Chapter 12 "The Unwelcome Party"
The room was dark when Imbalech came to. She tried to move but found her side burned. She resigned herself to the bed. The door opened and in walked Frodo, his hands in his pockets. He seemed distant, his eyes off somewhere else. He moved around the room looking at the things on the shelves. Then the sight of the lavender curtains and dwarven metal work caught her eye. She was in his bed. He stopped at the bookcase and pulled a large book out into his tiny hands. It was so heavy he could barley hold it up but he used his shoulder to prop it up against the lip of the shelf so that he could finger through the pages. They were worn and dusty. He sifted through the book looking for something that eluded him. Finally in frustration he heaved it back into the shelf and turned around.
"I didn't know you were awake?" He said.
"Neither did I," Imbalech smiled. He walked over to her and sat down on the edge of the bed.
"Are you in much pain?" his face seemed devoid of emotion.
"Yes," she answered simply. He seemed to think something over and then stood up to leave.
"Is there anything I can get you?" Imbalech shook her head gently. Frodo moved toward the door but stopped. Again he seemed to be debating about something. He turned to her.
"There's something I must tell you," he began. Imbalech looked at him intently. He walked back over to her and sat down.
"I did a terrible thing when I came back." Imbalech's body tensed.
"With my passing into the West ended Sauron's rule of Middle Earth," Frodo stood up and walked to the window.
"I failed.on that day.when we finally reached the Cracks of Doom. I failed." He turned and met Imbalech's eyes for a moment. She didn't move. He turned back to the window.
"The Ring took me and I became nothing more than an outgrowth of Sauron himself," Imbalech noticed that he seemed to be fidgeting with something in his pocket. He looked up at the ceiling.
"You learn a lot when you're in the company of the Eldar. I learned much about my sickness- its cause and its cure." He walked back toward her his eyes seemed to widen with madness and a strange smile curled his lips.
"It was all a joke, did you know that?" Imbalech didn't answer. He looked toward the window again.
"It was all just a big joke." Imbalech gathered the courage to speak,
"What was a joke, Frodo?" He looked at her, his eyes becoming sad.
"But it seemed so real."
"What did?" she asked again. He looked at her,
"The Ring.the one I bore all the way to Mt. Doom." She looked at him confused.
"Oh He's cunning." Frodo continued. "He created a ring, said it contained great evil- said that anyone who used it slowly came under his control.so naturally all we had to do was destroy it. Find someone to throw their life away but last just long enough to get it to the fire. But that's the joke, because it doesn't end there.we were all fools. The Ring had no evil in it- it was a mirror. It would reflect the evil within its bearer."
"NO!" Imbalech cried out dragging her body up to face him. "That was not its purpose." Frodo looked at her startled by the outburst.
"You talk as though you know its purpose."
"I do, for I.I made it.or was used to make it." The elf said indignantly. Frodo took a step back from her. She stood there clutching her side.
"I was one of the elves taken by him. I was tortured till I consented." She hobbled toward Frodo. His eyes were wild with fear and repulsion.
"But that was not the ring's purpose.it was meant to bide time." She said tears streaking her face.
"What do you mean? What time?" She grasped on to the back of a chair to steady herself with the pain.
"He told me to create a ring just like the one you described- but I cheated him!" She met his eyes.
"I made a ring that had its eyes in the past." she sighed and tried to explain, "The ring calls to the fore the evil tendencies of the bearer, yes- but it doesn't expose their current state. Whatever evil lingered in your heart in the past- that was what the ring preyed upon- not the evil you then possessed."
"I'm not lost." Frodo said, "not yet."
"Yes." Imbalech said gently. A light returned to Frodo's eyes.
"That means there's hope.for me and for Middle Earth."
"I wanted to bide time. I knew if a noble Kingdom of Men could be established then perhaps they could drive the evil out as unified force," She looked tenderly at Frodo. "Whatever evil you saw reflected in the ring- is a dark cloud from your past," She looked intently at the little hobbit,
"A dark cloud from Middle Earth's past."
"But the Nazgul- I thought they had risen again because I had returned. I became part of Sauron that day. In me is a seed of evil and they're held here by it." Imbalech looked at him hard, studying his eyes and then taking in his full form.
"No.reflection or not, the evil that lives still in Middle Earth is not perpetuated by you alone. There are other links." She said quietly but resolutely. Frodo thought about this. His heart felt so relieved to have the sole blame lifted from his tiny shoulders.
