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The Bees: A Novel
The Bees: A Novel
The Bees: A Novel
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The Bees: A Novel

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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The Handmaid’s Tale meets The Hunger Games in this brilliantly imagined debut set in an ancient culture where only the queen may breed and deformity means death.

Flora 717 is a sanitation worker, a member of the lowest caste in her orchard hive where work and sacrifice are the highest virtues and worship of the beloved Queen the only religion. But Flora is not like other bees. With circumstances threatening the hive’s survival, her curiosity is regarded as a dangerous flaw but her courage and strength are an asset. She is allowed to feed the newborns in the royal nursery and then to become a forager, flying alone and free to collect pollen. She also finds her way into the Queen’s inner sanctum, where she discovers mysteries about the hive that are both profound and ominous.

But when Flora breaks the most sacred law of all—daring to challenge the Queen’s fertility—enemies abound, from the fearsome fertility police who enforce the strict social hierarchy to the high priestesses jealously wedded to power. Her deepest instincts to serve and sacrifice are now overshadowed by an even deeper desire, a fierce maternal love that will bring her into conflict with her conscience, her heart, her society—and lead her to unthinkable deeds.

Thrilling, suspenseful and spectacularly imaginative, The Bees gives us a dazzling young heroine and will change forever the way you look at the world outside your window.

LanguageEnglish
PublisherHarperCollins
Release dateMay 6, 2014
ISBN9780062331168
Author

Laline Paull

Laline Paull studied English at Oxford, screenwriting in Los Angeles, and theater in London. She lives in England with her husband, photographer Adrian Peacock, and their three children.

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Rating: 3.8801128722143865 out of 5 stars
4/5

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    For the first 100 pages or so, I wasn't sure if this was merely a writing exercise, something tricksy without real substance, but there was an aggregation of action and a genuine through-line that made the ending of the book a more satisfying payoff than many other novels I've read recently.

