The Toll (Arc of a Scythe, #3)

by Neal Shusterman

Jerico used to think the Thunderhead was being spitefully passive-aggressive, but in time Jerico came to realize that the Thunderhead was merely making a point. Unsavorism was a choice, and one must decide if the things lost were worth the things gained.

Yes, it was perfectly safe, and no one had been known to be permanently killed by an airplane.

And what was that old mortal-age saying? Curiosity was a cat killer?

And he left to begin his new life as an unrepentant artist.

And in this instance, I do, for once, agree with Symphonius that the Toll was unique in the ability to return from death. For if everyone could return from death, why would we need the Toll at all?

It was not exactly circular logic. More like spiral. An accepted lie that spun in upon itself until truth and fiction disappeared into a singularity of who the hell cares, as long as I’m happy?

It is important to note that scholars have reached a general consensus that scythes did not devour the souls of their victims. They merely consumed their flesh.

I'm screaming

Then the Toll raised the fork and jabbed it into Morrison’s eye.

greyson got backbone bruh

“A successful lie is not fueled by the liar; it is fueled by the willingness of the listener to believe. You can’t expose a lie without first shattering the will to believe it. That is why leading people to truth is so much more effective than merely telling them.”

Being a dead prophet was much better than being a live one.

Secretly, I hope our tenure as the arbiters of death is brief and that we are quickly deemed obsolete.

“What’s life if you can’t mess with the future?” he said.