Post by countlivin on Apr 23, 2019 4:45:41 GMT
Chapter 16: Foreign
Penn Cassidy
When Penn took her first step into town, she knew where she was going. It was a large, yet shoddy village that looked as though it had rust developing on every square inch of each building. She was surprised when she saw it, as it was quite different than the style and architecture of District One. Everything seemed out of place here. Everything was foreign.
Men and women shot her looks of confusion as she passed them. One woman was washing clothes in a basin full of dirty water. Three little boys ran through the road, playing games with each other, and none of them had a shirt. Penn could see their bones peeking through their skin.
How could people live like this? These people… They have nothing… She didn't get it. Then she remembered. Her father had explained it to her more than once. Not all the Districts were as privileged as One. It was wealthy only because they won the Games so often. Most of the other non-Career Districts lived like this. It was terrible. She was glad she was going to give her winnings to these people. They needed more help than she did.
Penn strode through the town. Everywhere they went, people saw her and looked confused, and they should be. Her blouse was torn up and muddy, her hair was dirty and in disarray, she looked like a failure. But still, she looked cleaner than some of them.
She noticed there were no Peacekeepers here. No men dressed in white standing above the people, carrying firearms… There was only the people… She thought it strange, as the guards flowed through District One like fish in the sea.
With a bit of thought, Penn thought she knew why that was. The Capitol wasn't as afraid of Nine as they were of them. They didn't feel like they even needed Peacekeepers here, and they were right. These people looked like they barely had enough food to survive, let alone plot rebellion.
She stepped up to an older woman, sitting on an old rickety rocking chair in front of her home. She had a sort of scowl on her face, but Penn didn't care. "Mam, I'm looking for a doctor. Where would he be?"
She looked at her and spat on the ground. "You ain't from 'round here," she said, ignoring Penn's question.
"How can you tell?"
"I can smell it on you," she replied. "You don't have the weathered hands of someone who's had grain running through her fingers. Your clothes aren't stained with sweat. You ain't from 'round here. So where you from?"
Penn was taken aback for a moment. She didn't realize it was so glaringly obvious. "My family just moved here from across the District," she lied. "You didn't answer my question. Where is the doctor?"
"We ain't got no doctor here. You don't want to die, don't get yourself killed."
Penn looked back down to her scarred arm, worried it might be infected, but plowed on. She didn't have time for this. If there was no doctor, she would just have to bear the pain. If the infection took her arm, so be it. "Well, where can I wash up?"
"We have a well in the middle of town, girl," said the woman.
"Yes, but where can I take a shower? Or a bath?"
The old woman guffawed, and spat on the ground again. "You want to take a shower? Heh, I'm sure you do… Give all the young boys a show. You're pretty enough. Like I said, we got the well."
Penn frowned. So she couldn't get her arm treated, and she couldn't wash up. "Can I at least get some new clothes from somewhere."
The old woman spat on the ground, and rocked back and forth in her chair. She smiled, and Penn knew she was having fun with this. You worthless old hag, Penn thought, cursing her in her mind.
"Fine," Penn stamped her foot on the ground, just below where the woman's spittle had landed. If she couldn't present herself at her best, she would just have to go looking like she did. District Nine was so awful… "Where can I find the mayor?" she asked.
"You got lucky, girl," said the old woman. "Heh. Mayor Boz lives in a town east of here, but he's visiting for the week."
"Visiting? For what?"
"To reap from the children, dear." She rocked back and forth slowly. "I'd advise you not to bother him until after his meeting. He's been very irritable the past few days. Worked up over something or other."
"Where can I find him?" Penn asked in a frustrated tone.
"In the building down the way with the concrete pillars." Finally, a concrete answer…
"Thank you," Penn said, before pivoting and storming off in the way the woman pointed.
She walked farther down the road until she reached the building the old woman had referenced—the one with the pillars of stone. It was the grandest building in the town, and it looked as though it was where the most important people would be. Penn prepared herself for what she would find inside as she reached down and grabbed the doorknob. "This is it," she whispered to herself. This was the moment she had been waiting for.
She strode through the large metal doors, casting them open as hard as she could. Inside, she found a gathering of five people. There was a man with a short, dirty top hat and a thick, black mustache. She assumed him to be the mayor. Around him was another man with crazy, green hair and eye shadow, standing in the center of the room with hands behind his back. So he's from the Capitol, Penn thought. And around them stood a young boy and girl around Penn's age and one man with the same shade of brown hair as the girl.
