NJ87110805

November 8 2005

All right. I've spoken with Johnathon and we agree. I'm going to go ahead and write put down what's been
happening instead of trying to hold back, letting the comic catch up. It just won't happen and so much has
happened.

You wouldn't believe it. How can so much pass on that side and yet only a few sleeping hours pass on this
side? I don't understand it. Maybe some day...

In any case, where we last left from "walking" was the arrival at the Hive.

A fairy castle city of immense proportions.

And that's putting it lightly.

Canubis - I found out from Johnathon how to spell it - set down on a tremendous flat landing area, first
slowly setting down his "package." I watched honeybees all round it look as if any moment they were
going to be squashed but they all worked like the cliché well oiled machine. It was mesmerizing.

Fleur and I just stood, watching out that great eye, and looking at the...size of everything.

Canubis bade us farewell and I could swear he bowed to us. A chill went through me when he did that.
There was something...a bit unnerving in the motion.

We were escorted by Aris from the landing platform into the hive itself. The landing platform was as big as
one of those ships that planes land on. Aircraft carriers. That's the name. I blanked on it for a moment.

We looked around and I saw, scattered in a neat row, many more of those same platforms. We went to the
edge and looked down.

Way down.

Fleur sat down suddenly.

So did I.

"Woah."

We just leaned on one another for a few minutes. "We gotta remember to breathe, hon," whispered Fleur.
"The size..."

It was then that we saw more than just honeybees. There were a few other species moving in and out of the
hive. We got up and pointedly stopped looking down.

Aris, hovering, seemed eager to escort us into the hive itself. We all obliged, our slight vertigo having
immediately left us.

Fleur and I started to hold hands as we entered the hive. More like city. We saw multi-species wandering
around.

"So this place houses more than just honeybees?" asked Fleur.

Aris nodded. "Oh, yes. Before the rise of the Way Stations the hives were the main center of commerce
for many. We are a center for trade, gossip, aid of many kinds."

Fleur stopped. "Wait. Not everyone here has wings," she said, looking at a rather beautifully
colored...beetle? Not sure. Hard looking carapace back, though. Like a hardened cloak. But it was pale,
with chevrons of bright colors through out the sections. Maybe she did have wings.

"Yes?" from Aris.

"How do they get here?"

"Many are transported with help from those winged. Others make the trip on claw."

"Claw? You mean...they walk?"

Aris nodded as we continued walking. We passed figures bustling to some business and for some reason I
was reminded of a pleasant plane terminal.

"Walk?" Fleur squeaked as she turned and looked back to that edge of the platform, remembering the
distance we saw, looking at the drop from that edge. "How...long, would it take for someone to get here?"

Aris paused. "That would depend on the starting point and what of the people the person was. But an
estimate of the base to hive? It could take a year."

Fleur snorted, her eyes whirling in wry humor. "Oh, right. Just a year. So long..."

I touched her gently, seeing her head shake back and forth. "It's all right, Fleur. It's just going to take us a
while to adjust to the way they do things."

She nodded. "Oh, yeah.

We entered the hive and this time we both sat down at the same time. No, not sat down. We sunk to the
ground, which by the way, had the look of a sort of octagonal crystals. Bee crystal?

The size.

It overwhelmed us for a minute again. I don't think we'll ever get used to it.

Aris smiled. She seemed to understand. As our eyes met, she directed my glance with one of her own,
guiding my eyes with hers across the floor.

I followed her gaze and saw a small group of fuzzy little beings. Caterpillars? Caterpillars? They had
unusually long torsoes. But they were children. They were round and delightful looking. Like little puppies.
Their faces were rapt as they just stood, staring. Slowly looking around them, their mouths hanging open.

I elbowed Fleur and she looked.

We began to laugh and...no surprise, but we woke up.