Sections in italics are quotes directly from The Fellowship of the Ring , Chapter 3, “Three is Company”

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CHAPTER 17

The next day Frodo became really anxious, and kept a constant look-out for Gandalf.

Merry and Pippin were in extremely high spirits, rough-housing and chasing one another about the half-empty hole as though they had wakened ten years younger. Another time their antics might have amused Frodo as much as it did Fatty and Folco, who egged them on. But today it just made him cross.

“For goodness sake, you two!” he finally cried in exasperation, as they wrestled on the front room floor. “Why don’t you act your age?”

The two younger hobbits broke apart and stared at him, startled. Frodo was seldom in a temper.

“But there’s nothing breakable left in here,” protested Pippin, looking hurt.

Merry looked at Frodo astutely. “If you’re that worried about Gandalf, cousin, why don’t you go for a walk? You might meet him on the road that way. And if you don’t, why then, at least it will get you out of here.”

Now Frodo felt guilty for snapping at them. Merry knew him all too well.

“You might have the right idea at that, Merry. Would anyone else care to come with me?”

Merry and Pippin looked at one another. “I don’t think we will, Frodo. We might just keep on annoying you,” said Pippin.

Frodo winced. He deserved that.

Behind his back, Fatty nodded at Folco, who said “I’ll come keep you company, Frodo.”

“How about you, Fatty?”

“No, I think I’ll give my poor bones a rest, after all that hard labor, yesterday.”

“Well, all right, Folco,” Frodo shrugged, “it looks like it’s just you and I.” He looked a bit puzzled.

A few minutes later, Pippin looked out the window, to see the two heading down the path to the road. “Amazing! That was incredibly easy. How in the world did we get so lucky?”

Fatty smirked. “I just told Folco we had to plan a birthday surprise for Frodo, and that I wanted him to get Frodo out of the way for a while today. When he lets it slip, then of course, Frodo will be in no hurry to come back, lest he spoil the surprise.”

Merry snorted. “ ‘When' he lets it slip’?”

Fatty laughed. “Of course, that is Folco we’re talking about.”

“Ah, yes.” Pippin sat back down. “I see. But you know we will have to come up with a very good surprise to account for it.”

“Already taken care of,” answered Fatty. “ I asked Marigold yesterday if she knew someone who could bake an especially nice cake for Frodo’s birthday dinner, and she said she thought Rosie’s mum Lily would be just perfect for the job. The lasses were going to speak to her about it last night. I told them to tell her to make it as lavish as possible, and we‘ll cover the expense, as well as pay her nicely.”

Merry applauded. “My dear Fatty! You are so very efficient.” Then he stood up. “We need one more person now, to make the conspiracy complete. Pip, I think Sam’s out in the tool shed. Would you ask him to come in here?”

“Sam?” asked Fatty. “I thought he had taken himself out of this.”

“He had. But it’s time he came back in.”

Pippin found Sam out back making sure of the tool shed. Those tools that had belonged to Mr. Bilbo had been cleaned and put back in good condition. Those that were Mr. Frodo’s and his own personal tools had already been shipped off to Buckland. But Sam wanted to make sure that absolutely nothing they were not entitled to remained for the Sackville-Bagginses.

“Hullo, Sam,” said Pippin. “Merry’d like to see you inside.”

“All right. Do you know what for?”

Pippin just shrugged. He was going to let Merry be the one to say what needed saying.

As they entered the room, Merry looked up at Sam and said “Now the conspiracy is complete.”

Sam stopped in shock. “Mr. Merry!” he said, with more than a hint of disappointment and anger.

“No, Sam. It’s all right. You don’t have to tell us anything we don’t already know or haven't figured out for ourselves. But there are some things you need to know. Come in and have a seat. Frodo and Folco should not be back for quite some time.”

Sam came in and sat down gingerly. He felt not a little suspicious.

“First of all, you need to know that Pip is coming with us, too.”

Sam raised an eyebrow at this, but the pugnacious look on the young Took’s face dared him to say anything. And after all, he was not truly surprised. Fancy Mr. Merry ever thinking he’d leave Mr. Pippin behind, no more than Mr. Frodo was going to get away with leaving Mr. Merry behind.

“I know, Sam,” said Merry, answering the unspoken question. “I did want to keep him out of it, but he figured it out on his own, so, there it is.”

