to look up at her
Isn’t he going to pay ht, puzzled at her own annoyance Maybe I should have worn a fancier dress
The man sipped at his wine, focused on the book
"Do you always read at balls?" she asked
The young et aith it"
"Doesn’t that kind of defeat the purpose of co to avoid socializing?"
"You’re up here too," he pointed out
Vin flushed "I just wanted to get a brief view of the hall"
"Oh? And why did you refuse all three men who asked you to dance?"
Vin paused The man smiled, then turned back to his book
"There were four," Vin said with a huff "And I refused them because I don’t kno to dance very well"
Theher "You know, you’re a lot less timid than you look"
"Ti at his book when there’s a young lady standing by hi properly introduced himself"