Protector of Children - 15. Chapter 15: James's Dream

James

I hovered over the assembly room of the gods on Mount Olympus. It was an oval, white marble amphitheater, open to the sky. It looked like the mold for a three-tiered cake: an empty pit, about thirty feet deep in the middle, a second tier about ten feet above and surrounding the pit, and a top tier about ten feet above and surrounding that. Seats ranging from thrones to simple benches lined the top and second tiers. The largest thrones were two on one short end of the oval on the top tier. I knew they would be for Zeus and Hera.

As I watched, the gods appeared. First Zeus took his seat. A woman with olive skin and long black hair sat in the first throne to Zeus’ right. A boy appeared, and sat on the bench on the second tier just below the woman. It’s Nemesis! This is not a dream; it’s real. I tried to call out to him, but my throat was frozen. All I could do was watch.

A woman sat in the first throne to Zeus’ left. I recognized Athena from pictures of the reconstructed Parthenon. Aiden appeared and sat in the seat below her. Gary appeared next, and sat to the right of the first woman. After that I thought nothing could surprise me. Ben sat in a seat just below Zeus. Then, I was surprised when Leroy appeared and sat at Ben’s right. Oh, no . . . Leroy’s a god and I asked him to be my boyfriend!

I hardly saw the others arrive. Nearly half of the seats were empty when Zeus stood. He opened his mouth to speak, and I woke up, still in Leroy’s arms. Enough light came past the curtains that I knew it was morning. Still, I was reluctant to wake Leroy.

Leroy

I woke suddenly, and knew something was wrong. When I opened my eyes, I saw James staring at me, and knew the something wrong had to do with him. Before I could ask, he said, “Leroy, you didn’t tell me you were a god, too.”

All I could think to say was, “Huh?” Not too brilliant, but I had just woken.

“I dreamed last night. I dreamed that Zeus had called the gods to a meeting. Gary and Nemesis were there, so was Aiden. Your daddy was there—and so were you. You’re a god, and you didn’t tell me.”

I tried to break James’s hold on me, but he wouldn’t let me go. I was afraid I would hurt him if I tried too hard. “James! Please! I’m not a god, I’m the same boy you—”

It was hard to say, but I said it. “I’m the same boy you wanted to be your boyfriend. I think I’m getting some powers like Daddy has, but I’m not a god. I’m maybe a helper, but I’m not a god.”

“Then why were you there?” James asked.

“James?” I whispered. “Why were you?”

James

I couldn’t answer that. Why did I have that dream? Why did I see Leroy there when he says he isn’t a god, and I believe him? Where were the missing gods? Was it a dream, or was it reality? If it were reality then it hadn’t happened yet. That was almost as frightening as seeing Leroy there.

Leroy gave me plenty of time to think before I spoke. “Leroy, I don’t know why I was there. Maybe so I could tell you that sometime you’re going to become a god; maybe so I could ask, where are the missing gods, because a lot of the seats were empty. Both reasons are pretty scary.”

Leroy hugged me especially tightly, and kissed my cheek. “This being friends thing, I like it a lot. But, you’re right. It’s scary, and we need some answers. First, tell me everything you saw.”

Usually, I don’t remember dreams, but I think I was able to tell Leroy everything up to when he appeared. After that, it was a little fuzzy, and I didn’t know the names of any of the others who appeared, but I did remember a lot of empty seats.

“I’m pretty sure the second person you saw, the black-haired woman, was Dike,” James said. “I’ve met her. She’s Justice. And as soon as I tell Daddy about this, we’re going to see her. Come on, we need to dress nicely, today.”

Leroy

I called Daddy right away and told him what had happened and what I planned to do. All he said was “wait” before hanging up the phone. Then I heard him open the front door, and left James to dress while I met Daddy in the foyer.

“Son, I had planned to give you these things this afternoon and tell you then that Aiden had completed the paperwork to make you officially what we both know you already are in my heart.”

