Chapter 27
Elend decides not to make a strike, and Straff's having trouble finding any reason not to put him to death right now. The ruler that takes his place will probably be much more accommodating, and he claims that he and Cett have already made a treaty anyway. Elend thinks he's bluffing, but, try as he may, he still cannot get Straff to budge. Why is the being so stubborn? Straff says he won't let Elend have the city because home is where the heart is, and his home is in Luthadel. Oh, and he's an evil bastard who simply cannot stand the idea of his only true born son ruling the city in his stead.
Elend tries to plead with his father, but Straff has become firm in his resolve. Elend will die, and if the assembly doesn't hand the city over then, he'll just have to take it by force. With that, Elend comes to the realization that his father just sees him as a corpse waiting to happen. I do too.
Straff says he never intended for Elend to leave this meeting alive, regardless of how it went, but he's grateful to Elend for bringing Vin. He intends to take her for his own shortly after Elend has been done away with... Is he mad? Well, I mean, of course he is, but has he forgotten that she's Mistborn? He'd have a better chance forcing himself upon a Koloss. The very thought of Straff trying to have his way with Vin causes Elend to snap, bursting into a fit of laughter as Straff calls for the guards. Elend takes this final opportunity to tell his father what he really thinks of him. It's then that he sees he sees what he's been doing wrong all this time, and begins threatening his father. Yes, the very man who is about to have him executed.
Vin is still standing just outside the tent, listening in on the conversation. To be honest, I'm surprised she didn't rush in the moment Straff called for the guards I guess she does possess a bit of self restraint after all.
Vin hears Elend tell Straff that the actual reason he came here was to get her close to him. To kill him. Straff doesn't buy this, as Vin is just a "wisp of a girl", so that automatically makes her less of a threat. He really is a moron if he thinks size matters when it comes to Mistborn.
Elend reveals that he and Vin have been manipulating Straff from the very beginning, and he has Vin tamper with his emotions to prove it. Vin, using Duralumin, clears Straff's head of all feeling, leaving him dead inside for just an instant. Elend, once again, claims that she's the most powerful Mistborn ever. He's making her out to seem like some kind of goddess of destruction, and Straff's completely falling for it. Elend says that if he dies, Vin will murder every single person in Straff's command.
Zane chooses this moment to join Vin outside the tent, recycling his same old talking points. Elend has pretty much proven him right with what he's doing now. Vin told Zane before that Elend would never order her to slaughter anyone, yet here he is, doing exactly that. Vin says he's just bluffing, but if Elend dies tonight, what will she do? Will she do nothing based on the assumption that he didn't man what he said, or will she follow the command and lay waste to Straff's men? Quite the dilemma, isn't it?
During their conversation--the same one they have every single time they get together--Vin notices that Zane has scars running up his arms, and assumes he earned them in the Pits of Hathsin. I seriously doubt that; not even Straff is wicked enough to put his own !son through something so horrible. No, insane creep that he is, those scars are most definitely self inflicted. Probably from all the times he's cut himself to quell his homicidal urges.
Zan doesn't deny her claims; he just tells her he "understands her", then runs off. At that same time, inside the dining room, Straff tells Elend that he's free to go. I...do...not...believe it!
Straff stands watching Elend's carriage pull away. The meeting this night has vexed him deeply. He cant help thinking about Vin's awesome power. Heh. If only he knew it was just duralumin.
Zane shows up, making some snarky remark, and Straff says that he doesn't believe Elend was telling the getting when said he doesn't have the atium, he's not gonng to take his chances attacking the city while Vin still breathes. When Zane says he may require some assistance in defeating her, Straff tells him to use some of his bastard siblings. Apparently Straff has other misting offspring, and he doesn't mind if a few of them die in achieving his goal.
What a messed up family.
Elend is ecstatic, to say the least. He's acting like he's won the freaking war, or something. How pathetic can one man be? If it weren't for his exploitation(and exaggeration) of Vin's prowess he'd be rotting in some ditch right now, so why is he so proud of himself?
Vin doesn't share any of his excitement, and her doubts and worries continue to stack up. It's only a matter of time before she breaks under to pressure and does something regrettably stupid. Elend notices how down she's feeling. He tries to cheer her up, but most of what he says just makes her feel even worse.
When arrive back in the city and are greeted by Ham and the rest. They ask him how it went, and he, gesturing towards Vin, tells them they've overlooked one of their "greatest resources". He just choose the worst possible word combination he possibly could at this moment. Sure, he doesn't know any better, but still...
Everyone complements him on his brilliance, even though it was Vin and her use of duralumin that actually saved the day. When Spooks jokes that he was looking forward to becoming king with Elend gone, Elend replies that he isn't planing on vacating his seat for a good long time, Which is funny because Dockson is right here, and he has brought an...interesting letter from the Assembly for Elend. It reads:
Dear Former King,
You sir, are an chull.
Sincerely,
The Assembly That Just Deposed You.
Nah, I kid. The letter was actually worded in a quite polite manner. The gist of it is the same, thougB.C. Elend is no longer king.
End of Chapter 27
End of Part 2
I knew he shouldn't have kept brushing the Assembly off the way he did. Nothing good ever comes of disrespecting important people. They can only hope his deposition isn't final. Maybe this is just a warning, and they're willing to talk this out? It's doubtful, but...maybe?
Looks like exciting times added coming up. Hopefully I'll be able to read more often during the next couple of weeks, because I'm really looking forward to seeing what new twists this book has in store.
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