The first wax-generators were already up. Here and there a little head thrust itself out curiously from the openings. The news of the incident traveled quickly.

Two officers emerged from the private chambers. Maya recognized them instantly. In solemn silence, without a word to her, they took their posts, one on each side of the doorway: the queen would soon appear.

She came without her court, attended only by her aide and two ladies-in-waiting. She hurried straight over to Maya. When she saw what a state the child was in, the severe expression on her face relaxed a little.

"You have come with an important message? Who are you?"

Maya could not speak at once. Finally she managed to frame two words:

"The hornets!"

The queen turned pale. But her composure was unshaken, and Maya was somewhat calmed.

"Almighty queen!" she cried. "Forgive me for not respecting the duties I owe Your Majesty. Later I will tell you everything I have done. I repent. With my whole heart I repent.-- Just a little while ago, as by a miracle, I escaped from the fortress of the hornets, and the last I heard was that they were planning to attack and plunder our kingdom at dawn."

The wild dismay that the little bee's words produced was indescribable. The ladies-in-waiting set up a loud wail, the officers at the door turned pale and made as if to dash off and sound the alarm, the aide said: "Good G.o.d!" and wheeled completely round, because he wanted to see on all sides at once.

As for the queen, it was really extraordinary to see with what composure, what resourcefulness she received the dreadful news.

She drew herself up, and there was something in her att.i.tude that both intimidated and inspired endless confidence. Little Maya was awed. Never, she felt, had she witnessed anything so superior. It was like a great, magnificent event in itself.

The queen beckoned the officers to her side and uttered a few rapid sentences aloud. At the end Maya heard:

"I give you one minute for the execution of my orders.

A fraction of a second longer, and it will cost you your heads."

But the officers scarcely looked as if they needed this incentive. In less time than it takes to tell they were gone.

Their instant readiness was a joy to behold.

"O my queen!" said Maya.

The queen inclined her head to the little bee, who once again for a brief moment saw her monarch's countenance beam upon her gently, lovingly.

"You have our thanks," she said. "You have saved us. No matter what your previous conduct may have been, you have made up for it a thousandfold.-- But go, rest now, little girl, you look very miserable, and your hands are trembling."

"I should like to die for you," Maya stammered, quivering.

"Don't worry about us," replied the queen. "Among the thousands inhabiting this city there is not one who would hesitate a moment to sacrifice his life for me and for the welfare of the country. You can go to sleep peacefully."

She bent over and kissed the little bee on her forehead. Then she beckoned to the ladies-in-waiting and bade them see to Maya's rest and comfort.

Maya, stirred to the depths of her being, allowed herself to be led away. After this, life had nothing lovelier to offer. As in a dream she heard the loud, clear signals in the distance, saw the high dignitaries of state a.s.semble around the royal chambers, heard a dull, far-echoing drone that shook the hive from roof to foundation.

"The soldiers! Our soldiers!" whispered the ladies-in-waiting at her side.

The last thing Maya heard in the little room where her companions put her to bed was the tramp of soldiers marching past her door and commands shouted in a blithe, resolute, ringing voice. Into her dreams, echoing as from a great distance, she carried the ancient song of the soldier-bees:

Sunlight, sunlight, golden sheen, By your glow our lives are lighted; Bless our labors, bless our Queen, Let us always be united.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

CHAPTER XVI

THE BATTLE

The kingdom of the bees was in a whirl of excitement. Not even in the days of the revolution had the turmoil been so great. The hive rumbled and roared. Every bee was fired by a holy wrath, a burning ardor to meet and fight the ancient enemy to the very last gasp. Yet there was no disorder or confusion. Marvelous the speed with which the regiments were mobilized, marvelous the way each soldier knew his duty and fell into his right place and took up his right work.

It was high time. At the queen's call for volunteers to defend the entrance, a number of bees offered themselves, and of these several had been sent out to see if the enemy was approaching.

Two had now returned--whizzing dots--and reported that the hornets were drawing near.

An awesome hush of expectancy fell upon the hive. Soldiers in three closed ranks stood lined up at the entrance, proud, pale, solemn, composed. No one spoke. The silence of death prevailed, except for the low commands of the officers drawing up the reserves in the rear. The hive seemed to be fast asleep.

The only stir came from the doorway where about a dozen wax-generators were at work in feverish silence executing their orders to narrow the entrance with wax. As by a miracle, two thick part.i.tions of wax had already gone up, which even the strongest hornets could not batter down without great loss of time. The hole had been reduced by almost half.

The queen took up an elevated position inside the hive from which she was able to survey the battle. Her aides flew scurrying hither and thither.

The third messenger returned. He sank down exhausted at the queen's feet.

"I am the last who will return," he shouted with all the strength he had left. "The others have been killed."

"Where are the hornets?" asked the queen.

"At the lindens!-- Listen, listen," he stammered in mortal terror, "the air hums with the wings of the giants."

No sound was heard. It must have been the poor fellow's terrified imagination, he must have thought he was still being pursued.

"How many are there?" asked the queen sternly. "Answer in a low voice."

"I counted forty."

Although the queen was startled by the enemy's numbers, she gave no sign of shock.

In a ringing, confident voice that all could hear, she said:

"Not one of them will see his home again."

Her words, which seemed to sound the enemy's doom, had instant effect. Men and officers alike felt their courage rise.

But when in the quiet of the morning an ominous whirring was heard outside the hive, first softly, then louder and louder, and the entrance darkened, and the whispering voices of the hornets, the most frightful robbers and murderers in the insect world, penetrated into the hive, then the faces of the valiant little bees turned pale as if washed over by a drab light falling upon their ranks. They gazed at one another with eyes in which death sat waiting, and those who were ranged at the entrance knew full well that one moment more and all would be over with them.

The queen's controlled voice came clear and tranquil from her place on high:

"Let the robbers enter one by one until I give orders to attack.

Then those at the front throw themselves upon the invaders a hundred at a time, and the ranks behind cover the entrance. In that way we shall divide up the enemy's forces. Remember, you at the front, upon your strength and endurance and bravery depends the fate of the whole state. Have no fear; in the dusk the enemy will not see right away how well prepared we are, and he will enter unsuspecting...."