第5部分(第6/7 頁)

I　see　itˇs　a　small　bird　in　flight。

¨Your　pin？〃　I　say。　Wearing　a　token　from　my　district　is　about　the　last　thing　on　my　mind。

¨Here；　Iˇll　put　it　on　your　dress；　all　right？〃　Madge　doesnˇt　wait　for　an　answer；　she　just　leans　in　and　fixes　the　bird　to　my　dress。　¨Promise　youˇll　wear　it　into　the　arena；　Katniss？〃　she　asks。　¨Promise？〃

¨Yes；〃　I　say。　Cookies。　A　pin。　Iˇm　getting　all　kinds　of　gifts　today。　Madge　gives　me　one　more。　A　kiss　on　the　cheek。　Then　sheˇs　gone　and　Iˇm　left　thinking　that　maybe　Madge　really　has　been　my　friend　all　along。

Finally；　Gale　is　here　and　maybe　there　is　nothing　romantic　between　us；　but　when　he　opens　his　arms　I　donˇt　hesitate　to　go　into　them。　His　body　is　familiar　to　me　�　the　way　it　moves；　the　smell　of　wood　smoke；　even　the　sound　of　his　heart　beating　I　knoents　on　a　hunt　�　but　this　is　the　first　time　I　really　feel　it；　lean　and　hard…muscled　against　my　own。

¨Listen；〃　he　says。　¨Getting　a　knife　should　be　pretty　easy；　but　youˇve　got　to　get　your　hands　on　a　bow。　Thatˇs　your　best　chance。〃

¨They　donˇt　always　have　bows；〃　I　say；　thinking　of　the　year　there　were　only　horrible　spiked　maces　that　the　tributes　had　to　bludgeon　one　another　to　death　with。

¨Then　make　one；〃　says　Gale。　¨Even　a　weak　bow　is　better　than　no　bow　at　all。〃

I　have　tried　copying　my　fatherˇs　bows　with　poor　results。　Itˇs　not　that　easy。　Even　he　had　to　scrap　his　own　work　sometimes。

¨I　donˇt　even　know　if　thereˇll　be　wood；〃　I　say。　Another　year；　they　tossed　everybody　into　a　landscape　of　nothing　but　boulders　and　sand　and　scruffy　bushes。　I　particularly　hated　that　year。　Many　contestants　were　bitten　by　venomous　snakes　or　went　insane　from　thirst。

¨Thereˇs　almost　always　some　wood；〃　Gale　says。　¨Since　that　year　half　of　them　died　of　cold。　Not　much　entertainme