"I was trying to leave," he said.
"Yes, I know."
"What will you do now?" She asked sitting down carefully on the bed. Frodo walked toward her and opened his hand. Mall'elen glittered.
"I have to severe the links." he said. The light from the ring illuminated their faces for a second and then he closed his hand.
"No! I won't hear of it!" Sam said banging his hand on the kitchen table in Bag-End. Frodo winced.
"Sam."
"NO!"
"Please, just listen to me for a moment, then make your decision?" Sam softened and conceded.
"As mayor, you must entertain the King here in your home or it would be a great discourtesy."
"He's a killer and liar and in league with the Nazgul! There's no way he's setting foot inside my home!" Sam burst in. Frodo looked at him pleadingly and Sam allowed him to continue.
"I'm working on something, Sam."
"What?"
"I can't tell you just yet, but it's imperative that I gain these peoples trust and-"
"You're going to accept their offer aren't you? And become their king- that's what this is all about- and I bet that Jack Sparrow will get a seat right next you in Minas Ithril!" Sam said venomously. Frodo swallowed and calmly answered each of his "questions" in turn.
"I don't know what I'm going to do about their offer yet, and I do owe something to Jack- at least a place other than a cell for the night," He put his hand on Sam's angry shoulder.
"The closest thing to my mind is finding Elanor, but I've got to use my resources well." Sam's eyes started to tear at the mention of his daughter. Frodo could always see right through him.
"These people were in league with the Nazgul- the same Nazgul who took her. Maybe they can help me find her," Frodo said soothingly. Sam sighed and grasped Frodo's hand.
"Alright, whatever you want, just make sure those nasty corsairs don't touch nothin' and it all better be here when they leave- which better be soon!"
"All right," Frodo said with a smile and he squeezed Sam's hand and stood up.
"I'm going to ride to their camp and let them know of the new arrangements."
Frodo left Bag-End quickly so Sam couldn't change his mind. He walked up to the stable and went to the stall with Imbalech's black horse stabled in it. Frodo held out his hand and the horse nuzzled it gently. Frodo's arm slipped and he pushed against the door to the horse's stall, which swung open. The gate made a thud.
"OW!" a voice said from behind the gate. Frodo backed up from the gate. Jack Sparrow stood up and brushed the hay off his coat with dignified flicks of his hands. He looked at Frodo, his dark eyes smiling.
"Where you off to, mate?" he said leaning on the gate.
"I'm going to invite the king to stay at Bag-End," Frodo said pulling the gate open and out from under Jack. He barley caught himself and rolled his eyes as Frodo walked past. He began bridling the horse.
"Interesting," was all he said. Frodo looked at from under the horse's neck. He could tell he was thinking about something. He was thinking all of the options through and picking the one that would benefit him the most. Frodo could've asked,
"What was interesting?" but he had learned that that would only perpetuate Jack's word game. He'd have to be indirectly direct.
"What was the deal you made with the king of Harad?" Frodo said stepping out of the shadows. Jack slowly met his eyes.
"You mean Leo? Hm, how should I put this?" Jack mused to himself putting his index finger to his chin.
"Why not try the truth?" Frodo shot. Jack didn't look at him.
"Alright," he said "but it won't be near as interesting." Frodo frowned. Jack sat down on the tack box.
" Leo- er- the king- caught me and my crew in Faare* with a hull full o' Gondorian goods 'bout two months ago."
"But I thought he was a pirate too?"
"Leo? Nah... he'd rather be king- he's one o' those who likes to stay clean but spit dirt." Frodo tried to figure out what that exactly meant but Jack didn't give him time.
"No Frodo, Leo is king of Harad, and under his domain is the Bay of Umbar and the City of the Corsairs- the finest place on dry land to get drunk, laid and killed within the first course of your evening meal- not that the food is anything to talk about. " Jack propped his foot up on a nearby barrel.
"After the War, there weren't much left o' the Harad army, so ole Leo's taken mostly to hirin' out whatever vagabonds he can pay well enough or can catch..."
"So he caught you, and made you come out here to find me?" Frodo asked trying desperately to put the tangled threads of Jack's story in order.
"Um...no. Not really." Frodo gave a cry of exasperation.
"Easy now, mate. I'm getting there. No need to let your munchkin britches get all in a pinch." Frodo took a deep breath and ignored the word "munchkin".
