ThePrincelookedatherattentivelyandasked：
　　“Bywhatgodthencanyouswear，ODaughterofIsrael？“
　　“ByJahveh，OPrince，whomweholdtobetheoneandonlyGod，theMakeroftheworldandallthatistherein。“
　　“ThenperhapshisothernameisKephera，“saidthePrincewithalittlesmile。“Buthaveitasyouwill。Swear，then，byyourgodJahveh。“
　　Thensheliftedbothherhandsaboveherheadandsaid：
　　“I，Merapi，daughterofNathanofthetribeofLeviofthepeopleofIsrael，swearthatIwillspeakthetruthandallthetruthinthenameofJahveh，theGodofIsrael。“
　　“Telluswhatyouknowofthematterofthedeathofthisman，O
　　Merapi。“
　　“Nothingthatyoudonotknowyourself，OPrince。Hewholiesthere，“
　　andshesweptherhandtowardsthecorpse，turninghereyesaway，“wasmyfather，anelderofIsrael。ThecaptainKhuakacamewhenthecornwasyoungtotheLandofGoshentochoosethosewhoshouldworkforPharaoh。Hewishedtotakemeintohishouse。MyfatherrefusedbecausefrommychildhoodIhadbeenaffiancedtoamanofIsrael；
　　alsobecauseitisnotlawfulunderthelawforourpeopletointermarrywithyourpeople。ThenthecaptainKhuakaseizedmyfather，althoughhewasofhighrankandbeyondtheagetoworkforPharaoh，andhewastakenaway，asIthink，becausehewouldnotsuffermetowedKhuaka。AwhilelaterIdreamedthatmyfatherwassick。ThriceI
　　dreameditandranawaytoTanistovisithim。ButthismorningI
　　foundhimand，OPrince，youknowtherest。“
　　“Istherenomore？“askedSeti。
　　Thegirlhesitated，thenanswered：
　　“Onlythis，OPrince。Thismansawmewithmyfathergivinghimfood，forhewasweakandovercomewiththetoilofdiggingthemudintheheatofthesun，hewhobeinganobleofourpeopleknewnothingofsuchlabourfromhisyouth。InmypresenceKhuakaaskedmyfatherifnowhewouldgivemetohim。Myfatheransweredthatsoonerwouldheseemekissedbysnakesanddevouredbycrocodiles。’Ihearyou，’
　　answeredKhuaka。’Learn，now，slaveNathan，beforeto-morrow’ssunarises，youshallbekissedbyswordsanddevouredbycrocodilesorjackals。’’Sobeit，’saidmyfather，’butlearn，OKhuaka，thatifso，itisrevealedtomewhoamapriestandaprophetofJahveh，thatbeforeto-morrow’ssunyoualsoshallbekissedbyswordsandoftherestwewilltalkatthefootofJahveh’sthrone。’
　　“Afterwards，asyouknow，Prince，theoverseerfloggedmyfatherasI
　　heardKhuakaorderhimtodoifhelaggedthroughweariness，andthenKhuakakilledhimbecausemyfatherinhismadnessstrucktheoverseerwithamattock。Ihavenomoretosay，savethatIpraythatImaybesentbacktomyownpeopletheretomournmyfatheraccordingtoourcustom。“
　　“Towhomwouldyoubesent？Yourmother？“
　　“Nay，OPrince，mymother，aladyofSyria，isdead。Iwillgotomyuncle，JabeztheLevite。“
　　“Standaside，“saidSeti。“Themattershallbeseentolater。Appear，OAnatheScribe。Sweartheoathandtelluswhatyouhaveseenofthisman’sdeath，sincetwowitnessesareneedful。“
　　SoIsworeandrepeatedallthisstorythatIhavewrittendown。
　　“Now，Khuaka，“saidthePrincewhenIhadfinished，“haveyouaughttosay？“
　　“Onlythis，ORoyalOne，“answeredthecaptainthrowinghimselfuponhisknees，“thatIstruckyoubyaccident，notknowingthatthepersonofyourHighnesswashiddeninthatlongcloak。ForthisdeeditistruethatIamworthyofdeath，butIprayyoutopardonmebecauseI
　　knewnotwhatIdid。Therestisnothing，sinceIonlyslewamutinousslaveoftheIsraelites，assuchareslaineveryday。“
　　“Tellme，OKhuaka，whoarebeingtriedforthisman’sdeathandnotforthestrikingofoneofroyalbloodbychance，underwhichlawitislawfulforyoutokillanIsraelitewithouttrialbeforetheappointedofficersofPharaoh。“
　　“Iamnotlearned。Idonotknowthelaw，OPrince。Allthatthiswomansaidisfalse。“
　　“Atleastitisnotfalsethatyondermanliesdeadandthatyouslewhim，asyouyourselfadmit。Learnnow，andletallEgyptlearn，thatevenanIsraelitemaynotbemurderedfornooffencesavethatofwearinessandofpayingbackunearnedblowwithblow。Yourbloodshallanswerforhisblood。Soldiers!Strikeoffhishead。“
　　TheNubiansleaptuponhim，andwhenIlookedagainKhuaka’sheadlesscorpselaybythecorpseoftheHebrewNathanandtheirbloodwasmingleduponthestepsofthetemple。
　　“ThebusinessoftheCourtisfinished，“saidthePrince。“Officers，seethatthiswomanisescortedtoherownpeople，andwithherthebodyofherfatherforburial。See，too，uponyourlivesthatnoinsultorharmisdonetoher。ScribeAna，accompanymehencetomyhousewhereIwouldspeakwithyou。Letguardsprecedeandfollowme。“
