AllFreeNovel
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“Those are lovely. I have heard of them.” She chuckled. “The table on the left. Sit on my lefthand side.”
The table in question was only a few inches taller than those around. Kneeling it would be.
An older man came toward them, and he smiled. “Welcome to the island, lady.”
“Not a lady. Just miss. Kana if you are being informal.”
He inclined his head. “You can call me sir or Haikili.”
“Pleased to meet you, sir.”
They got to the table where Koa and the guys were also seated. There were three pads in the middle, and Haikili murmured, “Miss, take your seat.”
She nodded and knelt, tucking her dress tight to her thighs. She sat with her palms on her thighs and didn’t look around.
The queen smiled and said, “I would like to give thanks for our intrepid journeyers returning safely with the woman we need to continue to ensure the safety of these islands.” She turned to Kana. “Thank you, Kana. Tomorrow, your work begins, but tonight, please accept the warmest welcome from the islands to you.”
Kana looked up and smiled. “Thank you for your hospitality, Your Majesty. I am enjoying the climate already.”
The consort helped the queen to her seat, and women and men from the edges of the tables got up and went to get food.
Bowls of water were every two spaces, and Kana reached out to wash her hands as everyone was doing, and her fingers collided with Koa’s. “I am so sorry.” She jerked her fingers back, flicking water everywhere.
“Oh. No.” She was mortified and heated her hands to the point of evaporation so that they were dry.
Koa chuckled. “It’s fine. You had a nice talk with the queen?”
“Yeah. She was very... forthright.” She thought about it. “And she told me a lot of the history of this group of islands.”
“So, a good chat.”
“Yes. Can you walk me through this food? It looks communal, and I haven’t done that.”
He nodded. “Right. Well, poi is what is on the table. It is a paste made from taro that has been cooked, mashed, and mixed into that texture. This is sweet, so it is fresh with no fermentation.”
She nodded. “What does it taste like?”
“Stick your finger in and find out.”
“So we are sharing?”
“Yes. It is easier than everyone getting individual servings.”
She carefully reached out and dipped her finger into the smoky purple substance. She brought her finger back and licked it delicately. Sort of fruity, starchy, and salty. There was also a definite tang. “Hm. What do you eat it with?”
“Anything you like.”
Platters of smoked fish were being placed around. She caught a familiar scent and looked around.
Koa laughed. “What perked you up?”
“I smell pork.”
He nodded. “Here it comes. It’s nice with the poi.”
“So, this is going to be an exploration of what goes with poi.”
It took a few minutes for her to get used to eating with her fingers, and she tried everything with and without the paste. She stopped and washed her fingers a few times because she wasn’t good at this but was enjoying herself.
