A/N: Thank you everyone for your patience and kind feedback! :)
Chapter Nine
London is amazing. It is not amazing in the same regards as the jungle, but it is amazing all the same. Where the jungle is filled with lush green trees, London is lush with huge buildings and hard grey earth. It's beauty in a different way. A different form. The Peeta guides me around, without the Delly, and shows me the world in which he has grown. It feels like there's so much to see; so much to learn; so much to understand.
The more beautiful thing I have seen so far is the giant structure that looms like a giant over the city. The Peeta explains to me that its name is Ben. Big Ben, however I don't know how its size has anything to do with its name. He tells me that it tells time. I wonder why such a thing matters. I had never needed to know the time. Human ways are so different.
I struggle to walk accordingly in the new dress that was left on my bed this morning. The 'skirt' keeps tucking under my feet and I trip constantly. The Peeta explained to me that I had to lift the skirt to prevent this but there's so many things I wish to handle and feel that I keep forgetting to do this. The texture of every building is different. Some are rough, others are kind of smooth. I want to feel everything. Witness everything this gorgeous place has to offer.
At the bottom of the Big Ben is a massive building. "That's Parliament," the Peeta tells me. "They make laws, debate topical issues and look at how our taxes are spent to help run the country. You know, things like health, the environment, transport, jobs, schools, crime etc."
I think I understand. They are the animals at the top of the food chain. The ones who decide how the other humans live their lives. I smile and nod to show my understanding. The Peeta explains a little bit more to me about this Parliament as we walk along the length of the 'Palace of Westminster'. I am only half listening to him because I am so fascinated by the craftsmanship of the gorgeous building.
"I suppose this is all so strange to you," the Peeta eventually says.
"It is wonderful," I respond.
The Peeta looks surprised by my answer. He scratches his head in contemplation. "I guess," he says. "It's nothing compared to the jungle."
"You are wrong. This is fantastic."
The Peeta laughs. "Well, if you say so," he chuckles.
I nod. I do say so and I'm glad that he recognizes this. I was expecting a bit more of a debate about it but it seems like the Peeta is more of a submissive creature than an argumentative one. Oh well. We briefly pause for respite, which is accompanied by some weirdly light food. It isn't like anything I would have snacked on in the jungle. The meat is so thin and I find myself eating way more than the Peeta. He doesn't mind that I eat most of it and actually encourages it.
A part of me wonders why none of the other women seem to be all that focused on eating. Surely they realize that food and sustenance is the key to becoming strong. Why leave the enjoyable things like eating the meat and being the alpha to the males? This has been the one rule of the jungle that has always fascinated me. And annoyed me.
"I feel like I must apologize for Delly's mannerisms last night," the Peeta says as we set off walking again. "The journey back from the jungle has affected her judgment. I'm confident that tonight she'll be better."
I turn away from staring at the people carriers dragged by animals. It makes me feel almost sick by how animals are put to work as if it's nothing. I look at the Peeta and say, "You and her exchanged words last night, yes?"
The Peeta's face reddens. "You heard that?"
"Your tone suggests this is bad. Was I not supposed to hear?"
"Not in this sense," says the Peeta. "But you must be careful whose conversations you listen in on. I don't mind, and I doubt Delly would either, but some people might not be as understanding."
I see. Hmmm. "The Delly seemed upset. Is she alright now?"
The Peeta nodded. "As I said, the journey and jet lag and things. She hasn't been all that keen on guests, but I have a feeling you both will get on swimmingly once she has settled once again. I think the jungle has been the farthest any of us have ever travelled and, you know, it can be hard to adjust once we have returned."
"I would be delighted to return to such a fascinating world," I reply. My eyes drift back out to where the enslaved animals pull the people carriers. The jungle is beautiful, of course it is, but the differences that sit between there and here are huge. I can't decipher whether such a gap is a good thing or a bad thing at this present moment but for now I am more than pleasured to simply sit back and consume human custom.
My arm is looped through the Peeta's, the same way we had walked from my room to the eating hall the previous night. I see other humans walking in the same way, so I conclude that it must be the common way of travelling in pairs. I learn to differentiate between male and female by the clothes they were. Females wear covers like the garments the Peeta has given me to wear while the males wear much more comfortable looking covers.
"Madge would like to see you," the Peeta tells me. I turn my head back to him. The Madge? I wonder why she would . . . "You see, Madge is a teacher. One of the first woman teachers London has ever seen. She'd like to, erm, educate you a little on our ways."
I quirk an eyebrow. "You believe I am uneducated?"
"No! Of course not," the Peeta says. "Madge just wishes to see what you know and what you don't. We want to help you, but we can't do that until we know what you need help with."
"I see. And what sort of things will she be educating me on?"
The Peeta shrugs. His hair falls into his eyes with the sudden movement but he doesn't make a move to brush it away. "Now that I don't know," he chuckles. "I'm not the teacher, Madge is. I wish I knew as much as she did but sadly I don't. If I did I'd probably want to educate you myself." That sounds like it would be nice. However there is no use in being educated by someone who does not know what he is doing. Even I can understand this. "Knowledge can be the key to power, you see. Something tells me that if you knew a little bit more than what you already do, you would be capable of amazing things."
The Peeta's eyes seem to almost glitter in the afternoon sun. The blue matches that of the sky, even if it is difficult to see because of the huge fire lamps that line the streets of London. I smile at him and he doesn't hesitate before returning the gesture.
