Page 119 of The Well of Ascension

The tent chamber was what Elend would have expected of his father: stuffed with pillows and rich furniture, very little of which Straff would actually use. Straff furnished to suggest his power. Like the massive keeps of Luthadel, a nobleman’s surroundings were an expression of how important he was.

Vin waited quietly, tensely, at Elend’s side in the center of the room. “He’s good,” she whispered. “I was as subtle as I can manage, and he still noticed my touch.”

Elend nodded. “He’s also a Tineye,” he said in a normal voice. “So he’s probably listening to us right now.”

Elend looked toward the door. Straff walked in a few moments later, giving no indication as to whether he had heard Vin or not. A group of servants entered a few moments later, carrying a large dining table.

Vin inhaled sharply. The servants were skaa—imperial skaa, after the old tradition. They were ragged, their clothing made of torn smocks, and showed bruises from a recent beating. They carried their loads with lowered eyes.

“Why the reaction, girl?” Straff asked. “Oh, that’s right. You’re skaa, aren’t you—pretty dress notwithstanding? Elend is very kind; I wouldn’t let you wear something like that.”Or much at all,his tone implied.

Vin shot Straff a look, but pulled a little closer to Elend, grabbing his arm. Again, Straff’s words were only about posturing; Straff was cruel, but only insofar as it served him. He wanted to make Vin uncomfortable.

Which he seemed to be doing. Elend frowned, glancing down, and caught just a hint of a sly smile on her lips.

Breeze has told me that Vin is more subtle with her Allomancy than most Soothers,he recalled.Father’s good, but for him to pick out her touch…

She let him, of course.

Elend looked back at Straff, who hit one of the skaa servants on their way out. “I hope none of them are relatives of yours,” Straff said to Vin. “They haven’t been very diligent lately. I might have to execute a few.”

“I’m not skaa anymore,” Vin said quietly. “I’m a noblewoman.”

Straff just laughed. He had already dismissed Vin as a threat. He knew she was Mistborn, he must have heard that she was dangerous, and yet he now assumed that she was weak and inconsequential.

Sheisgood at this,Elend thought with wonder. Servants began to bring in a feast that was impressive considering the circumstances. As they waited, Straff turned to an aide. “Send in Hoselle,” he ordered. “And tell her to be quick.”

He seems less reserved than I remember,Elend thought. In the Lord Emperor’s day, a good nobleman had been stiff and inhibited when in public, though many had turned to extravagant indulgence when in private. They would dance and have quiet dinner conversation at the ball, for instance, but enjoy whores and drunkenness in the small hours of night.

“Why the beard, Father?” Elend asked. “Last I knew, those weren’t in fashion.”

“I set the fashion now, boy,” Straff said. “Sit.” Vin waited respectfully, Elend noticed, until Elend was seated before taking her place. She managed to maintain an air of half jumpiness: she’d look Straff in the eyes, but always gave a reflexive twitch, as if part of her wanted to glance away.

“Now,” Straff said, “tell me why you’re here.”

“I thought it was obvious, Father,” Elend said. “I’m here to discuss our alliance.”

Straff raised an eyebrow. “Alliance? We both just agreed that your life is mine. I don’t see a need to ally with you.”

“Perhaps,” Elend said. “But, there are other factors at play here. I assume that you weren’t expecting Cett’s arrival?”

“Cett is of little concern,” Straff said, turning his attention to the meal: big slabs of barely cooked beef. Vin wrinkled her nose, though Elend couldn’t tell if that was part of her act or not.

Elend cut his steak. “A man with an army nearly as large as your own is hardly of ‘little’ concern, Father.”

Straff shrugged. “He’ll be of no trouble to me once I have the city walls. You’ll turn those over to me as part of our alliance, I assume?”

“And invite Cett to attack the city?” Elend said. “Yes, together you and I could hold against him, but why go on the defensive? Why let him weaken our fortifications, and possibly just continue this siege until both of our armies are starving? We need toattackhim, Father.”

Straff snorted. “You think I need your help to do so?”

“You do if you want to beat him with any measure of assured success,” Elend said. “We can take him easily together—but never alone. We need each other. Let’s attack, you leading your armies, me leading mine.”

“Why are you so eager?” Straff asked, narrowing his eyes.

“Because I want to prove something,” Elend said. “Look, we both know you’re going to take Luthadel from me. But, if we ride together against Cett first, it will look like Iwantedto ally with you all along. I’ll be able to give you the city without looking like a complete buffoon. I can spin it that I brought in my father to help us against the army I knew was coming. I turn the city over to you, and then become your heir again. We both get what we want. Butonlyonce Cett is dead.”

Straff paused, and Elend could see that his words were having an effect.Yes,he thought.Think that I’m just the same boy you left behind—eccentric, eager to resist you for silly reasons. And, saving face is a very Venture thing to do.

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