“Oi,” said Pippin indignantly. “I am sitting right here, and I am not just a piece of the furniture.”

“If you were,” grinned Merry “you would not be going, so there! Don’t interrupt.”

Sam turned a quizzical glance at Fatty. It was more than a little skeptical, as well.

“No, Sam, I am not going. I will however have a useful purpose to serve.”

Finally Sam sat back in his chair. “I see that you are right, Mr. Merry. It looks like there are some things I need to know.”

“So.” Merry also leaned back, “here is the plan so far. On the day after the party, Fatty and I are headed to Buckland and Crickhollow. We’ll be preparing the cottage just as though Frodo really is planning to retire there. You, Frodo and Pip will be coming along on foot later that day, unless Gandalf arrives sooner. Then all wagers are off. Do you know what Gandalf might say to our joining Frodo?”

“Mr. Merry, I just don’t know. He is a wizard. But I think his main idea is to keep Mr. Frodo safe. If you can convince him you will be a help and not a nuisance, then I think he’ll probably say yes. Only thing is, I’m not sure Mr. Frodo will; he’s right fond of you two, and won’t take kindly to the idea of taking you into danger, begging your pardon, Mr. Pippin, but especially you.”

“We’ve a plan for that, as you well know, Sam. He either takes us, or we follow. That simple. Now, when we leave, Fatty is going to remain at Crickhollow and see how long he can maintain the illusion that Frodo is still there. That was his own idea, by the way,” said Merry admiringly.

Sam grinned. “Well, that’s a right good plan Mr. Freddy. That way we could keep it secret a lot longer that we’ve gone.”

Merry continued. “Now, as far as those of us who are going: I have found five ponies--four to ride and a pack pony. Two of them were already mine, two I purchased the last time I was home, and I will leave the price for the last with a note for my father when we leave. Before I left Buckland this last time, I also got together most of the gear and tack we will need for travelling in the Wild, and stowed it in the hayloft in Crickhollow’s stable.”

Sam nodded. He always knew Mr. Merry was level-headed and practical, a lot like himself, in fact.

“I’m not sure how long Frodo will want to linger in Buckland; whether he will want to start out right away or not, but I thought it best to be completely prepared to go at once if necessary. It will also make it harder for him to say ‘no’ if we take it for granted we’re going.” Merry turned to Pippin. “Did you leave any kind of word for your parents?”

Pippin shook his head. “I tried. But every note I wrote said either too much or too little, so I gave up. I’m not a very good letter-writer.” He flushed.

“It’s just as well, Pip. If your father got hold of a note too soon, it could spoil everything. He does fly off the handle from time to time.”

Pippin grinned, and Fatty and Sam laughed outright at this description of the Thain.

Sam sat forward. “Mr. Pippin, you and I will be walking to Buckland with Mr. Frodo for a couple of days. We’re going to have to be careful not to give nothing away on the journey down.”

Merry laughed. “Pip can keep a secret, can’t you Pip.”

“As well as you,” answered his cousin saucily.

Merry shook his head. “No, I think even better than I. Sam, did you know that Pip figured all this out last spring, and I didn’t even have a hint he knew until day before yesterday?”

Sam looked incredulous.

Fatty nodded. Pippin smirked.

“Now,” said Merry “once we’ve revealed ourselves, I think we will leave the rest of the decisions up to Frodo, or to Gandalf if he turns up. The only thing we are determined on is that if you leave without us, Pip and I will be following as soon as you’re out of sight. This we are absolutely adamant on.”

“I understand that Mr. Merry. And I thank you for including me back in this little plan. I’m sorry I had to stay out of it for so long.”

“That’s all right, Sam. It could not be helped. Now does anyone else have any ideas, or shall we adjourn to The Ivy Bush for some ale?”

This was met with unanimous approval, as they had been avoiding The Green Dragon since the encounter with Ted Sandyman. No need to be drawing unwanted attention at this stage of the game.

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When Frodo and Falco finally returned that afternoon in time for tea, they could tell by Frodo’s attitude that Folco had indeed let slip there would be a birthday surprise of special magnitude. He was contrite for his snappish temper earlier, but he was still wound up over Gandalf’s continued absence. Although he reminded himself over and over that Gandalf was, after all, a wizard, and unlikely to come to harm, he still worried. No one had ever heard of Gandalf not keeping his word.