第24部分(第4/7 页)

　here？　The　whole　time　probably。　Still　and　unobserved　as　the　action　unfolded　beneath　her。　Perhaps　she　headed　up　her　tree　shortly　before　I　did；　hearing　the　pack　was　so　close。

For　a　while　we　hold　each　otherˇs　gaze。　Then；　without　even　rustling　a　leaf；　her　little　hand　slides　into　the　open　and　points　to　something　above　my　head。

14

My　eyes　follow　the　line　of　her　finger　up　into　the　foliage　above　me。　At　first；　I　have　no　idea　what　sheˇs　pointing　to；　but　then；　about　fifteen　feet　up；　I　make　out　the　vague　shape　in　the　dimming　light。　But　of　。　。　。　of　what？　Some　sort　of　animal？　It　looks　about　the　size　of　a　raccoon；　but　it　hangs　from　the　bottom　of　a　branch；　swaying　ever　so　slightly。　Thereˇs　something　else。　Among　the　familiar　evening　sounds　of　the　woods；　my　ears　register　a　low　hum。　Then　I　know。　Itˇs　a　wasp　nest。

Fear　shoots　through　me；　but　I　have　enough　sense　to　keep　still。　After　all；　I　donˇt　know　what　kind　of　wasp　lives　there。　It　could　be　the　ordinary　leave…us…alone…and…weˇll…leave…youalone　type。　But　these　are　the　Hunger　Games；　and　ordinary　isnˇt　the　norm。　More　likely　they　will　be　one　of　the　Capitolˇs　muttations；　tracker　jackers。　Like　the　jabberjays；　these　killer　wasps　were　spawned　in　a　lab　and　strategically　placed；　like　land　mines；　around　the　districts　during　the　war。　Larger　than　regular　wasps；　they　have　a　distinctive　solid　gold　body　and　a　sting　that　raises　a　lump　the　size　of　a　plum　on　contact。　Most　people　canˇt　tolerate　more　than　a　few　stings。　Some　die　at　once。　If　you　live；　the　hallucinations　brought　on　by　the　venom　have　actually　driven　people　to　madness。　And　thereˇs　another　thing；　these　wasps　will　hunt　down　anyone　who　disturbs　their　nest　and　at184　tempt　to　kill　them。　Thatˇs　where　the　tracker　part　of　the　name　es　from。

After　the　war；　the　Capitol　destr