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"Why are you so concerned with his death?" Vin asked "It seems to me that he's on your side"

Ruin shook its head, standing with hands clasped behind its back "You still don't understand, I see You're all on my side, Vin I created you You're my tools--each and every one of you Zane, Yomen, you, your dear Emperor Venture"

"No Zane was yours, and Yoainst you"

"But he can't," Ruin said "That's what you refuse to understand, child You cannot fight oals"

"Evil ood person, and not even you can deny that"

"Vin, Vin Why can't you see? This isn't about good or evil Morality doesn't even enter into it Go1od men will kill as quickly for what they want as evil s they want are different"

Vin fell silent

Ruin shook its head "I keep trying to explain This process we are engaged in, the end of all things--it's not a fight, but a simple culmination of inevitability Can any man make a pocket watch that won't eventually wind down? Can you is end Think of me as a caretaker--the one atches the shop andis cleaned up, once closing time arrives"

For a moment, he made her question There was soes in the land these last few years--changes that started before Ruin was even released--didabout the conversation bothered her If what Ruin said was completely true, then why did he care about her? Why return and speak to her?

"I guess that you've won, then," she said quietly

"Won?" Ruin asked "Don't you understand? There was nothing for s happen as they must"

"I see," Vin said

"Yes, perhaps you do," Ruin said "I think that you just an to walk quietly from one side of the cell toward the other "You are a piece of me, you know Beautiful destroyer Blunt and effective Of all those I've claimed over this brief thousand years, you are the only one I think just ht, it's gloating! That's why Ruin is here--because it wants to make certain that someone understands what it has acco of pride and victory in Ruin's eyes They were human emotions, emotions that Vin could understand

At thatan it in her an to think--for the first time--that she could find a way to beat Ruin He was powerful, perhaps even incomprehensible But she had seen humanity in him, and that humanity could be deceived, manipulated, and broken Perhaps it was this sa into the Lord Ruler's eyes that fateful night when he had been captured She finally felt as if she understood hi so bold as the defeat of the Lord Ruler

But Kelsier had years to plan, Vin thought II don't even kno long I have Not long, I would guess Even as she thought, another earthquake began The walls tre in the hallway as so fell and broke And Ruinhe seemed to be in a state of bliss, his eyes closed,and city rumbled

Eventually, all fell still Ruin opened his eyes, staring her down "This work I do, it's about passion, Vin It's about dynae! That is why you and your Elend are so important to me People with passion are people ill destroy--for a man's passion is not true until he proves how o to war? Will he break and discard that which he has, all in the name of what he needs?"

It's not just that Ruin feels that he's accoht, he feels that he's overcome Despite what he claibut who or what? Us? We would be no adversary for a force like Ruin

A voice froo What's the first rule of Allomancy, Vin?

Consequence Action and reaction If Ruin had power to destroy, then there was so that opposed him It had to be Ruin had an opposite, an opponent Or, he once had

"What did you do to hi as he turned toward her

"Your opposite," Vin said "The one who once stopped you fro the world"

Ruin was silent for a longin that sht Vin was part of him She understood him

"Preservation is dead," Ruin said

"You killed hiave of hiony have lasted several thousand years, now, finally, he is gone And the bargain has coht, a piece of a gigantic whole clicking into place The opposite of Ruin A force like that couldn't have destroyed his enemy, because he would represent the opposite of destruction But imprisonment, that would be within his powers

Iave up the power at the Well

"And so you see the inevitability," Ruin said softly

"You couldn't create it yourself, could you?" Vin asked "The world, life You can't create, you can only destroy"

"He couldn't create either," Ruin said "He could only preserve Preservation is not creation"

"And so you worked together," Vin said