"I was caught and Leo knew he could fetch a pretty price for me head in the white court so he says to me, 'Jack- We've been scouring the seas for you. You are the only pirate cunning enough for a task such as this- if you help us we'll amply reward with you with finest swag."
"He didn't say that!" Frodo interrupted. Jack looked at him.
"He certainly did!"
"I can see it all now," Frodo continued, "You were caught with your pants down and the king, or Leo, or whatever you call him told you either to do this job right or he'd hang you right then- just to get rid of your annoying voice!" Frodo said folding his arms across his chest. He thought he caught a reflection of truth in Jack's eyes but it came
and went to quickly for him to tell.
" The matter goes without saying that Leo hunted me down to do this job and I succeeded easily enough without any thanks to you!" Frodo looked taken back.
"Thanks!? Why should I thank you for practically leading me to my
death!"
"You're fine... and what's this I've heard about the king giving you his throne?" jack said in a tone that made Frodo uneasy. He moved closer to the hobbit.
"I've got to hurry if I'm to make it back in time for dinner," Frodo said abruptly and began leading the horse out of the stable.
"Oh good, I'll see you then- six o'clock of course, I know how you little people work with your schedules and traditions." Frodo opened his mouth to tell him not to come near that table, but alas that ship had sailed. Jack was gone and Frodo felt sick.
*******
The King- or Leo as his crew called him was delighted to be invited to Bag-End both for the food and drink and to get a place to sleep other than the wet ground. The army of rag-tag soldiers and miscellaneous pirates had come up from way of the southern seas and had anchored their small fleet in the Gray Havens. It had been a short march from there to the towers, but all were weary and travel worn. Much to Sam's dismay the entire army (about five hundred men) escorted the king to Bag-end and made camp on Bag-Shot row. Needless to say there was much talk in Hobbiton. But the only talk that was actually amounted to anything was among the king's men about the events of the previous day. They didn't feel much loyalty to Leo other than the fact that he was for the most part a better card player than the rest of them but he was still the king of Harad. Was he really going to hand the kingdom over to child-sized man and expect the crippled empire to stay standing? A small band within the army had precipitated out of the mixture of ruffians to talk things over.
"Have you see the little one?" a well-built man said with sandy hair to a gray-eyed woman in a dark cloak. She shifted uneasily and looked around to make sure the rest of the army was out of earshot of their little group.
"I've had a brief look at him, doesn't seem like much," She said in a cold voice. Their group consisted of the sandy haired man, the gray-eyed woman, a young boy in a yellow and blue striped shirt with bloody knees and a grizzly dwarf with two eye patches.
"Do you think he'll do it?" pushed the sandy-haired man. Her eyes flashed.
"I don't know."
"I don't care," the man with two eye patches growled, "I'm just concerned to as where Jack's gotten to."
"Aye," the gray-eyed woman said and would've looked worried had her stormy countenance permitted it.
"Perhaps we should look for him?" she suggested.
"He'll get here when he gets here," the dwarf with two eye patches said and stretched. He threw back his head and guzzled something out his liquor skin.
"I'm sure he will, Vim. But all the same-,"
"Sparrow!" The boy with the bloody knees burst in. They all turned to him.
"What does he see?" Vim asked the woman with gray eyes. She scowled at him and then turned to the boy.
"Minya- what is it?" she spoke softly and touched his brow. He cried out again and some of the other troops started to look over in their direction.
"Can't you tell him to keep it down?" the sandy haired man yelled in a whisper.
"I'm trying, " She said as spoke something in elvish to the boy. He nodded and looked off sadly into darkening sky.
"We can't stay here much longer,' they're going to get suspicious," the sandy-haired man said. Vim nodded and tugged on his belt buckle- which was under a lot of stress. ******* The parlor was stuffy and filled with smoke when Rosie brought in the third round of ale. The king and a few of his guards had stretched out on the sofa and the floor and were busy drinking and smoking. Sam sat by and watched in horror as they drank him out of house and home. They had eaten far more than their share of the food, and of course could drink and were drinking a hobbits monthly allowance of refreshment, and still the night wore on. They told stories of treasure and the sea, random mysterious islands and beautiful women caught and dragged on board. Sam cringed at the sight of ale being spilled on his rug.