The five of them looked as though they had been in an intense argument beforehand, but all looked bewildered as they pondered her entrance. She stepped through the aisle towards the stage at the end of the room, and the mustached man spoke up first. "Who are you, girl? We have business to accomplish here."
"I am your business," said Penn confidently, presenting herself before their judging eyes. She must have been quite a sight, she figured. "My name is Penn Cassidy, and I volunteer as tribute."
There was a moment of shared silence. The five on the stage looked back and forth between Penn and themselves in confusion. The mayor, however, looked straight ahead into Penn's eyes and stared her down. He received the same from her.
"What are we going to do here, sir?" asked the brown-haired man to the mayor.
The mayor, who the old woman had named Boz, averted a glance to the floor before he stroked his mustache and answered his question. "We haven't heard more than a few words from this girl. Let us wait before we jump to conclusions, Ulysses."
The man called Ulysses shot the same look hesitantly back at Penn. She could tell he didn't quite know what was going on. Penn started to walk forward. "I come from the land over the hill," she told him. "My home is District One."
"You come from… District One?" the mayor questioned her. She could tell he was trying very hard not to glare at or remark upon her ragged appearance. "How did you…? No, never mind. Why did you come here? You're a long way from home, little lamb. What brings you to our bountiful District?"
"I'm hoping, I can take your spot as the female tribute," Penn told the group.
The mayor paused for a moment, and then gestured for Penn to approach the stage. She did. "Come. Let us find common ground where there is so little."
Penn took the suggestion and followed up the stairs. The mayor strode over to an off-white plastic table placed on the back of the stage, and the four others followed him and sat down gingerly. When Penn took her seat, she took the one adjacent to no one. She trusted no one. She looked at the seat between herself and the boy from District Nine. She wished Dray had been here… She would have felt much better knowing someone there supported her.
No one spoke for a moment, but the mayor broke the silence. "Well, there is tension here, and I'm not one to abstain from it. But I will begin by introducing myself and my companions. My name is Herman Boz. I am the elected official for our District."
The man with the fluffy green hair added, finger in the air, "And as such, he will have the final say in the matter of the tributes for this year's Hunger Games." The way the Capitol man was constantly smiling made Penn feel uneasy. "He handles their affairs. You are sitting beside them now. Say hello to the nice girl, Emmy."
"Hello…" The girl from District Nine seemed very timid. She looked about three years younger, and was too soft to go into the Games. Penn could tell from her voice. Emmy wanted as much as her will allowed not to be in that room. At least she wouldn't have to.
"And you too, Willem."
"No," the boy responded confidently. Penn liked his spirit more. Willem's hair was short and bristly. His eyebrows were thick, his chin was defined, and he had a very roguish look about him. He was a bit taller than Dray… Better looking…
"No?" The green-haired man was instantly furious.
"Sorry," he replied sarcastically. "No, sir."
Mayor Boz seemed annoyed with boy's outburst. "Yes. And this would be our beloved escort from the Capitol, Mr. Fivel."
"You can call me Cedrick, dear." The green man was smiling again within seconds, revealing a shade of lipstick that matched the color of his hair. This was bar none the strangest man Penn had ever seen.
"I don't think that I will," Mayor Boz replied.
"Can we discuss the matter at hand?" asked a wide-eyed Ulysses, slamming his fist down on the plastic table. Penn knew that at least this man was on the right track. The others, even the mayor, didn't have the important things in mind.
"Quiet." Mayor Boz elevated his voice slightly, yet enough to overshadow Ulysses's outburst. This man was not one to be tested. He let out a long sigh and opened his eyes. "I know who you are, Penn Cassidy. And I'm sure you've come a long way to be here, but I've come an even greater distance. District Nine is farther across than any measly gap between Districts. So, if you wish to speak to me and interrupt my meeting, you will not waste my time. You are covered in dirt and grime, Penn Cassidy, and your shirt is torn up. How do you ever expect me to take you as a serious offer when you look as though you slept with a pig last night?"
Penn stomped her foot on the ground and glared defiantly at the mayor. It didn't matter if it was true; it was rude. "You'll take my offer, sir, because it makes the most sense. And, how can you make a comment on my dirty clothes when the clothes on your people look like they were made from grain sacks?"
Ulysses scowled at her from across the table. He barked at the mayor, "She has no right to insult our people like this! Our hard-working people…"
"Daddy…" Emmy complained, pulling on her father's arm. It wasn't working.
"Yeah, you heard me!" shouted the angry District Nine man. He stood up and stared down Mayor Boz. "She has no right, just like you have no right to throw my daughter into something like this. She committed a petty theft. Don't kill her for it!"
