Chapter 13. Deep in the Smials

Hobbits have a fair sense of time of day simply by the state of their stomachs. They tend to tell time by the meal they’ve just finished, or the meal they’re anticipating, and by the degree of hunger which tells them how long it has been since the last meal. Ferdibrand, having gone so long without eating, had no sense of the time except that the few apples he’d found on the floor as he searched were long gone and his body demanded sustenance. It could have been middle night, or noontide so far as he was concerned.

He found his way to the door of the suite, which seemed to be stuck in a partly-open position. It was a tight squeeze to get through, but he managed, though he lost a few waistcoat buttons. It was an odd time to be thinking of old mad Bilbo and his stories. Ferdi only hoped he wouldn’t encounter a Gollum-creature here, deep in the heart of the Smials.

He felt his way down the corridor towards the main part of the Great Smials, fetching up against an obstruction where there should be a turn to the right. He puzzled at the feel of it, rough, tumbled, rocks and dirt, more like a fall in a mine than something to be found in the sprawling family manse of the Tooks.

His stomach gave a more urgent rumble and he was starting to feel sick from hunger. Very well, he’d turn back and search through the other suites in this section for food before continuing his explorations. The Thain’s suite was just beyond his own.

Ferdi groped his way to the door of the Thain’s quarters, moving much more uncertainly than his usual custom, for he kept encountering debris and he did not want to stumble and suffer a bruising fall. Reaching the desired doorway, he called, ‘Anyone there?’ No answer came.

Again he smelled the tang of lamp oil on the air. He dropped to his hands and knees, feeling ahead for broken glass. He found another apple; well, that was better than nothing. He gulped it down, nearly choking on the last bite as he heard a muffled voice. ‘Hello!’ he shouted.

The voice came again, a little louder but still muffled, accompanied by a tapping noise. Following his ears, Ferdi scrambled across the floor of the Thain’s sitting room, skirting overturned furniture, to the hallway beyond. ‘Hullo!’ he shouted again. The answer came more clearly. Ferdi moved down the corridor, pausing at each door, finally reaching the source of the tapping. ‘Hullo!’ he cried a final time.

 ‘Uncle Ferdi?’ he heard from behind the door.

 ‘Farry!’ he said. ‘What’s happened?’

 ‘We cannot budge the door,’ Faramir said.

 ‘A moment,’ Ferdibrand replied. He felt his way around the door frame. ‘It’s jammed,’ he said and shook his head at stating the obvious. ‘Step back, Farry, I’m going to try to break it in.’ He felt the floor around him; he certainly did not want to stumble and knock himself into the morrow. When he was sure of his footing and direction, he shouted, ‘Ready!’

He lowered his shoulder and ran against the door, connecting solidly with a satisfying thunk. ‘It moved a bit, I think,’ he called encouragingly. ‘I’m going to try again.’ He felt the door give on the third try, and another exploration with his fingers revealed that the door was now slightly ajar.

 ‘The frame is out of true,’ Ferdi said, no longer having to shout to Faramir on the other side of the thick, sturdy wooden door. ‘One or two more ought to have it clear of the frame.’ He was correct in his estimation, for the door gave under his next rush, tumbling him into the room.

 ‘Uncle Ferdi?’ he heard in his ear, then hands were grabbing at his arms.

 ‘Faramir? Merigrim? Are the twins here as well?’ he asked.

 ‘They’re with Telly,’ Faramir answered. ‘When everything came down he was caught beneath a shelf of books and we haven’t been able to get him free, nor get anyone to answer our calls.’ Indeed Faramir’s voice was hoarse from hours of fruitless shouting.

 ‘Came down?’ Ferdi asked. He began to understand what had happened. ‘How long ago?’

 ‘Telly was insisting that the lads finish their sums before elevenses,’ Faramir said. ‘I’d say we’ve missed elevenses and nooning as well.’

 ‘It feels as if we’ve missed teatime and eventides and late supper,’ Merigrin groaned. ‘I don’t know when I’ve felt so hungered.’

 ‘I think it’s nearly teatime,’ Faramir said firmly.

 ‘Bring me to Telly,’ Ferdi said. ‘Meri, stay by the door and keep calling.’ He followed the sound of Farry’s progress to the inner room.

 ‘Berry? Borry? Uncle Ferdi’s here,’ Faramir called.

 ‘Uncle Ferdi! Have you come to take us out?’ Borogrin piped.

 ‘It’s so dark!’ Beregrin put in. ‘Farry won’t let us light a match, even though I found a candle!’

