Gem wandered away from her classmates, following the path that led down to the Beach. Flowers were everywhere, but most were far too large for her to pick, and she'd seen most of these already anyway. The colors delighted her, although she couldn't remember all the names Teacher had taught her. But she needed a special flower, a flower just perfect to finish her collection. If she stayed with the others in her class, her flowers would be just like theirs, and that wouldn't do at all.
        The path began to level out and opened upon the Beach. A great plain of gleaming sand spread out before her. All along the upper perimeter of the beach, clustered among the giant rocks, were thousands of bright tiny flowers. Gem clapped her hands in delight and ran toward them.
        These flowers were just the thing. Each was exactly the same, with five tiny white petals and bright yellow things in the middle. (What did Teacher call those things again?) They were like little shiny jewels, which delighted her even more, for that of course was her name, Gem! She clapped her hands and giggled, then collected three of the flowers. She was about to run dancing back to the group when she saw the dead ant.
        The body was far down the beach, lying near a leaf. It seemed very far, but she sensed no danger and the water had receded much further down the Beach. Gem was afraid to approach the dead ant-- she had never seen a dead person before. She knew people died, but she wasn't sure why you died or where you went when you died. She just couldn't imagine just lying there forever. She wished Flik were here. Flik would know all about dying because he knew just everything. And he wouldn't be afraid, she thought.
        Gem gathered her flowers and her courage and cautiously approached the dead ant. There were no flies around yet. She knew flies loved dead things. Gem hated flies; they were so mean and dirty and awful. As she came closer, she saw the ant was large, and a boy-ant. Well, not a boy, he was all grown up, but you know. And he was purple! She had never seen anyone so purple. The purple turned to white near his hands and feet, and some other places on his body. If he wasn't so dirty and scratched-up and dead, he'd be pretty. His body was all bruised though, and there was dried blood on him. Something was hanging around his neck-- oh, he had one of those. Gem wanted her own picture-charm, but Mother said you're too little and you'd sleep with it and it might get tangled around your neck. The dead ant's charm was lying face-down. She wondered what its picture was.
        They said you were supposed to put your hand on a dead person and say something nice for them, or something like that, so Gem reached out and touched the ant's head to say something that she hadn't thought up yet.
        The dead ant opened his eyes.

        He was lying above a swirling maelstrom of darkness. His body felt light but his limbs were bloated and heavy and he could not move them. He seemed to see through a veil into a great distance, where foreign voices shouted around him, lashing him and buffeting him in their passage, yet taking no notice of him. A bright light bore down on him and bathed him in a heat that rendered him unbearably sleepy.
        He looked up and saw a great bird descending to land near him. Astride its neck sat a beautiful queen. Her wings glistened like Moon-lit frost, and her crown shone with Sun's brilliant fire. "Wake up, Silver," she said in a voice as clear as bird-song in the still air of dawn.
        "I'm sorry," he said. "I can't. I'm so tired."
        The beautiful queen left her mount and flew over to stand above him. "I know," she replied, smiling down at him. "But your time is not yet come." She reached out and touched his forehead and commanded him. "Wake up."

        Silver opened his eyes. A small girl-ant was standing before him, her hand on his head. Her body was a very pale blue color, and her antennae curled slightly. She was carrying a bouquet of three tiny white flowers. When she saw him looking up at her, her eyes flew wide and she jumped back with a sharp intake of breath. He tried to form the words "Hello there," but they came out only as unintelligible dry whispers. The little ant ran away.
        He tried to lift his head but could not. He was hot and very thirsty. Looking about as best he could, he saw he was lying on a sandy area with clear blue sky above him. Sun was rising in a morning sky. There was a rasping sound nearby. He tried to move his limbs, but was rewarded with great pain in all his joints. Something was terribly wrong with his right leg, which seemed aflame. His side hurt, and he knew instinctively that something inside him was seriously damaged. The annoying rasping continued, and he wished it would stop and leave him in peace. Again he tried to move, but he did not have the strength. Then he understood that the rasping was his own labored breathing. Well, he thought. I'm a mess.
        Just then he heard excited voices in the distance. With a supreme effort he turned his head upon the sand to look in that direction. The sand was part of a wide beach, which rose up to a rocky area at the base of a great hill. Grasses and bright colorful flowers grew between huge brown stones. From a path between the stones, a crowd of blue ants was approaching, mostly children excitedly talking and pointing. An adult female was among them. He watched as the little ant who had touched him took the adult by hand and pulled her toward him at a run. Silver looked beyond the group, his gaze rising to the top of the vast hill. The summit was crowned by a single great tree dotted with many white-and-lavender blossums. Silver's thoughts were paralyzed with fear and wonder.