Boz didn't raise his voice, or even get out of his seat. "You may shout at me the next time stealing half of someone's entire grain storage is considered petty theft, Ulysses. Those people may not be able to survive the coming winter because of your daughter's actions. Sit down, or I will be forced to expel you from this meeting." Ulysses grumbled words under his breath and ran a hand through his gray hair, but reluctantly returned to his seat.
Fivel looked rapidly between each of the people on the table and clapped his hands together, still smiling. His fingernails were painted blue to offset his hair. "I know what we should do!" he proclaimed. "Let us have the young intruder and her friend explain themselves. I feel as though they should at least present their side of the arrangement!"
The boy called Willem looked over at Penn and smiled. She couldn't help but smile back. Then, Penn remembered she already had a boyfriend and shake her head out of it.
She spent a moment to think about it. She needed to show these men what she was made of, to show that she wasn't just a ragged girl from the jungle. She could do some target practice with her throwing knife… the one from the river… But she was a Career. She had to let them know she knew how to kill.
"I can kill," Penn said. It felt weird saying the words aloud. She had always thought about it, but this was the first time since she woke up that she had spoken the word "kill." It left a different taste on her tongue than she respected. Maybe she was remembering the armadillo creature at the riverside…
Mayor Boz shook his head. "I'll have you know, District one, that I have seven Peacekeepers guarding me backstage. They will believe any word I say, so implore you to choose wisely."
She wasn't sure they believed her, she fingered at the empty sheath at her waist, wishing desperately there was still a knife there. If she only told them how good she was with it… They might believe her, but it was a huge risk. And, playing around with a knife in front of the mayor of District Nine might have certain repercussions… But if she truly wanted them to believe, she would have to show them. They would have to see.
57% of readers chose to [B. Convince them of your skills.]
Penn reached to her belt and felt the rough texture of the strap where her knife had used to be. She knew she had the ability to show them what she was made of, but a festering, burning desire for respect wasn't enough to make a weapon appear out of thin air. She held her hands out to the people of District Nine, baring her wrists.
All except the mayor were confused. "What are you doing?" Ulysses asked nervously.
The boy, Willem, mouthed those same words soundlessly. He looked confused—the only emotion he had shown since she'd interrupted the meeting.
The dust settled around the hall, and Penn smiled. "I volunteer as tribute, take me in."
The green-haired escort named Fivel spoke up. "Boz, what do we do with this crazy girl? We can't send this girl into the Games. She's a criminal. She hopped Districts, for pete's sake!"
"Let her speak," the mayor said softly, steepling his fingers before him. "Girl, you would wish to take the place of Emmy here?"
"Yes, sir," Penn replied.
"And you expect to bend my whims to that of a girl I've never met who looks like she just walked out of the business end of a chicken coop?" He frowned. "As you can see, our District is by no means a clean estate, but how would it look if we offered you up to the Capitol? We would be made the laughing stock."
"I can clean up and change clothes." Penn didn't know why his eyes were only surface level. This man was the mayor of an entire District. He was supposed to be intelligent.
The girl named Emmy stood from her chair, looking from her father to the mayor, and then to Penn. She was nervous, and shaking, as though she couldn't tell what was going on around her. "You want to take my place? You want to rescue me?" she asked, ecstatically.
"Sit down," Mayor Boz directed her, a stern tone permeating the high hall. "If you are not a tribute, Ms. Brahnum, you will simply live out the rest of your days in a prison cell." Emmy, defeated, sank back into her seat.
"That's my daughter you're talking to!" Ulysses spat at the mayor. He pointed at Penn. "Can't you see this girl is your best option?"
"And I would advise you to be careful as well, sir," Mayor Boz responded. "You and your family have been treading on thin ice for the past month. All it would take is one strike from my Peacekeepers to crack it and submerge you." He turned to Fivel, who remained positively aloof, looking Penn over and over with judgmental eyes. "Frankly, I am not one for the technicalities of your Capitol, Mr. Fivel. Is there any chance that admitting Miss Cassidy would be a legal battle?"
The green-haired man seemed to calm upon being asked the question. "I suppose it could be tiptoed around. So long as the answer is never revealed, I could see it going smoothly with little consequence... Although, I do question the ethics of the choice. The girl is a runner, no doubt about it. Do you know what the Capitol does to runners? They make them into avoxes. Are you really considering her as our tribute?"
Mayor Boz didn't answer, but with a nod. "Emmy Brahnum is a thief. Willem Thomsen has already served time in our detention facility. I see no difference between the two of them and a runner."
