Everyone in the room stood as though paralyzed by the poison only Zipporah had ingested. When no obvious reaction occurred, Maacah finally sprang into action.

Turning to her sons, she said, "Take her, forcibly if you must, and place her on the sleeping couch where Naaman normally rests. He will not be home for several days. Tie her down so she won't be able to leave the bed. The poison she has taken evidently is not fast acting. Perhaps we can still save her life."

At this Zipporah began to laugh. The sound was more of an evil cackle than a sound of mirth.

"Tying me down might be wise," she said, "the poison may cause delirium. But then you may simply hasten my death. The body may make a valiant effort to rid itself of this particular poison, and I could drown in my own vomit."

As she spoke, Zipporah's bravado seemed to lessen and then she abruptly sat down on the side of the couch, claiming, "I think perhaps it's time to sleep." Then looking directly at Maacah, she concluded, "It'll do you no good to seek an antidote. I took all of the poison I have. You have no way of knowing what it was. By the time a healer can figure it out, I'll be dead."

With a wraithlike smile, she laid down on the hard couch without benefit of a sleeping mat. She looked around at the group with hugely dilated pupils and said calmly, "Perhaps you would like to shade the lamp. The light is causing my head to ache."

Turning to her sons, Maacah motioned and said, "Arisai, Shepho. . ."

As they moved to the girl and began to tie her to the couch, Maacah turned to Hegai.

"Go and summon the healer," she said. "We must try, no matter what the girl said."

Then to Baara, "You stay with her, child. Tirzah and I will see what we can deduce about the poison."

As the two women left, Baara slumped down on the other sleeping couch, burying her face in her hands. Feelings of horror and relief mingled as she struggled with her emotions. Zipporah had harbored nothing but hatred for her; but still, some part of Baara found her probable death abhorrent. At the same time another part rejoiced that her tormentor would no longer be there to taunt her.

In despair, Baara inadvertently spoke aloud, "Oh, Yahweh, she is my enemy; why can't I simply feel relief?"

Zipporah began to laugh mockingly, crying, "You are such a weakling. Must you get permission from your God even to hate?"

Even as Zipporah taunted, words from King Solomon echoed in Baara's mind: "Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice, or the Lord will see and disapprove and turn His wrath away from him. (Proverbs 24:17-18) If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you." (Proverbs 25:21-22)

Advancing to the edge of the couch where Zipporah lay, Baara said quietly, "There is no weakness in submitting to the God of the universe. Only a fool refuses to acknowledge the presence of God. And, no, I needn't seek His permission to hate, for He won't grant it. Hating you would only make me a prisoner, your prisoner. I would be consumed with bitterness, and you would continue to control my emotions and make me into someone like yourself. If I hate, your death would not free me. I would continue to be enslaved by the emotion. No, I choose not to hate you. I have given Yahweh my hate and asked him to replace it with something good, of His making."

Zipporah began to laugh mockingly, but the laugh died as she began to choke and then to wretch. Baara immediately went to her with a basin, turning her head to the side and allowing her to vomit into it. She then began to methodically clean up the stinking mess, bathing it off of Zipporah.

As Baara ministered to her, the girl spat out caustically, "Wimp. If you are so afraid to hate me, then untie these bonds. Sissy. Coward. Weakling."

Baara simply ignored the outburst, continuing to clean the couch on which Zipporah lay. As she wiped the area where the girl was tied, Zipporah grabbed her wrist, demanding, "Look in my eyes. The madness grows. Your misplaced kindness will get you nowhere."

Baara looked into Zipporah's eyes and said sadly, "Yes, the madness grows."

Pulling her wrist free, she walked to the other side of the room and wet a cloth with fresh water. Returning to Zipporah, she bathed her brow where sweat had begun to accumulate. Then taking a glass of water, she tilted Zipporah's head forward and urged her to drink.

Zipporah took a mouthful and then spat it in Baara's face as she bent over her. When Baara straightened and patiently wiped the water from her face, Zipporah once again began to laugh mockingly.

