Chapter Six
Lobelia woke in the night, clutching at the Ring. Someone was moving about in the darkness near her bed. There was a sound of breathing, muffled as if whoever it was was trying to hold his breath. Without a second thought, she slipped the Ring on her finger and drew herself up towards the head of the bed, huddled in a tight ball.
The intruder patted the bed as if trying to find someone or something. Lobelia reached out her hand, cautiously. Her umbrella was against the night stand. There it was. She closed her fingers around it, lifted it, and brought it down on the head (or so she hoped) of whoever it was.
Otho woke with a start and mumbled, "What's that? Lobelia, you there Lobelia?"
"Here," she said, hoping her voice did not tremble too much. "Go back to sleep."
He rolled over with a sigh. Lobelia struck a hurried match and lit the lamp. There, lying across the bed, was Frodo Baggins.
And what other reason did the best hobbit in the Shire have for sneaking into her house than to find the Ring? She laughed a bitter laugh. If she were stronger, she would drag him out and leave him in the road; then people would think he was drunk. Upstanding Frodo! He'd already done so much damage to the family name. What was a little more?
On the other hand, now perhaps was the chance she had been waiting for. She could put the Ring in his pocket for him to find. He could go with Gandalf, and she could stay at home.
She hesitated a moment before pulling the Ring off her finger. She bent over him, trying to remember all the reasons she didn't want the Ring; all the reasons it was only bringing more trouble and bad luck to her than she'd had in seventy years of thwarted hopes and dreams.
"Ma?" Lotho stood in the doorway, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. She closed her hand over the Ring and looked back at him, daring him to question the scene before him. He had long ago lost his fear of her, however. "What are you doing, Ma? Is that Frodo?"
"Yes it is," she said. "I found him sneaking about, the fool. And now what am I supposed to do with him? Be quick and get him outside, far enough from our house that no one will suspect anything, and leave him in the road."
"But Ma," said Lotho. "What's that thing in your hand?"
"Nothing," she snapped. "Do as you're told. And be quiet, you'll wake your father."
He came towards her, as if to do her bidding; but then he bent over and snatched at her hand. The Ring fell to the floor and shone in the lamplight.
"Aha," Lotho crowed, picking it up with a speed she'd never thought him capable of.
"Give that back to me!"
"But what is it?"
"It's mine, mine!" She clawed at him, but he backed away. She came after him and tripped over Frodo's prone body.
At that moment, Frodo began to wake up.