Revolution

Manipulation

7: Spy

Snow POV

As I go about my work, documenting the information sent from Seneca, my army commanders and the spies in the Districts, I open another screen to Katniss and Primrose Everdeen every so often. Their cells are fairly close, and Primrose knows that, but I doubt that she wants to be near Katniss anymore. Not after that traitor outburst. Katniss has been responding well to our conversations, so well, in fact that I wonder if she could be faking it.

I doubt she is though. She isn't good at lying, or figuring out what people want to hear. She says what comes into her head, as she did when I first visited her. Primrose seems to be the same. Both so emotional, similar in many ways. But different. Primrose is rebellious, but not as ruthless as Katniss is. Katniss would watch the Capitol burn and laugh and smile as she rained down fire; Primrose would feel sorry for the innocents who would be injured.

I haven't thought about what to do to Primrose yet in detail. She will be the tool to unlock Katniss Everdeen, I know that, but not with threats. Katniss clearly loves her, and Primrose loves Katniss as well. I rewind the video as I took her from her room, mouthing to Katniss that she was sorry and thanking her for preventing her from torture. Not that I would have her tortured, of course not, I know Katniss well enough to know that's a bad idea, and if my citizens caught whiff of a thirteen year old girl being tortured under my orders.. They would start to doubt my suitability to say the least.

It's interesting, they all enjoy the Hunger Games because it's normal to them, even though it is technically a teenage murder festival, to paraphrase the words of Katniss Everdeen. They don't see those children as human, just as a punishment for the First Rebellion. But Primrose Everdeen is different, can't be touched, even though she is an important key to destroying the hope of the rebels. But it's too late, they've broadcast her all over Panem helping the injured in Eight, even managing to hijack the Capitol screens.

The events in Twelve alone shook enough people; now they seem to view me with much more fear and respect, yet I can tell that many disagree with it. Despite all of the propaganda of how people from Twelve were behaving like animals, the crimes, how poor a life they lived, still many feel sympathetic towards them. But even so, it was the correct decision. How many rebels did I wipe out with that order, I wonder. Probably around ten percent of them, considering that there are thirteen Districts, but the lower ones won't rebel.

I consider for a moment when the right time to start the hi-jacking process will be, and how to carry it out. Gale Hawthorne will be the key here, Hawthorne and the other citizens of Twelve. They're the ones she has sympathy for, if I assume that she is telling the truth about her feelings towards Thirteen and if she believes me. My mind drifts towards the various lie detection methods. None of them are fully accurate and all are obvious signs of distrust. It would be useful, but not worth the steps back in trust. All of the drugs to prevent lies are still being tested; I will not risk the Mockingjay by giving her experimental drugs.

Hi-jacking can't be an obvious process. Part of the nature of it works on fear, if I sent some men to force a needle filled with the venom into her arm, obviously she would fear my people as well.. Perhaps more than the ones shown to her. Maybe videos of Gale in the Hunger Games would be a good choice, showing his nature as a killer. The Bloodbath would be an easy scene to manipulate- he threw a sword to her, if I remember correctly. She will see it as at her. Killing the tributes with the careers. Yes, this could come together nicely.

Memory loss drugs are a must, and have the useful side-effect of making her more impressionable. I can probably convince her that Hawthorne was manipulating her for an advantage in the Games. Or perhaps that he was doing it because he was sadistic. Now how can I pass off her survival? The people of the Capitol still love her, still adore her relationship with Hawthorne. I can suggest that it was their desire that stopped the Games- that will turn her against Gale Hawthorne and simultaneously add more evidence to my case that she should be with the Capitol. My fingers fly over the keyboard as I type up the ideas and save the document.