The Well Of Ascension Chapters 28-30
Entry posted by Child Bahkbar
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Part 3
Chapter 28
After that little shocker at the end of the previous chapter, Elend and the Crew--Tindwyl included--have decided to have a meting. Tindwyl seems to be having a bit of trouble grasping how they've gotten themselves into the position they're in right now. Yes, I know. It's hilarious. The assembly deposed him with the power HE vested in them. Is that ironic, or is there another, more fitting, word for this situation?
Despite Elend's excellent reasoning behind giving the Assembly such authority, Tindwyl still thinks his laws are exceptionally dim-witted. Eh, she can suit herself. Elend created the first free government since the Lord Ruler's time--if not ever. It is one of the few accomplishments in this world that he can call his own. If she can't see the sense in this governmental system that's her problem, not his.
Did I mention that this is actually showing from Vin's perspective? No? Well, it is, and Zane's words from the previous night continue to dominate her thoughts. In fact, she's so wonked up in the head that she actually isn't even all that disappointed about Elend's removal from office. She's even entertaining some very un-Vin-like fantasies. Thinking that now that Elend isn't king they can just run off somewhere, leaving all this behind. Ha!
Anyway, the Crew begins crafting a plan to take the city back by force, but Elend won't stand for it. He says that, even as (former)king, he is still subject to the laws he created. The law states that if they don't chose a new king within a month they'll have to reinstate him, so, instead of making use of his military prowess, he apparently plans on guilt tripping the Assembly into electing someone else. What're the chances that they haven't chosen Penrod already? I mean, it's pretty clear that everyone digs that guy.
Regardless of how pointless his plan is, Vin seems to be impressed by Elend's willingness to stand by his own law, finally accepting in her mind that Elend makes better king than Kelsier ever could have. Funny that it took him being deposed to get her to see that. Seriously, how was there ever even a question? How could anyone honestly think that Kelsier, a man with no experience or study in ruling a nation, could ever make a better king than Elend?
Anyway, Elend suspects that one of the enemy kings might have been behind his deposition. Really? How the hell did he come to that conclusion? I suspect that his own negligence is what led the Assembly to this--or at least that was the biggest reason. Perhaps one of the kings gave them a little nudge, but that's probably all.
Elend says he could use Sazed's help now, but Lestibournes apparently wasn't able wake him, and Tindwyl says that keepers like Sazed aren't supposed to take sides in political affairs anyway. She also tells them that if they were really his friends they wouldn't ask him to break his vows. Fair enough.
We're back in Vin's head,where she is forcibly reminding herself that Elend continued to love her even back when he was convinced she was a thief. Huh. I was beginning to think she'd forgotten about that whole incident. She'd better be careful with this doubting business; this whole thing is starting to feel tragically familiar.
Elend and Tyndwyl remain in the room after everyone else leaves. After apologizing for her earlier rude criticism, Tindwyl once again questions how this could have happened. It turns out Elend does see what he did wrong. He knows that ignoring the Parliament the way he did was moronic. He also knows that he offended Vin somehow. Somehow? He, knowing how insecure she already is, referred to her a "valuable resource", not a "respected and valued member of the team", but a resource. How much more thick can he get?
Erm, anyway, during their discourse, Tyndwyl reveals to Elend exactly why Vin rejected his marriage proposal. She also warns him that his relationship with her may pose a serious problem for him in the future, and that he needs to decide which he values more, his love for Vin, or his love for his country.
Oh, and Tindwyl apparently has children as well. Why she is playing with Elend and the crew instead of parenting them I can not tell, but I'm sure her reasons for being here are completely logical and acceptable.
End of Chapter 28
Kwaam wrote that Alendi "just seemed to fit" the role of the Hero. Oh really? Well, there's no use crying over spilled milk--which, now that I think about it, is exactly what he's been doing this entire time.
Chapter 29
This chapter opens with Vin sitting in the mists with Oreseur like she does every single night, and, thankfully, she hasn't met with Zane the Insane since their dinner with his pig father a week ago.
Oreseur has taken note of the fact that Vin sleeps under four hours a night, which obviously isn't enough for anyone, not even a Mistborn. Vin has too much on her mind to sleep, though. Yeah. There's that mysterious thumping that she hasn't told anyone about, there's also the Misty Death, about which she hasn't breathed a word, and let's not forget her risky and unhealthy relationship with the maniacally insane bastard Zane, which she also hasn't told a soul about.
Speaking of Zane, Oreseur's not nearly as taken in by him as Vin is. He tells her that her fixation with the man is "disconcerting", and he warns her not to allow herself to be influenced by his lies. Vin considers this, but decides that Oreseur isn't Mistborn, so he just doesn't understand. Good God! She can jump really high and see stars! Big frakking deal! How exactly does that make her so different from everyone else? It's like saying an athlete isn't human because they're in great physical shape!
Vin is touched by Oreseur's concern, though, and offers to allow him to return to being a man if he wishes. Unsurprisingly, he declines, claiming that it's unpleasant to have to change bodies often. Sure.
