The Toll (Arc of a Scythe #3) - Neal Shusterman Page 0,142

need to talk. It was what the Thunderhead had said to him the moment it began speaking to him three years ago. It had been the start of something monumental. This was no exception. All along it had told him the Tonists would become a powerful army that the Thunderhead could put to good use when the time came. The time had now come… but the Thunderhead’s concept of an army and the human concept were two very different things.

“Why?” Greyson asked when the Thunderhead told him what it had in mind. “Why would you need this?”

“Trust me when I tell you there is a reason. I cannot yet tell you more, because the odds of you being compromised are high. If you happen to be captured, there are quite a few scythes out there who’d be happy to turn off your nanites and engage in painful coercion to extract information from you.”

“I would never betray your trust!” Greyson told it.

“You forget,” said the Thunderhead, “that I know you more than you know yourself. Humans would like to believe that their loyalty and integrity could withstand pain, but I know exactly how much pain would compel you to betray me. If it is of any comfort, it’s an extremely high level. You’d withstand more pain than most before breaking. But there are simply certain parts of your body—”

“All right, I get it,” Greyson said, not wanting the Thunderhead to elaborate on exactly what forms of pain would cause him to squeal.

“There is a journey to be made,” the Thunderhead told him. “And you shall be the harbinger. You shall lead the way. All will be clear when you arrive. I promise.”

“This won’t be easy….”

“Consider this part of your mission as the Toll,” it told him. “For isn’t it the mission of a prophet to not just bridge the gap between humanity and deity, but to also bridge the gap between life and death?”

“No,” said Greyson. “That would be a savior. Is that what I am now?”

“Perhaps,” said the Thunderhead. “We shall see.”

* * *

Jeri and Morrison were quick to come. Mendoza took a bit longer. When he arrived, the man looked worn. Dark circles under his eyes. He had barely slept, if he’d slept at all.

“It’s always daytime somewhere,” Mendoza told them, his voice gravelly. “I have been tracking scythe attacks on Tonists and advising curates who feel their enclaves might be in jeopardy.”

“That’s exactly what we’re here to talk about,” Greyson said. He looked at everyone, hoping he could find a receptive face to deliver the news to, but realized he couldn’t bear any of their reactions, so he kept his gaze shifting, never holding eye contact for more than a moment as he spoke.

“Goddard’s response to being exposed is to turn attention away from him and onto Tonists. I have reason to believe there’s going to be a wave of systematic, organized attacks on Tonist enclaves, across multiple regions. This is not just retaliation; it’s the start of a public purge.”

“The Thunderhead told you this?” asked Mendoza.

Greyson shook his head. “The Thunderhead can’t tell me—that would be interfering with scythe affairs—but what it did say told me all we need to know.”

“So… what did it say?” asked Anastasia.

Greyson took a deep breath. “That the Tonists must go against their traditions. They must not burn their dead. Including the many thousands who will die tomorrow.”

The news hung for a moment, settling in. Then Mendoza leaped into action.

“I’ll get in touch with the curates in my network. We’ll warn as many as we can, and we’ll make sure they’re armed and ready to resist! And you’ll make a public announcement. You’ll let the world know you’re still alive, just as Anastasia did, and you’ll call all Tonists to wage a holy war against the scythedom!”

“No,” said Greyson. “I won’t do that.”

That made Mendoza’s rage boil over. “We are at war, and we must act swiftly! You will do what I tell you to do!” he demanded.

So there it was. Mendoza had finally thrown down the gauntlet, and at the worst possible time.

“No, Curate Mendoza,” Greyson said. “You will do what I tell you to do. We’ve been fighting Sibilants for the last two years—and now you want me to turn every Tonist into one? No. Then we’ll be no better than Goddard. Tonists are supposed to be pacifists—if you believe what you preach, then practice it.”

Then Astrid, although she was shaken by the news, said, “You’ve gone too far, Curate