Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone: A Novel

Book Preface

YOU KNOW THAT SOMETHING is coming. Something—a specific, dire, and awful something—will happen. You envision it, you push it away. It rolls slowly, inexorably, back into your mind.
You make what preparation you can. Or you think you do, though your bones know the truth—there isn’t any way to sidestep, accommodate, lessen the impact. It will come, and you will be helpless before it.

You know these things.
And yet, somehow, you never think it will be today.

About the Author
DIANA GABALDON is the author of the international bestselling Outlander novels and Lord John Grey series.
She says that the Outlander series started by accident: ‘I decided to write a novel for practice in order to learn what it took to write a novel, and to decide whether I really wanted to do it for real. I did – and here we all are trying to decide what to call books that nobody can describe, but that fortunately most people seem to enjoy.’
And enjoy them they do – in their millions, all over the world. Published in 42 countries and 38 languages, in 2014 the Outlander novels were made into an acclaimed TV series starring Sam Heughan as Jamie Fraser and Caitríona Balfe as Claire.
Diana lives with her husband and dogs in Scottsdale, Arizona. Go Tell The Bees That I Am Gone is the ninth Outlander novel.

20: I BET YOU THINK THIS SONG IS ABOUT YOU …
21: LIGHTING A FUSE
22: ASHES, ASHES …
23: TROUT-FISHING IN AMERICA, PART TWO
24: ALARMS BY NIGHT
25: VOULEZ-VOUS COUCHER AVEC MOI
26: IN THE SCUPPERNONGS
27: COVER HER FACE
28: MATH-GHAMHAINN
29: REMEMBER, MAN …
30: YOU SHOULD KNOW …
PART THREE The Bee Sting of Etiquette and the Snakebite of Moral Order
31: PATER FAMILIAS
32: LHUDE SING CUCCU!
33: SPOILT FOR CHOICE
34: THE SON OF A PREACHER-MAN
35: AMBSACE
36: WHAT LIES UNSEEN
37: MANEUVERS BEGINNING WITH THE LETTER “V”
38: GRIM REAPER
39: I HAVE RETURNED
40: BLACK BRANDY
41: AWKWARD SOD
42: SASANNAICH CLANN NA GALLADH!
43: THE MEN YE GANG OOT WITH
44: BEETLES WITH TINY RED EYES
45: NOT QUITE LIKE LEPROSY
46: BY THE DAWN’S EARLY LIGHT
47: TACE IS THE LATIN FOR A CANDLE
48: A FACE IN THE WATER
49: YOUR FRIEND, ALWAYS
50: SUNDAY DINNER IN SALEM
51: WHEELS WITHIN WHEELS
52: RIPE FOR THE HARVEST
53: FIRST FOOT
54: MOONRISE
55: THE VENOM OF THE NORTH WIND
56: THEE WOULD MAKE A GOOD FRIEND
57: READY FOR ANYTHING
58: TELLING BEADS
PART FOUR A Journey of a Thousand Miles
59: SPECIAL REQUESTS
60: JUST ONE STEP
61: ’GIN A BODY MEET A BODY …
62: A STRANGER’S FACE
63: THE THIRD FLOOR
64: TEN LOAVES OF SUGAR, THREE CASKS OF
GUNPOWDER, AND TWO NEEDLES FOR SEWING FLESH
65: GREEN GROW THE RUSHES, O!
66: DIASPORA
67: RÉUNION
68: METANOIA
69: MORE ENTERTAINING THAN LAUNDRY
70: A SWORD IN MY HAND
71: ROLLING HEADS
72: A PRAYER TO ST. DISMAS
73: STAND BY ME
74: THE FACE OF EVIL
75: NO SMOKE WITHOUT FIRE
76: A THIEF IN THE NIGHT
77: CITY OF BROTHERLY LOVE
78: THEE SMELLS OF BLOOD
79: TOO MANY WOMEN
80: A WORD FOR THAT
81: STILL IMMINENT
82: JF SPECIAL
83: THE FOREFEATHER OF A GREAT HORNED OWL
84: FRIED SARDINES AND STRONG MUSTARD
85: A MOONLICHT FLICHT
86: UNWELCOME PROPHECY
87: IN WHICH RACHEL PAINTS HER FACE
88: IN WHICH THINGS DO NOT ADD UP
89: THE FILATURE
90: THE SWAMP FOX
91: BESIEGED
92: LIKE WATER SPILLED ON THE GROUND, WHICH CANNOT BE GATHERED UP AGAIN
93: PORTRAIT OF A DEAD MAN
94: OUTRIDERS
95: POZEGNANIE
96: ONE THING OF VALUE
97: AN EXCELLENT QUESTION
98: MINERVA JOY
99: IS. 6:8
100: THE POWER OF THE FLESH
101: ON THE ROAD AGAIN
102: THE WINDS OF WINTER
103: VIRGINIA REEL
104: GENERAL FUCKING BLEEKER
105: FOUR HUNDRED MILES TO THINK
106: THE HIGH GROUND
PART FIVE Fly Away Home
107: AWAY IN A MANGER
108: LODGE NIGHT
109: DE PROFUNDIS
110: … CONFUSED NOISE AND GARMENTS ROLLED IN BLOOD …
111: MORNING HAS BROKEN
112: WE MET ON THE LEVEL …
113: AND WE PARTED ON THE SQUARE
114: IN WHICH THE EARTH MOVES
115: LITTLE WOLF
116: IN WHICH NEW FRIENDS ARE MET
117: FUNGUS, BEAVERS, AND THE BEAUTIFUL STARS
118: THE VISCOUNTESS
119: ENCAUSTIC
120: IN WHICH WILLIAM SPILLS HIS GUTS, MOSTLY
121: THE QUALITY OF MERCY
122: THE MILITIA RIDES OUT
123: AND THE BEAT GOES ON …
124: THE FIRST TIME EVER I SAW YOUR FACE
125: A WOMAN OF THE SECOND TYPE
126: WHEN I GO TO SLEEP AT NIGHT, I DIE
127: IMETAY RAVELERSTAY ANUALMAY: ONSERVATIONCAY OFWAY ASSMAY N NRG
128: SURRENDER
129: THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS
130: HERR WEBER
131: THUNDERSTORMS ON THE RIDGE
132: MAN’S MEDICINE
133: SUCH AN ODD FEELING
134: F. COWDEN, BOOKSELLER
135: JUST TO MAKE THINGS INTERESTING
136: TWO DAYS PREVIOUSLY
137: INFAMOUS AND SCANDALOUS ACTS
138: INHERITED EVIL
139: DREAMS OF GLORY
140: THREE ROUNDS WITH A RHINOCEROS
141: A BEE-LOUD GLADE
142: DON’T YOU …?
143: WILL I TELL YOU SOMETHING
144: A HANGING MATTER
145: THE MIRROR CRACK’D
146: THE CURSE IS COME UPON ME
147: A LOT OF BLOOD
148: NOT … YET …
149: ANGRY, IRASCIBLE, DIFFICULT SONS OF BITCHES
150: AND WHAT OF LAZARUS?
151: A MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE
152: TITUS ANDRONICUS
153: SPECIAL DELIVERY
154: NEVER FEAR TO NEGOTIATE; NEVER NEGOTIATE FROM FEAR
155: QUAKER WEDDING, REDUX
AUTHOR’S NOTES
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS