Jezebel, from the first chapter:
She is not conventionally beautiful. She is, rather, utterly striking. The long, aquiline nose, the heavy, shaped eyebrows, the proud, almost disdainful set to her mouth, all speak of a young woman born to wield authority, used to being obeyed. Except by sleep.

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Elijah, from the third chapter:
Word of the prophet's arrival had spread like wildfire through the city. The reception chamber was packed, and you could sense the tension in the mass of subdued voices. Many doubtless reveled in the anticipation of confrontation. The very fact of Elijah's appearance was a guarantee of drama; the prospect of two great authorities -- royal and divine -- in direct confrontation was just too good to be missed. Others, more sophisticated, quailed. If Elijah appeared out of the blue like this, it could bode nothing good.

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