    I really enjoyed this.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Wonderfully written, this novel takes you into the mind of a bee! The descriptions are amazing.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Flora 717 is an anthropomorphized bee; an odd-bee-out in the hive's restrictive society who can work sanitation, gather pollen, and attend the queen while facing many dangers within and without. It's a playful, weird and sweet story.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Flora 717, a lowly sanitation bee, is born with unusual features and abilities that allow her to move fluidly between the strict hierarchies of her hive. Through this ability, she witnesses the brutality and beauty that the various castes of bees exhibit to keep the hive productive, all in service and loyalty to the queen. But when Flora discovers she is fertile and can produce an offspring, she must betray her instincts to worship the queen bee and follow an untrodden path that leads her away from her kin. Summary BPLLaline Paull, in her debut novel, has pulled off an amazing feat: an absorbing 338 page novel about the life of one bee, Flora 717 (do I detect echoes of Jean Valjean....24601?). I feared for and cheered for Flora and couldn't put the book down!This book was an out of the blue recommendation from LibraryThing. But it makes sense: the political structure of the hive has so many connections to human government. We humans have historically been fascinated with bees and their government. The hive has the reputation of a utopia--a perfect society where each knows her place and function and all work together towards the good of all. Accept Obey Serve The rule of the hive. Margaret Atwood calls THE BEES "a gripping Cinderella, Arthurian take". It is being reviewed as a "dystopian" novel, comparing Laline Paull to Orwell and Atwood.To convey the scale and tone of Flora's world, Ms Paull infuses her tale with a kind of medieval grandeur; I can see why Margaret Atwood described it as "Arthurian". Manners and speech are worthy of the court of King Arthur. And although the bees "think", which some readers will decry as anthropomorphism, they do so within their identities in the hive. This unveiled the mysteries of the hive's inner workings for me, and how the strata of bee society bear many similarities to our own...even though it is a female society--with males relegated to stud service.Flora 717 is an engaging, noble protagonist. Her fears and struggles endear her to the reader. No cutesiness here--unless you consider an apian Joan of Arc cute! My highest praise goes to Ms Paull for making the hive interior knowable, like a palace, and the experience of scent and vibrations as real communication. And hive mind! Have to admit, it made me think of organized religion; particularly Catholicism. (Am I going to be pushed out of the hive/heaven for writing that?)9 out of 10 Highly recommended to all!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Though it took me a little while to suspend my disbelief over a story from the point of view of bees, I really got into this.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I really struggled to get into this - the writing is fine and the plot feels action-packed, but I couldn't really bring myself to care about the 'characters'.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is a fabulous book. When I finished it I had to read it again.Through the eyes, or more often through the antennae, of one worker bee, Flora 717, The Bees tells the story of a hive of bees and of Flora's own adventures within the hive - and outside it.The book's most remarkable success is the way it pulls the reader into the sheer alien-ness of the bees' world, into the way the bee perceives its world. The sense of what it is to be a bee, to be your own bee and also part of a hive-mind, is vividly and compellingly present on every page. Wasps, Spiders, Cold, Rain are all terrifyingly to scale. Just being a bee is a precarious and dangerous existence. Danger is at the heart of any thriller and this is a thriller - an absolute page-turner.There are vivid characters but character is built out of the function (or lack of it) of particular bees within the hive rather than merely being imposed.There is a totalitarian society, mind control, duty, mania, schism. All these things have their parallels in human societies and you can draw those parallels if you want to but, essentially, all Laline Paull's bees are just doing the things bees do. But in doing so they provide one of the most exciting novels I've read in a long time.There are 9,000 sisters too. The word 'sister' will never feel quite the same again.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The strangest book I have read in a long time. Set in a beehive it tells the story of the hive over a year through a single bee, Flora. Flora encounters ritual, hierarchy, power politics, sacrifice, duty and love all told with a faithful representation of what we know actually goes on inside beehives with a minimum of fantastical interpretation (other than bees communicating with each other as individuals...).This book works on many levels. As a YA book it perfectly captures the insider/outsider pressures of growing up. From a more adult perspective, it shows how enormously intricate, complex and beautiful even the smallest and most hidden or secret parts of our world are and what damage we do to them, even unwittingly, with our focus on just ourselves.I found this book intellectually fascinating and emotionally very moving.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I enjoy reading dystopian fiction and I like bees, as long as they stay next to the flowers and away from my children, but I'll be honest: I think it was the brilliant yellow cover that first attracted my attention.What's it about?Flora 717 is a worker bee born into the lowest kin in her totalitarian hive society. Focused almost entirely on her need to accept, serve, and obey the Queen and her priestesses, Flora gradually takes on different roles within what is otherwise a very strictly segregated community and, in so doing, begins to reveal the secrets at the heart of the hive. Then she commits the greatest sin possible in her deeply religious society; can she survive it? Can her hive?What's it like?Fascinating, if slightly perplexing at times. I spent much of the novel thinking "Do bees really DO that?" and a slightly ridiculous period of time after reading the final pages Googling to find out. The short answer is, mostly, yes. For instance, bees really do dance to communicate to other bees where they have located pollen and honey. The bees within the hive exist in a deeply rigid theocracy, and the initial chapters establish the way this society works as Flora hatches and is inducted into her designated role via an 'experiment'.From the outset, I found the storytelling convincing as I followed Flora's progress. There are a few odd moments, such as bees eating 'bread' in a 'canteen', when the humanising of the bees risks undermining the reality of the mileau, but on the whole this is an interestingly realised tale of wasp attacks, religious purges, internal massacres and the joy of flight, to name just a few elements.Is it really a dystopia?Some commentators have made comparisons with Margaret Atwood's 'The Handmaid's Tale'; others have pointed out that this tale is really about bees being bees and seem to have felt cheated into reading the novel by a comparison they subsequently deemed invalid. While the bees are definitely "being bees", throughout the novel Paull draws us into a dark world full of threatening sage priestesses who are concealing brutal secrets at the centre of the hive. This is a strictly hierarchical society in which the most powerful deliberately deprive the least powerful of knowledge in order to sustain the status quo. Traitors risk violent execution and order is partly sustained through the repetition of simple mantras.Creating a particular type of novel is, obviously, not just a matter of ticking certain boxes, but this novel certainly contains many features typical of dystopian fiction; the whole work feels politically charged and the society depicted is clearly oppressive. It feels dystopian to me and while you certainly could read this as simply a fascinating tale about bees being bees, I defy you not to read something more into the shocking scene when the sisters turn upon the remaining drones. Carefully developed anthropomorphism like this encourages readers to make connections to their own world, and Paull herself says: 'the most constant comment I’ve had from readers is “I’ll never look at bee[s] the same way again.”'Final thoughtsAs the seasons shift, the rhythms of the hive alter and a year passes by. Flora gradually changes and becomes almost invincible. She survives wasp attacks, cunning spiders, strange telephone poles, devious sisters and the strange machinations of her own body. In short, as is typical in this kind of fiction, she ceases to be an 'everyman' or 'everywoman' and becomes a heroine, daringly subverting established norms in an attempt to promote her own interests above those of the state. This makes for exciting fiction, but. BUT.WHY is Flora 717 alone able to transcend supposedly "untranscendable" boundaries? And yes, obviously, she has to in order to create an exciting plot...but that's Paull's motivation, and is not relevant to the logic of the book's inner world. There are hints that she's born of a slightly different strain of bee, but I didn't find this sufficient to make her into the super-bee she becomes.Perhaps this is a minor quibble, given how quickly I read the book and how thoroughly I enjoyed reading it, but her situation reminded me a little of those action films starring Bruce Willis where the bad guys and good guys always get up and stagger on, even if you drop a car on them. While both novels and films require us to suspend our disbelief, too much suspense does invite collapse.Speaking of which...the novel's brief prologue and epilogue remind readers of the ways humans interact with bees and seem designed to encourage us to feel a greater sense of guardianship, particularly in light of modern fears about colony collapse disorder.Overall, this is a fascinating read about a rather incredible insect that has somehow so far avoided becoming the star of a Disney film. Well worth reading. And when you're done, you might feel inspired to watch the next bee you see rather more closely.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Have you ever read a book where throughout the entirety of the novel you debate putting it down vs. seeing it through to the end? This was one of those books. The premise was interesting enough - Flora 717 is a worker bee born into the lowest caste, Sanitation, yet we immediately learn she is different from the others. Although loyal to the Queen, she is not as compelled by the "Accept, Obey and Serve" motto of the hive, and is able to do things that only the higher up classes can do. Through her rebellion, she is granted opportunities to explore different jobs of the hive, encountering various sorts of encounters and perils. Soon, she develops a dangerous secret that goes against everything she is allowed to do, forcing her to question the meaning of loyalty, devotion, and love. Although the beginning of the novel is ever so slightly reminiscent of Divergent, it doesn't stay that way for long. Although there are clear threads that tie the entire plot together - which I won't spoil for the rest of you! - I felt like the novel jumped around quite a bit. At times, it seemed like Flora's role changes were simply a convenient way for the author to explore different aspects of a hive. While I did enjoy reading about the different kins and their responsibilities, and most of Flora's dangerous encounters (i.e. wasp fights, cunning spiders, etc.), the plot itself seemed a little jumbled.... I don't know, maybe I would have enjoyed it more if there were a few different character narratives. Honestly, there were times when I found myself enjoying the author's writing style more than what was actually going on in the plot... but something about Flora made me keep reading through to the end. Laline Paull opens an interesting discussion on society and politics, repression, religion and hierarchy - and arguably even love - that I found intriguing, although certainly themes I've read before. The most creative and captivating thing about this book, in my opinion, is simply the amount of work that went into creating the bee environment. In short: if unusual dystopian novels really tickle your fancy, I would recommend picking this one up. I think I'll stick with Atwood.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    What a wonderful novel. Not only do you get to find out everything you ever wanted to know about bees, there's also a good Fight-the-Power 1984ish story to go with it.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I was very lucky to win this in a Goodreads First Reads giveaway. As in other cases, I may not have read this book otherwise, and I feel really fortunate to have come across such a cool book! I received an advance reading copy, so it had its share of typos and errors, and I didn't realize at first that the author is English, so some words are different, but not by much. That out of the way, this is a really cool book, and, I think, a great accomplishment.

    I didn’t know too much about bees, though reading Bernd Heinrich’s “The Homing Instinct” helped me appreciate this book even more. We get a very good sense of their life history, not like the dumbed-down, anthropomorphized bugs in those silly movies. There is understandable dialogue, but these vicious bees will be bees. They have a strict hierarchy, with deeply ingrained rules and laws. The analogies to religious structure really intensify the story-telling. Their labor is divided by kin, such as the Thistle guards, Teasel nurses, and Sage Priestesses; they even have their own police. The male Drones are crass and unapologetic, and all of the hive’s bees, save the Queen, are unforgiving in their instincts. Our hero, Flora 717, is a sanitation worker, looked down upon by higher ranking bees, though she gets to experience others' roles and much more.

