His mother, she said. Not simply “Mother.” So she and Ezbaal might be siblings, but not by the same mother. And Akyas spoke of knowing the bitterness of a bad marriage. There was a story here, and Rebekah could not help but wish she knew it.

“Girl,” said Akyas, “you put on a brave face. Perhaps it is true that all you care about is whether you can worship your god. So . . . what if we told you that Ezbaal is not concerned about whom you pray to? That you can marry him and he will not interfere with your private worship?”

Rebekah tried to find the trick or trap in what she was saying. “How can you speak for him?”

“I don’t speak for anyone,” said Akyas. “I only ask you, what if those were the terms?”

“Those who truly worship the Lord God of heaven do not worship any other god, or even allow others to think they worship an idol.”

“So you will not join in the festivals of Ba’al,” said Akyas. “If Ezbaal consents to that, you have no further objection? We would then see your sweet obedience, and not this defiance?”

“I owe you only the courtesy of a hostess, not obedience, madam,” said Rebekah. And then realized that by speaking this way, she was showing a sweet and, yes, obedient attitude.

“That is what I hoped,” said Akyas. She turned to the others. “We have indeed unveiled her here,” she said. “Veil after veil, if I see aright.”

“If you think I’ll forget what she said here today . . . ,” said the grandmother.

“I think,” said Akyas, “you’ll remember only that if she comes home as Ezbaal’s bride, she will be mistress of the camp, and you will show her proper respect, and she will show the same to you. Is that not so, Rebekah?”

“The grandmother of my husband, and his mother also, and his sister, will all have nothing but respect and love and true service from me,” said Rebekah.

The grandmother laughed bitterly. “Fifteen years of loneliness have made a peacemaker of you, Akyas.”

“A powerful woman makes the best partner to a powerful man,” said Akyas. “It is only weak women and weak men who don’t understand this.”

Rebekah saw the other women bristle at this, but they said nothing to contradict her. This seemed remarkable to her, to say the least. Why would they endure having Ezbaal’s sister speak to them this way, implying they were weak? There is more between these women than meets the eye, she thought.