Chapter 6 Proxenus

"Proxenus!" Ari called out and both Jeff and Phineas jerked awake. It was late afternoon and Jeff rushed to the doorway to see Ari jump into the arms of a tall man holding a shepherd's staff. He stood watching as the man swung Ari around and then put him down.

"How are you Ari?" he asked.

"Better now," Aristotle said.

"I didn't expect to see you so far from the Apothecary, your father doesn't like you to wander around."

Ari's face fell and his lip started to quiver. Jeff watched, unable to take his eyes off the two of them. It was an emotional reunion, and would soon be more intense, since the man didn't seem to know Ari's father had died.

"What's wrong?" Proxenus whispered, kneeling in front of the boy and Jeffrey could tell the man cared a great deal for Ari.

"Father's dead," Ari said quietly and then he fell into the man's arms sobbing. Jeff watched Proxenus stand up with the boy in his arms and move to sit on a nearby stone bench. He held the boy and Jeff could hear him whisper, "it's going to be alright."

A lump formed in Jeff's throat and he could hear Bogg's voice from so long ago on the beach at Kitty Hawk, "It's gonna be okay," Bogg had said. He hadn't thought of that day for so long, he couldn't believe it would come back to him so clearly. He swallowed, wanting to keep his attention on the two before him.

Gradually Ari stopped crying, but Proxenus didn't let him go. He continued to hold him close and started rocking back and forth.

Jeff heard a sound behind him as Bogg approached.

"I think we've found a new guardian for Ari," Bogg whispered and Jeff nodded.

"So you're back," Artemis' booming voice cut through the air. Ari sat up straight and got down from Proxenus' lap to face his uncle.

Proxenus stood up, "I'm sorry for the loss of your brother," he said, standing to face the large man.

Jeff and Bogg exchanged an anxious look, it was clear these two didn't get along.

"Thank you, and since you have no business here any longer, you can leave," Artemis said.

Proxenus paused, at a loss for words, but seemingly unable to move.

Artemis turned away, then looked back when he noticed the other man still standing there, "why aren't you leaving?" he asked coldly.

"I," he paused, "I'd like to stay and visit with Aristotle. Who is caring for him now?"

"I am."

"Can I stay and talk with him?"

"If you must," and then he was gone.

As soon as Artemis left, Ari turned back to Proxenus and was lifted once again and cradled against the man's chest.

Proxenus sat down and Jeff knew the question before it was asked, "what happened to your father?"

Jeff and Phineas went back into the house and sat side by side on the bed, watching the scene through the open doorway. For the next quarter hour, Ari and Proxenus spoke softly. Finally, Ari climbed down and they walked away, holding hands.

"I'm gonna follow them," Jeff announced and stood up. He noticed Phineas standing at the same time, "oh no you don't" he said, turning to him, "you rest here."

"You aren't going out there without me," Bogg said immediately, "it could be dangerous."

Jeff stared at him, "you sure you're okay?" he asked, and his voice showed so much concern that Phineas almost couldn't answer.

"I'm all right," Bogg answered, moving toward the door. "We better get moving or we'll lose them."

"Okay," Jeff conceded and they started walking after the two. The sun was sinking as they followed the pair to an ornate building not far away. Proxenus knelt down at the entrance and then stood and entered and Ari followed behind.

"What's going on?" Jeff asked as they peered in. The room inside was long, but empty and he could see Ari and Proxenus kneeling at the other end.

"This is an Elysium Temple," Bogg whispered.

"What's that?"

"Elysium is a peaceful place where good people were thought to go when they died. This is a place for rituals of hope for the soul of the dead, that they would find their way there in the afterlife."

Jeff's jaw dropped open, "how do you know that?" he asked his partner.

"I'm a voyager kid, I know lots of things."

They backed behind a large statue as the pair left the temple and headed back to Artemis' home. They watched as Proxenus said goodbye to Ari and left. When they entered, they found Ari laying on a blanket on top of one of the beds, staring into space.

"Who was he?" Jeff asked.

"Proxenus is a sheep herder. He's been out on the range for the past three cycles of the moon. He didn't know about my father."

"You seem pretty close."

Ari blinked back tears, "he's a friend. He used to bring my father sheep guts for the apothecary and mutton for us. My father liked him, he always said he was a good man."

"Why can't you live with him instead of your uncle then?" Jeff asked.

Ari stared at him in shock, "no one would want a boy to take care of. My own uncle doesn't even want me."

"You'd be surprised," and he glanced at Bogg. "Why don't you ask him?"

Ari shook his head, "this is my fate, my uncle will give me food and shelter until I can work," he said in resignation.

Bogg unhooked the omni and opened it, he showed the red light to Jeff and motioned him to the bed and sat down wearily.

"Tomorrow I'll talk to Proxenus," he said with conviction and laid down, moving slowly with a soft groan.

"You sound pretty sure," Jeff said, but Bogg didn't answer, he was asleep as soon as he was lying flat.

Artemis entered and looked around, satisfied that things were as they should be. He laid down on the bed across the room.

Jeff was aware that Ari was watching him from across the room. He pulled the blanket up over Bogg's shoulders and sat down on the bed beside him. He left his hand resting on Bogg's chest, needing the reassurance that only direct contact could give him. Feeling the rise and fall of Bogg's breathing was comforting. Maybe seeing how Jeffrey felt about Bogg would help Ari realize that someone other than family could care about him.

'Artemis doesn't talk very much,' Jeff thought to himself, but still, he had pulled them out of the river and offered them a place to stay. He couldn't be that bad, though he might have allowed them to stay only because he thought Providence might somehow expect it of him. Maybe they could convince him to let Ari go with Proxenus, assuming Bogg was right and Proxenus would take him.

Suddenly Jeff felt very weary and moved to lay down on the floor next to the bed. He was asleep before he could think of another thing.