stepped into. I don’t know what kind of story Sister Margaret told you or how she convinced you to help her, but she is one of us.” Andrew touched his tattooed scalp. “She bears the mark of the Night Church. She belongs to us.”
Jolt turned his head slightly toward Riot. “What’s he talking about?”
“Don’t listen to him,” she said quickly. “He’s crazy. They all are. And they’re dangerous.”
“More dangerous than you know,” said Brother Andrew. “Saint John and your mother charged me to bring you back. You think we’re here to send you into the darkness, but you’re wrong. That would be easy, and after what you’ve done you don’t get ‘easy.’ You’re going to come back with us, and then you’re going to be on your knees before your mother. You’re going to have to account for everything you’ve done. For all of your crimes. For all of your sins. For—”
“Shut up!” screamed Riot, clapping her hands to her ears. “Just shut up.”
Brother Andrew stopped his tirade, but he laughed quietly, shaking his head with amusement.
“Listen, mister,” said Jolt, “I think you’d better haul your fat butt out of here.”
Brother Andrew took his scythe in both hands. “Boy, you don’t know what kind of trouble you’re asking for. I’m going to tell you one last time—walk away before something that isn’t your business becomes your business. And believe me, you do not want that.”
“What’s going on?” asked a small voice, and they all turned as Gummi Bear appeared between two wrecked cars. He sat on his bike, leaning on one car for support.The crank siren hung around his neck, and his face was flushed with fear.
“Jolt—get him out of here,” said Riot quickly. “They’ll hurt him.”
Brother Andrew clicked his tongue, and the two reapers with him began to move toward the boy.
“Whoa!” barked Jolt. “What are you cats doing?”
The closest one showed his knife to Jolt. “The greatest mercy of god is the release from pain. We will bless this boy. We will open red mouths in his flesh and give him the gift of darkness. Children should not have to suffer in this land of misery and woe.”
“Gift of darkness? What are you talking about?”
“Jolt—they want to kill him,” said Riot, and she moved across the car tops toward Gummi Bear. “That’s what they do—they kill. They think it’s god’s will, that it’s a way to end suffering.”
“It is ,” said Brother Andrew. He pointed at Gummi Bear. “Look at this child. Ugly and deformed. He’s suffered terribly. Why perpetuate that suffering when we can bring him peace?”
“By killing him?” demanded Jolt. “I mean, that’s what you’re saying? Am I hearing this right? You want to help Gummi by cutting his throat.”
“Um,” said Gummi Bear as he walked his bike backward, “pass, thanks.”
The two reapers moved to intercept him. Riot instantly moved across the car tops, ready to jump down between them and the boy. She drew her knife and pointed the tip at them.
“Y’all take another step toward that boy and I’ll end you both, right here and now. Tell me if I’m lying.”
“Go ahead,” said Brother Andrew. “We are reapers—to die in the service of our god is but a pathway to paradise.”
“Riot,” said Jolt, “don’t.”
She looked at him. “What?”
“Don’t kill them.”
“Why the hell not?”
“Because,” explained Jolt, “there’s been enough death in the world. We don’t kill. The players, the people in our camp—we don’t kill.”
She stared at him. “Jolt—don’t you get it? These are reapers . That name wasn’t picked ’cause it sounds cool. They want everyone and everything to die . It’s who they are and what they are. . . .”
“But it’s not who we are. We’re scavengers—we find the things that help people stay alive. Seven billion people have died already. . . . How many more will it take before the message gets through that
Jolt turned his head slightly toward Riot. “What’s he talking about?”
“Don’t listen to him,” she said quickly. “He’s crazy. They all are. And they’re dangerous.”
“More dangerous than you know,” said Brother Andrew. “Saint John and your mother charged me to bring you back. You think we’re here to send you into the darkness, but you’re wrong. That would be easy, and after what you’ve done you don’t get ‘easy.’ You’re going to come back with us, and then you’re going to be on your knees before your mother. You’re going to have to account for everything you’ve done. For all of your crimes. For all of your sins. For—”
“Shut up!” screamed Riot, clapping her hands to her ears. “Just shut up.”
Brother Andrew stopped his tirade, but he laughed quietly, shaking his head with amusement.
“Listen, mister,” said Jolt, “I think you’d better haul your fat butt out of here.”
Brother Andrew took his scythe in both hands. “Boy, you don’t know what kind of trouble you’re asking for. I’m going to tell you one last time—walk away before something that isn’t your business becomes your business. And believe me, you do not want that.”
“What’s going on?” asked a small voice, and they all turned as Gummi Bear appeared between two wrecked cars. He sat on his bike, leaning on one car for support.The crank siren hung around his neck, and his face was flushed with fear.
“Jolt—get him out of here,” said Riot quickly. “They’ll hurt him.”
Brother Andrew clicked his tongue, and the two reapers with him began to move toward the boy.
“Whoa!” barked Jolt. “What are you cats doing?”
The closest one showed his knife to Jolt. “The greatest mercy of god is the release from pain. We will bless this boy. We will open red mouths in his flesh and give him the gift of darkness. Children should not have to suffer in this land of misery and woe.”
“Gift of darkness? What are you talking about?”
“Jolt—they want to kill him,” said Riot, and she moved across the car tops toward Gummi Bear. “That’s what they do—they kill. They think it’s god’s will, that it’s a way to end suffering.”
“It is ,” said Brother Andrew. He pointed at Gummi Bear. “Look at this child. Ugly and deformed. He’s suffered terribly. Why perpetuate that suffering when we can bring him peace?”
“By killing him?” demanded Jolt. “I mean, that’s what you’re saying? Am I hearing this right? You want to help Gummi by cutting his throat.”
“Um,” said Gummi Bear as he walked his bike backward, “pass, thanks.”
The two reapers moved to intercept him. Riot instantly moved across the car tops, ready to jump down between them and the boy. She drew her knife and pointed the tip at them.
“Y’all take another step toward that boy and I’ll end you both, right here and now. Tell me if I’m lying.”
“Go ahead,” said Brother Andrew. “We are reapers—to die in the service of our god is but a pathway to paradise.”
“Riot,” said Jolt, “don’t.”
She looked at him. “What?”
“Don’t kill them.”
“Why the hell not?”
“Because,” explained Jolt, “there’s been enough death in the world. We don’t kill. The players, the people in our camp—we don’t kill.”
She stared at him. “Jolt—don’t you get it? These are reapers . That name wasn’t picked ’cause it sounds cool. They want everyone and everything to die . It’s who they are and what they are. . . .”
“But it’s not who we are. We’re scavengers—we find the things that help people stay alive. Seven billion people have died already. . . . How many more will it take before the message gets through that
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