Hawaii - James Michener [139]
Kelolo, confused by the earlier argument, smiled broadly and returned the compliment. Patting the railing of the Thetis he said in Hawaiian, "This is a very fine ship. I shall buy this ship for Malama, the Alii Nui, and you, Captain Janders, shall be our captain."
When this was translated by Keoki, Captain Janders did not laugh, but looked steadily at Kelolo and nodded sagely. "Ask him how much sandalwood he can bring me for the ship."
"I have been saving my sandalwood," Kelolo said cautiously. "There is much more in the mountains of Maui. I can get the sandalwood."
"Tell him that if he can get the sandalwood, I can get the ship.
When Kelolo heard the news he started to shake hands in the American manner, but cautiounsly Captain Janders held back. "Tell him that he does not get the Thetis until I have carried the sandalwood to Canton and brought back a load of Chinese goods, which shall be my property to sell."
"That is reasonable," Kelolo agreed, and once more he proudly held forth his hand to bind the bargain. This time Captain Jandeis grasped it, adding prudently, "Mister Collins, draw up an agreement in three copies. State that we will sell the Thetis for a full cargo of sandalwood now, plus an equal amount when we return from China." When the terms were translated, Kelolo solemnly agreed, whereupon Mister Collins whispered, "That's a hell of a lot of sandalwood."
Replied Janders, "This is a hell of a lot of ship. It's a fair deal."
While the towering chief was concluding the deal, Abner had an opportunity to study him closely, and his eye was attracted to the symbol of power that Kelolo wore about his brown neck. From a very thick, dark necklace, apparently woven of some tree fiber, dangled a curiously shaped chunk of ivory, about five inches long and an inch and a half wide, but what was remarkable was the manner in which, at the bottom, a lip flared out and up, so that the entire piece resembled an antique adz for shaping trees.
"What is it?" Abner whispered to Keoki.
"The mark of an alii," Keoki replied.
"What's it made of?"
"A whale's tooth."
"It must be heavy to wear," Abner suggested, whereupon Keoki took the missionary's hand and thrust it under the tooth, so that Abner could test the surprising weight.
"In the old days," Keoki laughed, "you would be killed for touching an alii." Then he added, "The weight doesn't bother him because the necklace of human hair supports it."
"Is that hair?" Abner gasped, and again Keoki passed his friend's hand over the woven necklace, which, Keoki explained, had been made of some two thousand separate braids of plaited hair, each braid having been woven from eighty individual pieces of hair. "The total length of hair," Abner began. "Well . . . it's impossible."
"And all from the heads of friends," Keoki said proudly.
Before Abner could comment on this barbarism a considerable commotion occurred at the side of the Thetis and the missionaries ran to witness an extraordinary performance. From the mainmast two stout ropes had been lowered over the canoe which still held Malama, the Alii Nui. The ends of the ropes were fastened to a rugged canvas sling that was customarily slipped under the bellies of horses and cows, hoisting them in this fashion onto the deck of the ship. Today, the canvas sling was being used as a giant cradle into which the men in the canoe gently placed their revered chief, crosswise, so that her feet and arms dangled over the edges of the canvas, which insured her stability, while her enormous chin rested on the hard rope binding which kept the canvas from tearing.
"Is she all settled?" Captain Janders asked solicitously.
"She's squared away," a sailor shouted.
"Don't drop her!" Janders warned. "Or we'll be massacred."
"Gently! Gently!" the men working the ropes chanted, and slowly the gigantic Alii Nui was swung aboard the Thetis. As her big dark eyes, ablaze with childish curiosity, reached the top of