"A problem that began the moment you pulled out those poisonous berries in the arena." "I have a problem, Miss Everdeen," says President Snow. It's made for someone taller than I am, so only my toes rest on the ground. I sit in front of the desk on one of the carved, straight-backed chairs. Like our home, this is a place that he has no right, but ultimately every right, to occupy. "Let's sit." President Snow takes a seat at the large desk of polished wood where Prim does her homework and my mother her budgets. cousins." By the way he lingers on the word "cousins," I can tell he knows that Gale and I don't share a family tree. I said any girl who goes to such lengths to preserve her life isn't going to be interested in throwing it away with both hands. "My advisors were concerned you would be difficult, but you're not planning on being difficult, are you?" he asks. If so, it was a waste of time and money, because he's not appealing at all. I have to wonder if his mouth has been altered to make him more appealing. But his are overly full, the skin stretched too tight. I'm expecting snake lips, which is to say none. President Snow smiles and I notice his lips for the first time. I think my tongue has frozen and speech will be impossible, so I surprise myself by answering back in a steady voice, "Yes, I think that would save time." "I think we'll make this whole situation a lot simpler by agreeing not to lie to each other," he says. I stand motionless, my eyes locked on him, considering plans of retreat. In fact, I treat him as if he's a real snake, the venomous kind. So I don't welcome him or offer him a chair. As if this is his home and I'm the uninvited party. Perhaps it is the newness of the house or the shock of seeing him or the mutual understanding that he could have me killed in a second that makes me feel like the intruder.
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