49. Club
C is for Castor
"I'll make a painting of him to go in our memory book," Peeta said, putting the diamond playing card together with Cressida's letter about Messalla.
"We'll need more pages for our book." Katniss smiled.
"Yeah, I'll start tonight. Let's finish these letters." Peeta picked up a letter that has a club symbol on it, while Katniss took out the club playing card. "I'll read this one." He began reading the letter aloud:
Castor earned the nickname "Club" since I had taken Heart and Messalla was Diamond. Pollux loved to play Spades, so we gave him the nickname "Spade". That, and he always spoke his mind before the Capitol made him into an Avox. That left 'Club'. He was fine with it since "club" starts with the letter C and so does his name "Castor" Castor turned it into a joke: 'C is for Castor, that's good enough for me'.
Castor hated the Capitol with every inch of his being, especially after what they did to his brother. He told me once why Pollux was turned into an Avox:
It was during the 64th Hunger Games. Castor and Pollux were watching the Games in a well-known Capitol restaurant, Alba's, where many sponsors were present. They just happened to be there, but then again, you have to remember that everyone in Panem—in the Capitol and the Districts—had to watch the Games. When it was down to the last eight tributes, all the sponsors went around determining what items to send to the tributes in the arena, and even taking bets on who would be the final Victor. Castor and Pollux weren't sponsors, but they were still included in the conversation.
Pollux made a loud statement that he wouldn't sponsor any tribute—not because he didn't support the tributes, but because he was disgusted with the Hunger Games and all it stood for. Castor said he called it "legal murder of innocent kids" and anyone in the Capitol who enjoyed the Games were "depraved" and "twisted". "What if it was your children in the arena?! Would you cheer as your daughter is being beheaded? Or laugh as your son is drowned for all of Panem to see?!" He was even bold enough to accuse one sponsor of sending gifts to the tribute that he wanted to sleep with in case she became the Victor—which in fact she did. That year's Games' Victor was Cashmere from District 1.
Pollux speaking his mind didn't go over well with the Capitol's top sponsors. The next day, Peacekeepers arrived at his apartment to take him away and ensure he never spoke his mind again. He was made into an Avox—his tongue was cut out and instead of working for Capitol TV, he was forced to work underground in the bowels of the city.
Castor worked very hard to get Pollux back above ground. The Capitol put a huge debt on Pollux's head that had to be paid in full in order for him to be able to return to the surface. Pollux was down there for five years and Castor was saving all his money to get him out of there. Those five years solidified Castor's hatred for the Capitol. By the time you and Peeta refused to kill each other in the arena—he was already on board with Plutarch to be involved in the rebellion to overthrow the Capitol. Castor had a score to settle with Snow, with the sponsors, with the Capitol—for the horrible punishment they inflicted on his brother. Filming the propos was his way to broadcast to Panem the ugly truth about the Capitol.
Peeta and Katniss looked at each for several minutes. They had never known the story of how Pollux became an Avox or about Castor's motives for leaving the Capitol to join the rebellion.
Peeta placed the letter down. "Wow…that's intense."
"It is," Katniss agreed. She was silent, digesting Castor's role in the rebellion and what brought him to fight alongside them.
"What are you thinking?" Peeta asked.
Katniss shook her head, trying to formulate a response. "How it's amazing that we had Capitol citizens on our side. In the beginning, I hated everyone from the Capitol. I thought they were all monsters. Then I met Cinna, Effie, Venia, Flavius, Octavia…" She paused as she held back tears and then continued. "Plutarch, Cressida, Messalla, Pollux…Castor." She stopped, as tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Portia," Peeta added, tears glistening in his eyes now.
They sit for some time, thinking about the Capitol citizens who risked everything for two tributes-turned-victors/rebels from District 12. The silence served as a way to honor the memories of all the Capitol citizens who respected their humanity.
