One Geek to Rule Them All

The Ring Goes South

"My, that was a great deal of talk, and just about everyone had an eye-opener," Bilbo said once the Council had been dismissed, and they were finally allowed to leave and have their lunch. The hobbits had decided to make a picnic of it so they could have a meeting of their own while they ate. Of course, they weren't completely alone, as Gandalf and the girls were with them. "Even old Gandalf. I think Legolas's bit of news about Gollum caught him on the hop, though he passed it off."

"You were wrong," said Gandalf. "You were in attentive. I had already heard of it from Gwaihir. If you want to know, the only real eye-openers, as you put it, were you and Frodo; and I, with the exception of these two young ladies, was the only one not surprised."

Kitty and Devin both raised an eyebrow. What, did of Devin's rant about the possible unleashing of an apocalypse on their own world not rank a mention? Was that not interesting enough for them?

"Well, anyway, did you see Elrond's face when those two popped out?" asked Bilbo with a twinkle in his eye, to change the subject, chuckling at the memory of the elf-lord's priceless expression upon seeing Merry and Pippin had invaded the secret council without his knowing.

"Yeah," said Kitty with an impish grin. "I should have taken a picture."

"And then I'm sure he would have had your phone destroyed, along with any other potential blackmail material it might contain," Devin said, smiling wryly.

" 'Phone'?" Bilbo asked curiously. "What is that? One of the strange devices you brought with you from your world?"

"Yep. I'll show it to you later, if you want," said Kitty. "It's supposed to be used as a communication device that lets people miles apart have a real-time conversation instead of waiting on letters, but it's pretty much just a flying brick now without the satellites in our world to carry the call signal."

"What? It flies, too!?" asked Pippin excitedly.

"It does if I throw it at people," Kitty answered with a smirk.

"She breaks more phones that way," Devin said, shaking her head. "But enough about Kitty's idiosyncrasies. Didn't you say before that you wanted to talk about what will happen next, concerning the Ring?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Yes. Oh, but I suppose we won't really be able to do very much until the reports come in," said Bilbo. "Have they started yet, Gandalf?"

"Yes," said the Wizard. "Some of the scouts have been sent out already. More will go tomorrow. Elrond is sending Elves, and they will get in touch with the Rangers, and maybe Thranduil's folk in Mirkwood. And Aragorn has gone with Elrond's sons. We shall have to scour the lands all round for many long leagues before any move is made. So cheer up, Frodo! You will probably make quite a long stay here."

"Ah!" said Sam gloomily. "We'll wait just long enough for winter to come."

"That can't be helped," said Bilbo. "It's your fault partly, Frodo my lad: insisting on waiting for my birthday. A funny way of remembering it, I can't help thinking. Not the day I should have chosen for letting the S.-Bs. into Bag End."

"You wouldn't have chosen any day," Devin quipped knowingly.

"Yes, quite right!" he admitted with a chuckle. "But there it is: you can't wait now till spring; and you can't go till the reports come back.

When winter first begins to bite
and stones crack in the frosty night,
when pools are black and trees are bare,
'tis evil in the Wild to fare.

But that I am afraid will be just your luck."

"I am afraid it will," said Gandalf. "We can't start until we have found out about the Riders."