By the time we've made our way to the dining room, everyone's seated at the table, readying themselves for a well-needed explanation.
I creep into an empty chair next to Cinna. If anyone here is able to comfort me, it's him.
Large shining silver dishes are scattered at the center, making an illusion of flashes as the light bounds off and on them. Every year the dishes never get any duller. Another example of what the Capitol differs from Twelve. An avox silently carries dishes over to our group, looking a bit confused at the sight of the new guests.
Effie lifts her head, pink hair bobbing above, to Peeta and me. Picking the glistening fork up from her napkin, she smiles, "You both know about the tributes, and what exactly brought them back." It's more like a declaration, and not a question.
Peeta just shakes his head. "No. Only guesses."
"And even that goes so far…" I quickly add. As a result a slight cough erupts from Haymitch.
Effie frowns discontentedly, "Well, I can only say that the Capitol has extreme abilities. With the help of District Three and Six of course…"
That explains nothing.
"…What goes beyond the doors is kept a secret from any outsiders. But more than likely, they've fixed them up, and the tributes have been training ever since- or what tributes that want to. Some aren't ready to fight again... The Games must have scarred them for good." She says this in an almost cheerful tone.
"You're saying that they… brought the tributes back to life?" Peeta asks uncomfortably under Effie's stare.
"Somewhat," Haymitch chimes in. "All they want is a good game. And since the audience just happened to love the 74th Hunger Games… There you go."
"That doesn't make sense."
"It's quite simple actually, Peeta…" Effie wrinkles her nose, "Dead as they might be, they were still interesting. Just look at that little Rue girl. She's…"
"Not that. There's no possible way to help the old tributes. To bring them back - that would be like some dark actions."
"Restarting their internal systems could help." Portia suggests, putting herself in the conversation.
"Cato was sort of ripped apart…" Peeta says, reminding me once more of the horrific battle against the wolf mutts.
A thought hits me. "What about the wolf muttations?"
The room goes silent.
"The mutts- the ones that were designed to look like tributes before…"
Haymitch laughs at the wrong time. Reaching for his bottle, he nods his head and chugs it down, placing the now drained container on the table. "I'm sure those things were only designed to look like the tributes. Any feelings or memories that a certain tribute might have had for you were exempted from the plan."
Effie grins, tilting her head a bit as she did so. "That would be an unfair game…"
"Because the Capitol is all in for a fair game."
Effie replies to my statement with a high hmph!
The entertainment has been going on for almost eighty years. There's no telling how many total children died in those Games. The crowd loves it, but to the Districts it's sick. One of the good reasons we had rebelled. Maybe the rebellion had to do with the berry stunt's punishment?
"Does the rebellion have anything to do with our sentence?" I ask, quietly. "Can they do that? And how could they all of a sudden decide after 3 years?"
"Well, Sweetheart, the rebellion did play an enormous roll in the Capitol's decision, I'm betting. " Haymitch's bets are normally accurate. "That might be the only reason why you're going back into the arena. The berry stunt has already had its punishment: The Quarter Quell. I wouldn't be surprised if they were to bring back those tributes as well. Even to be mentors this year. "
Johanna Mason, a girl from District 7, surely would mentor after everything that's happened. So Finnick, Mags, and even the other 75th tributes could be the mentors this year. Really, everyone has a chance at life again.
Another question hits me, "What about after the Games? Will the Capitol kill them off again? Or let them live?" Even if that's highly unlikely.
Portia's the first to speak. "We're not sure about that. But if the Games are a success, we couldn't worry about it - the Capitol will obviously send them back into the arena. " She says with a slight frown of disappointment. "They could be planning on it right now."
So really my choices are live or die. Just like always.
And for some reason, I'm almost on the edge of choosing death, but that's irrelevant if anything. And as much as I'd hate to see my friends die again, I can only choose yes, I'll win. And I sure hope they give another twist of allowing Peeta to win by my side. Or everything else may turn out worse.
"Peeta," Effie says abruptly. "Your prep team is alive too. You could have expected that anyway." She turns to me, "Katniss, your prep team wishes to see you as well. I heard the green skinned one say that they'd just love to see you again." She looks disgusted about the green skinned one. Of everyone in the Capitol, how could Octavia creep her out? Everyone else is creepier, or at least on my terms of memory.
Leave it to Effie to be stranger than the average human.
My prep team isn't exactly the brightest of the Capitol, for sure, but they're among the list of people I do care for. Besides, there are other Capitol citizens that are able to weird the sturdiest person out. Maybe Caesar belongs on that, he's certainly creepy with his colors every year…
"And," Haymitch states. "You both still need to tell me your chosen allies. All you've done is a quick interview for the Capitol, and soon the real thing is going to start. If you go into that arena without a single ditzy thought in your head, the tributes will kill you. I'm not sure about you two, but living to see another day seems pretty neat."
