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"What is the first rule of Alloht you?"

"Consequence," Elend said "Every action has consequences When you Push on so light, it will fly away"

It was the first lesson that Kelsier had taught Vin, as well as--she assuht hi back to his contes in life If you throw so an ardoht, frowning Like things falling back when thrown into the sky That's what Ruin's actions feel like tothe power, or perhaps just so her Yet, she felt a logic to Ruin She didn't understand that logic, but she could recognize it

Elend turned back toward her "That's why I like Allomancy, actually Or, at least, the theory of it The skaa whisper about it, call it mystical, but it's really quite rational You can tell what an Allo to do as certainly as you can tell ill happen when you drop a rock off the side of the boat For every Push, there is a Pull There are no exceptions It ical sense--unlike the ways of ularities, and doubleof nature

For every Push, there is a Pull A consequence

"That's important," Vin whispered

"What?"

A consequence

The thing she had felt at the Well of Ascension had been a thing of destruction, like Alendi described in his logbook But, it hadn't been a creature, not like a person It had been a force--a thinking force, but a force nonetheless And forces had rules Alloround The world was a place that ic Every Push had a Pull Every force had a consequence

She had to discover, then, the laws relating to the thing she was fighting1 That would tell her how to beat it

"Vin?" Elend asked, studying her face

Vin looked away "It's nothing, Elend Nothing I can speak of, at least"

He watched her for a ainst him, Reen whispered from the back of her mind Fortunately, the days when she had listened to Reen's words were long past Indeed, as she watched Elend, she saw him nod slowly, and accept her explanation He turned back to his own conte a hand on his ar it around her shoulders, pulling her close That arm, once the weak arm of a scholar, was nowabout?" Vin asked

"You know," Elend said

"It was necessary, Elend The soldiers had to get exposed to the mists eventually"

"Yes," Elend said "But there's so like him"

"Who?"

"The Lord Ruler"

Vin snorted quietly, pulling closer to hi he would have done," Elend said "Sacrificing his own e"

"You explained this to Ham," Vin said "We can't afford to waste time"

"It's still ruthless," Elend said "The proble to o to see doood"

"That has been the excuse of tyrants throughout all time I know it Yet, I press on This is why I didn't want to be emperor This is why I let Penrod take e I didn't want to be the kind of leader who had to do things like this I want to protect, not besiege and kill! But, is there any other way? Everything I do seeon Fadrex City We have to get to that storehouse--it's the only lead we have that could even possibly give us some clue as to e're supposed to do! It all makes such sense Ruthless, brutal sense"