Chapter 591: Awe and glory
Ambrosia didn’t reply to my question imdiately, but I could tell that it wasn’t because she had nothing to object with. She was thinking.
“Everything we do, everything that we are, is awe-inspiring to . We, bees, are an awe-inspiring kind. But humans are not. Their values are different, and their intelligence and education are inferior. They can have eyes and stay entirely blind. We have countless Agents whose only job is to make humans see things they should. Why should Ramwill be different and have his eyes more open than others?”
Perhaps there was a ti when I would’ve felt wounded on behalf of humans after hearing this little speech, but I didn’t. I felt this fact sharply, and spent a mont to woe at it.
Humans couldn’t agree even among themselves on what is awe-inspiring and what isn’t. I was sure that if I asked any bee if our kind was amazing, she’d say that yes, bees were the best in the world. How else could it be?
But if I asked humans, although most of them perhaps will reply in a similar vein, others would claim that humans are sinners, bastards, and whatever else.
So yes, Amby was entirely right—even if I thought that the technological and genetic marvels of the Bee Empire were awe-inspiring, even if all the bees thought this and countless humans, this didn’t an Ramwill would think the sa.
However, this wasn’t a reason to abandon my idea!
The more I thought about it, the more advantageous it felt.
Giving humans under our rule a bit of controlled autonomy, after we so carefully took as much of it away as possible without outright enslaving them, would decrease the logistical weight on the bees.
Humans will be able to deal with their own problems, and fewer bees will have to use their expertise to help them. The diversity of thoughts would promote faster research and, perhaps, even cultural exchange and growth.
And, hell… I was sentintal about this, too.
As long as humans didn’t do anything rash, it felt good to let them live better lives.
“Well, we can find out what he thinks about us. This is easy,” I said, waving off Amby’s concerns. “And if he isn’t awed enough by bees, then we must do sothing that will awe him!”
Amby looked at sceptically, but then let out a sigh.
“You are very dedicated to this idea, aren’t you?”
I smiled my silliest smile at her instead of a response, which made her smile back. A victory!
“Then we must make Ramwill-human travel here, to Hive Supremo, and swear fealty to you like all the human rulers when the Bee Empire was united. This would officially make the Vardish Empire a part of the Bee Empire in everybody’s eyes,” Ambrosia said.
I perked up.
“Oh, this is a great plan! The journey won’t be a quick one, but… We can wait. And talking with other humans might inspire loyalty in Ramwill, too. Who would know how to convince him better than so of the Vardish people that now worship bees?”
I ant the people from the Eastern Expanse Reach, Vardish colony that was partially destroyed and mostly conquered by the Bee Empire a while ago.
There were still a lot of people who spoke the Vardish language and were fully or partially of Vardish descent, which ant blue chitin instead of green one and other differences in looks that were too slight for to see on their insect-like faces.
“This is it, this is the plan!” I concluded, hitting my palm with a fist. “And by the ti Ramwill and his entourage arrive, we will have a truly awe-inspiring show for him. And not just for him… There’s always so reason to celebrate. It can be a show for the entire Empire!”
***
After this, I went to Worriesgone and asked her for a calendar of all notable events and celebrations in the Bee Empire—both for bees and humans.
A fitting date was soon found—the end of winter. In the tropics that made the most populated parts of the Bee Empire, this was the rainy season.
There was a traditional human festival that would happen in three months, ant to celebrate the turn of the year and chase the storms away. Bees didn’t have an analogue, but there were plenty of various victories achieved near this date—enough to call this a Day of Year’s Glory and make it a new celebration.
As long as things go well, three months will be enough for Ramwill to get to the Bee Empire, and for us to prepare a parade that will bring fresh awe to all its citizens. And in Ramwill, of course.
I announced my plans to the Empire Council, and we began to work.
The Empire’s resources and infrastructure were damaged by the recent disasters, but my girls only took the idea of a grand celebration—grandest to date!—with even more enthusiasm because of it.
“It will be wonderful to celebrate! This will be like a festival in honour of us prevailing over last year’s troubles! A grand, grand festival—the best I’ve done… Oh, how wonderful it will be…” Worriesgone comnted on this with a dreamy sigh. She even put her hands in a prayer gesture in front of her chest and closed her eyes as she spoke. Judging from her expression, she was imagining sothing really nice.
And really expensive.
Workharder began complaining as soon as she saw Worriesgone’s first draft.
“Alright, I understand usnea seeds, fruits, nectar and honey. We have tons of it! Dodo at—also fine, although worse. At least blood could be harvested from dodos before they are eaten. But what are those ‘other delicacies’? We don’t have as much variety of available food as you suggest. The fat, juicy caterpillars… They are gone!” Workharder shook her head woefully. “I miss them. But we can’t hunt for so many treats for the festival’s guests. There’s just not enough things to hunt!”
“But what kind of a festival would it be if we just eat the sa food as every day?”
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