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long as the people who owe me money are warm at night, they do not repay quickly. When they are cold I get my money back, and they do not quibble so much about the interest I charge.”
    “So you break the ancient laws of Israel when they suit your purpose, but you loudly protest, as you did a moment ago, when you see no need to break the law.”
    Abinadab swallowed but answered quickly. “Yes, I suppose that is true. But land is more sacred in Israel than cloaks. It is a greater law.”
    “The choice is yours. You can have power measured by the value of cloaks or by the value of fields.”
    “I see your point.”
    “One more thing,” the prophet continued. “How do you keep the people from taking you before the elders who are at the gate?”
    “They do take me sometimes.”
    “And how do you retain their cloaks, then?”
    Abinadab again spoke firmly. “The elders are friends of mine.”
    “You bribe them?”
    “No.” His voice rose in anger. “I have never bribed an elder. I would not bribe a judge of my people.”
    “Then how do they rule in your favor?”
    “They know my point of view. They are convinced, as I am, that a cloak is poor collateral when it can be picked up each night at sundown.”
    “And how did they come to agree with you so fully?”
    “They have become my friends. We talk at parties and in one another’s homes. We attend religious functions together. I give them gifts on special occasions. They are my friends.”
    The two Baal servants glanced at each other. “Why don’t you be honest with yourself?” they chided their host. “You are bribing the elders. Admit it, and Melkart will show you the way to power.”
    Abinadab leaned forward. “You sit as my guests in my house and dare accuse me of dishonesty?”
    Meor-baal laughed. “Don’t be angry, Abinadab. We only seek to clarify our meaning. I fear that your worship of Yahweh has dulled your senses. You really don’t believe Yahweh’s teaching that men should not accumulate wealth at the expense of the poor or weak, but you cannot tear away from the laws of Israel. So you hover between one view and the other. You strain Yahweh’s laws enough to satisfy your business needs, but not so much that you break away from them completely. The result is that you remain a very small fish compared to what you could be.”
    “All right. I will listen to what Melkart teaches.”
    The priest sat up and pointed his finger at Abinadab. “First, let me hear you admit that your friendship with the elders and your gifts to them are a form of bribery.”
    Abinadab stared at Meor-baal for a moment. Then he spoke in a low tone. “All right, I suppose it is a form of bribery.”
    “Now,” the priest responded, “we are getting somewhere.”
    “Whose cloaks are these?” the prophet asked.
    “They belong to men of Dor. Baana, Shammah, several others.”
    “And if you did not keep them each night they would not pay you well.”
    “That is a fact.”
    “Then you could claim the cloaks by default.”
    “Yes. But what do I want with cloaks? It is more profitable to lend money than to sell cloaks.”
    “But suppose you allow the owners to keep their cloaks at night and they do not pay on time. Would that no put them in a difficult position toward you?”
    “Certainly.”
    “You said you had a fine mind. Let Melkart come into your mind. Think like Melkart. Think like the god of Power. Lie back and think. We will be silent.”
    The priest and the prophet lay back on their pillows. Abinadab watched them, his brow furrowed in surprise. He sat for a moment staring at them. Then he murmured, “I don’t know how Melkart thinks. That is why I asked you to come.”
    “Lie down,” the prophet ordered.
    Abinadab pulled the pillows from behind his back and arranged them on the rug. He lay down on his side, facing the two guests.
    “Lie on your back,” the prophet said.
    He shifted to his back.
    “Now think. Think about what you said. Think about