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"Which," Breeze added, "he'll be happy to tell you about At length"

Sazed smiled "I do think that--"

He was cut off, however, as Captain Goradel arrived, looking a fair bit more solemn than usual

"Lord Spook," Goradel said "So for you above"

"Who?" Spook asked "Durn?"

"No, my lord She says she's the Citizen's sister"

"I'm not here to join with you," the woman--Beldre--said

They sat in an austere audience cha above their cavern The roo, and steel plates hung on the wooden walls as decoration--to Sazed, they were uncomfortable reminders of what he had seen when he had visited the Conventical of Seran

Beldre was a young woman with auburn hair She wore a simple, Citizen-approved dress, dyed red She sat with hands in lap, and while she met the eyes of those in the room, there was a nervous apprehension to her that weakened her position considerably

"Why are you here then, my dear?" Breeze asked carefully He sat in a chair across froirl with an air of disapproval Spook paced in the background, occasionally shooting glances at the

He thinks this is a feint, Sazed realized That the girl is a distraction to throw us off before we get attacked The boy wore his dueling canes, strapped to his waist like swords Hoell did Spook even kno to fight?

"I' down "I' to kill et an idea like that!" Breeze said "We're in the city to forge a treaty with your brother, not assassinate hiood at that sort of thing?"

Beldre shot a glance at Spook

"Him excluded," Breeze said "Spook is harmless Really, you shouldn't--"

"Breeze," Spook interrupted, glancing over with his strange, bandaged eyes, spectacles hidden underneath and bulging out froh You'reus both seem like idiots Beldre knoe're here--everyone in the city knoe're here"

The room fell silentHelooks a little bit like an Inquisitor, wearing those spectacles beneath the bandages, Sazed thought, shivering

"Beldre," Spook said "You honestly expect us to think that you came here silanced at Spook, defiantlyhis eyes--or, rather, his lack thereof "You can try to sound harsh, but I know you won't hurt me You're of the Survivor's crew"

Spook folded his arood ive him more time Don't kill him"

"What makes you think we'd kill hiht ould never harlanced down "You're the ones who killed the Lord Ruler You overthrew the entire empire My brother doesn't believe it--he thinks that you rode the Survivor's popularity, clai to be his friends after he'd sacrificed himself"

Spook snorted "I wonder where your brother got an idea like that Perhaps he knows so, killing people in his name"

Beldre blushed

"Your brother doesn't trust us," Sazed said "Why do you?"

Beldre shrugged "I don't know," she said quietly "I guesss"

Sazed glanced at Spook, but couldn't read anything in the young man's hard expression Finally, Spook spoke "Breeze, Sazed, Allrianne, outside with me Goradel, watch the woman"

Spook pushed his way out into the hallway, and Sazed folloith the others Once the door was closed, Spook turned to regard the rest of them "Well?"

"I don't like her," Allrianne said, folding her arms

"Of course you don't, dear," Breeze said "You never like competition"

"Co like that? Honestly"

"What do you think, Breeze?" Spook asked

"About the girl, or about you insulting me in there?"

"The first," Spook said "Your pride isn't iht now"

"My dear fellow," Breeze said, "irl, I'll tell you this--she's terrified Despite what she says, she's very, very frightened--which uess is that she's noble"