There was silence for a while. The only sound was a restrained sobbing in the back of the hall—probably someone thinking of a friend who had been killed.
Maya went on with her story. When she came to the hornets, the bees' eyes darkened and widened. Each imagined himself in the situation in which one of their number had been, and quivered, and drew a deep breath.
"Awful," said the queen, "perfectly awful. . . ."
The dignitaries murmured something to the same effect.
"And so," Maya ended, "I reached home. And I sue for your Majesty's pardon—a thousand times."
Oh, no one bore the little bee any ill will for having run away from the hive. You may imagine they did not.
The queen put her arm round Maya's neck.
"You did not forget your home and your people," she said kindly. "In your heart you were loyal. So we will be loyal to you. Henceforth you shall stay by my side and help me conduct the affairs of state. In that way,
