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Ha her with the staff, and he'd often ht without Allouards were obviously surprised to see a metalless Allomancer make so much trouble, and she dropped two more of them as she scurried to escape

Unfortunately, Yo her that even dropping four of them made little difference There had to be at least twentyher exit, if nothing else

Her goal was to give theet herself killed So, as soon as she confirmed that her "escape attempt" really was doomed, she let one of the soldiers hit her on the shoulder and she dropped her staff with a grunt Disarmed, she raised her hands and backed away The soldiers, of course, swept her feet out fro her dohile one manacled her ar with pain How long would she have to go withoutto burn pewter? She hoped she'd never actually find out

Eventually, the soldiers pulled her to her feet and pushed her down the hallway The three she'd knocked down--not totheir wounds All twenty arded her even ive theot her into Yomen's audience chamber When they moved to chain herherself a knee in the stoasped, then slu, she rubbed her hands and wrists with the gruel grease that she'd soaked into her undershirt It was suards, distracted by her escape atteotten to search her

"Surely you didn't think to escape without any metals to burn," Yomen asked

Vin lifted her head He stood with his back to her again, though this ti out a darkVin found it very odd to see the lass Most skaa couldn't afford glass, and most noblemen chose the colored kind The darkness outside of Yo beast, the lass as it shifted

"I would think that you'd be flattered," Yoerous as reported, but I decided to assuive him any more time There were only tays she could escape from the city: the first would be to find some metals, the second would be to take Yomen captive She planned to try both

She yanked her greased hands free from the manacles, which had been fastened to her arnored the pain and the blood as the manacles scraped her hands, then she leaped to her feet, reaching into a fold in her shirt and pulling out the silver screws that she'd taken from her cot These, she threw at the soldiers

The men, of course, yelled in surprise and threw the her presuainst theainst the wall ineffectively, and the guards lay confused by her feint She was halfway to Yoht to scramble back to his feet

Yomen turned As always, he wore the little drop of atiued for it

Yoain, this ti to elbow him in the stomach Her attack didn't land, however, as Yoain

She knew that look on his face--that look of complete control, of power Yoed her anyway

He was burning atium

Vin stumbled to a halt No wonder he wears that bit on his forehead, she thought It's for eencies She could see in his smile that he really had anticipated her He'd known that she would try soet close But, he'd never really been in danger

The guards finally caught up with her, but Yoestured toward the bench Quietly, Vin returned and sat down She had to think, and she certainly wasn't going to get anywhere with Yo atium

As she sat, Ruin appeared next to her-- Reen's body None of the others reacted; they obviously couldn't see him

"Too bad," Ruin said "In a way, you almost had him Butthen, in a way, you were never really close, either"

She ignored Ruin, looking up at Yo his head He didn't turn back toward his ever He stood facing her, wary He'd probably turned off his atiu--but he'd have it in reserve, careful to watch her for signs of another attack

"No?" Vin said, raising a skeptical eyebrow "You were burning atium, Yomen I saw that much"

"Believe as you wish," Yomen said "But know this, woman: I do not lie I've never needed lies, and I find that is particularly true nohen the entire world is in chaos People need truth from those they follow"

Vin frowned

"Regardless, it is time," Yomen said

"Tiize for leaving you for so long in your cell I have beendistracted"

Elend, Vin thought What has he been doing? I feel so blind!

She glanced at Ruin, who stood on the other side of the bench, shaking his head as if he understood farher She turned back to Yomen "I still don't understand," she said "Time for what?"

Yomen met her eyes "Time for me to make a decision about your execution, Lady Venture"