The Hero of Ages

Page 78

  Spook shrugged. "Thats true. Though, I became a member by accident. "

  She frowned, glancing at him.

  "Kelsier handpicked the others," Spook said. "Ham, Breeze, Sazed—even Vin. He chose my uncle too. And, by doing so, he got me as a bonus. I . . . I was never really part of it all, Beldre. I was kind of like an observer. They posted me on watch and things like that. I sat in on the planning sessions, and everyone just treated me like an errand boy. I must have refilled Breezes cup a hundred times during that first year!"

  A hint of amusement showed on her face. "You make it sound like you were a servant. "

  "Pretty much," Spook said, smiling. "I couldnt talk very well—Id grown used to speaking in an Eastern street slang, and everything I said came out garbled. Ive still got an accent, they tell me. So, I just stayed quiet most of the time, embarrassed. The crew was nice to me, but I knew I was pretty much just ignored. "

  "And now youre in charge of them all. "

  Spook laughed. "No. Sazeds the one really in charge of us here. Breeze ranks me too, but he lets me give orders because hes too lazy to do so. He likes to make people do things without them knowing it. Half the time, Im certain that the things Im saying are just ideas he somehow got into my head. "

  Beldre shook her head. "The Terrisman is in charge? But, he looks to you!"

  "He just lets me do what he doesnt want to," Spook said. "Sazeds a great man—one of the best Ive known. But, well, hes a scholar. Hes better off studying a project and writing notes than he is giving commands. So, that only leaves me. Im just doing the job that everyone else is too busy to do. "

  Beldre sat quietly for a moment, then finally took a sip of her tea. "Ah," she said. "Its good!"

  "The Lord Rulers own brew, for all we know," Spook said. "We found it down here, with the rest of this stuff. "

  "This is why you came, isnt it?" Beldre asked, nodding to the cavern. "I wondered why your emperor cared about Urteau. We havent really been an important force in the world since the Venture line moved its center of power to Luthadel. "

  Spook nodded. "This is part of it, though Elend is also worried about the rebellion up here. Its dangerous, having a foe who is slaughtering noblemen controlling one of the major cities just a short distance north of Luthadel. Thats all I can really tell you, though. Most of the time, I feel like Im still just a bystander in all of this. Vin and Elend, theyre the ones who really know whats going on. To them, Im the guy they could spare to spend months spying in Urteau while they did important work in the South. "

  "They are wrong to treat you so," Beldre said.

  "No, its all right," Spook said. "Ive kind of enjoyed being up here. I feel like Ive been able to do something, finally. "

  She nodded. After a short time, she set down her cup, wrapping her arms around her knees. "What are they like?" she asked. "Ive heard so many stories. They say that Emperor Venture always wears white, and that the ash refuses to stick to him! He can quell an army just by looking at them. And his wife, the Survivors heir. Mistborn . . . "

  Spook smiled. "Elend is a forgetful scholar—twice as bad as Sazed ever was. He gets lost i1n his books and forgets about meetings he himself called. He only dresses with any sense of fashion because a Terriswoman bought him a new wardrobe. War has changed him some, but on the inside, I think hes still just a dreamer caught in a world with too much violence.

  "And Vin . . . well, she really is different. Ive never been sure what to make of her. Sometimes, she seems as frail as a child. And then she kills an Inquisitor. She can be fascinating and frightening at the same time. I tried to court her once. "

  "Really?" Beldre said, perking up.

  Spook smiled. "I gave her a handkerchief. I heard thats how you do it in noble society. "

  "Only if youre a romantic," Beldre said, smiling wistfully.

  "Well, I gave her one," Spook said. "But I dont think she knew what I meant by it. And, of course, once she did figure it out, she turned me down. Im not sure what I was thinking, trying to court her. I mean, Im just Spook. Quiet, incomprehensible, forgettable Spook. "

  He closed his eyes. What am I saying? Women didnt want to hear men talk about how insignificant they were. Hed heard that much. I shouldnt have come to talk to her. I should have just gone about, giving orders. Looking like I was in charge.

  The damage had been done, however. She knew the truth about him. He sighed, opening his eyes.

  "I dont think youre forgettable," Beldre said. "Of course, Id be more likely to think fondly of you if you were to let me go. "

  Spook smiled. "Eventually. I promise. "

  "Are you going to use me against him?" Beldre asked. "Threaten to kill me if he doesnt give in?"

  "Threats like that are hollow if you know youll never do what you say," Spook said. "Honestly, Beldre, Im not going to hurt you. In fact, Ive got a feeling youll be safer here than back in your brothers palace. "

  "Please dont kill him, Spook," Beldre said. "Maybe . . . maybe you can help him somehow, help him see that hes being too extreme. "

  Spook nodded. "Ill . . . try. "

  "Do you promise?" she said.

