第10部分(第1/7 頁)

right　weapon；　why　should　I　count　myself　out　of　the　Games？

Someone　throws　me　a　red　rose。　I　catch　it；　give　it　a　delicate　sniff；　and　blow　a　kiss　back　in　the　general　direction　of　the　giver。　A　hundred　hands　reach　up　to　catch　my　kiss；　as　if　it　were　a　real　and　tangible　thing。

¨Katniss！　Katniss！〃　I　can　hear　my　name　being　called　from　all　sides。　Everyone　wants　my　kisses。

Itˇs　not　until　we　enter　the　City　Circle　that　I　realize　I　must　have　pletely　stopped　the　circulation　in　Peetaˇs　hand。　Thatˇs　how　tightly　Iˇve　been　holding　it。　I　look　down　at　our　linked　fingers　as　I　loosen　my　grasp；　but　he　regains　his　grip　on　me。　¨No；　donˇt　let　go　of　me；〃　he　says。　The　firelight　flickers　off　his　blue　eyes。　¨Please。　I　might　fall　out　of　this　thing。〃

¨Okay；〃　I　say。　So　I　keep　holding　on；　but　I　canˇt　help　feeling　strange　about　the　way　Cinna　has　linked　us　together。　Itˇs　not　really　fair　to　present　us　as　a　team　and　then　lock　us　into　the　arena　to　kill　each　other。

The　twelve　chariots　fill　the　loop　of　the　City　Circle。　On　the　buildings　that　surround　the　Circle；　every　window　is　packed　with　the　most　prestigious　citizens　of　the　Capitol。　Our　horses　pull　our　chariot　right　up　to　President　Snowˇs　mansion；　and　we　e　to　a　halt。　The　music　ends　with　a　flourish。

The　president；　a　small；　thin　man　with　paper…white　hair；　gives　the　official　wele　from　a　balcony　above　us。　It　is　traditional　to　cut　away　to　the　faces　of　the　tributes　during　the　speech。　But　I　can　see　on　the　screen　that　we　are　getting　way　more　than　our　share　of　airtime。　The　darker　it　bees；　the　more　difficult　it　is　to　take　your　eyes　off　our　flickering。　When　the　national　anthem　plays；　they　do　make　an　effort　to　do　a　quick　cut　around　to　each　pair　of　tributes；　but　the　camera　holds　on　the　District　12　chariot　as　it　parades　around　th