(eng) K. A. Applegate - Animorphs 40 by The Other

Author:The Other [Other, The]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

There wouldn't be time to do my bee morph before my "mission." So I spent a few minutes on the Internet, hoping to discover some pertinent facts about the bee's capabilities and weaknesses. Something that might help me know what to expect when the honeybee brain kicked in.

And I learned something that scared the tar out of me: that honeybees, like ants, are social insects. Just not to the same extent as ants. But they function as part of a greater whole. Not individuals. Machinelike in their dedication to the survival of the colony. Devoted one hundred and fifty percent to the hive.

Now you know where the saying "busy as a bee" came from.

This did not make me happy. Being an ant had been one of the most frightening experiences of my otherwise already-bizarre life.

I'd lost myself, going ant. So had Jake and the others. There had been no sense of self. Of individuality. Most people can't even imagine what losing that part of you feels like. It's one hundred times more intense than your worst nightmare.

I took a deep breath. I would have to avoid the actual hive if at all possible.

I looked at my watch. Time flies when you're scared peeless.

We met way too early in the morning. Rachel used her bald eagle morph and I went osprey. And we flew to Henry McClellan's house.

<Now what?> she asked.

<Land and survey.>

We did. Before a full three minutes had passed, we spotted a honeybee.

And it was headed toward the greenhouse.

Perfect. Maybe I wouldn't need to find the colony after all.

<What is it doing?> Rachel said.

<I don't know. Just pay attention.>

Which wasn't very easy. The bee zipped along erratically. Up, then down. To the right, then down again. Left! Up! Slanting on a diagonal! Reversing direction, backtracking. Then, in a final show of acrobatic skill, slipping effortlessly through a tiny hole in a panel of glass.

<Okay, Marco,> Rachel said. <There's your way in.>

<Cripes. I'll never make it through that nuclear obstacle course without getting fried.>

<Not unless you follow another bee,> Rachel pointed out. <I mean, really tailgate. Which means we need the hive.>

She was right. Adopting the buddy system with a honeybee was my safest - not to mention only - chance of getting inside.

We found the hive carefully hidden in a small cluster of trees at the far end of Henry McClellan's backyard.

<Where'd Gafinilan get the money for this place?> I grumbled. <The yard's got to be, like, three acres.>

<Lotto?> Rachel landed on a branch of the live oak next to the partially rotted-out old tree that housed the resident honeybee community. <I'll cover you while you demorph. After you morph, I'll keep an eye on you as you get closer to the house. Anything goes wrong in there, Marco, you'd better call me,> she warned. <No being a hero.>

<No danger of that,> I muttered.

I landed at the foot of Rachel's tree. Quickly demorphed and scurried over to stand just below the hive. Cut down on postmorph travel.

None of us enjoy morphing anything really small.

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