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"This is a simple matter," KanPaar said to the chaht, and sometimes rain disperses the mists for a short time They will return to now," one of the kandra said "And, it wasn't raining when TarKavv went out on patrol There have beenfor months now Where are they?"

"Bah," KanPaar said, waving his hand "You worried when the s, now you coone? We are kandra We are eternal--we outwait everything and anything We don't gather in rowdy "

"No," a voice whispered into the cavern Heads turned up, and the entire group hushed

"No," Haddek--leader of the First Generation--whispered fro, KanPaar Veryvery wrong Clear the Trustwarren Leave only the Keeper behind And spread the word The day of the Resolution itate the kandra further Sazed stood frozen onder; he had never seen such a reaction in the normally calm creatures They did as they were told--kandra appeared to be very good at that--and left the room, but there hispers and debates The Seconds slunk out last, looking hu about KanPaar's words

We are eternal--we outwait everything and anything Suddenly, the kandra began to nore the outside world if one were immortal They had outlasted so many proble occurring on the outside must have seemed trivial

So trivial, in fact, that it was even possible to ignore the prophecies of one's own religion as they started to come true Eventually, the room was empty, and a pair of beefy members of the Fifth Generation pushed the doors closed fro Sazed alone on the floor of the roo his notes on his desk as the members of the First Generation hobbled out of their hidden stairwells and joined him on the floor of the Trustwarren

"Tell me, Keeper," Haddek said as his brothers seated themselves, "what do you make of this event?"

"The departure of the h, adive a specific reason why"

"That is because there are things we have not yet explained to you," Haddek said, looking toward the others They see to the First Contract, and the promises of the kandra"

Sazed readied a sheet of metal paper "Please, continue"

"I must ask that you not record these words," Haddek said

Sazed paused, then set down his pen "Very well--though I warn you The "

"That cannot be helped," said one of the others "We need your counsel, Keeper As an outsider"

"As a son," another whispered

"When the Fatherdifferent from the First Contract"

"To hiht," one of the others added "Though once he mentioned it, he implied it was very important"

"He made us promise," Haddek said "Each of us He told us that sos"

"Pull them from our bodies," one of the others added

"Kill ourselves," Haddek said

The room fell silent

"You are certain this would kill you?" Sazed asked

"It would change us back to , essentially"

"The Father said ould have to do it," another said "There wasn't a 'ht' about it He said that ould have to e"

"We call it the Resolution," Haddek said "Each kandra is told of it when he or she is first birthed They are given the charge--sworn and ingrained--to pull their Blessing free, should the First Generation coe"

"But you're considering it now?" Sazed asked1, frowning "I do not understand Si?"

"The mists are the body of Preservation, Keeper," Haddek said "This is a very portentous event"

"We have been listening to our children discuss it all ," another said "And it troubles us They do not know all the mists represent, but they are aware of their importance"

"Rashek said that we'd know," another said "He told us 'The day will cos You'll knohen it arrives' "

Haddek nodded "He said that we'd know Andwe are very worried"

"How can we order the deaths of all of our people?" another asked "The Resolution has always bothered"He held the power of Preservation and wielded it He is the only irl of whom the Keeper speaks did not use the power Only Rashek! The Father"

"Where, then, are the ain Sazed sat, pen held in his hand, yet not writing anything He leaned forward "The mists are the body of Preservation?"

The others nodded

"Andit has disappeared?"