It had been a week since Bulma's arrival at Honolulu and she was utterly bored. She had still to remain closed in her room for the majority of the time, waiting for her cuts and bruises to heal. The only people she could see were her familiars and that disgusting merchant, Kiwi. But they couldn't help her with the feeling of restlessness she had. She wanted so much to find out how to gain a meeting with the representative of the Committee (the association dedicated to the administration of the charity's funds of the island) but nobody seemed to know a thing about this man.

Mr Briefs told her that the king didn't like Americans and so he hadn't had occasion to meet the royal assistants. Aunt Harriet and Chichi, on the other hand, had good relations with the queen, but had never thought to find more about the king's staff and the administration of the island.

A loud sound startled Bulma from her thoughts. She heard Kiwi's voice, which had a distinct slurred inflection, and sighed: she had soon found out that the man had the habit of drinking quite heavily in the evening. Inevitably he got so drunk that someone had to carry him to his room (the one at the end of the corridor facing uncle Ox's study). While Kiwi and the person that was carrying him passed her room she heard Yamcha telling the drunken man to lower his voice. Bulma couldn't understand how Yamcha could stand that man! After a while a door slammed, and then she heard Yamcha's footsteps again, heading downstairs.

She gazed out of her window: the moon still hadn't risen and the sky seemed violet velvet, studded with stars, partially hidden by the flowering trees. Due to her confinement, she hadn't been able to see much of the island, the only thing she had learned was that Honolulu was hot and dusty, even indoors the great heat of the afternoons managed to make itself known. But the little she was now able to see from her window was beautiful, in a semi-barbaric sort of way. After the brief sunset, the island was shrouded in darkness, giving it a sense of mystery. The moon was about to rise in a purple sky and all the sounds died down. Darkness wrapped the palms that continued to move with the wind. This was the real night, intriguing and scaring, even if Bulma knew that it was shortly-lived, since almost at once the moon would rise and lit up everything.

In that darkness she saw a small light. It was moving towards the small gate connecting the garden to the street. It was undoubtedly someone smoking a cigar. So, it must be uncle Ox or maybe Yamcha, since the servants didn't smoke and Kiwi was probably out cold in his room. Bulma wondered what could drive any of them out at such a late hour. More baffling was the stealth that he displayed. She told herself that it wasn't important: probably a meeting with some friend. But she couldn't help the feeling that something suspicious was going on.

* * * * * * * * * *

Finally Bulma healed completely and was able to meet the white community of Honolulu. However, she wasn't much impressed: there were very few young people among them, the majority was composed by old merchants and their boring wives. Chichi introduced her to a friend, a young French woman married to a merchant much older than her. Her name was Elise Dreux, she was small and a little plump, with long brown hair and dark eyes. In an affected sort of way, she was a beautiful woman. Bulma didn't let herself escape that Madame Dreux seemed very friendly with Yamcha, while he tended to avoid her. He went so far as to suggest Bulma not to befriend her.

"She is a gossipy schemer" he said "You'll do better to have nothing to do with her."

Bulma couldn't say that she found Elise extremely congenial, but she didn't think the French woman was so bad, and Chichi considered her a good friend. So she continued to see her, not least because the other women she met were really insupportable: they spent all their time complaining about the weather or the laziness of the local habitants. Bulma couldn't stand to be in the same room with them for too long, they were so annoying!

Bulma took advantage of the frequent visits that Aunt Harriet and Chichi made to the queen to go with them, so as to find out more about the Committee. When she at last met the queen she was favourably impressed: Queen Emma was a plump sweet woman that had a pleasant smile and got along rather well with her aunt. She spoke their language with just the barest hint of a foreign accent. They spent the afternoon engaged in small talk, until Bulma decided to bring forth the main reason for her visit.

"Excuse me, your Majesty." she said seriously "But I wanted to know something: Chichi told me that the king has set up a Committee that attend to the management of charity funds. Well, I'd like very much to be part of this organization. Is it possible?"

The queen seemed rather surprised by her request, well it wasn't everyday that a woman asked to become a member of an administrative council. However after a while she regained her composure and replied:

"Well, I really don't know Miss Briefs. My husband doesn't like Americans, he has a distinct preference for English men, and you're a woman to boot... put an American woman in the Committee... I don't think he would want to do something like that."

"So, I don't have a chance." Bulma said, a little discouraged but determined to find a way to change the king's mind nonetheless.

"I didn't say this. Maybe you can convince the head of the Committee. He is an English nobleman that managed to become a good friend of my husband. If he decides to let you join the Committee I'm sure my husband will have no objections: the king trusts that man."

"Really? Well, then I have to talk to this man: I must convince him!" Bulma said, resolute.

"You really want to involve yourself in that administrative stuff." The queen observed, startled. "Well, I hope you good luck but... that English man is really strange. I don't understand why my husband thinks so highly of him. He is always so cold and... sinister. I don't trust him! However I must admit that till now he has given no reason to complain about his work, on the contrary, he's doing a pretty good job. If you want so much to meet him I can send you someone that will accompany you to the place where the Committee holds the meetings, when do you want to make this visit?"

"As soon as possible!" Bulma immediately replied "Could you arrange a meeting for tomorrow?"

"Bulma, dear, don't you think you're rushing things a little?" Aunt Harriet interjected "You're just arrived here, shouldn't you wait a little before undertaking such an undertaking?"

"Why? I don't have anything to do all day and I want to feel useful." Bulma insisted stubbornly. "So, could you arrange this meeting, your Majesty?" She asked to the queen.

"I think so. Usually, if there aren't pressing issues, the Committee meets once a month, but in these days Mr Royston is busy dealing with an outbreak of leprosy in one of the quarters at the margin of the town so..."

