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The servant led hiood night He watched theonly a candle, his la ed to a class of servants prized for their refined sense of duty and decoru servants just like the one who had led hiht He had always been a little frustrated that his duties as a steward had left him little time for study How ironic it was that he should help overthrow the Final Empire, then find himself with even less time

He reached to push open the door, and froze alht inside the room

Did they leave a lamp on for me? he wondered He slowly pushed the door open So for him

"Tindwyl," Sazed said quietly She sat beside the roo desk, collected and neatly dressed, as always

"Sazed," she replied as he stepped in, shutting the door Suddenly, he was even more acutely aware of his dirty robes

"You responded to nored mine"

Sazed didn'this la's new clothing, and he appears to have gained a bearing to match them You have done well, I think"

"We are only just started," she said dis Venture is a very goodto the washbasin to wipe down his face He welco with Tindas bound to tire his," Tindwyl noted

"But bad s," Sazed said "It is better to start with a good man and work on the rest, I think"

"Perhaps," Tindwyl said She watched hiht her cold--harsh, even But Sazed had never seen that in her Considering what she had been through, he found it re, even--that she was so confident Where did she get it?

"Sazed, Sazed" she said "Why did you return to the Central Doave you You are supposed to be in the Eastern Do the people on the borders of the burnlands"

"That is where I was," Sazed said "And now I a for a time without me, I think"

"Oh?" Tindwyl asked "And ill teach theh food to survive the coldprinciples so that they overn themselves? Who will show them how to reclaim their lost faiths and beliefs? You were always so passionate about that"

Sazed set down the washcloth "I will return to teach thereater work I need to do"

"What greater work could there be?" Tindwyl demanded "This is our life's duty, Sazed This is the work of our entire people I know that Luthadel is i for you here I will care for your king YouVenture," Sazed said "My course has little to do with him, however I have other research to do"

Tindwyl frowned, eyeing hi for this phantom connection of yours This foolishness with the , Tindwyl," he said

"No," Tindwyl said, sighing "Can't you see, Sazed? You spent ten years working to overthrow the Final Eular work, so you have invented so irrelevant"

Sazed looked down "Perhaps If you are correct, then I will seek the forgiveness of the Synod I should probably seek it anyway, I think"

"Oh, Sazed," Tindwyl said, shaking her head slightly "I can't understand you Itfire-heads like Vedzan and Rindel buck the Synod's advice But you? You are the soul of what it means to be Terris--so calm, so humble, so careful and respectful So wise Why are you the one who consistently defies our leaders? It doesn't make sense"

"I am not so wise as you think, Tindwyl," Sazed said quietly "I aht now, I believe there to be a danger in the ate ance and foolishness But I would rather be known as arrogant and foolish than risk danger to the people of this land"

"You will find nothing"

"Then I will be proven wrong," Sazed said He turned, looking into her eyes "But kindly remember that the last time I disobeyed the Synod, the result was the collapse of the Final Empire and the freedoht-lipped frown She didn't like being reminded of that fact--none of the Keepers did They held that Sazed had been wrong to disobey, but they couldn't very well punish him for his success

"I don't understand you," she repeated quietly "You should be a leader areatest rebel and dissident Everyone wants to look up to you--but they can't Must you defy every order you are given?"

He shed, rising She walked toward the door, but paused, taking his hand as she passed She looked into his eyes for a moment; then he removed the hand

She shook her head and left

He coreater than all who had come before

24

SOMETHING IS GOING ON, VIN thought, sitting in the mists atop Keep Venture

Sazed was not prone to exaggeration He was meticulous--that much showed in his mannerisms, his cleanliness, and even the way he spoke And, he was even more meticulous when it came to his studies Vin was inclined to believe his discoveries

And she'd certainly seen things in the s Could the mist spirit explain the deaths Sazed had encountered? But, if that's the case, why didn't Sazed speak of figures in thebronze She could hear the spirit, watching nearby And, she could hear it again as well, the strange thu her bronze on, and quietly unfolded soht from Elend's balcony below, and with tin, she could easily read the words

I sleep but a few hours each night Weas much as we can each day--but when I finally lie down, I find sleep elusive The sa the day are only coht

And, above it all, I hear the thus fro me closer with each beat