Голодные игры
Chapter 25
Closerexaminationoftherulebookhasdisclosedthatonlyonewinnermaybeallowed,"hesays."Goodluckandmaytheoddsbeeverinyourfavor."
There’sasmallburstofstaticandthennothingmore.IstareatPeetaindisbeliefasthetruthsinksin.Theyneverintendedtoletusbothlive.ThishasallbeendevisedbytheGamemakerstoguaranteethemostdramaticshowdowninhistory.Andlikeafool,Iboughtintoit.
"Ifyouthinkaboutit,it’snotthatsurprising,"hesayssoftly.Iwatchashepainfullymakesittohisfeet.Thenhe’smovingtowardme,asifinslowmotion,hishandispullingtheknifefromhisbelt-
BeforeIamevenawareofmyactions,mybowisloadedwiththearrowpointedstraightathisheart.PeetaraiseshiseyebrowsandIseetheknifehasalreadylefthishandonitswaytothelakewhereitsplashesinthewater.Idropmyweaponsandtakeastepback,myfaceburninginwhatcanonlybeshame.
"No,"hesays."Doit."Peetalimpstowardmeandthruststheweaponsbackinmyhands.
"Ican’t,Isay."Iwon’t."
"Doit.Beforetheysendthosemuttsbackorsomething.Idon’twanttodielikeCato,"hesays.
"Thenyoushootme,"Isayfuriously,shovingtheweaponsbackathim."Youshootmeandgohomeandlivewithit!"AndasIsayit,Iknowdeathrighthere,rightnowwouldbetheeasierofthetwo.
"YouknowIcan’t,"Peetasays,discardingtheweapons."Fine,I’llgofirstanyway."Heleansdownandripsthebandageoffhisleg,eliminatingthefinalbarrierbetweenhisbloodandtheearth.