    Reading this book, you can appreciate where the expression "busy as a bee" comes from. Their means of communication are especially fascinating: the collective “Hive Mind”, danced directions, history told through vibrations or scent molecules, and long memory set in wax. The antennae-to-antennae transfers are curious, as is the fact that they can open and close the appendages depending on how willing they are to share – or hide – their knowledge. They speak with other invertebrates in a common ancestral language, and the interactions with vertebrates are very well thought-out. Crows are especially fearsome, and the influence of humans is a fresh perspective. The author has done screenwriting as well, which may be why the action scenes are so strong. “The Bees” is a fast and super fun read, and if you want to get inside the mind of these little pollinators, I highly recommend this book!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Definitely something worth reading if you enjoyed Watership Down.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Not only was Flora 717 born into the lowest class of her society, she was also born bigger and darker than the best of them. As a sanitation bee, she is only fit to clean the hive while living to accept, obey and serve which means to do whatever is necessary for the good of the hive and the holy mother. It is discovered that Flora has many talents that are not typical of her kin and while most mutant bees are instantly destroyed, Flora is reassigned to feed the newborns. Then she is reassigned to become a forager, flying around gathering food for the hive. Flora eventually finds herself in the Queen's inner sanctum where she discovers secrets - some good, some bad. And Flora has a secret of her own, breaking the most sacred law of all.

