Terror was etched on her face. Sweat poured from her brow as she ran from the soldier carrying a sword bloodied with the evidence of the brutal murder of her family. Fire from her burning home barely illuminated her way through the night. She tripped on a root and began to fall into the darkness while fear choked out the scream trapped in her throat.

Suddenly the scene froze. Baara seemed to be watching the frozen action from both inside and outside the dream, detached from the high emotion that gripped the falling girl but with the fear and terror just below the surface of consciousness. A dazzling light illuminated one corner of the scene. A pointing finger protruded from the brilliance sending a shaft of light past the frozen scene until a circle of brightness revealed a figure previously cloaked in the darkness. In the spotlight, Baara saw a man on a horse riding in the direction of the fearful scene. The finger seemed to be drawing him toward the still scene with urgency. Baara recognized the man on the horse; it was Naaman. The finger belonged to Yahweh. The exposed finger of Yahweh was drawing the mounted warrior inexorably towards the frightened girl.

Suddenly the frozen action released the girl who continued her fall in the darkness. Once again Baara completely inhabited the body of the girl in the dream, but instead of being choked by fear or screaming in despair, the girl cried out, "Yahweh, my deliverer, save me from my enemies."

A peace flooded the dream even as the soldier roughly jerked the fallen girl from the ground, saying, "Come along, pretty one. Your fate will be different from that of your family. Before we're through with you, you may plead to join the others in death."

Even as the crudely veiled threat penetrated the girl's mind, fear did not return. She simply looked up as though waiting, assured her God had heard her cry. Her eyes searched the darkness expectantly. Her soul was at peace.

Then the dream scene shifted. Baara was with Maacah in the market. She carried baskets laden with food. They were standing before a pottery booth, and Maacah was admiring some well-made clay bowls. The man selling the bowls was telling her about buying them from an Israelite potter. Baara idly scanned the crowds in the market as her mistress dickered with the vendor. Unexpectedly, Baara's eyes met a pair of smiling but intense eyes in the face of a man who towered above the crowd. He had bronze skin, a long nose with a distinct curve halfway down, and an oblong face. But what held Baara mesmerized were the eyes. They were not the usual brown eyes common among the inhabitants of the land; rather, they were a vivid, intense blue. They were in deep-set sockets above distinctive cheekbones. Thick, curling lashes ringed the eyes, which were guarded by a pair of bristly, black eyebrows. When their eyes met, Baara was filled with a strange sense of recognition, but then the eyes disappeared into the crowd.

Suddenly Maacah was shaking Baara's arm, asking, "Have you fallen asleep on your feet, child? I finished my purchase and walked away only to find you were not with me. I returned to find you here as though in a trance."

When Baara awoke, the peace of the first dream was still with her, as was the haunting pair of eyes from the second. As she dressed quickly to face her mistress, the peace persisted. Baara knew her dream was an answer to her desperate prayer of the night before. In the dream, Yahweh had shown her that He had drawn Naaman to her rescue, even if Naaman himself did not recognize God's intervention.

If God could provide rescue from the soldier tormentors, Baara was sure He was with her here in Naaman's abode. She still had no answers concerning the death of her family, but she was now content to accept that God knew best and was still in control, even when tragedy struck. Yahweh had not chosen to explain why He rescued only her, but she now had the assurance that neither she nor her family suffered because of an unnamed sin of her father.

Baara paused before going to Maacah to say a prayer of thanks to Yahweh. She admitted she had erred in deceiving her mistress and asked God's forgiveness for the sin. She concluded the prayer with a request for wisdom as she faced her mistress. She did not ask God to come to her rescue again. This time, she had created the problem, so she asked only that Yahweh give her wisdom and the strength to accept the consequences of her action.

When Baara emerged into the courtyard, the door to Maacah's room was still closed, even though sunrise was past. Baara sat on the bench under the olive tree and waited for Naaman to emerge. Concerned lest Maacah's headache was a symptom of some unknown illness, Baara prayed silently for her mistress while she sat.

After some time the door opened, but instead of Naaman emerging and leaving the door ajar, he motioned to Baara to come.

