I shouldn’t have bothered to ask Ham, Elend thought. He never has been able to give a straight answer. He looked out over the field, blue koloss against a plain of black. With tin, he could see men cowering on the tops of the Fadrex City ridges.
“No,” Ham said.
Elend glanced down at the Thug.
“No,” Ham repeated. “We shouldn’t attack.”
“Ham?” Elend said, feeling a surreal amusement. “Did you actually come to a conclusion?”
Ham nodded. “Yes.” He didn’t offer explanation or rationalization.
Elend looked up. What would Vin do? His first instinct was to think that she’d attack. But then, he remembered when he had discovered her years before, after she’d assaulted Cett’s tower. She’d been huddled up in a corner, crying.
No, he thought. No, she wouldn’t do this thing. Not to protect me. She’s learned better.
“Ham,” he said, surprising himself. “Tell the men to pull back and disassemble camp. We’re returning to Luthadel.”
Ham looked back, surprised—as if he hadn’t expected Elend to come to the same conclusion he had. “And Vin?”
“I’m not going to attack this city, Ham,” Elend said. “I won’t conquer these people, even if it is for their own good. We’ll find another way to get Vin free.”
Ham smiled. “Cett’s going to be furious.”
Elend shrugged. “He’s a paraplegic. What’s he going to do? Bite us? Come on, let’s get down off this rock and go deal with Luthadel.”
“They’re pulling back, my lord,” the soldier said.
Vin sighed in relief. Ruin stood, expression unreadable, hands folded behind his back. Marsh stood with one hand claw-like on Yomen’s shoulder, both watching out the window.
Ruin brought in an Inquisitor, she thought. He must have grown tired of my efforts to get the truth out of Yomen, and instead brought in someone he knew the obligator would obey.
“This is very odd,” Ruin finally said.
Vin took a breath, then gambled. “Don’t you see?” she asked quietly.
Ruin turned toward her.
She smiled. “You really don’t understand, do you?”
This time, Marsh turned as well.
“You think I didn’t realize?” Vin asked. “You think I didn’t know you were after the atium all along? That you were following us from cavern to cavern, Pushing on my emotions, forcing me to search it out for you? You were so obvious. Your koloss always drew close to a city only after we discovered that it was the next in line. You moved in to threaten us, make us move more quickly, but you never got your koloss there too fast. The thing is, we knew all along.”
“Impossible,” Ruin whispered.
“No,” Vin said. “Quite possible. Atium is metal, Ruin. You can’t see it. Your vision gets fuzzy when too much of it is around, doesn’t it? Metal is your power; you use it to make Inquisitors, but it’s like light to you—blinding. You never saw when we actually discovered the atium. You just followed along with our ruse.”
Marsh let go of Yomen, then rushed across the room, grabbing Vin by the arms.
“WHERE IS IT!” the Inquisitor demanded, lifting her, shaking her.
She laughed, distracting Marsh as she carefully reached for his sash. Marsh shook her too much, however, and her fingers couldn’t find their mark.
“You will tell me where the atium is, child,” Ruin said calmly. “Haven’t I explained this? There is no fighting against me. You think yourself clever, perhaps, but you really don’t understand. You don’t even know what that atium is.”
Vin shook her head. “You think I’d actually lead you to it?”
Marsh shook her again, rattling her, making her grit her teeth. When he stopped, her vision swam. To the side, she could barely make out Yomen watching with a frown. “Yomen,” she said. “Your people are safe now—can you not finally trust that Elend is a good man?”
Marsh tossed her aside. She hit hard, rolling.
“Ah, child,” Ruin said, kneeling down beside her. “Must I prove that you cannot fight me?”
“Yomen!” Marsh said, turning. “Prepare your men. I want you to order an assault!”
“What?” Yomen said. “My lord, an assault?”
“Yes,” Marsh said. “I want you to take all of your soldiers and have them attack Elend Venture’s position.”
Yomen paled. “Leave behind our fortifications? Charge an army of koloss?”
“That is my order,” Marsh said.
Yomen stood quietly for a moment.
“Yomen …” Vin said, crawling to her knees. “Don’t you see that he’s manipulating you?”
Yomen didn’t respond. He looked troubled. What would make him even consider an order like that?
“You see,” Ruin whispered. “You see my power? You see how I manipulate even their faith?”
“Give the order,” Yomen said, turning from Vin, facing his soldier captains. “Have the men attack. Tell them that the Lord Ruler will protect them.”
“Well,” Ham said, standing beside Elend in the camp. “I didn’t expect that.”
Elend nodded slowly, watching the flood of men pour through the Fadrex gateway. Some stumbled in the deep ash; others pushed their way forward, their charge hampered to a slow crawl.
“Some stayed back,” Elend said, pointing up at the wall top. Not having tin, Ham wouldn’t be able to see the men who lined the wall, but he’d trust Elend’s words. Around them, Elend’s human soldiers were breaking camp. The koloss still waited silently in their positions, surrounding the camp.
“What is Yomen thinking?” Ham asked. “He’s throwing an inferior force against an army of koloss?”
Like we did, attacking the koloss camp back in Vetitan. Something about it made Elend very uncomfortable.
“Retreat,” Elend said.
“Huh?” Ham asked.
“I said sound the retreat!” Elend said. “Abandon position. Pull the soldiers back!”
At his silent command, the koloss began to charge away from the city. Yomen’s soldiers were still pushing their way through the ash. Elend’s koloss, however, would clear the way for his men. They should be able to stay ahead.
“Strangest retreat I’ve ever seen,” Ham noted, but moved back to give the orders.
That’s it, Elend thought in annoyance. It’s time to figure out what the hell is going on in that city.
Yomen was crying. They were small, quiet tears. He stood straight-backed, not facing the window.
He fears that he’s ordered his men to their deaths, Vin thought. She moved up to him, limping slightly from where she’d hit the ground. Marsh stood watching out the window. Ruin eyed her curiously.
“Yomen,” she said.
Yomen turned toward her. “It’s a test,” he said. “The Inquisitors are the Lord Ruler’s most holy priests. I’ll do as commanded, and the Lord Ruler will protect my men and this city. Then you will see.”
Vin gritted her teeth. Then, she turned and forced herself to walk up beside Marsh. She glanced out the window—and was surprised to see that Elend’s army was retreating away from Yomen’s soldiers. Yomen’s force wasn’t running with very much conviction. Obviously, they were content to let their superior enemy run away before them. The sun was finally setting.