"People's odds have improved lately for surviving it, but that doesn't mean anything when plenty of them are scrambling away with festering gut wounds and broken bones."

Still, there's an air of resentment to how Eva says that. Her Cornucopia was far deadlier than the one these Tributes face - nine Tributes died before the first half-hour was up. Eva had escaped with a crossbow and bloody knees for her trouble, and had considered herself the champion of the pre-show for it.

Maybe these Tributes are just more interesting than her crop was.

"But if you're a fast runner or skilled in hand-to-hand, I'd recommend you do it. At the worst you'll be too dead to regret it, right?" Eva's grin is lopsided and not unlike that of a crocodile.