"Aaand, that's a wrap. Well done, everyone!"
Amid the clapping and erupting cheers of her crew, Loocy Hamsworth turns around to face me, all aglow with satisfaction and pride. I feel strangely self-conscious under her gaze, like I should be ashamed of my tattered clothes and unwashed skin, as if any of this was my fault. She smiles at me benevolently, and I'm actually glad my wrists are tied, otherwise I have a feeling she would have offered to shake my hand. I wonder if her skin is as cold as it looks.
"Now, let me have a look at you. You're a smart one, aren't you? You figured out the puzzle while under a lot of stress, that's pretty impressive, young man."
I see right through her obvious attempt at flattery, and continue to stare at her, mutely. But she continues smiling at me, apparently unfazed.
"Poor child, he's so scared he won't even talk to me," she remarks, to no one in particular, before addressing me again. "Don't worry, you are not going to be harmed. I just want to talk. I hardly ever get the chance to talk to a tribute in person. Let me ask you a question. What do the viewers want?"
When I don't answer right away, the guard encouragingly pokes me in the ribs with his rifle.
"Blood?"
She frowns disapprovingly.
"Oh no no no, dear boy, you've got it all wrong. Blood is one thing they have seen a lot of, and it's getting so dreadfully boring. Children killing children, always the same, year after year. They are longing for something different. Variety. Excitement. Suspense!"
She underlines each of her words with a little flourish of her heavily ringed hand.
"And," she goes on, "as you well know, it is my job to give the audience what it craves. So I came up with this new concept, of a more dangerous, more diverse arena.
Now, over the past few days, some people in the Capitol audience have expressed—well, how should I put this—concern, some may even say criticism about my way of handling things. Apparently, not everyone can appreciate my unique style."
She huffs with indignation.
"I'm really interested in your opinion here. As someone who has been inside the arena, what part did you find the most scary? The quicksand? The traps in the Temple? The earthquake? Or perhaps the blizzard?"
I think she can't be seriously meaning this, but she looks at me expectantly, like this really is the most pressing matter on her mind right now. She is almost like a child, showing off her favorite toys. I should try to play nice, to tell her what she wants to hear.
"I don't care about your stupid gimmicks!" I shout instead. "Just shoot me and get it over with, or put me back in the arena, it doesn't really matter which."
Her smile turns sour.
"I'm sorry you feel that way. Well, I guess we are done here. Gentlemen," she addresses the guards standing by, "escort him back to the Temple."
"So you're going to let me go back, just like that?"
I am surprised I am being let off so lightly; then again, punishment would be redundant as long as I'm in the arena anyway.
"Why, of course. We can't have anyone getting off the train early, so to speak. But now that you mention it, we should make sure you remember not to try a stunt like this again. Curtese?"
She waves to her assistant, who is holding my holo-bracelet and the medicine for Wing. He lays them out on a table in front of me.
"Now then, which of these should we destroy, and which should we let him keep?"
She pauses as her assistant whispers something in her ear.
"What a splendid idea, Curtese! Too bad our viewers won't be able to see this!"
She addresses me again.
"My young fellow, you yourself will choose what to keep."
She smiles at me expectantly, as if she is doing me a great favor.
"Will you give up the medicine for your friend, the only thing that will make her able to fight again? Or will you sacrifice your prize, the map you worked so hard to win and which has aided you countless times already?"
What a choice indeed. Either I damn Wing to utter helplessness, or I give up the map, which will weaken both of us in equal measure. Still, the decision is easy. I realize I was holding my breath, and let it out slowly.
"I want to keep the medicine."
Her eyebrows go up again.
"How very interesting!" she exclaims with delight. Then she nods to one of the guards, who immediately proceeds to smash the bracelet with the butt of his rifle. Then he takes a hold of my arm and pulls me toward the exit.
As I am almost out the door, she calls to me one last time.
"It was so nice meeting you, Corvin. Oh, and one more thing. If you breathe as much as a word about what you saw in here, I'll make sure your little friend dies instantly."
I stumble through the tunnels, trying to hurry because I know that Wing's is waiting for me anxiously. It's so much harder to find my way without the map to guide me, but to my relief I am able to retrace my steps back to the chamber where I left my friend. I knock on the door and Wing lets me in.
"I'm so glad you made it. I heard a gong go off, and I thought…"
She hugs me tight and hard, just for a second, then retreats back into the room, with an embarrassed look on her face.
"Did you… get it?"
"Yes, I have it, but we need to leave this room, right now."
I am just in time, there are just a couple of minutes left on the counter, so we leave in search for a safe place to treat Wing's eyes. When she asks why I can't use the map anymore, I have no choice but to lie to her.
"I… ran into the careers. All three of them, Flavia and the twins. I was lucky enough to get away while they were fighting amongst themselves, but I saw the Twos kill Flavia."
That part at least was true, and the memory is so gruesome I can't go on. I think she senses there is something more I'm not telling her, but she doesn't press the issue. Instead, she grips my hand more tightly in hers.
