第37部分(第1/7 頁)

er　if　they　think　heˇs　covering　me　when　I　go　in　for　the　backpack。

But　where　is　it？　The　arena　has　lightened　enough　for　me　to　remove　my　glasses。　I　can　hear　the　morning　birds　singing。　Isnˇt　it　time？　For　a　second；　Iˇm　panicked　that　Iˇm　at　the　wrong　location。　But　no；　Iˇm　certain　I　remember　Claudius　Templesmith　specifying　the　Cornucopia。　And　there　it　is。　And　here　I　am。　So　whereˇs　my　feast？

Just　as　the　first　ray　of　sun　glints　off　the　gold　Cornucopia；　thereˇs　a　disturbance　on　the　plain。　The　ground　before　the　mouth　of　the　horn　splits　in　two　and　a　round　table　with　a　snowy　white　cloth　rises　into　the　arena。　On　the　table　sit　four　backpacks；　two　large　black　ones　with　the　numbers　2　and　11；　a　medium…size　green　one　with　the　number　5；　and　a　tiny　orange　one　�　really　I　could　carry　it　around　my　wrist　�　that　must　be　marked　with　a　12。

The　table　has　just　clicked　into　place　when　a　figure　darts　out　of　the　Cornucopia；　snags　the　green　backpack；　and　speeds　off。　Foxface！　Leave　it　to　her　to　e　up　with　such　a　clever　and　risky　idea！　The　rest　of　us　are　still　poised　around　the　plain；　sizing　up　the　situation；　and　sheˇs　got　hers。　Sheˇs　got　us　trapped；　too；　because　no　one　wants　to　chase　her　down；　not　while　their　own　pack　sits　so　vulnerable　on　the　table。　Foxface　must　have　purposefully　left　the　other　packs　alone；　knowing　that　to　steal　one　without　her　number　would　definitely　bring　on　a　pursuer。　That　should　have　been　my　strategy！　By　the　lime　Iˇve　worked　through　the　emotions　of　surprise；　admiration；　anger；　jealousy；　and　frustration；　Iˇm　watching　that　reddish　mane　of　hair　disappear　into　the　trees　well　out　of　shooting　range。　Huh。　Iˇm　always　dreading　the　others；　but　maybe　Foxface　is　the　real　opponent　here。

Sheˇs　cost　me　time；　too；　because　by　now　itˇs　clear　that　I　must　get　to　the　table