When the girl got close, Naaman said, "Maacah has had a restless night. She sometimes has painful headaches, but dark and sleep usually are sufficient to drive them away. While they come several times a year, one has never persisted for more than a day. This time she was unable to sleep and awoke with her head still pounding. I would send for the healer, but she insists there is no cause for worry. She asked instead that you come and minister to her. I want you to stay with her, even if she tries to send you away, saying she needs to sleep. Tell her I have commanded it, and if she wishes to quibble, beckon me. I have sent word that I will stay home today. I plan to spend time in the courtyard cleaning my weapons and softening the leather of my saddles, harnesses and other supplies for both my horse and camel. While it is not the custom for men to converse with women, I will expect you to report Maacah's condition to me when the sun is at its height in the sky, again when it has drifted halfway toward the horizon, and before the evening repast. Of course, if her condition improves sufficiently that she can rise, additional reports will be unnecessary."

When Naaman finished his instructions, Baara bowed slightly saying, "As you wish, Master."

Once in the room, Baara stood briefly by the closed door while her eyes adjusted to the darkness. Naaman had placed a dark blanket over the shuttered lattice window so that no sunlight could penetrate the room. Only a small oil lamp provided illumination, and a bushel basket had been turned upside down over it so that only a tiny bit of light escaped through the cracks of the improvised lampshade. A chair sat near the bed. A basin of water sat on the floor nearby. What appeared to be a damp cloth was laid across Maacah's forehead as she lay on her back.

When Baara quietly approached the bed, Maacah addressed her in a strained voice without opening her eyes. "Naaman has been clumsily trying to nurse me, but I need the soft touch of a woman." Waving her hand toward an alcove in the wall, she continued, "See that vial on the shelf, the one with the pearl in-lay? It is a vial of oil. Please get it and bring it here."

After Baara retrieved the vial, Maacah instructed her to dampen her fingertips with the oil and then massage her temples. Baara did as bidden, gently massaging Maacah's temples. Then as she felt the tight facial muscles relax somewhat, Baara instinctively began to move her fingers across her mistress' scalp, gradually giving her whole head a massage. When the slave girl slowed, Maacah bade her continue, telling her not to be concerned if she got oil in her hair. Baara continued the massage, across the head and then down tense neck muscles until her fingers began to cramp.

This time when she stopped, Maacah opened her eyes briefly, long enough to see the girl quietly massaging her tired fingers.

"Thank you," Maacah said. "Your soft touch has relaxed me somewhat. If you will replenish the damp cloth on my forehead, perhaps I can sleep now."

Just as Baara wrung out the cloth, Maacah said urgently, "Hand me that empty basin. I am going to be sick."

Maacah then proceeded to heave until there was nothing left in her stomach. Poor Baara was alarmed and suggested that perhaps she should summon Naaman. However, when Maacah lay back on the bed, she refused to let Baara disturb Naaman. She also told Baara not to take the basin out lest he be alarmed by its contents. She instructed her to simply cover the offending bowl and rewet the cloth on her forehead.

Baara reluctantly complied with Maacah's instruction, not certain whether to believe her mistress's claim that she felt much better now and desired to sleep. However, Baara dutifully placed the wet cloth on Maacah's head and sat quietly in the chair, watching her mistress carefully. Within minutes, Maacah's breathing evened and deepened.

For hours Baara sat, periodically refreshing the cloth on her mistress' head, trying to ignore the putrid smell coming from the covered bowl she had set near the door. While Maacah continued to sleep, Baara gradually became sick at her stomach from the smell that grew worse as the closed room heated up and midday approached. Finally she went to the door, hoping the sun had reached its zenith, and she could escape the cloying smell at least briefly while she gave her report to Naaman.

She slipped into the courtyard where Naaman was diligently cleaning a pile of leather goods. He watched her closely as she approached, evidently looking for clues from her demeanor as to his wife's condition. His creased brow smoothed when Baara reported that Maacah had been sleeping for some time now, indicating she thought this was probably a good omen, a sign that Maacah was improving. She did not tell Naaman of the bout of vomiting, since her mistress had strictly forbidden her to do so.

After Baara gave her report, Naaman suggested she set the door to the room ajar and go to the back courtyard and get some breakfast.

"I will sit outside the door and listen," Naaman said. "If she stirs I will hear her and send someone for you."