As the laughter echoed, the door opened and Maacah and Tirzah entered with Mara in tow. The girl cowered in the corner as Maacah spoke, "Zipporah, Mara said she helped you by gathering Mandrake when she was sent on errands. She claims it has many uses besides the leaves being beneficial for enticing a man into bed. She said you claimed you would lure Arisai into bed by using the powder from the leaves. But she said you also had her to dig up the root, which you made into a powder and mixed with liquid in a small vial. I suspect the root potion is what you ingested. I have brought her here to tend you and see for herself what she has helped create. Perhaps seeing the result of the evil she abetted will change her attitude."

Looking at Maacah with wild eyes, Zipporah answered, "Mother, you know what a Mandrake root potion will do. After all, you taught me to make it and told me to keep some in my girdle in case I was caught by an enemy."

Caught up in the drug-induced delirium where she mistook Maacah for her own mother, she continued to ramble, "You told me of its common name, Satan's apple, and its Israelite name, Baaras. Isn't it ironic, mother? The girl whose treachery caused me to partake of the potion is named Baara. I should have used Baaras on her. I misjudged my enemy, mother. You always warned me to know my enemy, and I thought I did. I could feel her fear; it was palpable. I counted on fear to silence her, but something allowed her to override her fear. Or should I say someone? This God she is always talking about. He was the real enemy, and I didn't know. I didn't know, mother. So now I will join you in the afterlife. Baara said in her tradition Satan tempted the first woman with a fruit her God made. Satan has tempted this woman with his own fruit, Satan's apple. I ate of the fruit and it is too late to recant. Too late. . ."

As Zipporah's voice trailed off, her eyes closed, and she descended into a deep slumber, breathing shallowly.

As the women stood in a trance, watching the now quiet girl, a rap came on the outside gate, and Hegai's voice was heard to call, "Open."

Arisai opened the gate and escorted the healer, Jobab, to the room where Zipporah now lay in a coma. When told that the potion she took was probably made from Mandrake root, he asked how much she had taken. No one knew for sure. All they could tell him was that she took a small vial from her girdle, but how much the vial contained they didn't know.

At this point, Mara interjected timidly, "I was only able to bring her the roots of two plants. I know she used some of it in the food of Tirzah's nanny to make her sick, so she probably only had the powder of one root left. Is that enough to kill her?"

"Possibly," Jobab replied. "Mandrake is not the most poisonous of plants. It will only kill in large doses. She is young; perhaps she misjudged the amount. But her breathing is extremely shallow. The drug may cause her to stop breathing altogether if enough was ingested," he warned. "We need to induce vomiting. Bring me some vinegar," he commanded.

"She has already vomited once," Baara volunteered. "She didn't throw up a lot, but it may have helped. I tried to get her to drink, but she spat it in my face."

"We can only hope," Jobab replied.

Mara had gone for the vinegar and soon returned with a pitcher full. The healer attempted to force some down Zipporah's throat, but the girl only coughed it all over him. He tried getting Mara to massage Zipporah's throat while he poured the liquid into her mouth in an attempt to create a swallowing reflex, but to no avail. Finally he turned to Maacah and said, "I'm sorry, my lady. There's nothing I can do. The next few hours are crucial. If she continues to breathe, she may come out of the slumber. If she rouses, force liquids down her. She may begin to rant and rave in her sleep. It is good that she is tied down because if she becomes wildly delirious, she might hurt herself. She is in the hands of the gods now."

After Jobab exited, Maacah told everyone except Mara to go to bed. She instructed Mara to stay and tend to Zipporah. She indicated she would recline on her own sleeping couch so Mara couldn't do anything treacherous. When Maacah indicated she planned to remain, Baara interrupted the instructions.

"Excuse me, mistress," Baara said. "If you don't mind, I would like to stay with Mara for the night vigil. You could sleep in my room undisturbed."

"That won't be necessary," Maacah replied. "You have been under enough stress the last few weeks. You need to get some sleep."