"Try listening to their horror stories, it'll give your nerves a rest," Frodo said sideways to Sam in-between puffs of his pipe. Sam sighed.
"I'm just counting my lucky stars that Jack never showed up." Frodo mused at how similar the scene looked to the night the dwarves had called on Bilbo. His mind then returned to the pirates' stories.
"Why wasn't Jack after women and islands and gold?" but Frodo answered his own question,
"Give him time," he thought, "He'll exceed all your expectations." But still he continued to think. After all he had a tremendous choice in front of him.
"What was he going to do? Was he going to accept the king's offer? And what of Jack?" Some how he felt loathe to let him escape- just like that out of his life, before he got a chance to figure him out.
"Well, Master Baggins," the king began putting down his glass. "I think it be time for you and me to have a heart-to-heart." Frodo sat up and braced himself. Sam was asleep beside him.
"I want to tell you a story," Frodo nodded and hoped he wouldn't be joining Sam soon.
"There's a legend among the people of Harad that tells of creation of the sea. They say the music of the angels took shape and became the earth and the sky, and the sea. The earth and the sky was just versus in their song but the sea- well, the sea was the refrain. Everything begins and ends there they say. The fair folk are supposed to be able to hear the music even now- I don't know if that's true but in the second age an elf named Feanor learned how to capture the music. He imprisoned it in a jewel called a simiril. There was three o' them in fact- one with the theme of the sky, one with the theme of the earth- and one with sea within it. Back then Sauron was nothin' more than a servant to the dark Valar, Morgoroth. Morgoroth stole the simirils and fled from the West. He went deep into Middle-Earth and wrought himself a black crown. On the crown he set the simirils as a direct challenge to the rule of the Valar. It was this injustice that drove the elves to forsake Valinor and begin their great march to the East. They swore they would never rest until what was stolen from them was returned. We all know the story of how Beren and Luthien recovered the simirils. The only one that still exists is now the morning star.or so we thought." Frodo was awakened from the beautiful images called to mind by the great stories.
"What do you mean- the other two were lost," Frodo cried. The king smiled.
"One was lost in fire- the Consumer. The other was lost to the sea." He looked off into space and then abruptly shot his gaze on the hobbit.
"Everything begins and ends in sea."
"I know, you said that," Frodo said nervously. The king looked keenly at Frodo.
"There's a part to this story that is only told in Harad. Most assume its just somethin' our sailors added to keep themselves occupied on the long voyages- but I know it be true. The reason only we know the whole story is because It washed up on our shore." Frodo couldn't believe his ears.
"They say that every thing begins-."
"Yes I know that part!" Frodo interrupted. The king smiled at him and his teeth weren't golden but black.
"You don't know anything.yet. There's tell of Harad becoming great again- like it was before the Shadow came and convinced us to rise up against the white city. They say that one will come, who can restore our kingdom to greatness and fill our bellies and treasuries again." He sat back in his chair and lit his pipe.
"If you think I'm the answer to your problems- you're grievously mistaken," Frodo said. The king just smiled.
"There's more," He said shaking his match. "The stories say he'll come from the West and bear a ring of power," Frodo turned away but he continued. "He'll be able to turn shadow from it's course and with his return light will drive away shadow forever." Frodo sat frozen. He kept reliving what he had seen in the tower before the army had come: him and the ring, Imbalech and Sam and ships, and the sea spraying in his face- everything was whirling around him- he could make out the city of Valinor with Elbereth perched like an eagle on the hill.an eagle.
"I can't," he whispered. The king looked at him for a moment and then rose. Frodo stood up as well. Sam woke up and looked groggily at his master.
"You have till the morning to make up your mind- a host of scoundrels like these wont keep long," he then spoke quietly "I wont lie to you, I'm not a selfless man. I love what I have, but I'm wise enough to see that it's slipping away. Soon Harad will be nothing more than another field of Gondor."
"You can only hope to be so lucky," Sam couldn't contain himself.
"I know what we are. We're not knights and we don't want to be. Goodnight Master Gardener, Frodo." And the king was escorted to his bed for the night.
Frodo sat for a long time in thought. He went over and over the king's story trying to divulge the truth.
"What was this really about? Where did the simiril fit in and what about the Nazgul? Surely Jack had a hand in all this." He still had many questions but he couldn't answer any of them tonight. The king was right he didn't know anything.yet.
* a port city in Harad. The word Faare comes from the elves and means "everything that could be wanted".
