《the hunger games-饥饿游戏(英文版)》饥饿游戏(英文版)-第75章

Surprisingly；　he　just　laughs。　¨Look；　I　can　handle　Cato。　I　fought　him　before；　didnˇt　I？〃
Yeah；　and　that　turned　out　great。　You　ended　up　dying　in　a　mud　bank。　Thatˇs　what　I　want　to　say；　but　I　canˇt。　He　did　save　my　life　by　taking　on　Cato　after　all。　I　try　another　tactic。　¨What　if　you　climbed　up　in　a　tree　and　acted　as　a　lookout　while　I　hunted？〃　I　say；　trying　to　make　it　sound　like　very　important　work。
¨What　if　you　show　me　whatˇs　edible　around　here　and　go　get　us　some　meat？〃　he　says；　mimicking　my　tone。　¨Just　donˇt　go　far；　in　case　you　need　help。〃
I　sigh　and　show　him　some　roots　to　dig。　We　do　need　food；　no　question。　One　apple；　two　rolls；　and　a　blob　of　cheese　the　size　of　a　plum　wonˇt　last　long。　Iˇll　just　go　a　short　distance　and　hope　Cato　is　a　long　way　off。
I　teach　him　a　bird　whistle　　not　a　melody　like　Rueˇs　but　a　simple　two…note　whistle　　which　we　can　use　to　municate　that　weˇre　all　right。　Fortunately；　heˇs　good　at　this。　Leaving　him　with　the　pack；　I　head　off。
I　feel　like　Iˇm　eleven　again；　tethered　not　to　the　safety　of　the　fence　but　to　Peeta；　allowing　myself　twenty；　maybe　thirty　yards　of　hunting　space。　Away　from　him　though；　the　woods　e　alive　with　animal　sounds。　Reassured　by　his　periodic　whistles；　I　allow　myself　to　drift　farther　away；　and　soon　have　two　rabbits　and　a　fat　squirrel　to　show　for　it。　I　decide　itˇs　enough。　I　can　set　snares　and　maybe　get　some　fish。　With　Peetaˇs　roots；　this　will　be　enough　for　now。
As　I　travel　the　short　distance　back；　I　realize　we　havenˇt　exchanged　signals　in　a　while。　When　my　whistle　receives　no　response；　I　run。　In　no　time；　I　find　the　pack；　a　neat　pile　of　roots　beside　it。　The　sheet　of　plastic　has　been　laid　on　the　ground　where　the　sun　can　reach　the　single　layer　of　berries　that　covers　it。　But　where　is　he？
¨Peeta！〃　I　call　out　in　a　panic。　¨Peeta！〃　I　turn　to　the　rustle　of　brush　and　almost　send　an　arrow　through　him。　Fortunately；　I　pull　my　bow　at　the　last　second　and　it　sticks　in　an　oak　trunk　to　his　left。　He　jumps　back；　flinging　a　handful　of　berries　into　the　foliage。
My　fear　es　out　as　anger。　¨What　are　you　doing？　Youˇre　supposed　to　be　here；　not　running　around　in　the　woods！〃
¨I　found　some　berries　down　by　the　stream；〃　he　says；　clearly　confused　by　my　outburst。
¨I　whistled。　Why　didnˇt　you　whistle　back？〃　I　snap　at　him。
¨I　didnˇt　hear。　The　waterˇs　too　loud；　I　guess；〃　he　says。　He　crosses　and　puts　his　hands　on　my　shoulders。　Thatˇs　when　I　feel　that　Iˇm　trembling。
¨I　thought　Cato　killed　you！〃　I　almost　shout。
¨No；　Iˇm　fine。〃　Peeta　wraps　his　arms　around　me；　but　I　donˇt　respond。　¨Katniss？〃
I　push　away；　trying　to　sort　out　my　feelings。　¨If　two　people　agree　on　a　signal；　they　stay　in　range。　Because　if　one　of　them　doesnˇt　answer；　theyˇre　in　trouble；　all　right？〃
¨All　right！〃　he　says。
¨All　right。　Because　thatˇs　what　happened　with　Rue；　and　I　watched　her　die！〃　I　say。　I　turn　away　from　him；　go　to　the　pack　and　open　a　fresh　bottle　of　water；　although　I　still　have　some　in　mine。　But　Iˇm　not　ready　to　forgive　him。　I　notice　the　food。　The　rolls　and　apples　are　untouched；　but　someoneˇs　definitely　picked　away　part　of　the　cheese。　¨And　you　ate　without　me！〃　I　really　donˇt　care；　I　just　want　something　else　to　be　mad　about。
