“Look, Councillor Douglas was walking this over here, but I told him I’d deliver it since I wanted to talk to you.” He holds out a thin envelope. “I’m sorry about Councillor Douglas. I saw the state of him after he ate that root. I think it’s good what you’re doing here. I only wish…”
He trails off, shaking his head. He slips away without another word.
My hands tremble as I turn the envelope over and see the seal of the council.
“Do you want me to read it?” Rafe asks gently.
I hand it to him. He unfurls the letter with great fanfare, clears histhroat, and reads with all the gravitas and aplomb of a Shakespearean actor.
Mrs Abernathy, we regret to inform you that after the inspection of your facilities, the committee has decided not to grant you your license. You are welcome to reapply after your conditions have been made more sanitary and all dangerous plants have been removed.
XII
The Bees
Mamma has left the garden to go back to the village. Some of us follow her because we must all work together to protect Mamma. They send back a message that Mamma is sad, and they’re doing their dances for her to cheer her up, but she isn’t cheering up. At least the cat is there. He too is trying to cheer her by giving her our fermented stomach juice to drink.
He’s alright. For a cat.
Most of us have stayed behind, in our precious garden, finishing the work we didn’t get done because we had visitors, fussing over the flowers those visitors trampled or picked, and patrolling the ramparts of the garden wall, for we sense it again. The enemy is outside, waiting, watching.
The Dark Presence.
This isn’t an enemy like Over the Fence Gerbera Daddy, who we could eliminate with our stingers if he became a real problem. Over the Fence Gerbera Daddy is loud and annoying, and sometimes he uses a spray on his Gerberas that tastes yucky, but he’s no danger to Mamma.
But the Dark Presence is bad bad bad.
We’ve felt it before. It followed Mean Warrick home, lurking around the garden gate like a bad, bad lurker. We thought it would go away when Mean Warrick went away. But it’s here again. We sense it sending dark tendrils over our ramparts, stretching shadows over the flower beds, grasping and snapping for what’s ours.
Don’t worry, Mamma,we sing as we beat our wings and weave our magic through the air, as we strengthen the ramparts that keep the Dark Presence away.We will protect you. We won’t let the Dark Presence hurt you.
XIII
Celeste: What do you mean we don’t get a meadery? This is an outrage! We’ll organise a protest!
Mina: All I’m saying is that my husband Moriarty has a criminal empire of rogues and scallywags, and he knows how to use them to persuade councillors to change their minds. Just say the word.
It was a silly dream anyway.
I top up my glass from the bottle of mead next to me. It’s the first bottle of apple and amaranth I’ve opened for myself, and I know as soon as I taste it that I’ve messed up the recipe. It’s much more potent than it should be. But I don’t stop drinking it. It promises oblivion, and right now that’s what I want most of all – to slip into a magical, meady haze and disappear forever.
“Why aren’t you more upset?” Rafe asks as he sips his own drink. He’s still on his first glass. Slacker.
“Because alcohol.” I slam my empty glass on the counter and pour another. My skull feels like a bee’s crop – filled to the brim with sweet honey, with no room for any other thoughts.
“Easy there, Mead Menace.” Rafe catches my glass as I raise it to my lips. “Answer me. What’s going on in that pretty head of yours?”
“Ooooooh you think I’m pretty.”
“Of course I think you’re pretty.”
“Then why wouldn’t you kiss me?”
Rafe sighs. “Autumn. Don’t make me take your mead away.”
“In my heart, I knew it wasn’t going to happen,” I shrug. “Nothing ever works out for me. It’s a relief. I don’t know what I was thinking – opening a meadery! It isn’t 1426! I haven’t lost anything except a bit of money—what are you doing?”
Through my blurred vision, I see him unbuttoning his shirt. “I have to go out. Important cat business. Are you going to be okay on your own, or do I need to get Celeste to babysit you?”
