“Sarene finally released him, wiping her eyes, disappointed in herself for crying again. Kiin simply placed a large hand on her shoulder and led her into the dining room, where the rest of the family sat around the table, even Adien.Lukel had been talking animatedly, but he cut off as he saw Sarene. "Speak the name of the lion," he said, quoting a Jindoeese proverb, "and he will come to feast.”

“I'm Teoish," Sarene said, successfully spearing something that looked like a marinated piece of shrimp. "We're all this tall.""Father's Teoish too, Kaise," Daorn said. "And you know how tall he is.""But father's fat," Kaise pointed out. "Why aren't you fat too, Sarene?”

“It is you!" the man exclaimed. "We thought you weren't coming for another week!""Ashe," Sarene mumbled, "who is this lunatic and what does he want with me?”

“Oh, blessed Domi!" the Aon exclaimed, approaching quickly."Ashe!" she said, wiping her eyes with a quivering hand, numbed by shock. "You never use the Lord's name!""If He has brought me to you, then He has His first Seon convert," Ashe said, pulsing excitedly.”

“Breeze raised his dueling cane, pointing it at Ham. "I see my period of intellectual respite has come to an end." Ham smiled. "I thought up a couple of beastly questions while I was gone, and I've been saving them just for you, Breeze.""I'm dying of anticipation," Breeze said. He turned his cane toward Lestibournes. "Spook, drink."Spook rushed over and fetched Breeze a cup of wine."He's such a fine lad," Breeze noted, accepting the drink. "I barely even have to nudge him Allomantically. If only the rest of you ruffians were so accommodating."Spook frowned "Niceing the not on the playing without.""I have no idea what you just said, child," Breeze said. "So I'm simply going to pretend it was coherent, then move on."Kelsier rolled his eyes. "Losing the stress on the nip," he said. "Notting without the needing of care.""Riding the rile of the rids to the right," Spook said with a nod."What are you two babbling about?" Breeze said testily."Wasing the was of brightness," Spook said. "Nip the having of wishing of this.""Ever wasing the doing of this," Kelsier agreed.Breeze turned to Dockson with exasperation. "I believe our companions have finally lost their minds, dear friend."Dockson shrugged. Then, with a perfectly straight face, he said, "Wasing not of wasing is."Breeze sat, dumbfounded, and the room burst into laughter. Breeze rolled his eyes indignantly, shaking his head and muttering about the crew's gross childishness.Vin nearly choked on her wine as she laughed. "What did you even say?" she asked of Dockson as he sat down beside her."I'm not sure," he confessed. "It just sounded right.""I don't think you said anything, Dox," Kelsier said.”

“Dalinar took a deep breath, then forced himself to open his arms and pull back. “If you had hoped tosoothe my worries for the day, then this didn’t help.”She folded her arms. He could still feel where her safehand had touched him on the back. A tendertouch, reserved for a family member. “I’m not here to soothe you, Dalinar. Quite the opposite.”“Please. I do need time to think.”“I won’t let you put me away. I won’t ignore that this happened. I won’t—”“Navani,” he gently cut her off, “I will not abandon you. I promise.”She eyed him, then a wry smile crept onto her face. “Very well. But you began something today.”“I began it?” he asked, amused, elated, confused, worried, and ashamed at the same time.“The kiss was yours, Dalinar,” she said idly, pulling open the door and entering his antechamber.“You seduced me to it.”“What? Seduced?” She glanced back at him. “Dalinar, I’ve never been more open and honest in mylife.”“I know,” Dalinar said, smiling. “That was the seductive part.” He closed the door softly, then let outa sigh. Blood of my fathers, he thought, why can’t these things ever be simple?And yet, in direct contrast with his thoughts, he felt as if the entire world had somehow becomemore right for having gone wrong.”

“You're getting better, my lady.""Don't patronize me.""No, really, Your Highness. When you started painting five years ago, I could never tell what it was you were trying to depict.""And this is a painting of . ."Ashe paused. "A bowl of fruit?" he asked hopefully.Sarene sighed in frustration._______________________________"Beautifully—which is more than I can say for the painting." He paused for a moment. "It's a horse, right?"Sarene scowled."A house?" he asked."It is not a bowl of fruit either, my lord," Ashe said. "I already tried that." "Well, she said it was one of the paintings in this room," Lukel said. "All we have to do is keep guessing until we find the right one.""Brilliant deduction, Master Lukel." Ashe said.”