Kindling the Spark

Arrival

10: Arrival

Katniss POV

Haymitch? I thought it would be Gale, no I was almost sure it would be Gale. Tears are forming at the corners of my eyes as what happened sinks in. I won't have to kill Gale. The reaping was not biased. There is a possibility that we can both get out alive. After the euphoria wears off though, I am left wondering why Snow would do this. He's a very careful man and as much as I hate to admit it, he's clever. Too clever to leave something like this to chance. But why?

Maybe it was his intention that Haymitch would be reaped. It seems more likely that he has a plan that involves Haymitch rather than that he left one of the most important factors of his plan to a fifty-fifty chance. My mind is racing, trying to figure out any motivations he could have. Is he going to have the games themselves reaped so that I die, but let's Gale live so that he won't make us martyrs. After all, it isn't Gale or I that are really important to the rebellion. It's what we symbolise. We are the spark that gives people hope. If he kills me and removes Gale's hope without making us martyrs then it will work perfectly.

But Gale isn't the type of person who would just sit back and be heartbroken if I die. Peeta maybe, but not Gale. Gale would do everything he could to get revenge and he would get support as well. Maybe not as much support as if we were together, but the rebellion would get a lot more support than if we both die. Maybe Snow didn't realise the type of person Gale is. It seems unlikely though. Gale isn't exactly secret in his hatred for the Capitol and want of vengeance to anyone that hurts me.

Haymitch walks up to the stage. He has a straight face, but I can tell that he is surprised by what happened. He didn't throw himself into training like Gale and I did, he didn't expect that he would be reaped. The crowd in District 12 are cheering. Not the normal, half-hearted applause that they normally give because they aren't allowed not to. They are actually happy. It's not just because they didn't get reaped, there was no chance of it happening this year. They are happy that Haymitch got reaped, not Gale.

Then it hits me. That's why Snow chose Haymitch and not Gale. Popularity. Almost everyone in Panem is rooting for us, even the Capitolites. Snow wants to appear the good guy by letting our relationship have a chance, as if he didn't want us to die. It wouldn't surprise me if he even let's out that he rigged the reaping so the Haymitch will be picked. So Snow doesn't want to kill both of us. He wants to use us, use us to bring support back to him. The idea makes me feel sick.

The Capitol peacekeepers that came with Effie lead Haymitch and into separate rooms in the Justice Building for our visits. It all brings back the painful memories of exactly one year ago. I'm not sure what was worse. Then I was only expecting to fight for my life. This time I have to fight for the whole of Panem. At least Gale is out of the danger zone. I will have him watching me from outside the area, sending me what I need. I'm sure I'll have a lot of sponsors.

My first visit is (predictably) Gale. I can see the relief on his face, though it is mixed with worry for me. "They didn't reap you for popularity," I blurt out.

"What?" Gale asks.

"Popularity," I repeat. "To get people on their side because people will think that they are on our side, that Snow wants us to win. He's trying to deny the fact that he's on a different side to us."

"But who would be stupid enough to think that we are on the same side?" Gale asks me. "The Capitolites," he answers his own question. "They don't know how we live in the Districts, all they see are the victory parties and the reapings and whatever else Snow let's them see. And Districts 1 and 2 are the Capitol's favourites."

"Precisely. Look, we need a plan," I say. "I've been thinking about the other victors of the rebellion, but most of them have probably been reaped as well. Once I'm in the Games then it shouldn't be too hard to stir up rebellion. And in the interviews it should be easy as well. I doubt there's much you can do from inside the mentor room though."