He gave me a supposedly un-forgeable Illinois driver’s license and a credit card. I looked at the credit card and saw the name embossed on it: Leroy Marlberg. Then, I look more closely at the driver’s license: the same name. My hands trembled and I could no longer read either the credit card or the drivers license. What about James? I thought.

Daddy must have misunderstood. “I have a drivers license for him, too. It shows him to be eighteen. That seemed easier than trying to explain to a truant officer why a fifteen-year-old wasn’t in school. Do not, either of you, try to drive a vehicle with these until Nemesis or I have trained you.”

No, what about his daddy? Think of how he’s going to feel.

“Don’t tell him unless you have to, and don’t go into details. I have people working on James’s parents. Maybe something good will come of that.” Daddy shook his head. I knew he didn’t think it would. “I have to get back. Have fun, today.”

I got a hug and a kiss, both over too quickly, and he was gone.

Our visit to Dike happened sooner than I expected. We had barely finished brushing our teeth after breakfast when my cell rang. There was only one person who had the number—Daddy. I didn’t look at the caller ID, so I was surprised when the voice wasn’t his, but one I remembered.

“Leroy? Please bring James to my office right away.” Dike hung up before I could answer.

“Come on,” I said. “We have to go.” I grabbed James’s hand and took us directly into Dike’s office. James was too shocked to be afraid, I think.

“Welcome, James, friend-to-be of Leroy,” Dike said. She had the Aspect in which I’d met her just a couple of days before—a young woman with olive skin and long, shiny black hair.

“The words of the gods create reality, so normally I wouldn’t make such a statement. However you two have already created that reality, and I only report what I know to be true.”

I had turned loose of James’s hand, but he took mine as if for comfort, or strength.

“I saw you last night,” he said. “You were in the throne room of the gods, seated to the right of Zeus, but not as close as Hera’s throne on his left. I saw Leroy, too, but he says he’s not a god. Even though—” James interrupted himself by giggling, and then seemed to get control of himself. “Even though he just brought us here in an instant.”

Dike

The boy was a mixture of fear, awe, and confidence. Some of the confidence came from Leroy, and I saw how James clung to him. Some came from within. I saw that, too.

“James, you are right that Leroy is not a god. His father, Nomos or Ben, is the spirit of law, with Attributes and Authorities granted by Zeus. Your friend-to-be, Leroy, is becoming something more than mortal, as well, and will have his own Attributes and Authorities. Again, I am not creating reality, but reporting the reality that I know to be.”

I thought about what to say next. “Who is a god and who is a spirit is important only to some of the elder gods—the original gods who were created several thousand years ago. Zeus still expects us to maintain a certain hierarchy and decorum when dealing with him, for example. Who is a god and who is a spirit is much less important operationally—when we’re working together on this Earth. Now, please tell me what you saw.”

The boy’s confidence remained with him as he related his dream. I looked deeply, and knew that he told the truth as he knew it. What I could not see and he could not tell me was whether the dream was real or a creation of his imagination, knowledge, and experiences of the past few days. His description of the throne room, as accurate as it was, could be discounted; however, his description of me was spot-on. I assumed, then, that the dream was true, and was likely—but not absolutely certainly—a foretelling. But, what and how much should I tell him?

“James, just as the words of the gods can create reality, so the dreams of some people foretell reality. Some foretellings are more accurate than others. I do not know if you are one of those people or if your dream was the product of your memories, imagination, and random thoughts from James that he sent and you received unconsciously. Both possibilities exist. On the other hand, if you are able to foretell reality, you could become very important to us.”

I saw that he was becoming afraid, and somewhat overwhelmed, so I cut short what I had intended to say.

“Leroy, both you and James have seen and learned a great deal in the past few days. Today, I want you just to be boys. Find some fun things to do that have nothing to do with gods and spirits. Do not translocate—”

I saw James’s eyebrows go up. “Translocate is what Leroy did to bring you here. Do not translocate but walk, or take a cab.”

Leroy

“Yes, ma’am, we’ll have fun, today. Thank you.”

Dike chuckled. “Now, scoot. I do have work to do.”

Once we were on the sidewalk in front of the courthouse, I asked James what he wanted to do.

