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Summary: Chapters 13 & 14 

Chapter 13

The woman is enthusiastically greeted and introduced as Effie Trinket—Proserpina’s celebrated older sister. Effie starts chattering away about the importance of the Games, and Haymitch reflects that she has clearly swallowed Capitol propaganda. Effie has brought clothes that their Great-Aunt Messalina saved—smart black tuxedos and suits for the boys, and black dresses for the girls. Effie then genuinely compliments all of them and Haymitch considers the idea that the Trinkets are not cruel, just clueless. Effie and Maysilee work together to fix everyone’s makeup, and they all head out for the interviews. Effie drops her brushes on her way out the door, and Haymitch helps her pick them up. Effie thanks him and he thanks her for the clothes in turn; she says they “deserve to look beautiful tonight” and they are all very brave. 

Beetee finds Haymitch in the greenroom, and quickly tells him he has replaced the black cord in Ampert’s token with a fuse and the sunflowers from Nine with explosives. He starts to say that he replaced something else, too, but they are interrupted.

Caesar Flickerman starts the special by recapping previous years, specifying that the tenth Games were special because they introduced betting, sponsors, and drones. Haymitch wonders why he doesn’t mention that it’s also the only time someone from Twelve won the Games. The interviews begin in district order. The Careers try to make themselves look good and the Newcomers look bad, but they are unsuccessful. The Newcomers manage to come across as clever, eloquent, and united as different tributes explain the benefits to Ampert’s organized alliance.

The tributes from Twelve go last. Maysilee gets people laughing by criticizing Capitol fashion, and Wyatt impresses everyone with his calculations and predictions. The audience is entertained by Lou Lou’s off-putting antics until Caesar asks what the Newcomers will do after they kill all the Careers, and she starts to point at the audience, yelling, “You’ll murder us! You’ll murder us!” She collapses mid-accusation, and Haymitch guesses someone is drugging her through her pump. Haymitch arrives onstage after Lou Lou is carried off. He saunters and snarks his way through the interview, using bootlegging to appear fun and mischievous. He also undermines the Careers and praises the Newcomers. When Caesar asks about his bad score, Haymitch tells him he considers it a “badge of honor”; he is clearly not afraid to annoy the Gamemakers and figures “you have to be a special kind of trouble to get a one.”

After the interviews, Plutarch takes Haymitch, Maysilee, Wyatt, and Lou Lou back to his manor to film extra content. He takes Haymitch to the conservatory, saying he is going to film with him first. However, when they arrive, Plutarch tells Haymitch he is not the only one who wants to defy the Capitol, and that he hopes that Haymitch will trust him after tonight. He then hands him a phone with Lenore Dove on the other line. 

Chapter 14

Lenore Dove tells Haymitch she was arrested for singing controversial songs in public, like “The Hanging Tree,” but she is being released tomorrow. She says she feels so guilty about getting Haymitch into trouble, and Haymitch makes her promise not to do anything that will get her killed on purpose. He promises they will meet again in her meadow, and Lenore Dove swears she will love Haymitch forever because she, like her geese, mates for life, before the call is disconnected.

Plutarch dispenses to the reeling Haymitch two crucial pieces of information: the arena’s sun is synced with the real sun, so Haymitch will always know which direction is north, and that the mutt portals will be concealed by berms of flowers. Haymitch is careful not to disclose the plot, in case Plutarch is lying, but he heeds his advice. Plutarch then takes Haymitch back to the others to film some propaganda clips, where they belittle the Careers by referring to them as wannabe Capitol citizens. They return to their tribute apartment for dinner, and Haymitch explains to Maysilee and Wyatt that he intends go it alone in the arena because the Capitol is targeting him. He doesn’t want them, or any of the other Newcomers, to be caught in the crossfire.

Previous section Chapters 11 & 12 Next section Chapters 15 & 16

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