第3部分(第1/7 页)

if　they　will　break　down　and　weep。　Most　refuse　dealing　with　the　racketeers　but　carefully；　carefully。　These　same　people　tend　to　be　informers；　and　who　hasnˇt　broken　the　law？　I　could　be　shot　on　a　daily　basis　for　hunting；　but　the　appetites　of　those　in　charge　protect　me。　Not　everyone　can　claim　the　same。

Anyway；　Gale　and　I　agree　that　if　we　have　to　choose　between　dying　of　hunger　and　a　bullet　in　the　head；　the　bullet　would　be　much　quicker。

The　space　gets　tighter；　more　claustrophobic　as　people　arrive。　The　squareˇs　quite　large；　but　not　enough　to　hold　District　12ˇs　population　of　about　eight　thousand。　Lateers　are　directed　to　the　adjacent　streets；　where　they　can　watch　the　event　on　screens　as　itˇs　televised　live　by　the　state。

I　find　myself　standing　in　a　clump　of　sixteens　from　the　Seam。　We　all　exchange　terse　nods　then　focus　our　attention　on　the　temporary　stage　that　is　set　up　before　the　Justice　Building。　It　holds　three　chairs；　a　podium；　and　two　large　glass　balls；　one　for　the　boys　and　one　for　the　girls。　I　stare　at　the　paper　slips　in　the　girlsˇ　ball。　Twenty　of　them　have　Katniss　Everdeen　written　on　them　in　careful　handwriting。

Two　of　the　three　chairs　fill　with　Madgeˇs　father；　Mayor　Undersee；　whoˇs　a　tall；　balding　man；　and　Effie　Trinket；　District　12ˇs　escort；　fresh　from　the　Capitol　with　her　scary　white　grin；　pinkish　hair；　and　spring　green　suit。　They　murmur　to　each　other

and　then　look　with　concern　at　the　empty　seat。

Just　as　the　town　clock　strikes　two；　the　mayor　steps　up　to　the　podium　and　begins　to　read。　Itˇs　the　same　story　every　year。　He　tells　of　the　history　of　Panem；　the　country　that　rose　up　out　of　the　ashes　of　a　place　that　was　once　called　North　America。　He　lists　the　disasters；　the　droughts；　the　storms；　the　fires；　the　encroaching　seas　that　swallo