“There are so many things!” He had gotten over his funk, and was nearly bouncing with excitement. “I’ve never been allowed to go to the Navy Pier; I’ve never been allowed to walk on the beach; I’ve never skateboarded, but maybe I’d better not try that, today. I’ve never gone to the zoo—Mother thought the animals were nasty, and didn’t approve of them being in captivity. I’ve never—”

“Wait!” I said. “You’ve already filled three days. I’ve never been to the zoo, either. Let’s start there, okay?”

James nodded, and I led him to one of the cabs at the taxi stand in front of the courthouse.

James

I hadn’t ever been in a cab, before, either. I was a little frightened. The driver was much more aggressive than our chauffer, and I could see more because the windows weren’t smoked glass. I’m afraid I grabbed Leroy’s hand at one point. He grinned, and I felt better. I’d never had to pay for anything before, either, and watched carefully as he put the credit card—I did know what it was!—into the slot and punched in a tip for the driver.

The zoo was full of new sensations: the sight of the scaly, slippery snakes in the reptile house; the smell and antics of the monkeys in the primate house; the taste and texture of the cotton candy and popcorn and soda we had for lunch; the lines of school kids in their uniforms waiting to walk past exhibits and cages while teachers droned on about preservation and conservation.

“They don’t know, or at least aren’t saying, that most of these animals don’t breed in captivity, and that the attempts at artificial insemination usually end in spontaneous abortions,” Leroy said. “Look, the sign says there are less than—that should be fewer than—two hundred Siberian Tigers left in the wild. That’s overly optimistic. It’s been two years since anyone has seen one in the wild and if you look at the satellite images of the Sikhote Alin mountains, you’ll see that there isn’t much wild left, even there.”

James’s voice was low, but I felt what he said. “Leroy, I’m not sure I want to see any more,” he said. “This is an awful place.”

“Navy Pier,” I said. “There, there’s a cab stand.”

Nomos

The question of James’s parents was unresolved. On Tuesday, at 2:00 PM, after two full days had passed, I decided that it was time to clear the air. I called Aiden, and asked him to prepare the appropriate papers. The boy’s grin was almost feral when he appeared, seconds later, with the papers.

“Thank you,” I said. “I know you can slip in time, but even so, that was fast.”

“Didn’t have to time-slip,” he said. “Please don’t ever tell James, but I started working on these Monday morning. I knew that James’s father wouldn’t bend.” There was a catch in his voice. Aiden’s own father had discarded him, ignoring him after his mother’s death. I offered a hug to Aiden; he accepted it with grace, warmth, and a short sob.

“Thank you, Leroy’s daddy,” he said. There was a sadness in his voice that even a hug couldn’t cure. I hoped that someday, he would find a new daddy of his own.

I chose to confront James’s father at his home, and arrived in convoy with my usual escorts—two black SUVs filled with SWAT members in black body armor—just as he reached his driveway. At first, he was fearful and nervous. Then he decided to confront me.

“It’s inappropriate for you to use your office for personal reasons,” he said. “I will be filing an official complaint.”

“Sorry, Mr. Bourbon, but this is not personal business; it’s official. I have a warrant for your arrest for child abandonment and endangerment. It may be unusual for me to be serving a warrant, but it is quite legal. Oh, and I have a warrant naming your wife on the same charge. It would be easier for you both if you would call her outside.”

His face went slack; his mouth fell open as the implication of what I said reached his brain. No matter how this was settled, his reputation was ruined.

“It seems, Mr. Bourbon, that your and your wife’s place among the Chicago 100 has just opened up.”

Leroy and James met me at the door for hugs when I got home that afternoon. James knew something was wrong, perhaps because of the extra-tight hug I gave him. He stepped back, and asked, “What has happened?”

Even though (because?) I’m a 100-plus-year-old guy who’s been a policeman for most of those years I still have a hard time being diplomatic. “James, I’m sorry, but your parents were recalcitrant. They refused to accept you back into their lives. They’ve been arrested for abandoning you. They posted bond almost as fast as they were booked; however, our friend Aiden has frozen most of their assets and will make sure that what is yours isn’t squandered or hidden.”

