Голодные игры
Chapter 25
Idon’twatch,butIcanhearthesnarls,thegrowls,thehowlsofpainfrombothhumanandbeastasCatotakesonthemuttpack.Ican’tunderstandhowhecanbesurvivinguntilIrememberthebodyarmorprotectinghimfromankletoneckandIrealizewhatalongnightthiscouldbe.Catomusthaveaknifeorswordorsomething,too,somethinghehadhiddeninhisclothes,becauseonoccasionthere’sthedeathscreamofamuttorthesoundofmetalonmetalasthebladecollideswiththegoldenhorn.ThecombatmovesaroundthesideoftheCornucopia,andIknowCatomustbeattemptingtheonemaneuverthatcouldsavehislife-tomakehiswaybackaroundtothetailofthehornandrejoinus.Butintheend,despitehisremarkablestrengthandskill,heissimplyoverpowered.
Idon’tknowhowlongithasbeen,maybeanhourorso,whenCatohitsthegroundandwehearthemuttsdragginghim,dragginghimbackintotheCornucopia.Nowthey’llfinishhimoff,Ithink.Butthere’sstillnocannon.
Nightfallsandtheanthemplaysandthere’snopictureofCatointhesky,onlythefaintmoanscomingthroughthemetalbeneathus.TheicyairblowingacrosstheplainremindsmethattheGamesarenotoverandmaynotbeforwhoknowshowlong,andthereisstillnoguaranteeofvictory.
IturnmyattentiontoPeetaanddiscoverhislegisbleedingasbadlyasever.Alloursupplies,ourpacks,remaindownbythelakewhereweabandonedthemwhenwefledfromthemutts.Ihavenobandage,nothingtostaunchtheflowofbloodfromhiscalf.
