Darius Bell and the Crystal Bees by Odo Hirsch Page A

answers?’
    â€˜Papa, listen. The honey that bees make comes from nectar. The nectar comes from flowers. As they collect it, they also collect pollen on their bodies. When they go to the next flower, the pollen brushes off. In some cases, it’s actually the beating of their wings that releases the pollen, and it’s actually the same flower that pollinates itself, but that’s a different form of pollination and isn’t as common as . . .’ Darius paused. His father was staring at him with a glazed look in his eyes. ‘Don’t worry about that, Papa. The point is, in general, the bees take pollen from one flower to another and that’s how the flowers get pollinated. And that’s how we get our fruit. Do you understand, Papa? That’s how it happens.’
    Hector still had the same look in his eyes.
    â€˜Papa, no bees – no fruit, no vegetables. Nothing. Not for us, not for the Fishers.’
    Hector Bell nodded. ‘I see.’
    â€˜Papa?’ said Darius doubtfully.
    â€˜I heard you, Darius. No bees – no fruit. Isn’t that what you said?’
    â€˜Yes, unless we do something. It’s serious. It’s really serious.’
    â€˜It certainly sounds it.’
    â€˜That’s why I’m telling you.’
    â€˜And so you should!’ said Hector loudly, recovering his poise. ‘Quite right, Darius. You’re very sensible. I don’t know how many boys would be as sensible as you at your age. I wasn’t, I’m sure.’
    â€˜So you understand, Papa?’
    â€˜Say no more! Understood.’ Hector looked around the room, then yawned. ‘I’m rather sleepy. Are you sleepy, Darius?’
    â€˜No.’
    â€˜An afternoon nap? Always good for the brain.’
    Darius shook his head.
    â€˜Forty winks? You can have sixty, if you like.’
    â€˜No, Papa. You heard what I said, didn’t you? It’s serious.’
    â€˜I know. Leave it to me, Darius. You did the right thing to tell me.’
    â€˜Thanks, Papa.’ Darius got up. As he left, his father was stretching himself on the sofa.
    Outside, Darius felt a sense of relief – real relief, this time. That hadn’t been as hard as he had expected it to be. Somehow, when he had been thinking about it, he hadn’t known how he was going to bring himself to break the bad news to his father. And yet, once he blurted out the first part, it was easy. You just have to tell the truth, thought Darius, no matter how bad. It was much worse if you tried to hide it.
    Hector Bell had more than forty winks, and probably more than sixty. He didn’t wake up until Darius’s mother came looking for him in the writing room.
    â€˜I had the most peculiar dream,’ he said as he sat up.
    â€˜What was that?’’ asked Micheline.
    â€˜Darius came and we ate dates and pistachios with pumpkin-flower honey, and then he told me there was going to be no more honey and no more fruit . . .’ Hector paused. His gaze rested on the empty date dish and honey bowl. ‘Actually, I don’t think it was a dream. He did come! He actually did come.’
    â€˜And is that what he said?’
    Hector tried to remember. ‘It was something about bees and fruit, Micheline.’ He chuckled. ‘He tried to explain it, but to be honest, I didn’t understand a word of it. He bamboozled me with science. I’m a literary man, Micheline, with literary sensibilities. Almost romantic sensibilities, as you’ve often said yourself. Science? It’s a closed book. Closed, wrapped, and tied up with string. I don’t understand it. Never have, never will. Can’t be helped, that’s just how it is.’
    â€˜But what was Darius saying?’
    â€˜Something about bees and fruit. He’s such a clever boy, but honestly, Micheline, it was completely ridiculous.’ Hector frowned, trying to remember the details.