What is the main conflict in Prentice Alvin by Orson Scott Card?

Cavil Planter is a slave owner whose wife is too sick to bear children. Cavil receives a vision of a man whom he thinks is Jesus Christ. The visitor tells Cavil to have children with his slave women, and send them out into the world. From that day on, Cavil rapes all of his female slaves, fathering as many children with them as possible. His first son is born to a young African princess, who uses her voodoo magic to turn into a blackbird and fly away with the baby. The enchantment nearly kills her, but she is determined to get her baby out of slavery.