"What you say is wise, mistress," Baara admitted. "But I am certain I won't sleep. In a roundabout way, I am responsible for Zipporah's plight. Since I won't sleep anyway, I can avoid the suspense by staying here."

"And what of Mara?" Maacah questioned. "She helped Zipporah to injure you. Are you not afraid to stay alone with her?"

"No-o-o," Baara drew the word out slowly, "I'm not afraid. You'll not be far away, and I think Mara has learned a hard lesson tonight. I think it'll be a long time before she'll try any treachery in this household."

"Baara is right," Mara interjected. "She has nothing to fear from me. I see now the evil Zipporah perpetrated. I was so full of hatred following my capture and sell into slavery, I was ready to listen to anyone who offered a plan of revenge. I see now that what Zipporah tried to do was a misdirected hatred. The bitterness we both harbored has betrayed her. I've learned my lesson. I'll no longer live up to the legacy of my name. The bitter root that has grown up in me has been destroyed tonight. I may be captive and a slave, but I chose to live free from bitterness and hatred. I don't know how Baara has learned this lesson while so young, but she has shown us all that one can choose not to be the slave of adversity. If she can cast off the heritage of her name, which means foolish, I can overcome the meaning of my own name."

"Very well, then," Maacah conceded. "You two will spend the night watching Zipporah. If there's a major change, wake me," she concluded.

When the three were alone in the quiet room, Mara took a damp cloth and wiped Zipporah's brow. As she did, Zipporah opened unseeing eyes and protested, "Why do you torture me, Zibiah? Don't offer me any of your little tasty tidbits. I know you sneak potions from my mother's stockpiles. Just because your mother is the favored wife, doesn't mean you will triumph. I know a great deal more about the medicines of my mother than you. Be careful what you try; you may find yourself gravely ill."

Zipporah's speech was followed by an evil laugh before she sank once again into silence.

For the next couple of hours, Zipporah tossed and turned on the couch, pulling at the restraints and muttering under her breath. Mara and Baara took turns wiping her brow. They tried to get her to drink, but she snapped her teeth and tried to bite them. Occasionally her eyes would open, but it was obvious she saw nothing.

The two had dosed off when they were suddenly roused by a blood-curdling scream. Zipporah lay with her eyes wide open, staring into space with a look of horror on her face. As the two hurried to her bedside, she began to convulse violently, and as she struggled foam formed around her mouth.

"No, no," she screamed. "Go away. I won't go with you, I won't. Those dogs with long fangs and frothing mouths won't get me."

Zipporah let out another piercing scream, her eyes still fixed on something only she could see. "What do you want?" she demanded of the apparition. "You can't have my soul. So go away and take those fiends with you."

She twisted violently from side to side, saying emphatically over and over, "No! No! No! No!"

Suddenly she slumped back onto the couch, going completely limp. The two girls rushed to her, thinking she was dead, but when they touched her, she snapped at them with her teeth, and snarled, "I told you to go away. I won't surrender. Do you hear, me?"

Once again she screamed and then sobbed out, "I invoke the name, Yahweh, God of Baara. Do you hear me, Satan? I may have eaten your apple, but I call on Yahweh to protect me from you. She said He is not limited by geography. She said He loves even the unlovable. She said He cares about women, foreigners, and orphans. I am all three, so He must protect me-e-e," she ended on a screech, pushing herself against the restraints as though attempting to escape her tormentor. Finally, she shrieked, "Yahweh, deliver me!"

Once again Zipporah's body went limp. This time, though, her breathing was no longer shallow, but her stomach rose and sank like that of someone in a deep slumber. When Mara once again bathed her brow, she commented, "She sweats no longer."

Turning to Baara, Mara questioned, "Would your God listen to the frantic raving of someone who has done nothing but mock Him? Would He deliver someone who has been ruled by evil, who has taken the life of an unborn child and tried to force you to do her evil bidding?"

