Chapter 9. Changes in Tookland

The great room was again crowded at the evening meal, full of curious Tooks who had not yet had an eyeful of the new Thain. They rose and bowed to acknowledge Pippin's entrance, and at his nod seated themselves. He felt many eyes upon him, but managed to chat nonchalantly with Eglantine on one side and Reginard on the other as the food was being served.

When no one made a move to eat, he realised that all were waiting for him. It had been a long time since he'd eaten in the great room of the Smials, and he had forgot the rigid protocol that Thain Paladin had insisted upon. He picked up his fork... and motioned to the nearest server. The head server also hurried over, bowing obsequiously and inquiring in an anxious tone after the matter.

'This fork is not clean,' Pippin said. 'I would like another.'

The head server bowed again, took the fork, and signalled to the other servers, who began collecting silver from the tables. The gathered hobbits sighed, realising what had happened, preparing themselves to wait out the delay whilst the silver was washed. They'd have to wait for the Thain and those at the head table to be served with freshly washed table settings first, of course, and then on down the long rows of tables. By the time the last hobbits received their place settings and their food, the Thain would be finished eating, and of course, once he stood up from the table, the meal would be over for all, whether they'd actually eaten or not.

'Stop,' Pippin said firmly.

The head server looked up, startled and apprehensive. What had he done wrong, now? There would be trouble enough for having overlooked a fork that was not quite sparkling, and at the Thain's place in the bargain. He wondered how long the lecture would be, and how much of a fine he must pay for his carelessness.

All the servers had stopped, awaiting the Thain's command. The hobbits waiting for their meal stared as well. Pippin fixed the head server with his eye, saying clearly, 'There is no reason to wash all the silver, unless, of course, it is all in need of washing. Put back those settings. Bring me another fork. Serve the meal; you're keeping all of us waiting.'

'Yes, Sir, right away, Sir,' the head server stammered, and all the servers sprang to comply.

Pippin turned back to Eglantine, who was smiling, and resumed his account of his morning's work.

Reginard broke in. 'You told Ferdi to supply wood to all the gaffers and widows in Tuckborough?' he asked, amazed. 'And the Thain is to pay for all?'

'O aye,' Pippin answered. 'Since the Thain owns most of the forest in Tookland, I figure he can spare a bit of wood. Look at all the windfall we saw being gathered on the way here. That will be quite handy to keep the widows and gaffers warm next year, after a bit of seasoning, don't you think?' He remembered the hobbits waiting for their dinners, and picked up the freshly shined fork that had been put down a moment before, to take a bite of his food. 'And the gaffers have already paid for the wood, you know,' he said.

'I know,' Reginard answered. 'Ferdi told me. A cartful of wood for each tenday of service to the Thain.'

Pippin waved his fork. 'Or it could be apples, or vegetables, or chickens, even. Last I heard, you could get two chickens for a silver penny,' he said. 'Anyhow, I'm sure you can work out a fair exchange. We're not giving away charity, mind, and it is not to go to any who are able to work but don't care to put forth effort for one reason or another.'

Regi nodded. This was a far cry from Thain Paladin's constant emphasis on achieving the best possible profit, but he liked what he was hearing, as long as Pippin didn't take things too far.

Pippin talked more than he ate, Regi noticed. He had barely cleared half his plate when he picked up his serviette, dabbed at his mouth, and threw the cloth on the table. Instantly the buzz of conversation stopped, and the hobbits put down their forks and began to rise from the tables.

Realising that he had cut short the meals of nearly everyone in the room, Pippin jumped to his feet and waved his arms, arresting everyone's attention. 'This is ridiculous,' he said just loud enough to reach the far tables. 'There is no reason for you to hurry your meal or leave good food to be wasted simply because your Thain has business elsewhere.' He scanned the room with a stern eye. 'Sit!' he commanded. 'If you are still hungry, finish your meal!' With a last glance around, he turned on his heel and left the room.

Hobbits stood uncertain. Reginard pushed back his chair and stood. 'You heard the Thain!' he bellowed. Slowly, the diners resumed their seats, and their forks, and their conversations. The steward folded his serviette, placed it on the table, and followed the Thain from the room, catching up with him halfway to the study.

'It's going to take us some time to get used to all these changes you're foisting off on us,' Regi said. 'Make haste a little more slowly, Pippin. My head is spinning.'

'I will do my best,' Pippin answered. 'Wouldn't want you to get dizzy and fall down, now, would we?' They walked a few more steps, then he said, 'Where is Everard? I thought I asked you to send him to me.'

'He hadn't come in from the fields yet when dinner was served,' Regi answered. 'It's planting time, you know, and he may stay out until darkness falls. I'll look for him now.'

'You do that,' Pippin answered. 'I'll be in the study.' Reginard nodded and went in search of his brother.

'Pippin wants to see me?' Everard said when Regi found him, grabbing a plate of leftover food in the kitchen amidst the clamour of washing-up. 'Whatever for?'