James nearly fell into a chair, covered his face, and cried. Leroy stood beside him, trying to comfort him, and staring at me. I could almost hear him asking, “Why did you have to tell him that way?”

I had no answer.

James

I knew Leroy was angered by what his father had said, but I couldn’t think of an easier way to have said it. I cried a little, and then centered myself like my yoga instructor had said. When I was breathing regularly, I raised my head. I put my hand over Leroy’s, which was resting on my shoulder.

“Thank you, Ben,” I said. “I had to know. It’s better that I know now, than later. It’s better that the telling be done quickly, too.”

I turned my head so that I could see Leroy. “Thank you, Leroy, for holding me and for worrying about me. Your daddy was right. It’s for the best.”

I looked, then, at Ben. “What will happen to me?”

“Aiden has arranged to extend the temporary custody I received when he visited the pizza parlor. That will last as long as you, Leroy, and I agree that it should. You will have several choices, and we’ll go over them in the next few days. Right now, I think we all need to put this aside for a few hours. You can tell me about your day while I prepare supper.”

“Could we go out?” Leroy asked.

“You two have been living on pizza and lasagna. You haven’t had a balanced meal since Sunday lunch, and probably not then. No, tonight is vegetable stir-fry with chicken and no arguments. I’ll meet you in the kitchen in fifteen minutes, as soon as I’ve changed.”

Nomos

The boys surprised me. By the time I’d changed, they had supper organized, the wok was sitting on the special 500-degree gas burner, and James was setting the table.

“I don’t think either of us is ready to use the wok, especially on this stove,” Leroy said. “But you could teach us, for next time?” His expression and tone made it a question.

I don’t think either boy had been exposed to a kitchen, and even cooking rice was a new experience for them both. There was quite a bit of confusion, and James nearly let the sake boil before Leroy caught it, but it was fun and, I think, took James’s mind off his situation, which had been my intent all along.

After supper, I showed them how to wash dishes—something else neither of them had done. They helped prepare most of the dishes to go into the dishwasher, and watched as I cleaned the wok, which would not fit and should not be washed that way, in any case.

The boys had drunk only a few thimbles of hot sake. I knew Leroy had significant experience with alcohol. James’s parents probably served him wine, occasionally. Still, both boys were a little buzzed. More psychological than physiological, I guessed.

We sat in the living room; I programmed the sound system to play some quiet favorites from my iTunes collection, and sat in the middle of the couch. As I hoped, the boys sat, one on either side of me.

“What did you do, today?” I asked.

“Went to see Dike,” Leroy said. Then, he told me about James’s dream and what Dike had said about it.

Both boys were yawning by the time the story was over, so I sent them off to bed. James needs the comfort of sleeping with Leroy, I thought. But so do I. I don’t know how this is going to play out, but I’m ready for it to do so!

Leroy

I caught Daddy’s yearning, but also his understanding that James needed me at this moment more than Daddy did. I needed Daddy, too. We had just found something wonderful, and I didn’t want to lose it. But Daddy was right: James needed me.

We were both sleepy, and had talked ourselves out. James didn’t want to whisper, nor did I. Still, we moved to the center of the bed, and cuddled. Rather than a kiss on the cheek, however, James kissed my lips. It was a soft kiss, and a quick one, and I thought nothing of it until he kissed me, again. This kiss was still soft, but it lingered. He broke away, and whispered, “I love you.”

Before I could answer, he fell asleep. Do I love him? I wondered. Does he really love me, or is he simply looking for something to replace what he just lost? Did he ever love his parents, anyway? My head buzzed with questions. I pushed them away, and finally fell asleep, myself.

James

I woke, on the third morning with Leroy, wrapped in his arms. I knew he would wake almost immediately after I did, but I had a second to think. I told him last night that I loved him. I know I meant it; I wonder if he heard? If he will remember? And, what will he think?

Almost before these thoughts formed, Leroy woke, looked at me, and kissed me. A real and serious kiss. “I love you, too, James. But.”

