The Hero of Ages

parents in that group.'

'A little extreme, I'd think,' Ham said.

'A lot of people thought Kelsier was extreme too,' Breeze said. 'I'm certain we can talk reason into these rebels.'

'Good,' Elend said, 'because I'm counting on you and Sazed to bring Urteau under our control without the use of force. There are only five of these caches, and we can't afford to lose one. Who knows what we'll eventually discover in Fadrex-it might require us to return to the other caches to find something we missed.' He turned, looking at Breeze, then Sazed.

'We can't just sneak the food out of Urteau,' he said. 'If the rebellion in that city spreads, it could cause the entire empire to fracture back into splinters. We have to bring the men there to our side.'

The members of the room nodded, as did Vin. They knew from personal experience how much power a small rebellion could exert on an empire.

'The Fadrex siege could take some time,' Elend said. 'Long before summer arrives, I want you to have secured that northern cache and subdued the rebellion. Send the seed stock down to the Central Dominance for planting.'

'Don't worry,' Breeze said. 'I've seen the kinds of governments skaa set up-by the time we get there, the city will probably be on the edge of collapse anyway. Why, they'll likely be relieved to get an offer to join the New Empire!'

'Be wary,' Elend said. 'Spook's reports have been sparse, but it sounds as if tensions in the city are extreme. We'll send a few hundred soldiers with you as protection.' He looked back at the map, eyes narrowing slightly. 'Five caches, five cities. Urteau is part of this all, somehow. We can't afford to let it slip away.'

'Your Majesty,' Sazed said. 'Is my presence required on that trip?'

Elend frowned, glancing back at Sazed. 'You have something else you need to be doing, Sazed?'

'I have research I would do,' the Keeper said.

'I respect your wishes, as always,' Elend said. 'If you think this research is important. .'

'It's of a personal nature, Your Majesty,' Sazed said.

'Could you do it while helping in Urteau?' Elend asked. 'You're a Terrisman, which lends you a credibility none of us can claim. Beyond that, people respect and trust you, Sazed-with good reason. Breeze, on the other hand, has something of a. . reputation.'

'I worked hard for it, you know,' Breeze said.

'I'd really like to have you lead that team, Sazed,' Elend said. 'I can't think of a better ambassador than the Holy Witness himself.'

Sazed's expression was unreadable. 'Very well,' he finally said. 'I shall do my best.'

'Good,' Elend said, turning to regard the rest of the group. 'Then there's one last thing I need to ask of you all.'

'And what is that?' Cett asked.

Elend stood for a few moments, looking over their heads, appearing thoughtful. 'I want you to tell me about the Survivor,' he finally said.

'He was lord of the mists,' Demoux said immediately.

'Not the rhetoric,' Elend said. 'Someone tell me about the man, Kelsier. I never met him, you know. I saw him once, right before he died, but I never knew him.'

'What's the point?' Cett asked. 'We've all heard the stories. He's practically a god, if you listen to the skaa.'

'Just do as I ask,' Elend said.

The tent was still for a few moments. Finally, Ham spoke. 'Kell was. . grand. He wasn't just a man, he was bigger than that. Everything he did was large-his dreams, the way he spoke, the way he thought. . '

'And it wasn't false,' Breeze added. 'I can tell when a man is being a fake. That's why I started my first job with Kelsier, actually. Amidst all the pretenders and posturers, he was genuine. Everyone wanted to be the best. Kelsier really was.'

'He was a man,' Vin said quietly. 'Just a man. Yet, you always knew he'd succeed. He made you be what he wanted you to be.'

'So he could use you,' Breeze said.

'But you were better when he was done with you,' Ham added.

Elend nodded slowly. 'I wish I could have known him. Early in my career, I always compared myself to him. By the time I heard of Kelsier, he was already becoming a legend. It was unfair to force myself to try and be him, but I worried regardless. Anyway, those of you who knew him, maybe you can answer another question for me. What do you think he'd say, if he saw us now?'

'He'd be proud,' Ham said immediately. 'I mean, we defeated the Lord Ruler, and we built a skaa government.'

'What if he saw us at this conference?' Elend said.

The tent fell still again. When someone spoke what they were all thinking, it came from a source Vin hadn't expected.

'He'd tell us to laugh more,' Sazed whispered.

Breeze chuckled. 'He was completely insane, you know. The worse things got, the more he'd joke. I remember how chipper he was the very day after one of our worst defeats, when we lost most of our skaa army to that fool Yeden. Kell walked in, a spring in his step, making one of his inane jokes.'

'Sounds insensitive,' Allrianne said.

Ham shook his head. 'No. He was just determined. He always said that laughter was something the Lord Ruler couldn't take from him. He planned and executed the overthrow of a thousand-year empire-and he did it as a kind of. . penance for letting his wife die thinking that he hated her. But, he did it all with a smirk on his lips. Like every joke was his way of slapping fate in the face.'

'We need what he had,' Elend said.

The room's eyes turned back toward him.

'We can't keep doing this,' Elend said. 'We bicker amongst ourselves, we mope about, watching the ash fall, convinced that we're doomed.'

Breeze chuckled. 'I don't know if you noticed the earthquake a few minutes ago, my dear man, but the world appears to be ending. That is an indisputably depressing event.'

Elend shook his head. 'We can survive this. But, the only way that will happen is if our people don't give up. They need leaders who laugh, leaders who feel that this fight can be won. So, this is what I ask of you. I don't care if you're an optimist or a pessimist-I don't care if secretly, you think we'll all be dead before the month ends. On the outside, I want to see you smiling. Do it in defiance, if you have to. If the end does come, I want this group to meet that end smiling. As the Survivor taught us.'

Slowly, the members of the former crew nodded-even Sazed, though his face seemed troubled.

Cett just shook his head. 'You people are all insane. How I ended up with you, I'll never know.'

Breeze laughed. 'Now, that's a lie, Cett. You know exactly how you ended up joining with us. We threatened to kill you if you didn't!'

Elend was looking at Vin. She met his eyes, and nodded. It had been a good speech. She wasn't certain if his words would change anything-the crew could never again be the way it had been at the beginning, laughing freely around Clubs's table in the evening hours. However, maybe if they kept Kelsier's smile in mind, they'd be less likely to forget just why it was they kept struggling on.

'All right, people,' Elend finally said. 'Let's start preparations. Breeze, Sazed, Allrianne-I'll need you to talk with the scribes about supply estimates for your trip. Ham, send word to Luthadel and tell Penrod to have our scholars work on culturing plants that can grow in very little sunlight. Demoux, pass the word to the men. We march tomorrow.'

Hemalurgy, it is called, because of the connection to blood. It is not a coincidence, I believe, that death is always involved in the transfer of powers via Hemalurgy. Marsh once described it as a 'messy' process. Not the adjective I would have chosen. It's not disturbing enough.