"Mr Royston?" They all exclaimed, shocked.

"Do you want to say that the sinister man ...as he is known among the white community of the island... that renegade trafficker is one of the king's advisors?" Chichi asked.

"Unfortunately, yes." the queen replied "I already told you, I don't know what my husband sees in that man, but he likes him so much! However, if you want to become a member of the Committee, Miss Briefs" she turned towards Bulma "You must be ready to put up with him, since he is the one that gives the orders. I suggest you to drop this idea, it's impossible for a lady to do such a work, with someone as him to boot."

"Yes Bulma, I think her Majesty is right." her aunt added "You couldn't possibly manage to do something so... manly as administering funds, moreover, you can't work with someone that has such a bad reputation as the sinister man."

"Are you saying that I wouldn't be capable of doing this job, Aunt Harriet?" Bulma asked, hardening her voice and expression. "I'll let you know that I'm much more intelligent that the majority of the men, I'm sure I could do a much better work than the actual administrators without a problem!" She proudly stated.

"But Bulma, that's not a work for proper ladies. You should concern yourself with learning how to be a good wife, instead." Aunt Harriet reasoned, not knowing that arguments like that were wasted on Bulma.

"I don't care." She replied. "I have no intention to be the wife of someone that isn't able to accept me for who I am. And I surely don't want to become one of those respectable and decorous women always in agreement with their husbands, blind to their faults; busy with keeping the house in order and bearing healthy children! I've decided. I'll go to see that English man and ask him to make me a member of the Committee, and that's final!"

It was no use the protest of her familiars. Yamcha in particular was strongly against Bulma's idea, once he discovered that Royston was the head of that organization, but she was unwavering. She did what she wanted, and nobody could make her change her mind. At least they had to give up, and so the next day she presented herself to the palace in the center of the town where the Committee had its home.

She was welcomed by a young Hawaiian at the entrance of the building that exchanged a few words with the man sent by the queen that had accompanied her. Then the boy turned to her and told her to follow him. She was led to an office at the second floor. The boy knocked at the door and said: "Boss, that person the queen told you about is arrived."

"Good, make him come in." the cold voice that she knew so well responded.

The boy moved aside to let her pass and, when she was inside the room, closed the door and returned to his post.

Bulma took a moment to examine the room she was in: it was a pleasant room, with carpets of a dusty blue colour that enhanced the dark hue of the vast desk. A clock with a solemn aspect ticked gravely. The windows were framed by curtains of blue velvet. The man sitting behind the desk was busy reading a paper, the familiar scowl set in his face. After a while, Vegeta Royston raised his head and looked towards Bulma. A look of surprise crossed briefly his usually guarded expression, then he scowled even more deeply.

"A woman? What are you doing here? As if I didn't have enough work! You can't possibly think you're suited for administration..." He trailed off, studying her figure attentively. Then he exclaimed with real stupor "Oh my God, the mermaid!"

Bulma murmured a cold good morning, while Vegeta continued to stare at her with an amused, open admiration that made her blush for the embarrassment.

"I didn't recognize you, now that you're back to normal" he observed with unforgivable candour. "An exceptional improvement. I haven't idea that under that black eye and all those bruises was hidden such exceptional material. Well, it's better this way, maybe; because if I had realized what could reveal me a few weeks of healing at the end I would have been really tempted to kidnap you. You're not ugly at all, Miss Briefs, and I start to regret the lost opportunity!"

He gave her a gallant smirk and Bulma, still irritated for blushing, replied with less dignity that she would have liked: "I don't consider this a compliment! If now you could be good enough to listen what I'm here to say..."

"But, on the contrary, it is a compliment." Vegeta insisted "I don't ever go to the bother of..."

"Of kidnapping homely women!" Bulma retorted, giving herself away. "You have already told me so."

Vegeta threw back his head and burst out laughing.

"Really? I had forgotten it. You remember, instead. Did it hit a nerve? I apologize. But I couldn't know what I had in my hands, right? You were a mix between an urchin and a rowdy drunkard. What I was saying before you interrupted me was that I don't go to the bother of saying white lies. It's a waste of time. Now, what are you doing here? I don't think you came here to see me."

"Well, I thought the queen already advised you about what I want." Bulma said, assuming a business-like demeanour.

"Why yes, she sent me a message talking about an American that wanted really badly to become a member of the Committee. I should have suspected that it was you: you're the only one among those that show interest towards charity association capable of such craziness. Well, we do need help in this work, since we're only an handful of people, and I know already how much passion you put in good deeds." He made a short pause, looking at her as if he was sizing her up. "You seem capable. Ok, you're in, but let get this straight: you must follow my directions, do you think you can manage this?"

Bulma let out the breath she had been holding. "Yes, I'm sure I can." She paused, then said "Can I ask you something?" After his nod she continued "How come that someone such you decided to supervise a charity foundation?"

Vegeta chuckled and replied: "Well, it doesn't concern me to do good deeds or other nonsense like that." He told her smirking "But I have a penchant for organizing and ordering around. During the monsoon season there is always nothing to do, and I can't stand to be idle. So when the king told me that he had problems with the direction of the Committee, during one of those periods, I took the task. It's really stimulating and I've come to like this job. That's all."

Bulma looked at him surprised. As she suspected he wasn't inspired by moral principles, but he seemed intent on doing a good work. Maybe it wouldn't be too bad to cooperate with him in this undertaking, after all. He could be a scoundrel, but he seemed to know what he was doing. Bulma cleared her mind and turned her attention to the explanations that Vegeta was giving her about the function that the Committee had.

And so started a partnership that would result in something that Bulma, or anybody else for that matter, would have never guessed.

* * * * *