The room was dark when Imbalech came to. She tried to move but found her side burned. She resigned herself to the bed. The door opened and in walked Frodo, his hands in his pockets. He seemed distant, his eyes off somewhere else. He moved around the room looking at the things on the shelves. Then the sight of the lavender curtains and dwarven metal work caught her eye. She was in his bed. He stopped at the bookcase and pulled a large book out into his tiny hands. It was so heavy he could barley hold it up but he used his shoulder to prop it up against the lip of the shelf so that he could finger through the pages. They were worn and dusty. He sifted through the book looking for something that eluded him. Finally in frustration he heaved it back into the shelf and turned around.
"I didn't know you were awake?" He said.
"Neither did I," Imbalech smiled. He walked over to her and sat down on the edge of the bed.
"Are you in much pain?" his face seemed devoid of emotion.
"Yes," she answered simply. He seemed to think something over and then stood up to leave.
"Is there anything I can get you?" Imbalech shook her head gently. Frodo moved toward the door but stopped. Again he seemed to be debating about something. He turned to her.
"There's something I must tell you," he began. Imbalech looked at him intently. He walked back over to her and sat down.
"I did a terrible thing when I came back." Imbalech's body tensed.
"With my passing into the West ended Sauron's rule of Middle Earth," Frodo stood up and walked to the window.
"I failed.on that day.when we finally reached the Cracks of Doom. I failed." He turned and met Imbalech's eyes for a moment. She didn't move. He turned back to the window.
"The Ring took me and I became nothing more than an outgrowth of Sauron himself," Imbalech noticed that he seemed to be fidgeting with something in his pocket. He looked up at the ceiling.
"You learn a lot when you're in the company of the Eldar. I learned much about my sickness- its cause and its cure." He walked back toward her his eyes seemed to widen with madness and a strange smile curled his lips.
"It was all a joke, did you know that?" Imbalech didn't answer. He looked toward the window again.
"It was all just a big joke." Imbalech gathered the courage to speak,
"What was a joke, Frodo?" He looked at her, his eyes becoming sad.
"But it seemed so real."
"What did?" she asked again. He looked at her,
"The Ring.the one I bore all the way to Mt. Doom." She looked at him confused.
"Oh He's cunning." Frodo continued. "He created a ring, said it contained great evil- said that anyone who used it slowly came under his control.so naturally all we had to do was destroy it. Find someone to throw their life away but last just long enough to get it to the fire. But that's the joke, because it doesn't end there.we were all fools. The Ring had no evil in it- it was a mirror. It would reflect the evil within its bearer."
"NO!" Imbalech cried out dragging her body up to face him. "That was not its purpose." Frodo looked at her startled by the outburst.
"You talk as though you know its purpose."
"I do, for I.I made it.or was used to make it." The elf said indignantly. Frodo took a step back from her. She stood there clutching her side.
"I was one of the elves taken by him. I was tortured till I consented." She hobbled toward Frodo. His eyes were wild with fear and repulsion.
"But that was not the ring's purpose.it was meant to bide time." She said tears streaking her face.
"What do you mean? What time?" She grasped on to the back of a chair to steady herself with the pain.
"He told me to create a ring just like the one you described- but I cheated him!" She met his eyes.
"I made a ring that had its eyes in the past." she sighed and tried to explain, "The ring calls to the fore the evil tendencies of the bearer, yes- but it doesn't expose their current state. Whatever evil lingered in your heart in the past- that was what the ring preyed upon- not the evil you then possessed."
"I'm not lost." Frodo said, "not yet."
"Yes." Imbalech said gently. A light returned to Frodo's eyes.
"That means there's hope.for me and for Middle Earth."
"I wanted to bide time. I knew if a noble Kingdom of Men could be established then perhaps they could drive the evil out as unified force," She looked tenderly at Frodo. "Whatever evil you saw reflected in the ring- is a dark cloud from your past," She looked intently at the little hobbit,
"A dark cloud from Middle Earth's past."
"But the Nazgul- I thought they had risen again because I had returned. I became part of Sauron that day. In me is a seed of evil and they're held here by it." Imbalech looked at him hard, studying his eyes and then taking in his full form.
"No.reflection or not, the evil that lives still in Middle Earth is not perpetuated by you alone. There are other links." She said quietly but resolutely. Frodo thought about this. His heart felt so relieved to have the sole blame lifted from his tiny shoulders.