    This started off so bad for me that I wanted to give up and I hate DNFing a book! There were so many smells that it became monotonous and irritating. But I kept at it and while there were still quite a few smells throughout the rest of the book the overall story ended up being okay. It's creative for sure, but it wasn't a book I couldn't wait to pick up again after setting it aside.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Interesting, in that I probably learned all I ever wanted to know about bees, but didn't stir me as a work of fiction. Flora 717 and her hive sisters are incredible, no doubt, and I think I will be less inclined to freak out when a bee buzzes too close - wasps are a different matter - only insects are slightly lacking as characters. The plot, such as it is, consists of the life cycle of a bee, so no surprise with the ending, either. I love the aristocratic/religious hierarchy of the hive, with lowly Flora as a 'sanitation worker', and the episodes with the evil wasps and the 'blood lust' against the male drones certainly perked up the story, but otherwise, a non-fiction reference guide to bees would have been just as stirring, I think.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The Bees by Laline Paull
    Is the simple story of a bee in a hive. The premise is simple a Bee is born lives and dies over the course of a year. The story is not. The story is compelling . After you read this book you will never look at bee or bee hive thee same way again. This is not a simple fairy tale where the forces good and evil are pitted against each other. Yet book can be accessed as a morality tale or an adventure story. The main characters is deeply flawed with moments of grand nobility. There are heroines and unexpected heroes in this story but all have feet of clay and are willing to be evil to accomplish their goals. Laline’s writing style is clear and crisp. She makes the alien environment , and politics of the Hive completely accessible and understandable to the reader. The book will remind some of Water ship Down: while there are superficial similarities this story is grittier.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I decided to read this book after I heard so much buzz about it, and the premise sounded interesting. However, at almost halfway through, I abandoned it. I just didn't care much about Flora 717 or her hive. And I got really, really tired of hearing about her thorax, her abdomen, and the scent of Mother's love.Yes, I get the whole allegory thing. I understand the social implications of this caste society. But I just couldn't get into the book. Too much about wax and worn wings and secretions, and not enough plot. I can suspend my disbelief, but still.... And of course, the plucky heroine overcomes massive odds. I did give it a fair shot, but there are too many good books to plod through one I don't enjoy. Although I bought the Kindle version, I was listening to the audio version from my library, and the reader was too dramatic for an already overwrought story.For a fascinating nonfiction book about bees, real ones that affect our everyday lives, I suggest The Beekeeper's Lament by Hannah Nordhaus.Two stars because I did make it almost halfway before I gave up.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was a reading group book which I quite enjoyed. I have no idea if it's scientifically accurate or not and I don't care. It's a FANTASY. Gave me a better appreciation of bees. However if there is some sort of hidden satire on human society it passed me completely. Not the best book I've read but not terrible either.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    If you're a beekeeper you should definitely give this a try. At first, I was troubled by the caste system superimposed on the classification by age, but eventually, I became accustomed to it, and it does help motivate the plot. The framing narrative is awful and trite, but mercifully short. The whole book is replete with sex and violence and terror.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The Bees is, well, about bees, following Flora 717, a sanitation worker and member of her hive’s lowest caste. The story follows Flora’s life from her emergence as an adult as she faces both the structured system of her hive, and eventually the threats of the outside world. Flora is a most unusual bee, questioning her position and world in a society that values order and structure, eventually learning to embrace her curiosity to improve herself and her hive.Flora’s orchard hive is a well developed society in itself, combining bee biology and dystopian fantasy. The life of each worker bee is predetermined by her birth, and enforced by a kind of bee religion. There is worship of the queen as “Holy Mother,” and adoration of drones for their role in fertility. Paull incorporates some real biology here; for example, scent and forager dances are major means of communication.While some anthropomorphism is to be expected, there are some strange aspects of the story that don’t quite work. Pollen and honey are served as pastries on platters, and Flora’s sanitation worker kin use small bee dustpans to clean. Perhaps these are so jarring because the rest of the bee society seems so “real,” but they were enough to take me out of the story at least briefly.This is definitely a different sort of novel, and mostly in a very good way. The Bees is an enjoyable story that celebrates both individuality as well as being part of a greater whole.A review copy was provided through the goodreads.com first reads program.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I have no idea how she managed to make me feel as though I was actually IN the beehive with Flora---the descriptions were incredible---making the bees come to life, yes, an imaginary life, but what a picture it created! I am totally impressed with the writing---really, a wonderful book!!!!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Although this is a character driven novel, all I could envision while reading this awesome book were childhood memories of hazy 80's PBS documentary footage of interior beehives. That and some of the superior slow motion HD footage of bees on BBC these past few years. As a story, Laline Paull's The Bees is captivating, unique, and kind of bizarre. It sort of reminded me of a Richard Adam's talking animal book, except these were bees, theocratic and authoritarian bees. Paull has clearly done a lot of entomology research on bee science. I found myself intermittently putting down the book and looking up various bee science facts on the internet because I kept finding myself flabbergasted by the complex nature of bee communications. At the same time, and this is really the best part, Paull created fantastic characters that I truly cared about. That's hard to do when your main character is an insect behaving and acting like a real insect. That was the real trick here in this book: how do you make an automaton insect with a hive mind an interesting individual? But I think she managed to pull it off. The infusion of religious dogma and the whole bee outlook on the outside world was believable and consequential to the plot. My favorite scene involved a wasp attacking the hive. That doesn't sound like much at first glance, but on paper it was a very intense and detailed battle. Paull also manages to pull in some subtle themes on pesticides, big agriculture, cell phone towers, and the mysterious bee die-off that has hit the states this past decade. After a great ending all I was really left wondering is what Paull is going to write next.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    "Accept, Obey, Serve."This is the motto that must be followed to stay alive in the hive. The Bees is a uniquely written story that is told from the perspective of Flora 717, a bee born into the sanitation unit. Flora 717's hive is in an orchard and danger comes from many sources, both outside and in; the queen they must worship ages, deformed eggs are being found, forager bees are coming back poisoned, wasps, spiders and crows lurk above the hive and it is being said that winter will come twice. Flora 717 is unique within the Sanitation unit and does not fit in with her sanitation sisters, but since variation is not the dreaded deformity, she is given jobs elsewhere within the hive. As Flora 717 proves herself and moves up within the hive, she finds trouble. Flora 717 defies the Accept, Obey, Serve mantra in order to save her hive.An auspicious and of-the-moment novel for today's society where all bee populations face many of the same threats as Flora 717's hive. I love that this was written from the perspective of a bee, but with all the passion, danger and intrigue of a human society that is on the brink of a disaster. Also, while anthropomorphized Flora 717 and her hive followed much of the honeybee natural history and behavior while still turning out a riveting fictional story. The hive drama and classification of the bees gives a similar feel as a dystopian novel. Scenes of violence, sacrifice and revenge in The Bees, not only echoes hive life but gives the story an added edge. There are also mythical and fable elements that Flora 717 encounters. My one issue with the book, without giving spoilers, was how Flora came to be in the state she was in. It's possible that this was more of a mythical element to the story than a biological one, but most of the bee behavior presented was biological. Anyhow, it didn't ruin the story for me at all.This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A story of Flora 717 the sanitation worker bee tells the story of life in a hive. I read this for one reason; I wanted to read something for a challenge that was about something I feared (phobia) and I have pretty big fear of bees. I had hoped the book would be horror and I think it has a tag for horror but it really wasn't very scary but then I am not a bee. I think, mostly the depiction of hive life was accurate including the dangers in the environment the natural enemies and the man made enemies like poisons, buildings and constructs. From reading mostly Wiki article, most of what is here is factual with some creative license in a few areas. I enjoyed the book but it really never "grabbed me" but still I did enjoy learning about bee life and the story of the potential uprisings in the hive, the misuse of power also could be a allegory for life. The story is anthropomorphic and is about differences and racial identity. The parts about caste and crushes on the males is more a reflection of human society. The book also touches on the hive collapse disease which is not fully understood but of real concern. There is a bit of Orwellian, a bit of Handmaid's Tale and a bit of the Hindu Caste in this tale set in a bee hive in a farmer's field.The author writes plays and according to author information. She hopes to make this a play. I could see it as a ballet or dance performance.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    From the first page of chapter one I found this novel thoroughly riveting. The protagonist, a bee like all the other characters in this fantasy, is Flora 717 who is born into a caste of the humblest of workers in a honeybee hive: the Sanitation workers. All other workers are associated with specific flowers: where the Teasels work the Nurseries, the Thistles guard the hive, and Sage priestesses govern in the Queen's name, Floras are dismissed as unworthy of differentiation and forbidden to speak. But from her emergence in the opening chapter, 717 is marked by a Sage priestess as unusual: much larger and uglier than her kind, she speaks and also has the capacity to produce royal jelly, called Flow, at a time when the Hive is in dire need of more nurses. This first distinction leads to more, and Flora 717 gradually becomes involved in complicated and dangerous activities. She is reminiscent of a Cinderella who appears to belong to the scullery but instead finds herself more and more at home in the highest reaches of the Hive Hierarchy. The author, Laline Paull, demonstrates all this with a lovely prose style that sounds a bit like that of an ancient royal clan, but without detracting from the suspense and action of the plot. Furthermore, the way Paull portrays the bees' world through scent, heat, and movement is effective. There were moments of an all too noticeable tendency to anthropomorphize — a bee prodding another bee with a stick, for instance — but none of the stylistic choices seemed to intrude; rather they fade into the background as the bees story, that is Flora 717's story, takes the forefront. The bees develop a relationship with flowers by seducing them through pollination; they name all the Hive's enemies The Myriad; the first encounter experienced by Flora 717 of a battle with Wasps is tremendously exciting; and they have scent-painted histories of the Hive in a sort of library. The result of all of this is both evocative and beautiful.I enjoyed the novel tremendously, much as I have previously enjoyed animal fables like Narayan's A Tiger for Malgudi, London's Call of the Wild, and Adams's Watership Down. Paull's belongs in this territory as she focuses on the rhythms and mores of animals even though she eschews using metaphor for political or social allegory. This novel begins and ends with the Hive, effectively dramatizing its life cycle. This is underlined by book-ending the story with reference to the human owners of the property, including the Hive and, in doing so, underlining the indifference of the bees to the humans. This is a tantalizing and tremendous fantasy that takes the reader on a wonderful journey into the world of Bees.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Really odd and absorbing, a book that left me thinking differently afterwards - not so much philosophical lessons learned as having spent a week projected into the main character which is a bee. I'm keeping it to read again in a few years.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The Bees by Laline Paull is an unusual and intriguing fantasy about the life cycle of bees. Following one character, the author shows how the hive mentality works to have all bees live a productive life, with all the benefits being for the group instead of individual achievement. The bees are kept in line by both the threat of violence and the loving pheromones released by their benevolent Queen.Flora 717 is born to the hive and destined to be a sanitation worker, but this bee is very different from the rest, she is too big, too dark and too forthright. Although in danger of being killed for being a deviant, she is given a change to try different occupations. She works in the nursery and loves caring for the infants but jealousy from the others has her moved along. She is encouraged to care for the drones but their loud ways and boasting disgust her. When the hive is invaded by wasps, Flora is the one who steps forward and defeats the lead wasp. She is invited to meet with the Queen whom all the bees worship and care for, and this meeting gives Flora an opportunity to visit the sacred library and to read the panels that detail the history of the hive. The job most suited to her abilities seems to be foraging. Due to her large size she is able to bring back twice as much nectar and pollen as the other bees. She also spends time working in sanitation, mostly cleaning up after the raucous drones or removing the dead. Her difference also causes her to lay eggs which is expressly forbidden. Unable to protect her first two eggs, she vows to keep the third one safe. Hiding her egg away from the Priestesses and the Fertility Police, Flora eventually comes to realize her purpose and destiny.Although I have seen this book often compared to Watership Down, I found this dystopian political thriller with it’s lifetime caste system, rigid rules that include who can and cannot give birth, and the vividly described ceremonial slaughter reminded me much more of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid Tale. The Bees is a story of courage and conflict and the author is to applauded for her research and creativity. This would have been a 5 star read for me, but I found the center part of the book dragged a little.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    When I first heard about The Bees by Laline Paull, I was skeptical, but then I remembered the same skepticism I had when I heard about The Wild Trees by Richard Preston. Trees affected me deeply, and completely changed the way I look at these magnificent creatures. A slight buzz drifted through journals and newspapers about the novel, so I decided to plunge in and see for myself. One of the things that drove me to this decision were the three excellent blurbs on the cover by Margaret Atwood, Emma Donoghue, and Madeline Miller. I have read all three of these authors, and I trust their judgment. Debut novels almost always throw up a red flag, but I believe this is one of the best I have seen in a long time. The author’s note on the jacket flap is sparse. She studied English at Oxford, screenwriting in Los Angeles, and theater in London. She lives in England with her photographer husband and their three children. The novel tells the story of Flora 717, a “sanitation worker” in a hive, set in the English countryside. The hive runs under a strict hierarchy: the Queen – referred to as the “holy mother” – then “princesses” referred to as the “Sage Class,” then forager bees, drones (males who live off the hive, but die when they first mate with a queen). Flora has aspirations of a higher status, but breaking into that 1% at the top of the hive is nigh near impossible.The bees have an intricate system of communication involving the smells they leave behind and follow home. The have elaborate dances to transfer the knowledge of blooming flowers to the other foragers. I recall writing a paper about "The Dance Language of Honey Bees" when I was in high school. They also communicate telepathically through their antennae about their hopes, fears, and sins.The novel is heavily allegorical with many references to “Holy Mother,” “Devotion meetings” when the hive gathers to experience the love of the mother. A constant chant among the bees is “Accept, Obey, Serve.” They pray for the mother to lay healthy eggs, chanting “Hallowed be thy womb” (75). The hive really rises to the level of a cult.Paull writes, “conversations always concluded with the acknowledgement that Her Majesty continued to lay at magnificent speed and volume and was more beautiful than ever, and as she was the mightiest force in the universe, this rain must be a sign of her displeasure, and so they must all work harder. Accept, Obey, and Serve” (137). After a forbidden dalliance with a drone, which may have been non-consensual, Flora finds herself about to lay an egg. Only the queen may breed, and the penalty for Flora would be death. But a “visitation” occurs, when a beekeeper removes part of the comb, and Flora’s egg is destroyed.I will never look at bees, bee hives, and honey the same way again. Laline Paull’s splendid novel, The Bees, is a most entertaining read, and I gladly give it 5 stars--Jim, 6/30/14
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    An intriguing look into the life of a bee and her hive. I never would have imagined that someone could write an entire book from the perspective of a bee, but boy was I wrong! Laline Paul beautifully writes the story of Flora 717, a lowly sanitation worker whose peculiar observations and actions set her apart from the other bees. Flora 717 longs to do more than clean the hive, she wants to be near her Queen mother, be able to fly and forage for food, lay eggs, and see the world. Her aspirations set her apart and in no time she is jumping from job to job in the hive. This book really illustrates the industrious lives of all the bees who live in hives. From the sanitation workers to the drones, foragers, and priestesses, no stone is left un-turned in this highly imaginative and highly researched novel. You will learn more about bees then you ever knew existed and will hold them in higher regard for this fascinating read is most eye opening.A must read for gardeners, insect lovers, and.... really anyone. It's fascinating!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    What a wonderfully unique journey through the life of a bee (as imagined by humans)! I thoroughly enjoyed this tale - told from the perspective of Flora 717, a sanitation worker of the lowliest caste. Flora is born with abilities that set her apart from the average worker, and her journey through the different jobs of the hive explores the myriad complexity of the life of bees. Of course the writer gives her a "human-like" personality, but it never feels overly done or implausible. Flora navigates her world through scent, vibration, and chemical signal. Though many of the characters "speak" it doesn't detract from this vividly imagined world.Apart from the beautifully detailed insider's view of a beehive that the author creates, there is also a story line that includes repression, a struggle for power, rebellion, and survival. You will root for Flora as she fights for her kin and for her hive as a whole. I would highly recommend this book as a unique read for fantasy and sci-fi fans.

