Notes to Readers:

Please be sure to leave a review! They are very motivating, and each review you leave entitles you to a free cup of cyber-tea in the parlour (The Muse and I do try to make our guests feel welcome). What you are seeing here is the edited draft. (Thanks to my editor—you know who you are! And welcome back from your break, I hope you're ready to get back to work...)

Thanks for the comments! How do you like your tea?

Katakanadian, thanks for your help!

Aemilia Rose, I am sorry, dear, but there are sixty-some chapters to go. You know that everything cannot be hunky-dory, don't you? Not for awhile, anyhow. Take a deep breath and have another cup of tea. Tea soothes all ills, you know.

Xena, there might well have been a trap; thankfully the ruffians were called away too quickly to deal with the uprising to think of laying traps. Thinking about dead hobbits in the pit (we know there weren't any live ones there, for the ruffians had not quite filled up the first level), I decided that any who died would have been sent home to grieve their families. It was only as things began to unravel that the ruffian chief thought of easing his heavy burden by "disappearing" some of the prisoners.

FantasyFan, you're not going senile, isn't that reassuring? The chapters on SoA are slowly being replaced as my editor finishes with them. Some of the little changes you noticed were inspired by katakanadian, who sent me a note about a confusing plot point. (Thanks, katakanadian!)

Another chapter of "Runaway" is in the works and you'll see it as soon as we can get it finished (Thanks, Jodancingtree!). As a matter of fact, I think we have a draft of chapter 26 now, and are just hammering it out nice and smooth and shiny. Expect another chapter of "Small and Passing Thing" the day after tomorrow, if all goes well. Thank you for your patience.

***

Chapter 5. Pause

'Is that all, Grandad?' little Frodo-lad piped. Samwise had stopped reading, and sat as if in deep thought.

'Is that the end?' young Lily said. 'And they all lived happily, to the end of their days...?'

'Not quite,' Sam said, closing the book. 'I'm sorry, Ellie, I've read into the middle night.' He glanced down at small Rose, asleep with her head pillowed on one of his feet.

'Ah, I know, Dad, and I nearly spoke twice, but we couldn't stop with the hobbits in that awful place,' Elanor said. 'Why, Mum told me how she gave Mr Fredegar a cup of cold water, thinking they were about to take his life. "I couldn't let him go thirsty to his death, somehow," she used to say, and it always made a tear come to her eye.'

'But they didn't know it was him!' Frodo-lad said in excitement. 'They took him to the Lockholes instead! Why didn't they know him, Dad?' he asked Fastred.

Fastred took his long-dead pipe from his mouth and said slowly, 'They never bothered to get to know any hobbits, and so they couldn't tell a Bolger from a Boffin. We all look alike to them, you see.' He got up, adding, 'I'll just take a look around Undertowers, make sure everything is as it should be.'

He exchanged a long glance with Elanor, and she rose, saying briskly. 'Off to bed with you now, children, there'll be more of the story on the morrow.' She looked to Sam. 'Won't there, Dad?' she asked more softly.

Samwise nodded with an odd little smile. 'I've plenty of time, Ellie,' he said. 'I've nowhere to be going until I've finished the story.' Fastred had waited for his answer, then let himself out the door.

'But if they didn't end happily, what idid/i happen?' Lily said.

'I didn't say they ended badly, Lily,' Sam said, 'for there's a lot of middle to get through, first. But that'll have to wait for the morrow. Off with you, now, and obey your mother.'

'Good night, Dad,' Elanor said, getting up and dropping a kiss on her father's head before turning away to shoo the little ones off towards their beds. She turned in the doorway, saying, 'And what about you, Sam-Dad? Aren't you tired?'

'I think I'll just spend a few more minutes with Mr Frodo before I turn myself in,' Sam said, patting the Book. 'You go on ahead, I'll blow out the lamps.'

'All right, Dad,' Elanor said. 'Good night.'