Silas Euphemia, 38
Head Gamemaker of Panem
"So, you've done absolutely nothing in the time I've been abroad?"
Silas heaves a long suffering sigh and meets Lanai's eyes. "Lanai, please. I, at the moment, have more pressing matters than your little rebellion—" The face of his three-month-old daughter, Astoria, comes to mind. And these Games fail, the life of his wife and daughter could be at as much risk as Silas's own head.
"Yeah, yeah, so you're a father now, big deal," Lanai says, leaning heavily over Silas's desk.
"It is, in fact, a big deal," Silas says curtly. "And, need I remind you of what is at stake here? If you muck these Games up, then your precious rebellion will fail before anyone even knows it started."
"I'm doing my best here, Silas!" Lanai exclaims. "I've been in Districts 8 and 6 for the past six months, trying to find somebody who will join our cause! There's no one who wants change and is willing to fight for it, Silas. Everyone just wants the Capitol to go away while they sit on their couch and get drunk. And you heard what happened in District 5 after the One-Hundred, Fifty-First Games—we can't have a repeat of that!"
Silas sighs again, holding his head in his hands. "Lanai, you were so certain that getting Divinity Faust out of the arena alive was the way to go. Yet so far, all Vin has does is sit her house and mope around. She's done nothing for the cause. There were other tributes last year that we could have used that would be less of a liability—"
Lanai slams her fist angrily onto Silas's desk, her fury evident in her face. "Divinity Faust was the correct choice, Silas! Besides, she's the only one we could use for our cause that wouldn't want to run and hide!" Some of the anger drains from Lanai's face as she slumps to her knees. "Here's what I'm proposing, Silas. We rig the Victor. We rig whatever Victor we want, without making it obvious, and…" Lanai takes a deep breath. Silas looks at her oddly. "we save as many tributes as we possibly can."
Silas's heart drops to his stomach for a long moment before he says, "Lanai, that's simply not possible. We can't get an entire team on the hovercrafts that won't rat us out to the president—"
"And what's Graciela going to do about it? She's incompetent, a coward, who does nothing but sit in her enormous house and pet her cats!" Lanai exclaims. "Graciela is not an issue. Graciela is so stupid we practically have her on our side already."
For a moment, both of them are silent as Lanai seemingly thinks something through. At last, Silas breaks the thick silence in the room by saying, "The issue may not be Graciela. The issue is Ezra."
"I mean, you're not wrong," Lanai answers. "But Ezra is studying in District 3 right now. He's nowhere near the Capitol—"
"But he can be, if he hears wind of this. All of our heads would on the line if he found out we were trying to rescue tributes from the arena," Silas says. "I'm sorry, Lanai, but it's not a feasible answer. I can rig the Victor as much as I want, but saving tributes simply isn't possible. We're going to have to figure out a different way to incite change."
Silas gets to his feet and starts gathering papers, assuming his meeting with Lanai is over.
But, unfortunately, he is very, very wrong.
"We have a chance to change things, Silas," Lanai says in a low, venomous voice. "We have the ability to make a difference, to save more lives, yet you refuse. What is holding you back? You told me you support this cause. If you support it so much, then help me defend it."
"I have a family," Silas says tersely. "I'm sorry, Lanai, but I have to look out for my own head in this situation. Any wrong move, and not only would my head roll, but Astoria and Rynna's as well. I just can't risk that."
"You care so much for your daughter," Lanai says. "Do you not wish for a better world for her to grow up in?"
"Astoria will grow up in the Capitol, without fear of the Reapings, Lanai," Silas says, his voice firm. "Sometimes things change, Lanai. I still support this cause. But I need to support it from afar. Besides, I still have a job to do. Half of the tributes have been Reaped, Lanai. We've got a Games ahead of us. My final one, I might add."
"Things are changing, Silas," says Lanai. "The Districts are getting restless. The people I talked to in 8 and 6…with the right person and the right words, they could be spurred to act. We could fix things, Silas. People are whispering of rebellion, and we have to utilize that while people still care."
