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Vin looked back Finally, she spoke "How long do you think th1at you can keep Elend placated? If you know anything of hi first, and a man second He will do what he needs to do, even if it means my death"

"Eventually, perhaps," Yomen said "However, for now, the stall is effective They say that you are a blunt wohtforith you My purpose in capturing you was not to use you as leverage against your husband"

"Is that so," she said flatly "Why did you capture me, then?"

"It is simple, Lady Venture," Yomen said "I captured you so that I could execute you"

If he expected surprise froed "Sounds like an unnecessarily fored?"

"This city is a place of law," Yomen said "We do not kill indiscriminately"

"This is war," Vin said "If you wait for 'discrimination' before you kill, you'll have a lot of unhappy soldiers"

"Your crime is not one of war, Lady Venture"

"Oh? And am I to know this crime, then?"

"It is the most simple of all crimes Murder"

Vin raised an eyebrow Had she killed someone close to this man? Perhaps one of the noble soldiers in Cett's retinue, back a year ago when she'd assaulted Keep Hasting?

Yo that he kept hidden behind the calm front No, she hadn't killed one of his friends or relatives She'd killed someone far more important to him

"The Lord Ruler," she said

Yoain

"You can't honestly intend to try me for that," Vin said "It's ridiculous"

"There will be no trial," Yomen said "I aive ht you said this was a place of law"

"And I a a person speak for theive you tiuarding you have orders to kill you if it ever looks like you are putting solanced back at her "I'd be very careful while I eat or drink, if I were you Your guards have been told to err on the side of safety, and they know that I will not punish them if they accidentally kill you"

Vin paused, cup of water still held lightly in her fingers

Kill him, Ruin's voice whispered You could do it Take a weapon from one of those soldiers, then use it on Yomen

Vin frowned Ruin still used Reen's voice--it was fa that had always seeit was like finding out that her reflection really belonged to someone else, and that she'd never actually seen herself

She ignored the voice She wasn't sure why Ruin would want her to try killing Yo orking on Ruin's side Plus, Vin doubted her ability to cause theoffe1nsive metalsshe'd be a fool to attack

She also didn't trust Yo her alive so that she could "speak" in her defense He was up to soht be Why leave her alive? He was too clever ano hint of hisback out his"Take her away"

By sacrificing most of his consciousness, Preservation created Ruin's prison, breaking their deal and trying to keep Ruin fro what they had created This event left their powers again nearly balanced--Ruin i out Preservation reduced to a ht and action

These two minds were, of course, independent of the raw force of their powers Actually, I ahts and personalities came to be attached to the powers in the first place--but I believe they were not there originally For both powers could be detached from the minds that ruled theet back fro, he had left a lot of his coins with the villagers He wasn't certain howweeks, but he'd felt that he had to do soh time of it the next few months Their food stores nearly depleted, their homes burned by koloss, their water sources contaed by Elend himself

I have to stay focused, he told hi ash I can't help every village I have to worry about the larger picture