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The truth was that Elend felt a little like his soldiers did He felt a satisfaction--a thrill even--fro, to help

"What if Cett's attack coood portion of the arh the city"

"Even if we have a thousand men in my teams, that's not much of a dent in our forces Besides, Clubs thinks there will be plenty of tiers set up"

Elend looked back at histo attack just yet He's pretty safe in that keep, there We'll never take him--we'd have to pull tooourselves exposed The only thing he really has to worry about is my father"

Elend trailed off

"What?" Ham said

"That's why Cett is here," Elend said, blinking in surprise "Don't you see? He intentionally left himself without options If Straff attacks, Cett's arside our own He's locked in his fate with ours"

Ham frowned "Seems like a pretty desperatewith Cett "'Desperate,'" he said "That's a good word Cett is desperate for soure out Anyway, by putting hiainst Straff--whether ant the alliance or not"

"But, what if the Asseives the city to Straff? If our amble he took," Elend said Cett never intended to be able to walk away from the confrontation here in Luthadel He intends to take the city or be destroyed

He is waiting, hoping Straff will attack, worrying that we'll just give into hi as Straff is afraid of Vin A three-way standoff With the koloss as a fourth element that nobody can predict

So to tip the scales "Demoux," Elend said "Are you ready to take over here?"

Captain De

Elend turned to Ham "I have a question for you, Ham"

Ha at the moment?

Elend led his horse out of the tunnel into the scraggly landscape outside of Luthadel He turned, craning to look up at the wall Hopefully, the soldiers there had gotten his e, and wouldn't mistake him for a spy or a scout of one of the enemy armies He'd rather not end up in Tindwyl's histories as the ex-king who'd died by an arrow frorizzled wouessed, Haet theo," said the elderly woood woman," Elend said "You have served your do an eyebrow--though, from what Elend could tell, she was quite nearly blind Elend s it to her She reached into it with gnarled, but surprisingly dexterous, fingers and counted out the contents "Three extra?"

"To pay you to leave a scout here," Elend said "To watch for our return"

"Return?" the wo?"

"No," Elend said "I just have some business with one of the arain "Well, none of Granny's business," shecane "For three clips, I can find a grandson to sit out here for a few hours Lord Ruler knows, I have enough of theo, a spark of fondness in his eyes

"How long have you known about this place?" Elend asked, watching as a couple of burly men pulled closed the hidden section of stone Half burrowed, half cut from the wall's stones the about the existence of such things froh one hidden not a few minutes' ride from Keep Venture itself

Ham turned back to him as the false wall snapped shut "Oh, I've known of this for years and years," he said "Granny Hilde used to give me sweets when I was a kid Of course, that was really just a cheap way of getting soeted--publicity for her passwall When I was grown, I used to use this to sneak Mardra and the kids in and out of the city when they carew up in Luthadel?"

"Of course"

"On the streets, like Vin?"

Ham shook his head "Not really like Vin," he said in a subdued voice, scanning the wall "I don't really think anyone grew up like Vin I had skaa parents--randfather was the nobleround, but I had ood portion of e one" He turned toward Elend "I suspect thatdifference"

Elend nodded

"You're not going to shut this place down, are you?" Ham asked

Elend turned with shock "Why would I?"

Haed "It doesn't exactly seem like the kind of honest enterprise that you would approve of There are probably people fleeing froh this hole Granny Hilde is known to take coin and not ask questions--even if she does grumble at you a bit"