The following week seemed endless to Bulma, since, even for an inexpert such her, it was obvious that the Probitas was only wasting time. She tried to control herself, but for the first time in her life she wasn’t able to refrain herself from voicing out loud her protests. This lack of control around captain Vegeta was unsettling, to say the last. However the captain ignored completely her complains.

As Vegeta had predicted, the injuries on her hand had healed with surprising rapidity, while the swollen eye and jaw had returned to normal dimension. However they remained, with the other many bruises, of a yellow-violet colour. The worst damage was her hair: made clumsy from her hands' injuries, Bulma had miserably failed in the attempt to comb the heavy tangled mass and, in a fit of desperation, she had put the scissors in the hands of the reluctant Raditz, ordering him to cut. The result of that impetuous act had been sorry, to say the least. She emerged from that operation with an aspect, as captain Royston, very little gallantly, pointed out: "Somewhere between a sea-urchin and a scrubbing-brush"

"But, why didn't you ask me to do it?" he wanted to know, observing, with obvious amusement, that disaster. "Raditz can even be a formidable maidservant, but he surely doesn't have barber's qualities."

She didn't answer, still thinking about the ruin of her wonderful blue-coloured hair.

He studied her for a while, then said: "Come on, give me those scissors."

And, to say the truth, he managed, not without a certain skilfulness, to improve a little Raditz's unhappy work. Then he suggested to do her hair like that while she remained on the island, since, even if it could make her look like a sea-boy in skirt, that hairstyle was undoubtedly more practical and would keep her cooler than a long feminine one, remark that didn't help to comfort Bulma for what she saw on the mirror.

Bulma had always regarded tears with scorn, but seeing her reflected image, she came really close to plenty shed them. What would Yamcha think of her devastated aspect? Would he at least recognize her? She hoped no. Then she turned her back to the mirror and from that moment she avoided looking at it.

Chun Ho, the small Chinese sailor that brought her food (since Raditz refused to be a maidservant, now that the captain 'needed him'), was a silent, calm old man, but he wasn't much of a conversationalist. Bulma was starting to become really bored, so, since her injuries didn't hurt much anymore, she made a habit of wandering around the ship, talking with the sailors while they worked. After a while, Raditz began to stop to talk with her.

Bulma, proving her intelligence, suspected that the sailor's sudden predilection for her company hid an ulterior purpose. It was more than likely, she thought, that captain Royston gave him the order to keep her busy and under control, so that she wouldn't be able to see something that didn't regard her. Even so, Bulma was glad for the company. Raditz, as one should expect knew (or said to know) many things about the Sandwich Islands, and he spent many hours telling stories to Bulma. Moreover he gave her an accurate description of the islands. The previous year the Hawaiian king, Kamehameha III, had died and his successor-nephew, Alexander Liholiho became the fourth Kamehameha king.

"The age of Kamehameha III" Raditz told her "has been that of progress and of liberty. He gave to his subjects a Constitution and fixed laws; he divided all Hawaiian lands into three parts: one for himself and his heirs, one for the government, and the final one to be distributed among the common people."

"Is that how my aunt's brother became a land-owner?"

"Probably. In 1850, foreigners were given the privilege of buying real estate outright and owning it as freehold property forever."

Aside from recent events, Raditz told her many stories about the deities of the ancient Hawaiian.

"There were four important deities, Ku, Kane, Lono and Kanaloa, and numerous lesser and specialized gods, such as Pele, the volcano goddess."

"Volcano?"

"Yes, the Sandwich Islands have their fair share of volcanoes. Talking about Pele, in the 1820's the Calvinist missionaries succeeded in converting many powerful Hawaiian leaders, including the Big Island high chiefess Kapiolani. She in the name of Jehovah, denounced the fire goddess Pele. Kapiolani staged a Christian religious service at the edge of the Halemaumau fire pit in the Kilauea caldera, and dared Pele to harm her. But the goddess did not so much as belch in protest."

He continued to tell her many interesting facts, and Bulma was no more bored.

One day, while Raditz was telling her the merry vices which had flocked around the coming of every whaler, in the early 1800's, she asked him about his role on the ship.

"I can't understand what you are doing aboard this ship" the girl declared "You don't seem a sailor to me, and, if the captain hadn't given you the job of keeping me company, you would be doing nothing at all. How come?"

"Well, you see, I'm not a sailor at all, but I'm Vegeta's assistant. We had known each other since we were kids. I lived in a village that was property of Vegeta's father. When Vegeta grew up, he started to search for something adventurous to do. I think that the easy and comfortable life of an English lord was boring for him..."

