Chapter 17

Chapter 17—No One Save it Be God
Abish listened to the queen carefully, but had to ask again, to make sure she understood, “How did Ammon receive his message?”

The queen was infinitely patient, “He said that the Lord revealed it to him.”

“No messenger, nothing?”

She shook her head, “No. Ammon’s exact words were that no one had told him save it was God himself.”

“And he is certain they are in Middoni?” Abish felt the fear grow inside.

“That is what the Lord told him. What?” Abish’s instant pallor was not lost on her friend.

“My father was killed during their week of feasting to the rain god.”
“Yes.”

“Their feast day is approaching soon.” Now the queen’s face lost all color.

“You don’t think they would. . .”

Abish shook her head, “I don’t know. My father once told me that they preferred their victims to be willing, it made a better show for the crowd that way, but perhaps because they are Nephites. . .” she trailed off as well. The inevitable was too difficult to talk about. “What is Ammon planning on doing?”

“I’m not sure what he was planning on doing, but now he is taking Lamoni with him and that should help.”

“Does Lamoni know the king?”

“King Antiomno is a good friend of Lamoni’s. They were raised together in his father’s palace; I believe they are distant cousins.”

Abish looked momentarily puzzled. “Antiomno was not the king when I was a child.”

“No, the former king fell out of favor with Lamoni’s father and Antiomno was appointed in his stead.”

“Did he die?”

The queen flushed slightly and put her head down, “After he fell out of favor he mysteriously turned up poisoned a few weeks later.”

“Ahh. . .I see.” Abish’s face reddened a bit too. Their lives were so different now, that it was sometimes difficult to remember how closely akin they were to a very savage people. “It is good to know things are different, at least in this part of our land anyway.”

“Yes. That is why it is very important that we try to spread this message or I fear we will not last long.”

Abish changed the subject back to what they had begun talking about, unable to get the image of her father’s gristly death out of her head. “Do you know if Antiomno practices human sacrifice?”

It was silent for a moment, Abish could see that the queen was carefully choosing her words so as not to either alarm or reassure. “I don’t know. But I do know that when new kings pass into power, they do very little to interrupt the status quo that existed before, particularly if the people are happy or prosperous.”

“But the former king had fallen out of favor with Lamoni’s father?”

“Not over human sacrifice. My father-in-law has generally allowed the communities to worship as they will. There was a Nephite-style temple in the city I grew up in. It would not have been built had Lamoni’s father not allowed it to be. You have to remember that the Lamanites are a very loose collection of people. As you move further out from these lands that have been centrally held for generations, you will find many that do not even speak the language we consider Lamanitish. Some of the groups, like mine, are here by choice, but countless others are here by force. This has been going on for hundreds of years, but some of the cultures never really assimilate.”

Abish was taking all of this in with a nod. She could also see that she needed to warn Ammon. “I think I need to go find our Nephite friend and pass on some information.”

“It is probably wise, but all is nearly in readiness. They are leaving this day. Even when you came I wondered if it would be Lamoni coming to say goodbye. Ammon is likely at the stables.”



Abish hurried, suddenly energized despite three nearly sleepless days. She found him grooming horses and finalizing the packing of the chariots. It was not a large group, but she could see from their preparations they planned on being gone some time. She had hurried so quickly to find him, but now, as she stood in the door of the stable she was unsure of how to approach him.

She was saved the awkward moment because he came to her with a wan smile, “I guess you have received word of my bad news.”

Abish nodded sympathetically, “I know you are leaving today anyway, but I wanted to bid you extra haste.”

“Oh?”

“There is a feast day coming in the land of Middoni, that is, if they are still practicing the same religion that they did when I was a child.”

“So it will be crowded.”
“There is more to it than that.” Ammon raised his eyebrows and she continued, “The Lamanites in Middoni always do a human sacrifice during this feast. It is this feast during which my own father was killed. Murdered on the altar so that he would not speak.” Abish surprised herself by saying the words without anger or sorrow. This awful thing had become a fact of her past now, no longer something to fear and hide from.

The blood drained from his face and all trace of humor left his eyes. “Dear God.”

Almost without thinking, she put her hand out and touched his arm, a thing that their social norms forbade but seemed as natural as anything. “I am sure the Lord has told you in time.”
Ammon sat hard and shook his head, “I hope so.” He then looked up and toward the door Abish had just entered through. “Lamoni has just gone to say goodbye to his wife. We will be off within the half hour.”

“It is good.” She said and sat next to him. Ammon put his head back down, lost in his thoughts. Abish glanced sideways at him. It might be true that Lamoni was friends with the king over the land of Middoni, but civil wars had probably started over less than what he would be requesting, particularly if Antiomno had some specific offense in mind when he’d imprisoned Ammon’s companions. As she quietly studied his features, she could see his face filled with tension for the coming journey. Normally she had seen such arresting brightness in his eyes that it was easy to be enveloped in his passion, but not today. Abish believed he would not close his thoughts to her if he asked, and so she ventured to pull him out of the shell she had never before seen him cast around himself.