'Thain Peregrin wants to see you,' Reginard said, emphasising the title. 'Watch your step, Ev'ard, he's not wee Pippin any longer.'

'What can he do to me?' Everard snorted. 'Have me cast out of Tookland?' He began eating rapidly. A summons to the Thain, even an upstart, was not to be taken lightly, and the Thain was not to be kept waiting.

'If he had a mind to, he could,' Regi said. 'Or he could just put you on bread and water rations for a time.'

'I'd like to see him try,' Everard answered.

'Don't try him,' Regi warned. 'He's old Paladin's son, after all. And Eglantine's, in the bargain.'

'You might have a point there,' Everard said, sobering. 'I've always been a little afraid of Cousin Eglantine, I don't know exactly why.'

'Don't push him,' Regi said. 'Listen to what he's got to say, and hold on to that temper of yours, little brother.'

'I'll listen, all right,' Everard says. 'But I won't promise to hold my tongue.'

'Why should you start now?' Reginard said, frustrated. 'Just be careful, is all I ask.' Everard nodded, took a last bite of his dinner, and headed to the study.

He knocked, and heard the Thain's invitation to enter. Pippin motioned him to the chair by the desk, poured him a glass of ale, waited until he took a sip before saying anything more.

'How is the planting coming along?'

Everard put his glass down. 'The ground is still a bit wet,' he admitted, 'but I don't like to leave it until any later. We're behindhand as it is.'

'Ah,' Pippin answered, with a sip of his own ale. Putting down his glass, he leaned forward, to say slowly, 'Everard, how ever did you get stuck with the job of overseeing the farmlands?'

Everard was taken aback. He wasn't sure where this was leading, but he did not like the sound of it. 'Thain Paladin assigned me to it, of course. He thought I was competent, the right hobbit for the job.'

Pippin nodded. 'I remember the old days,' he mused. 'You hated everything to do with the garden, the hoeing, the planting, the weeding, even the harvest. As I recall you were not even that fond of berry picking, though it was a great time to fill our bellies and no one the wiser.'

Everard decided to follow Reginard's advice and hold his tongue.

Pippin continued. 'I remember, too, the excellent holes you dug. Didn't matter where, sandbank, or hill, or beneath the roots of a great tree in the woods, you always seemed to know just how to dig it out and brace it up so it wouldn't fall in.' His look grew faraway. 'I remember that hidey-hole you made for Ferdibrand, and the time he let me use it when Pervinca was looking for me...'

'Was it the time you cut all the hair from her doll?' Everard asked. 'Or the time you decided to eat up all the candy she had set on the sill to cool?'

'I don't remember,' Pippin said. 'It was some mischief or other.' He smiled in remembrance. 'In any event, Ev'ard, my point is, you have a gift for the ground. Not for planting and harvest, but for digging. Why aren't you an engineer?'

Everard had no answer. He could not answer, without being disrespectful to the old Thain, who just happened to have been the new Thain's father.

'I take it you had little choice in the matter,' Pippin said at last.

'No choice, actually,' Everard admitted. Pippin nodded. He knew a lot about choices... and the feeling that there are none.

'Do you like your work?' Pippin asked softly. As Everard started to answer, he held up a hand. 'Be honest now, cousin. If you had the choice, what would you choose?' Everard subsided, and the Thain nodded. 'I thought so.'

'What do you mean?' Everard asked cautiously.

'I'm thinking of putting your assistant in charge of the farmlands,' Pippin said. 'Would you say he's competent?'

Everard nodded, his head spinning. 'What's to become of me, then?' he forced himself to ask, swallowing his pride.

'It means starting over, I'm afraid,' Pippin said. 'Going from being in charge, to being an apprentice all over again, but I think you'll be able to work your way up quickly enough, with your natural gifting.' He smiled at his cousin's dumbfounded look. 'I'd like you to think about being an engineer.'

'An... engineer?' Everard breathed.

'Aye,' Pippin nodded. 'I'm sending Aldebrand and Samenthal and a couple of the apprentices to Brandy Hall, to learn a few things of Doderic Brandybuck. He's discovered ways to use black powder in his excavations, you know, what Gandalf used to use in his fireworks; anyhow, he's found some uses for it. I thought it might be good for the engineers here in Tuckborough to look into it.'

'What does that have to do with me?' Everard said, still confused.

'I'd like you to go along, of course,' Pippin said. 'If you're at all interested in being an engineer, that is.'

'Interested...' Everard echoed. Pippin nodded. Everard felt a great grin spreading across his face. 'When do we leave?' he asked eagerly. 'I cannot wait to get started...'

***

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If you are following the story in "At the End of His Rope", you may look for a new chapter every day this week, I have written a little ahead. "FireStorm" is taking more time, as I am still doing research, but I hope to add a new chapter at least every other day, unless the Muse gets out the firehose again and starts pouring out ideas faster than I can type them.

And now, back to the story, wherein the Tooks see another side of their new Thain...