The sun rose slowly over the horizon, sprinkling light across the pole beans and the corn. It was a peaceful scene but it was quiet only for the moment. Two men crouched in the shadows at the edge of the garden. They watched her gather radishes and onions and place them neatly in her basket.

They made no sound as they rose and stretched. They glanced quickly at the old dog lying beside her, and then in the other direction to see if there were others up and about. One of the men, in his thirties and the taller of the two, moved stealthily and eagerly towards her, excited that she was alone and unprotected. The man knocked the basket from her hands and stuffed a cloth into her mouth. He warned her, "Don't try anything, little girl. And if you continue to struggle I'll break your neck."

The second man, in his twenties and apparently the tall man's helper, looked for the dog but the dog had disappeared. He put his knife back into its leather sheath. If the dog showed up he would dispatch it quickly.

The tall man threw the girl over his shoulder and started towards the garden gate. He did not see a boy drop from a tree in the nearby orchard, slip the sack of peaches off his shoulder, and start towards them. But both men saw him slide over the back fence and stop between two bee hives.

Worker bees in both hive entrances were enjoying the sun's early rays, their wings stirring the air around the hives. The boy slapped his hand on one hive and then the other. "Wake up, queens! Wake up worker bees! I need your help!"

Irritated because he disturbed them, a few bees lifted and dove at him but did not sting. "They've got my sister and they're taking her somewhere!" The strain in his voice was evident. "Hurry!"

The boy was making too much noise. The men had not expected opposition. Their boss had assured them that no one would be watching and the girl could be captured. This boy was being a nuisance.

The taller man, his face angry and contorted, turned towards the boy. "O.k., little boy. Now I'll have to kill you and the girl."

His words were still echoing when a small tornado of angry bees left the hives, drifting towards him. One bee left the group, dove and hit the man below his left eye. It clung just for a second, left its stinger embedded in his flesh, and tumbled to the ground, all in one smooth movement.

Below the man's eye a small pouch, the bee's stomach, continued to pump venom. He grabbed the stinger and pulled it out, forcing more venom into his skin. Chemicals left by the dying bee drew the next series of bees. They planted their stingers close together, one after another. His exposed skin was vulnerable and a perfect target.

He swatted at the angry bees as they circled, his frantic efforts drawing them in. They were infuriated by his jerky motions and increased their attack.

The man yelled, "Help! Help!" But he found out that was a mistake.

Two bees flew inside his mouth, stinging his tongue. He spit the bees out but now he was afraid to call for help.

He stumbled forward, his eyes swelling. By now his eyes were just slits in his swollen face. He stopped, reached for Ana's throat, but a new wave of bees landed and stung. Sacrificing their own lives, they pumped new venom into his skin before they flew a short distance away and died.

The man released his grip on Ana and staggered to the garden gate.

It was already too late. His airway had swollen shut, cutting off his air supply. He fell head first into the grass.

The second man dove into a nearby ditch full of muddy irrigation water. He submerged and surfaced a few seconds later. Bees dove at him, caught in his hair, and he submerged again.

The bees circled and waited, ready to attack, continuing to hear the boy's commands. When the boy was satisfied the man could not harm anyone he released the bees from their attack. The bees quieted down and returned to their hives. A few minutes later, the man crawled cautiously out of the ditch.

Several neighbors had noticed the excitement. They rushed over and gathered around the strangers. One was lifeless, the other man hysterical.

He pleaded for mercy, confessed to his role in the attack, and made many excuses. The neighbors listened and took notes regarding his involvement and his confession. In a few minutes a police car came and he was escorted into town.

The man was not held long. Lawyers came and asked him a few questions.

The man insisted they were innocently attacked. "We were walking down the road and we saw this garden. We thought about taking a few vegetables because we were hungry. We were attacked by bees before we had a chance to get any."

He was released without being charged.

The boy and the girl were ignored. They were too young to be considered credible witnesses.

"Not enough evidence to hold him," the sheriff said.

"Are you o.k.?" Ramon asked Ana.

Ana smiled at her brother. "Thanks, Ramon."

"No, Ana. Thank the spirits and the queen bees. They saved you."

Government officials came to the garden that week wanting to know the truth behind the bee attack. They did not believe Ramon's story about the bees helping him.

"Boy, those bees are killers. One of those men died. Tell the truth, now, and you can get back to your games."

Ramon repeated the story several times but the officials wouldn't listen. They could find no evidence anywhere of someone communicating with bees.

"We'll have to destroy these hives. They're too dangerous to have around. They're full of killer bees."

Yellow tape was wound around the hives and everyone was told to stay away.

That night, while everyone was sleeping, Ramon gathered about two pounds of bees from each hive and put them in wire boxes suitable for shipping. He put the queens in little cages and placed them inside the boxes. When he was satisfied the bees could be safely handled, his mother drove him to the post office. The following afternoon he mailed his package bees across the country to his cousin.

"Take care of my bees, cousin. I will repay you when I can."

When news of the bee attack reached Ramon's father the townsfolk tried to make things sound better. They told the truth. They said Ramon was by the bee hives when two men grabbed Ana. Ramon tried to make them release her. He was a hero for protecting her.

Ramon's father did not want to hear about Ramon doing good deeds. He stomped up to the garden and said, "Ramon, I told you not to call the spirits for help. Digging up the spirits causes problems in this modern world. You are grounded. You will not be allowed in the garden for two months for disobeying me."

Ramon's father would not listen to Ramon's explanation. He never would. That was the way it had always been and would always be. Ramon's life was always well ordered and the spirit world kept at bay, ready to help.

With his father's strict guidance and corrections Ramon's world grew increasingly tighter as he struggled to meet his father's expectations. But beneath the surface Ramon knew the other world was waiting to intervene. The spirits could be held back at times but they could not be crushed. Because both worlds were real in his life Ramon had to keep one world wrapped in the darkness of his mind. It could never coexist with his father's world. If Ramon acknowledged the existence of the spirit world his father might lose control.

When Ramon was two his...