Oreseur brings up the fact that it's about time for him to hit the can, so Vin prepare to leave the roof and get some down time. Before she goes, though, she gazes out into the mists, and suddenly comes to a revelation about what the deepness was!
I hope she isn't going to say it was simply the mists. Perhaps it had something to do with them, sure, but plain mists, or even malevolent, homicidal mists, would be kind of a letdown. I suppose I'm about to find out, though.
End of Chapter 29
Kwaam had apparently already begun to doubt his claims by the time the other Worldbringers came to accept his declaration, but his pride kept him from admitting it. Shame on him!
Chapter 30
This one's a Sazed PoV(Yes!!), and He's finally gotten the chance to study the rubbing he made all those chapters back. Unfortunately most of what he reads here has already been stated in Kwaam's post-chapter notes. It is nice to read it all uninterrupted, though, and there is some new stuff.
Sazed reads that the discovery of Alendi was what elevated Kwaam to the position of World Bringer. He apparently already knew that the World Bringers back then were basically what the Keepers are today.
Kwaam admitted in his writings that Alendi was not the hero, and that he himself was a fraud. Also, even though he betrayed the man, he still hoped that Alendi , the false hero, would succeed in his quest. Ah, but if he had actually succeeded, would that not have made him a true hero after all? Perhaps not the prophesied Hero of Ages, but I doubt anyone would care at that point. Kwaam even went so far as to say he was going to denounce Alendi, but was too much of a craven to do it. Why!? Tell us why, gorram it!
Sazed abruptly leaves his work and opens his window to find Vin sitting outside. She enters the room without his express invitation, snoops around, touches his work, makes a general nuisance of herself.
She eventually gets to the point of her visit and asks him what the deepness was. He he replies with a bunch of speculation by scholars, and other people who've studied these things. They had apparently considered everything, so when Vin tells him it was the mists, Sazed isn't at all taken by surprise. The speculators had considered that as well, and they found plenty of holes in the theory.
Despite Sazed's perfectly reasonable doubts, Vin still says she thinks the "deepness" was actually the Mist come permanently, and she still forcibly claims that her idea isn't just a theory, but a fact. What's with the cocky attitude? What makes her so sure that she knows better that those who have studied this over the past several hundred years? Sure they didn't have the logbook and it's few mentions of the deepness like she does, but that's not reason enough for her to be going on the way she is.
Anyway, Sazed is still doubtful of her assumptions, so she whips out her notes and finally brings up the Misty Death. She tells Sazed that she sees it too, just like the man in the logbook. Would you look at that! She's finally told someone! She's been seeing the damned thing for months, but she's just now finally flapped those lips and spilled the beans. Too bad the only reason she did it was to win an argument...
She thinks that because Rashek killed Alendi before he could fulfill his destiny, the Hero of Ages must have to come again. Sazed sees where she's going with this, and he thinks she's getting a little ahead of herself.(As do I!) With that, Vin drops the matter. She starts to regret even bringing it up, but Sazed says her theories have "great merit".
I, for one, hope her theories are incorrect, and she isn't some magical hero come and save the world. The whole "main character, driven by thousand year old prophecies, vanquishes evil and saves the day" thing has been done to death already. I'm hoping for something fresh. Something exciting!
Once that discussion is over, they somehow find themselves on the subject of Tindwyl, and her general disapproval of Sazed's lifestyle. Apparently Tindwyl is a member of a group of Keeper elders who guide the Terris called the Synod. Despite this, Vin, in her youthful ignorance, says he doesn't have to listen to her, and that she's the type of person who acts like she knows more than she does. Kind of like, oh, I dunno, Vin in this whole chapter!
Sazed replies that Tindwyl is "wise", but Vin just shoots back that she is hard on Elend. As if that somehow proves her point. Everyone and his blind grandpa could see that Tindwyl's harsh lessons have improved Elend's character immensely. She knew exactly which buttons to push to make him excel as a king. How is that not in itself evidence of her genius?
Sazed tells Vin not to be so judgmental, because Tindwyl lived a very hard life. Harder, even, than Vin herself. Tyndwyl was a "breeder" as they call them. She spent twenty long years as little more than a baby machine, giving birth to twenty children. Twenty potential Feruchemists. A hellish life, but apparently she chose it-- or at least the other keepers chose it for her. The way they saw it, she was privileged to be able to serve the keepers in such way.
Hearing this, Vin whines that's it's just "another reason for you to feel guilty". She's either saying it's another reason for Sazed to feel guilty for breaking the rules, or that it's another reason for her to feel guilty about judging Tindwyl without knowing anything about her. I hope she meant the latter.
Now, I know I'm being a little harsh Vin, but...what can I say? I just can't help but jump at the opportunity to hate on a character other than Elend for once. It's in my nature to trash the protagonists in every series I read! I can't help it!
End of Chapter 30
Kwaam wrote that his pride may have doomed them all. So, what did Alendi do? I'd say that this "Alendi" he speaks of was actually Rashek, but that would make this book's twist exactly the same as the last one's, and there isn't enough evidence to support that theory anyway. So...
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