you.
Instead Bilhah said, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone as dirty as you are right now.”
Leah spoke up at once, as if to cover the girl’s excessive directness. “She has city manners.”
Rachel at once answered with the family joke, “Which is even worse than no manners at all!” She and Leah burst into laughter.
Bilhah smiled thinly. Rachel decided she didn’t like thegirl. All she seemed to be able to think about was how
free
she was, as if that made much difference in the life of the camp. Everybody did what Father said, and that was that. The only distinction that mattered was whether you were a member of the household or a guest or an intruder. Either you owed Father service, or he owed you hospitality, or you were driven away. Bilhah was under Laban’s protection, and she obeyed him, and what difference, then, whether you were a daughter or a servant or a free girl from Byblos? As if there were some great honor in being from that filthy city by the sea.
“You still haven’t told me what’s happening,” said Leah. “Is someone invading the camp?”
“Yes,” said Rachel.
Bilhah looked alarmed and Leah must have felt her stiffen, because she said, “That’s just Rachel’s joke, Bilhah. Everything’s a story and full of far too much excitement.”
“So it’s only one man,” said Rachel, “and it’s not exactly an invasion. Everything else is true!”
“But that’s all you said,” answered Bilhah, looking puzzled.
Rachel and Leah laughed again. “That’s the joke,” said Leah.
Bilhah looked at them as if they were possessed by some spirit.
“It’s a visitor,” said Rachel. “I met him at the well, and he kissed me.”
Now it was Leah’s turn to stiffen and look alarmed. “Then Father will have him killed, you know that.”
“No, Father has decided to kill two kids and a calf and set them a-roasting so they’ll be ready for supper at nightfall.”
“He’s giving hospitality to a man who filthied you?” said Leah.
“Well, he doesn’t know about the kiss.”
“You didn’t
tell
him?”
“I thought it was the right thing to do at the time. And besides, the man cried when he did it.”
Leah’s consternation was growing, which was, of course, the goal. “Whatever you’re not telling me that will make it all seem sensible, tell me now!”
“He’s our cousin, that’s why he could kiss me and not be killed. Aunt Rebekah’s boy.”
“Boy? She only has the two sons, and they’re grown men.”
“Well, he certainly wasn’t a man when Rebekah gave birth to him!”
“So which son is he? The hairy one or the sneak?”
“He’s not a sneak,” said Rachel.
It was Leah’s turn to laugh. “Didn’t he grab his brother by the heel as he followed him from the womb? That’s the story they tell. Anyway, you’ve told me which one it was who kissed you, because if it was the hairy one, you wouldn’t have minded my calling the other a sneak.”
“His name is Jacob,” said Rachel.
“The son who will
not
inherit,” Leah pointed out.
Rachel hadn’t thought of that. “They’re twins, aren’t they?”
“Great houses aren’t divided among the sons, or within three generations they’re not great houses anymore.”
“So Nahor will get
everything?
Just because he’s oldest?
“Don’t you know anything?” said Leah.
“I never thought Father would choose among our brothers and give it all to one.”
“He doesn’t choose. The birthright goes to the oldest, unless he does something really terrible and gets cut off from the family.”
“What happens to Terah and Choraz? They starve?”
“No, Father gives them something, enough to show they’re worthy men. Then they go into service to a king, or set up a small herd and do their best to make it a great one. That’s why Choraz went off in the service of Kedar ben Ishmael, to see if he could win a place for himself at the table of the prince. Honestly, Rachel, what do you and the
Instead Bilhah said, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone as dirty as you are right now.”
Leah spoke up at once, as if to cover the girl’s excessive directness. “She has city manners.”
Rachel at once answered with the family joke, “Which is even worse than no manners at all!” She and Leah burst into laughter.
Bilhah smiled thinly. Rachel decided she didn’t like thegirl. All she seemed to be able to think about was how
free
she was, as if that made much difference in the life of the camp. Everybody did what Father said, and that was that. The only distinction that mattered was whether you were a member of the household or a guest or an intruder. Either you owed Father service, or he owed you hospitality, or you were driven away. Bilhah was under Laban’s protection, and she obeyed him, and what difference, then, whether you were a daughter or a servant or a free girl from Byblos? As if there were some great honor in being from that filthy city by the sea.
“You still haven’t told me what’s happening,” said Leah. “Is someone invading the camp?”
“Yes,” said Rachel.
Bilhah looked alarmed and Leah must have felt her stiffen, because she said, “That’s just Rachel’s joke, Bilhah. Everything’s a story and full of far too much excitement.”
“So it’s only one man,” said Rachel, “and it’s not exactly an invasion. Everything else is true!”
“But that’s all you said,” answered Bilhah, looking puzzled.
Rachel and Leah laughed again. “That’s the joke,” said Leah.
Bilhah looked at them as if they were possessed by some spirit.
“It’s a visitor,” said Rachel. “I met him at the well, and he kissed me.”
Now it was Leah’s turn to stiffen and look alarmed. “Then Father will have him killed, you know that.”
“No, Father has decided to kill two kids and a calf and set them a-roasting so they’ll be ready for supper at nightfall.”
“He’s giving hospitality to a man who filthied you?” said Leah.
“Well, he doesn’t know about the kiss.”
“You didn’t
tell
him?”
“I thought it was the right thing to do at the time. And besides, the man cried when he did it.”
Leah’s consternation was growing, which was, of course, the goal. “Whatever you’re not telling me that will make it all seem sensible, tell me now!”
“He’s our cousin, that’s why he could kiss me and not be killed. Aunt Rebekah’s boy.”
“Boy? She only has the two sons, and they’re grown men.”
“Well, he certainly wasn’t a man when Rebekah gave birth to him!”
“So which son is he? The hairy one or the sneak?”
“He’s not a sneak,” said Rachel.
It was Leah’s turn to laugh. “Didn’t he grab his brother by the heel as he followed him from the womb? That’s the story they tell. Anyway, you’ve told me which one it was who kissed you, because if it was the hairy one, you wouldn’t have minded my calling the other a sneak.”
“His name is Jacob,” said Rachel.
“The son who will
not
inherit,” Leah pointed out.
Rachel hadn’t thought of that. “They’re twins, aren’t they?”
“Great houses aren’t divided among the sons, or within three generations they’re not great houses anymore.”
“So Nahor will get
everything?
Just because he’s oldest?
“Don’t you know anything?” said Leah.
“I never thought Father would choose among our brothers and give it all to one.”
“He doesn’t choose. The birthright goes to the oldest, unless he does something really terrible and gets cut off from the family.”
“What happens to Terah and Choraz? They starve?”
“No, Father gives them something, enough to show they’re worthy men. Then they go into service to a king, or set up a small herd and do their best to make it a great one. That’s why Choraz went off in the service of Kedar ben Ishmael, to see if he could win a place for himself at the table of the prince. Honestly, Rachel, what do you and the
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