Plutarch escorts Haymitch through the lavish Heavensbee house to a private library, and Haymitch enters expecting torture or execution. Instead, Plutarch talks with him, shows off the family’s books and liquor, and briefly wins Haymitch’s attention by discussing reading, poetry, and a drink called nepenthe. In the conservatory, Plutarch points out a carnivorous plant named nepenthes, still treating Haymitch more like a person than a prisoner, which leaves Haymitch unsure whether Plutarch is manipulating him or helping him.

President Snow then appears in the conservatory in obvious physical distress, sweating, coughing blood, and vomiting. Plutarch and Haymitch carry Snow back to the library, where Snow asks for milk. Realizing he has a rare chance to strike back, Haymitch deliberately drinks the first pitcher himself and pretends it was empty; Plutarch notices but covers for him instead of exposing him, deepening Haymitch’s uncertainty about Plutarch’s true loyalties.

Once Plutarch leaves again, Snow recovers enough to speak privately with Haymitch. Snow reveals that he has detailed knowledge of District 12, the Covey, and Lenore Dove, proving how closely he watches even seemingly unimportant people. When Snow examines Haymitch’s flint striker necklace and reads Lenore Dove’s inscription, he uses that knowledge to unsettle Haymitch, suggesting that Lenore Dove’s inner life and ambitions may not fully include him.

Snow then makes the real purpose of the meeting clear. He tells Haymitch that Haymitch’s defiance has guaranteed his death in the arena, but says Snow will decide how brutal that death is based on Haymitch’s behavior from now on. By threatening not only Haymitch but also the emotional suffering of Lenore Dove, Haymitch’s mother, and his little brother, Snow turns the coming Games into a tool of personal punishment and control.

After warning Haymitch against further mockery or rebellion, Snow says he has a belated birthday gift for him. At Snow’s call, the shocking gift appears in the doorway: Louella McCoy, the girl Haymitch believed had died in the Capitol after the chariot crash. The chapter ends on this revelation, which suggests a disturbing Capitol deception and gives Snow one more way to destabilize Haymitch before the Games begin.