"I don't know," Baara admitted. "He is sometimes a God of mercy, like in the story of David and Bathsheba. But he is sometimes a God of vengeance. He once had a man named Achen and his whole family killed because Achen disobeyed a ban on taking contraband following a battle. The teachings of Yahweh say, 'I will take vengeance on my adversaries and repay those who hate me.'(Deuteronomy 32:41) But He also tells us, 'Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice.' (Proverbs 24:17) If He doesn't want us to rejoice, then I guess He doesn't rejoice either. Also, the prophet Samuel told us that God examines the motives of the heart. We heard only Zipporah's ranting. We could not hear the justification of her heart. Only Yahweh can judge her heart and decide whether she deserves another chance."

"Your Yahweh is a strange god," Mara noted, shaking her head. "It's easier to think of gods as fickle and capricious. The gods we worship are selfish and pleasure seeking. I can understand those gods. I can't begin to understand a god who is merciful based on an unspoken, hidden intent."

Just then, their conversation was interrupted by a tiny voice pleading, "Water, I need water, please."

Mara and Baara turned in unison and stared in disbelief at Zipporah. She was lying with eyes open and comprehending, asking in a small voice for water. She no longer stared into space nor fought her restraints. Her voice had lost its haughtiness, taking on an uncharacteristic humility.

Picking up the pitcher, Baara poured water into a glass held by Mara. While Baara held Zipporah's pliant head, Mara tilted the glass and let her drink. When the glass was empty, Zipporah said, simply, "More."

After four glasses of water, Zipporah finally had enough. When Baara lowered her head back to the bed, Zipporah, looked from one girl to the other and said, "Thank you;" then closing her eyes, she slept.

Certain their charge was no longer in danger of death, the two girls stretched out and slept, too. When the cock's crow woke them, they sat up to find Zipporah lying quietly staring at them.

"I'm glad you got some sleep," Zipporah said. "I guess I gave you one horrible night."

When Mara started to answer, Zipporah interrupted, "No, let me finish while I have the nerve. I know what I did was wrong. I know that I deserve imprisonment or death. I can accept those now. I don't know how much of what happened last night was in my mind and how much you were privy to. When I called out to your God, Baara, I was being pulled into an abyss by an evil being. His eyes were like fire. His breath was putrid. His touch was like burning coals. He was purely evil. Even as I cried out, I descended into the abyss. It was a place of fire and brimstone. The heat was unbearable. I was so thirsty I could not bear it, but when I asked for water, the evil being simply laughed. Then, suddenly I was transported through a tunnel of light to a different place. I couldn't see the source of the light, but I could feel peace and love emanating from the center of the light. As I stood in the light, I suddenly saw the events of my life unfolding before me. It was like I was standing and watching my life. As I watched, I felt overwhelmed by shame. So much of what I have done in my life was unjust. At first I tried to explain and make excuses, but when I did, I felt the love begin to fade and the light grow distant. I cried out, 'No, wait. There is no excuse. I am responsible. I decided to do those things. I admit it.'"

Zipporah paused for a moment, staring into the distance, and then continued. "Suddenly I was enveloped again in love. I can't explain it, but I knew I was forgiven. Then I found myself back here and was overpowered by thirst. I called out to you, and you gave me water. Then I slept. I wanted to go back into the tunnel of light. I couldn't find it, but the peace and love were still surrounding me. I knew I would go back some day to the place of light. But first I had to come back here. I don't know why, but I do know you were right, Baara. Only a fool says there is no God. Why Yahweh listened when I cried out for protection, I don't know. But He did. Now all I can do is ask for you two to have mercy on me, just as Baara's God did. I can give you no excuses for my behavior. I don't deserve your forgiveness. Once again, I must admit Baara was right. If you carry hatred for me and what I did to you in your heart, you will become bitter. I hope you won't do that. Forgive me for your own sake, not for mine."

The two women walked to the bed where Zipporah lay, and as though by some signal, they began to loose the restraints tied to her feet and then her hands. Each held out a hand to help Zipporah sit as they said together, "Salam."

"I harbor no bitterness toward you," Mara said.

"Nor I," Baara echoed. "May it be with you as Yahweh intends."