"What? Are you saying that the sorry excuse for a gentleman is, actually, the son of a lord?" (During her stay on the ship, the relations between Bulma and the captain hadn't improved one bit. They argued constantly, and he annoyed her every chance he got)

"Yes, but he didn't like it. So he decided to leave the grey and misty England to travel around the world. I was of his same opinion, so I followed him. We've been to many places in this last ten years: Spain, Italy, Greece, Egypt, India, China, Japan, and last the Sandwich Islands. We've never been more than one year in a place, usually we left after six months. But when we arrived at Honolulu, we found at peace. I think we'll remain there. It's the place we were searching for: beautiful, hot and full of people that want to enjoy themselves."

Bulma looked the happiness reflected on Raditz face and realized that he was telling the truth: he loved those places. However, the revelation of Royston high birth left her speechless and increased her hostility towards the captain. It could have been possible, however difficult it may have been, she thought, to find an excuse for a being whose life had been marked by poverty, ignorance and low origins. But there was something not only incomprehensible, but absolutely indecent in the fact that a person, who had had the benefits of high rank and education, chose to live as a scoundrel. Captain Royston was not only a shame for his country, but for the entire civilized West!

And there he was, standing on the deck while he stared at the sea with a serious expression on his face, as if he was an honest man, intent on an important task, instead than a villain busy with some wicked affair.

She marched straight towards him, leaving Raditz behind and ignoring his questioning look. She only knew that she wanted to tell that insolent captain a thing or two.

On the ship the mainly used language was English, but even so the exact nature of their activity remained a mystery: now it was time to put prudence aside and make a direct assault.

"Do you want to tell me what are you doing, you and your crew?" Bulma asked with a hard tone, once she had reached the captain.

"Commerce" captain Royston replied, curtly.

"Commerce? Of what?"

"Everything that gives profit."

"Even opium?"

Captain Royston looked at her and smirked. "If you are wondering if I have it aboard at this moment, the answer is no."

There was immediately a hard little tightening around her eyes. In the few days that they had known each other, Vegeta had learned to catch those minute danger signals. Something warned him that the girl was spoiling for an argument, and he reasoned out the source of her unspoken belligerence easily. Being on a stranger's ship, after having almost drowned, feeling helpless had shaken her badly, and Miss Briefs did not like to be shaken, it seemed. To make matters even worse, everyone on the ship ignored her completely, unless he ordered them otherwise. Miss Briefs disliked being ignored even more than she disliked being shaken, as he had found out almost immediately. It was amazing to see what a fiery spirit she had when provoked. Strange that it seemed to emerge only when he was around, otherwise she was only a spoiled but controlled child.
She continued to fix a hard stare on him, and Vegeta realized how small his chances of avoiding a squabble with her were. Well, not that he minded so much, it was kind of funny to see her in a fit of rage.

Vegeta faked a sigh. "All right" he said with false resignation "was there anything in particular you wanted to fight about, or did you just want to start yowling and sort of make it up as we go along?"

"Yowling?" Her voice went up several octaves. "Yowling?"

"Screeching, maybe" he suggested as insultingly as possible.

"Screeching?" she screeched.

The hurling of insults lasted for about a quarter of an hour, before one of the sailors interrupted them with a message from the helmsman. The captain went to take care of the problem and Bulma was left fuming on the deck, completely alone.

After a while she retired in her cabin (well, the captain's cabin), firmly decided to avoid the company of that insupportable man for the rest of her stay on that ship. She would never talk to him anymore, for any reason!

However, she hadn't been able to maintain these admirable resolutions: the following night, awoken by the sound of a boat that was being lowered along the side of the Probitas, she found out, with great stupor, that the portholes in the cabin had been covered, blocking the view, and the door had been locked from the other side.

Pulling the handle in that suffocating darkness, Bulma realized that the ship wasn't moving anymore. Concentrating on her surrounding, she heard the boat leaving, the sound of oars diving in the water and emerging again became more and more distant, then it disappeared. After a long time, the sound was heard again and in the end a boat hit against the ship. Soon there were other sounds: a murmur of voices and a familiar laugh. She wasn't able to sort out what was happening, and so she decided to forget it and return to sleep.

When she awoke the cabin was full of sunlight and the curtains waved with the breeze, while the Probitas moved quickly on the sea. The portholes weren't covered anymore and, when she tried to open the door, she discovered that it wasn't locked. But breakfast, that morning, included mango and papaya that certainly weren't aboard the previous day. She wasn't able to obtain an explanation about the fruit's presence neither from Chun Ho, which was the one who brought her food, neither from Raditz. So Bulma broke her oath, and talked with the captain.