  "All right," Spook said. "I promise to at least try to save your brother. If I can. "

  "And the city too. "

  "And the city," Spook said. "Trust me. Weve done this before—the transition will go smoothly. "

  Beldre nodded, and she actually seemed to believe him. What kind of woman is still able to trust people after everything shes been through? If shed been Vin, she would have stabbed him in the back at the first opportunity, and that would have probably been the right thing to do. Yet, this girl just continued to trust. It was like finding a beautiful plant growing alone in a field of burnt ash.

  "Once were done, maybe you could introduce me to the emperor and empress," Beldre said. "They sound like interesting people. "

  "Ill never argue with that statement," Spook said. "Elend and Vin . . . well, theyre certainly interesting. Interesting people with heavy burdens. Sometimes, I wish I were powerful enough to do important works like them. "

  Beldre laid a hand on his arm, and he glanced down, a bit surprised. What?

  "Power can be a terrible thing, Spook," she said quietly. "Im . . . not pleased with what its done to my brother. Dont wish so hard for it. "

  Spook met her eyes, then nodded and rose. "If you need anything, ask Sazed. Hell see to your comforts. "

  She looked up. "Where are you going?"

  "To be seen. "

  "I want primary trade contracts on all the canals," Durn said. "And a title from the emperor. "

  "You?" Spook said. "A title? You think a lord in front of your name is going to make that face any less ugly?"

  Durn raised an eyebrow.

  Spook just chuckled. "Both are yours. I cleared it with Sazed and Breeze—theyll even draft you a contract, if you want. "

  Durn nodded appreciatively. "I do. Lords pay attention to things like that. " They sat in one of his many backroom chambers—not in his private home, but in a place attached to a particular inn. An old set of drums hung on the wall.

  Spook had had little trouble sneaking out past Quellions soldiers standing watch at the front of the Ministry building. Even before hed gained enhanced abilities with tin, and long before hed been able to burn pewter, hed learned to sneak about in the night and spy. A group of soldiers had barely posed an obstacle for him. He couldnt remain cooped up in the cavern like the others. He had too much work to do.

  "I want the Harrows dammed off," Spook said. "Well flood the canals during the evening, when the markets are empty. Nobody lives in the streetslots except for those of you here in the slums. If you want to keep this place from flooding, youll need a good watertight blockade in place. "

  "Already taken care of," Durn said. "When the Harrows were new, we pulled off the lock syste
m from its mouth, but I know where it is. Itll fit back in place well enough to keep the water out, assuming we can install it correctly. "

  "Youd better," Spook said. "I dont want the deaths of half the citys beggar population on my conscience. Ill warn you the day we intend to pull this off. See if you can get some of the goods out of the market, as well as keep people out of the streetslots. That, plus what youre doing for my reputation, will guarantee you the title you want. "

  Durn nodded, rising. "Well, lets go work on that reputation, then. " He led the way out of the back room, bringing Spook out into the commons of the bar. As always, Spook wore his burned cloak—it had become something of a symbol for him. Hed never worn a mistcloak, but somehow, this felt even better.

  The people rose when he entered. He smiled, motioning for Durns men to bring out wineskins—stolen from the storage cavern and carried by Spook as he snuck out several nights in a row. "Tonight," he said, "you dont have to pay for Quellions stolen liquor. Thats his way of keeping you happy and content. "

  And that was the only speech he gave. He wasnt Kelsier, able to impress people with his words. Instead—at Breezes suggestion—he stayed mostly quiet. He visited tables, trying to not be aloof, but also speaking little. He looked thoughtful, and asked the people about their problems. He listened to stories of loss and hardship, and drank with them to the memory of those Quellion had murdered. And, with his pewter, he never got drunk. He already had a reputation for that—the people regarded it mystically, as they did his ability to survive fire.

  After that bar, they visited another, and another after that, Durn careful to keep him to the safest—and yet most populated—of the locations. Some were in the Harrows, others were above. Through it all, Spook felt an amazing thing: his confidence growing. He really was a little like Kelsier. Vin might have been the one trained by the Survivor, but Spook was the one who was doing just what hed done—encouraging the people, leading them to rise up for their own sakes.

  As the evening passed, the various bars became a blur. Spook breathed curses against Quellion, speaking of the murders and of the Allomancers the Citizen retained. Spook didnt spread the rumors that Quellion was himself an Allomancer—he let Breeze do that more carefully. That way, it wouldnt look like Spook was too eager to set the man up.

  "To the Survivor!"

  Spook looked up, holding his mug of wine, smiling as the bar patrons cheered.

  "To the Survivor!" another said, pointing at Spook. "Survivor of the Flames!"

  "To the death of the Citizen!" Durn said, raising his own mug—though he rarely drank from it. "Down with the man who said hed let us rule, then took it all for himself!"

  Spook smiled, taking a drink. He hadnt realized how exhausting it could be to simply sit around and speak to people. His flared pewter kept his bodys weariness at bay, but it couldnt prevent the mental fatigue.