Chapter 5
Causing Trouble
Sam stopped over around dinner time to check on his master and see if he needed to run to the market to pick anything up. Being the only one Frodo trusted, Sam had a key to Bag-End and had to unlock the door in order to get inside and re-locked it once he shut the door behind him. There was no one in the parlor so Sam figured Frodo was in bed sleeping and went into the kitchen to check Frodo's pantry, to see what he was running out of.
Once he checked the kitchen thoroughly he sat down and began to scribble a list on a piece of parchment and then scribbled a note to Frodo. He was just about to leave the hole again when there were a few loud knocks on the door. 'Gandalf again?' Sam thought. Hesitating he once again unlocked the door and pulled it open. It was not Gandalf this time but a strange hobbit that Sam had never seen before in his life. This hobbit was wearing a brown waistcoat and a brown hat and carried a briefcase.
"May I help you?" Sam asked.
"Is this the residence of Mr. Frodo Baggins?" The stranger asked.
"It depends. Who are you?"
"I am here representing Mrs. Lobelia Sackville-Baggins."
Immediately Sam started to slam the door shut but the stranger blocked him from doing so. "I will ask you nicely to leave, sir." Sam growled. He wished he'd snatched the frying pan from the kitchen but of course this came up unexpectedly.
"I'd hate to let things get ugly," The stranger replied with a sneer. "Now stand aside."
"No! You can't.you." Before Sam could finish, the Lobelia- representative took out a coil of rope and tied Sam's arms behind his back and then tied a handkerchief around his mouth, and tossed the gardener into a corner.
Frodo, meanwhile, was enjoying the peacefulness of his bedroom, listening only to the slight drizzel that pattered against the windowpane. He still felt awful but sleep was a relief from the discomfort for the time being. A few moments later he was rudely interrupted when someone kicked his door open and he shot up in shock.
"Ahhhhhhh!" Frodo yelled. "Who are you?"
"I have a legal contract to be here," The stranger told him, holding a roll of parchment. "I am Mrs. Lobelia Sackville-Baggins' lawyer. She wishes me to set a few things straight with you."
"Who let you in?" Frodo cried. The last time he had checked, the door was locked! Unless-'Sam', he thought feeling a sudden burst of regret for giving the gardener the key. "And you've got to be kidding," Frodo replied. "She has a lawyer? Won't she ever accept the fact that.."
"May I see your Uncle's will please?" The Lawyer asked seriously.
"What did you do with him?" Frodo growled.
The lawyer blinked. "Do with whom?"
"You know whom. The person who let you in."
"I don't know WHAT you're talking about. Now MAY I see the will?"
Frodo, figuring it was safer to comply, slid out of bed much against his will and went into Bilbo's study. The Will was the first thing he found on the cluttered desk and unrolled it, reading it over himself before carrying it to the lawyer. "May I ask your name?" Frodo asked.
"Talger Chubb." The lawyer replied.
"Here is the will-all in perfect order."
Talger snatched the parchment from Frodo and while he was distracted, Frodo tiptoed out of the room and hurried into the parlor. Sam was lying in one of the corners bound with rope and his words were muffled due to the handkerchief around his mouth.
"Sam!" Frodo hissed. Sam looked up and his eyes widened.
"Help!" Sam begged.
"What?"
"HELP!"
"I'll get a knife from the kitchen. Don't make a sound," Frodo warned as he scurried away. He noticed the frying pan hanging on it's hook and after retriving the knife, he took that as well and dashed back to his friend. "Don't struggle or it'll tighten the knots," Frodo told Sam as he untied the handkerchief. Sam gasped and waited till the ropes were cut and then he fell flat on the floor.
"I'm sorry for lettin' him in, sir. I tried not to but he tied me up!"
"That's all right, Sam. He's in my room reading the Will-a hundered times no doubt, to catch the tiniest flaw. Good thing Bilbo was always very precise in what he did so I have nothing to worry about."
"Take this," Frodo told Sam and handed his friend the frying pan before hurrying back to his room. Sure enough, Talger was still reading the will and had a magnificent scowl on his face as he did so.
"I don't think you'll find any issues with the will, Mr. Chubb." Frodo told the lawyer stiffly. "I am the rightful heir to Bag-End and it is written in stone."
"Why I wonder. You are 3/4ths Brandybuck. Why would you want the responsibility of looking after an enormous smial like this? You live alone after all! Lobelia has a family to care for and she would make a good use out of this place."
Frodo glared at him. "I am NOT giving it up, sir. I would be willing to take the case to court if you'd rather."
Before Talger could think of a nasty retort there was a burst of light and both hobbits cried out as a very tall figure appeared.
"Gandalf!" said Frodo in delight.
"Hello, lad. Half a moment." The wizard walked over to Talger, lifted him by the scruff of the neck, walked over to the window, opened it and sent the hobbit flying clear across the Shire before closing the window again. Frodo stood with his mouth hanging open in surprise. For an old man Gandalf surely had quite a bit of strength! 'Must come from being a wizard,' he thought. Chuckling, Gandalf came over to Frodo and shut his mouth. "Don't look so startled, Frodo. Now who was he?"
