第40部分(第1/7 页)

Itˇs　funny。　Haymitch　and　I　donˇt　get　along　well　in　person；　but　maybe　Peeta　is　right　about　us　being　alike　because　he　seems　able　to　municate　with　me　by　the　timing　of　his　gifts。　Like　how　I　knew　I　must　be　close　to　water　when　he　withheld　it　and　how　I　knew　the　sleep　syrup　just　wasnˇt　something　to　ease　Peetaˇs　pain　and　how　I　know　now　that　I　have　to　play　up　the　romance。　He　hasnˇt　made　much　effort　to　connect　with　Peeta　really。　Perhaps　he　thinks　a　bowl　of　broth　would　just　be　a　bowl

of　broth　to　Peeta；　whereas　Iˇll　see　the　strings　attached　to　it。

A　thought　hits　me；　and　Iˇm　amazed　the　questionˇs　taken　so　long　to　surface。　Maybe　itˇs　because　Iˇve　only　recently　begun　to　view　Haymitch　with　a　degree　of　curiosity。　¨How　do　you　think　he　did　it？〃

¨Who？　Did　what？〃　Peeta　asks。

¨Haymitch。　How　do　you　think　he　won　the　Games？〃　I　say。

Peeta　considers　this　quite　a　while　before　he　answers。　Haymitch　is　sturdily　built；　but　no　physical　wonder　like　Cato　or　Thresh。　Heˇs　not　particularly　handsome。　Not　in　the　way　that　causes　sponsors　to　rain　gifts　on　you。　And　heˇs　so　surly；　itˇs　hard　to　imagine　anyone　teaming　up　with　him。　Thereˇs　only　one　way　Haymitch　could　have　won；　and　Peeta　says　it　just　as　Iˇm　reaching　this　conclusion　myself。

¨He　outsmarted　the　others；〃　says　Peeta。

I　nod；　then　let　the　conversation　drop。　But　secretly　Iˇm　wondering　if　Haymitch　sobered　up　long　enough　to　help　Peeta　and　me　because　he　thought　we　just　might　have　the　wits　to　survive。　Maybe　he　wasnˇt　always　a　drunk。　Maybe；　in　the　beginning；　he　tried　to　help　the　tributes。　But　then　it　got　unbearable。　It　must　be　hell　to　mentor　two　kids　and　then　watch　them　die。　Year　after　year　after　year。　I　realize　that　if　I　get　out　of　here；　that　will　bee　my　job。　To　mentor　the　girl　from　District　12。　The　idea　is　so