Brandon SANDERSON - The Hero of Ages

“I do not think it would be polite to do so.”

Breeze smiled. “My dear Terrisman – only you would come to conquer a city, then worry about being ‘polite’ to the dictator you’re threatening.”

Sazed glanced down, feeling slightly abashed. But, he could not deny Breeze’s remarks. Though the two of them had brought no army with them to Lekal City, they had indeed come to conquer. They simply intended to do it with a piece of paper rather than a sword.

It all hinged on what was happening in the next room. Would the king sign the treaty or not? All Breeze and Sazed could do was wait. He itched to get his portfolio out, to look over the next religion in the stack. He’d been considering the Canzi for over a day, and now that he’d made a decision about it, he wished to move on to the next sheet. During the last year, he’d gotten through about two-thirds of the religions. Barely a hundred remained, though the number was closer to two hundred if he took into account all of the sub-sects and denominations.

He was close. Over the next few months, he’d be able to get through the rest of the religions. He wanted to give each one fair consideration. Surely, one of the remaining ones would strike him as containing the essence of truth he was searching for. Surely one of them would tell him what had happened to Tindwyl’s spirit without contradicting itself on a half-dozen different points.

But, for the moment, he felt self-conscious reading in front of Breeze. So, Sazed forced himself to sit and wait patiently.

The room around him was ornate, after the fashion of the old imperial nobility. Sazed wasn’t used to such finery, not anymore. Elend had sold or burned most of his lavish trappings – his people had needed food and warmth during the winter. King Lekal hadn’t done the same, it appeared, though perhaps that was because the winters were less harsh here in the South.

Sazed glanced out the window beside his chair. Lekal City didn’t have a true palace – it had been just a country estate until about two years ago. The manor house, however, did have a nice view over the growing town – which was more of a large shantytown than it was a true city.

Still, that shantytown controlled lands that were dangerously inside Elend’s defensive perimeter. They needed the security of King Lekal’s allegiance. And so, Elend had sent a contingent – including Sazed, who was his chief ambassador – to secure the loyalty of the Lekal king. That man deliberated in the next room with his aides, trying to decide whether or not to accept the treaty – which would make them subjects of Elend Venture.

Chief ambassador of the New Empire…

Sazed was not very fond of his title, for it implied that he was actually a citizen of the empire. His people, the Terris people, had sworn to call no man master again. They had spent a thousand years being oppressed, being bred like animals and turned into perfect, docile servants. Only with the fall of the Final Empire had the Terris become free to rule themselves.

So far, the Terris people hadn’t done a very good job of that. Of course, it didn’t help that the Steel Inquisitors had slaughtered the entire Terris ruling council, leaving Sazed’s people without direction or leadership.

In a way, we’re hypocrites anyway , he thought. The Lord Ruler was secretly a Terrisman. One of our own did those horrible things to us. What right do we have to insist on calling no foreigner master? It wasn’t a foreigner that destroyed our people, our culture, and our religion .

And so, Sazed served as Elend Venture’s chief ambassador. Elend was a friend – a man Sazed respected like few others. To Sazed’s mind, even the Survivor himself hadn’t possessed Elend Venture’s strength of character. The emperor hadn’t tried to assume authority over the Terris people, even after he had accepted the refugees into his lands. Sazed wasn’t sure if his people were free or not, but they owed Elend Venture a large debt. Sazed would gladly serve as the man’s ambassador.

Even if there were other things Sazed felt he should be doing. Such as leading his people.

No , Sazed thought, glancing at his portfolio. No. A man with no faith cannot lead them. I must find the truth for myself first. If such a thing exists .

“It certainly is taking them long enough,” Breeze said, eating a grape. “One would think that after all the talking we did to get to this point, they’d know by now whether they intended to sign the thing or not.”

Sazed glanced toward the elaborately carved door on the other side of the room. What would King Lekal decide? Did he really have a choice? “Did we do the right thing here, do you think, Lord Breeze?” Sazed found himself asking.

Breeze snorted. “Right and wrong don’t come into it. If we hadn’t come to bully King Lekal, someone else would have. It comes down to basic strategic necessity. Or, that’s how I see it – perhaps I’m just more calculating than others.”

Sazed eyed the stocky man. Breeze was a Soother – in fact, he was the most brazen, flagrant Soother Sazed had ever known. Most Soothers used their powers with discrimination and subtlety, nudging emotions only at the most opportune times. Breeze, however, played with everyone’s emotions. Sazed could feel the man’s touch on his own feelings at that moment, in fact – though only because he knew what to look for.

“If you will excuse the observation, Lord Breeze,” Sazed said, “you do not fool me as easily as you believe you do.”

Breeze raised an eyebrow.

“I know you are a good man,” Sazed said. “You work very hard to hide it. You make a great show of being callous and selfish. Yet, to those watching what you do and not just what you say, you become far more transparent.”

Breeze frowned, and Sazed got a little stab of pleasure at surprising the Soother. He obviously hadn’t expected Sazed to be so blunt.

“My dear man,” Breeze said, sipping his wine, “I’m disappointed in you. Weren’t you just speaking about being polite? Well, it’s not at all polite to point out a crusty old pessimist’s dark inner secret.”

“Dark inner secret?” Sazed asked. “That you’re kindhearted?”

“It’s an attribute in myself that I’ve worked very hard to discourage,” Breeze said lightly. “Unfortunately, I prove too weak. Now, to completely divert us from this subject – which I find far too discomforting – I shall return to your earlier question. You ask if we are doing the right thing? Right thing how? By forcing King Lekal to become a vassal to Elend?”

Sazed nodded.

“Well then,” Breeze said, “I’d have to say that yes, we did the right thing. Our treaty will give Lekal the protection of Elend’s armies.”

“At the cost of his own freedom to govern.”

“Bah,” Breeze said with a wave of his hand. “We both know that Elend is a far better ruler than Lekal could ever hope to be. Most of his people are living in half-finished shacks, for the Lord Ruler’s sake!”

“Yes, but you must admit that we bullied him.”

Breeze frowned. “That’s how all politics is. Sazed, this man’s nephew sent an army of koloss to destroy Luthadel! He’s lucky Elend didn’t just come down and wipe out the entire city in retribution. We have bigger armies, more resources, and better Allomancers. This people will be far better off once Lekal signs that treaty. What is wrong with you, my dear man? You argued all these same points not two days ago at the negotiating table.”

“I apologize, Lord Breeze,” Sazed said. “I… seem to find myself feeling contrary of late.”

Breeze didn’t respond at first. “It still hurts, does it?” he asked.