He drew back and repeated what he’d said before. “But we cannot yet be boyfriends! May we be just friends, for a while?”

I felt his sincerity, I looked at my lust (my penis was harder than normal, even for morning), and I looked into my heart. James waited, still holding me.

“Yes,” I said. “I am content to be friends as long as you will keep open the possibility of being boyfriends.”

Leroy

I remember what Daddy had said: James would be with us as long as Daddy, James, and I agreed. He’d also said that James would have some options. I knew what at least one of those was: going to the Erewhon Orphanage. I wasn’t sure I wanted to share Daddy with anyone, not even James, but I knew for certain that I didn’t want James to be put in an orphanage. I wondered how Dike would play in the decision. I wondered whether James was really the oracle that Dike thought he might be. I wondered how much longer James could be excused from school, and what would happen after that. I wondered about my own schooling, because Daddy and I had agreed that I would go to school, but we hadn’t talked much about what school it would be.

Daddy had left a note on the kitchen table. Come to my office after breakfast. Walk, do not pop.

“Pop? Oh, he means translocate,” James said. “Why not?”

“Mostly because there’ll probably be someone with him. He is the second ranking cop in the city, and the chief is a political appointee, anyway, and spends most of his time schmoozing, so Daddy does most of the work.”

James

A cool breeze whipped around the buildings, but we walked on the sunny side of the street. Last night’s rainstorm had washed the pollution from the air, and the sky was as clear as it might have been twenty years ago. I was so happy, I wanted to hold Leroy’s hand, but was afraid to. He must have known, or maybe he felt the same way. He took my hand, and we walked that way all the way to the municipal building.

Ben’s secretary said someone was with him, but that he wanted us to go in, so we did. A man, perhaps in his mid-thirties, sat on a couch. I blurted, “I know you! I saw you beside A—” I almost said Athena, but didn’t want him to think I was insane.

“Beside Athena,” he said. “I know. Ben has just told me about your dream. I’m Hermes, by the way. Sometimes called Mercury? The Florist Telegraph Delivery guy? You know that I don’t get any royalties from that, either.” He grinned. I immediately liked him.

“Hermes, you seem to recognize James. The tall, skinny one is my son, Leroy,” Ben said.

Hermes got up and shook our hands. “Very happy to know both of you,” he said. “Ben and I are planning a raid on a pornography studio in Alabama. We need to be ready by noon. Would you two give us a few more minutes?”

A god asking a favor, politely? I couldn’t speak. Fortunately, Leroy spoke for both of us.

“Sure,” he said. “I’d like to listen in. I’m going to be a cop like my Daddy, someday.”

The planning involved sending servants of Hermes—he called them “Scions”—as US Marshalls, to Alabama. Daddy said he’d work with Dike to have a US Attorney there, as well, and would provide a crime-scene team. “I have one team who has translocated several times. They know there is something unusual about that, but believe it is they who are special. And they know if they ever speak of it outside their circle, it will never happen again.”

The meeting was over by eleven. Ben said he had more appointments, and would Hermes take Leroy and me to lunch. Hermes grinned when he said he would. “How about Mexican?” he asked.

Leroy nodded, so I did, too. As soon as we stood up, we were somewhere else. A busy street, lots of people, no breeze, hot. “Where are we?” I asked.

“Mexico City,” Hermes said. “Oh, and call me Holden, okay?”

“As in Holden Caulfield?” I asked.

“You know him? I didn’t think anyone read Catcher in the Rye any more,” Hermes, now Holden, said. “Nobody wants to know about a dystrophic childhood.”

“No more than mine,” I said. “Or, I think, Leroy’s.”

It all hit at once: Mother ordering me not to visit Leroy’s table; Father ordering me to leave; Ben telling me my parents had been arrested and that I was technically an orphan; faking pleasure at those stupid birthday parties at the Jockey, where parents tried to out-do one another with the cost of the entertainment; faking pleasure on the closely chaperoned dates with girls selected like cattle at an auction. My stomach lurched and I almost upchucked. Then, I fainted.