At this suggestion, Baara visibly paled. Her stomach was in such turmoil that even the thought of eating made her blanch. She also knew that if Naaman sat near the door, he would undoubtedly smell the rancid smell from the basin just inside the door. Thinking quickly, Baara suggested that she would take a basin and pitcher from the room so she could get fresher water that might be cooler and bring her food back in the basin so she could eat while watching her mistress. She reminded Naaman that sunlight made his wife's head worse and leaving the door ajar so that a shaft of sunlight entered the room might cause her to awaken and relapse. In this way, she could keep Naaman from sitting outside the door and perhaps guessing the source of the smell.

Baara returned to the room and picked up the offending basin and a small pitcher. She left the cloth over the basin as she quickly exited, going down the hall to the back courtyard. Since it was midday and time for rest, there were few slaves stirring in the silent courtyard. Baara was able to empty the offensive contents of the bowl into the hog trough without anyone questioning her as to its contents. Rinsing the bowl and refreshing the water in the pitcher, Baara returned to the room with a covered basin and a full pitcher. Assuming the covered basin contained food, Naaman did not detain the slave girl.

Back in the room, Baara looked around, hoping to find a vial of incense that she could use to dissipate the rancid smell now that the basin was clean. Not wanting to appear to be snooping, Baara only looked half-heartedly before returning to the bed. When she looked down, her mistress's eyes were open, causing the girl to start almost guiltily.

"What did you seek?" Maacah asked softly.

"Incense to freshen the smell in the room now that the basin contents have been emptied," Baara replied eyes downcast. "I did not wish to pry and so just took a cursory look."

"How did you manage to empty the basin?" Maacah asked without comment on Baara's suspicious behavior.

Smiling, Baara told her mistress of the slight subterfuge she had used to get the basin past Naaman and keep him from smelling the odor of the room.

"You did well," Maacah said with the faint outline of a smile. "If my head did not hurt I might laugh with you, but even moving my facial muscles to smile can be painful. You will not find incense here. Sweet smells seem to make the pain in my head worse. I keep neither incense nor perfume. Use the slender pole standing near the window. Unhook the shutters from the middle of the lattice and then push them open with the pole. Even with the window covering, perhaps some fresh air can penetrate and dissipate the smell. "

After doing as Maacah bid, Baara returned to the bed and offered another massage. Maacah told Baara she would turn on her stomach. She asked the girl to start with her head and work her way to the waist, trying to loosen muscles as she went. Once more Baara used the oil and massaged carefully, moving on as she felt the muscles she was working begin to relax. When she could no longer move her fingers, Baara stopped. To her surprise, her mistress had drifted into sleep as she worked and now breathed deeply once again.

Wearily, Baara sank into the chair. After watching her mistress for some time, the tired girl drifted into a light sleep. The two slept until Baara was disturbed by a slight knock on the chamber door. Starting from her sleep, Baara stood and tiptoed to the door.

As she slipped out, she found herself face to face with a worried looking Naaman.

Gesturing toward the courtyard wall where long shadows were beginning to fall, Naaman questioned, "Did I not instruct you to report to me when the sun was half-way down? I have been pacing and waiting for some time now."

"I'm sorry," Baara stammered. "Inside the room all is dark and it is impossible to tell the time of day. I must have dosed as I watched Maacah sleep. She awoke when I returned from the back courtyard, but went back to sleep as I massaged her again. She has not yet awakened from the second sleep."

"I'll eat my evening meal and then come to relieve you," Naaman said. "I won't knock for fear the noise will wake Maacah. That is why I waited so long to disturb you this time. If she is sleeping, perhaps the pain is receding, and she will awaken with a clear head. I will have my servant leave an evening meal in your room. When I relieve you, you may bring it into the courtyard to eat if you wish. I thank you for your patient ministering to my wife today."

. "I was more than glad to have a chance to repay her kindness to me," Baara replied, surprised that Naaman would express gratitude to a slave. "The debt I owe both of you is greater than I can ever pay."

Despite the taboo against speaking with women, Naaman found himself asking, "What debt is that, child?"

"You let Yahweh use you to rescue me from the clutches of the lustful soldiers. You brought me to your home where your wife treated me more as a niece than a slave. She helped me to adjust to my circumstances, protected me from the jealousy of the other slaves, and kept me from becoming bitter. Each of these is a debt. I owe my life and my sanity to the two of you. May Yahweh bless you richly."

Naaman did not comment on the long speech butsimply said, "Go now, child. Return to Maacah. I will relieve youshortly."