Голодные игры
Chapter 4
"DidIactuallygetapairoffightersthisyear?"
Peetarisesfromthefloorandscoopsupahandfuloficefromunderthefruittureen.Hestartstoraiseittotheredmarkonhisjaw.
"No,"saysHaymitch,stoppinghim."Letthebruiseshow.Theaudiencewillthinkyou’vemixeditupwithanothertributebeforeyou’veevenmadeittothearena."
"That’sagainsttherules,"saysPeeta.
"Onlyiftheycatchyou.Thatbruisewillsayyoufought,youweren’tcaught,evenbetter,"saysHaymitch.Heturnstome."Canyouhitanythingwiththatknifebesidesatable?"
Thebowandarrowismyweapon.ButI’vespentafairamountoftimethrowingknivesaswell.Sometimes,ifI’vewoundedananimalwithanarrow,it’sbettertogetaknifeintoit,too,beforeIapproachit.IrealizethatifIwantHaymitch’sattention,thisismymomenttomakeanimpression.Iyanktheknifeoutofthetable,getagripontheblade,andthenthrowitintothewallacrosstheroom.Iwasactuallyjusthopingtogetagoodsolidstick,butitlodgesintheseambetweentwopanels,makingmelookalotbetterthanIam.
"Standoverhere.Bothofyou,"saysHaymitch,noddingtothemiddleoftheroom.Weobeyandhecirclesus,proddinguslikeanimalsattimes,checkingourmuscles,examiningourfaces."Well,you’renotentirelyhopeless.Seemfit.Andoncethestylistsgetholdofyou,you’llbeattractiveenough."
PeetaandIdon’tquestionthis.TheHungerGamesaren’tabeautycontest,butthebest-lookingtributesalwaysseemtopullmoresponsors.
