''Only three planets,'' Kris muttered, adjusting her lower leis. ''Five hundred and ninety-seven still think I'm innocent.''
''But she's still young,'' Jack pointed out.
Kris jammed on the crown, threw on the top lei, and quick-marched for the dance while the guard followed with a much less sure of himself look on his tattooed face.
Kris spotted Aholo back at their tree, catching her breath. Afa was bringing up four drinks as Kris, Jack, and the guard marched up. Both locals gave Kris the evil eye until she remembered she was still in ninja rig. NELLY, NEW CAMOUFLAGE SCHEME.
Both grandkids of Queen Ha'iku'lani did a double take. Kris glanced down to discover that Nelly had put Kris in some kind of paint job that might fit a really threatening warrior type.
NELLY, BACK INTO ABBY'S PAINT SCHEME. COMPLETE WITH OVER PAINTS.
YES, MA'AM.
Kris turned once again into a flower-bedecked cuddly virgin.
''How did you do that?'' Afa asked.
''Maybe I'll show you tomorrow,'' Kris said. ''Somebody just wrapped your Coronation Stone in explosives. If it had gone off, there wouldn't be much left of the stone or the Long House. This flatfoot interrupted us interrupting whoever, and defusing the bomb. What say we finish the disarming job?''
''Yes,'' took all of two seconds. Jack led off at a trot, with the two locals behind him and the security man running along explaining why he did what he did and failed to catch who got away. Aholo ignored him. Afa nodded and made listening sounds, giving Kris the impression the police reported to him.
Back at the Long House, Malu was marching around the rock, trying to look every which way at once and keep as far from the rock as he could without getting far from it. All impossible, but the tall beanpole of a man was definitely trying.
A moment passed quickly as they examined the lock, the camera, and the bomb. The defenses were medium-level tech, but then the bomb was rather low level compared to galactic standards. ''Homegrown,'' Jack concluded.
Kris looked around at the treasure room, glanced up at the Long House above. ''What would be the impact of losing all this just before your grandmama's death? Your coronation?''
''It would shake our way of life to its roots. That was the stone our very first queen was sitting on when we elected her. Every queen has been crowned on it. And to lose the heads of all my ancestors…'' The young woman shook her head. ''Afa, you'll have to tell the men. We'll need better protection.''
''That won't come as a surprise to any of them.''
''Yes, but Grandmama didn't want to spend the money. Now, I guess she'll have to. Spend it, or solve the basic problem so no one wants to destroy our way of life.''
''That's a tough order,'' Kris said.
''But one we'll have to look full in the eyes with tomorrow's sunrise.''
Jack finished disarming the bomb and turned the explosives over to the guards for disposal. Kris returned to the dance with Aholo and Afa, but to circulate and talk. Or rather, to watch them talk. She kept quiet. She might be wearing their flowers, but this was a problem they, not she, would have to solve.
Santiago, this is one Longknife that remembers she didn't come here to start a war. Or even fight one if one gets started.
5
Kris found herself standing in court the next morning, enjoying being a material witness rather than the accused. Seven judges presided, all addressed either as Your Honor or Grandmother/Grandfather as the gender required. Lavalavas, sarongs, and flowered Mother Hubbards covered their honors as well as everyone else.
Kris cleared undress whites with Aholo beforehand. ''Long pants, no shorts.'' She also ran her testimony by the princess, which turned out to be a good idea. Abby was added to the witness list to establish that computer-controlled paint, which changed designs and colors several times a second, had been the rage on Earth five years back.
''It hasn't reached here?'' Abby seemed quite surprised.
''No, it hasn't,'' the senior judge, a grandmother, informed her. That answered some questions about the bomber. He or she had probably used body paint and quickly resumed a different front to the world, explaining why no one in an all-black tattoo scheme or outfit had been caught.
Kris's ''Don't you have nanos to sniff for paint?'' drew a frown from Afa.
''If someone is accommodating enough to present a friendly face to our ways, wouldn't you consider it bad form to sniff around them for paint fumes? We gave you and your man the value of the doubt. Besides, nanos don't survive very well in our salt air and trade winds. We stay low-tech on the islands.''
Kris had seen that; question was, how low-tech were they on the Big Island?
The court didn't accomplish much. It cleared her and Jack of any wrongdoing … maybe she wasn't as material a witness as she thought… and advised the men of Nui Nui to improve their security. Court adjourned.
''Now what?'' Kris asked as everyone left.
''Now I meet with Grandmama and several of the chief elders. It is time we do something,'' Aholo said, biting her lower lip.
''And I go fishing. Good thing it's Wednesday, or they'd be stuck with just last night's leftovers. Want to come?'' Afa said.
''Aren't you in on the Council?''
''I'm about a hundred years too young.'' Afa laughed. ''Rather go fishing. And you're about a zillion light-years too off island to sit in. So, want to go fishing? Everyone has to eat, and if they talk to Grandmama forever, I'll have to feed them all. Besides, we'll probably hear the best parts over supper. And if I'm half as smart as Papa was, I'll straighten Sis here out if she gets anything wrong.''
Little sister slugged big brother… but not too hard.
Kris eyed Aholo. ''I guess I go fishing.''
''That would be best. We may need your Grandpapa's help before we're done, but we have to do this the Island Way first.''
''Let me go get my swimsuit,'' Kris said.
''You don't have to use one,'' Afa called after her.
Kris kept on walking.
***
Thirty minutes later, dressed in a fresh armored bodysuit and a one-piece swimsuit with strategically placed ceramic plates and even a bit of flotation added, a hat that gave Nelly a good antenna, and protection against the sun and 4 mm assault slugs, Kris was ready to negotiate her freedom from Jack for the day. He frowned at a weather report.
''It looks fine,'' she said. ''No trouble.''
''Yeah, but what did the satellite pic show the day Aholo's mom and dad disappeared?''
Kris had wondered about that. She shrugged.
''I'll be in security today,'' Jack said, ''offering any suggestions they'll take. They have a chopper. Nelly, keep in contact. I lose your signal, and I'll be out looking for you.''
''We girls understand,'' Kris said, answering for Nelly. She found Afa along the beach where the outriggers were pulled up. His boat was long, clean-lined, and painted fire engine red.
''Can you paddle?'' he asked without looking up from where he was arranging nets and fishing lines.
''I've sailed and rowed boats. I've paddled canoes. If my style doesn't pass your muster, I'm sure you'll enjoy showing me how to do it right. I'm a fast learner,'' Kris said.
''Ever fished?''
''Not with anything like the gear you've got in there.''
''This should be an interesting day. Grab a handhold; let's get the rig in the water.'' Kris grabbed where he pointed and succeeded in getting the boat in the water and herself in the boat with no negative comments from Afa or the several dozen guys looking on, and who had their outriggers in the water as soon as Afa and Kris did and were paddling for the reef right along with them. Which gave Kris several examples of how to paddle. And several shouted suggestions of who had the best form.