"Lobelia's lawyer," Frodo told him. Now that Talger was gone the very idea that Lobelia had gone through the trouble of finding one was rather amusing.
"I see, I see."
Sam then burst into the room. "Mr. Frodo? Are you-oh. Hullo, Mr. Gandalf sir."
Gandalf eyed the frying pan and burst into roars of laughter, causing both of the hobbit's to glance at each other with raised eyebrows. "You are quite amusing, Master Gamgee. Go and return your weapon. I doubt Lobelia's lawyer will come back again."
Sam left the room and then the wizard turned back to Frodo, who had his finger under his nose as he prepared to sneeze. When he did so, it came out so loud that the furniture in the room seemed to tremble. "Into bed with you," Gandalf ordered and Frodo returned to his sanctuary.
"Has the healer been by?" Gandalf asked as he felt the hobbit's forehead. "You are running a fever, my boy."
Frodo moaned softly as he burried under the covers. "He did come earlier today and gave me medicine."
"Then you should take it, lad. Here is a tip for future illnesses- just remember what Bilbo used to do and try to repeat the actions for yourself." He laughed. "And that sneeze-I am supposing it runs in the Baggins side of the family?"
Frodo nodded. "Uh huh. Uncle Bilbo knocked over a vase in the hallway once."
The wizard chortled as he unscrewed the cap from the bottle of liquid peppermint and poured a teaspoon full. "In we go." Frodo opened his mouth and allowed the wizard to pop the medicine in. It was so strong that Frodo's lips puckered and he had to resist the urge to spit it out. He wasn't a child anymore and couldn't get away with doing that, so he forced it down his throat. "Urgh." He grimaced with disgust.
"Do you need some of the strawberry and honey medicine?" Gandalf asked.
"Yes." Frodo replied. He just wanted anything to replace the strong peppermint taste from his mouth and watched as Gandalf poured yet another teaspoon of th at medicine before feeding it to him. When the wizard put the caps back on the bottles he went to light another fire in the fireplace and drew the curtains shut so that the room was dim. "Could you stay for a bit, Gandalf? Just till I fall asleep?"
The wizard smiled. "I'm sorry I left you before, but I am very busy. I try to stay with you when I can, as I made a promise to your Uncle to look after you. But yes, I will stay this time. Let me see Samwise home and you close your eyes and rest easy now. I'll return."
Frodo watched as Gandalf left the room and snuggled under the covers even further, wrapping his feet in them and then closed his aching eyes, enjoying now the heat from the flames.
Sam stopped over around dinner time to check on his master and see if he needed to run to the market to pick anything up. Being the only one Frodo trusted, Sam had a key to Bag-End and had to unlock the door in order to get inside and re-locked it once he shut the door behind him. There was no one in the parlor so Sam figured Frodo was in bed sleeping and went into the kitchen to check Frodo's pantry, to see what he was running out of.
Once he checked the kitchen thoroughly he sat down and began to scribble a list on a piece of parchment and then scribbled a note to Frodo. He was just about to leave the hole again when there were a few loud knocks on the door. 'Gandalf again?' Sam thought. Hesitating he once again unlocked the door and pulled it open. It was not Gandalf this time but a strange hobbit that Sam had never seen before in his life. This hobbit was wearing a brown waistcoat and a brown hat and carried a briefcase.
"May I help you?" Sam asked.
"Is this the residence of Mr. Frodo Baggins?" The stranger asked.
"It depends. Who are you?"
"I am here representing Mrs. Lobelia Sackville-Baggins."
Immediately Sam started to slam the door shut but the stranger blocked him from doing so. "I will ask you nicely to leave, sir." Sam growled. He wished he'd snatched the frying pan from the kitchen but of course this came up unexpectedly.
"I'd hate to let things get ugly," The stranger replied with a sneer. "Now stand aside."
"No! You can't.you." Before Sam could finish, the Lobelia- representative took out a coil of rope and tied Sam's arms behind his back and then tied a handkerchief around his mouth, and tossed the gardener into a corner.
Frodo, meanwhile, was enjoying the peacefulness of his bedroom, listening only to the slight drizzel that pattered against the windowpane. He still felt awful but sleep was a relief from the discomfort for the time being. A few moments later he was rudely interrupted when someone kicked his door open and he shot up in shock.
"Ahhhhhhh!" Frodo yelled. "Who are you?"
"I have a legal contract to be here," The stranger told him, holding a roll of parchment. "I am Mrs. Lobelia Sackville-Baggins' lawyer. She wishes me to set a few things straight with you."
"Who let you in?" Frodo cried. The last time he had checked, the door was locked! Unless-'Sam', he thought feeling a sudden burst of regret for giving the gardener the key. "And you've got to be kidding," Frodo replied. "She has a lawyer? Won't she ever accept the fact that.."
"May I see your Uncle's will please?" The Lawyer asked seriously.
"What did you do with him?" Frodo growled.
The lawyer blinked. "Do with whom?"
"You know whom. The person who let you in."