"I was trying to leave," he said.
"Yes, I know."
"What will you do now?" She asked sitting down carefully on the bed. Frodo walked toward her and opened his hand. Mall'elen glittered.
"I have to severe the links." he said. The light from the ring illuminated their faces for a second and then he closed his hand.
"No! I won't hear of it!" Sam said banging his hand on the kitchen table in Bag-End. Frodo winced.
"Sam."
"NO!"
"Please, just listen to me for a moment, then make your decision?" Sam softened and conceded.
"As mayor, you must entertain the King here in your home or it would be a great discourtesy."
"He's a killer and liar and in league with the Nazgul! There's no way he's setting foot inside my home!" Sam burst in. Frodo looked at him pleadingly and Sam allowed him to continue.
"I'm working on something, Sam."
"What?"
"I can't tell you just yet, but it's imperative that I gain these peoples trust and-"
"You're going to accept their offer aren't you? And become their king- that's what this is all about- and I bet that Jack Sparrow will get a seat right next you in Minas Ithril!" Sam said venomously. Frodo swallowed and calmly answered each of his "questions" in turn.
"I don't know what I'm going to do about their offer yet, and I do owe something to Jack- at least a place other than a cell for the night," He put his hand on Sam's angry shoulder.
"The closest thing to my mind is finding Elanor, but I've got to use my resources well." Sam's eyes started to tear at the mention of his daughter. Frodo could always see right through him.
"These people were in league with the Nazgul- the same Nazgul who took her. Maybe they can help me find her," Frodo said soothingly. Sam sighed and grasped Frodo's hand.
"Alright, whatever you want, just make sure those nasty corsairs don't touch nothin' and it all better be here when they leave- which better be soon!"
"All right," Frodo said with a smile and he squeezed Sam's hand and stood up.
"I'm going to ride to their camp and let them know of the new arrangements."
Frodo left Bag-End quickly so Sam couldn't change his mind. He walked up to the stable and went to the stall with Imbalech's black horse stabled in it. Frodo held out his hand and the horse nuzzled it gently. Frodo's arm slipped and he pushed against the door to the horse's stall, which swung open. The gate made a thud.
"OW!" a voice said from behind the gate. Frodo backed up from the gate. Jack Sparrow stood up and brushed the hay off his coat with dignified flicks of his hands. He looked at Frodo, his dark eyes smiling.
"Where you off to, mate?" he said leaning on the gate.
"I'm going to invite the king to stay at Bag-End," Frodo said pulling the gate open and out from under Jack. He barley caught himself and rolled his eyes as Frodo walked past. He began bridling the horse.
"Interesting," was all he said. Frodo looked at from under the horse's neck. He could tell he was thinking about something. He was thinking all of the options through and picking the one that would benefit him the most. Frodo could've asked,
"What was interesting?" but he had learned that that would only perpetuate Jack's word game. He'd have to be indirectly direct.
"What was the deal you made with the king of Harad?" Frodo said stepping out of the shadows. Jack slowly met his eyes.
"You mean Leo? Hm, how should I put this?" Jack mused to himself putting his index finger to his chin.
"Why not try the truth?" Frodo shot. Jack didn't look at him.
"Alright," he said "but it won't be near as interesting." Frodo frowned. Jack sat down on the tack box.
" Leo- er- the king- caught me and my crew in Faare* with a hull full o' Gondorian goods 'bout two months ago."
"But I thought he was a pirate too?"
"Leo? Nah... he'd rather be king- he's one o' those who likes to stay clean but spit dirt." Frodo tried to figure out what that exactly meant but Jack didn't give him time.
"No Frodo, Leo is king of Harad, and under his domain is the Bay of Umbar and the City of the Corsairs- the finest place on dry land to get drunk, laid and killed within the first course of your evening meal- not that the food is anything to talk about. " Jack propped his foot up on a nearby barrel.
"After the War, there weren't much left o' the Harad army, so ole Leo's taken mostly to hirin' out whatever vagabonds he can pay well enough or can catch..."
"So he caught you, and made you come out here to find me?" Frodo asked trying desperately to put the tangled threads of Jack's story in order.
"Um...no. Not really." Frodo gave a cry of exasperation.
"Easy now, mate. I'm getting there. No need to let your munchkin britches get all in a pinch." Frodo took a deep breath and ignored the word "munchkin".
