Chapter 4

NARRATOR | Caius Thorntree, The Capitol

My father is dead.

That's the only possibility I can think of, at least. Why else would the most powerful man in Panem have summoned me here?

The clock on the wall ticks quickly, counting the minutes as they pass by. The letter I received yesterday told me to be here at three o'clock for an urgent meeting. 3:00 has passed with no word from the President.

The receptionist across the room seems to sense my anxiety, glancing up from his monitor to check on me.

"President Snow has been unusually busy lately," he divulges in a secretive tone. "You know, with the lumber shortage and everything, he has a lot on his plate."

"Of course," I say, shaking my head as if this all means nothing to me. "All important business, I'm sure. I'll wait as long as he needs."

The receptionist returns to his work, and I'm stuck staring back up at the clock. What could Tantalus Snow possibly have to say to me?

The only thing that I can think of is that my father has died. Ever since he got sick, everything has been so far under wraps that even I don't know what's going on. He's a public figure, they've told us. We don't want anything to get out to the masses.

I understand, of course. Ever since my father agreed to become the Head Gamemaker for the Hunger Games, we've had people poking their noses into our business. Most of them just want to know what the Arena will be for the next Games, or what the new muttations will be. Still, you never know what people's intentions are.

My sister always loved the attention, but I've never been too fond of it. I mean, we don't even know the current state of our own sick father because of this whole situation. Will the Capitol masses know the news before we do? Does my father belong to them more than he belongs to his own family?

Finally, the receptionist glances up at me again. "The President is ready for you," he calls. "He's down at the end of the hall."

"Thank you," I exhale. I stand, making my way down the long hallway to Snow's personal office.

I've been in the President's Mansion before, of course - perks of being the Gamemaker's son - but under the circumstances, everything seems so much more sinister. I've never spoken directly to the President before, and my looming encounter with Panem's most important man makes me feel like this hallway could swallow me whole.

A woman stands outside the huge wooden doors to Snow's office. She offers me a smile before pulling the heavy doors open.

Snow is a young man, only a few years older than me. Still, the years he's spent in this position have aged him, and I feel like he's my superior of many years.

"Welcome, Caius," he says, his voice gruff. "Have a seat."

I shake the president's hand, taking a seat across his desk. He reaches into a drawer of his desk, pulling out a file and sliding it across to me.

"I won't hold you back from this anymore," he says. "I know you've been waiting a long time for it."

Wordlessly, I open the file, and relief washes over me.

Patient: Augustus Thorntree

Condition: Stable

Expected Release: Six months

"I thought he was dead," I blurt out before I can stop myself.

Snow laughs a bit at my revelation. "I can assure you, he's in good hands," he says. "This illness of his is one of the worst we've seen in recent years, and there have been a few other reported cases in the metropolitan area. It seems that we've gotten it under control, though. Once he's no longer sick, it'll still take him a few months to recover from this ordeal."

I glance back down at my father's medical report. Six months... does that mean...

"I summoned you here to pass on some information to you, Caius," Snow says softly. "I spoke with Augustus last night - he was in a feeble state, but awake. I broke the news to him that he wouldn't recover for another six months. Of course, that means that he will not have enough time to prepare for next year's Games."

I hold my breath as Snow continues. What does this mean for me? For my family?

"Augustus is one of the finest Gamemakers I've worked with, and I plan to have him resume his duties when he is able to do so," Snow tells me, and I let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank you, sir," I say, bowing my head. "That is reassuring to hear."

"That's not all," Snow says with a small smile. "Last night, I asked Augustus if he had any ideas for a temporary replacement for his position. He only had one recommendation, and that was you."

I'm stunned. Me? My father wants me to become the Head Gamemaker?

"I... don't know what to say," I say honestly. "I didn't expect him to do that."

"I have one question for you, Caius," Snow says, leaning forward over his desk. "I have about ten senior Gamemakers right now who would kill to be the Head Gamemaker. Still, I see what your father sees in you. You have the passion, you have what it takes to excel in this position. So I'll ask you this: do you think you can handle this?"

"Yes." The answer sprints out of my mouth before I even give it a thought. After years of dreaming of this moment, how could I say anything else? After wishing that someday I could succeed my father, how could I even think about saying no?

"Good," Tantalus says with a nod. "Now, I must warn you. In the past, even the best Gamemakers have allotted six months to prepare for the Games. There are countless elements to prepare for, as I'm sure you're aware. Artificial climate elements to balance, muttations to select, sponsors to meet. Still, we have to make do with what we have. There are only four months until the Reapings for the 98th Games take place. Usually, it takes several months to brainstorm the perfect Arena, but I've heard from Augustus that you have a knack for design."

Memories flood back to me of all the hours I've spent drawing and redrawing blueprints. The volcanic islands, the underwater utopias, the abandoned coal mines... so many ideas, locked away in the drawers of my desk at home.

"I have just the thing," I assure the president. "Blueprints already drawn, elements already balanced. You can trust me."

"Perfect," Snow says, extending his hand. "I hoped that you would. I'll arrange a meeting with our climate analysis team, and we can start tomorrow. Bring those blueprints to my receptionist as soon as you can."

"Thank you, sir," I say, taking the man's hand and giving it a firm shake. "I won't let you down."

A/N - Here's our Head Gamemaker, Caius! Hope y'all enjoyed this introduction to an important figure in the Games - Caius has a lot to prove and he'll try his hardest to push the Games to their limit, as you'll see soon :)

~S