《the hunger games-饥饿游戏(英文版)》饥饿游戏(英文版)-第72章

¨Me；　too。　Tell　you　what。　We　wait　an　hour；　if　it　stays　down；　then　we　get　another　serving；〃　Peeta　says。
¨Agreed；〃　I　say。　¨Itˇs　going　to　be　a　long　hour。〃
¨Maybe　not　that　long；〃　says　Peeta。　¨What　was　that　you　were　saying　just　before　the　food　arrived？　Something　about　me　。　。　。　no　petition　。　。　。　best　thing　that　ever　happened　to　you　。　。　。〃
¨I　donˇt　remember　that　last　part；〃　I　say；　hoping　itˇs　too　dim　in　here　for　the　cameras　to　pick　up　my　blush。
¨Oh；　thatˇs　right。　Thatˇs　what　I　was　thinking；〃　he　says。　¨Scoot　over；　Iˇm　freezing。〃
I　make　room　for　him　in　the　sleeping　bag。　We　lean　back　against　the　cave　wall；　my　head　on　his　shoulder；　his　arms　wrapped　around　me。　I　can　feel　Haymitch　nudging　me　to　keep　up　the　act。　¨So；　since　we　were　five；　you　never　even　noticed　any　other　girls？〃　I　ask　him。
¨No；　I　noticed　just　about　every　girl；　but　none　of　them　made　a　lasting　impression　but　you；〃　he　says。
¨Iˇm　sure　that　would　thrill　your　parents；　you　liking　a　girl　from　the　Seam；〃　I　say。
¨Hardly。　But　I　couldnˇt　care　less。　Anyway；　if　we　make　it　back；　you　wonˇt　be　a　girl　from　the　Seam；　youˇll　be　a　girl　from　the　Victorˇs　Village；〃　he　says。
Thatˇs　right。　If　we　win；　weˇll　each　get　a　house　in　the　part　of　town　reserved　for　Hunger　Gamesˇ　victors。　Long　ago；　when　the　Games　began；　the　Capitol　had　built　a　dozen　fine　houses　in　each　district。　Of　course；　in　ours　only　one　is　occupied。　Most　of　the　others　have　never　been　lived　in　at　all。
A　disturbing　thought　hits　me。　¨But　then；　our　only　neighbor　will　be　Haymitch！〃
¨Ah；　thatˇll　be　nice；〃　says　Peeta；　tightening　his　arms　around　me。　¨You　and　me　and　Haymitch。　Very　cozy。　Picnics；　birthdays；　long　winter　nights　around　the　fire　retelling　old　Hunger　Gamesˇ　tales。〃
¨I　told　you；　he　hates　me！〃　I　say；　but　I　canˇt　help　laughing　at　the　image　of　Haymitch　being　my　new　pal。
¨Only　sometimes。　When　heˇs　sober；　Iˇve　never　heard　him　say　one　negative　thing　about　you；〃　says　Peeta。
¨Heˇs　never　sober！〃　I　protest。
¨Thatˇs　right。　Who　am　I　thinking　of？　Oh；　I　know。　Itˇs　Cinna　who　likes　you。　But　thatˇs　mainly　because　you　didnˇt　try　to　run　when　he　set　you　on　fire；〃　says　Peeta。　¨On　the　other　hand；　Haymitch　。　。　。　well；　if　I　were　you；　Iˇd　avoid　Haymitch　pletely。　He　hates　you。〃
¨I　thought　you　said　I　was　his　favorite；〃　I　say。
¨He　hates　me　more；〃　says　Peeta。　¨I　donˇt　think　people　in　general　are　his　sort　of　thing。〃
I　know　the　audience　will　enjoy　our　having　fun　at　Haymitchˇs　expense。　He　has　been　around　so　long；　heˇs　practically　an　old　friend　to　some　of　them。　And　after　his　head…dive　off　the　stage　at　the　reaping；　everybody　knows　him。　By　this　time；　theyˇll　have　dragged　him　out　of　the　control　room　for　interviews　about　us。　No　telling　what　sort　of　lies　heˇs　made　up。　Heˇs　at　something　of　a　disadvantage　because　most　mentors　have　a　partner；　another　victor　to　help　them　whereas　Haymitch　has　to　be　ready　to　go　into　action　at　any　moment。　Kind　of　like　me　when　I　was　alone　in　the　arena。　I　wonder　how　heˇs　holding　up；　with　the　drinking；　the　attention；　and　the　stress　of　trying　to　keep　us　alive。
