Chapter XVI

“I need to speak to Her Majesty,” Polly told the nurses. “Her Majesty is working in the breeding cells area and is not available at the moment,” the nurses responded. But Polly ignored them and tried to fly into the nursing block! The nurses blocked her, but the commotion got the Queen’s attention. “Let her in,” she said forcefully. “I still run this place,” she added. Polly didn’t waste any time and asked the Queen to speak privately.

Once they were alone, she shared her incredible story. “I didn’t understand everything, but there is a third option for you,” she said mysteriously, “you could start a wild colony with your own rules; you would just need a couple of workers to come with you!” The Queen was surprised by Polly’s proposal; she was aware of that option, but it was too dangerous. She tried to explain how risky it would be for anyone joining them, but Polly wouldn’t listen. She argued that the workers had just a couple of weeks to live anyway, and at least they would spend them doing something that truly mattered. “No one would be forced, and they wouldn’t do it just for you! The world needs more bees, and more colonies means more bees!” she said. “We would weaken this colony,” the Queen opposed, but Polly wasn’t having any of it, “this hive will be just fine!” She stressed that repopulating wouldn’t take long with a new queen and the giant’s support. “The world needs bees able to survive in the wild more than it needs bees relying on the protection of the giants, who can’t even take proper care of their own habitat,” Polly insisted. “You could see the world outside again, smell the flowers,” she added. “I would love to go,” the Queen said. “I just don’t think I deserve such sacrifice from the other workers, given how I treated the former queen,” she said with noticeable regret. “Nobody is perfect; we all make mistakes,” Polly said. “I also followed instructions when I was born. My mistakes were just smaller because my power was little!” Polly confessed. Finally, the Queen agreed on two conditions: “We wait as long as possible, so the colony wouldn’t be left without a queen for too long, and all the workers would be aware of the risks they faced by leaving the hive!”

Polly didn’t waste any time. She found Buzz, and they spread the message that the Queen was starting her own wild colony! The number of workers willing to follow the Queen was overwhelming! Polly realized that Peggy was in the minority; she was just the loudest, and the other workers were afraid to oppose her when they had no alternative. So many courageous worker bees were waiting for someone strong enough to take the lead! It got to the point that Polly had to persuade some workers to stay so as not to jeopardize the colony. “The new queen will need you here,” she told them. “Your sisters will need you here as well,” she insisted!

From sunset to sunrise, Polly and Buzz scouted the area, looking for a suitable place to build the new hive. Polly knew the outside world well, and Buzz had excellent eyesight. They were a great team! Day by day, the search was getting more and more urgent. The new queen was about to emerge any day now, and Polly was running out of strength. She didn’t know how long she would manage to keep going, but she tried hiding it from Buzz. She needed him to focus on finding the right spot, not on her!