The Queen introduced me first of all. "Everyone, this is, umm, Jamie. Jamie joins us from our underground office."

With my gaster I tapped out a greeting on the table and everyone smiled at my friendly vibes. The Queen (whose name was Linda and who called herself a section chief) said that the twenty new computers she had purchased were still in boxes in the basement, where they'd been for a week, since no one in maintenance was able to bring them up on the freight elevator. In despair, she might have torn her wings off right there, if she'd had any wings to tear off. I said I'd stack the boxes on my back and have them up in two trips, max. They all cheered, Queen Linda included.

The rest of the meeting went fine, and at the end I proposed that we all clump up to lick Linda, and then press our mouths together to share some regurgitation in the true fashion of pismire co-workers.

Everyone claimed to be "too busy."

***