"I was caught and Leo knew he could fetch a pretty price for me head in the white court so he says to me, 'Jack- We've been scouring the seas for you. You are the only pirate cunning enough for a task such as this- if you help us we'll amply reward with you with finest swag."
"He didn't say that!" Frodo interrupted. Jack looked at him.
"He certainly did!"
"I can see it all now," Frodo continued, "You were caught with your pants down and the king, or Leo, or whatever you call him told you either to do this job right or he'd hang you right then- just to get rid of your annoying voice!" Frodo said folding his arms across his chest. He thought he caught a reflection of truth in Jack's eyes but it came
and went to quickly for him to tell.
" The matter goes without saying that Leo hunted me down to do this job and I succeeded easily enough without any thanks to you!" Frodo looked taken back.
"Thanks!? Why should I thank you for practically leading me to my
death!"
"You're fine... and what's this I've heard about the king giving you his throne?" jack said in a tone that made Frodo uneasy. He moved closer to the hobbit.
"I've got to hurry if I'm to make it back in time for dinner," Frodo said abruptly and began leading the horse out of the stable.
"Oh good, I'll see you then- six o'clock of course, I know how you little people work with your schedules and traditions." Frodo opened his mouth to tell him not to come near that table, but alas that ship had sailed. Jack was gone and Frodo felt sick.
*******
The King- or Leo as his crew called him was delighted to be invited to Bag-End both for the food and drink and to get a place to sleep other than the wet ground. The army of rag-tag soldiers and miscellaneous pirates had come up from way of the southern seas and had anchored their small fleet in the Gray Havens. It had been a short march from there to the towers, but all were weary and travel worn. Much to Sam's dismay the entire army (about five hundred men) escorted the king to Bag-end and made camp on Bag-Shot row. Needless to say there was much talk in Hobbiton. But the only talk that was actually amounted to anything was among the king's men about the events of the previous day. They didn't feel much loyalty to Leo other than the fact that he was for the most part a better card player than the rest of them but he was still the king of Harad. Was he really going to hand the kingdom over to child-sized man and expect the crippled empire to stay standing? A small band within the army had precipitated out of the mixture of ruffians to talk things over.
"Have you see the little one?" a well-built man said with sandy hair to a gray-eyed woman in a dark cloak. She shifted uneasily and looked around to make sure the rest of the army was out of earshot of their little group.
"I've had a brief look at him, doesn't seem like much," She said in a cold voice. Their group consisted of the sandy haired man, the gray-eyed woman, a young boy in a yellow and blue striped shirt with bloody knees and a grizzly dwarf with two eye patches.
"Do you think he'll do it?" pushed the sandy-haired man. Her eyes flashed.
"I don't know."
"I don't care," the man with two eye patches growled, "I'm just concerned to as where Jack's gotten to."
"Aye," the gray-eyed woman said and would've looked worried had her stormy countenance permitted it.
"Perhaps we should look for him?" she suggested.
"He'll get here when he gets here," the dwarf with two eye patches said and stretched. He threw back his head and guzzled something out his liquor skin.
"I'm sure he will, Vim. But all the same-,"
"Sparrow!" The boy with the bloody knees burst in. They all turned to him.
"What does he see?" Vim asked the woman with gray eyes. She scowled at him and then turned to the boy.
"Minya- what is it?" she spoke softly and touched his brow. He cried out again and some of the other troops started to look over in their direction.
"Can't you tell him to keep it down?" the sandy haired man yelled in a whisper.
"I'm trying, " She said as spoke something in elvish to the boy. He nodded and looked off sadly into darkening sky.
"We can't stay here much longer,' they're going to get suspicious," the sandy-haired man said. Vim nodded and tugged on his belt buckle- which was under a lot of stress. ******* The parlor was stuffy and filled with smoke when Rosie brought in the third round of ale. The king and a few of his guards had stretched out on the sofa and the floor and were busy drinking and smoking. Sam sat by and watched in horror as they drank him out of house and home. They had eaten far more than their share of the food, and of course could drink and were drinking a hobbits monthly allowance of refreshment, and still the night wore on. They told stories of treasure and the sea, random mysterious islands and beautiful women caught and dragged on board. Sam cringed at the sight of ale being spilled on his rug.
"Try listening to their horror stories, it'll give your nerves a rest," Frodo said sideways to Sam in-between puffs of his pipe. Sam sighed.
