Mistborn #02 The Well of Ascension

this city. However, I'd much rather that you just give it to me."
    "You, sir, are a tyrant," Penrod said flatly.
    "So?" Cett asked. "I'm a tyrant with forty thousand soldiers. That's twice what you've got guarding these walls."
    "What's to stop us from simply taking you hostage?" asked one of the other noblemen. "You seem to have delivered yourself to us quite neatly."
    Cett bellowed a laugh. "If I don't return to my camp this evening, my army has orders to attack and raze the city immediately—no matter what! They'll probably get destroyed by Venture afterward—but it won't matter to me, or to you, at that point! We'll all be dead."
    The room fell silent.
    "See, Venture?" Cett asked. "Threats work wonderfully."
    "You honestly expect us to make you our king?" Elend asked.
    "Actually, I do," Cett said. "Look, with your twenty thousand added to my forty, we could easily hold these walls against Straff—we could even stop that army of koloss."
    Whispers began immediately, and Cett raised a bushy eyebrow, turning to Elend. "You didn't tell them about the koloss, did you?"
    Elend didn't respond.
    "Well, they'll know soon enough," Cett said. "Regardless, I don't see that you have any other option but to elect me."
    "You're not an honorable man," Elend said simply. "The people expect more from their leaders."
    "I'm not an honorable man?" Cett asked with amusement. "And you are ? Let me ask you a direct question, Venture. During the proceedings of this meeting, have any of your Allomancers over there been Soothing members of the Assembly?"
    Elend paused. His eyes glanced to the side, finding Breeze. Vin closed her eyes. No, Elend, don't —
    "Yes, they have," Elend admitted.
    Vin heard Tindwyl groan quietly.
    "And," Cett continued, "can you honestly say that you've never doubted yourself? Never wondered if you were a good king?"
    "I think every leader wonders these things," Elend said.
    "Well, I haven't," Cett said. "I've always known I was meant to be in charge—and I've always done the best job of making certain that I stayed in power. I know how to make myself strong, and that means I know how to make those who associate with me strong as well.
    "Here's the deal. You give me the crown, and I'll take charge here. You all get to keep your titles—and those of the Assembly who don't have titles will get them. In addition, you'll get to keep your heads—which is a far better deal than Straff would offer, I assure you.
    "The people get to keep working, and I'll make certain that they're fed this winter. Everything goes back to normal, the way it was before this insanity began a year back. The skaa work, the nobility administrates."
    "You think they'd go back to that?" Elend asked. "After all we fought for, you think I will simply let you force the people back into slavery?"
    Cett smiled beneath his large beard. "I wasn't under the impression that the decision was yours, Elend Venture."
    Elend fell silent.
    "I want to meet with each of you," Cett said to the Assemblymen. "If you'll allow, I wish to move into Luthadel with some of my men. Say, a force of five thousand—enough to make me feel safe, but not to be of any real danger to you. I'll take up residence in one of the abandoned keeps, and wait until your decision next week. During that time, I'll meet with each of you in turn and explain the. . .benefits that would come from choosing me as your king."
    "Bribes," Elend spat.
    "Of course," Cett said. "Bribes for all of the people of this city—the foremost bribe being that of peace! You're so fond of name-calling, Venture. 'Slaves,' 'threats,' 'honorable.' 'Bribe' is just a word. Looked at another way, a bribe is just a promise, turned on its head." Cett smiled.
    The group of Assemblymen was silent. "Shall we vote, then, on whether to let him enter the city?" Penrod asked.
    "Five thousand is way too many," one of the skaa Assemblymen said.
    "Agreed," Elend said. "There's no way we can let that many foreign troops into Luthadel."
    "I don't like it at all," another said.
    "What?" said Philen. "A monarch inside our city will be less dangerous than one outside, wouldn't you say? And besides, Cett has promised us all titles."
    This gave the group something to think about.
    "Why not just give me the crown now?" Cett said. "Open your gates to my army."
    "You can't," Elend said immediately. "Not until there is a king—or unless you can get a unanimous vote right now."
    Vin smiled. Unanimous wouldn't happen in that case as