A person known as a scythe arrives at the home where Citra Terranova lives. The scythe wears an ivory robe. Scythes can choose the color of their robes, and Citra has always been curious about why each scythe chooses a particular color. Her brother, Ben, comes into the room just as the scythe greets Citra by name. She does not know how the scythe knows her. The scythe says that he smelled their cooking from the hallway and decided to knock on the door. Citra has heard rumors of scythes “who required their victims to prepare them a meal before being gleaned” (8). She wonders if he will spare one of their lives if he likes the food.

The scythe introduces himself as “Honorable Scythe Faraday” (8). Ben says that he once did a science report on the scientist Michael Faraday and that he believes he has Scythe Faraday in his scythe card collection. Citra is surprised at how old the scythe looks. She wonders why he let himself reach this age before “resetting back to a more youthful self” (9). When she asks his age, Faraday says he is approximately 180 years old, and he says again that he is only there for dinner.