Book preview

The Bees - Laline Paull

Prologue

THE OLD ORCHARD STOOD BESIEGED. TO ONE SIDE SPREAD a vast, arable plain, a dullard’s patchwork of corn and soy reaching to the dark tree line of the hills. To the other, a light-industrial development stretched toward the town.

Between the dripping trees the remains of a path still showed. A man in early middle age kicked at the tall nettles and docks to widen it. Neat in her navy business suit, a younger woman followed. She paused to take some photographs with her phone.

I hope you don’t mind, but we’ve put out some feelers, and we’re already beating them off with sticks. Prime brownfield location.

The man stared through the trees, not listening.

There—thought for a moment it had vanished.

An old wooden beehive stood camouflaged against the trees. The woman drew back.

I won’t come any closer, she said. I’m a bit funny about insects.

So’s my father. He calls them his girls. The man looked up at the low gray sky. Is that more rain? What happened to summer?

The woman glanced up from her phone. I know! I’ve forgotten what blue sky looks like. Must be hard with the kids out of school.

They barely notice. They’re always online.

He walked forward and peered closer at the hive.

A few bees emerged from a small hole at the bottom. They walked along a narrow wooden ledge and hummed their wings.

He watched them for a while, then turned back to her. I’m sorry. Now is not the right time.

Oh! She put her phone away. Have you—changed your mind?

He shook his head.

No. I’ll sell . . . He cleared his throat. But not yet. It feels wrong.

Of course. She hesitated. I suppose it’s very hard to know approximately . . . ?

Could be months. Could be tomorrow.

The woman allowed a respectful silence.

"Well, rest assured that when you are ready, it’s a seller’s market."

She began walking back along the path.

The man stood alone by the hive. On impulse he put his palm against the wood, as if feeling for a pulse. Then he turned and followed her.

Behind them, bees rose into the brightening air.

One

THE CELL SQUEEZED HER, AND THE AIR WAS HOT AND fetid. All the joints of her body burned from her frantic twisting against the walls. Her head was pressed into her chest and her legs shot with cramps, but her struggles had worked—one wall felt weaker. She kicked out with all her strength and felt something crack and break. She forced and tore and bit until there was a jagged hole into fresher air beyond.

She dragged her body through and fell out onto the floor of an alien world. Static roared through her brain, thunderous vibrations shook the ground, and a thousand scents dazed her mind. All she could do was breathe until gradually the vibration and static subsided and the scent evaporated into the air. Her rigid body unlocked and she calmed as knowledge filled her mind.

