Page 89 - Dark Matter:Women Witnessing Issue2

I am obviously not the queen bee. Our hive-­‐bound queen only breeds us and uses the venom to kill her

rivals until they kill her. She is pale, ungainly and awkward inside her bulk while I am lean, lithe and

agile. I fly free, am devoted to her and the hive. I work to sustain our culture, as do all workers. Workers

are all female and our drones are male. Workers collect the nectar wherever we are living and bring it

directly back to the waxy cells to store. We all work hard.

Animals and humans often attack us so each of us has to carry a survival portion of venom. When I

have to sting, I do it discreetly and precisely. When I sting, all of us receive the message immediately

and come immediately to multiply the dosage by our number. If one is challenged, all arrive. Our venom

has always been mighty: wounding, killing, and occasionally curing.

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