Words of Radiance

“Indeed. You can find out all kinds of things. For example, I had my contact find what they could on House Davar. It’s apparently a small, out-of-the-way house with large debts and an erratic house leader who may or may not still be alive. He has a daughter, Shallan, whom nobody seems to have met.”

“I am that daughter,” Shallan said. “So I’d say that ‘nobody’ is a stretch.”

“And why,” Tyn said, “would an unknown scion of a minor Veden family be traveling the Frostlands with a group of slavers? All the while claiming she’s expected at the Shattered Plains, and that her rescue will be celebrated? That she has powerful connections, enough to pay the salaries of a full mercenary troop?”

“Truth is sometimes more surprising than a lie.”

Tyn smiled, then leaned forward. “It’s all right; you don’t need to keep up the front with me. You’re actually doing a good job here. I’ve discarded my annoyance with you and have decided to be impressed instead. You’re new to this, but talented.”

“This?” Shallan asked.

“The art of the con, of course,” Tyn said. “The grand act of pretending to be someone you aren’t, then running off with the goods. I like what you pulled with those deserters. It was a big gamble, and it paid off.

“But now you’re in a predicament. You’re pretending to be someone several steps above your station, and are promising a grand payoff. I’ve run that scam before, and the trickiest part is the end. If you don’t handle this well, these ‘heroes’ you’ve recruited will have no qualms stringing you up by the neck. I’ve noticed that you’re dragging your feet moving us toward the Plains. You’re uncertain, aren’t you? In over your head?”

“Most definitely,” Shallan said softly.

“Well,” Tyn said, digging into her food, “I’m here to help.”

“At what cost?” This woman certainly did like to talk. Shallan was inclined to let her continue.

“I want in on whatever you’re planning,” Tyn said, stabbing her bread down into the bowl like a sword into a greatshell. “You came all the way here to the Frostlands for something

. Your plot is likely no small con, but I can’t help but assume you don’t have the experience to pull it off.”

Shallan tapped her finger against the table. Who would she be for this woman? Who did she need to be?

She seems like a master con artist, Shallan thought, sweating. I can’t fool someone like this.

Except that she already had. Accidentally.

“How did you end up here?” Shallan asked. “Leading guards on a caravan? Is that part of a con?”

Tyn laughed. “This? No, it wouldn’t be worth the trouble. I may have exaggerated my experience in talking to the caravan leaders, but I needed to get to the Shattered Plains and didn’t have the resources to do it on my own. Not safely.”

“How does a woman like you end up without resources, though?” Shallan asked, frowning. “I’d think you would never be without.”

“I’m not,” Tyn said, gesturing. “As you can plainly see. You’re going to have to get used to rebuilding, if you want to join the profession. It comes, it goes. I got stuck down south without any spheres, and am finding my way to more civilized countries.”

“To the Shattered Plains,” Shallan said. “You have a job there of some sort as well? A… con you’re intending to pull?”

Tyn smiled. “This isn’t about me, kid. It’s about you, and what I can do for you. I know people in the warcamps. It’s practically the new capital of Alethkar; everything interesting in the country is happening there. Money is flowing like rivers after a storm, but everyone considers it a frontier, and so laws are lax. A woman can get ahead if she knows the right people.”

Tyn leaned forward, and her expression darkened. “But if she doesn’t, she can make enemies really quickly. Trust me, you want to know who I know, and you want to work with them. Without their approval, nothing big happens at the Shattered Plains. So I ask you again. What are you hoping to accomplish there?”

“I… know something about Dalinar Kholin.”

“Old Blackthorn himself?” Tyn said, surprised. “He’s been living a boring life lately, all superior, like he’s some hero from the legends.”

“Yes, well, what I know is going to be very important to him. Very.”

“Well, what is this secret?”

Shallan didn’t answer.

“Not willing to divulge the goods yet,” Tyn said. “Well, that’s understandable. Blackmail is a tricky one. You’ll be glad you brought me on. You are bringing me on, aren’t you?”

“Yes,” Shallan said. “I do believe I could learn some things from you.”

25. Monsters