This was the Arrivals Hall, and she was a worker.

Her kin was flora and her number was 717.

Certain of her first task, she set about cleaning out her cell. In her violent struggle to hatch she had broken the whole front wall, unlike her neater neighbors. She looked, then followed their example, piling her debris neatly by the ruins. The activity cleared her senses, and she felt the vastness of the Arrivals Hall and how the vibrations in the air changed in different areas.

Row upon row of cells like hers stretched into the distance, and there the cells were quiet but resonant, as if the occupants still slept. Immediately around her was great activity, with many recently broken and cleared-out chambers and many more cracking and falling as new bees arrived. The differing scents of her neighbors also came into focus, some sweeter, some sharper, all of them pleasant to absorb.

With a hard, erratic pulse in the ground, a young female came running down the corridor between the cells, her face frantic.

Halt! Harsh voices reverberated from both ends of the corridor and a strong, astringent scent rose in the air. Every bee stopped moving except the young female, who stumbled and fell across Flora’s pile of debris. Then she clawed her way into the remains of the broken cell and huddled in the corner, her little hands up.

Cloaked in a bitter scent that hid their faces and made them identical, dark figures strode down the corridor toward Flora. Pushing her aside, they dragged out the weeping young bee. At the sight of their spiked gauntlets, a spasm of fear in Flora’s brain released more knowledge. They were police.

You fled inspection. One of them pulled at the girl’s wings so another could examine the four still-wet membranes. The edge of one was shriveled.

Spare me, she cried. I will not fly; I will serve in any other way—

Deformity is evil. Deformity is not permitted.

Before the young bee could speak the two officers pressed her head down until there was a sharp crack. She hung limp between them and they dropped her body in the corridor.

You. Their peculiar rasping voice addressed Flora. She did not know which one spoke, so she stared at the black hooks on the backs of their legs. Hold still. Long black calipers slid from their gauntlets and they measured her height. Excessive variation. Abnormal.

That will be all, officers. At the kind voice and fragrant smell, the police released Flora. They bowed to a tall and well-groomed bee with a beautiful face.

Sister Sage. This one is obscenely ugly.

And excessively large—

It would appear so. Thank you, officers, you may go.

Sister Sage waited for them to leave. She smiled at Flora.

To fear them is good. Be still while I read your kin—

I am Flora 717.

Sister Sage raised her antennae. A sanitation worker who speaks. Most notable . . .

Flora stared at her tawny-and-gold face with its huge dark eyes. Am I to be killed?

Do not question a priestess. Sister Sage ran her hands down the sides of Flora’s face. Open your mouth. She looked inside. Perhaps. Then she inclined her head over Flora’s mouth and fed her one golden drop of honey.

The effect was immediate and astonishing. Clarity washed Flora’s mind, and her body filled with strength. She understood that Sister Sage wished her to follow in silence, and that she must do whatever this sister asked.

As they walked down the corridor Flora noticed how every bee averted her eyes and busied herself, and how the dead body of the young worker was already far ahead of them, carried in the mouth of a dark, hunched bee who walked in the gutter. There were many more of the same type, all moving on the edge of the corridor. Some carried bundles of soiled wax, others scrubbed at broken cells. None looked up.

They are your kin-sisters. Sister Sage followed Flora’s eyes. All of them mute. Presently you will join them in Sanitation, and perform valuable service to our hive. But first, a private experiment. She smiled at Flora. Come.

Flora followed gladly, all memory of the killing lost in her longing to taste more honey.

Two

THE PRIESTESS WALKED SWIFTLY THROUGH THE PALE corridors of the Arrivals Hall. Flora followed closely, her brain recording all the sounds and scents as different kin broke free of their emergence chambers. Many more dark sanitation workers moved along the gutters with bundles of soiled wax. Noting their sharp, distinctive odor and how other bees avoided any contact with them, Flora drew closer to Sister Sage and her fragrant wake.

The priestess paused, antennae raised. They had come to the edge of the Arrivals Hall, where the countless rows of emergence cells ended and a large hexagonal doorway led into a smaller chamber. A burst of applause from within carried out a thrilling new odor. Flora looked up at Sister Sage.

Unfortunate timing, said the priestess. But I must pay my respects. They went inside, where she put Flora to wait by the wall and then went to the front of a large crowd of bees. Flora watched as once again they burst out clapping, standing around the front of a still-closed emergence cell.

Flora stared around this beautiful room. It was obviously an Arrivals Hall for more favored bees, for it was spaciously arranged around two rows of central cells, each one made of six large and beautifully carved individual compartments. Sister Sage stood in the welcoming committee before one of them, where many bees held platters of pastries and pitchers of nectared water. The delicious smells sharpened Flora’s own hunger and thirst.

Muffled curses and thuds came from within the decorated walls of the compartment, as if the occupant was leaping and jumping. At the sound of breaking wax, the assembled sisters redoubled their applause and their kin-scents flowed stronger with excitement. Flora detected a molecule of a different scent, and her brain knew its pheromone signal: A male— A male arrives—

Worship to His Maleness! cried several feminine voices as a carved piece of wax fell out, followed by screams of delight as through the hole came the large, plumed head of a brand-new drone.

Worship to His Maleness! the sisters cheered again, and they rushed to help him out, pulling the wax free themselves and making a staircase of their bodies.

Quite high, he said as he walked down on top of them. And quite tiring.

He puffed his dronely scent around himself and roused more sighs and applause.

Welcome and worship to His Maleness. Sister Sage curtsied low. As all the other bees graciously did the same, Flora stared in admiration and tried to copy the movement. Honor to our hive, said Sister Sage as she rose.

Too kind. But his smile had charm, and all the sisters returned it, gazing at him avidly. He was rumpled but elegant, and very concerned with the exact set of his neck ruff. When he had finally arranged it to his liking he bowed with a great flourish. Then, to the sisters’ fervent applause, he showed himself off from many angles, stretching out his legs in pairs, puffing his plume, and even treating them to a sudden roar of his engine. They screamed in delight and fanned each other, and some scrambled to offer him pastries and water.

Flora watched him eat and drink, her own mouth dry and her hunger keen.

Greed is a sin, 717. Sister Sage was beside her again. Take care.

She walked on, and before Flora could look again at the drone, her antennae tugged sharply from the line of scent the priestess had attached without her knowledge. She ran to catch up.

AS SHE FOLLOWED, the vibrations in the comb floor became more insistent, stronger and stronger, as if it were a living thing beneath her, energy running in all directions. With a buzzing sensation through all her six feet, a torrent of information rushed up into her body and her brain. Overwhelmed, Flora stopped in the middle of a large lobby. Under her feet spread a vast mosaic of hexagonal floor tiles, the patterns scrolling across the lobby and down the corridors. Endless streams of bees crisscrossed all around them, and the air was thick with scent broadcasting.