"Lanai," Silas says firmly and loudly. "We are but a tiny faction of people who are willing to act. Nayra is dead. Aristotle is untrustworthy. Divinity is crazy. And Arthur is useless. We have nothing. We are two people who are trying to change an entire country, against what just about everyone wants. There is no point in getting ourselves executed when we could wait for a better opportunity."
"This is the opportunity!" Lanai shouts. "This is the time to act! This is the time to change things! We have the ability to make a difference, and yet you refuse to! For once in your life, stop looking out for your own skin and worry about someone else for one goddamn second!"
"I have no obligation to your cause, Lanai," says Silas curtly. "I have no reason to keep fighting in vain. All that is going to come of this venture is our executions."
Lanai shrugs. "Every rebellion needs a good martyr."
"You are starting to sound like the lunatics from District 5," Silas growls. "Is that what you want? You want this cause to be taken seriously, don't you? You want it to seem like something that is viable, that could actually happen. You don't want to be discredited as insane, do you?"
Lanai's shoulders deflate and she drums her fingertips on Silas's desktop. "I have a small proposition."
"…okay," Silas says apprehensively.
"Next year, you will need to appoint a new Head Gamemaker. I know it's up to the last Head Gamemaker, provided they haven't been executed, to pick the new one," Lanai says. "Who are you going to pick?"
"I haven't thought that far ahead yet," Silas admits, dropping back into his chair. He has a feeling he'll be here for a while.
"Then I propose you appoint me as the Head Gamemaker," Lanai says calmly, even though her excitement is evident in her voice.
Silas thinks about it for a moment. Lanai is on the Gamemaking team this year, as well as last year. She worked on mutts last year, and this year will be taking Aristotle's place as the tribute analysist…the only issue is what Graciela, and more importantly, Ezra, would think of his choice. After all, Lanai is inexperienced in Gamemaking, and tends to make unpredictable decisions. That is certainly not what Ezra wants. And what Ezra wants tends to be treated as gospel…he's basically turned Graciela into his puppet, and he's not even an adult yet! He's sixteen, a child, someone who could be fighting in the Games…
But with Lanai at the helm, Silas could step back and let her take control of the rebellion. She could deal with the mess in District 5. She could deal with Divinity Faust. Silas could just quietly raise his family and aid Lanai's efforts from afar.
"Okay," Silas says, nodding sharply. "I'll appoint you Head Gamemaker…"
"Silas, I could half-takeover this year," Lanai says, talking fast. "You could say you're training me for next year when I would actually take over and I could make a lot of the decisions like who we should rig to Victory and if it is viable to try to rescue tributes from the arena and then you wouldn't be at fault for my bad decision!"
"I would be at fault for allowing you to make them," Silas mutters. He raises his voice and says, "I think that's a wonderful idea, Lanai." And it is a wonderful idea; Silas just has to keep an eye on Lanai, that's all. He needs to make sure she doesn't make any insane choices that would get the whole Gamemaking team thrown in the trash.
Lanai grins excitedly. "Yes! I think everything is starting to look up for us, Silas. Speaking of which, could you let me know when District 1's train gets here? I need to speak to Divinity."
"Of course," Silas says, nodding once. "Now, this meeting has run slightly long, but do me a favor—don't tell anyone of this conversation, yes?"
"Yes!" Lanai exclaims. "Okay, thanks, Silas! I need to go watch some Reapings."
Silas watches her go, wondering if this the best or the worst decision he has ever made.
A/N: Subplot time! We're bringing this back apparently. I'll probably regret writing this chapter in, like, an hour, but whatever! I'm happy with it now!
Also, please note that Lanai and Silas rigging the Victor will not change the outcome of the Games. Anyone can still win. I just have to come up with justification as to why they would be chosen as the best option.
1. Thoughts on rigging the Victors?
2. Thoughts on rescuing tributes?
3. Thoughts on Lanai becoming Head Gamemaker next year?
4. Who do you think Ezra is, and why are Silas and Lanai so afraid of him?
Random Question of the Chapter: so, half of our cast has been introduced! Out of all of them, who do you think might come out on top?
My answer: at the moment, I have like…four victor hopefuls? I haven't really come to a conclusion on any of it yet, though.
So, next chapter, we will meet Tamarah, Ainsley and Jayce!
-Amanda
