“Luck is a different thing for a god who can see futures, I think,” Sazed replied softly.
“Immaterial. This ran to the last minute. You should have stopped Trellyearsago. But you didn’t. Why?”
Sazed stared out over the city. Beyond the city. To things Kelsier couldn’t see, even with the eye of a god.
“You can’t protect this world, Saze,” Kelsier said. “We have to face it. Something’s happening to you.”
“I have it in hand.”
“Do you? Do youreally?”
Sazed remained there, seated, with his eyes closed. And damn, looking at him was disorienting. On the surface was his friend, the calm Terrisman. But heextended.Somehow he was the very stone they were sitting on. The city. The planet. Andbeyond.
And there was a darkness within him. A different face from the one he showed. The powers were in imbalance. Ruin had always been stronger.
“What would you have me do?” Sazed asked.
“There are potential allies out there,” Kelsier said. “Moonlight’s world, perhaps. Or the land of the aethers. Hell, maybe even Mythos. We need a way to reach them.”
“Shadesmar—”
“Is unreliable,” Kelsier said. “I know you’re barely able to get the kandra out into the wider cosmere; it’s untenable for large-scale travel. Besides, crossing it anymore is like walking into the hands of various gods who absolutely want us dead. There’s got to be a better way.”
“What are you proposing?” Sazed asked.
“Lead us into a new technological age,” Kelsier said. “Help us find ways to defend ourselves, and perhaps accomplish even more. Autonomy consistently shares with her people the things they can accomplish with electricity and industry. You don’t.”
“People should discover it on their own,” Sazed said. “If they do not, there are subtle consequences. We should let the decades play out, becoming centuries, and let humankind find their own path to the cosmere—”
“No,” Kelsier said. “We can’t wait centuries; we can barely wait decades. If you don’t do something, wewilldiscover technology on our own—when enemy armies bearing it arrive to destroy us. Lead us to a revolution, Saze. Bring us into a new world.”
“The one we’ve arrived at isn’t progressing quickly enough?”
“What doyouthink?” Kelsier asked. “Another few weeks, and they’dhave had that rocket working, wouldn’t they? They’dhave delivered it straight into the heart of Elendel, and millions would have been vaporized—and we’dhave never known it was possible. Well, none of us but you.”
Sazed looked down. “I will… consider.”
“Consider?” Kelsier said. “This is all going to get worse, unless we canstand against the outsiders. Yes, their army withdrew from Shadesmar—you’re welcome for my people’s help with that, by the way—but only because Autonomy is regrouping.
“They’re going to come back, and we need to be ready. With technology. More, with our most powerful resource. WeneedAllomancers and Feruchemists. Is there a way to expand our access to Metalborn? They have the seed inside them, don’t they? The heart of Preservation?”
“I don’t know,” Sazed whispered.
“Are you lying?”
“Have I ever lied to you, old friend?” Sazed opened his eyes and met his gaze, showing infinity within those depths.
“I,” Kelsier said, “am going to protect our people. Whatever it costs. Please tell me I won’t ever have to protect them from you.”
“That depends,” Sazed said, “entirely upon you, old friend.”
RANETTE
SIX MONTHS AFTER DETONATION
Ranette’s honeymoon had been dreadful. Full ofrelaxingandreading booksandseeing sightsin Malwish. Not a single gun. She’dbarely been allowed to draw schematics and designs.
“You’dbetter appreciate this,” she grumbled to Jaxy as the car pulled up to their place in Elendel.