An Instrument in His Hands

Part 2 Chapter 7

Part 2

Chapter 7

‘Yes,’ I spoke up valiantly. ‘And how grateful I am for you patronage,’ I added as a play on words.

‘Humph,’ Zoram replied. He was a large man who sometimes bought ten cakes a day from me. ‘I suppose you did make a mean corn cake.’

‘I consider the art of making a perfect corn cake as my greatest accomplishment.’ I smiled at him innocently.

Daniel stared from me to the group of Zoramites with barely hidden panic. ‘You didn’t tell me you sold corn cakes,’ he mouthed under his breath.

‘You never asked,’ I whispered back.

I continued out loud to the group, ‘As you consider a measure of rice that is clean and ripe, yours.’ After all, these Zoramites had sold rice alongside my corn cakes. They were just a group of rice merchants. What made selling raw rice superior to selling cooked corn? They were growing proud to the degree that the volume of their sales went up as they exported to merchants up river towards Zarahemla.  As more people moved into the valley and to the river delta beyond, there was more rice to measure. But grain was grain. How dared they belittle mine?

‘What is a girl who sold corn cakes doing with the government official from Zarahemla?’ they whispered to one another, but loudly enough so that I could hear them.

‘Abigail is a Nephite from Zarahemla. Her father served in the government there,’ he told Zoram.

‘A Nephite,’ I heard echoed around the room.

‘I am a Christian,’ I declared. After all, I was a missionary.

‘Christian Lady,’ a woman whispered in a voice that carried. I was recognized.

‘Perhaps you know me better as, “Christian Lady,”’ I told Zoram in a carrying voice. ‘Tell me, Zoram, what exactly is the Zoramite political platform?’

They wanted to elevate the tribe of Zoramites. In Zarahemla they were not powerful since they were the smallest tribe in a larger group of tribes. When elections there were held, no Zoramites were chosen as judges. Here in Antionum they were in the majority and wanted power. As they became successful at merchandising rice, they wanted power even more. They wanted Zoram to be the Judge.

I leaned towards Zoram until a the rice on the end of a stalk almost tickled me, and asked, ‘What are your policies concerning the poor and needy?’

His feathers and rice grains quivered. He had none.

I turned to Daniel. ‘Who, in this new system of government, is allowed to vote in this election?’ I inquired.

‘All males twelve years of age and over,’ he replied, not knowing what point I was making.

I raised my eyebrows as if in surprise. ‘All males? Regardless of status?’

‘Yes.’

‘And that includes the so called poor and needy?’ I stated in a carrying voice.

‘Most certainly,’ he replied and started to smile. He knew then that I had them.

I turned back to Zoram. ‘Now, tell me again what your policy is towards those in distress? I would like to be able to recommend your party to them.’ Then I smiled so sweetly and helpfully at them all, that they could not contradict me. And they dared not snub me lest I not recommend them to the poor! Miss Deborah would have been so proud.

Daniel was too. ‘You had them eating out of the palm of your hand, Abigail!’ he said afterwards. ‘How did you do it?’

‘It was fun, wasn’t it?’ I said as I gave a little skip to my walk.