第4章
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。