Fivel shook his head. "In the rules, it clearly states, 'A male and female tribute will be chosen from each District.'" He stabbed a harsh finger in Penn's direction. "Sheis not from the District!"
The mayor shook his head in response. "Was there not an announcement of the amendment of the rules? We choose our own tributes this year, Mr. Fivel. The girl seems more than happy to take the part. I've spent the last week running from town to town in pursuit of our tributes, and I haven't had one single volunteer... That is until her."
Fivel and Mayor Boz shared a moment of debate, and took one another by the arm, leading them away from the table to talk in private. The boy, Willem, tapped Penn on the shoulder and she turned to find a confused, stunning face. "So you're really a runner? What's the outside like?" he asked.
Penn ran another finger over the leather of her empty scabbard. "What?" she laughed. "You looking to get out? I can hook you up."
Willem smiled back, maintaining eye contact. "You're gonna be trouble, aren't you?"
Penn bit her lip and wiped a strand of black hair from her eyes.
"Penn Cassidy!" The mayor shouted from across the room, jumping her from her trance. He removed his top hat and used it to wave her. "We have decided that you shall take the place of District Nine's tribute." Strangely enough, Emmy was the one to jump up in excitement of the announcement. "But you must convince us."
Penn smiled. "I can hit a target from thirty feet away with my knife."
"Perfect!" Fivel exclaimed, clapping his hands together. Somehow, he seemed back on board the idea. Mayor Boz must have convinced him of the plan.
"I'm a fighter," Penn continued. Adrenaline was pumping through her veins, and she found she couldn't stop talking. "Back in One, I was a Career, and I feel confident in saying, District Nine has never seen the likes of me before. I'm strong, I'm fast, I'm smart, I'm not afraid of death, and I can chew up guys twice my size." She flashed a smile at Willem, who winked back. "You put me in that arena, you have a guaranteed win."
"Wow, a Career!" exclaimed Fivel, with big green eyes full of wonder. "Herman, think what kind of respect Nine could earn with a Career."
"Shut it, Green," said Boz with a wave of the finger. He looked Penn over once, and then twice. Penn didn't like the way he was scanning her with his eyes... "I think..." he said. "I think we might have our tribute."
Upon those words, Penn was lifted off her feet by an instant feeling of weightlessness. The last two weeks, since she had woken up had all been leading up to this moment. She felt a tear coming to her eye, and then two, and then three. All of a sudden, she was crying right there in the hall. She wished her father were here to see this, or Dray...
Mayor Boz smiled and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Pick yourself up, girl. You have to smile for the cameras." Then he turned to the escort. "Mr. Fivel, please secure a room for Ms. Cassidy in the Justice Building. I'd say she's earned a night of rest and a place to kick her feet up, wouldn't you say?"
"Oh, yes!" Fivel clapped his hands together, and took Penn by the shoulder. His sleeve felt light and velvety at once when Penn's arm touched it. "The Capitol is going to love you!" he said. "Sponsors from all over Panem, I tell you!"
When Penn looked over, Willem was leaning against the table, resting his head on his defined jaw. He nodded upwards at her, and smiled, and Penn blushed. Then she felt bad for blushing, as she remembered Dray back home, and how faithful he was to her. Then she bit her lip again.
Across the room, Emmy was leaping with joy, crying all over, wrapping her arms around her father and kissing him on his bearded cheek. Ulysses was crying too, and returned her a kiss on the forehead. Penn felt butterflies in her heart, and they made her blush again. She had given them that... just by taking Emmy's part in the Games. Then she was imagining all the applause she would receive upon her return to District Nine. They would all love her... She had seen how dirty their streets and their people were... She would be their savior.
"Wait!" called Ulysses, rushing up to Penn and her green escort before they managed to leave the hall. "Wait! Can I have a word with her?" he asked.
"But, of course," Fivel smiled and released Penn's arm.
Ulysses took a moment, and then grasped her hand very tightly. He was closing his eyes, but the waterworks were still flowing. "I... I can't thank you enough," he said. "If you... If you come back, you can always expect to have a friend in Ulysses Brahnum. You... you saved my daughter. Thank you. Thank you!"
"You're welcome," Penn said, and she shook his hand back. She was crying now too.
"Come now," said Fivel, swiveling her around toward the door of the hall. "You've had a long, weary journey, and the one before you will be even harder. You'd best get some sleep."
And he pushed open the door, onto a twilit District Nine. The Justice Building shimmered orange, perfectly in line with the setting sun behind it. The butterflies in Penn's chest were still fluttering. She went to sleep that night with a smile on her face, the butterflies still fluttering.