"I don't know WHAT you're talking about. Now MAY I see the will?"
Frodo, figuring it was safer to comply, slid out of bed much against his will and went into Bilbo's study. The Will was the first thing he found on the cluttered desk and unrolled it, reading it over himself before carrying it to the lawyer. "May I ask your name?" Frodo asked.
"Talger Chubb." The lawyer replied.
"Here is the will-all in perfect order."
Talger snatched the parchment from Frodo and while he was distracted, Frodo tiptoed out of the room and hurried into the parlor. Sam was lying in one of the corners bound with rope and his words were muffled due to the handkerchief around his mouth.
"Sam!" Frodo hissed. Sam looked up and his eyes widened.
"Help!" Sam begged.
"What?"
"HELP!"
"I'll get a knife from the kitchen. Don't make a sound," Frodo warned as he scurried away. He noticed the frying pan hanging on it's hook and after retriving the knife, he took that as well and dashed back to his friend. "Don't struggle or it'll tighten the knots," Frodo told Sam as he untied the handkerchief. Sam gasped and waited till the ropes were cut and then he fell flat on the floor.
"I'm sorry for lettin' him in, sir. I tried not to but he tied me up!"
"That's all right, Sam. He's in my room reading the Will-a hundered times no doubt, to catch the tiniest flaw. Good thing Bilbo was always very precise in what he did so I have nothing to worry about."
"Take this," Frodo told Sam and handed his friend the frying pan before hurrying back to his room. Sure enough, Talger was still reading the will and had a magnificent scowl on his face as he did so.
"I don't think you'll find any issues with the will, Mr. Chubb." Frodo told the lawyer stiffly. "I am the rightful heir to Bag-End and it is written in stone."
"Why I wonder. You are 3/4ths Brandybuck. Why would you want the responsibility of looking after an enormous smial like this? You live alone after all! Lobelia has a family to care for and she would make a good use out of this place."
Frodo glared at him. "I am NOT giving it up, sir. I would be willing to take the case to court if you'd rather."
Before Talger could think of a nasty retort there was a burst of light and both hobbits cried out as a very tall figure appeared.
"Gandalf!" said Frodo in delight.
"Hello, lad. Half a moment." The wizard walked over to Talger, lifted him by the scruff of the neck, walked over to the window, opened it and sent the hobbit flying clear across the Shire before closing the window again. Frodo stood with his mouth hanging open in surprise. For an old man Gandalf surely had quite a bit of strength! 'Must come from being a wizard,' he thought. Chuckling, Gandalf came over to Frodo and shut his mouth. "Don't look so startled, Frodo. Now who was he?"
"Lobelia's lawyer," Frodo told him. Now that Talger was gone the very idea that Lobelia had gone through the trouble of finding one was rather amusing.
"I see, I see."
Sam then burst into the room. "Mr. Frodo? Are you-oh. Hullo, Mr. Gandalf sir."
Gandalf eyed the frying pan and burst into roars of laughter, causing both of the hobbit's to glance at each other with raised eyebrows. "You are quite amusing, Master Gamgee. Go and return your weapon. I doubt Lobelia's lawyer will come back again."
Sam left the room and then the wizard turned back to Frodo, who had his finger under his nose as he prepared to sneeze. When he did so, it came out so loud that the furniture in the room seemed to tremble. "Into bed with you," Gandalf ordered and Frodo returned to his sanctuary.
"Has the healer been by?" Gandalf asked as he felt the hobbit's forehead. "You are running a fever, my boy."
Frodo moaned softly as he burried under the covers. "He did come earlier today and gave me medicine."
"Then you should take it, lad. Here is a tip for future illnesses- just remember what Bilbo used to do and try to repeat the actions for yourself." He laughed. "And that sneeze-I am supposing it runs in the Baggins side of the family?"
Frodo nodded. "Uh huh. Uncle Bilbo knocked over a vase in the hallway once."
The wizard chortled as he unscrewed the cap from the bottle of liquid peppermint and poured a teaspoon full. "In we go." Frodo opened his mouth and allowed the wizard to pop the medicine in. It was so strong that Frodo's lips puckered and he had to resist the urge to spit it out. He wasn't a child anymore and couldn't get away with doing that, so he forced it down his throat. "Urgh." He grimaced with disgust.
"Do you need some of the strawberry and honey medicine?" Gandalf asked.
"Yes." Frodo replied. He just wanted anything to replace the strong peppermint taste from his mouth and watched as Gandalf poured yet another teaspoon of th at medicine before feeding it to him. When the wizard put the caps back on the bottles he went to light another fire in the fireplace and drew the curtains shut so that the room was dim. "Could you stay for a bit, Gandalf? Just till I fall asleep?"
The wizard smiled. "I'm sorry I left you before, but I am very busy. I try to stay with you when I can, as I made a promise to your Uncle to look after you. But yes, I will stay this time. Let me see Samwise home and you close your eyes and rest easy now. I'll return."
Frodo watched as Gandalf left the room and snuggled under the covers even further, wrapping his feet in them and then closed his aching eyes, enjoying now the heat from the flames.