 ‘A good thing, too,’ Ferdibrand said. ‘The carpets are soaked with lamp oil. You’d have an inferno if you did.’ Involuntarily he shuddered. He followed the sound of the twins’ voices to where they sat upon the floor with Telebold. ‘Telly?’ he said softly.

 ‘He hasn’t spoken in ever so long,’ Beregrin said, his voice plaintive.

Ferdibrand ran his hands lightly over the tutor, finding at last Telly’s throat. He let his fingers rest for quite awhile before saying quietly, ‘I’m sorry, lads. He’s left us.’

The twins gasped in unison while Faramir gave a soft exclamation of grief. Ferdibrand let them have a few moments, making his way back to where Meri was calling. At the news, Meri took a shaky breath. ‘We were such a trial to him,’ he said regretfully. He was silent a moment, then said, ‘What do we do now?’

 ‘Well,’ Ferdi said slowly, ‘Since the rescuers are taking their time coming to find us, perhaps we ought to go find them instead.’ He patted the tween on his shoulder and went back to the others. ‘Come lads,’ he said. ‘There’s no need to wait here any longer.’

He led, being used to the darkness. There was no use taking the corridor to the right, with its rockfall blocking them off from the main part of the Smials. Once they were out of the Thain’s quarters Ferdi turned to the left instead, hoping for a clear passage. As they passed the steward’s quarters he called loudly, ‘Anyone there?’

 ‘Rosa went on a picnic with Mother and Auntie Nell,’ Meri answered. Ferdi nodded, feeling relief. Nell had not been in the Smials when all had come down. No doubt Pippin had pried her from his side, to gather sunshine and fresh air while he slept. He’d buy Pip a mug of ale at the Spotted Duck when they got free, for sparing Nell the fear of being trapped in the darkness, or worse. He thought again of the watcher he’d left behind.

Faramir added, ‘The servants all went to take elevenses in the great room; Sandy poked his head in at the study just before they left to ask if he should bring something back for the lads.’

 ‘So there ought to be no one in the suites at all,’ Ferdi said. ‘Good, then all we need to think about is getting out ourselves.’ His stomach gave a grumble, echoed by someone else’s. He gave a grin. ‘Let us see if we can be out of here in time for tea.’

 ‘Sounds like a right fine notion,’ Faramir said. ‘How shall we do this?’

Ferdi had given this some thought. He didn’t want to lose anyone in the darkness. ‘Berry, hook one hand into my belt,’ he said, ‘Borry, you hook a hand into Berry’s belt, and then Meri...’

 ‘I hold Borry, and Farry holds me,’ Merigrin broke in. ‘We’ll make a snake and worm our way through the tunnels.’

 ‘And you have one hand free to feel your way along,’ Ferdi said. ‘Feel with your toes as well, though I’ll warn you of any stumble-stones in our path.’

It was a good plan. Progress was slow but steady. As long as they didn’t run into another fall... but Ferdi did not pursue that thought. He didn’t want to borrow trouble. He kept up a steady stream of talk, asking questions and waiting for each of the Thain’s sons to answer, even as he felt his way along the corridor.

 ‘Well,’ he said at length, ‘There’s a breath of fresher air coming through here somehow. I wonder whence it comes.’

 ‘It might be...’ Faramir started to say, but his words were drowned by a rumble that grew in frightening intensity and died away as suddenly as it came.

When all was still once more, Ferdi found himself lying on the ground, tumbled together with the twins, Berry’s hand still gripping his belt. Borry was moaning softly beyond his twin.

 ‘Borry?’ Ferdi said.

 ‘My arm,’ Borry sobbed. ‘My arm, o it hurts!’

 ‘Steady lad,’ Ferdi soothed. ‘Meri? Merigrin? Faramir?’ There was no answer.

 ‘Leave hold, Berry,’ Ferdi said, reaching behind him to pull the youngster’s hand loose. He crawled on the floor, sweeping in both directions with his hands, coming upon a foot, a leg, protruding from a pile of dirt. ‘Berry! Come and help me dig!’ he said frantically, pulling away dirt and rock. He heard a scramble behind him and then felt Berry’s hand collide with his as they scraped at the buried hobbit. At last Ferdi was able to pull Mergrim free.

 ‘Meri!’ Berry sobbed, but Ferdi interrupted, digging frenziedly at the pile.

 ‘Don’t stop,’ he gasped. ‘Farry’s still under all this...’