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"It's not hi to shake the haunting sound of Dockson's voice from her mind

"You are certain, Mistress?" OreSeur asked

Vin nodded "He knew about a private conversation that Dockson and I had before the Collapse"

OreSeur was silent for a moment "Mistress," he finally said, "h"

"Yes, but how could he have known about such an event?"

"We often interview people before we take their bones, Mistress," OreSeur explained "We'll s, and find ways to talk about their lives We'll also talk to their friends and acquaintances Did you ever tell anyone about this conversation you had with Dockson?"

Vin stopped to lean against the side of the stone hallway "Maybe Elend," she admitted "I think I mentioned it to Sazed too, just after it happened That was alh, Mistress," OreSeur said "We cannot learn everything about a person, but we try our best to discover items like this--private conversations, secrets, confidential information--so that we can mention them at appropriate times and reinforce our illusion"

Vin frowned

"There areother things as well, Mistress," OreSeur said "I hesitate because I do not wish you to iine your friends in pain However, it is co--to torture their victim for information"

Vin closed her eyes Dockson felt so realhis guilt, his reactionsthat couldn't be faked, could it?

"Dahing as she pushed open the shutters of a hall It was dark out, and the ainst the stone sill and looked out at the courtyard two stories below

"Dox isn't an Allomancer," she said "How can I find out for certain if he's the impostor or not?"

"I do not know, Mistress," OreSeur said "This is never an easy task"

Vin stood quietly Absently, she pulled out her bronze earring--herit reflect light It had once been gilded with silver, but that had worn off in most places

"I hate this," she finally whispered

"What, Mistress?"

"Thisdistrust," she said "I hate being suspicious ofthose aroundinside of me, and it cuts deeper every time I confront one of the crew"

OreSeur sat on his haunches beside her, and he cocked his head "But, Mistress You've ed to eliminate several of them as impostors"

"Yes," Vin said "But that only narrows the field--bringswhich one of the?"

Vin shook her head "I don't want it to be any of them, OreSeur I don't want to distrust theht"

OreSeur didn't respond at first, leaving her to stare out the ,to the floor around her

"You are sincere," OreSeur finally said

She turned "Of course I am"

"I'm sorry, Mistress," OreSeur said "I did not wish to be insulting I justWell, I have been kandra to many masters So many of them are suspicious and hateful of everyone around theun to think that your kind lacked the capacity for trust"

"That's silly," Vin said, turning back to the

"I know it is," OreSeur said "But people often believe silly things, if given enough proof Either way, I apologize I do not knohich of your friends is dead, but I aht you this pain"

"Whoever he is, he's just following his Contract"

"Yes, Mistress," OreSeur said "The Contract"

Vin frowned "Is there a way that you could find out which kandra has a Contract in Luthadel?"

"I'm sorry, Mistress," OreSeur said "That is not possible"

"I figured as much," she said "Are you likely to know hiroup, Mistress," OreSeur said "And our nuood chance that I know hiainst the sill, frowning as she tried to decide if the information was useful