Itˇs　funny。　Haymitch　and　I　donˇt　get　along　well　in　person；　but　maybe　Peeta　is　right　about　us　being　alike　because　he　seems　able　to　municate　with　me　by　the　timing　of　his　gifts。　Like　how　I　knew　I　must　be　close　to　water　when　he　withheld　it　and　how　I　knew　the　sleep　syrup　just　wasnˇt　something　to　ease　Peetaˇs　pain　and　how　I　know　now　that　I　have　to　play　up　the　romance。　He　hasnˇt　made　much　effort　to　connect　with　Peeta　really。　Perhaps　he　thinks　a　bowl　of　broth　would　just　be　a　bowl
of　broth　to　Peeta；　whereas　Iˇll　see　the　strings　attached　to　it。
A　thought　hits　me；　and　Iˇm　amazed　the　questionˇs　taken　so　long　to　surface。　Maybe　itˇs　because　Iˇve　only　recently　begun　to　view　Haymitch　with　a　degree　of　curiosity。　¨How　do　you　think　he　did　it？〃
¨Who？　Did　what？〃　Peeta　asks。
¨Haymitch。　How　do　you　think　he　won　the　Games？〃　I　say。
Peeta　considers　this　quite　a　while　before　he　answers。　Haymitch　is　sturdily　built；　but　no　physical　wonder　like　Cato　or　Thresh。　Heˇs　not　particularly　handsome。　Not　in　the　way　that　causes　sponsors　to　rain　gifts　on　you。　And　heˇs　so　surly；　itˇs　hard　to　imagine　anyone　teaming　up　with　him。　Thereˇs　only　one　way　Haymitch　could　have　won；　and　Peeta　says　it　just　as　Iˇm　reaching　this　conclusion　myself。
¨He　outsmarted　the　others；〃　says　Peeta。
I　nod；　then　let　the　conversation　drop。　But　secretly　Iˇm　wondering　if　Haymitch　sobered　up　long　enough　to　help　Peeta　and　me　because　he　thought　we　just　might　have　the　wits　to　survive。　Maybe　he　wasnˇt　always　a　drunk。　Maybe；　in　the　beginning；　he　tried　to　help　the　tributes。　But　then　it　got　unbearable。　It　must　be　hell　to　mentor　two　kids　and　then　watch　them　die。　Year　after　year　after　year。　I　realize　that　if　I　get　out　of　here；　that　will　bee　my　job。　To　mentor　the　girl　from　District　12。　The　idea　is　so　repellent；　I　thrust　it　from　my　mind。
About　half　an　hour　has　passed　before　I　decide　I　have　to　eat　again。　Peetaˇs　too　hungry　himself　to　put　up　an　argument。　While　Iˇm　dishing　up　two　more　small　servings　of　lamb　stew　and　rice；　we　hear　the　anthem　begin　to　play。　Peeta　presses　his　eyes　against　a　crack　in　the　rocks　to　watch　the　sky。
¨There　wonˇt　be　anything　to　see　tonight；〃　I　say；　far　more　interested　in　the　stew　than　the　sky。　¨Nothingˇs　happened　or　we　wouldˇve　heard　a　cannon。〃
¨Katniss；〃　Peeta　says　quietly。
¨What？　Should　we　split　another　roll；　too？〃　I　ask。
¨Katniss；〃　he　repeats；　but　I　find　myself　wanting　to　ignore　him。
¨Iˇm　going　to　split　one。　But　Iˇll　save　the　cheese　for　tomorrow；〃　I　say。　I　see　Peeta　staring　at　me。　¨What？〃
¨Thresh　is　dead；〃　says　Peeta。
¨He　canˇt　be；〃　I　say。
¨They　must　have　fired　the　cannon　during　the　thunder　and　we　missed　it；〃　says　Peeta。
¨Are　you　sure？　I　mean；　itˇs　pouring　buckets　out　there。　I　donˇt　know　how　you　can　see　anything；〃　I　say。　I　push　him　away　from　the　rocks　and　squint　out　into　the　dark；　rainy　sky。　For　about　ten　seconds；　I　catch　a　distorted　glimpse　of　Threshˇs　picture　and　then　heˇs　gone。　Just　like　that。
I　slump　down　against　the　rocks；　momentarily　forgetting　about　the　task　at　hand。　Thresh　dead。　I　should　be　happy；　right？　One　less　tribute　to　face。　And　a　powerful　one；　too。　But　Iˇm　not　happy。　All　I　ca