        Ant Island.

        "See? See? Here he is, just like I said!"
        "I see him Gem," Sapphire said. "Hush now."
        Sapphire looked over the strange ant as little Gem looked on. He was badly hurt and it was no wonder Gem thought him dead. She thought he would be tall if he stood up. He was of a lavender color, like the Queen, but much much darker, and his color faded at his joints and body segments, giving him odd white highlights. Blood was crusted about his right knee, and around the segments of his abdomen and thorax. The tip of one antenna had been sheered away. She saw his eyes watching her, and there was fear in them. "Don't be afraid. Can you speak?"
        He said something, but his voice was dry and cracked.
        "Gem, go down to the river and bring back some water. Hurry now, and be careful." She looked back at her class hovering around the end of the path, her eyes seeking a particular youngster she knew could run fast. "Cherry! Come down here!"
        A tall young ant pointed to himself and mouthed "Me?"
        "Yes, you." Sapphire beckoned him over and he ran down to her. "Run back to the colony now, quick as you can. Send any help you can find this way, then fetch Dr. Flora and tell her to come right away with plenty of help and a stretcher." Cherry stood there, looking wide-eyed at the injured stranger. "What are you waiting for? Off with you!"
        Cherry dashed off as Gem returned with a bead of dirty water. She placed it before the stranger's lips.
        "I'm sorry," Sapphire told him. "It's river-water, but we'll have something better for you soon."
        The stranger sucked in the dirty water like it was fine nectar.
        "Is he going to die, Teacher?"
        "I don't know, Gem. He's awfully hurt. I don't think he can move-- maybe his neck is hurt. We'll have to see what Dr. Flora says." Privately Sapphire had little hope for him. It did not take a doctor to see that he was suffering from exposure and he was probably hurt inside.
        Sapphire thought they should get him in the shade, for Sun was rising and he would certainly die if he remained here on the hot Beach, but she didn't dare move him. A large flat leaf lay nearby. The river was high last night, she recalled. Did he float in on that? But it was too large for them to move easily to shade him. "Gem, run back to the others and have them find a bit of leaf or grass big enough to cover him." As Gem ran back, Sapphire thought she heard the strange ant say something. She leaned close. "What did you say?"
        The reply was hoarse and possessed a weird accent she had never heard before, but it was clear enough. "Where am I?"
        "Oh! Well, we call this the Beach. It's part of Ant Island. It's our home. You'll be safe here, so don't worry."
        "Am I dead?" the stranger asked. He was barely audible.
        "Dead? Oh no. No no. You're hurt, but we have a doctor, and she'll have you patched up in no time, you'll see. You just lay still and don't worry about a thing." The stranger tried to speak but Sapphire could not make it out. Something about 'magic' and 'dew'. He was probably delirious. "Hush now. Don't try to talk."
        Sapphire looked up to see all the children now coming down to the beach, bearing a torn section of grass over their heads. She instructed them to set it up on the Beach so that it curved around and over the injured ant, shielding him from Sun.
        Gem left the leaf-work to the others and came back to kneel down beside the strange ant. She reached out and took up his fingers into her small hand. The stranger looked up at her for a while, then his eyes lost their focus and he seemed to retreat behind them.
        "Where do you think he's from, Teacher?"
        "I don't know, child. Maybe far away."
        Gem turned the stranger's picture-charm over, revealing the tree-on-a-hill icon. "Do you think he's a bad person or a good person?"
        "I don't know that either."
        "I think he's a good person. Do you think he knows I'm holding his hand?"
        Sapphire smiled down at her small student. Gem had nearly died of sickness last fall, and was now something of her favorite. She was remarkably observant for someone so young, and Sapphire suspected she was more intelligent than most. "Yes, I think he knows."
        They sat and waited for what seemed an eternity. The other children gathered around and asked questions or examined the flowers they had picked for their collections. Many were traded. Some of the boy-ants built fortresses in the sand and lofted pebbles at each other until Sapphire told them to stop-- one injured person was more than enough. Finally Sapphire heard a commotion coming from the direction of the colony. Nearly a dozen ants were headed their way, Mr. Soil and Dr. Flora among them. Thank goodness. Sapphire was greatly relieved, for the responsibility for both the injured stranger and the children was beginning to strain her.

