Chapter 7 Training and Straining

Cressida didn't want to dwell on Hermia's death. After all she had only met her for a few hours, during which she had been convinced that Hermia was crazy. Besides, one didn't dwell on death in the Capitol.

The problem was that she suddenly had a lot of time available in which to do nothing but think. This was the start of 3 days training. You met your tributes for breakfast and evening meal, but otherwise you were supposed to leave them alone. Bunyan said he had "plans for those days" that he didn't specify. Cressida suspected that the plans involved consorting with the sort of women who thought it was cool to sleep with Hunger Games victors, and definitely didn't want to get involved. On the other hand, she wasn't supposed to contact her friends in Plutarch's office because of conflict-of-interest rules.

Perhaps, after today, she would learn how Andromeda had fared in training, and that might give her ideas for strategy to help the girl win. But it was too early to do that now.

She finally decided simply to go for a walk, and wait for inspiration to strike. After all, this was the Capitol, the most exciting city of the known world.

As she was leaving the Training Center, she heard a voice call out. "You're Hermia's substitute, aren't you?"

Cressida turned around and started. She was looking at a woman with flaming red hair and skin dyed to match, and wearing a fur coat even though it was summertime, Hunger Games season. In any other culture she would have told herself the woman was crazy. In the Capitol, Cressida thought that the woman was making a bizarre fashion statement.

"Hermia's - " Cressida hesitated, wondering if that was supposed to be secret.

"Dead, I know. I knew she was doomed when she didn't deliver her tributes. SHE didn't like it."

"Who is SHE?"

"Lilith."

"Who's Lilith?"

"Lilith was cursed with childlessness. So she gets them other ways, by offering immense power to people who can deliver children's souls to her."

Cressida had studied various myths and legends, hoping to find ideas for interesting arenas. "Lilith" was starting to sound vague familiar to her. A she-demon, associated with some versions of the Garden-of-Eden story – but too weird to use in the Hunger Games. Besides, they had already used the Garden of Eden, in the Second Quarter Quell.

Her instinct was to avoid this woman who babbled about Lilith. But Cressida had another instinct, to always be on the watch for a good story. And so she tacitly withdrew with the woman into the shadows of the ally next to the Training Center. It put them out of sight and hearing of anybody else, but Cressida could still run out if things get awkward.

"What people?" she asked.

"The big deal gets offered to the Presidents. Snow and his predecessors. She offers them absolute power over the known world. In return, they will give her two dozen souls each year, less one."

"You're talking about the Hunger Games!"

"Of course. Two dozen go in, one comes out. The rest are his sacrifices to Lilith. Of course Snow can't SAY that that's what he's doing. He claims to have abolished gods and demons from the world."

"What does this have to do with Hermia?"

"There are other deals. Nobodies like Hermia, they can get some power by bringing two victims into the game. The reapings. But Hermia failed this year, and so she was doomed."

"I've brought two tributes in. But I never made a deal with a devil."

"No, you're just a substitute. That's why I've come to warn you. Don't get involved again, or you'll be involved forever."

"Just who are you, and why do you know all this?"

"My name doesn't matter. Call me Tigris. I was an escort once, but I switched jobs and became a stylist. I escaped Lilith, but not entirely. She cursed me, said I'd lose my wits."

To Cressida it was clear that the reverse was true – Tigris had lost her wits, and come up with the supernatural scenario in her addled brain. But it looked like it would be dangerous to challenge her delusion directly. Cressida started backing out of the ally.

"Well, I'll take your advice. I'm not going to volunteer as escort again; I'm going back to work for Communications. Thank you." She started to turn around.

"Wait! I have a prophecy."

Probably would be safe to humor the woman a few more seconds. "What is it?"

"As long as he gives Lilith her 23 souls a year, Snow will flourish. But a time will come when one victim will escape, and Lilith will only get 22. And she will smite Snow, and bring about his downfall."

Talking about Snow's potential downfall was far more frightening than anything else Cressida had heard in the past few days. If Snow knew Cressida was thinking about it, Cressida could be executed. She turned and ran. She waved her ID at the guard, who let her back into the Training Center. It would be impossible for Tigris to follow her in, and she would be safe.

Tigris' story was as crazy as Hermia's, Cressida told herself. Maybe escorts had a particular tendency to go insane eventually. But one thought nagged at her.

A few days ago, she had told Andromeda about her mythological namesake, who was nearly sacrificed because her parents had offended somebody in power. Andromeda had made the connection with her current situation, interpreting her participation in the Hunger Games as a similar sacrifice. And Cressida did not want to regard Andromeda as crazy.

She tried to put it out of her mind and concentrate on protegee's survival.

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During the next few days she and Bunyan tried to monitor Sam's and Andromeda's training. Bunyan seemed to have a source of information inside the Training system, but refused to identify the informant to Cressida, saying that he did not want her to use it when she was back on her usual job. The source said that the girl was trying to do her best to pick up various types of training, but Sam was concentrating on fighting, and was proud that one of the Careers (though not Cashmere) was interested in allying. Bunyan tried to persuade the boy that camouflage and food collecting were important, but he dismissed them as "sissy stuff".

Meanwhile Cressida tried to seek advice from Caesar Flickermann. The interviewer prided himself on presenting each tribute in the best possible light, and was willing to cooperate with their escorts and mentors to learn about positive traits to highlight. Between them, they came up with a dramatic idea.

Most of the interviews that year were unusually dull. Cashmere, of course, played up the notion that shared her brother's fighting skills, with the subtext "if you liked him last year, you'll love me!" Nearly every other tribute seemed fatalistic about losing to Cashmere, probably reflecting the despair of their own mentors. Sam's "look at me, I'm strong!" fell flat. By the time Andromeda came onstage, the audience was almost unprecedentedly bored.

Caesar, however, had tried to appear chipper about every tribute, and he still kept up the act with Andromeda. "So, Andromeda, do you think you're prepared for the games?"

She and Cressida had rehearsed the response. "Oh, yes, Caesar, I've been in games before."

It sounded over-rehearsed to Cressida, but the audience was too startled to react that way. "Really?" said Caesar, feigning surprise.

"Oh, yes, they're called rodeos. Not just barrel racing, but bronco busting and cattle roping."

Cressida groaned. Andromeda was losing her audience, who had no notion of what barrel racing or broncos were, though they were everyday terms to the girl. Cressida gestured toward her waist, and Andromeda spotted that. "Should I demonstrate?"

"Please do," said Caesar, desperately trying to keep up the momentum.

Andromeda got to her feet. Cressida and her stylist had carefully disguised Andromeda's lariat as the belt of her evening dress, allowing her to bring it on stage, She gave it a tug and it came loose. She twirled it several times, then cast it in Caesar's direction. It went over his head and encircled Caesar's body.

Caesar had been forewarned, and had been careful to stand in the proper position. But the crowd went wild over the stunt. Even Cashmere had done nothing so dramatic. As the crowd whooped, Cressida smiled. Her instincts developed over the years had paid off. Show, don't tell. Now her friend had a chance to get sponsors, and possible victory in the Games.

TO BE CONTINUED.