End of Chapter 16
Penn Cassidy
When Penn took her first step into town, she knew where she was going. It was a large, yet shoddy village that looked as though it had rust developing on every square inch of each building. She was surprised when she saw it, as it was quite different than the style and architecture of District One. Everything seemed out of place here. Everything was foreign.
Men and women shot her looks of confusion as she passed them. One woman was washing clothes in a basin full of dirty water. Three little boys ran through the road, playing games with each other, and none of them had a shirt. Penn could see their bones peeking through their skin.
How could people live like this? These people… They have nothing… She didn't get it. Then she remembered. Her father had explained it to her more than once. Not all the Districts were as privileged as One. It was wealthy only because they won the Games so often. Most of the other non-Career Districts lived like this. It was terrible. She was glad she was going to give her winnings to these people. They needed more help than she did.
Penn strode through the town. Everywhere they went, people saw her and looked confused, and they should be. Her blouse was torn up and muddy, her hair was dirty and in disarray, she looked like a failure. But still, she looked cleaner than some of them.
She noticed there were no Peacekeepers here. No men dressed in white standing above the people, carrying firearms… There was only the people… She thought it strange, as the guards flowed through District One like fish in the sea.
With a bit of thought, Penn thought she knew why that was. The Capitol wasn't as afraid of Nine as they were of them. They didn't feel like they even needed Peacekeepers here, and they were right. These people looked like they barely had enough food to survive, let alone plot rebellion.
She stepped up to an older woman, sitting on an old rickety rocking chair in front of her home. She had a sort of scowl on her face, but Penn didn't care. "Mam, I'm looking for a doctor. Where would he be?"
She looked at her and spat on the ground. "You ain't from 'round here," she said, ignoring Penn's question.
"How can you tell?"
"I can smell it on you," she replied. "You don't have the weathered hands of someone who's had grain running through her fingers. Your clothes aren't stained with sweat. You ain't from 'round here. So where you from?"
Penn was taken aback for a moment. She didn't realize it was so glaringly obvious. "My family just moved here from across the District," she lied. "You didn't answer my question. Where is the doctor?"
"We ain't got no doctor here. You don't want to die, don't get yourself killed."
Penn looked back down to her scarred arm, worried it might be infected, but plowed on. She didn't have time for this. If there was no doctor, she would just have to bear the pain. If the infection took her arm, so be it. "Well, where can I wash up?"
"We have a well in the middle of town, girl," said the woman.
"Yes, but where can I take a shower? Or a bath?"
The old woman guffawed, and spat on the ground again. "You want to take a shower? Heh, I'm sure you do… Give all the young boys a show. You're pretty enough. Like I said, we got the well."
Penn frowned. So she couldn't get her arm treated, and she couldn't wash up. "Can I at least get some new clothes from somewhere."
The old woman spat on the ground, and rocked back and forth in her chair. She smiled, and Penn knew she was having fun with this. You worthless old hag, Penn thought, cursing her in her mind.
"Fine," Penn stamped her foot on the ground, just below where the woman's spittle had landed. If she couldn't present herself at her best, she would just have to go looking like she did. District Nine was so awful… "Where can I find the mayor?" she asked.
"You got lucky, girl," said the old woman. "Heh. Mayor Boz lives in a town east of here, but he's visiting for the week."
"Visiting? For what?"
"To reap from the children, dear." She rocked back and forth slowly. "I'd advise you not to bother him until after his meeting. He's been very irritable the past few days. Worked up over something or other."
"Where can I find him?" Penn asked in a frustrated tone.
"In the building down the way with the concrete pillars." Finally, a concrete answer…
"Thank you," Penn said, before pivoting and storming off in the way the woman pointed.
She walked farther down the road until she reached the building the old woman had referenced—the one with the pillars of stone. It was the grandest building in the town, and it looked as though it was where the most important people would be. Penn prepared herself for what she would find inside as she reached down and grabbed the doorknob. "This is it," she whispered to herself. This was the moment she had been waiting for.
She strode through the large metal doors, casting them open as hard as she could. Inside, she found a gathering of five people. There was a man with a short, dirty top hat and a thick, black mustache. She assumed him to be the mayor. Around him was another man with crazy, green hair and eye shadow, standing in the center of the room with hands behind his back. So he's from the Capitol, Penn thought. And around them stood a young boy and girl around Penn's age and one man with the same shade of brown hair as the girl.
The five of them looked as though they had been in an intense argument beforehand, but all looked bewildered as they pondered her entrance. She stepped through the aisle towards the stage at the end of the room, and the mustached man spoke up first. "Who are you, girl? We have business to accomplish here."