“And what are your brothers like, Ammon?” His countenance opened slightly, and she knew that she had been right to speak to him.

“They are the best of men.”

Abish smiled even more brightly, “All alike?”

“Oh no. Each unique and strong in his own way. I have felt quite lost these past months without them as my companions.”

“And you are the oldest?”

“Yes, Aaron is just younger than me. You know, I have a great passion for the work of the Lord; I feel it so deeply that my mouth runs over with the joy in my heart. When we preached in the land of Zarahemla, much of the time it was I who jumped up in the middle of the village square. The Lord blessed me with the right words, but Aaron is the real leader. He thinks and studies and ponders things out. Not long after we left the land of my father, we received word that the people wanted Aaron to be their king.”

“I am sure you would have made a great king.”

Ammon shrugged, “Possibly, but in Nephite lands, the voice of the people has a great say in how things come to pass in our government. Our people are wise and Aaron is much like my father; but he decided on the ministry. We sent the messenger back to tell our father that not only did Aaron refuse the crown, but that each of his brothers, in turn, did also. We suggested a new form of government all together. It is an idea my father had toyed with for many years.”

“What would you do without a king?” Abish had never heard of such a thing.

Ammon grinned. “There are other ways, my Lamanite princess.”

She laughed, “I am no princess.”

“You are a true daughter of the Most High King of Heaven. No title is more fitting.” She remembered Zaria’s words from a few days before and felt the blood creep into her face as his blue eyes bored directly into her dark ones. Nephite customs and directness of speech were so different to her. She was unsure what to make of it.

To clear her suddenly rapid breathing she said calmly, “There are two other brothers you mentioned before.”

“Yes, Omner is the third brother. If Aaron is a born leader than Omner is a born follower.”

“Is that a good thing?”

“Now that we are all on the right path it is a marvelous thing. He accepts much on faith and follows obediently the course he has chosen. Whatever work needs to be done, Omner is the first to jump to his feet and volunteer. He knows how to serve.”

“So, Aaron is the head, you are the mouth and Omner is the hands.”

Ammon laughed loudly, “Cleverly put.”

Just then they were interrupted by Lemhah who gave some last minute instructions to Ammon. He also let them know that Lamoni was on his way. She lingered only momentarily after Lemhah left, feeling the tug of her exhaustion, but knowing Ammon would be gone for perhaps many months. His presence had been the light in the darkness that had been her life; because of him, every day of her future would be different. She wanted to bask in his glow, if only for another instant.

“I suppose we must part ways now,” Ammon said as he stood from the low wall on which they had been sitting.

Abish smiled, “But the separation will only be brief and then you will come back with your brothers.”

His countenance clouded, “I do hope so.”

“The queen and I will pray for your safe and quick return.”

Ammon smiled again in that arresting, sun-from-out-behind-the-clouds way, “My own mother died when I was very young, but I watched the mother of my best friend pray many years for my soul and the souls of my brothers; she prayed for the Lord’s mercy when it was the last thing in the world any of us deserved. As I think back on her now and the goodness of her heart, I must believe the Lord listens especially to the prayers of righteous women. Knowing that you are here, praying for us, will no doubt speed the success of our mission. After all, it was your prayers that brought me here in the first place.”

“Do you really believe so?”

“I do, Abish. The Lord did not overlook your years of righteousness despite the many difficulties. Some of the prayers requiring the biggest miracles take the longest time. Look at the good work we have already done here in Lamoni’s land. Who knows the extent of the labor the Lord intends for us?”

Abish smiled. Even in his worry, he still took time to teach her the gospel, to testify of truth and to look forward with optimism. Spontaneously she said, “I’m grateful you came.”

“I am too. In many ways, I have never been happier than I am right now.” He did not look at Abish directly as he said these words, but she blushed anyway. As much as she was sorry for the trouble his brothers might be in, she was almost grateful for the months he’d be away so she could sort out how she really felt about this glorious man who had seemed to have come straight from Heaven.

Not knowing what else to say, she finished with, “Then, until we meet again.” Ammon bowed low as she turned to leave the stable. Suddenly, she remembered something and turned just as Ammon had begun to walk away. She called him back. “One more quick question.”
“All right?”

“You never said anything about your last brother.”

Ammon’s smile became almost wistful as he looked out the window and into the light. “My dear youngest brother with enough charity to encompass the whole world. I pray that his weeks in a Lamanite prison have not taken his great love of mankind from him.” He made eye contact again with Abish. “Himni . . .” He trailed off and nodded slowly, “Himni is the heart.”