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第38部分（第1页）

slowly　press　down　on　the　plunger。

My　hands　go　to　my　head　and　then　drop　to　my　lap；　slick　with　blood。

The　last　thing　I　remember　is　an　exquisitely　beautiful　greenand…　silver　moth　landing　on　the　curve　of　my　wrist。

22

The　sound　of　rain　drumming　on　the　roof　of　our　house　gently　pulls　me　toward　consciousness。　I　fight　to　return　to　sleep　though；　wrapped　in　a　warm　cocoon　of　blankets；　safe　at　home。　Iˇm　vaguely　aware　that　my　head　aches。　Possibly　I　have　the　flu　and　this　is　why　Iˇm　allowed　to　stay　in　bed；　even　though　I　can　tell　Iˇve　been　asleep　a　long　time。　My　motherˇs　hand　strokes　my　cheek　and　I　donˇt　push　it　away　as　I　would　in　wakefulness；　never　wanting　her　to　know　how　much　I　crave　that　gentle　touch。　How　much　I　miss　her　even　though　I　still　donˇt　trust　her。　Then　thereˇs　a　voice；　the　wrong　voice；　not　my　motherˇs；　and　Iˇm　scared。

¨Katniss；〃　it　says。　¨Katniss；　can　you　hear　me？〃

My　eyes　open　and　the　sense　of　security　vanishes。　Iˇm　not　home；　not　with　my　mother。　Iˇm　in　a　dim；　chilly　cave；　my　bare　feet　freezing　despite　the　cover；　the　air　tainted　with　the　unmistakable　smell　of　blood。　The　haggard；　pale　face　of　a　boy　slides　into　view；　and　after　an　initial　jolt　of　alarm；　I　feel　better。　¨Peeta。〃

¨Hey；〃　he　says。　¨Good　to　see　your　eyes　again。〃

¨How　long　have　I　been　out？〃　I　ask。

¨Not　sure。　I　woke　up　yesterday　evening　and　you　were　lying　next　to　me　in　a　very　scary　pool　of　blood；〃　he　says。　¨I　think　itˇs　stopped　finally；　but　I　wouldnˇt　sit　up　or　anything。〃

I　gingerly　lift　my　hand　to　my　head　and　find　it　bandaged。　This　simple　gesture　leaves　me　weak　and　dizzy。　Peeta　holds　a　bottle　to　my　lips　and　I　drink　thirstily。

¨Youˇre　better；〃　I　say。

¨Much　better。　Whatever　you　shot　into　my　arm　did　the　trick；〃　he　says。　¨By　this　morning；　almost　all　the　swelling　in　my　leg　was　gone。〃

He　doesnˇt　seem　angry　about　my　tricking　him；　drugging　him；　and　running　off　to　the　feast。　Maybe　Iˇm　just　too　beat…up　and　Iˇll　hear　about　it　later　when　Iˇm　stronger。　But　for　the　moment；　heˇs　all　gentleness。

¨Did　you　eat？〃　I　ask。

¨Iˇm　sorry　to　say　I　gobbled　down　three　pieces　of　that　groosling　before　I　realized　it　might　have　to　last　a　while。　Donˇt　worry；　Iˇm　back　on　a　strict　diet；〃　he　says。

¨No；　itˇs　good。　You　need　to　eat。　Iˇll　go　hunting　soon；〃　I　say。

¨Not　too　soon；　all　right？〃　he　says。　¨You　just　let　me　take　care　of　you　for　a　while。〃

I　donˇt　really　seem　to　have　much　choice。　Peeta　feeds　me　bites　of　groosling　and　raisins　and　makes　me　drink　plenty　of　water。　He　rubs　some　warmth　back　into　my　feet　and　wraps　them　in　his　jacket　before　tucking　the　sleeping　bag　back　up　around　my　chin。

¨Your　boots　and　socks　are　still　damp　and　the　weatherˇs　not　helping　much；〃　he　says。　Thereˇs　a　clap　of　thunder；　and　I　see　lightning　electrify　the　sky　through　an　opening　in　the　rocks。　Rain　drips　through　several　holes　in　the　ceiling；　but　Peeta　has　built　a　sort　of　canopy　over　my　head　an　upper　body　by　wedging　the　square　of　plastic　into　the　rock　above　me。

¨I　wonder　what　brought　on　this　storm？　I　mean；　whoˇs　the　target？〃　says　Peeta。

¨Cato　and　Thresh；〃　I　say　without　thinking。　¨Foxface　will　be　in　her　den　somewhere；　and　Clove　。　。　。　she　cut　me　an　then　。　。　。〃　My　voice　trails　off。

¨I　know　Cloveˇs　dead。　I　saw　it　in　the　sky　last　night；〃　he　says。　¨Did　you　kill　her？〃

¨No。　Thresh　broke　her　skull　with　a　rock；〃　I　say。

¨Lucky　he　didnˇt　catch　you；　too；〃　says　Peeta。

The　memory　of　the　feast　returns　full…force　and　I　feel　sick。　¨He　did。　But　he　let　me　go。〃　Then；　of　course；　I　have　to　tell　him。　About　things　Iˇve　kept　to　myself　because　he　was　too　sick　to　ask　and　I　wasnˇt　ready　to　relive　anyway。　Like　the　explosion　and　my　ear　and　Rueˇs　dying　and　the　boy　from　District　1　and　the　bread。　All　of　which　leads　to　what　happened　with　Thresh　and　how　he　was　paying　off　a　debt　of　sorts。

¨He　let　you　go　because　he　didnˇt　want　to　owe　you　anything？〃　asks　Peeta　in　disbelief。

¨Yes。　I　donˇt　expect　you　to　understand　it。　Youˇve　always　had　enough。　But　if　youˇd　lived　in　the　Seam；　I　wouldnˇt　have　to　explain；〃　I　say。

¨And　donˇt　try。　Obviously　Iˇm　too　dim　to　get　it。〃

¨Itˇs　like　the　bread。　How　I　never　seem　to　get　over　owing　you　for　that；〃　I　say。

¨The　bread？　What？　From　when　we　were　kids？〃　he　says。　¨I　think　we　can　let　that　go。　I　mean；　you　just　brought　me　back　from　the　dead。〃

¨But　you　didnˇt　know　me。　We　had　never　even　spoken。　Besides；　itˇs　the　first　gift　thatˇs　always　the　hardest　to　pay　back。　I　wouldnˇt　even　have　been　here　to　do　it　if　you　hadnˇt　helped　me　then；〃　I　say。　¨Why　did　you；　anyway？〃

¨Why？　You　know　why；〃　Peeta　says。　I　give　my　head　a　slight；　painful　shake。　¨Haymitch　said　you　would　take　a　lot　of　convincing。〃

¨Haymitch？〃　I　ask。　¨Whatˇs　he　got　to　do　with　it？〃

¨Nothing；〃　Peeta　says。　¨So；　Cato　and　Thresh；　huh？　I　guess　itˇs　too　much　to　hope　that　theyˇll　simultaneously　destroy　each　other？〃

But　the　thought　only　upsets　me。　¨I　think　we　would　like　Thresh。　I　think　heˇd　be　our　friend　back　in　District　Twelve；〃　I　say。

¨Then　letˇs　hope　Cato　kills　him；　so　we　donˇt　have　to；〃　says　Peeta　grimly。

I　donˇt　want　Cato　to　kill　Thresh　at　all。　I　donˇt　want　anyone　else　to　die。　But　this　is　absolutely　not　the　kind　of　thing　that　victors　go　around　saying　in　the　arena。　Despite　my　best　efforts；　I　can　feel　tears　starting　to　pool　in　my　eyes。