His sole decoration was a white China soup-plate, perforated and strung on coconut sennit, suspended from about his neck so that it rested flat on his chest and half-concealed the generous swell of muscles.

It was the greatest of treasures.

No man of Malaita he had ever heard of possessed an unbroken soup-plate.
Nor was he any more ridiculous because of the soup-plate than was he ludicrous because of his nakedness.

He was royal.

His father had been a king before him, and he had proved himself greater than his father.