YOU SAID:

of their berries. We settle back in a nook in the rocks. From this place, we are invisible but have a clear view of the valley, which is teeming with summer life, greens to gather, roots to dig, fish iridescent in the sunlight. The day is glorious, with a blue sky and soft breeze. The food’s wonderful, with the cheese seeping into the warm bread and the berries bursting in our mouths. Everything would be perfect if this really was a holiday, if all the day off meant was roaming the mountains with Gale, hunting for tonight’s supper. But instead we have to be standing in the square at two o’clock waiting for the names to be called out. “We could do it, you know,” Gale says quietly. “What?” I ask. “Leave the district. Run off. Live in the woods. You and I, we could make it,” says Gale. I don’t know how to respond. The idea is so preposterous. “If we didn’t have so many kids,” he adds quickly. They’re not our kids, of course. But they might as well be. Gale’s two little brothers and a sister. Prim. And you may as well throw in our mothers, too, because how would they live without us? Who would fill those mouths that are always asking for more? With both of us hunting daily, there are still nights when game has to be swapped for lard or shoelaces or wool, still nights when we go to bed with our stomachs growling. “I never want to have kids,” I say. “I might. If I didn’t live here,” says Gale. “But you do,” I say, irritated. 21587_01_1-378_r8mr.indd 9 1587_01_1-378_r8mr.indd 9 4/29/08 3:54:28 PM /29/08 3:54:28 PM 10 “Forget it,” he snaps back. The conversation feels all wrong. Leave? How could I leave Prim, who is the only person in the world I’m certain I love? And Gale is devoted to his family. We can’t leave, so why bother talking about it? And even if we did . . . even if we did . . . where did this stuff about having kids come from? There’s never been anything romantic between Gale and me. When we met, I was a skinny twelve-year-old, and although he was only two years older, he already looked like a man. It took a long time for us to even become friends, to stop haggling over every trade and begin helping each other out. Besides, if he wants kids, Gale won’t have any trouble finding a wife. He’s good-looking, he’s strong enough to handle the work in the mines, and he can hunt. You can tell by the way the girls whisper about him when he walks by in school that they want him. It makes me jealous but not for the reason people would think. Good hunting partners are hard to find. “What do you want to do?” I ask. We can hunt, fish, or gather. “Let’s fish at the lake. We can leave our poles and gather in the woods. Get something nice for tonight,” he says. Tonight. After the reaping, everyone is supposed to celebrate. And a lot of people do, out of relief that their children have been spared for another year. But at least two families will pull their shutters, lock their doors, and try to figure out how they will survive the painful weeks to come. 21587_01_1-378_r8mr.indd 10 1587_01_1-378_r8mr.indd 10 4/29/08 3:54:28 PM /29/08 3:54:28 PM 11 We make out well. The predators ignore us on a day when easier, tastier prey abounds. By late morning, we have a dozen fish, a bag of greens and, best of all, a gallon of strawberries. I found the patch a few years ago, but Gale had the idea to string mesh nets around it to keep out the animals. On the way home, we swing by the Hob, the black market that operates in an abandoned warehouse that once held coal. When they came up with a more efficient system that transported the coal directly from the mines to the trains, the Hob gradually took over the space. Most businesses are closed by this time on reaping day, but the black market’s still fairly busy. We easily trade six of the fish for good bread, the other two for salt. Greasy Sae, the bony old woman who sells bowls of hot soup from a large kettle, takes half the greens off our hands in exchange for a couple of chunks of paraffin. We might do a tad better elsewhere, but we make an effort to keep on good terms with Greasy Sae. She’s the only one who can consistently be counted on to buy wild dog. We don’t hunt them on purpose, but if you’re attacked and you take out a dog or two, well, meat is meat. “Once it’s in the soup, I’ll call it beef,” Greasy Sae says with a wink. No one in the Seam would turn up their nose at a good leg of wild dog, but the Peacekeepers who come to the Hob can afford to be a little choosier. When we finish our business at the market, we go to the back door of the mayor’s house to sell half the strawberries, knowing he has a particular fondness for them and can 21587_01_1-378_r8mr.indd 11 1587_01_1-378_r8mr.indd 11 4/29/08 3:54:28 PM /29/08 3:54:28 PM 12 afford our price. The mayor’s daughter, Madge, opens the door. She’s in my year at school. Being the mayor’s daughter, you’d expect her to be a snob, but she’s all right. She just keeps to herself. Like me. Since neither of us really has a group of friends, we seem to end up together a lot at school. Eating lunch, sitting next to each other at assemblies, partnering for sports activities. We rarely talk, which suits us both just fine. Today her drab school outfit has been replaced by an expensive white dress, and her blonde hair is done up with a pink ribbon. Reaping clothes. “Pretty dress,” says Gale. Madge shoots him a look, trying to see if it’s a genuine compliment or if he’s just being ironic. It is a pretty dress, but she would never be wearing it ordinarily. She presses her lips together and then smiles. “Well, if I end up going to the Capitol, I want to look nice, don’t I?” Now it’s Gale’s turn to be confused. Does she mean it? Or is she messing with him? I’m guessing the second. “You won’t be going to the Capitol,” says

