After walking for about 90 minutes, SG1 and the four natives arrived at the village of Kanaka. There were over a hundred bamboo huts on stilts with thatched roofs and small porches. These huts, for the most part, were larger than the one they had stayed in the night before.

Several small children ran through the village laughing as they played a game. Merchants and women working in the village came out to stare at the newcomers in their midst.

"Friends," Lopaka called "These are they who came through the ring of the gods. They say they are not gods and they want to meet you."

"Um, listen, my name is Daniel Jackson, this is Jack, Sam and Teal'c. We came here to be friends, share knowledge, maybe trade with you..."

"You came through the ring of the gods but you say you are not gods?" A confused voice asked.

"No, and the people who came here and enslaved you and claimed to be your gods were not gods either."

"How dare you say that!" An angry man shouted. "The gods will hear you and they will punish us for your insolence!"

"Oh fer cryin' out loud! Those people who used to come through the gate claiming to be your gods can't hear you and they don't know we're here!"

"Lies!" The angry native shouted. "You will get us all killed!"

"Palaki," Kona addressed the angry man, "if the gods wanted to destroy us they could have done it already."

"Not necessarily, Kona. Maybe they wanted to test us, see how we would respond to their test of faith!" Palaki stated warily.

"I believe these visitors, Palaki." Lopaka began in a calm, even voice. "You can have your say at the meeting of the Counsel of Elders. It is up to the Counsel to decide whether we allow these strangers to stay in our village. In the meantime they need a place to rest."

"They can stay in my grandfather's home," a woman in the crowd shouted.

"Ah, we don't want to put her grandfather out." Daniel said to Lopaka.

"It is alright. Her grandfather died several months ago and no one is living in his hut."

"Thank you," Lopaka said to the woman. He turned to Lailene and Nika and said "Please take them to the hut. I will gather the elders for a meeting."

Nika and Lailene nodded and led SG1 off to a hut on the outskirts of the village.

This hut was nothing like the shack they had stayed in the previous night. They entered a room with wood paneled walls and ceilings. There was a stone fireplace for cooking, a wooden table and chairs and two comfortable looking canvas and bamboo chairs. There was an overhead fan with wide, leaf like blades that was operated by pulling on a rope. A separate room contained a four poster bed complete with mosquito netting and there were two wooden rocking chairs on the porch.

"Wow! This is really nice." Sam said to the ladies as she looked around the cabin. Although there was no glass in the windows, slatted shutters were used for keeping out the elements when necessary. The view from the front porch of the cabin was like a picture postcard of a tropical paradise; a beautiful pristine, white sand beach, crystal clear blue and turquoise water, and palm trees swaying lazily in the tropical breeze.

Sam took her pack off and dropped it onto the bed, but kept her P-90, casually resting her hands on the weapon. The other members of SG1 also put down their packs and kept their weapons with them.

"Do you ladies think you could get us some drinking water and some more fruit?" Jack asked in a friendly tone.

"Oh, yes, of course!" Nika replied and the two hurried from the cabin.

"Anyone care to join me on the veranda?" Jack asked jokingly.

"I will." Sam replied.

"As will I," Teal'c stated.

"Might as well join the crowd." Daniel said with a shrug.

Sam and Jack commandeered the two rocking chairs on the front porch leaving Daniel and Teal'c to carry the bamboo and canvas chairs out from the living area.

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Back at the meeting of the Counsel of Elders, Palaki was expressing his distrust of the strangers in their midst.

"Palaki," one of the Elders began, "none of us living today have ever seen the gods, but we all know the stories that have been handed down through the generations. The gods have great power and only the gods are allowed to use the stone ring. If these strangers came through the stone ring the gods must have sent them."

"These visitors say that the gods are parasites and that they are not nice. That they enslaved our great grandfathers and their fathers before them. " Lopaka explained to the group.

"The strangers said they may trade with us and that they will willingly share their knowledge with us. They say they have medicines that we could use..." Kona added to what Lopaka began.

"How do we know these aren't lies!"

"Palaki, why would they lie? Besides, Nika trusts them and it is her gift to know such things." Lopaka stated.

"They do have a warrior of the gods with them, Lopaka." Another of the Elders spoke.

"Yes. But he says he does not wish to serve false gods, but to live free."

The fifth member of the Counsel spoke. "Palaki, I appreciate your caution and should we decide to let the strangers stay, I would feel safer if you would monitor the newcomers."

"It is time to decide." Lopaka said "place your stones on the table to indicate your vote."

Four black stones were placed into a white circle painted on the table in the Counsel's chambers.

"The vote passes. Palaki, you must accept them into our villiage."

"I will accept the vote of the Counsel," Palaki began "but I do not trust the newcomers and I will continue to be vigilant."

"Very well, that is your right."

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SG1 sat on the porch of their cabin enjoying the ocean breeze and the tropical fruit while Daniel visited with Nika and Lailene. After a time Lopaka came to tell them of the decision of the Counsel of Elders.

"Daniel," he called "the Counsel has agreed that you may stay and learn of our people. We will have a luau tonight at the fire pit on the beach to officially welcome you and so we may all get to know one another better."

"That's wonderful news, Lopaka!" Daniel enthused.

"What is a luau?" Teal'c inquired.

"Um.. it's kind of like a feast" Daniel replied.

"Will there be cake?" Jack asked.

"Cake?" Lopaka asked somewhat confused.

Jack looked at Sam. "I take it that means no cake."

"I will come by to escort you to the luau this evening. Nika and Lailene your help will be required for the feast." Good day friends," Lopaka said to the members of SG1 as the three natives hurried on their way.

"I hope we aren't walking into a trap" Jack said, with an edge to his voice.

"Jack, I don't think these people are advanced enough to plan a trap for us. They still aren't sure that we aren't Goa'uld and they have the stories handed down to them of the fierce power of the gods. I don't think they will try to hurt us."

"You better be right, Daniel." Jack flipped up the cover on his watch. "General Hammond will be checking in with us shortly." He said as he flipped the cover back over his watch.

"What are you going to tell him, Sir?"

"I'm going to tell him that there was nothing at the ruins, the Goa'uld haven't been here in a hundred years, and Daniel wants to party with the natives."

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