Empire of the Ants

-- Collector's Edition cover with one-of-a-kind art by Wayne Kyle Spitzer-- Interior illustrationsDey are a new sort of ant, he said. We have got to be-what do you call it?-entomologie? Big. Five centimetres! Some bigger! It is ridiculous. We are like the monkeys--sent to pick insects... But dey are eating up the country.He burst out indignantly. Suppose-suddenly, there are complications with Europe. Here am I-soon we shall be above the Rio Negro-and my gun, useless!He nursed his knee and mused.Dose people who were dere at de dancing place, dey 'ave come down. Dey 'ave lost all they got. De ants come to deir house one afternoon. Everyone run out. You know when de ants come one must-everyone runs out and they go over the house. If you stayed they'd eat you. See? Well, presently dey go back; dey say, 'The ants 'ave gone.' ... De ants 'aven't gone. Dey try to go in-de son, 'e goes in. De ants fight.Swarm over him?Bite 'im. Presently he comes out again-screaming and running. He runs past them to the river. See? He gets into de water and drowns de ants- yes. Gerilleau paused, brought his liquid eyes close to Holroyd's face, tapped Holroyd's knee with his knuckle. That night he dies, just as if he was stung by a snake.