The funny bee

Previously

…As he flew, he couldn't help but feel a strange sense of accomplishment. He had faced his rival, he had defied his own body, and he had succeeded. The nectar sloshed gently in his sac, a sweet promise of relief for his hive. And for the first time, Barnaby felt not like an outcast, but like a bee who had found his purpose. Even if that purpose involved a bit of accidental slapstick along the way. He hummed a little tune, a happy, buzzy melody that echoed his newfound confidence. Bartholomew’s betrayal had, in a twisted, roundabout way, led to his triumph. And that, Barnaby thought, was the funniest bee joke of all.