He's too idealistic," says Akilisi Pohiva, the leading spokesman for Tonga's Pro-Democracy Movement. Akilisi's obsessive demands for accountability and proper auditing of financial accounts both endear him to his supporters and infuriate opponents. "The fundamental problem is not His Majesty or his ministers It is the system and the culture," he declares. Tongans are passengers on a journey, more often than not, of the King's choosing "We are born to listen. We are not born to ask questions."Akilisi and the King have never met.

And one of Akilisi's frustrations is the ease with which foreigners, such as Dr Wong, breeze into the Palace at Nuku'alofa with their new idea, their brave schemes to save Tonga. "I have been trying for six years to see His Majesty," he says.Later, at the Palace Office, Ofa is at his desk, looking troubled. Akilisi has telephoned him to explain that the Russians have not been paid for months Akilisi has suggested that he tell the King. I pass on what I've heard - that Wong is due to fly in to Nuku'alofa the day after next "Forget it He won't be He's always about to arrive Tomorrow Wednesday. Next Saturday." All this, he agrees, is going to be terribly depressing for the King to hear. "What I've done in cases like this is feed the information in a way that allows the King to find out for himself."Every day, Ofa takes newspapers and letters across to the King. His strategy will be to slip the letter from the Russians asking for help in with His Majesty's mail, so the King will stumble on this unwelcome news on his own.It was only yesterday that Ofa finally broke the news about the destitute Chinese The King, he recalls, responded with a look of disbelief.

"Afterwards, I was thinking, after telling him about the Chinese it would be too much to tell him about the Russians." The King is protected from disappointments as only the all-powerful can be. But reality is less accommodating, and so his aspirations to re-shape Tonga and its economy - so much less attainable than the simple objectives of the gym - are all too often frustrated.In his white singlet and shorts the King lumbers across the Palace grounds Yesterday was a "strength day"; today must be aerobics Stepping Walking Cycling He makes his way to the veranda of a small boathouse This is our last encounter. I had thought of bringing the situation of the Russians to his attention myself But it is actually more difficult than I'd thought. The King is such a nice fellow that you hate to disappoint or embarrass him. Instead, we talk of the Prince of Wales and Camilla Parker-Bowles, and of the perennial royal dilemma: private inclination or public duty.