,BOOK #a#a1 ,*APT] #b 

#ahfiahfi 

,PEOPLE 3 

,AU?OR 3 ,LEO ,TOL/OY 

,TEXT 3 

,MEAN:ILE ,MOSC[ WAS EMPTY4 ,!RE W]E /ILL PEOPLE 9 IT1 P]HAPS A 
 FIFTIE? P>T ( ITS =M] 9HABITANTS HAD REMA9$1 BUT IT WAS EMPTY4 ,IT 
 WAS EMPTY 9 ! S5SE ?AT A DY+ QUE5LESS HIVE IS EMPTY4 

,9 A QUE5LESS HIVE NO LIFE IS LEFT ?\< TO A SUP]FICIAL GLANCE IT 
 SEEMS AS MU* ALIVE AS O!R HIVES4 

,! BEES CIRCLE R\ND A QUE5LESS HIVE 9 ! HOT BEAMS ( ! MIDDAY SUN 
 AS GAILY AS >\ND ! LIV+ HIVES2 FROM A DI/ANCE IT SMELLS ( HONEY 
 LIKE ! O!RS1 & BEES FLY 9 & \T 9 ! SAME WAY4 ,BUT ONE HAS ONLY 
 TO OBS]VE ?AT HIVE TO REALIZE ?AT !RE IS NO LONG] ANY LIFE 9 IT4 
 ,! BEES DO NOT FLY 9 ! SAME WAY1 ! SMELL & ! S\ND ?AT MEET ! 
 BEEKEEP] >E NOT ! SAME4 ,TO ! BEEKEEP]'S TAP ON ! WALL ( ! SICK 
 HIVE1 9/EAD ( ! =M] 9/ANT UNANIM\S HUMM+ ( T5S ( ?\S&S 
 ( BEES ) !IR ABDOM5S ?REAT5+LY COMPRESS$1 & PRODUC+ BY ! 
 RAPID VIBRATION ( !IR W+S AN A]IAL LIV+ S\ND1 ! ONLY REPLY IS A 
 DISCONNECT$ BUZZ+ FROM DIFF]5T P>TS ( ! DES]T$ HIVE4 ,FROM ! 
 ALI<T+ BO>D1 9/EAD ( ! =M] SPIRITU\S FRAGRANT SMELL ( HONEY 
 & V5OM1 & ! W>M :IFFS ( CR[D$ LIFE1 COMES AN ODOR ( EMPT9ESS 
 & DECAY M+L+ ) ! SMELL ( HONEY4 ,!RE >E NO LONG] S5T9ELS 
 S\ND+ ! AL>M ) !IR ABDOM5S RAIS$1 & READY TO DIE 9 DEF5SE 
 ( ! HIVE4 ,!RE IS NO LONG] ! MEASUR$ QUIET S\ND ( ?ROBB+ 
 ACTIVITY1 LIKE ! S\ND ( BOIL+ WAT]1 BUT DIV]SE DISCORDANT S\NDS 
 ( DISORD]4 ,9 & \T ( ! HIVE LONG BLACK ROBB] BEES SME>$ ) 
 HONEY FLY TIMIDLY & %IFTILY4 ,!Y DO NOT /+1 BUT CRAWL AWAY FROM 
 DANG]4 ,=M]LY ONLY BEES LAD5 ) HONEY FLEW 9TO ! HIVE1 & !Y 
 FLEW \T EMPTY2 N[ !Y FLY \T LAD54 ,! BEEKEEP] OP5S ! L[] P>T 
 ( ! HIVE & PE]S 94 ,9/EAD ( BLACK1 GLOSSY BEES--TAM$ BY 
 TOIL1 CL++ TO ONE ANO!R'S LEGS & DRAW+ \T ! WAX1 ) A 
 CEASELESS HUM ( LABOR--?AT US$ TO HANG 9 LONG CLU/]S D[N TO 
 ! FLOOR ( ! HIVE1 DR[SY %RIVEL$ BEES CRAWL AB\T SEP>ATELY 9 
 V>I\S DIRECTIONS ON ! FLOOR & WALLS ( ! HIVE4 ,9/EAD ( A NEATLY 
 GLU$ FLOOR1 SWEPT BY ! BEES ) ! FANN+ ( !IR W+S1 !RE IS A 
 FLOOR LITT]$ ) BITS ( WAX1 EXCREM5T1 DY+ BEES SC>CELY MOV+ 
 !IR LEGS1 & DEAD ONES ?AT HAVE NOT BE5 CLE>$ AWAY4 

