Maat the goddess of truth and law, to speak nothing but the truth."

The girl looked up and said in a rich low voice that in some way
reminded me of honey being poured from a jar, perhaps because it was
thick with strangled sobs:

"O Royal Son of Egypt, I cannot swear by those gods who am a daughter of
Israel."

The Prince looked at her attentively and asked:

"By what god then can you swear, O Daughter of Israel?"

"By Jahveh, O Prince, whom we hold to be the one and only God, the Maker
of the world and all that is therein."

"Then perhaps his other name is Kephera," said the Prince with a little
smile. "But have it as you will. Swear, then, by your god Jahveh."

Then she lifted both her hands above her head and said:

"I, Merapi, daughter of Nathan of the tribe of Levi of the people of
Israel, swear that I will speak the truth and all the truth in the name
of Jahveh, the God of Israel."

"Tell us what you know of the matter of the death of this man, O
Merapi."

"Nothing that you do not know yourself, O Prince. He who lies there,"
and she swept her hand towards the corpse, turning her eyes away, "was