Already he's lecturing us again about allies. I know he's right, if we end up alone, no one will stop and think twice about killing us. Not the way Thresh had anyway.
"Rue," I say in defense, even if he's already suspected it.
"Rue, from Eleven?" Effie asks in a silly tone. She stops to consider it, remembering how far Little Rue had made it in the Games. "Oh, yes. The little girl that you sang to…"
I nod, "We were thinking about…" I trail off. I can't remember who Peeta and I had reflected on.
"District 3," Peeta says, finishing. "And 6."
Cinna smiles in clear agreement, "The tributes from 3 always tend to be smarter. They usually aren't the toughest types, but brains are told to be brawns any day. And District 6 specializes in medicine; they could come in handy as well."
If Cinna's comparing tributes based on their usefulness, I don't want to know. Really on their trust is what I'm looking for. But if the tributes are by far the weakest, yet the most intelligent, who am I to argue? Rue was fine, she was an excellent seeker, and then we just had split. I don't think anyone else in the arena could be like Rue, or Prim, in that case.
"If we can, we'll try to get Thresh on our side." Peeta says, probably spitting out answers that come from who knows where, just to make Haymitch happy. "He's more of a loner, but a small alliance might go far for him…"
This easily improves Haymitch's attitude about our choices. A sturdy tribute is what he wants, and Thresh is certainly one that he'd be ecstatic to hear.
Haymitch does seem satisfied over our choices. "3, 6, and 11," He says quietly. "If you can, get someone strong like… Thresh, is it? Like Thresh, but not any of the Careers, and I'm sure you both know that."
There's no one quite as strong as Thresh… But Peeta and I nod, knowing that each one of them, except maybe the boy from 4, has something against us. Including dropping Tracker Jackers on them, betrayal, and multiple deaths… Even blowing up their supplies, which literally drove Cato nuts. I imagine it wouldn't be very fun, but with their superior strength, nothing really hurt them.
Well, it did really.
Peeta doesn't add anything in about District 8 and 10. Maybe he forgot, or he just gave up on them. The boy from 10, though crippled, is actually pretty strong. And the girl is extremely muscular; she's also famous for her wrestling. That's all I've been able to catch on though.
District 8 isn't exactly the best. Their tributes are simple with no special skills about them, but I can say anything without getting to know them of course…
And since Peeta killed the girl, I highly doubt that she'd join us. If that boy from Three knew who was responsible for attacking the supplies, an alliance with him would fall apart…
The last thing needed is a negative attitude, but the Capitol isn't helping much.
"Where are our prep teams?" I ask, hoping for a reasonable answer.
"They didn't want to come down." Haymitch says with no meaning. A normal Haymitch thing.
"But they do want to see you as soon as possible." Cinna repeats. "Just not tonight, they want time to ready themselves. Tomorrow you'll do the chariot rides. You can see them then."
"This stew is marvelous!" Effie's voice booms through the room.
All eyes are on her as she continues to chug down the delicious meal. She pays no attention in her usual way. Her spoon scraping against the plastic bowl is the only noise, creating a very awkward moment. It's very unEffie-like actually, to be storming through the soup in such a manner. It takes a lot to get Effie without manners.
Cinna laughs, "I'll try it, Effie."
And soon everyone else has tried the soup, which looks a little strange to me, but I give it a taste just out of curiosity. It's nothing too special, but I'm not in the mood for eating anyway.
When I remove myself from the seat, everyone locks eyes on me.
"What?" I ask, sharply.
"Are you not hungry?" Portia asks.
I shake my head.
"You need to eat, Katniss." Effie says creepily. "The chariot rides are tomorrow! You can't go out looking like a rabid animal! The Capitol expects better from you, not to mention your fans wouldn't like it the least bit."
Oh, so now we have fans?
"Sit down." Effie grins, looking down to her food averagely.
Haymitch groans, "Let her go, the audience would like that she hasn't lost touch with her District. Not a lot of tributes stay sane. They're usually driven mad."
I can't help but think of Annie Cresta - Odair- in that case. The girl who went insane in the arena. But things have gotten better…
"I should go too," Peeta says, sitting up. "If we need to get ready for an appearance tomorrow, we'd best be wide awake and not sagging."
He's next to me when he takes my hand again.
"Tomorrow morning you both need to be up early!" Effie shouts at us.
I pretend to not hear the high-pitched voice.
But Peeta smiles, replying, "Okay,"
Nothing has been explained clearly tonight.