INTO JAPANESE

彼らのベリーの。私たちは岩の中の隅に落ち着きます。ここからは目に見えませんが、夏の暮らし、緑の集まり、根の掘り起こし、太陽の光の中で虹色の魚を見ることができます。その日は晴れやかで、青空と柔らかい風が吹いています。温かいパンにチーズが染み込んでいる、素晴らしい食べ物

BACK INTO ENGLISH

Of their Berry. We settle down in the corner in the rock. You can see the Rainbow fish in sun light and new collection of summer living, green, root is not visible from here. The day is radiant, blue skies and a gentle breeze is blowing. Warm bread with cheese

INTO JAPANESE

彼らのベリーの。我々は岩の角に沈む。あなたは太陽の光の中で虹の魚を見ることができ、夏の生き物、緑、根の新しいコレクションはここからは見えません。その日は晴れやかで、青い空と穏やかな風が吹いています。チーズで温かいパン

BACK INTO ENGLISH

Of their Berry. We are on the corner of the rock sinks. You can see the Rainbow fish in sun light in a new collection of creatures of summer, green, root is not visible here. That day was radiant, blue skies and a gentle breeze is blowing. Warm cheese bread

INTO JAPANESE

彼らのベリーの。私たちはロック・シンクの角にいます。あなたは太陽の光の中の虹の魚を、夏、緑、根の生き物の新しいコレクションで見ることができます。その日は晴れやかで、青い空と穏やかな風が吹いています。暖かいチーズパン

BACK INTO ENGLISH

Of their berries. We are at the corner of rock · sink. You can see rainbow fish in the sunshine in a new collection of summer, green, root creatures. The day is sunny, blue skies and calm wind are blowing. Warm cheese bread

INTO JAPANESE

その果実。我々 は、ロック · の隅シンク。夏、緑、ルート生き物の新しいコレクションでは太陽の光で虹色の魚を見ることができます。この日は晴れて、青い空と穏やかな風が吹いています。温かいチーズ パン

BACK INTO ENGLISH

Its fruit. We rock · The corner sink. Summer, you can see the Rainbow fish in the light of the Sun in the new collection of green, root creatures. This day is sunny, blue skies and a gentle breeze is blowing. Warm cheese bread

INTO JAPANESE

その果実。私たちロック ·コーナー シンク。夏には、緑、ルート生き物の新しいコレクションで太陽の光の虹色の魚を見ることができます。この日は晴れて、青い空と穏やかな風が吹いています。温かいチーズ パン

BACK INTO ENGLISH

Its fruit. Our clock corner sinks. You can see the sunshine Rainbow fish in a new collection of green, root creatures in the summer. This day is sunny, blue skies and a gentle breeze is blowing. Warm cheese bread

INTO JAPANESE

その果実。私達の時計コーナーはシンクします。夏に緑、ルート生き物の新しいコレクションで太陽の光の虹色の魚を見ることができます。この日は晴れて、青い空と穏やかな風が吹いています。温かいチーズ パン

BACK INTO ENGLISH

Its fruit. Our clock corner sink. You can see the sunshine Rainbow fish in a new collection of green, root creatures in the summer. This day is sunny, blue skies and a gentle breeze is blowing. Warm cheese bread

INTO JAPANESE

その果実。私たちの時計コーナー シンク。夏に緑、ルート生き物の新しいコレクションで太陽の光の虹色の魚を見ることができます。この日は晴れて、青い空と穏やかな風が吹いています。温かいチーズ パン

BACK INTO ENGLISH

Its fruit. Our clock corner sinks. You can see the sunshine Rainbow fish in a new collection of green, root creatures in the summer. This day is sunny, blue skies and a gentle breeze is blowing. Warm cheese bread

INTO JAPANESE

その果実。私達の時計コーナーはシンクします。夏に緑、ルート生き物の新しいコレクションで太陽の光の虹色の魚を見ることができます。この日は晴れて、青い空と穏やかな風が吹いています。温かいチーズ パン

BACK INTO ENGLISH

Its fruit. Our clock corner sink. You can see the sunshine Rainbow fish in a new collection of green, root creatures in the summer. This day is sunny, blue skies and a gentle breeze is blowing. Warm cheese bread

INTO JAPANESE

その果実。私たちの時計コーナー シンク。夏に緑、ルート生き物の新しいコレクションで太陽の光の虹色の魚を見ることができます。この日は晴れて、青い空と穏やかな風が吹いています。温かいチーズ パン