Different from if the ant had been speaking to me with her voice, I understood more of her intent than I could have with mere words. This wasn't her asking me to kill her people, however it was that the ants distinguished themselves, but instead of her own kind, those being offered were the ones that were currently being offered to my herds. Even so, I had no idea what specifically I was supposed to be doing with that request.
"I'm going to need a little bit more information before I can agree to anything or agree to anything." I answered as diplomatically as I could manage. "After all, every one of us has seen that one of the best ways to find yourself buried in enemies is to engage in the wholesale slaughter of ants. Your people do not know fear or retreat."
The Queen's soldiers never tire and never give up. There was a certain pride in the feel of her mind as she said as much. What you are to hunt are my enemies. My queen's enemies. They have been spreading deeper underground, consuming our farms, and hunting our workers. We need their attention to be brought back up to the surface.
"And that's why you're asking us to do that." I flared my frills, somehow knowing that my demonstration of understanding would be communicated to her. "But why would we do this for you? I don't mind continuing to hold the truce that we've had since I first had communication with one of your people. It's obvious that your people's focus is primarily underground, not on the surface, so I don't see any reason why we wouldn't merely continue our relationship as neighbors without inciting the rage of other neighbors we have no quarrel with."
Because the Queen has asked of you.
Even without there being any words spoken, I could hear the disbelief in the ant's tone. The Queen was an absolute existence in her mind, probably even more than I was for my people. I clacked my teeth together in denial, as I explained, "The Queen is not my ruler and I don't know her. Do you do what your enemies' Queens command of you?"
Mine is the true Queen. Of course, I only listen to her.
"And, to my people, I am the true Queen. What Queen would give way to another that was not her own, that had no jurisdiction over her?"
Mine is the true Queen.
The repetition was almost petty, but the voice seemed to sigh as it began to hedge on the answer.
Even so, your point is made. The Queen offers you free hunting.
"Isn't that what I already had?" I deliberately cocked my head to the side as I made eye contact with the monstrous ant. "It's becoming more and more apparent to me that the ants like yourself, those who are able to combat the influence of my people's magic, can't be spared to waste their days in searching out the cause of any difficulties on the surface. As you said yourself, your focus is down below. So you're offering me what? An opportunity to make a new enemy to help you?"
Exactly! Then you agree!
"No, that's not at all what I said." I fought to hold back my exasperation. If her thoughts came from a place of arrogance or superiority, it would have enraged me, but instead, it was just… strange. She didn't understand what I was saying. I tried to clarify, "I'm asking what benefit there is for me here. Is this a formal agreement of non-aggression between our people if we do this? Will your Queen give me supplies or support if I become locked into a war? Am I required to do the same for her down below? There are many details that simply haven't been addressed, and I failed to understand what agreement we would be coming to, so I can't agree to anything."
What the benefit you get is the sworn acknowledgment of the true Queen. There is no higher honor.
I enunciated clearly, hoping that would somehow make my thoughts clearer to the magical ant. "Honor does not feed my people. Honor doesn't keep my enemies from destroying my home. In order for my people's attacks on these red ants to be effective, we'll need to kill so many of your enemies that the intelligent versions of your enemy are forced to rise to the surface instead of leading down below. If that happens, we will be facing tens and hundreds of thousands of ants that want to kill us as fast as possible and are immune to our greatest defense. Why would we open ourselves to a war against a nearly countless enemy for no benefit? That honor from your queen won't protect us, as your focus is down below."
I could tell that my questions had mostly stumped the silent ant, whose intelligence was perhaps not that of myself, but at least of a mostly grown human. With a grunt, I focused on condensing my questions to being something that would be much easier to understand.
"I need something tangible. Honor will not help me. What does your queen offer to me beyond honor and a hunt that I would already have?"
The ant was unmoving, unresponsive, but she seemed to be thinking of what she might be able to do to communicate with me in a way that we both understood. She thought for a short while and then finally responded.
I will speak with my queen to verify, I will return with something that perhaps you will desire. What is it that you want? I do not understand you, and if I am to make lesser concessions to you that my Queen is unaware of, then I must know what you are asking. It is unproductive to send me back and forth again and again. My next return will be my final journey for a long time.
Despite the excitement I felt at her answer, I fought not to give away my enthusiasm. Instead, I flared my frills and nodded slowly before saying, "Perhaps an alliance, a promise not to hunt or fight among ourselves while protecting the other in times of need, as well as any metals that you are able to share. Those would be a good starting point, and any information you have about the land that surrounds these mountains would be valuable as well. My people are constantly growing in number, and any additional possibility of feeding ourselves is welcome."
What terms of alliance do you desire? There is much that you're feeling which communicates to me, but it is unclear what specifically you want from the Queen's subjects. I need specifics.
"Mutual protection and acknowledgment are the first step, though there are many more potential terms that I'm happy to discuss further to come to an agreement regarding, in order that I may acquire the friendship of your Queen." I flared my frills as I smiled, happy to receive an opportunity to better establish a relationship with the ants. I couldn't say how this might impact the way the Union or the other countries that surrounded my Empire would consider us, but if there was anyone willing to engage in diplomatic overtures with us, I wouldn't turn them down.
I shall return and report. If any ants leave the hole here before my return, you may hunt them as you wish. Take from this an extension of the true Queen's long-suffering and generosity.
"Then you're pulling back entirely? We won't have the same unconcerned ants here until a speaking representative comes?"
Yes.
I flared my frills as I acknowledged the reality that we were going to have more active ants around as spring came, and, apparently, every single one of them would want to hunt us to the last. Great.
As I thought through various possibilities, I realized that the little ant was once again bundled up by the larger members of her people and carried back into the hole in the ground, leaving me with a slowly growing flood of ants looking to escape the underground.