Fishcake

The bombin' stopped some time ago, but now as I was about to go and 'ave a look around at the damage, somethin' started happenin' down 'ere in the gut.

The engineers are runnin' around, and groups of slaves are leavin' where they've been made to work and are bein' herded somewhere.

I carefully follow the last group, hidin' behind a pipe or stackin' box when I'm in danger of bein' seen.

I've never left the gut this way before, I've always used the pipes, not the stairs that they are all trampin' up on.

I follow 'em up to the top tier, where I see the Mayor standin' with men I've never seen before. They're even dressed differently. Instead of long ties, with pictures of fish and braces, they wear white shirts and jackets, instead of the normal baggy jeans, they wear black trousers and their shoes shine. Their hair is not styled the same as the people of Preston either, instead of curls and ribbons, it is short and spiky.

I can only assume they are not from the Traction City of Preston.

They are from the static city.

The Mayor clears his throat. 'This is President Paylor,' he says. 'He is President of the whole of Panem, which is where we are now, and of the city, named the Capitol by these fine people, we can see over there.

He smiles.

Nervously.

'We have come to a deal. In the interest of our people,' he swallows. 'It has been necessary…'

President Paylor taps his foot. 'Go on.'

The Mayor sighs. 'We were expecting a small static city, that was what we cross the sea for, but we missed it and found this city and thought that we could still get what we wanted.'

'Yes,' President Paylor says.

'We were wrong. The Capitol has technology that we thought had long since been lost. Old tech that we had no chance of overcoming. With that in view, and the safety of this city, and the lives of our people, I had to try…'

'He's given in,' a man shouts. 'He's sold us down the river.'

'No, no,' the Mayor says. 'Well, yes, but only in part. We have made a truce, but the Capitol, President Paylor wants, let's just say, he wants payment for our unprevoked attack.'

'I told you.'

'If you are member of the society of Preston, then you have very little to fear but…'

President Paylor steps forward. 'You have slaves, we need slaves, so your payment will be your slaves, to dig out mines that have become no longer accessible.'

'How will we come without our slaves?'

'The Capitol has agreed to take just half of the slaves, so there will still be enough to do all the jobs of the gut, and around the city,' the Mayor says. 'They will just have to work a bit harder than they were, just they're a lazy lot so that's no hardship. To us.' The Mayor smiles.

'So is that all?' a man shouts. 'They just want the slaves?'

'Ah, no,' the Mayor says. 'There is one more thing they want.'

'And that is?'

'They have a show on the Goggle Boxes, that has proved to be very popular. It shows an event that has happened every year for the last seventy five years but due to some changes in the Capitol's government, they have decided that they are going to have just one more game.'

'And?'

'And because of our unprevoked attack, they are demanding one young person from our city to enter the games.'

'I might be interested in doing it,' a boy says. 'I'd beat them all. What would I have to do?'

'Ah, that's the thing. It isn't a game as such. It's a bit like Municipal Darwinism really, survival of the fittest, like cities devour cities, in the games, well, children kill children, until there is one winner. The young person who enters this game, they will be going in with twenty four…'

'Twenty five,' President Paylor says. 'We have a small problem which we intend to sort out with the games.'

'A small…' The Mayor shakes his head. 'No matter, this games, the chances are that the child that goes in won't be coming out again. The games are about killing and dying.'

'Well, I'm not doing that then,' the boy says.

'None of my children are going,' a woman shouts. 'Send one of the slaves in.'

The Mayor shakes his head. 'They don't want a slave, and as they are all tattooed, even those that we took from Cleobury recently, the Capitol will know if we send a slave. They want a free child.'

'We tend to choose tributes by way of a lottery,' President Paylor says. 'If no one volunteers, then I suggest that is the way to determine who is chosen.'

'Yes, yes,' the Mayor says. 'So have we any volunteers?'

'They don't want a slave,' a girl says nearby.

She looks familiar.

'And I don't believe any of the adults will give up us children. What you need is someone who isn't a slave, but is also not one of our people.'

'Yes, quite,' the Mayor says.

'Well, I know who you can send?'

'Who?'

'The thief, the one who's been stealing wallets. Him.'

She points at me.

And now I know why she looks familiar, she's the one who accuse me of thieving.' I got me collar felt and only escaped coz we saw the train tracks.

I look for a way out, try to squeeze between two old woman, head for the nearest pipe that has a flap.

I find my way blocked by one of the Capitol men.

Who grabs me.

'There you are,' the Mayor says. 'There's your tribute. He's not a slave.'

President Paylor walks over to me, and tilts my head to look at me neck.

'He's a bit grubby, but yes, there is no tattoo. I suppose he will do.'

The Mayor claps his hands.

I try to kick President Paylor but he side steps me and laughs.

'He's a volatile one, should be good fun to watch in the games.' He looks over at the Mayor. 'Now we have finished with your payment for your attack, and as you have given us one of your own to go into the games, I would like to extend the Capitol's invitation for you to stay until the event has finished. I have been informed that you have tv screens, that you call Goggle Boxes, I am sure that our Engineers could work with yours to make them compatible with our system so your people can watch how this boy does. And if that goes well, then who knows what information we could share with each other.'

The Mayor's eyes gleam with greed.

'Yes, a time of sharing would be off benefit to both of our peoples.' He smiles and walks toward President Paylor.

They are shaking hands as I am tied up and dragged away from the square.