"I am your business," said Penn confidently, presenting herself before their judging eyes. She must have been quite a sight, she figured. "My name is Penn Cassidy, and I volunteer as tribute."
There was a moment of shared silence. The five on the stage looked back and forth between Penn and themselves in confusion. The mayor, however, looked straight ahead into Penn's eyes and stared her down. He received the same from her.
"What are we going to do here, sir?" asked the brown-haired man to the mayor.
The mayor, who the old woman had named Boz, averted a glance to the floor before he stroked his mustache and answered his question. "We haven't heard more than a few words from this girl. Let us wait before we jump to conclusions, Ulysses."
The man called Ulysses shot the same look hesitantly back at Penn. She could tell he didn't quite know what was going on. Penn started to walk forward. "I come from the land over the hill," she told him. "My home is District One."
"You come from… District One?" the mayor questioned her. She could tell he was trying very hard not to glare at or remark upon her ragged appearance. "How did you…? No, never mind. Why did you come here? You're a long way from home, little lamb. What brings you to our bountiful District?"
"I'm hoping, I can take your spot as the female tribute," Penn told the group.
The mayor paused for a moment, and then gestured for Penn to approach the stage. She did. "Come. Let us find common ground where there is so little."
Penn took the suggestion and followed up the stairs. The mayor strode over to an off-white plastic table placed on the back of the stage, and the four others followed him and sat down gingerly. When Penn took her seat, she took the one adjacent to no one. She trusted no one. She looked at the seat between herself and the boy from District Nine. She wished Dray had been here… She would have felt much better knowing someone there supported her.
No one spoke for a moment, but the mayor broke the silence. "Well, there is tension here, and I'm not one to abstain from it. But I will begin by introducing myself and my companions. My name is Herman Boz. I am the elected official for our District."
The man with the fluffy green hair added, finger in the air, "And as such, he will have the final say in the matter of the tributes for this year's Hunger Games." The way the Capitol man was constantly smiling made Penn feel uneasy. "He handles their affairs. You are sitting beside them now. Say hello to the nice girl, Emmy."
"Hello…" The girl from District Nine seemed very timid. She looked about three years younger, and was too soft to go into the Games. Penn could tell from her voice. Emmy wanted as much as her will allowed not to be in that room. At least she wouldn't have to.
"And you too, Willem."
"No," the boy responded confidently. Penn liked his spirit more. Willem's hair was short and bristly. His eyebrows were thick, his chin was defined, and he had a very roguish look about him. He was a bit taller than Dray… Better looking…
"No?" The green-haired man was instantly furious.
"Sorry," he replied sarcastically. "No, sir."
Mayor Boz seemed annoyed with boy's outburst. "Yes. And this would be our beloved escort from the Capitol, Mr. Fivel."
"You can call me Cedrick, dear." The green man was smiling again within seconds, revealing a shade of lipstick that matched the color of his hair. This was bar none the strangest man Penn had ever seen.
"I don't think that I will," Mayor Boz replied.
"Can we discuss the matter at hand?" asked a wide-eyed Ulysses, slamming his fist down on the plastic table. Penn knew that at least this man was on the right track. The others, even the mayor, didn't have the important things in mind.
"Quiet." Mayor Boz elevated his voice slightly, yet enough to overshadow Ulysses's outburst. This man was not one to be tested. He let out a long sigh and opened his eyes. "I know who you are, Penn Cassidy. And I'm sure you've come a long way to be here, but I've come an even greater distance. District Nine is farther across than any measly gap between Districts. So, if you wish to speak to me and interrupt my meeting, you will not waste my time. You are covered in dirt and grime, Penn Cassidy, and your shirt is torn up. How do you ever expect me to take you as a serious offer when you look as though you slept with a pig last night?"
Penn stomped her foot on the ground and glared defiantly at the mayor. It didn't matter if it was true; it was rude. "You'll take my offer, sir, because it makes the most sense. And, how can you make a comment on my dirty clothes when the clothes on your people look like they were made from grain sacks?"
Ulysses scowled at her from across the table. He barked at the mayor, "She has no right to insult our people like this! Our hard-working people…"
"Daddy…" Emmy complained, pulling on her father's arm. It wasn't working.
"Yeah, you heard me!" shouted the angry District Nine man. He stood up and stared down Mayor Boz. "She has no right, just like you have no right to throw my daughter into something like this. She committed a petty theft. Don't kill her for it!"