Hermes had grabbed me before Leroy could, so I woke in his arms. “That bad, huh?” he said. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“Leroy?” I stuttered. Then I realized that Leroy and everyone around us was frozen. It was as if Hermes and I were in a bubble by ourselves.

Hermes nodded. “We’re slipping in time. And we have all the time in the world. Leroy knows. He’s getting powers, too. And it’s okay with him. Will you tell me? Please?”

He was still holding me, even though I knew I could stand up on my own. He must have known that. He must have known everything I was thinking, too.

“Yes, please,” I said. Most of what followed was me spilling my memories directly into his mind. I spoke few words, and cried a lot of tears. When I had finished, I saw that Hermes was crying, too. A god was crying for me.

He hugged me and then kissed the tears from my cheeks. I almost passed out, again.

“Thank you, James,” he said. “You’ve not only given me your memories, you’ve also given me your trust. Did you mean to do that?”

I thought for only an instant before replying, simply, “Yes.”

Then, I said, “Thank you for holding me. Thank you for listening.”

We both wiped away the rest of our tears. “Ready?” Hermes asked. I nodded, and the people on the street were once again walking. Noise crashed on my ears, and Leroy was smiling.

Leroy

Hermes treated us to an excellent lunch. Not “Tex-Mex,” but authentic with turtle soup to start. I realized that he and James were developing some sort of relationship. At first, I was a little jealous. After all, James had been my friend, first. Then, I understood.

The next morning Daddy’s note read: Dinner with Gary, Nemesis, and Hermes tonight at Gary’s. I’ll be home at five; we’ll leave at five-thirty. Jeans and T-shirts would be okay. And, you both need more clothes. He didn’t sign it. I guessed because he didn’t want James to see “Daddy” written at the bottom.

“Well, I guess we have our marching orders: shop for clothes, be ready for supper at five-thirty. That leaves us about six hours to get into trouble,” I said. “And have lunch.”

I knew a lot of ways to get into trouble, and hoped that James knew I was kidding.

James wiggled his toes in the sand. His smile couldn’t have been brighter. “I’ve never been barefoot outdoors. I’ve never been barefoot indoors except for baths. Even at swimming lessons, I had to wear surf-walker shoes. Look toes! It’s the sun! You’ve never seen that before, have you?”

His laughter was contagious. He ran through the sand with his arms extended to catch the wind. I ran behind.

Hermes

James and Leroy both looked exceptionally cute in their designer jeans. I think Leroy heard that thought. James? I don’t think so, but when I offered a hug rather than shaking hands, he accepted. It was a longer-than-greeting hug. I felt something more than gratitude, too, but I wasn’t sure what it was.

“Anyone want a soft drink?” Nemesis broke the ensuing silence.

Gary brought me Campari and soda.

Supper was simple, as if Gary wanted to keep the focus on what we had to discuss. We did delay the serious talk until after dinner and kept the conversation light during the meal.

After supper, Nemesis cleared and loaded the dishwasher while the rest of us went into the living room. We’d barely had time to sit before Dike popped in. She wasted no time.

“Thank you, Gary, for hosting us,” she began. “And thank you, Ben and Leroy for all you have done for James. It is time, however, to talk about his future. I’ve asked that Gary be present, since he figures into one of James’s futures.”

I waited until James nodded his understanding. “I see several possibilities; however, since I want to explore these rather than create reality, I would like James first to say what he wants to happen. James?”

“Leroy’s daddy told me yesterday that my parents had been arrested for abandoning me. I knew, then, that there was no going back there. Actually, I think I knew that on Sunday when Daddy walked away from the table. I’ve had a lot of time to think about it.”

He took Leroy’s hand. “I want to be Leroy’s friend and someday, maybe, his boyfriend. But I don’t want to come between Leroy and his daddy, so I cannot stay with them.”

Leroy started to speak, likely to protest, but James put his finger on Leroy’s lips. “Shhh, my best-friend-to-be. You know it is true, and you know it is right. We cannot be friends or boyfriends under the same roof, although I hope we can have some more sleepovers.”

