Mistborn Trilogy - Brandon Sanderson [157]
“Pulse length, metal group, and Push-Pull variance—once you know these three things, you will be able to tell exactly which metals your opponent is burning. A long pulse that beats against you and has a quick pattern will be pewter—the internal Pushing physical metal.”
“Why the names?” Vin asked. “External and internal?”
“Metals come in groups of four—or, at least, the lower eight do. Two external metals, two internal metals—one each that Pushes, one each that Pulls. With iron, you Pull on something outside of yourself, with steel you Push on something outside of yourself. With tin you Pull on something inside of yourself, with pewter you Push on something inside of yourself.”
“But, bronze and copper,” Vin said. “Kelsier called them internal metals, but it seems like they affect external things. Copper keeps people from sensing when you use Allomancy.”
Marsh shook his head. “Copper doesn’t change your opponents, it changes something within yourself that has an effect on your opponents. That’s why it is an internal metal. Brass, however, alters another person’s emotions directly—and is an external metal.”
Vin nodded thoughtfully. Then she turned, glancing toward Kelsier. “You know a lot about all the metals, but you’re just a Misting, right?”
Marsh nodded. He didn’t look like he intended to respond, though.
Let’s try something, then, Vin thought, extinguishing her bronze. She lightly began burning copper to mask her Allomancy. Marsh didn’t react, instead continuing to look down at Kelsier and the caravan.
I should be invisible to his senses, she thought, carefully burning both zinc and brass. She reached, just as Breeze had been training her to do, and subtly touched Marsh’s emotions. She suppressed his suspicions and inhibitions, while at the same time bringing out his sense of wistfulness. Theoretically, that would make him more likely to talk.
“You must have learned somewhere?” Vin asked carefully. He’ll see what I did for sure. He’s going to get angry and—
“I Snapped when I was very young,” Marsh said. “I’ve had a long time to practice.”
“So have a lot of people,” Vin said.
“I…had reasons. They’re hard to explain.”
“They always are,” Vin said, slightly increasing her Allomantic pressure.
“You know how Kelsier feels about the nobility?” Marsh asked, turning toward her, his eyes like ice.
Ironeyes, she thought. Like they said. She nodded to his question.
“Well, I feel the same way about the obligators,” he said, turning away. “I’ll do anything to hurt them. They took our mother—that’s when I Snapped, and that’s when I vowed to destroy them. So, I joined the rebellion and started learning all I could about Allomancy. Inquisitors use it, so I had to understand it—understand everything I could, be as good as I could, and are you Soothing me?”
Vin started, abruptly extinguishing her metals. Marsh turned back toward her again, his expression cold.
Run! Vin thought. She almost did. It was nice to know that the old instincts were still there, if buried just a bit.
“Yes,” she said meekly.
“You are good,” Marsh said. “I’d have never known if I hadn’t started rambling. Stop it.”
“I already have.”
“Good,” Marsh said. “That’s the second time you’ve altered my emotions. Never do it again.”
Vin nodded. “Second time?”
“The first was in my shop, eight months ago.”
That’s right. Why don’t I remember him? “I’m sorry.”
Marsh shook his head, finally turning away. “You’re Mistborn—that’s what you do. He does the same thing.” He was looking down at Kelsier.
They sat quietly for a few moments.
“Marsh?” Vin asked. “How did you know I was Mistborn? I only knew how to Soothe back then.”
Marsh shook his head. “You knew the other metals instinctively. You were burning pewter and tin that day—just a tiny bit, barely noticeable. You probably got the metals from water