f
Hanlon's mind.

Suddenly one of them uttered a cry that drew the rest to it on swift
pinions, to see attached to one of the trees a huge swarm of Simonidean
bees.

"Will the queen do?" the one mind-portion asked anxiously.

There was a convulsive shudder in all the minds, for the birds knew--and
Hanlon had heard--how deadly poisonous these native bees were; how they
were hunted down and exterminated when found. They were twice the size,
and many, many times more vicious and deadly than Terran bees. Even now
two gardeners were running toward the tree with a great metal net and
flame-throwers.

But Hanlon was desperate. "She will have to do," the aggregate mind
decided.

Instantly, then, the part of his mind in the dying bird detached itself
and entered the brain of the Queen Bee. There were long, disheartening
moments of twisting and struggling to fit into that strange, vicious
insect brain. He finally managed to take control, yet was not fully en
rapport. Sight through her multi-faceted eyes was very nearly impossible
with the little time he could give to learning their texture.

But the close rapport between the various portions of his mind was a
good guide. The Queen flew swiftly towards that ventilator, her swarm
following closely at her command.

Into and through the vent she flew, and almost before the four men
inside were aware of the strange buzzing, she was directing her swarm
towards them.

"Bees!" Panek yelled in terror, and the four started fighting the
hundreds that swarmed all over each of them. That may have been their
mistake--had Panek and the other two stood perfectly still it was a bare
possibility they might have survived, although in Hanlon's grimly
determined frame of mind that was now doubtful.

Not that Hanlon was angry, even at Panek for the terrible beating of his
unconscious body. For he realized it was the man's cruel, sadistic
nature; that he could not have acted otherwise.

But Hanlon knew now that the peace of the Federation demanded that he
live and be free to make his report, and only the death of His Highness
and the others could now possibly save him.

So, much as it sickened him, Hanlon had to keep on, and as those
bee-stings plunged in their hundreds into the four, the poison working
far more swiftly than does the venom of Terrestrial bees--more akin to
that of the mamba--one after another of the four fell to the floor and
were quiet--stung to death.

Hanlon then se