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Kelsier smiled. “That’s why I didn’t contradict him— at least, not on the troublemaker point.” He paused, then smiled more deeply. “In fact, I’d say calling me a troublemaker is probably the only accurate thing Tepper has said since I got here.”
--
“How do you ‘accidentally’ kill a nobleman in his own mansion?”
“With a knife in the chest,” Kelsier said lightly. “Or, rather, a pair of knives in the chest— it always pays to be careful.”
--
Vin sat uncomfortably for a moment. Eventually, Kelsier nodded to her mug of ale. “You aren’t drinking.”
“You might have slipped something in it,” Vin said.
“Oh, there was no need for me to sneak something into your drink,” Kelsier said with a smile, pulling an object out of his suit coat pocket. “After all, you’re going to drink this vial of mysterious liquid quite willingly.”
He set a small glass vial on the tabletop. Vin frowned, regarding the liquid within. There was a dark residue at its bottom. “What is it?” she asked.
“If I told you, it wouldn’t be mysterious,” Kelsier said with a smile.
--
“The nail attacked me!” Did that metal bring objects to life? That would be an incredible power indeed.
“Actually, you kind of attacked yourself,” Kelsier said.
--
“That wasn’t a victory, Mennis,” Kelsier whispered. “I’ll show you a victory.”
He forced himself to smile— not out of pleasure, and not out of satisfaction. He smiled despite the grief he felt at the deaths of his men; he smiled because that was what he did. That was how he proved to the Lord Ruler— and to himself— that he wasn’t beaten.
No, he wasn’t going to walk away. He wasn’t finished yet. Not by far.
--
Kelsier stood at the far side of the kitchen, back to the cupboard, reclining in his usual position. But… there was no levity in his posture this time. He stood with arms folded, head slightly bowed. His disbelieving grief appeared to have vanished, replaced with another emotion— one Vin had sometimes seen smoldering darkly behind his eyes. Usually when he spoke of the nobility.
--
"I represent that one thing you've never been able to kill, no matter how hard you try. I am hope."
--
“How do you ‘accidentally’ kill a nobleman in his own mansion?”
“With a knife in the chest,” Kelsier said lightly. “Or, rather, a pair of knives in the chest— it always pays to be careful.”
--
Vin sat uncomfortably for a moment. Eventually, Kelsier nodded to her mug of ale. “You aren’t drinking.”
“You might have slipped something in it,” Vin said.
“Oh, there was no need for me to sneak something into your drink,” Kelsier said with a smile, pulling an object out of his suit coat pocket. “After all, you’re going to drink this vial of mysterious liquid quite willingly.”
He set a small glass vial on the tabletop. Vin frowned, regarding the liquid within. There was a dark residue at its bottom. “What is it?” she asked.
“If I told you, it wouldn’t be mysterious,” Kelsier said with a smile.
--
“The nail attacked me!” Did that metal bring objects to life? That would be an incredible power indeed.
“Actually, you kind of attacked yourself,” Kelsier said.
--
“That wasn’t a victory, Mennis,” Kelsier whispered. “I’ll show you a victory.”
He forced himself to smile— not out of pleasure, and not out of satisfaction. He smiled despite the grief he felt at the deaths of his men; he smiled because that was what he did. That was how he proved to the Lord Ruler— and to himself— that he wasn’t beaten.
No, he wasn’t going to walk away. He wasn’t finished yet. Not by far.
--
Kelsier stood at the far side of the kitchen, back to the cupboard, reclining in his usual position. But… there was no levity in his posture this time. He stood with arms folded, head slightly bowed. His disbelieving grief appeared to have vanished, replaced with another emotion— one Vin had sometimes seen smoldering darkly behind his eyes. Usually when he spoke of the nobility.
--
"I represent that one thing you've never been able to kill, no matter how hard you try. I am hope."
