Scythe: Chapter 5 Summary & Analysis

Scythe Curie writes that humanity's greatest achievement was ending government. As "the cloud" transformed into the Thunderhead, people realized that it was better suited to running things than politicians. All war, waste, and abuse dissolved as soon as the Thunderhead took power. It knew how to care for the population and gave people a utopia. The only thing it doesn't have control over is the Scythedom, which is still the responsibility of humans. This is because killing is "an act of conscience and consciousness." Curie wonders if the Thunderhead would've done the job better than humans.

Citra realizes immediately that shopping with a scythe is very different than shopping alone. Some people pretend Faraday doesn't exist, while others run away. Still others go out of their way to suck up to the scythe in the hope that Faraday will grant them immunity. Only one woman seems genuinely pleased to see Faraday and is interested to hear that Rowan and Citra are his apprentices. After she moves away, Faraday explains that she works in the coroner's office and he grants her immunity every other year. Soon, Citra realizes that two teens are trailing them through the store. She wonders if they're "unsavories," people who like breaking minor rules, and points them out to Rowan. Rowan suggests they just want to watch a gleaning.

While Citra, Rowan, and Faraday are in the checkout line, one teen races forward and kisses Faraday's ring, giving himself immunity. Faraday calmly says that he'll find the teen as soon as his year of immunity is up, and the teens run away. Rowan asks if Faraday will really track the teen down, and Faraday says that it's punishment enough to have to live in fear for a year. In the parking lot, Faraday pulls out his phone and motions to a woman who dropped her purse. He explains that they'll glean her later. When Rowan asks why, Faraday sighs and says that in the Age of Mortality, 1.25% of accidental deaths happened in parking lots.

That afternoon, Faraday, Citra, and Rowan go to the woman's office, and Faraday tells her that he's going to kill her with a life-ending pill that activates when she bites it. He refuses to let her call her children, but promises to deliver a letter to them. Faraday gives her privacy to write it and tells Rowan that even if the woman chooses to splat, she'll still die. Back in the woman's office, Faraday asks Rowan to give the woman the pill. He refuses, as does Citra. Faraday says this was a test—he'd be concerned if either accepted—and gives the woman the pill himself.

When the woman crunches on the pill, she goes limp. Citra starts to cry and checks for a pulse when Faraday asks her to. Citra is shocked that the death was so uneventful and is even more shocked when Faraday gives her the letter to present to the woman's family at her funeral. Faraday says he goes to the funerals of all his victims as an act of common decency.