"THE THUNDERBOLT IS SWIFTER THAN THUNDER"
HIWA wished to make the secret entrance to the crater known to
Kaanaana, and they both thought it should not be disclosed to any one
else. So he accompanied her on her return, the night after her
arrival, having first given orders that no one should follow them
under pain of death.
They found Aelani awake. "_Keike_," said Hiwa, "this is your father.
His spearmen await your commands."
Then Kaanaana kneeled before his son and kissed his feet. But Aelani
raised him from the ground and put his arms about him and kissed him.
"My father," he said, "I love you because my mother loves you better
than her own life, and has talked to me about you every day since I
was a little child. While the homage due the _moi_ cannot be omitted
in public, between us three I am not a god among men, but only your
son."
Then Kaanaana embraced Aelani, and the two ate together, Hiwa sitting
not far off, for it was contrary to the commands of Ku for men and
women to eat together. After the _moi_ and his father had eaten by
themselves, and Hiwa had eaten by herself, Aelani slept in the grass
hut, and Hiwa and Kaanaana slept under the great _koa_ tree, for the
moon had gone behind the mountains, and it was not safe to attempt
taking the fisherman's boat through the passage in pitchy darkness.
It was easy, however, in daylight, for there were three of them and a
calm sea. So they set forth early in the morning and went to Niulii.
But there were fishermen from Waipio fishing opposite the cliff who
fled home in terror, and reported that they had seen the Spirit of
Hiwa issuing from the depths of the sea, and with her the Lord of
Kohala and a young man whom they knew not, and that the three had a
boat provided by the God of the Ocean, exceeding light and swift, in
which they sped down the coast. The tale was taken straightway to Aa,
and it greatly troubled him.
Meanwhile rumors had gone forth through all of Kohala round about
Niulii, and, when Aelani arrived, wearing the royal _mamo_, thousands
of people had assembled to do him homage. They were cooking a great
feast for him in an _umu_ or underground oven of hot stones--fatted
dog and pig which he had never tasted, and _taro_ and bread-fruit, and
many kinds of _lawalu_ fish. Also they had prepared many kinds of
delicate raw fish, flavored with _kukui_ nuts, and crabs and shrimps
and mosses. There were also fruits and berries, both from the lowlands
and from the mountains. Neither was there any lack of _awa_ that all
might drink and be merry.
But Aelani, as soon as he had received the homage of the people,
called a council of war, for time was precious, and the thought that
Manoa was in the power of his enemy was like a hot coal in his breast.
It was only a dozen miles from Niulii to Waipio by water; but
Kaanaana had not war canoes wherewith to fight Aa on the sea, neither
had he canoes of any kind to carry a sufficient force of fighting men.
Therefore, an attack on the coast side would have been madness; but
the Saw-Teeth were impassable, and the trail around them was long and
difficult.
"My Lord of Kohala," inquired Aelani, "how many spearmen can you have
at daylight to-morrow morning, with provisions to cross the
mountains?"
"Not more than eight hundred," replied Kaanaana. "But I will have five
thousand on the fourth day."
"Eight hundred to-morrow," said Aelani, "are better than five thousand
on the fourth day. If Aa depends on Kaaahu, Lord of Honokaa, he leans
on a fern that will sway back and forth as the wind blows. Yet the
_ahupuaa_ of Honokaa is the nearest of the great lordships, and the
only one from which Aa can muster many spears before the fourth day.
We should strike before any of the great chiefs can come to his help
from the south, for we are few at best, and only a small part of the
kingdom."
Kaanaana fell upon his knees and bowed his head to the ground. "Child
of the gods," he said, "shall I speak my _manao_?"
"Rise and speak!" exclaimed Aelani. "Thou art the greatest and wisest
of my nobles. Thy _moi_ will ever listen to thy _manao_."
"My _manao_ is that the great chiefs will not hasten from the south.
They do not love Aa, and will stand aloof if they dare, or side with
us if we seem the stronger. Moreover, Aa has twelve hundred fighting
men at Waipio, and Kaaahu can bring him a thousand more before we can
get there. Our way is over steep and difficult mountains, among sharp
rocks and utter desolation, where mice would die of hunger and thirst,
and even lizards cannot live. Our spearmen, exhausted with the
journey, must fight men strong with rest and sleep. If we start
to-morrow, we shall also be greatly outnumbered, and if we lose the
battle not one of us will ever return. If we wait till the fourth day,
and only one or two chiefs come against us from the south, we can
meet Aa with equal numbers. Yet it shall be as the _moi kane_ says.
His word is as the word of Ku."
"Kaanaana, Lord of Kohala," said Aelani, "I thank thee for honest
counsel, and I would also have the lesser chiefs freely speak their
_manao_."
Thereupon the lesser chiefs fell upon their knees and bowed their
heads to the earth, and the foremost of them spoke for all and said:
"The way is most difficult, and eight hundred spearmen are not many,
yet what the Child of the Gods says that we will do, whether it be
life or death. His word is as the word of Ku."
Then Hiwa spoke, as was her right in the royal councils, being equal
in birth and rank to the _moi kane_ himself, although not in power.
And she said: "The Lord of Kohala is the wisest and greatest of the
nobles. He and the lesser chiefs have spoken well; but fear now dwells
in the heart of Aa and in the hearts of his followers. My _manao_ is
to strike before it passeth away, that the hearts of the chiefs in the
south may also become like white wax of cocoanuts, and that they may
turn from him in the beginning."
"As Hiwa hath said, so be it!" exclaimed Aelani. "We march to-morrow
at break of day. The thunderbolt is swifter than the thunder."
Instantly fast runners were sent forth to summon the spearmen and get
supplies of food. Then Aelani ate and drank, and the chiefs were
merry, but Aelani's merriment was feigned, for he greatly feared for
Manoa's safety, and was impatient for battle because she was in the
power of his enemy.