The Hawaiian Romance Of Laieikawai Part 36

But Waka would not listen, and answered, "If a G.o.d is the one to bring destruction, then I have another G.o.d to save me and my chiefs."

And at Waka's words the seer turned to the chiefs and said, "Do not listen to your grandmother, for a great destruction is coming over the chiefs. Plant flag signals at once around you, and bring all dear to you inside the signals you have set up, and whoever will not believe me, let them fall in the great day of destruction.

"When that day comes, the old women will lie down before the soles of the feet of that mighty youth, and plead for life, and not get it, because they have disbelieved the words of the prophet."

And because Kekalukaluokewa knew that his former prophecies had been fulfilled, therefore he rejected the old woman's counsel. When the seer left the chief planted flag signals all around the palace and stayed within the protected place as the prophet had commanded.

At the end of his circuit, the seer returned and dwelt with his daughters.

For no other reason than love did the seer go to tell those things which he saw. He had been back one day with his daughters at Honopuwaiakua when Kahalaomapuana arrived, as described in the chapter before.

CHAPTER x.x.x

Ten days after Kahalaomapuana's return from Kealohilani came the first of their brother's promised signs.

So the signs began little by little during five days, and on the sixth day the thunder cracked, the rain poured down, the ocean billows swelled, the land was flooded, the lightning flashed, the mist closed down, the rainbow arched, the colored cloud rose over the ocean.

Then the seer said, "My daughters, the time is come when my prophecy is fulfilled as I declared it to you."

The daughters answered, "This is what we have been whispering about, for first you told us these things while Kahalaomapuana had not yet returned, and since her return she has told us the same thing again."

Said Laieikawai, "I tremble and am astonished, and how can my fear be stilled?"

"Fear not; be not astonished; we shall prosper and become mighty ones among the islands round about; none shall be above us; and you shall rule over the land, and those who have done evil against you shall flee from you and be chiefs no more.

"For this have I followed you persistently through danger and cost and through hard weariness, and I see prosperity for me and for my seed to be mine through you."

One month of bad weather over the land as the last sign; in the early morning when the rays of the sun rose above the mountain, Kaonohiokala was seen sitting within the smoking heat of the sun, right in the middle of the sun's ring, encircled with rainbows and a red mist.

Then the sound of shouting was heard all over Kauai at the sight of the beloved child of Moa.n.a.lihaikawaokele and Laukieleula, the great high chief of Kahakaekaea and Nuumealani.

Behold! a voice shouting, "The beloved of Hulumaniani! the wonderful prophet! Hulumaniani! Give us life!"

From morning until evening the shouting lasted, until they were hoa.r.s.e and could only point with their hands and nod their heads, for they were hoa.r.s.e with shouting for Kaonohiokala.

Now, as Kaonohiokala looked down upon the earth, lo! Laieikawai was clothed in the rainbow garment his sister, Kahalaomapuana, had brought her; then through this sign he recognized Laieikawai as his betrothed wife.

In the dusk of the evening, at the rising of the bright full moon, he entered the prophet's inclosure.

When he came, all his sisters bowed down before him, and the prophet before the Beloved.

And Laieikawai was about to do the same; when, the Beloved saw Laieikawai about to kneel he cried out, "O my wife and ruler! O Laieikawai! do not kneel, we are equals."

"My lord, I am amazed and tremble, and if you desire to take my life, it is well; for never have I met before with anyone so terrible as this!"

answered Laieikawai.

"I have not come to take your life, but on my sister's visit to me I gave her a sign for me to know you by and recognize you as my betrothed wife; and therefore have I come to fulfill her mission," so said Kaonohiokala.

When his sisters and the seer heard, then they shouted with joyful voices, "Amen! Amen! Amen! it is finished, flown beyond!". They rose up with joy in their eyes.

Then he called to his sisters, "I take my wife and at this time of the night will come again hither." Then his wife was caught away out of sight of her companions, but the prophet had a glimpse of her being carried on the rainbow to dwell within the moon; there they took in pledge their moments of bliss.

And the next night when the moon shone bright, at the time when its light decreased, a rainbow was let down, fastened to the moon and reaching to the earth; when the moon was directly over Honopuwaiakua, then the chiefs appeared above in the sky in their majesty and stood before the prophet, saying: "Go and summon all the people for ten days to gather together in one place; then I will declare my wrath against those who have done you wrong.

"At the end of ten days, then we shall meet again, and I will tell you what is well for you to do, and my sisters with you."

When these words were ended the seer went away, and when he had departed the five sisters were taken up to dwell with the wife in the shelter of the moon.

On the seer's circuit, according to the command of the Beloved, he did not encounter a single person, for all had gone up to Pihanakalani, the place where it had been predicted that victory should be accomplished.

After ten days the seer returned to Honopuwaiakua; lo! it was deserted.

Then Kaonohiokala met him, and the seer told him about the circuit he had made at the Beloved's command.

Then the prophet was taken up also to dwell in the moon.

And in the morning of the next day, at sunrise, when the hot rays of the sun rose over the mountains,

Then the Beloved began to punish Aiwohikupua and Waka. To Waka he meted out death, and Aiwohikupua was punished by being deprived of all his wealth, to wander like a vagrant over the earth until the end of his days.

At the request of Laieikawai to spare Laielohelohe and her husband, the danger pa.s.sed them by, and they became rulers over the land thereafter.

Now in the early morning of the day of Aiwohikupua's and Waka's downfall, lo! the mult.i.tude a.s.sembled at Pihanakalani saw a rainbow let down from the moon to earth, trembling in the hot rays of the sun.

Then, as they all crowded together, the seer and the five girls stood on the ladder way, and Kaonohiokala and Laieikawai apart, and the soles of their feet were like fire. This was the time when Aiwohikupua and Waka fell to the ground, and the seer's prophecy was fulfilled.

When the chief had avenged them upon their enemies, the chief placed Kahalaomapuana as ruler over them and stationed his other sisters over separate islands. And Kekalukaluokewa was chief counsellor under Laielohelohe, and the seer was their companion in council, with the power of chief counsellor.

After all these things were put in order and well established, Laieikawai and her husband were taken on the rainbow to the land within the clouds and dwelt in the husband's home.

In case her sisters should do wrong then, it was Kahalaomapuana's duty to bring word to the chief.

But there was no fault to be found with his sisters until they left this world.

CHAPTER x.x.xI

After the marriage of Laieikawai and Kaonohiokala, when his sisters and the seer and Kekalukaluokewa and his wife were well established, after all this had been set in order, they returned to the country in the heavens called Kahakaekaea and dwelt in the taboo house on the borders of Tahiti.

And when she became wife under the marriage bond, all power was given her as a G.o.d except that to see hidden things and those obscure deeds which were done at a distance; only her husband had this power.