Blackfire: The Rise of the Creeping Moors. James Daniel Eckblad

you bee? And what are you beeing in the river for?”

      “We won’t hurt you!” Jamie shouted back, realizing instantly the absurdity of his declaration. “We jumped in the river a long ways back, and we don’t know where we are!”

      “And why might you bee jumping into beeing lost?”

      “Thew wuh wats chasing us!” Alex shouted, uncertain the bumblebee could understand him through the din.

      “Hmmm . . . Well, . . . I’d never bee thinking I’d bee seeing someone who’d bee picking his poison!”

      “What do you mean?” asked Jamie, becoming alarmed.

      “I’d bee meaning that I’m not so sure you’d bee worse off with the rats—what with there beeing that rapids up ahead and a waterfall that’d bee dropping you about a thousand feet!”