[Is it to her credit or disadvantage that she has to think about her her answer?
Clove isn't sure. She doesn't want to know, really, what the hesitation says about her and Cato.
They are in a Game. People have to die. If Twelve kills Cato, that just means she won't have to later. Her district partner. He's only that. But more, too. they'd promised to go to the Games together. He'd volunteered to keep that promise. Debt. They'd promised to have sex if they went to the Games. She'd been waiting for him after the parade. Even. She'd pulled stingers from him. Debt. He'd made sure she got her fill. Even. He'd held her and comforted her as she was dying. Debt. She'd been here to comfort him when he'd come. Even. They'd exchanged rings, essentially promising they would never marry, at least not happily. Yet, unknown to anyone but maybe their parents, they took their vow to the grave.
It's a sudden, unanswerable question, and it threatens Clove's blank appearance: Did they have us buried beside each other?
She has to fight to keep her voice even, to be a Career. But perhaps there's a shine to her eyes as a roll of thunder sounds in the distance.]
We have a truce.
Break it, and I will kill you.
[Her hand is already at her hip, in answer to the grip on the bow, touching -- but not yet grasping -- the hilt of her hunting knife.]
action;
Clove isn't sure. She doesn't want to know, really, what the hesitation says about her and Cato.
They are in a Game. People have to die. If Twelve kills Cato, that just means she won't have to later. Her district partner. He's only that. But more, too. they'd promised to go to the Games together. He'd volunteered to keep that promise. Debt. They'd promised to have sex if they went to the Games. She'd been waiting for him after the parade. Even. She'd pulled stingers from him. Debt. He'd made sure she got her fill. Even. He'd held her and comforted her as she was dying. Debt. She'd been here to comfort him when he'd come. Even. They'd exchanged rings, essentially promising they would never marry, at least not happily. Yet, unknown to anyone but maybe their parents, they took their vow to the grave.
It's a sudden, unanswerable question, and it threatens Clove's blank appearance: Did they have us buried beside each other?
She has to fight to keep her voice even, to be a Career. But perhaps there's a shine to her eyes as a roll of thunder sounds in the distance.]
We have a truce.
Break it, and I will kill you.
[Her hand is already at her hip, in answer to the grip on the bow, touching -- but not yet grasping -- the hilt of her hunting knife.]