James giggled softly, and then continued. “I know that Gary runs a very fine orphanage, and that is why Dike wanted him here. I also know that I cannot go to an orphanage. I’ve never been around kids that way. I would be very unhappy.

“Holden? Will you adopt me? Will you be my daddy?”

I flashed a thought to Dike. You set this up! You knew! Did you set up the meeting yesterday, too? She confirmed that she had known this would be his answer, but could, of course, not tell me before hand. No, I did not set up the meeting, yesterday. It may have been the Moirai. It’s up to you, she said.

The Fates? They never get involved with the gods! I said that, but wasn’t really sure. What else have you seen? I demanded. Never mind, I know you can’t answer. Can you tell me anything? Anything to help?

Follow your heart, was all she said.

I looked into my heart. Of all the gods save Zeus I have the most servants: Scions, messengers; the green-scaled bearers of bad news, and cute, naked boys who carry good news. But they were all just that, servants. We never did nor could we have a closer relationship. Dike or the Fates were offering me a chance at something I had never had before.

“Yes, James, I want be your Daddy.” I stood and he rushed into my arms.

“Understand,” I said after a long, happy hug. I spoke to James, but also to the assembled gods. “Dike and Ben and Gary have roles, too. She is your aunt; Ben and Gary are your uncles; so Leroy and Nemesis are your cousins—”

“Kissin’ cousins!” Nemesis interrupted, then slapped his hand over his mouth.

I laughed. “Yes, my young Nemesis, kissin’ cousins.”

Leroy

Less than a week later, James and I had our first sleepover at his new home. His bedroom was like mine: one big bed, that is. There was probably a desk and a computer, too, but the bed was the most important thing and all that I saw.

James and I cuddled, and whispered. He told me he was still worried about what Dike had said, about him maybe being able to foretell the future, and about being valuable to us, “Who-all-ever us is,” he said.

I told him a little of what I’d learned about the hierarchy of gods, and pointed out that since Dike was his aunt, no one could harm him.

“What about Zeus?” he asked. “He’s her boss, and he’s more powerful.”

I tried to reassure him. “Dike would never allow him to harm you in any way in order to gain access to your knowledge or your dreams. And I wouldn’t either! I know that unlike so many people, the gods do not believe that the end justifies the means if the means are not good. To harm you, to restrain you, those would be wrong, no matter what good came from it.”

“Is it wrong to kill someone to keep them from killing someone else?” he asked.

“Maybe,” I said. “There’s not enough information in your question for me to answer it, but I’ll try.

“I was about to kill a little boy. His name is Kenny. Nemesis stopped me. Nemesis could have killed me; that would have worked. Instead, he chose to knock my knife from my hand and chase me away. That worked, too. It left me free to try, again, to kill someone, but Nemesis and his daddy intervened before that could happen. I don’t know if Nemesis knew at first that he would be the one to make it so I wouldn’t kill, again. I don’t know how far into the future he saw.

“Later, when Nemesis took me to places where evil was being done to children, he read my mind. I saw some of what he was thinking, too, and I knew that he was creating a list of people he would revisit, and who he would execute. I asked Daddy about that, and he said that sometimes Nemesis killed in retribution for a particularly evil deed, but that mostly he killed to make sure someone could not do evil again.”

I felt James shudder. “Is that okay, James? Do you understand?”

“I think so,” James said. “Would you kill someone to keep them from doing evil?”

“I do not know,” I said. “I truly do not know.”

“Leroy,” he said. “Are we friends?”

I knew where this was going, but told him what he wanted to hear—and what was in my heart. “Yes, James, we are friends.”

“May we be boyfriends?”

“Yes, James, I would like to be your boyfriend.”

Disclaimer and Notes: Florist Telegraph Delivery, if it is still around, is probably a trademark and the property of its owners. Please remember that this takes/took/will take place in a world other than our own, and that customs, laws and mores are different, there.

The raid on the pornography studio in Alabama is described at this link:

http://www.gayauthors.org/story/david-mcleod/nemesis/9