Telemachus, now over seventy, was sitting in the center of a group of young children, telling them stories. He finished telling them about his father's voyages, and they left. All except one.
"Child, why are you still here?" asked Telemachus.
"I want to hear what happens next," answered the boy. Telemachus smiled wistfully.
"You seem to be the only one. Most people only like to hear about great adventures and such-forth. Are you quite sure you want to know?" The boy nodded vigorously. "Well then, I'll tell you...
After twenty years Ithaca had changed quite a bit. Across the Mediterranean Ithaca had been renowned for its peaceful government, and its dedication to the arts. The poets and musicians of Ithaca were some of the best in the world.
However without Odysseus there, things began to go astray. First the regent, whom Odysseus had appointed to reign in his place was taken ill, and died, only two years into his regency. This left the Ithacans with the question "who is to reign until Odysseus' return?".
Naturally, disagreements arose between those who desired the throne. Meanwhile the government was in disarray. Those who still had some power used it for themselves only.
Thus the peasants were left in poverty, and beggars became a common sight. Thieves were also common, but they put special care into not being seen. Those in power merely responded by raising the penalty for theft. Raids on farms were partly responsible for the dwindling food supply.
As the war dragged on in Troy, Ithaca became a desolate wasteland. When the war was finally over and there was still no word of Odysseus, it seemed to the Ithacans that they had lost their last hope. However, some of the rich lords of the area saw this as the perfect chance to steal the throne, while Ithaca was in the midst of chaos. I have already told you of the suitors and their attempts to wed my mother, but there were also others, mainly politicians or criminals who sought to gain control through other means.
Such was the Ithaca that my father returned to.
Upon his return, and after he had dealt with the suitors, Odysseus though weary from war and wandering, saw that he must set to work immediately, and he did just that. Athene had set a temporary peace upon the island, but it only extended to the quarrels between the nobility. It did not help the starving peasants, nor the merchants whose stores were ransacked.
Still, Odysseus would now be able to act openly instead of going into hiding, as he feared he would have to. His main concern was with finding people whom he could trust. Many of his trusted friends and comrades had been killed in the war, or else during the voyage home. There were few left in Ithaca, and those were men who even twenty years earlier had been too old to join the war. Odysseus was slightly discouraged by this, but he did not show it.
Barely a week after his return Odysseus set off with Telemachus to the house of Achmus. Both were disguised as merchants. When Telemachus questioned the reason for the disguise, Odysseus replied "My return will certainly have caused some sort of reaction among both the towns people and the nobility. However we do not yet know whether their reaction is for good or for ill. I would rather not have our actions known until we know where we stand."
To this Telemachus replied "Father, Athene has laid peace upon this island. Surely, we need not fear any danger while this is so."
To which Odysseus replied "Son that may be so, or it may not be so. One thing is for certain though, and that is that men should complete their own tasks, and not expect the gods to do so for them. For the gods, as you know, are a tricky lot, and do not much care for toil. It would be unwise for us to expect this lull in the chaos to last forever." Telemachus, seeing the wisdom in this remained silent for the rest of the journey.
They soon arrived at their destination, and were shown into the hall by one of the servants. A few minutes later Achmus arrived to greet them.
"Ah, I see that you are merchants come to sell your wares. Well I'm afraid that I'm not looking to buy anything at the moment... though you are welcome to dine with us this evening." He added this because he had a nagging suspicion that he recognized one of them, but every time he tried to grasp the memory it slipped away as though he were trying to grasp mist. It was at this moment that Odysseus spoke.
"Achmus, we would be honored to dine with you. However I must correct you on one point. I am not a merchant as you presume, but am really Odysseus, king of Ithaca, and this is my son Telemachus." As he said this he removed his disguise.
Achmus gaped. "It's true then, that you've returned. Forgive me for not recognizing you, but I... I had not dared to hope that the rumors could be true."
Odysseus replied "Why, there is nothing to forgive Achmus. In fact I am delighted to know that our disguises were effective."
Here Telemachus spoke up, "You mentioned rumors, Achmus. That's the main reason we came to speak with you tonight. We must get some idea of what the public opinion of my father is, and what steps we should take to rebuild Ithaca." Achmus, who had been staring in shock a few minutes before was now listening intently, as he discerned that he might play a key role in the rebuilding of Ithaca's government.
