At the very least, the exercise demanded some initial reconnaissance. The indigo lord reluctantly decided to take up that despised practice: stealing the shadow of an insect. However, to save time and emphasise his superior ability, he took not one but several at once—honeybees, dragonflies and a handful of ladybirds. Shadowing multiple insects of multiple species was a pleasurable challenge, one that occupied his mind so that there was little energy left for fretting and fuming.His dragonflies patrolled the river and the wells and the ponds where the livestock were watered. The ladybirds bore the protection of superstition, for they were considered lucky, so he allowed them to settle on people's clothing and travel with them into houses where they could overhear all the latest gossip. The honeybees flew in and out everywhere, but were often distracted by flower gardens and kitchens. He managed them all with the fine skill of an orchestral conductor, scanning the news they found for information that would help him regain his power.It became clear to him very quickly that the people of Makendha had no inkling of what was in their midst.
