Reefsong

by Carol Severance

  “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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