Monsters of Men (Chaos Walking, #3)

by Patrick Ness

“War makes monsters of men, you once said to me, Todd. Well, so does too much knowledge. Too much knowledge of your fellow man, too much knowledge of his weakness, his pathetic greed and vanity, and how laughably easy it is to control him.”

And then I turn to the Mayor and I’m filled with her, with her love for me and my love for her–

And I take him in my arms and he takes me in his and we don’t have to say anything, anything at all. Because we know.

And he looks me in the eyes. And I feel it coming, feel the strength surging through him, finally free of the presence of the Mayor– He opens up his Noise. Opens it and opens it and opens it– And there he is, all of him, open to me, showing me everything that’s happened, everything he felt– Everything he feels– Everything he feels for me– “I know,” I say. “I can read you, Todd Hewitt.” And he smiles that crooked smile–

Why can’t we learn to live with how we are? And whatever anybody chooses is okay by the rest of us?