Голодные игры
Chapter 25
"Hey!"Ishoutintoair."What’sgoingon?"Theonlyresponseisthechatterofwakingbirds.
"Maybeit’sthebody.Maybewehavetomoveawayfromit,"saysPeeta.
Itrytoremember.Doyouhavetodistanceyourselffromthedeadtributeonthefinalkill?Mybrainistoomuddledtobesure,butwhatelsecouldbethereasonforthedelay?
"Okay.Thinkyoucouldmakeittothelake?"Iask.
"ThinkIbettertry,"saysPeeta.Weinchdowntothetailofthehornandfalltotheground.Ifthestiffnessinmylimbsisthisbad,howcanPeetaevenmove?Irisefirst,swingingandbendingmyarmsandlegsuntilIthinkIcanhelphimup.Somehow,wemakeitbacktothelake.IscoopupahandfulofthecoldwaterforPeetaandbringasecondtomylips.
Amockingjaygivesthelong,lowwhistle,andtearsofrelieffillmyeyesasthehovercraftappearsandtakesCato’sbodyaway.Nowtheywilltakeus.Nowwecangohome.
Butagainthere’snoresponse.
"Whataretheywaitingfor?"saysPeetaweakly.Betweenthelossofthetourniquetandtheeffortittooktogettothelake,hiswoundhasopenedupagain.
"Idon’tknow,"Isay.Whatevertheholdupis,Ican’twatchhimloseanymoreblood.IgetuptofindastickbutalmostimmediatelycomeacrossthearrowthatbouncedoffCato’sbodyarmor.Itwilldoaswellastheotherarrow.AsIstooptopickitup,ClaudiusTemplesmith’svoiceboomsintothearena.
"GreetingstothefinalcontestantsoftheSeventy-fourthHungerGames.Theearlierrevisionhasbeenrevoked.