Boz didn't raise his voice, or even get out of his seat. "You may shout at me the next time stealing half of someone's entire grain storage is considered petty theft, Ulysses. Those people may not be able to survive the coming winter because of your daughter's actions. Sit down, or I will be forced to expel you from this meeting." Ulysses grumbled words under his breath and ran a hand through his gray hair, but reluctantly returned to his seat.
Fivel looked rapidly between each of the people on the table and clapped his hands together, still smiling. His fingernails were painted blue to offset his hair. "I know what we should do!" he proclaimed. "Let us have the young intruder and her friend explain themselves. I feel as though they should at least present their side of the arrangement!"
The boy called Willem looked over at Penn and smiled. She couldn't help but smile back. Then, Penn remembered she already had a boyfriend and shake her head out of it.
She spent a moment to think about it. She needed to show these men what she was made of, to show that she wasn't just a ragged girl from the jungle. She could do some target practice with her throwing knife… the one from the river… But she was a Career. She had to let them know she knew how to kill.
"I can kill," Penn said. It felt weird saying the words aloud. She had always thought about it, but this was the first time since she woke up that she had spoken the word "kill." It left a different taste on her tongue than she respected. Maybe she was remembering the armadillo creature at the riverside…
Mayor Boz shook his head. "I'll have you know, District one, that I have seven Peacekeepers guarding me backstage. They will believe any word I say, so implore you to choose wisely."
She wasn't sure they believed her, she fingered at the empty sheath at her waist, wishing desperately there was still a knife there. If she only told them how good she was with it… They might believe her, but it was a huge risk. And, playing around with a knife in front of the mayor of District Nine might have certain repercussions… But if she truly wanted them to believe, she would have to show them. They would have to see.
57% of readers chose to [B. Convince them of your skills.]
Penn reached to her belt and felt the rough texture of the strap where her knife had used to be. She knew she had the ability to show them what she was made of, but a festering, burning desire for respect wasn't enough to make a weapon appear out of thin air. She held her hands out to the people of District Nine, baring her wrists.
All except the mayor were confused. "What are you doing?" Ulysses asked nervously.
The boy, Willem, mouthed those same words soundlessly. He looked confused—the only emotion he had shown since she'd interrupted the meeting.
The dust settled around the hall, and Penn smiled. "I volunteer as tribute, take me in."
The green-haired escort named Fivel spoke up. "Boz, what do we do with this crazy girl? We can't send this girl into the Games. She's a criminal. She hopped Districts, for pete's sake!"
"Let her speak," the mayor said softly, steepling his fingers before him. "Girl, you would wish to take the place of Emmy here?"
"Yes, sir," Penn replied.
"And you expect to bend my whims to that of a girl I've never met who looks like she just walked out of the business end of a chicken coop?" He frowned. "As you can see, our District is by no means a clean estate, but how would it look if we offered you up to the Capitol? We would be made the laughing stock."
"I can clean up and change clothes." Penn didn't know why his eyes were only surface level. This man was the mayor of an entire District. He was supposed to be intelligent.
The girl named Emmy stood from her chair, looking from her father to the mayor, and then to Penn. She was nervous, and shaking, as though she couldn't tell what was going on around her. "You want to take my place? You want to rescue me?" she asked, ecstatically.
"Sit down," Mayor Boz directed her, a stern tone permeating the high hall. "If you are not a tribute, Ms. Brahnum, you will simply live out the rest of your days in a prison cell." Emmy, defeated, sank back into her seat.
"That's my daughter you're talking to!" Ulysses spat at the mayor. He pointed at Penn. "Can't you see this girl is your best option?"
"And I would advise you to be careful as well, sir," Mayor Boz responded. "You and your family have been treading on thin ice for the past month. All it would take is one strike from my Peacekeepers to crack it and submerge you." He turned to Fivel, who remained positively aloof, looking Penn over and over with judgmental eyes. "Frankly, I am not one for the technicalities of your Capitol, Mr. Fivel. Is there any chance that admitting Miss Cassidy would be a legal battle?"
The green-haired man seemed to calm upon being asked the question. "I suppose it could be tiptoed around. So long as the answer is never revealed, I could see it going smoothly with little consequence... Although, I do question the ethics of the choice. The girl is a runner, no doubt about it. Do you know what the Capitol does to runners? They make them into avoxes. Are you really considering her as our tribute?"
Mayor Boz didn't answer, but with a nod. "Emmy Brahnum is a thief. Willem Thomsen has already served time in our detention facility. I see no difference between the two of them and a runner."
