Denethor effected an exaggerated jerk that Elrond supposed was meant to serve as a bow. Elrond returned no such courtesy. "Please be seated," he said, the invitation sounding much more like a command.
Denethor, however, decided to take it for an invitation, which could be refused. "I am not here for diplomacy," he said carefully keeping his tone low. "Théoden of Rohan thought he could thwart me and shelter Thorongil, but i know that he is here. Hand him over to me at once and i shall not take the cost of my troubles through your people."
Elrond's jaw was trembling and his stare intensified. It was taking all of the Elf lord's considerable will to remain composed. He could feel his brow twitching. "What you shall not do is make threats against any of my people. As to what you shall do... you shall remove yourself from my realm and not return. The hunter is not welcome within the sanctuary of Imladris and never has been."
"I would be more than pleased to leave this preposterous place and never see it again in all the rest of my days." Denethor hissed. "However, i shall not leave without that... brigand in my possession."
"Only a Man like you would harbor such a notion that one may be in the 'possession' of another," Elrond said in utter disgust. "I have already told you that Imladris is a sanctuary. Any brigand whom i choose to shelter is safe here and beyond your power to touch," he said in a very meaningful tone. He could not help playing with the Ring of Sapphire as he said it, and idly the thought came to him that, with the rage he was in, he half expected the Bruinen to come rushing through his home at any moment.
Denethor suddenly got a rather bad feeling and wished that he had been a little more secretive about this mission. There was something about the Elf that made even Denethor realize that he could not be beaten, especially not here in his own realm. Still, Denethor would never let it be said that he had backed down from anything. "Then keep Thorongil," he said bitterly, oh how he had dreamed of disgracing that man. "As long as i never see him again i will care not. You will, however, return to me my child."
"No child of yours dwells within this realm," Elrond said evenly.
Denethor just stared, hate in his eyes. "Just over two months ago my wife was heavy with child. She gave birth and i was told that the child did not survive. It was a lie. The child, my son, is here. He was taken by Thorongil."
"Where does your information come from, Denethor?" Elrond asked, trying his best to remain subtle.
"I saw as much before i started out," Denethor said, unknowingly confirming his reliance on the palantír to Elrond.
"I meant your information regarding the parentage of the infant," he said, unable to keep the slightly condescending tone from his voice.
"Where is the legendary Elven hearing, Half-elf?" Denethor sneered. "I have just told you that my wife was with child."
"It is amazing," Elrond chuckled humorlessly. "You truly are as foolish as you look. Let me see... if i remember, Mortal women's gestation period is nine months, is that correct?"
"Yes it is correct," Denethor snapped back, wondering how the renowned wise Elrond could be so dimwitted.
"Aye... and the last time you and your wife copulated?" he asked casually. It was the healer in him that allowed him to ask such personal questions so easily.
Denethor grew outraged again by that inquiry. "How do you dare to ask me such a thing?" Truth be told, he could not answer immediately anyhow.
"That long?" Elrond said teasingly. Kill them with kindness, Gil-galad used to frequently say. Elrond had always considered himself better with the sword. "Well, it can not be that bad, it is been 473 years for me. We'd been together for 2000 years. You need not divulge anything to me, only keep your knowledge to yourself, study it, and tell me if it is possible that the child your wife carried was yours?"
Denethor was very silent for a long time. Only now had the realization come to him that, considering the timing, the infant could not have been of his loins. Denethor turned to leave without a word, his rage had reached a height he had not known was possible. He slammed the door to Elrond's study behind him.
Elrond felt a sense of relief that he had managed to get through to Denethor with relative ease. Resuming his place at his desk, however, he hastened to draft an order that the border patrol be upped considerably and that the practice of scouting be resumed.
Out in the hallway of the house, though, Denethor was Mordor-bent on making someone pay. Looking around, he saw no one. A staircase caught his eye, though, and he remembered hearing the uptight Elf who had told the maniacal, sadistic Elf to stop singing say that there was an infant trying to sleep upstairs. Denethor simply walked up the stairs unnoticed.
ooo
As good a place to stop as any :) Here i am, with a nice, beautiful day off that i scheduled about a month ago. I though there are three things i can do with the house to myself for the afternoon: i can listen to music really loud, i can watch the Return of the King, EE, again, or i can do some spring cleaning. Up until yesterday, spring cleaning was in the lead, followed closely by RotK EE, with music coming in to show. Yesterday i had a little tickle in the back of my throat all day. I stillworked three hours cleaning the patio after putting in a full day's work, and when i woke up this morning i woke up with fever/chills and all-over weakness. At least it is a good excuse to do nothing but write all weekend. Just thought i'd mention it to pad out this chapter a bit.
Question for anyone who might know the answer: After watching RotK EE for the millionth time today, and having neverheard this mentioned before, i need to know if i am the only one who has noticed. When Pip lights the beacon, there are two guards there, one wearing a helmet, the other not. The one who is not has black, bushy hair and thick eye brows, and looks EXACTLY like the man who Faramir's shot killed when we first see him in Ithilien in The Two Towers. I know how PJ liked to reuse people like that, but did anyone else notice it, or just me? If not, i urge you to pull out your DVDs and tell me i'm not crazy, or i am.
steelelf: More twins to come... hopefully soon enough.
Elenhin: I really do not like spiders. My rule on spiders is, if i could identify it in a police line-up of spiders or describe it in detail to a sketch artist, i kill it, immediately. The more definible marks or color a spider has, the faster i kill it. Yes, Elrond's braids will suffer, but i think it will do him a lot of good - messy braids - soft heart.
linda:) Oh, i give him a reason for hating not just Aragorn, but also all Elves, for distrusting Wizards, well, so on and on.
Jacinthe: Everyone falls in love with Faramir, it is inevitable. More to come soon.
AM: Thanks! Something Denethorish, you say? Only wait until next chapter. That is unless i get really cruel and decide it is time to update on Finduilas and Bori'. :-D Dare i?
Iblis: I could have made this chapter a little longer... but, i thought this a good place to leave off... don't you agree? In my experience (which is admittedly quite limited) babies like to grab anything that comes into their reach. And they like to chew very much. Grasping and rooting reflexes.