Sister Sage came back to her.

Well! You appear to have accessed every floor code at once. Stay very still. She lightly touched both Flora’s antennae with her own.

A new fragrance rose up around them like a cocoon. Flora breathed it deep inside, and the rushing confusion in her brain subsided. Her body calmed and her heart filled with joy, for the fragrance told her with utter certainty that she, Flora 717, was loved.

Mother! she cried out as she sank to her knees. Holy Mother.

Not quite. The priestess looked gratified. Though I am of the same noble kin as Her Majesty, all praise to her eggs. And as the Queen most graciously permitted me to attend her today, I am richly blessed with her scent. That which you feel is but a tiny fraction of the Queen’s Love, 717.

Sister Sage’s voice came from a great distance and Flora nodded. As the Queen’s Love flowed through her body and brain, all the different frequencies and codes in the tiles slowed and clarified into a map of the hive, constantly running with information. Everything was fascinating and beautiful, and she turned her gaze to the priestess.

Yes. Very receptive. Sister Sage looked at her, then pointed to a new area of the mosaic. Now stand over there.

Obediently Flora moved, and felt how the comb transmitted subtly different vibrations and frequencies. She adjusted her feet to receive the strongest signal, and the priestess watched with keen attention.

You feel something—but do you comprehend it?

Flora wanted to answer that she did, but her physical bliss prevented her speaking and she could only stare. At her silence, Sister Sage relaxed.

Good. Knowledge only causes pain to your kin.

As they walked on, Flora’s euphoria stabilized into a feeling of deep physical relaxation and heightened perceptions. Only now did she fully appreciate the beauty of Sister Sage’s elegant form, how her pale gold fur lay in silky stripes against the thin brown gloss of her bands, themselves exactly matched by the shade of her six legs. Long, translucent wings folded down her back, and her antennae tapered to fine points.

They continued deeper into the hive, Flora entranced by its carved and frescoed walls of ancient scent and the beautiful blend of her living sisters. She did not feel how the golden tiles changed underfoot and the bare, pale wax began, or how the priestess spread her cloak of scent over them both as they entered a small empty corridor that held no vibration at all.

Only when they stopped before a plain doorway did she feel how far they had traveled, and that she was still very hungry.

Soon. Sister Sage answered as if Flora had spoken. She touched a panel in the wall, and the door opened.

Three

THE LITTLE CHAMBER WAS TRANQUIL AND BARE, AND A beautiful, soft smell filtered through the walls. The pale hexagonal tiles showed a wide tread of past wear across the center of the room, and Flora set her feet wider in case there was any information to detect.

All long gone. Sister Sage had her back turned and faced another door, but she still knew what Flora did. And you will hold your tongue.

Then came the sound of running feet, and another bee burst into the room. She stopped in shock at the sight of the priestess standing before her.

Sister Sage! We were not expecting you. By her hard, shiny bands she was a senior, but her fur was yellow, her face coarse, and her antennae blunt. She bowed deeply. Sister Sage inclined her head.

Sister Teasel. Are you well?

Never doubt it; every Teasel as strong and willing as ever. You will not find sickness in this kin! Why? Has someone been found ailing?

No. Not at all. Sister Sage’s attention rested for a moment on the far wall. Flora looked too. Where the worn tiles ended was the faintest outline of a third door.

Sister Teasel clutched her hands together.

A visit from a priestess of the Melissae is always an honor—but did not Sister in her wisdom order this side of the Nursery closed off? Otherwise someone would surely have been stationed here to receive you—

I wished to avoid notice. Sister Sage looked down the dim corridor from which Sister Teasel had come. Sister Teasel took the opportunity to stare at Flora. Alarmed at her tangible disapproval, Flora attempted a clumsy curtsy. Sister Teasel rapped her hard on the closest knee.

Forward, never splayed! She looked to Sister Sage. Such boldness! But by her wet fur she is newly emerged—I do not understand?

We were obliged to wait while a drone emerged. She saw such antics there.

Oh a new prince! Honor to our hive! Was he very handsome straightaway? Or does it come upon them as their fur rises? How I long—

Sister Teasel, how many nurses have you lost?

Since last inspection? Sister Teasel stared in alarm. Compared to other departments, hardly any. We are not like foragers, we keep ourselves safe from the outer world and its perils—but even our kin will sometimes suffer. She cleared her throat. Six, Sister, since last inspection. I move them on for the slightest sign of confusion or hint of ailing—we take no chances. And of course, we have only the very purest kin here, and the most obedient. She coughed. Six, Sister.

Sister Sage nodded. And what do you hear, of other departments?

Oh! Mere canteen gossip, idle tittle-tattle, nothing I would repeat—

Please do. Sister Sage focused her attention on Sister Teasel, her scent flexing in the air. Flora looked down at the waxen tiles and kept very still. Sister Teasel twisted her hands together.

Sister Sage, we are very fortunate in the Nursery, plenty of food, everything brought to us—we do not feel the shortages, we face no dangers . . . She faltered.

Come, Sister. Unburden yourself. Sister Sage was calm and kind, and Sister Teasel dared look up.

They say the season is deformed by rain, that the flowers shun us and fall unborn, that foragers are falling from the air and no one knows why! She plucked at her fur convulsively. They say we will starve and the babies will all die, and my little nurses are worrying so much I fear they will forget— She shook her head. "Not that they do, Sister, ever, for they are most strictly supervised, and the rotas are always guarded even if they could count—you may kill me if it is not so."

You need not give permission. Sister Sage smiled and Sister Teasel burst out laughing and reached for one of her hands.

Oh, Sister Sage, it does me such good to jest with you—now that I have shared the burden, I am no longer fearful!

That is the role of the Melissae: to carry all fears, so the hive is free. A calming scent flowed from Sister Sage and filled the chamber.

Amen, said Sister Teasel. But oh for the courage of the kin of Thistle.

Why? What do they do? Too late Flora remembered herself.

Sister Teasel looked at her in outrage, her own distress forgotten.

"She speaks? The impudence! Sister Sage, please spare my curiosity and tell me the reason for her presence. If it is to clean, then I shall add her to the next detail—but I hope all Sanitation is not now possessed of tongues for we shall be in uproar! She glared at Flora. Obstreperous, dirty creatures."

Does Sister Teasel stand in judgment of our purpose?

No, Sister, never. Forgive me.

Then kindly recall that variation is not the same as deformity.