        Dr. Flora examined the stranger, and tsked softly to herself as Gem and the others clustered nearby. The stranger's injuries were serious. One leg was badly infected at the knee, and damage to his body strongly suggested internal injuries. His whole appearance was battered, but many of his hurts were old. This one has seen his share, she thought.
        Mr. Soil stood nearby, watching Flora work. "My, where do you suppose he's from? I've never seen anyone colored quite like that."
        Flora shook her head. "Heaven only knows."
        Sapphire pointed. "I'm not sure, but I think his neck may be hurt. I don't think he can move."
        "He's suffering from exposure and dehydration," Flora replied. "His joints are sore and stiff. Did you give him some water?"
        "Yes, from the river."
        "And he drank it?"
        "Yes."
        "Oh that's good, that's very good." Flora knew from experience that if he didn't take the water, he was beyond help. She took a bead of clean pure water from her flower dispenser and offered it to the injured ant. He weakly took a sip, but less than Flora had hoped. She could do little more here, and his leg could wait. She motioned for the stretcher. Hopefully they could get the stranger back to the colony with minimal hurt and discomfort. "Let's get him back to the colony, carefully now."
        Gem hovered nearby. "Is he going to die?"
        "I don't know, dear. We have to get him home to the colony, then we'll see what we can do for him."
        Mr. Soil glanced around the beach. "Do you suppose there are others like him about? Perhaps he was with a party of his fellows. Perhaps he's an ambassador from another colony."
        "I think he washed up during the night," Sapphire said. "Maybe on that leaf over there."
        "Hm. Yes. Possible, quite possible." Mr. Soil walked over to the leaf and examined it. "Difficult to tell though. There may be marks here where someone may have clung to it, but difficult to tell. Poor fellow."
        The strange ant was moved to the stretcher and two ants took it up. Gem held the injured ant's hand again, and he opened his eyes and looked at her. Dr. Flora noted that he seemed more aware of the little ant than anything else. Sapphire came up and tried to draw Gem away. "You'd better step away now, Gem. They're going to take him to the colony, and we'll walk behind." But Gem would not release the stranger's hand.
        "No no, that's all right dear," Flora said. "You just hop up right there and stay with him." A nearby helpful ant picked Gem up and sat her on the stretcher. "That's right. Let's go now."
        The bearers marched back to the colony as quickly as possible, using the straightest and smoothest routes. Flora observed that the stranger never moved, but neither did he takes his eyes away from his young companion.

        In the infirmary, Flora finished applying her salves to the stranger's lesser injuries as Queen Atta, Flik, and the ever-present Gem looked on. Flora had opened the wound of his right knee and allowed it to drain, then applied her best healing salves and wrapped it lightly with a bit of dried moss. One side of his thorax and upper abdomen had been crushed, worse than she had feared. The chiton was cracked, although the area was not caved in. She cleaned the blood away as best she could, but it was certain he was hurt inside. There was little else she could do except apply her ointments to the external injuries.
        "He's been through a lot, that's certain," Flora declared. "His side's taken quite a blow, and he almost certainly has internal injuries. Something was thrust into his right knee. I've probed and found nothing, but the wound's infected, poor thing."
        "Is that very serious?" Atta asked.
        "The infection might poison him if left to fester, but I've drained it and treated it. That's not what worries me. I think he's bleeding inside, and I can't do anything to stop that."
        Gem looked at the stranger. His eyes were partly open but unfocused, and he occasionally mumbled something. "He's going to be all right. I know he's going to be all right." Atta caught Flora's eyes. The colony's chief doctor returned her gaze and gave a subtle shake of her head.
        Gem turned to Flik for reassurance. Flik felt terrible. He recalled his first encounter with the little girl-ant in this very room, the day after Hopper was defeated. They had shared the infirmary together, him with his grasshopper-inflicted injuries, her badly sick with some kind of flu. Other ants injured in the night's storm had been treated and released, and so they had the infirmary to themselves. Gem had looked so small and frail then, and she didn't appear much bigger now, though two seasons had passed. Dr. Flora had told Atta and Flik of the curioius relationship that had developed between the little ant and the dark stranger. It would only get worse for her, and Flik knew she would have to be told the truth soon. "Gem, I'm sorry--" he began, but Atta squeezed his hand and whispered "No, I'll do it. It's my place."