An animal crawls out from a dark alcove and I jump back in horror. It's like a tiger, only much smaller. The jet black fur is nothing like I have seen before and I look at the Peeta in amazement as he steps closer to the mini tiger. I grab his arm and drag him back before he gets himself hurt. The Peeta's blue eyes look at me in alarm. I shake my head at him. No. It will eat you. We must find another way around.
"It's only a cat," he says.
My eyes widen. Cat. That sounds exactly like . . . My fingers tighten around his arm and I point at myself.
"What?" The Peeta frowns.
I point at the 'cat' and then at myself.
"You're . . . a cat?"
Argh! I shake my head and jab my finger into the Peeta's chest.
"Me?" he asks.
I nod and then point at myself.
"You're . . . Cat?"
I nod rapidly.
A smile breaks out across the Peeta's face. "Your name's Kat," he says.
It's not my full name but it's so beautifully close I feel the urge to cry out with joy. I grin and nod. Yes, that's me! I'm Kat! Oh thank heavens you understand! And it sounds so perfect in your beautiful human language! Kat, Kat, Kat! I want him to keep saying it. To never forget it.
My name is Katniss. But Kat is close enough.
~MKYP~
The Madge sits across from me at a table similar to that of what the Peeta, the Delly and I ate at in their shelter. "I'm glad you hear you were able to communicate your name to Peeta, Kat," she says. In front of her is an object like that that the Peeta makes markings on. Only this one has strange lines on it. "I'm sure Peeta has explained to you what I wish to do. In no way do I think you're stupid, nor do I believe you're uneducated. Someone who has to managed to survive in a jungle closed off from human contact must be incredibly clever. I just want to familiarize you with human custom."
At least she knows I'm not uneducated. She recognizes that I am probably more intelligent that she is in many regards. I hope she realizes also that if she steps out of line, I won't hesitate to take action, just like I wouldn't for the Delly or any of the other human who dares challenge me. Especially those of who try to put a divide between myself and the Peeta, who has become the only person I trust wholly.
The Madge pushes the object towards me and uses what looks like a stick of wood to mark something into it. The symbols are unfamiliar to me but I think I could easily commit them to memory. "Since you seem to trust Peeta more than anyone else, I'm going to center our first class on him. So you are given a sense of security and realize I'm not going to hurt you, understand?"
I nod.
"These symbols," The Madge continues, "is how you would spell Peeta's name. It's how it looks to the eye." I lean forward. I still don't understand the symbols. But now that I know what they are, the meaning behind them, they are the most beautiful symbols I have ever seen. "People's names are spelled out with letters. That's what these symbols are called."
Letters. Okay . . .
"It's like out identity," the Madge explains. "Humans need identities so we can be picked out from others. If we all didn't have different names then we would all just form this boring mass of the same copy repeated over and over again. Other things like our appearance, status or job would contribute towards our identity. Take Peeta for example. His family's merchant status has being highly respectable ever since his great grandfather founded the Mellark Bakery. Peeta used to be a street artist, not a baker, but when his parents arranged the marriage between himself and Delly, he and Delly became joint owners of her family's land. A job was no longer needed. Owning land makes you high class."
Now that I understand. Different species claim different parts of the jungle. If you trespass without permission then you welcome the consequences that you might have to face because of your reckless actions. The tigers and lions own the most land in the jungle. Kala's clan had considerable land and were welcome onto most soils but we still had to move with caution.
I want to ask the Madge if the Peeta was okay with changing his status. From what I understand of how he leads his life, making markings is very important to him. Did he want to swap his life as a-what was it?-street artist to become a co-land owner with the Delly? I know of animals who would do anything to be higher up on the food chain but I would have never thought of the Peeta as someone who would put status before happiness.
The Madge quirks an eyebrow at me. "You really are smarter than we give you credit for, aren't you?" she asks.
I cock my head. "Can you read my eyes too?"
"Something tells me not with the same clarity as Peeta," the Madge says. "But I see something."
"What did you see?"
"You seem confused. By Peeta's marriage."
"I am."
"You can't question such things. Sometimes we must leave them be. I believe that there will be a day where people like us can stand up and say no but sadly today is not that day," says the Madge. "All we must do is stand up tall and smile."
"I am not one for staying quiet about things I am unhappy about," I tell her.
The Madge sighs and shakes her head. "But you must."
I narrow my eyes. What sort of woman closes her mouth against a question? Stays quiet when there are injustices to be fought? Sits down when she should stand up? "Tell me one thing," I plead with her.
"And what is that?" asks the Madge, her fingers restlessly playing with the stick of wood in which she wrote the Peeta's name with.
"Has he found happiness?" That's what every creature wants? We want to find happiness and peace in our lives. It's like a mission, or a job or some sort. I stare at the Madge, concerned by how long it is taking her to answer.
"We have all found a state of content," she eventually answers. She pulls something out from underneath the object with the Peeta's name on it. "Moving on now, this is the earth." She passes me the paper and I stare at the blue sphere marked on it. It's blue all over with bits of green. I know who marked this. It was obviously the Peeta.
Earth.
What is earth?
"This is where we live," the Madge explains. "It is 6,371 km. Weighs 5.972E24 kg with a surface area of 510,072,000 km². Your jungle would be located about . . . here." She points at one of the green splodges. So small. I am . . . so small. The jungle, compared to its surroundings, is also so small. In this 'earth' I am nothing but an ant. An insect like the dung beetles that frequent the dirt.
So, so small.
In this world, I am a speck clinging to the skin of the earth.
I am nothing.