“That sounds reasonable,” the warden said. “But how do we decide who gets which slice?”
Pua thought for a moment, then stood and crossed to the library door. There was no door—there wasn't even a wall—but she walked through the place where the door would have been. She picked up the small table that Katie had mended and placed carefully back in its former location, and carried it to the foyer. She set it in front of the mountainlady.
Then Pua sat again, on the table's opposite side. She carefully placed her right elbow on the scratched tabletop and extended her hand.
The warden's brows lifted slightly. “Ha,” she said. Her expression grew serious as she set her own right elbow on the table. They clasped hands.
“We'll count the wins till you turn eighteen,” the warden said. “Whoever ends up with the most gets first choice.”
“By the time I turn eighteen,” Pua replied, “you'll be so far behind we won't even need to count.”
Their grips tightened and locked. The warden's cool gaze shifted to their interlocked fingers. Pua felt the woman's great strength clearly, a mirror image of her own. Their hands did not move.
“How long are you going to wait before you let Uncle Toma get you pregnant?” Pua asked.
The warden's look jerked back to Pua's face, and in that instant, Pua slammed their hands to the table.
She grinned.
“Spit!” the warden said. “You little waterbrat. You did it to me again!”
Pua laughed. “How many times do I have to tell you, Auntie Puhi? You're a waterworlder now. You have to pay attention to everything—all the time.”
Glossary
Chuuk—(Chuukese) proper name of the Micronesian island group formerly called Truk
Fatu o le Motu Poutu o le ‘aiga—(Samoan) lit. stone or heart of the island, strength of the families
fe'e—(Samoan) octopus
fiticoco—(Chuukese) trouble of any and all varieties
kapu—(Hawaiian) forbidden, prohibited
kava—(Tongan and Marquesan) ceremonial drink made from the roots of the kava plant, used throughout much of the Pacific
Kehakehaokalani noun Toma me Kilisou—(Hawaiian and Chuukese) lit. pride of the chiefs, offspring of Toma and Kilisou
kumulipo—(Hawaiian) creation chant
lanai—(Hawaiian) porch, veranda
lavalava—(Samoan) a rectangular cloth worn like a kilt or skirt in Polynesia and especially Samoa
Le Fe'e—Samoan demigod; lit. the octopus
Lesaat—(Chuukese, from “le sat") lit. the ocean
loli—(Hawaiian) sea cucumber
Maram—(Chuukese) Lesaat's largest moon; lit. moon
Maram Iki—(Chuukese and Hawaiian) Lesaat's smaller moon; lit. little moon
Mauna Kea—(Hawaiian) mountain on the island of Hawaii; lit. white mountain
Mauna Kea Iki—(Hawaiian) little white mountain Mauna
Loa—(Hawaiian) mountain on the island of Hawaii; lit. long mountain
Pili—Samoan demigod, mythological hero
Pilimanaia noun Fatu o le Motu me Ehukai—(Samoan, Chuukese and Hawaiian) lit. Pili the beautiful, offspring of Fatu o le Motu and Ehukai
Pualei—(Hawaiian) precious child
Pualeiokekai noun Zedediah me Kalehuaokalae—(Hawaiian and Chuukese) lit. precious child of the sea, offspring of Zedediah and Lehua of Ka Lae [South Point]
puhi—(Hawaiian) eel
puhi ‘ai pōhaku—(Hawaiian) eel that eats rocks
Pukui—(Hawaiian, from pīku ‘i) lit. to gather or assemble
Sa le Fe'e—(Samoan) 1. the domain of Le Fe'e; 2. the forbidden lace of the octopus; 3. the octopus clan
tatau—(Samoan) tattoo
tiki—(Maori and Marquesan) a wood or stone image of a Polynesian supernatural power
'Umi Iki—(Hawaiian) lit. little number ten
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