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Kelsier nodded

"I arrived too late, I think," Sazed said "When I found her gone from Renoux’s mansion, I came to Luthadel as quickly as I could I used up an entire metalmind to make the trip with haste I was still too late…"

"No, ht Far better than I"

Sazed sighed, then reached over and fingered the large book he’d set aside before beginning the surgery The toarded it, frowning "What is that, anyway?"

"I don’t know," Sazed said "I found it at the palace, while I was searching for the child It is written in Khlenni"

Khlenni, the language of Khlennium--the ancient, pre-Ascension homeland of the Lord Ruler Kelsier perked up a bit "Can you translate it?"

"Perhaps," Sazed said, suddenly sounding very tired "Butnot for a ti, I shall need to rest"

Kelsier nodded, calling for one of the apprentices to prepare Sazed a room The Terrisman nodded thankfully, then walked wearily up the stairs

"He savedquietly from behind "What you did was stupid, even for you"

"I had to know, Dox," he said "I had to go back What if the atium really is in there?"

"You said that it isn’t"

"I said that," Kelsier said with a nod, "and I’?"

"That’s no excuse," Dockson said angrily "Now Vin is dying and the Lord Ruler is alerted to us Wasn’t it enough that you got Mare killed trying to get into that room?"

Kelsier paused, but he was too drained to feel any anger He sighed, sitting down "There’s more, Dox"

Dockson frowned

"I’ve avoided talking about the Lord Ruler to the others," Kelsier said, "butI’ood, but I have this terrible, haunting feeling that we’ll never succeed as long as he’s alive We can take his money, we can take his armies, we can trick him out of the city…but I still worry that on’t be able to stop him"

Dockson frowned "You’re serious about this Eleventh Metal business, then?"

Kelsier nodded "I searched for two years to find a way to kill hinores norroup of soldiers burned down his inn during one of the early wars The Lord Ruler walked out as barely more than a skeleton, then healed in a matter of seconds

"Only the stories of the Eleventh Metal offered any hope But I can’t o back to the palace The Lord Ruler’s hiding so that if we knehat it e’d be able to stop him"

"You didn’t have to take Vin with you"

"She followed et in on her own if I left her The girl has a headstrong streak, Dox--she hides it well, but she’s blasted stubborn when she wants to be"

Dockson sighed, then nodded quietly "And we still don’t knohat’s in that room"

Kelsier eyed the book Sazed had set on the table The rainwater had ned to endure It was strapped tightly to prevent water fro in, and the cover was of well-cured leather

"No," Kelsier finally said "We don’t" But we do have that, whatever it is

"Was it worth it, Kell?" Dockson asked "Was this insane stunt really worth nearly getting yourself--and the child-- killed?"

"I don’t know," Kelsier said honestly He turned to Dockson,his friend’s eyes "Ask me once we knohether or not Vin will live"

THE END OF PART TWO

PART THREE

Children of a Bleeding Sun

Many think that reat city of wonder They forget that I was no king when an Far from it

I think it would do un by eenerals It didn’t start in Khlenniureat nations to the east or the fiery ean in a s to you It began with a youth, the son of a blacksmith, as unreet into trouble

It began with me

16

WHEN VIN AWOKE, THE PAIN told her that Reen had beaten her again What had she done? Had she been too friendly to one of the other crew the crewleader’s ire? She was to re away fro attention to herself Otherwise he would beat her She had to learn, he said She had to learn…

But, her pain see ti thisher eyes She lay in a bed that was far too coe boy sat in a chair beside her bed

Lestibournes, she thought That’s his name I’m in Clubs’s shop