Clifton Meets Andre

Glad you could join us for the next pollinated episode of Elliot’s Adventures. If you’re new here, you can catch up by returning to the beginning, and reading really fast…

News that every wasp and vole had enlisted in the Alliance army influenced others to attend their own tribe’s meeting. Even the solitary amphibians, intrigued by the charismatic Lieutenant Terrance’s stature, were eager to learn more. Almost everyone signed up. By sunset, the Alliance army comprised every tribe except the Hiverarchy of Free Bees, who were now Clifton’s challenge.

Clifton felt the weight of his assignment. By noon, it seemed every worker bee in the Freelands had heard the Queen of Fen’s nephew was trying to recruit them into an army. Curious, they swarmed to hear his story, but very few had any interest in belonging to a multi-Kingdom fighting force.

Andre, the eldest son of the Hiverarchy’s Queen Madalena, had shown up with a gang of friends. “I like the idea of seeing new places,” he admitted, “but I wouldn’t join up unless the Hiverarchy approved first.”

Clifton said, “I can understand why you want to avoid fighting. I never imagined I’d be a fighter either.”

The gang’s cuffing laughter stirred up poofs of pollen.

“We’re Hive Guards,” Andre sneered. “We’re ready to fight when we have to. We just don’t go looking for it.” He grinned at his buddies. “But you know who might?” A couple of them nodded conspiratorially. “Sam. Sam’s just the right amount of crazy for something like this. Maybe I’ll mention it when I get home.”

The lot of them flew away snickering.

Clifton’s dusk meeting with Arturo wasn’t the triumph he’d hoped.

“You’ve done what you could,” the Ambassador said. “At least now they can have a discussion. Tomorrow, I’d like you to report to the trainers so they can assign you to a unit.”

Disappointed by his lack of success, Clifton returned to this closed society’s hive as evening pushed the last glimmer of day over the horizon.

“Hey. I’ve been waiting for you.”

A solitary worker covered with the thickest coat of pollen Clifton had ever seen, lifted off a blade of grass and fell in beside him.

“I’m Sam. Give me a minute to get cleaned up, and we’ll go somewhere we can talk in private.”

Clifton followed.

To be continued. . .

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