,! BEEKEEP] OP5S ! UPP] P>T ( ! HIVE & EXAM9ES ! SUP]4 
 ,9/EAD ( S]RI$ R[S ( BEES SEAL+ UP EV]Y GAP 9 ! COMBS & 
 KEEP+ ! BROOD W>M1 HE SEES ! SKILLFUL COMPLEX /RUCTURES ( ! 
 COMBS1 BUT NO LONG] 9 !IR =M] /ATE ( PURITY4 ,ALL IS NEGLECT$ & 
 F\L4 ,BLACK ROBB] BEES >E SWIFTLY & /EAL?ILY PR[L+ AB\T ! 
 COMBS1 & ! %ORT HOME BEES1 %RIVEL$ & LI/LESS AS IF !Y W]E 
 OLD1 CREEP SL[LY AB\T )\T TRY+ TO H9D] ! ROBB]S1 HAV+ LO/ 
 ALL MOTIVE & ALL S5SE ( LIFE4 ,DRONES1 BUMBLEBEES1 WASPS1 & 
 BUTT]FLIES KNOCK AWKW>DLY AGA9/ ! WALLS ( ! HIVE 9 !IR FLI<T4 
 ,H]E & !RE AMONG ! CELLS CONTA9+ DEAD BROOD & HONEY AN ANGRY 
 BUZZ+ CAN SOMETIMES BE HE>D4 ,H]E & !RE A C\PLE ( BEES1 BY =CE 
 ( HABIT & CU/OM CLEAN+ \T ! BROOD CELLS1 ) EF=TS BEYOND 
 !IR /R5G? LABORI\SLY DRAG AWAY A DEAD BEE OR BUMBLEBEE )\T 
 KN[+ :Y !Y DO IT4 ,9 ANO!R CORN] TWO OLD BEES >E LANGUIDLY 
 FI<T+1 OR CLEAN+ !MSELVES1 OR FE$+ ONE ANO!R1 )\T 
 !MSELVES KN[+ :E!R !Y DO IT ) FRI5DLY OR HO/ILE 9T5T4 ,9 
 A ?IRD PLACE A CR[D ( BEES1 CRU%+ ONE ANO!R1 ATTACK SOME VICTIM 
 & FI<T & SMO!R IT1 & ! VICTIM1 5FEEBL$ OR KILL$1 DROPS FROM 
 ABOVE SL[LY & LI<TLY AS A FEA!R1 AMONG ! HEAP ( CORPSES4 ,! 
 KEEP] OP5S ! TWO C5T] P>TITIONS TO EXAM9E ! BROOD CELLS4 ,9 
 PLACE ( ! =M] CLOSE D>K CIRCLES =M$ BY ?\S&S ( BEES SITT+ 
 BACK TO BACK & GU>D+ ! HI< MY/]Y ( G5]ATION1 HE SEES HUNDR$S 
 ( DULL1 LI/LESS1 & SLEEPY %ELLS ( BEES4 ,!Y HAVE ALMO/ ALL DI$ 
 UNAW>ES1 SITT+ 9 ! SANCTU>Y !Y HAD GU>D$ & :I* IS N[ NO 
 MORE4 ,!Y REEK ( DECAY & DEA?4 ,ONLY A FEW ( !M /ILL MOVE1 RISE1 
 & FEEBLY FLY TO SETTLE ON ! 5EMY'S H&1 LACK+ ! SPIRIT TO DIE 
 /++ HIM2 ! RE/ >E DEAD & FALL AS LI<TLY AS FI% SCALES4 ,! 
 BEEKEEP] CLOSES ! HIVE1 *ALKS A M>K ON IT1 & :5 HE HAS TIME TE>S 
 \T ITS CONT5TS & BURNS IT CLEAN4 

,SO 9 ! SAME WAY ,MOSC[ WAS EMPTY :5 ,NAPOLEON1 WE>Y1 UNEASY1 & 
 MOROSE1 PAC$ UP & D[N 9 FRONT ( ! ,KAMM]-,KOLLEZSKI RAMP>T1 
 AWAIT+ :AT TO HIS M9D WAS A NECESS>Y1 IF BUT =MAL1 OBS]VANCE ( 
 ! PROPRIETIES--A DEPUTATION4 

,9 V>I\S CORN]S ( ,MOSC[ !RE /ILL REMA9$ A FEW PEOPLE AIMLESSLY 
 MOV+ AB\T1 FOLL[+ !IR OLD HABITS & H>DLY AW>E ( :AT !Y 
 W]E DO+4 

,:5 ) DUE CIRCUMSPECTION ,NAPOLEON WAS 9=M$ ?AT ,MOSC[ WAS EMPTY1 
 HE LOOK$ ANGRILY AT HIS 9=MANT1 TURN$ AWAY1 & SIL5TLY CONT9U$ TO 
 WALK TO & FRO4 

0,MY C>RIAGE60 HE SAID4 

,HE TOOK HIS SEAT BESIDE ! AIDE-DE-CAMP ON DUTY & DROVE 9TO ! 
 SUBURB4 0,MOSC[ DES]T$60 HE SAID TO HIMSELF4 0,:AT AN 9CR$IBLE EV5T60 

,HE DID NOT DRIVE 9TO ! T[N1 BUT PUT UP AT AN 9N 9 ! ,DOROGOMILOV 
 SUBURB4 

,! C\P DE !ATRE HAD NOT COME (F4 

,FROM 3 ,GUT5B]G4ORG4 

,*RONOLOGY 3 
,NOVEMB] #c1 #ahfh 3 ,BOOK #a#a1 ,*APT] #b -- ,PUBLICATION4 
,FEBRU>Y #a#a1 #bag 3 ,BOOK #a#a1 ,*APT] #b -- ,ADD$4 

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