Sunrise on the Reaping

The tributes react angrily to Plutarch’s question, but he presses on, asking: “Why do you agree to it? Why do I? For that matter, why have people always agreed to it?” (48).

Haymitch is called next for knife-throwing. As he holds the blade in his hand, he briefly contemplates attacking Plutarch but throws the knife at a target instead. Plutarch then informs him that the Capitol edited the chariot crash and the ensuing chaos entirely out of the broadcast ceremony.

Ampert tells Haymitch that District 10 has joined the alliance. One of the boys from 10, Buck, has made him a lariat. Maysilee offers to braid the lariat into a necklace, turning it into a token. Ampert encourages Haymitch to speak to his father Beetee, who is manning one of the training booths. Beetee, a previous District 3 victor, reveals that Ampert was reaped as punishment for Beetee’s plot to sabotage the Capitol’s communication systems. Now, he is being forced to “coach his own child to death” (49). Beetee says that the arena functions “like a machine,” and can be broken by disconnecting a single piece.

Over lunch, Districts 3, 7, 8, and 10 join 12 on the bleachers. When Careers steal food from the frail District 6 tributes, Haymitch offers his and Louella’s lunches to them. The grateful tributes—Wellie, Miles, Atread, and Velo—agree to join the anti-Career alliance. At Haymitch’s suggestion, they name the alliance “The Newcomers.” He notices Maysilee quietly transforming each tribute’s personal item into a token. Ampert says that he wishes Maysilee was his sister, and she responds, “I’ll be your sister” (51). Haymitch is surprised by her kindness.

After lunch, the tributes are driven to an imposing marble building, the Heavensbee family mansion. Plutarch appears and tells Haymitch that there has been a change in his schedule, as Snow has had “second thoughts” about the previous night’s performance.

Plutarch escorts Haymitch into the building. The home is staffed by Avox, mute servants whose tongues have been cut out by the Capitol. Plutarch brings Haymitch into a library and offers him a drink. Haymitch declines but comments on a bottle labeled nepenthe, which he correctly identifies as a reference to “The Raven.” Plutarch is surprised at Haymitch’s literary knowledge.

Plutarch leads Haymitch on into a conservatory, where a visibly ill President Snow awaits them. Snow vomits into the conservatory fountain and demands to be brought milk. Haymitch is sent to retrieve a milk pitcher from the fridge, but instead, he drinks out its contents and acts as though it were already empty.

Using veiled language, Snow admits to poisoning the parade master, Incitatus Loomy. He asks Haymitch probing questions about Lenore, revealing that he has pre-existing knowledge of the Covey. Snow bluntly warns Haymitch that his behavior has already guaranteed his death in the Games but offers him a deal: If he dies “clean and fair” (58), his loved ones will be spared.

Snow ends the conversation by presenting Haymitch with a “gift”—Louella McCoy, who suddenly appears at the door of the conservatory.

Haymitch immediately recognizes “Louella” as a Capitol body double. She is unable to speak beyond repeating her name and her district. Snow tells Haymitch that fake Louella will be sent into the arena with Haymitch as part of the Capitol’s illusion, “a perfect pair…in a perfect quarter quell” (60).

Back at the tribute apartments, Haymitch introduces fake Louella to the others. Fake Louella is visibly distressed, crying and pawing at her ears. She exhibits signs of starvation and torture. Wiress and Mags guess that she is being drugged by the Capitol via a remote-controlled port in her chest and fed instructions via an embedded earpiece. When offered a selection of breads, Fake Louella chooses a seeded roll from 11, leading the group to conclude that she is originally from 11. Uncomfortable calling her Louella, the group settles on the nickname “Lou Lou.” They agree to treat her with compassion.

The group discusses the upcoming arena. From clues at the training stations—tarps and the potato battery—they suspect that the arena will be wet, with limited sources of fire. That night, Lou Lou grabs tightly onto Haymitch’s hand, and he comforts her by signing part of “The Raven”.

