“That night, the night on which the woman was expected, Kailiokalauokekoa’s party had returned and she was recounting her adventures, when just at the edge of the evening rang the note of the oo; at 9 in the evening rang the note of the alala; at midnight rang the note of the elepaio; at dawn rang the note of the apapane; and at the first streak of light rang the note of the iiwipolena; as soon as it sounded there fell the shadow of a figure at the door of the house.  Behold! the room was thick with mist, and when it passed away she lay resting on the wings of birds in all her beauty.”

At these words of Kauakahialii to the chiefs, all the body of Aiwohikupua pricked with desire, and he asked, “What was the woman’s name?”

They told him it was Laieikawai, and such was Aiwohikupua’s longing for the woman of whom Kauakahialii spoke that he thought to make her his wife, but he wondered who this woman might be.  Then he said to Kauakahialii:  “I marvel what this woman may be, for I am a man who has made the whole circuit of the islands, but I never saw any woman resting on the wings of birds.  It may be she is come hither from the borders of Tahiti, from within Moaulanuiakea."[20]

Since Aiwohikupua thought Laieikawai must be from Moaulanuiakea, he determined to get her for his wife.  For before he had heard all this story Aiwohikupua had vowed not to take any woman of these islands to wife; he said that he wanted a woman of Moaulanuiakea.

The chiefs’ reception was ended and the accustomed ceremonies on the arrival of strangers performed.  And soon after those days Aiwohikupua took Kauakahialii’s man to minister in his presence, thinking that this man would be the means to attain his desire.

Therefore Aiwohikupua exalted this man to be head over all things, over all the chief’s land, over all the men, chiefs, and common people, as his high counsellor.

As this man became great, jealous grew the former favorites of Aiwohikupua, but this was nothing to the chief.

CHAPTER IV

After this man had become great before the chief, even his high counsellor, they consulted constantly together about those matters which pleased the chief, while the people thought they discussed the administration of the land and of the substance which pertained to the chief; but it was about Laieikawai that the two talked and very seldom about anything else.

Even before Aiwohikupua heard from Kauakahialii about Laieikawai he had made a vow before his food companions, his sisters, and before all the men of rank in his household:  “Where are you, O chiefs, O my sisters, all my food companions!  From this day until my last I will take no woman of all these islands to be my wife, even from Kauai unto Hawaii, no matter how beautiful she is reported to be, nor will I get into mischief with a woman, not with anyone at all.  For I have been ill-treated by women from my youth up.  She shall be my wife who comes hither from other islands, even from Moaulanuiakea, a place of kind women, I have heard; so that is the sort of woman I desire to marry.”