　　Heroseandallthepeoplebowed。AsheturnedtogotheladyMerapisteppedforward，andfallinguponherknees，said：
　　“OmostjustPrince，nowandeverIamyourservant。“
　　Thenwesetout，andasweleftthemarket-placeonourwaytothepalaceofthePrince，Iheardatumultofvoicesbehindus，someinpraiseandsomeinblameofwhathadbeendone。Wewalkedoninsilencebrokenonlybythemeasuredtrampoftheguards。Presentlythemoonpassedbehindacloudandtheworldwasdark。Thenfromtheedgeofthecloudsprangoutarayoflightthatlaystraightandnarrowaboveusontheheavens。Setistudieditawhileandsaid：
　　“Tellme，OAna，ofwhatdoesthatmoonbeamputyouinmind？“
　　“Ofasword，OPrince，“Ianswered，“stretchedoutoverEgyptandheldintheblackhandofsomemightygodorspirit。See，thereisthebladefromwhichfalllittlecloudslikedropsofblood，thereisthehiltofgold，andlook!therebeneathisthefaceofthegod。Firestreamsfromhiseyebrowsandhisbrowisblackandawful。Iamafraid，thoughwhatIfearIknownot。“
　　“Youhaveapoet’smind，Ana。Still，whatyouseeIseeandofthisI
　　amsure，thatsomeswordofvengeanceisindeedstretchedoutoverEgyptbecauseofitsevildoings，whereofthislightmaybethesymbol。Behold!itseemstofalluponthetemplesofthegodsandthepalaceofPharaoh，andtocleavethem。Nowitisgoneandthenightisasnightswerefromthebeginningoftheworld。Cometomychamberandletuseat。Iamweary，Ineedfoodandwine，asyoumustafterstrugglingwiththatlustfulmurdererwhomIhavesenttohisownplace。“
　　Theguardssalutedandweredismissed。WemountedtothePrince’sprivatechambers，inoneofwhichhisservantscladmeinfinelinenrobesafteraskilledphysicianofthehouseholdhaddoctoredthebruisesuponmythighoverwhichhetiedabandagespreadwithbalm。
　　ThenIwasledtoasmalldining-hall，whereIfoundthePrincewaitingformeasthoughIweresomehonouredguestandnotapoorscribewhohadwonderedhencefromMemphiswithmywares。Hecausedmetositdownathisrighthandandevendrewupthechairformehimself，whereatIfeltabashed。TothisdayIrememberthatleather-
　　seatedchair。ThearmsofitendedinivorysphinxesandonitsbackofblackwoodinanovalwasinlaidthenameofthegreatRameses，towhomindeedithadoncebelonged。Disheswerehandedtous——onlytwoofthemandthosequitesimple，forSetiwasnogreateater——byayoungNubianslaveofaverymerryface，andwiththemwinemoredeliciousthananyIhadevertasted。
　　WeateanddrankandthePrincetalkedtomeofmybusinessasascribeandofthemakingoftales，whichseemedtointeresthimverymuch。IndeedonemighthavethoughtthathewasapupilintheschoolsandItheteacher，sohumblyandwithsuchcaredidheweigheverythingthatIsaidaboutmyart。Ofmattersofstateorofthedreadfulsceneofbloodthroughwhichwehadjustpassedhespokenoword。Attheend，however，afteralittlepauseduringwhichheheldupacupofalabasterasthinasaneggshell，studyingthelightplayingthroughitontherichredwinewithin，hesaidtome：
　　“FriendAna，wehavepassedastirringhourtogether，thefirstperhapsofmany，ormayhapthelast。Alsowewerebornuponthesamedayandtherefore，unlesstheastrologerslie，asdoothermen——andwomen——beneaththesamestar。Lastly，ifImaysayit，Ilikeyouwell，thoughIknownothowyoulikeme，andwhenyouareintheroomwithmeIfeelatease，whichisstrange，forIknowofnootherwithwhomitisso。
　　“NowbyachanceonlythismorningIfoundinsomeoldrecordswhichI
　　wasstudying，thattheheirtothethroneofEgyptathousandyearsago，had，andtherefore，asnothingeverchangesinEgypt，stillhas，arighttoaprivatelibrarianforwhichtheState，thatis，thetoilersoftheland，mustpayasintheendtheypayforall。Somedynastieshavegoneby，itseems，sincetherewassuchalibrarian，I
　　thinkbecausemostoftheheirstothethronecouldnot，ordidnot，read。AlsobychanceImentionedthemattertotheVizierNehesiwhogrudgesmeeveryounceofgoldIspend，asthoughitwereonetakenoutofhisownpouch，whichperhapsitis。Heansweredwiththatcrookedsmileofhis：
　　“’SinceIknowwell，Prince，thatthereisnoscribeinEgyptwhomyouwouldsufferaboutyouforasinglemonth，IwillsetthecostofalibrarianatthefigureatwhichitstoodintheEleventhDynastyupontherollofyourHighness’shouseholdanddefrayitfromtheRoyalTreasuryuntilheisdischarged。’
　　“Therefore，ScribeAna，Iofferyouthispostforonemonth；thatisallforwhichIcanpromiseyouwillbepaidwhateveritmaybe，forI
　　forgetthesum。“
　　“Ithankyou，OPrince，“Iexclaimed。