¨What？　No；　I　didnˇt；〃　Peeta　says。
¨Oh；　and　I　suppose　the　apples　ate　the　cheese；〃　I　say。
¨I　donˇt　know　what　ate　the　cheese；〃　Peeta　says　slowly　and　distinctly；　as　if　trying　not　to　lose　his　temper；　¨but　it　wasnˇt　me。　Iˇve　been　down　by　the　stream　collecting　berries。　Would　you　care　for　some？〃
I　would　actually；　but　I　donˇt　want　to　relent　too　soon。　I　do　walk　over　and　look　at　them。　Iˇve　never　seen　this　type　before。　No；　I　have。　But　not　in　the　arena。　These　arenˇt　Rueˇs　berries；　although　they　resemble　them。　Nor　do　they　match　any　I　learned　about　in　training。　I　lean　down　and　scoop　up　a　few；　rolling　them　between　my　fingers。
My　fatherˇs　voice　es　back　to　me。　¨Not　these；　Katniss。　Never　these。　Theyˇre　nightlock。　Youˇll　be　dead　before　they　reach　your　stomach。〃
Just　then；　the　cannon　fires。　I　whip　around；　expecting　Peeta　to　collapse　to　the　ground；　but　he　only　raises　his　eyebrows。　The　hovercraft　appears　a　hundred　yards　or　so　away。　Whatˇs　left　of　Foxfaceˇs　emaciated　body　is　lifted　into　the　air。　I　can　see　the　red　glint　of　her　hair　in　the　sunlight。
I　should　have　known　the　moment　I　saw　the　missing　cheese。　。　。　。
Peeta　has　me　by　the　arm；　pushing　me　toward　a　tree。　¨Climb。　Heˇll　be　here　in　a　second。　Weˇll　stand　a　better　chance　fighting　him　from　above。〃
I　stop　him；　suddenly　calm。　¨No；　Peeta；　sheˇs　your　kill；　not　Catoˇs。〃
¨What？　I　havenˇt　even　seen　her　since　the　first　day；〃　he　says。　¨How　could　I　have　killed　her？〃
In　answer；　I　hold　out　the　berries。
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It　takes　a　while　to　explain　the　situation　to　Peeta。　How　Foxface　stole　the　food　from　the　supply　pile　before　I　blew　it　up；　how　she　tried　to　take　enough　to　stay　alive　but　not　enough　that　anyone　would　notice　it；　how　she　wouldnˇt　question　the　safety　of　berries　we　were　preparing　to　eat　ourselves。
¨I　wonder　how　she　found　us；〃　says　Peeta。　¨My　fault；　I　guess；　if　Iˇm　as　loud　as　you　say。〃
We　were　about　as　hard　to　follow　as　a　herd　of　cattle；　but　I　try　to　be　kind。　¨And　sheˇs　very　clever；　Peeta。　Well；　she　was。　Until　you　outfoxed　her。〃
¨Not　on　purpose。　Doesnˇt　seem　fair　somehow。　I　mean；　we　would　have　both　been　dead；　too；　if　she　hadnˇt　eaten　the　berries　first。〃　He　checks　himself。　¨No；　of　course；　we　wouldnˇt。　You　recognized　them；　didnˇt　you？〃
I　give　a　nod。　¨We　call　them　nightlock。〃
¨Even　the　name　sounds　deadly；〃　he　says。　¨Iˇm　sorry；　Katniss。　I　really　thought　they　were　the　same　ones　youˇd　gathered。〃
¨Donˇt　apologize。　It　just　means　weˇre　one　step　closer　to　home；　right？〃　I　ask。
¨Iˇll　get　rid　of　the　rest；〃　Peeta　says。　He　gathers　up　the　sheet　of　blue　plastic；　careful　to　trap　the　berries　inside；　and　goes　to　toss　them　into　the　woods。
¨Wait！〃　I　cry。　I　find　the　leather　pouch　that　belonged　to　the　boy　from　District　1　and　fill　it　with　a　few　handfuls　of　berries　from　the　plastic。　¨If　they　fooled　Foxface；　maybe　they　can　fool　Cato　as　well。　If　heˇs　chasing　us　or　something；　we　can　act　like　we　accidentally　drop　the　pouch　and　if　he　eats　them　〃
¨Then　hello　District　Twelve；〃　says　Peeta。
¨That?