Beetee wakes Haymitch, informing him that Wiress has temporarily shut down the power in the apartment. He asks if Haymitch is serious about sabotaging the games, which Haymitch affirms. Beetee explains the arena’s structure—below the ground lies an underground operations center called “Sub-A,” which is never shown onscreen. Gamemakers remain onsite in Sub-A to manage manual tasks like releasing mutts. Sub-A is home to the arena’s onsite computer, the “brain” of the arena. Beetee tells Haymitch that unplugging the computer won’t work, as there is a backup generator located just outside the arena. Instead, he is going to “drown” it.

Beetee elaborates on his plan. He was once given access to the schematics of Sub-A and knows that it contains a large reservoir located under the northern part of the arena, used to create weather events or put out fires. The arena contains a series of “mutt portals”—hatches connecting to Sub-A that are used for releasing mutts. If Haymitch can access Sub-A through one of these portals, he can reach the reservoir and destroy it, flooding the computer and disabling the arena.

Beetee says Ampert is part of the plan and will assist Haymitch. When Haymitch offers to go it alone to protect him, Beetee says that the Capitol won’t let Ampert live anyway—he only asks that Haymitch try to ensure a quick and painless death for his son. Beetee is working on a specialized bomb, designed to avoid accidental detonation; it requires deliberate assembly and ignition by fire. Wiress warns them that a Capitol repair crew is approaching, and Haymitch returns to bed.

The next morning, Haymitch considers telling the others about the plan but refrains. Wiress shares that Lou Lou’s earpiece is a two-way transmitter, allowing the Capitol to control her behavior while listening in on the tributes. Lou Lou reminds Haymitch of the Capitol’s jabberjays—a species of mutt bird used for surveillance during the war. When the rebels discovered their purpose, they began feeding lies to the birds. After the rebellion, jabberjays mated with mockingbirds, creating a new species: the mockingjay.

During training, Haymitch and Ampert successfully recruit Districts 11 and 9 into their alliance, the latter specifically requested by Beetee. The District 9 tributes all have the same token, a sunflower-shaped pendant made of clay. 

That afternoon, the tributes attend private evaluation sessions with the Gamemakers, which determine their public scores. These scores heavily influence sponsor support in the Games. Haymitch wonders how to convince the Gamemakers that he is no longer a threat to the Capitol and throw them off the scent of his plan. He decides to paint himself as a self-centered “punk” from 12 who wants to win and live in the victor’s village. When scores are announced, the Newcomers alliance is largely scored between four and seven. Haymitch, however, is given the lowest possible score: a one.

Haymitch can’t recall another tribute ever scoring a one. Maysilee reassures him, saying his score means he got under the Gamemakers’ skin, while Mags points out that it makes him stand out from the rest of the tributes.

The next morning, the tributes receive their tokens back after passing Capitol inspection. Haymitch asks Maysilee about her mockingjay pin, mentioning that Lenore Dove would be happy to have it. In response, Maysilee says she knows a secret about Lenore and tells Haymitch to ask her about the “orange paint on her fingernails” (71).

Drusilla arrives to coach the tributes for their upcoming interviews with Caesar Flickerman, helping each tribute practice their pitch. When Lou Lou can only repeat her name and district, Drusilla shakes her in frustration. Lou Lou erupts in panic, screaming: “You’re murdering us! You’re murdering us!” (71). Drusilla raises an arm to slap her but stops when she realizes she is outnumbered by tributes.

When it’s his turn to speak, Drusilla coaches Haymitch to present himself as a rascal, mischievous but ultimately harmless to the Capitol. Proserpina and Vitus arrive in distress, reporting that they found Magno vomiting and delirious at his apartment after imbibing toad venom recreationally. Proserpina calls her sister for help. A short while later, an elaborately dressed young Capitol woman arrives at the apartment, carrying bags of clothing.