Rhythm of War (The Stormlight Archive #4) - Brandon Sanderson Page 0,422

real ground, through the middle of the fortress.

Shallan, Radiant thought. You could come and talk to people from other worlds. This is too big for Veil and me.

Shallan stirred, but as she did, that darkness moved with her. She quickly retreated.

Let’s focus on today’s mission, Radiant, Veil said.

Radiant agreed, and forced Veil to emerge. She could handle the strange geography; she had to. She put her head down and continued. None of the travelers from Nalthis looked like Restares, or seemed likely to be him in disguise. The next handful on her list had been Horneaters; apparently there was a clan of them who lived in Shadesmar. She’d doubted any were Restares, but she’d interviewed each of them just in case.

That done, Veil had been left with five people. Four turned out to be wanderers. None had been open about their pasts, but over the weeks she’d met with them one by one. After conversing with each, she had reported on them to Mraize. He had eliminated each of those as possibilities.

Now, only a single name remained on her list. This person was the most reclusive of them all—but was male, and the descriptions of him from the honorspren indicated that he was probably her quarry. Today she would finally catch a glimpse of him. With the subject confirmed she could call Mraize, find out what message she was supposed to deliver to Restares, then be done with this mission.

The target called himself “Sixteen.” He supposedly came out of his home once every sixteen days exactly—the regularity of it amused the honorspren, who suffered the odd fellow because of the novelty. No one knew how he survived without food, and no one reported a terrible stench or anything like that from him—though he didn’t ever seem to bathe or empty a chamber pot. Indeed, the more she’d learned about him, the more Veil was certain this mysterious man was her target.

His home was a small box built near the statue garden. Veil had made a habit of visiting this garden, where she tried to coax Shallan out by drawing. It worked occasionally, though Shallan usually retreated after a half hour or so of sketching.

Today, Veil curled up on a bench with a sketchpad, coat enveloping her, hat shading her eyes. Today was the day that Sixteen would emerge, assuming he followed his pattern. All she had to do was wait and not act suspicious.

Shallan, Veil said, opening the sketchbook. See? It’s time to draw.

Shallan started to emerge. Unfortunately, a faint humming sound made her panic and Veil was thrust back into control. She sighed, glancing to the side—to where Pattern walked among the statues, which she’d been told were of honorspren killed in the Recreance. Tall men and women with heroic builds and clothing that—though made of stone—seemed to ripple in the wind. How odd that they’d made these; after all, the real individuals were still around, though deadeyed.

Pattern bobbed over to her. He was easy to tell from other Cryptics; he had an excitable spring to his step, while others slunk or crept, more furtive.

“I thought you were watching the Nalthians today,” Veil said.

“I was!” he said, plopping down on the bench beside her. “But Veil, I do not think any of them are Restares. They do not look like him at all. They do not even look like people from Roshar. Why do you think Azure appeared so much like an Alethi, when these have the wrong features?”

“Don’t know,” Veil said, pretending to sketch. “But this Restares could be using something like Lightweaving. I need you to watch them carefully.”

“I am sorry,” Pattern said, his pattern slowing, like a wilting plant. “I miss being with you.”

You’re worried you’ll miss something important, traitor, Shallan thought. And want an excuse to keep spying on me.

Veil sighed again. She reached over and put her hand on Pattern’s. He hummed softly.

We need to confront him, Radiant thought. We need to find out exactly why he is lying.

Veil wasn’t so certain. It was all growing so messy. Pattern, Shallan’s past, the mission they were on. She needed Shallan to remember. That would solve so much.

Wait, Radiant thought. Veil, what do you know? What do you remember that I do not?

“Veil?” Pattern asked. “Can I talk to Shallan?”

“I can’t force her to emerge, Pattern,” Veil said. Stormwinds; she suddenly felt so tired. “We can try later, if you want. For now, Sixteen is going to come out of that house in a few minutes.