eral cases in the mornin'. Appear promptly
at the palace at ten o'clock to answer to the followin' charges, to
wit: breach of the peace; seditious and treasonable utterance; violent
assault on the chief magistrate with intent to cut, wound, maim, an'
bruise; breach of quarantine; violation of harbour regulations; and
gross breakage of custom house rules. In the mornin', fellow, in the
mornin', justice shall be done while the breadfruit falls. And the Lord
have mercy on your soul."

III

Before the hour set for the trial Grief, accompanied by Peter Gee, won
access to Tui Tulifau. The king, surrounded by half a dozen chiefs, lay
on mats under the shade of the avocados in the palace compound. Early
as was the hour, palace maids were industriously serving squarefaces of
gin. The king was glad to see his old friend Davida, and regretful
that he had run foul of the new regulations. Beyond that he steadfastly
avoided discussion of the matter in hand. All protests of the
expropriated traders were washed away in proffers of gin. "Have a
drink," was his invariable reply, though once he unbosomed himself
enough to say that Feathers of the Sun was a wonderful man. Never had
palace affairs been so prosperous. Never had there been so much money
in the treasury, nor so much gin in circulation. "Well pleased am I with
Fulualea," he concluded. "Have a drink."

"We've got to get out of this _pronto_," Grief whispered to Peter Gee a
few minutes later, "or we'll be a pair of boiled owls. Also, I am to be
tried for arson, or heresy, or leprosy, or something, in a few minutes,
and I must control my wits."

As they withdrew from the royal presence, Grief caught a glimpse of
Sepeli, the queen. She was peering out at her royal spouse and his
fellow tipplers, and the frown on her face gave Grief his cue. Whatever
was to be accomplished must be through her.

In another shady corner of the big compound Cornelius was holding court.
He had been at it early, for when Grief arrived the case of Willie Smee
was being settled. The entire royal army, save that portion in charge of
the seized vessels, was in attendance.

"Let the defendant stand up," said Cornelius, "and receive the just and
merciful sentence of the Court for licentious and disgraceful conduct
unbecomin' a supercargo. The defendant says he has no money. Very well.
The Court regrets it has no calaboose. In lieu thereof, and in view
of the impoverished condition of the defendant