The formian queen would be happy to work alongside Lintalai so that both their species can colonize Arcadia. They have been very politely not growing their hive as fast as they would like, because there are very few locals who would enjoy having formian neighbors, but she expects that, despite Amentans' underground development, their similarities to the formians will make for a more productive relationship.

She's hopeful about the reds- there is cleaning magic of varying levels of thoroughness, though her hive does not contain any high-level casters. However, the hive's more powerful māyan can pray to remove disease. If pollution is recognizable as disease to the gods, then the māyan will be able to clean the reds.

"Maybe that will work, that will be cool! Or maybe the magic rivers, or something."

And eventually, Queen Clarity's favorite myrmarch says:

"It is time for you to go. The queen requires rest."

"Okay, thank you for inviting me!"

"A pleasure to meet you," says Queen Clarity, although it's obvious now that it's been pointed out, she does seem incredibly tired- more tired than might be expected from just a conversation.

The workers and warriors usher Lintalai back through the tunnels, their bodies forming a phalanx as before. It is difficult to determine exactly what path they take to get back to Mercantus, but eventually they do.

"Why is having a conversation so tiring for the Queen?" Lintalai asks.

"The queen does important work!"

"The queen does not speak to outsiders often. You are lucky. Lucky lucky outsider."

"And I appreciate it a lot! Is there a way for visits to be less exhausting?"

"..."

The workers seem to find this challenging to answer on their own.

Luckily, this many workers would not be sent out alone.

One of the taskmasters rubs its antennae against the worker speaking to Lintalai.

"...the queen needs food and she needs babies! When she's making babies she gets tired but she needs them."

"...she needs babies? How do you mean?"

"Queen needs to make babies. Babies are important. Babies need food. Queen needs food to make babies."

"More babies for the hive!"

"Amentans really like and want babies but don't need them. Will she get sick if she doesn't have them?"

"Yes. It is so good you came! Bigger hive, more babies."

"The queen wouldn't get sick so easily if we were free to expand, but there are laws about how settlements can grow. We have split the hive in the past, to avoid needing to grow larger. But that is...complicated, and not done lightly."

"Oh... how will Amentans help you get around the laws about expansion?"

"People do not want formian neighbors. Mercantus was built by us to attract merchants, and everyone loves coming there, so they do not mind our hive beneath. Any other city, they fear tunnels beneath. They have their own cultures and their own governments and they do not want formians near those things."

"Huh. And you don't want to just go far from them? Isn't Arcadia infinite?"

"When we split, the new hives go far. But Queen Clarity- for the hive to expand, it must expand near Mercantus, and near Mercantus, the laws prevent us from expanding without someone to- vouch for us. We need neighbors in order to expand. Arcadians do not want to be surprised to find out that their land has formians underneath it."

"Oh! I think Amentan colonists will be very sympathetic to that."

"More hive!"

A few workers get into chanting this.