"The fruit?" Royston answered, not bewildered at all by her inquiry "I hope there was nothing wrong with it. It comes from a ship that sails in these waters, we've met it last night. We have put down a boat and taken food's supply. In fact, I'm surprised we didn't wake you up."

The sarcasm in his voice, however, revealed that he was absolutely convinced of the contrary, so Bulma replied, warily: "You did wake me up, instead. And I've also noticed that the door had been locked."

"Really? You should have called" Royston replied with small interest "Or maybe you've done it and nobody heard you?"

"You know very well that I haven't done it!" Bulma burst out, furious "And that if I would've done it, nobody would've come! I wouldn't be surprised if you had been the one to lock me!"

"Exactly. And, apparently, it has been a wise precaution. It wouldn't have been a good thing if you had gone on the deck last night."

"Maybe I would have seen something that you wanted to hide?"

"Not at all. Only because those... ehm... gentlemen I met wouldn't have understood your presence aboard. There are FEW reliable men in this area of the world. Miss Briefs, it's better not to take chances."

"Thank you very much. I'll remember it." Bulma replied with a tone full of allusion. And she was overcome by an irrational wave of fury and confusion when Royston smirked. But the surprises didn't end there.

"It seems that your eye is improving" the captain observed, examining her with a critical eye. "In fact, with a bit of luck, maybe your relatives could even recognize you when we'll moor."

"You mean... you mean we are really going to Honolulu?" Bulma exclaimed, breathless.

"Of course we are. Did you think that I had kidnapped you, maybe?"

He was so close to the truth that an uncontrollable flush of colour made her blush from head to toe, wrenching a laugh from the captain.

"By God, you really thought so! Hear this Raditz, do you understand? Our cargo de luxe thought we had kidnapped her! It wouldn't be a bad idea, that's true, but I fear that as source of income you could be of very little use, since it would be difficult to convince anyone of your existence, unless we bring you there in the flesh. And, as to reassure you, I personally kidnap only beautiful women!" He gave her a smack on the shoulder, as she was a twelve-years-old boy, and ended his outrageous speech telling her that he hoped her relatives would be happy to see her again.

"And why shouldn't they be?" Bulma retorted, resentful. Kidnap only beautiful women! What an impudent!

"Well, it depends on the opinion they have of you, don't you think? The most part of my relatives would be greatly relieved to hear of my death, and they wouldn't certainly jump for joy if later on they found out that the news was a little exaggerated!"

"I can't say that it surprises me." Bulma replied "But my uncle loves me very much, and I'm sure that he'll be ecstatic to have me back!"

"Oh yes, your uncle is really a kind man when his family is concerned."

"You know my uncle?" Bulma exclaimed.

"Dear Miss Briefs, what a ridiculous question! To tell you the truth, he'll be anything but happy that the man who saved his beloved little niece is an untouchable like me, since it means that he'll have to greet me, even if only with a nod of the head, when we'll meet in town, as a sign of gratitude."

"My uncle" Bulma said with a cold voice "will never let his personal opinion to influence his gratitude or good manners. He'll reward you generously."

"Really?" the captain asked, amused "I wonder how much he thinks you are worth. Or do you think he'll go to the length of coming to my house to convey personally his gratitude?"

"It would be the least he could do." Bulma said with emphasis.

"My little, innocent one! He wouldn't dream to do something like that. If I'll be lucky, he'll send me an oral message to thank me, and even this will be hard for him."

"Nonsense" Bulma interrupted him "it's possible that he wouldn't have any desire to come and visit you, and I can understand that, but I give you my word that he'll do it. And if he'll not be able to come he'll send Yamcha... uhm, Mr Cordel, I mean, or me in his stead."

"Poor Miss Briefs! So, you are really convinced that your relatives will let you come to my house, even if it's for such precise task? Well, you could always use your influence and try to make them write down on paper their thanks, but I doubt you'll succeed. It could be useful to me. Who knows? One day I could decide to earn my living honestly!"

"I doubt you know how it's done." Bulma replied, incapable to control herself.

"Who knows?" He smirked, and then, unexpectedly, he asked her if she had a personal fortune, or was the heir of a vast wealth. "Since" he explained her sweetly "the only thing I can imagine that could make tolerable the prospect of marrying someone so little attractive, and with a temper and a long tongue like you would be a huge fortune. So, for Mr Cordel's sake I hope you have one. On the island they say you're coming in this forgotten area of the world to marry him, but I start to doubt it."

Bulma opened her mouth to answer him back, but remained silent. Obviously it had been a great error, to talk with captain Royston: it had served only to make him more impertinent. She turned her back to him and decided to ignore him from now on.

* * * * *