Page 124 of The Most Dangerous Games

Don’t.

The Host smiles like he’s amused she still has fight in her.

“This is madness,” Gabrielle says in English.

“On the contrary, Mademoiselle Fontaine,” The Host says. “It is an element that is quite necessary. You’ve shown you’ll sacrifice comfort. Safety. Pride. Even your bodies. But are you now willing to sacrifice each other? That’s the question we need answered. Because in the war to save our world from imminent destruction, these are the kinds of sacrifices that might need to be made, in the ultimate fight for survival.”

Alek feels nausea rise.

Jack’s voice cuts through it.

“I’ve been thinking about something,” he says.

“Other than throttling me?” The Host asks.

Jack ignores him.

“Why does there have to be just one winner?” he says.

“You mean cut the pie up into pieces in the end?” The Host says.

“We’ve already shown we can team up to get things done,” Jack says. “We’ve saved people together. Why couldn’t we do that for the biggest possible stakes?”

For the first time, The Host looks genuinely interested.

“Interesting,” he says. “You come up with that all on your own?”

“It’s just common sense,” Jack says.

The Host starts to say something else, but stops himself. Claps his hands together instead, the noise jarring enough that it’s like the crack of a pistol being fired.

“Now all of you go and get a good night’s sleep,” he says. “Lord knows, you’re going to need it.”

He turns and starts to walk toward the door through which he’d entered.

“I’m not doing it,” Hannah says.

The Host makes a slow, theatrical turn.

“Excuse me?” he says.

“I’m willing to do a lot,” the girl says. “I’ve already done a lot. But not this.”

The Host offers what might pass as a paternal smile if they all didn’t know him better.

“Well, that will be your choice,” he says. “Do you want to press your red button yourself, or would you like me to do it for you, Miss Wagner?”

Hannah sits motionless, and expressionless, staring back at him. She knows everyone in the room is watching her.

“I’ll think about it overnight,” she says finally.

The Host once again heads for the door.

It’s Jack’s voice that stops him this time.

“You said we’d be paired off for these duels,” Jack says. “Right?”

“So I did.”