Nearly five hours later the three men were still seated in the dining room, though they had already finished eating. They had gone over various plans and strategies in detail, and seemed to be making some headway as to what must be done. Achmus had provided the names of trustworthy men to whom Odysseus could delegate many of the tasks that would be necessary to get the government back on it's feet. Telemachus, who was largely responsible for the healthy crops on their own land, had many suggestions to make as to what to do about the food supply. There seemed to be only one thing left to discuss.
"I'd watch out for Antinous' family, regardless of Athene's peace," Achmus warned Odysseus.
"That's true," Telemachus agreed. "They're rather an insidious lot."
Odysseus nodded. "I've already taken steps on this matter. There are many people willing to testify against Antinous' actions, so we will not have to worry about getting the support of the majority," was his reply.
"Excellent," Achmus said. "Just remember though, that popular opinion is not the only form of attack. I'd watch my back carefully if I were you."
"My dear fellow, I believe I am capable of looking after myself where matters of personal attack are concerned," Odysseus replied indignantly.
"Why, of course you are," Achmus said hastily. "Forgive me if I seemed to imply otherwise. I merely meant to say that it never hurts to be on your guard. Speaking of, I suggest that you post guards around your home and property. There's no telling what levels your enemies will stoop to."
Telemachus nodded in agreement, but Odysseus said nothing. He felt that to be given advice as to how to protect himself was an insult to his intelligence. However, Achmus was an old friend, and he did not want to argue with him, so he remained silent. Achmus seemed to take his silence as agreement, and nodded as though the matter was settled.
He confirmed this a moment later by saying "Well that's settled the matter then. My word, is that the time?!" He exclaimed, glancing out at the darkening sky. "You'd best be off now. I've kept you much longer than you intended, I expect," he continued, as he showed them to the door.
Odysseus remained silent during the journey home, reflecting on the course of action that would be taken. When he arrived home he ordered sentries to be posted around the perimeter of the property, but he did not post guards around the house. 'Ridiculous' he thought to himself. 'I am completely capable of defending my own family. I proved that when I defeated the suitors. The sentries will give ample warning of any approach, so there is no need to post guards.'
And so, three months later the house still lay unprotected, though everything else was going according to plan. Skilled and trustworthy people had been given high positions in the government, and the farms were well on their way to producing healthy crops again.
To Odysseus everything was wonderful. He had been reunited with his wife and son, and Ithaca was beginning to look the way he remembered it. One day he said to Penelope " I believe this is the happiest I have ever been. There are no wars, no famine, and no problems of any sort. This peace almost makes me nervous."
And Penelope replied "It's true that things are wonderful right now, but I know what you mean about the peace making you nervous. I feel the same way. It's a feeling as though you're being watched, but when you look around you see nobody." Odysseus was rather disconcerted by this as he had hoped that the nervousness was merely his imagination.
That night Odysseus heard a noise coming from the hall. He silently arose so as not to wake Penelope, crept down the stairs. At the landing he met Telemachus who had also heard a noise and was going to investigate. "It seems to me that there is a strange sense of foreboding about this place," remarked Telemachus quietly.
"Hush," said Odysseus. "There may be intruders." As they drew close to the hall they began looking around corners before turning them.
Suddenly, an arrow went shooting past Odysseus' head. Then another struck the wall exactly where Telemachus had been standing a moment earlier.
Odysseus, enraged that someone had tried to shoot his son, charged blindly into the room. This may not have been the wisest thing to do, but it proved to be effective anyway.
For an instant after he entered the room, Odysseus saw a shadowy figure standing by the door, but a moment later the figure, startled by Odysseus' sudden approach, scuttled out the door.
Telemachus rushed up to his father who was breathing heavily. "Father, are you all right?!"
"Yes, yes, I'm all right," panted Odysseus, "and I am very relieved that you are all right, although we have only luck to thank for that. If I had posted guards as Achmus suggested this might not have happened. From now on I swear that I will not let my pride interfere with the safety of my family."
"Is that it? That's the end of the story?" asked the boy.
"That's the end," replied Telemachus.
"But there must be more! He hadn't yet died, so what did he do next?" the boy asked.
"He reigned peacefully for the rest of his days, and when his time came, he died peacefully in his bed, surrounded by his friends and family. So it was something like happily ever after, don't you think?" Telemachus replied.
"I guess so," said the boy "but who was it that attacked him?"
"We never found out," replied Telemachus. "But it doesn't really matter anyway. We posted guards the very next day. Now it's really time that you should be going."
"All right, goodbye Telemachus," said the boy.
"Goodbye Homer," he replied.
The End