10

Have you ever noticed that there are some amongst us who seem to bee highly, super good at Fooling everybody else? Ever run into anybody like that? Don’t ya’ just feel like a Huge Idiot when you find out you’ve been Lied To and Deceived? (I certainly do.)

I asked, beecause I ran into somebody like that just the other day.

I don’t know if you know this, but (Highly Skilled Bee that I am), I happen to own a mostly complete set of some Massively Specialised Tools that I use every once in awhile - like the Nectarator 5000 Nectar Saturation Gauge, which can come in really useful if you ever happen to find yourself in a Hive Tavern and suspect you’re beeing short-changed on that Nectartini that doesn’t look quite right.

Anyway. I decided to go out the other afternoon (it was really nice out, mostly), and grab myself a Nectartini. So beefore I left, I was looking for my Saturation Gauge. But I couldn’t find it. It was no longer there, where I keep my Saturation Gauges. I went out anyway - and who do you think I ran into? Harrizzzzz, that’s who. He said he was just getting off work and had to make one, final Delivery. That sounded beelievable.

Then I noticed something: there, in his back, left, Overall Pocket, was MY Nectarator 5000 Nectar Saturation Gauge. I know it was mine, beecause it had MY initials on it.
So I mentioned it.

“Hey, is that my Saturation Gauge?” I asked him.
“Is what your Saturation Gauge? I don’t have a Saturation Gauge,” he said.
“Yes, you do,” I said, and pointed to it right there in his pocket.
“No I don’t,” he said, (very convincingly, I might add).
“I would never have a Saturation Gauge,” he said. “I don’t use them, so I don’t need one. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen one those things. I wouldn’t even know what it looks like, probably.”

Then he walked away toward the Hive.

I couldn’t see the Gauge as he walked away, beecause when I wasn’t looking, he moved it into his front pocket, so I thought maybe I’d made a Mistaken Observation, or something. As it turns out, though, I hadn’t.

Completely by Accident, and thanks to my heavily convenient Security Surveillance Suspicious Activity Tracking Device, I happened to find out that his “Delivery” was to…get this: to take MY Saturation Gauge to ButterCup’s Cell in the Hive.
So he LIED to me. He DECEIVED me. I couldn’t beelieve it, mostly.

I hafta say that ever since I’ve known Harrizzzz, he’s done nothing but offer the appearance of beeing one of THE most honest, likeable, dependable, and kind bees I thought I’d ever met. Oh sure, his Obsession with Bee Racing was a little weird sometimes, but relatively harmless, mostly. (We all have something Weird about us, right?) But I’d even hafta’ say that, in the almost 484 Days since I’ve know this guy, I would’ve sworn he was the only bee I’d ever met who would never have tried to Lie to anybody.

But he did.

Everybody thought he had Integrity.

But he doesn’t.

Seriously now, how could I have been so wrong about him?
I feel like such a fool, mostly. But it gets worse. Listen to this:

Later, when I reviewed the Data Stream and Time Stamps from the Tracking Device, I found out that he showed up at ButterCup’s Cell Entrance, and when he got there, he said, “Hi Sweet Wings.”

Then ButterCup said, “Is that a Saturation Gauge in your pocket, or are you just glad to see me?” Then they went inside her Cell.

I couldn’t beelieve it. And I couldn’t beelieve he also STAYED in there with her for approximately 2 hours, 4 minutes and 03 seconds.

I mean seriously now…what is THAT all about? I’m a bee who likes to know things, as we all know, so I decided to buzz over and pay ButterCup a Visit.

When she came to her Cell entrance, I asked her, “Whatcha’ been up to, ButterCup?”.
“Nothing,” she said. “Why are you asking so many Prying Questions? Haven’t I told you every time I see you that I’m not up to anything? Isn’t that what I say?” She sounded Defensive - and Deceptive.

“Why have you been receiving Stolen Tools, ButterCup?” I asked her. I needed her to tell me the Truth of all this. That’s only fair, right?
Well, all she said was, “I didn’t. I haven’t. I’m not.”
Then I asked her, “Why is Harrizzzzz hanging around with you so much?”
“Who?” she said.

More Lies.

So to make a Long Story short, she finally mostly Confessed that Harrizzzz had been stealing Tools for quite some time, and that she, ButterCup - my ButterCup - had been hiding all those Stolen Tools in her Pantry. There must have been 87 of those things in there - everything from Saturation Gauges to Pollen Separators to Wax Densometers, and then some. I also found out that she’d been spending an Inordinate Amount of Time with Harrizzzzz, and could tell this had been going on a Long Time.

I dunno how, but the Buzz managed to get around about what these two had been up to, so now, nobody trusts either of them - at all. So now, ButterCup and Harrizzzzz are facing 1st Degree Larceny charges in Royal Court. I’ve heard their Case comes up sometime around the middle of the Warm Season, sometime after a Preliminary Pre-Trial Hearing next week. (That should bee interesting.)

I hafta’ say that I’m very excited to watch the Trial and find out if they get the Book thrown at them - which, in the case of 1st Degree Larceny, is to bee locked in a tiny cell together for Life. Forever, (at least, that's the Rumour).

That would bee highly unpleasant, wouldn’t it? And it would bee a real tragedy, mostly. But then again, I think it’s not necessarily a bad thing when the Culprits get what’s coming to them, ya’ know? I think we’d all have to agree that Lies and Deception are two things we can all get along better without in our otherwise Happy Lives, and should bee Punished Severely, don’t you? I do, too.
I mean, who needs bees who just Lie and Beetray everybody? I don’t think any of us wants bees like that around. I know I don’t.

So, as I mentioned beefore, their Preliminary Pre-Trial Hearing comes up next week (I think it’s on either Tuesday or maybee Thursday, I can’t remember), but I’m gonna go Observe the Proceedings. And don’t worry…I’ll tell ya’ what happens.

Until then, let’s all bee Highly Careful out there!