Fivel shook his head. "In the rules, it clearly states, 'A male and female tribute will be chosen from each District.'" He stabbed a harsh finger in Penn's direction. "Sheis not from the District!"
The mayor shook his head in response. "Was there not an announcement of the amendment of the rules? We choose our own tributes this year, Mr. Fivel. The girl seems more than happy to take the part. I've spent the last week running from town to town in pursuit of our tributes, and I haven't had one single volunteer... That is until her."
Fivel and Mayor Boz shared a moment of debate, and took one another by the arm, leading them away from the table to talk in private. The boy, Willem, tapped Penn on the shoulder and she turned to find a confused, stunning face. "So you're really a runner? What's the outside like?" he asked.
Penn ran another finger over the leather of her empty scabbard. "What?" she laughed. "You looking to get out? I can hook you up."
Willem smiled back, maintaining eye contact. "You're gonna be trouble, aren't you?"
Penn bit her lip and wiped a strand of black hair from her eyes.
"Penn Cassidy!" The mayor shouted from across the room, jumping her from her trance. He removed his top hat and used it to wave her. "We have decided that you shall take the place of District Nine's tribute." Strangely enough, Emmy was the one to jump up in excitement of the announcement. "But you must convince us."
Penn smiled. "I can hit a target from thirty feet away with my knife."
"Perfect!" Fivel exclaimed, clapping his hands together. Somehow, he seemed back on board the idea. Mayor Boz must have convinced him of the plan.
"I'm a fighter," Penn continued. Adrenaline was pumping through her veins, and she found she couldn't stop talking. "Back in One, I was a Career, and I feel confident in saying, District Nine has never seen the likes of me before. I'm strong, I'm fast, I'm smart, I'm not afraid of death, and I can chew up guys twice my size." She flashed a smile at Willem, who winked back. "You put me in that arena, you have a guaranteed win."
"Wow, a Career!" exclaimed Fivel, with big green eyes full of wonder. "Herman, think what kind of respect Nine could earn with a Career."
"Shut it, Green," said Boz with a wave of the finger. He looked Penn over once, and then twice. Penn didn't like the way he was scanning her with his eyes... "I think..." he said. "I think we might have our tribute."
Upon those words, Penn was lifted off her feet by an instant feeling of weightlessness. The last two weeks, since she had woken up had all been leading up to this moment. She felt a tear coming to her eye, and then two, and then three. All of a sudden, she was crying right there in the hall. She wished her father were here to see this, or Dray...
Mayor Boz smiled and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Pick yourself up, girl. You have to smile for the cameras." Then he turned to the escort. "Mr. Fivel, please secure a room for Ms. Cassidy in the Justice Building. I'd say she's earned a night of rest and a place to kick her feet up, wouldn't you say?"
"Oh, yes!" Fivel clapped his hands together, and took Penn by the shoulder. His sleeve felt light and velvety at once when Penn's arm touched it. "The Capitol is going to love you!" he said. "Sponsors from all over Panem, I tell you!"
When Penn looked over, Willem was leaning against the table, resting his head on his defined jaw. He nodded upwards at her, and smiled, and Penn blushed. Then she felt bad for blushing, as she remembered Dray back home, and how faithful he was to her. Then she bit her lip again.
Across the room, Emmy was leaping with joy, crying all over, wrapping her arms around her father and kissing him on his bearded cheek. Ulysses was crying too, and returned her a kiss on the forehead. Penn felt butterflies in her heart, and they made her blush again. She had given them that... just by taking Emmy's part in the Games. Then she was imagining all the applause she would receive upon her return to District Nine. They would all love her... She had seen how dirty their streets and their people were... She would be their savior.
"Wait!" called Ulysses, rushing up to Penn and her green escort before they managed to leave the hall. "Wait! Can I have a word with her?" he asked.
"But, of course," Fivel smiled and released Penn's arm.
Ulysses took a moment, and then grasped her hand very tightly. He was closing his eyes, but the waterworks were still flowing. "I... I can't thank you enough," he said. "If you... If you come back, you can always expect to have a friend in Ulysses Brahnum. You... you saved my daughter. Thank you. Thank you!"
"You're welcome," Penn said, and she shook his hand back. She was crying now too.
"Come now," said Fivel, swiveling her around toward the door of the hall. "You've had a long, weary journey, and the one before you will be even harder. You'd best get some sleep."
And he pushed open the door, onto a twilit District Nine. The Justice Building shimmered orange, perfectly in line with the setting sun behind it. The butterflies in Penn's chest were still fluttering. She went to sleep that night with a smile on her face, the butterflies still fluttering.
End of Chapter 16