Adventures of Cari — Chapter 2
Chapter 2 — Buzz in the Hive
The Hive was a rather nice place. Once you got past the Drones and Workers who just couldn’t wait to get ahead of each other, there was a labyrinth all the way to the Queen’s chamber. The labyrinth itself opened into each of the Bees’ chambers which seemed quite comfortable. But the Queen’s chamber takes the honey cake. It was a suite with one of the rooms filled with her eggs, and the other decked with drapes and tapestries. There was a small desk with a pot of honey and some papyrus and writing equipment. There was a bigger table with a more elaborate high-tea set-up. There was a kettle of honey-flavoured tea with delicate little china, not unlike the ones Cari owned. Beside the tea, there was a cake-stand with pretty little cupcakes and pastries and scones on it. All honey-flavoured of course, and some of them decorated with fragrant flower petals and pollen. There was a separate section with beebread (pollen mixed with some nectar) for the growing larvae.
The Queen herself was seated on a luxurious sofa with two of her feet propped up on an ottoman, directly looking towards her eggs. The Worker bowed low, getting the attention of the Queen.
“Your Majesty, I have brought you a present. I was out looking for nectar, when I found this creature that smells like a flower, but isn’t. I immediately thought of you! Would you please accept this gift of mine, O Mother?”
The Queen peered at Cari, as she was pushed gently towards her. Cari bowed low, and gave her a nervous smile.
“You may go, Worker. I accept your present.” The Worker left at the Queen’s command. “Now now now. What do we do with this pretty little thing here?” The Queen prodded at Cari with one of her antennae. “So soft. What are you? Can you make any kind of buzz?”
Cari nervously smiled — “Yes, Your Majesty, my name is Cari, and I’m known as the Teeny Tiny Girl.”
“Oh! The Teeny Tiny Girl! I’ve always wanted to see you. Do have a seat. Let’s have some tea. Come on.” The Queen led Cari towards the bigger table with all the food clumped. She wasn’t sure if it was always high-tea, or the food changed with the time of day, but she was sure that it was still morning now and high-tea was taken in the afternoon, when the sun was on the other side.
The Queen took out two porcelain plates to be filled with the cakes and pastries while Cari poured two cups of honey-tea. The tea was sweet, in fact it could be called tea-flavoured honey, but Cari was smarter than to say that aloud. The cakes were also sweetened with honey.
“I hear you lived in the Garden. How were you found out here in the woods beyond?”
“Your Majesty, I was looking for the Thick Undergrowth. Robin, the robin, was hurt very badly and Mr. Owl said he needed Witch Hazel to help with the wound. I was lost when Worker Bee found me.”
“Oh my child, don’t worry. Luckily, the Thick Undergrowth is close to our Hive. I can show you the way. But beware the Compost People, you may pass through their territory if you’re not careful.”
“The Compost People?” Cari recalled Mr. Owl mentioned them, but she hadn’t gotten a chance to ask him.
“Yes, the Compost People originated in the far corner of the Back Garden, at least that’s what some of my drones reported to me. They have to cross the border on the Back Garden to get to the Flower Beds, and they tell me some of the nasty stuff that goes on over there. The Compost People mostly keep to themselves and they are said to have a symbiotic relationship with the Earth. They break down creatures — both living and dead making it easier for the Earth to swallow. A branch of them showed up near the hive a while ago. Word is, Compost People are found where the dead things are, because dead things are all about being swallowed by the earth. They are said to be very territorial, and they make no exception when it comes to food, so they eat everything in their territory whether or not it is to be eaten.”
Cari was a little scared at this point. She had never heard of the Compost People, and if what the Queen said was true, she didn’t want them to show up where Robin was.
“Alright, Your Majesty. I will keep that in mind. What do the Compost Territories look like?”
“My child, don’t worry. You’ll be fine. The one sure way of knowing Compost Territory is the smell. It even clogs up my Drones’ and Workers’ precious noses, they have to stay in the hive for days before they recover.” The Queen poured more honey-tea for both of them. “Have more tea, my child.”
After the third cup of tea and the second pastry, Cari gently excused herself. “Thank you for all the kindness, your Majesty. I should be on my way now, Robin and Mr. Owl are waiting for me.”
“Of course, my child. Some of my Workers should be going by the Thick Underwood, why don’t you tag along? It’ll be faster.” The Queen called for one of her Workers, and away flew Cari held by a Worker Bee.
