The Hunger Games: Death of the Mockingjay

Chapter 40

No words are exchanged on the flight to the Capitol. Michael sat on his own while a single guard stood at the front of the passenger cabin watching me. One thing that's obvious is that the Chairman is either extremely rich or has a lot of very wealthy friends. This hovercraft is like nothing I've ever seen before. Plush soft armchairs, thick wool carpets together with a tasteful beige interior, even the Presidents hovercraft doesn't come close to this level of luxury. It's early afternoon when we touch down on top of a huge mirror tiled office building in the financial area of the Capitol. I'm escorted to an elevator which descends only a few floors before I follow Michael out of the elevator, across a wide hall to a pair of  black double doors. He pushes the door open and beckons me inside. I'm unsure if I can trust Michael but I keep telling myself that I want this, to finally meet the Chairman and try to understand exactly what all this was about. I walk into a huge executive office and there sat at a desk with his legs and arms folded is a man wearing a golden mask not unlike the others who followed him. He's wearing a top quality business suit which oozes sophistication and class. Behind him is a huge glass window which stretches from wall to ceiling giving a impressive vista of the Capitol. I can only imagine how much this building must of cost. He says nothing, just holds his hand out for me to sit at the seat on my side of the desk.
I take his offer and sit while Michael closes the door and stands behind his leader.

"Welcome Katniss" he says. his voice clear, the words perfectly formed.

"Who are you?"

"Ah, straight to the point Mrs Mellark but I'll answer all your questions soon enough, for now you can call me Lucifer but first I have a question for you"

I nod

"Tell me Katniss, what do you make of this fervour running through the country, do you understand the appetite for a new Hunger Games?"

"I do, but people have short memories. It would seem that the Reaping is all but forgotten"

"Yes I suppose that's true. But the country needs something, you must sense it Katniss. That something isn't right with the world"

"I wouldn't say that, people are struggling to survive. They couldn't find work and the District's had nothing. It's been hard for everyone especially after the war"

"So you're saying that once the District's are prosperous and money is no longer an issue then the people will be happy?"

"Well....I don't know, I guess so"

"You won the Games, you and Peeta have money and a comfortable life. Do you think everyone will be happy with their lot if they lived your life?"

"Well yeah, obviously they wouldn't want the Games or the rebellion but if they had a good life I'm sure they'd be fine"

Lucifer rises from his seat and turns to look out the window. "Come Katniss, I want to show you something.

I stand and join him looking out across the Capitol.

"Tell me, what do you see?" he says.

"Buildings, money, greed. Everything the Capitol stands for"

"What I see are thousands of people who have money, people who have prosperity but are incomplete. They need something else in their lives"

"But they wouldn't be the ones doing the fighting, they'd expect kids from the Districts to die for their entertainment"

The Chairman turns to me "Really, do you actually believe that?"

"What are you talking about?" I say back in confusion. What does he mean, does he really think that there'd be citizens in the Capitol prepared to fight, is he thinking of a Capitol Reaping of some sort?