"I'm just counting my lucky stars that Jack never showed up." Frodo mused at how similar the scene looked to the night the dwarves had called on Bilbo. His mind then returned to the pirates' stories.
"Why wasn't Jack after women and islands and gold?" but Frodo answered his own question,
"Give him time," he thought, "He'll exceed all your expectations." But still he continued to think. After all he had a tremendous choice in front of him.
"What was he going to do? Was he going to accept the king's offer? And what of Jack?" Some how he felt loathe to let him escape- just like that out of his life, before he got a chance to figure him out.
"Well, Master Baggins," the king began putting down his glass. "I think it be time for you and me to have a heart-to-heart." Frodo sat up and braced himself. Sam was asleep beside him.
"I want to tell you a story," Frodo nodded and hoped he wouldn't be joining Sam soon.
"There's a legend among the people of Harad that tells of creation of the sea. They say the music of the angels took shape and became the earth and the sky, and the sea. The earth and the sky was just versus in their song but the sea- well, the sea was the refrain. Everything begins and ends there they say. The fair folk are supposed to be able to hear the music even now- I don't know if that's true but in the second age an elf named Feanor learned how to capture the music. He imprisoned it in a jewel called a simiril. There was three o' them in fact- one with the theme of the sky, one with the theme of the earth- and one with sea within it. Back then Sauron was nothin' more than a servant to the dark Valar, Morgoroth. Morgoroth stole the simirils and fled from the West. He went deep into Middle-Earth and wrought himself a black crown. On the crown he set the simirils as a direct challenge to the rule of the Valar. It was this injustice that drove the elves to forsake Valinor and begin their great march to the East. They swore they would never rest until what was stolen from them was returned. We all know the story of how Beren and Luthien recovered the simirils. The only one that still exists is now the morning star.or so we thought." Frodo was awakened from the beautiful images called to mind by the great stories.
"What do you mean- the other two were lost," Frodo cried. The king smiled.
"One was lost in fire- the Consumer. The other was lost to the sea." He looked off into space and then abruptly shot his gaze on the hobbit.
"Everything begins and ends in sea."
"I know, you said that," Frodo said nervously. The king looked keenly at Frodo.
"There's a part to this story that is only told in Harad. Most assume its just somethin' our sailors added to keep themselves occupied on the long voyages- but I know it be true. The reason only we know the whole story is because It washed up on our shore." Frodo couldn't believe his ears.
"They say that every thing begins-."
"Yes I know that part!" Frodo interrupted. The king smiled at him and his teeth weren't golden but black.
"You don't know anything.yet. There's tell of Harad becoming great again- like it was before the Shadow came and convinced us to rise up against the white city. They say that one will come, who can restore our kingdom to greatness and fill our bellies and treasuries again." He sat back in his chair and lit his pipe.
"If you think I'm the answer to your problems- you're grievously mistaken," Frodo said. The king just smiled.
"There's more," He said shaking his match. "The stories say he'll come from the West and bear a ring of power," Frodo turned away but he continued. "He'll be able to turn shadow from it's course and with his return light will drive away shadow forever." Frodo sat frozen. He kept reliving what he had seen in the tower before the army had come: him and the ring, Imbalech and Sam and ships, and the sea spraying in his face- everything was whirling around him- he could make out the city of Valinor with Elbereth perched like an eagle on the hill.an eagle.
"I can't," he whispered. The king looked at him for a moment and then rose. Frodo stood up as well. Sam woke up and looked groggily at his master.
"You have till the morning to make up your mind- a host of scoundrels like these wont keep long," he then spoke quietly "I wont lie to you, I'm not a selfless man. I love what I have, but I'm wise enough to see that it's slipping away. Soon Harad will be nothing more than another field of Gondor."
"You can only hope to be so lucky," Sam couldn't contain himself.
"I know what we are. We're not knights and we don't want to be. Goodnight Master Gardener, Frodo." And the king was escorted to his bed for the night.
Frodo sat for a long time in thought. He went over and over the king's story trying to divulge the truth.
"What was this really about? Where did the simiril fit in and what about the Nazgul? Surely Jack had a hand in all this." He still had many questions but he couldn't answer any of them tonight. The king was right he didn't know anything.yet.
* a port city in Harad. The word Faare comes from the elves and means "everything that could be wanted".