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“Hello, Bey. I am Angie. What are you doing out of your hive?” Carefully I lowered myself to the ground and hunched over so that I was closer to eye level with Bey.

She rubbed her front legs together as she spoke. I was now close enough to see that.“My worker drones are hunting for a new location to build our hive. We cannot tolerate being so near this wretched plant.”

We both glanced toward the skunk cabbage.“I can’t say I blame you there. Do you need my help moving your apiary?”

“No, we will make our own hive, so that the humans can no longer over-harvest our honey. We’ll be solving both problems in one action.”

I thought of the expression I hated—two birds, one stone—and decided to use a saying I quite liked in its place. “That idea sounds like the bees’ knees,” I announced proudly and overly amused by myself.

Bey looked down at her plump forelegs, confused.“I do not understand.”

I chuckled at her look of bewilderment.“Don’t worry about it. Just a silly human expression.”

She made a sharp buzzing noise that I took to be a sigh—or maybe a scream. “You may be silly, Angie, but lately other humans have become a danger to us.”

“Aldrin and Lightyear told me about the over-harvesting and the new plants,” I offered, recalling the earlier conversation.

Bey circled slowly on the flower before settling down again.“Were it not for tradition, we would leave this place altogether. But this lot is where my mother lived out her rule, and her mother before her.”

“This garden has sentimental value. I can understand that. What can I do to help ensure you can stay?” I really did want to help. I hadn’t spent much time in conversation with bees before now, but I knew from the news that their populations were at risk and that their survival was important to the whole planet. Surely I could do my part to save this one hive while given the chance.

“Keep the other humans away,” Bey commanded, her voice haunting. “I do not wish to sacrifice members of my colony to communicate our displeasure via stings. But I fear we are close to that point.”

“Oh, yes, that reminds me, please don’t sting my husband. He is a good man, and very allergic.”

Bey made a strange shrill buzzing sound again.“Sadly, I cannot tell one human from another. I will not even recognize you, should we meet again.”

I nodded subtly, not wanting to overdo my motions when speaking with such a tiny creature.“While I have you, then, have you noticed any other strange goings-on in this garden or its house?”

“Strange how?” Bey’s voice was growing weak, exhausted. It probably wasn’t good for her to spend so long out of the nest. I would be quick with my questions, but first I needed to take a few minutes to catch her up on all the trouble Charles had faced since our arrival.

She sat motionless on the flower, listening with rapt attention.“You humans are a danger to yourselves even more so than us.”

I sighed.“That is sadly quite true.”

“I can offer no help, other than to tell you much has changed during my reign. These gardens were once the envy of all, but more and more, their glory has been compromised. Not from neglect, but from willful destruction.”

“Someone is bringing in the bad plants,” I summarized.

“And removing the good ones. Over-harvesting our honey and causing a great famine.”

I clucked my tongue at this.“I’m sorry. That’s awful.”

“We are not the paragon of hard work without reason. Starting today, my workers will be constructing a new hive, and together we will usher in a new era of prosperity. Until then I will endure and put on a strong face for my colony.”

“You are a good leader,” I assured her.

“As all queens should be.”

“Be, ha! Get it,bees shouldbe?” I couldn’t help it. The unexpected pun brightened my mood once more. Hopefully Bey saw the humor in it too.

“You are a strange human, but a kind one. Good luck with your problems.”

“Good luck to you with yours. I’ll talk with the owner of this house and see if she can offer any help.”

“I do not hold out much hope but appreciate your efforts all the same. Farewell, Angie.” Queen Bey kept her place on the dark flower center, telling me I had been dismissed from her audience.

Now to find my husband and our temporarily adopted kitten to tell them what little I had learned from our talk—and to see if Charles had any ideas for helping the colony while we were still here at the old stone mansion that held many mysteries within its walls and gardens.

15

We let Charlene prowl around the garden on her own four feet for the next hour, hoping it might encourage mama cat to make contact. We kept close watch to ensure she remained safe and undiscovered by Madame Blue and the other guests.

While she explored, I showed Charles the patch of skunk cabbage and told him how the bees were moving from the apiary to a new self-made hive as a result.“It doesn’t smell as bad today, but I’m sure it’s still terrible for the bees.”