Nawat was sleeping in his hole when Mama Ant scuttled down and woke him.
"Nawat, wake up! Wake up!" she whispered urgently. Mama Ant shook Nawat slightly.
He opened his eyes. "Whats th' matter, Mama? I was havin' a good dream!" he replied groggily. "Lemme go back t' sleep for five more minutes."
"No, Nawat," Mama Ant urged, but Nawat had already closed his eyes, so she nudged him again. "They're coming, Nawat! We must flee t' th' City!"
This woke Nawat up. "What? An' leave th' Country, Mama? Where will we stay, it'll take days t' dig another hole!"
"We'll stay with Uncle Syrth and Frinkle. Now hurry! Papa's waiting outside!"
Nawat scuttled up his hole as fast as he could. The Red Ants were coming. If Mama Ant already knew, they'd be in the Country in a day or two. They would have to leave now.
"Mama, what about Sarai? Th' Red Ants will take her, an' she doesn't know they're a-comin'! I need t' tell her!" Nawat whispered. Sarai was Nawat's love, but she was also the daughter of Queen Thayet, which made her the Princess. Nawat was just a common-ant, so they could never be together.
"We don' have time t' warn her, Nawat, an' we certainly can't bring her! Uncle Syrth's hole ain't that big! It'll barely hold th' five of us!" Papa Ant explained (they were now scuttling at top ant-speed in the direction of the City).
Nawat thought hard, his little ant brain working at top speed. If he went to the City with his parents and stayed with Uncle Syrth and Frinkle, he'd be safe from the Red Ants, but if he stayed in the Country with Queen Thayet and Sarai, they might think him a hero, and then maybe he and Sarai can show their affection in public. But he could also die.
Would life really be worth living without Sarai?
