Dustin perks up a little with recognition and curiosity. That's definitely the special fruit juice, yes. It reminds him a bit of a bee's royal jelly - although, there's no way for him to tell if it's used in the development of the Queen's successors or not, nor can he be sure that it's necessary for the Queen herself to have or if it's treated as more of a delicacy, like a fine vintage of wine. Either way, it's kind of nice to see the fruits of his trial being enjoyed so soon.

But that idle observation doesn't distract him from the Queen's answer. [We're not thrilled about them either,] Dustin notes with a frown. Visiting Sh'Ka last autumn had been a stressful exercise that he's not keen to repeat. He ponders for a moment, then blinks, his hand rapidly tapping his idea into the dirt. [Have your people been able to study how they survive? Do you know if they rely on their leaves to generate energy when they aren't hibernating, like most other plants?]