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Chapter Ten

This chapter has my favorite of Ham’s little philosophical dilemmas. Most people I’ve had read the book don’t think much of this argument. It seems obvious to them that resisting the Lord Ruler is the right thing for the people to do. I guess that means I’ve done my work well, giving the readers a distinct hatred of this government.

And yet, I don’t think the answer is that simple–not for the people living in the world. Ham has a point, in my opinion. Not a big one, but at least one worth considering.

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In the original draft of the book, Kelsier didn’t show up at this meeting. He let Yeden do the recruiting. However, as the drafting proceeded, I decided that I wanted Kelsier to present himself more fully to the skaa population. With Yeden now acting as their employer–rather than just another member of the crew–I also needed to show what Kelsier could do that Yeden could not.