Sister graces me with her superior wisdom—though to my ignorant eyes those terms are one and the same. Sister Teasel stood back from Flora. How monstrously large she is—and that fur when it dries will be thick as a drone’s, and her shell as black as a crow’s—not that I have ever seen one, thank Mother.

Sister Sage became very still. You are fatigued perhaps, by your long duty? Your loyal heart wishes to serve longer, yet your spirits tire?

Sister Teasel shook her head in alarm.

Sister Sage turned to Flora. Open your mouth, 717. Let Sister Teasel look.

Flora obeyed and Sister Teasel promptly peered in. She looked to Sister Sage in surprise. Then she grasped Flora’s tongue and pulled it to its full length before letting it snap back in her mouth.

I see! It might indeed be possible, but with that tongue comes—

She will lose its use when it is time for her to rejoin her kin. And should it linger, I will personally wipe any knowledge from her mind. Test her, and if she does not produce anything, send her on immediately. Sister Sage looked kindly at Flora. This experiment is a privilege. What do you say?

Accept, Obey, and Serve. The words blurted from Flora’s mouth unbidden. Sister Teasel shuddered.

Let us hope she will. Such ugliness!

Ashamed, Flora turned back to Sister Sage as her shield, but the priestess had vanished.

They do that. Sister Teasel watched her. Never know where you are with them, always surprising you. Come along then. She pushed open a door and Flora smelled the sweet, pure fragrance beyond it. If Sister Sage herself hadn’t told me to do this, I’d call it sacrilege. She pushed Flora through the door with her foot. Let’s get this over with.

Four

THE ENORMOUS NURSERY WAS FILLED WITH ROW AFTER row of glowing cribs, some with little rippling streams of light above them. Flora followed Sister Teasel deeper into the chamber. To her wonder, the light was, in fact, a luminous liquid, pouring in droplets from the mouths of the young nurses who leaned over the cribs. Many more young, pretty nurses moved silently about the ward with glowing mouths.

It is so beautiful!

Despite her resentment, Sister Teasel smoothed her chest fur and nodded. She pointed to an unattended crib. What gender?

Flora looked in. The larva was newly hatched, soft, pearly tendrils of shell still clinging to the translucent white skin. Its tiny face was closed in sleep and a sweet milky smell drifted above it.

A female. She is so beautiful!

Just another worker. Now find a male. Sister Teasel indicated the whole vast Nursery.

Yes, Sister. Flora raised her antennae. At each row she drew in the smell of female babies, strong and constant.

You can’t do it from here you silly girl—

Flora did not answer. She smelled the different kin of the young nurses and all the thousand female children. There was no scent of male.

I have searched and there are none. Why is that?

Sister Teasel stared at her. Late in the season Holy Mother stops making them. She shook herself. A fine sense of smell is the gift of youth. But it will pass, and in any case, it is not enough to keep you out of Sanitation. Now hold your bold tongue and let us conclude this foolish experiment.

Sister Teasel pushed Flora back to the first worker crib she had shown her and tapped on its side so that the little creature woke. When it opened its mouth and began to cry, she folded her arms in satisfaction and looked at Flora. And now?

Flora leaned in to look, and the larva-baby flexed and stretched toward her. As it opened its tiny mouth to cry, its warm scent rose more strongly, threaded with the delicate fragrance of the Queen’s Love. Immediately, two pulses began flickering in Flora’s cheeks, and her mouth began to fill with sweet liquid. She looked to Sister Teasel in alarm.

Flow! cried Sister Teasel. Don’t swallow, let it come!

She guided Flora into the right position as the luminous drops spilled from her mouth. They fell onto the larva-baby and it stopped crying, wriggling around to lap them up. The drops thickened into a thin stream, which pooled around the baby’s body until it could drink no more.

Flora’s cheeks stopped flickering and the liquid stopped. Completely exhausted, she held the side of the crib for support. The baby grew as she watched, and the base of the crib glowed. Other nurses looked across.

Well, said Sister Teasel. If I had not seen it for myself. A flora from Sanitation, able to make royal jelly. Flow. She corrected herself. You must only ever call it Flow.

Why, Sister? Flora felt warm and sleepy.

Sister Teasel tutted.

No more questions. All you need to remember is feed as your supervisor instructs you. Not a drop more, no matter how the babies beg. And they will. Now I must find you a place to sleep—though I don’t know what the other girls will say about it. You mustn’t expect them to touch or groom you.

SISTER TEASEL LED FLORA to a rest area where young nurse bees lay talking quietly or sleeping, luminous traces fading around their mouths. She lay down at once.

Flora 717 is here by Sister Sage’s express wish. Sister Teasel’s tone dared anyone to remonstrate. Yes she makes Flow, and yes it is most irregular for her kin, but we are in the season of irregularity, with the rain and the cold and the lack of food—so we will all be helpful. Is that clear?

The nurses murmured assent and placed food and drink within Flora’s reach, but she was too tired to move. Sister Teasel’s voice continued above her and she knew that when the comb shivered, the divine fragrance that rose up from it was the Queen’s Love, and that this was the sacrament of Devotion. She wanted to join the sweet harmony of nurses in prayer, but the room was warm and dark, and the bed was soft.

LIKE THE OTHER NURSES’, Flora’s job was simple. She must give Flow to the babies as directed, rest when it stopped, then repeat. As Sister Teasel had stressed to Sister Sage, the feed timing was very strictly observed and marked with different bells that signaled when one or another area of the Nursery was due more or must stop feeding. These constantly chiming bells and the shimmering energy of the fed larvae created an intense and dreamlike aura in the Nursery, but one sound always alerted Flora’s attention. It was the bright, resonant tone of the sun bell, and its particular frequency told all the bees that beyond the safety of the hive walls, day had risen again.

Flora particularly enjoyed its vibration and listened out for its rare pleasure. Every three chimes, the supervising sisters came around and collected all the nurses whose fur had risen and whose Flow was dwindling, and replaced them with new ones fresh from the Arrivals Hall, their fur still soft and damp.

Flora’s fur had not changed, so she was kept on. By the sixth sun bell, every nurse around her had changed, but her own Flow continued as strongly as ever. Supervising sisters also changed, but there were always several Teasels in their number. As she watched them go about their business, Flora began to understand the workings of the Nursery.

The cribs were always being rotated. Each day the nurses who were soon to leave would clean out a thousand of them, then a small army of sanitation workers would arrive to remove the waste and scrub the floors. Surreptitiously, Flora watched them. Though they never made eye contact or said a word, their vigorous energy was tangible, and all the nurses were relieved when they left, none more so than Flora, ashamed of her own kin. Then the nurses would prepare the empty cribs in the newly cleaned area and the supervising sisters

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