第26部分(第1/7 頁)

How　long　have　I　been　out？　It　was　morning　when　I　lost　reason。　Now　itˇs　afternoon。　But　the　stiffness　in　my　joints　suggests　more　than　a　day　has　passed；　even　two　possibly。　If　so；　Iˇll　have　no　way　of　knowing　which　tributes　survived　that　tracker　jacker　attack。　Not　Glimmer　or　the　girl　from　District　4。　But　there　was　the　boy　from　District　1；　both　tributes　from　District　2；　and　Peeta。　Did　they　die　from　the　stings？　Certainly　if　they　lived；　their　last　days　must　have　been　as　horrid　as　my　own。　And　what　about　Rue？　Sheˇs　so　small；　it　wouldnˇt　take　much　venom　to　do　her　in。　But　then　again　。　。　。　the　tracker　jackers　wouldˇve　had　to　catch　her；　and　she　had　a　good　head　start。

A　foul；　rotten　taste　pervades　my　mouth；　and　the　water　has　little　effect　on　it。　I　drag　myself　over　to　the　honeysuckle　bush　and　pluck　a　flower。　I　gently　pull　the　stamen　through　the　blossom　and　set　the　drop　of　nectar　on　my　tongue。　The　sweetness　spreads　through　my　mouth；　down　my　throat；　warming　my　veins　with　memories　of　summer；　and　my　home　woods　and　Galeˇs　presence　beside　me。　For　some　reason；　our　discussion　from　that　last　morning　es　back　to　me。

¨We　could　do　it；　you　know。〃

¨What？〃

¨Leave　the　district。　Run　off。　Live　in　the　woods。　You　and　I；　we

could　make　it。〃

And　suddenly；　Iˇm　not　thinking　of　Gale　but　of　Peeta　and　。　。　。　Peeta！　He　saved　my　life！　I　think。　Because　by　the　time　we　met　up；　I　couldnˇt　tell　what　was　real　and　what　the　tracker　jacker　venom　had　caused　me　to　imagine。　But　if　he　did；　and　my　instincts　tell　me　he　did；　what　for？　Is　he　simply　working　the　Lover　Boy　angle　he　initiated　at　the　interview？　Or　was　he　actually　trying　to　protect　me？　And　if　he　was；　what　was　he　doing　with　those　Careers　in　the　first　place？　None　of　it　makes　sense。

I　wonder　what　Gale　made　of　the　incident　fo