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ARAUCARIA FOUND THE DEAN AS HE WAS ON HIS WAY OUT. He cast her a quick glance as he locked his office, tucking the key into his pocket.
He spoke with the same bored drawl as always. "Not now, Miss Finch. I have a victor to collect and—"
"Coriolanus Snow cheated."
That gave him pause. The man stopped, pivoting slightly towards her, lips twitching. "Cheated, you say?"
She nodded, "To ensure Lucy Gray survived."
A smile briefly passed on his face, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared. She assumed she imagined it.
"Such an accusation needs proof."
"You'll have it with Lucy Gray," she said, falling into stride with him. "Do you seriously think three tributes came into contact with her, died in nearly identical ways, and it's a coincidence? I mean Treech—" her voice cracked, "Treech was fine, and then suddenly he was collapsing."
Highbottom hummed, "And how do you suppose she did it?"
Her time to shine, "Rat poison." Casca stopped walking, head tilted as he listened. "My father's, I believe. The symptoms lineup, just on a lesser scale because of a larger body... I even gave him a new trap that night, before the games."
The Dean considered this, "We shall see if Lucy Gray has any on her. If not—" He started forward once more.
"That's not all, Dean. The snakes didn't attack her."
He nodded appreciatively, "Ah yes, her singing calmed them down. A likely story, but no other explanation."
"Coriolanus knew how to stop them from attacking. Dr. Gaul told him about the snakes when he wrote that essay. I think if you checked, you'll find he familiarized them with her scent."
"And how is it," he asked, "you know how to stop the snake?"
Araucaria bit her lip, "I saw Clemensia in the hospital after the bombing, she told me." They came to the end of a hallway, a car waited outside for the dean.
"I see..." He nodded for his door to be opened, "Tell you what, you come with me to collect Lucy Gray—"
"No." She had no desire to see the girl who killed Treech. It was for her own survival, Cari knew that, but to do so felt like a betrayal.
"You will. You'll help her clean, change her clothes, and send her off. In the meantime, they'll be removing the mutts from the arena for body collection."
Body collection. All the fallen tributes would be taken and sent home. Dirty, emaciated, bloody, and bruised. "I'll help Lucy Gray on one condition." Casca Highbottom slid into the seat, making space for her. "You let me go to collect the bodies."
The dean winced at her request. He himself usually went only out of a sense of responsibility. He would sneak vials of Morphling as he did, the sight enough to break anyone. "You don't know what you are asking, Miss Finch."
