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"They say you'll stop the ash," the old ain They call you Heir of the Survivor Hero of Ages"

Vin paused, turning to look through the traitorous mist toward the man with his pipe and closed book "Yes," she said

"Seems like quite the destiny to live up to"

"It's either that or give up"

Sloift sat silently for atoward the seat again

Vin reseated herself

"Yoood man," Sloift said, "but only a mediocre leader He's a bureaucrat, a et supplies to the right places, organize construction projects Ordinarily, that would have h ruler However"

"Not when the world is ending," Vin said softly

"Precisely If what I've heard is true, then your husband is ato survive, then we'll need to be part of what you are offering"

"What do we do, then?"

"Yomen has feeaknesses," Sloift said "He's a cal belief in the Lord Ruler and his organization"

"Even now?" Vin asked "The Lord Ruler died!"

"Yes, so?" Sloift asked, amused "And your Survivor? Last I checked, he was somewhat dead as well Didn't seem to hinder his revolution much, now did it?"

"Good point"

"Yomen is a believer," Sloift said "That th Believers are often willing to attely ih" He paused, glancing at Vin "That sort of behavior can be a weakness if the belief isBelief in the Lord Ruler was od, then she wouldn't have been able to kill him In her mind, it was a rather simple matter

"If Yomen has another weakness," Sloift said, "it is his wealth"

"Hardly a weakness"

"It is if you can't account for its sou1rce He got money somewhere--a suspiciously vast amount of it, far more than even local Ministry coffers should have been able to provide Nobody knohere it ca up He really does have the atiuly to that one," Sloift said, taking a puff on his pipe "You should try to give less ahen speaking with an informant"

Vin flushed

"Anyway," the oldback to his book, "if that is all, I should like to return to ards to Ashweather"

Vin nodded, rising andover toward the banister As she did, however, Sloift cleared his throat "Usually," he noted, "there is compensation for acts such as ht you said that stories shouldn't cost"

"Actually," Sloift noted, "I said that a story itself shouldn't be a cost That is very different froue, I believe that a story without cost is one considered worthless"

"I'htly as she tossed her bag of coins----to the old ood here, I assu theh"