        Atta approached Gem and took her hand. "Gem, your friend's been awfully hurt, and sometimes when people are hurt this bad they--"
        "No! I know what you're going to say and it's not true!" Gem shook off the Queen's hand and began beating Atta with her little fists. "It's not true! It's not fair! He's not going to die!" she sobbed, flailing her fists until her strength left her. Atta didn't know what to do but hold the weeping little ant until the fit had passed.
        Clinging pitifully to Atta, Gem looked up at Dr. Flora, her face smeared with tears. "But you're a doctor. You fixed me!"
        "No dear," Flora said sadly. "I helped you, but you fixed yourself."
        Gem looked up at Atta. "But you're the Queen. Can't you order him better?"
        "No sweetheart, not even queens can do that."
        Gem turned to Flik, her last hope, her voice choked and pleading. "Flik...?" Miserably Flik looked at her and shook his head.
        Flora took Gem's hand and took her away from Atta. "Gem, you can't do anything more here, and he doesn't even know you're here now. It's late, and your mother's bound to be worried about you, so you'd better go home now, all right?" Gem nodded. "Flik will take you home to your tunnel, won't you Flik?"
        "Sure." Flik offered Gem his hand and guided her to the twin leaf-doors of the infirmary. After one last tearful look at the purple ant, she allowed Flik to take her home.
        Flora turned to Atta. "I know how hard that was dear."
        Atta wrung her hands and looked at the stranger. "I feel just awful. Why did she have to find him? She's right-- it isn't fair. Do you think he'll last the night?"
        "I don't know. I don't think so, and maybe that's best."
        "We'll never even know his name or where he came from."
        "There's nothing more you can do here either, dear. Why don't you go and get some rest." Flora ushered the anguished queen out of the infirmary, then returned to the stranger's bed and checked him one last time. I wonder what stories you could have told us, you poor thing. There was nothing more to be done, so she returned to her own nearby chamber to sleep.

        Gem layed awake in her room, surrounded by her sleeping brothers and sisters. She could not sleep. It's not fair, she kept thinking. It's not fair. Quietly she got up and gathered up an armload of her flowers stored under her bed. She stole out of the room, down the hall past her mother's room, and out into the tunnel.
        The Colony was quiet and strange at night. There were few people about and even the light from the mushrooms appeared subdued. Gem was a little frightened as she padded down to the Root chamber. She paused at the entrance to her level and looked about. The chamber was vast and dominated by the great twisting tree-root which branched off in many directions on many levels. Normally it was filled with bustling ants, but at night it was still and quiet. Odd shadows unnoticed during the day were now the chamber's inhabitants. Gem clutched her flowers close and considered retreating back into her tunnel, but something greater than fear of shadows drove her on. She stepped boldly onto the root-walkway and headed out toward the great spiraling bole.
        A lone ant emerged from the darkness of the root-stair, one of the Council's officers. "Here now, little one. What are you doing about so late?"
        Gem nearly jumped out of her body from fright, and did spill a few flowers. "I... I have to get these flowers to....Dr. Flora. I forgot. They're important." She offered up the flowers as proof.
        "Uh-huh." The officer collected several stray flowers and piled them in her arms. "You'd best follow me then." He led her down to the Infirmary level and would have taken her to Dr. Flora, but she told him she knew the way. "All right then, but you'd best not be wandering around at night." Gem thanked him and left quickly.
        She went a short distance down the passage until she came upon the infirmary's double leaf doors. Silently she pushed one aside and peered in. The purple ant lay on his flower-bed. No one else was about. She ran up to the bed and dumped her flowers on it, then climbed up and began shaking the purple ant. "Wake up." He stirred but did not wake up. She shook him again. "Wake up. You gotta wake up. Come on!"
        Slowly the purple ant opened his eyes. He looked very weak. Gem turn his head until she was sure he was looking at her. "Everybody says you're gonna die, but I say you're not gonna die, OK?" The purple ant said nothing, but continued to stare at her. "So I brought my flowers, and we're going to look at them and pick out the best ones to show in my class. OK? Hey! OK?" He nodded faintly. "OK." Gem moved to the bedside and reached up for a drop of Dr. Flora's nectar mixture. She pushed it in front of his face. "This is good for you, so you drink some!" He sipped a little, then at her urging sipped a little more, and she finished the remainder herself. Then she noticed they had taken his picture-charm from him. She found it hanging nearby. "And don't forget this," she told him, placing it around his neck. Satisfied, she looked about herself. "Now, where did I put those flowers?"