Chapter 15. Halting Steps

The Thain was never at his best after the healers were through with him. The process of exercising and stretching the muscles in the injured leg was exhausting, if not to say frustrating. They would leave him alone for a time to recover, then Diamond would bring a tray with second breakfast, talking quietly, drawing him out, bringing him to himself again.

On the last day of April, Pippin was more subdued than usual. He picked at the food and pushed it away, sipping instead at his tea.

'You cannot live on tea alone, love,' Diamond coaxed.

'I had a big breakfast,' he said untruthfully. He sighed. 'This isn't working, Diamond. It's been five weeks. If it were a broken leg, I'd be getting up in a week's time, but there seems no end in sight to this.'

'You're making progress,' she argued.

'It's slow,' he said, but she broke in with a laugh.

'You are always so impatient, it's a great failing of yours.'

He shook his head. 'No, Diamond, we have to face facts.'

'And what are the facts?' she asked more quietly.

'How can I lead the people when I cannot even stand? How can I know what is going on in Tookland, much less the Shire when I'm stuck in a chair all day, dependent upon others' reports to make my decisions? How do I know I'm not just hearing what someone thinks I ought to hear? A decision is only as good as the information it's based on.' He shook his head in frustration.

'What are you saying?' Diamond asked slowly.

'I shall step down as Thain,' he said soberly, 'Appoint Reginard to the office, I suppose. He's a good head on his shoulders and he's firm, the Tooks will follow him.'

Diamond gasped, 'Pippin!'

He turned his head to meet her gaze. 'I've thought this through, love. The Tooks will follow a strong leader.' He shook his head. 'Not a helpless cripple.'

Diamond said slowly, 'I think you unfairly judge your people, Thain,' she used the title deliberately, 'and you underestimate yourself.'

Reginard spoke from the doorway. 'I'm glad to hear you have such confidence in me, cousin.' He entered and closed the door behind him. 'But you're the finest Thain the Shire has had in many years. You cannot assume that I would simply step up to fill your place should you step down.'

'You ran things after Paladin died,' Pippin said quietly.

'I was a caretaker. I took care. Things just kept going as they had been going, nothing changed, nothing grew.' Reginard shook his head in wonder. 'Are you blind as well as crippled, cousin?' he said bluntly. 'Thain Paladin ruled with an iron fist, and look at the result. Tookland stayed within its borders, provincial, narrow-minded, mean-spirited, insular. When the Troubles came we kept the ruffians out, o aye, but did we ever stray beyond our borders to help the rest of the Shire?'

The Thain was silent. Reginald held out his hands,  pleading.  'Don't you see, cousin? Since you've come, my eyes have been opened. I see that being a Took is not the be-all and end-all of things, that other hobbits can have ideas of value, that there is a world out there, beyond the borders of Tookland. Your father ruled with an iron fist, but you have ruled with an open hand, and Tookland has prospered.'

Pippin was silent for so long that Reginard feared he had not been able to reach him. Then he said slowly, 'So how do we convince the Tooks?'

'What do you mean?' Reginard asked.

'Sandy's told me of the rumours, what the people are saying. They expect me to step down.'

'When have you ever done what was expected of you, cousin?' Reginard said in exasperation.

'How do I lead if they won't follow?' Pippin asked reasonably.

'How will they follow if you won't lead?' Reginard countered. 'Listen, cousin, in one thing you are right.' Diamond waited to hear what he would say next. 'You've hidden in the Smials long enough.'

'So you mean to carry me about Tookland?' Pippin asked.

'Hah. Do you really think I would?' Regi answered.

'Then what?' the Thain said. 'I don't understand.'

Reginard shook his head. 'You can be so thick sometimes,' he said under his breath, then looked the Thain in the eyes. 'Hang the healers and their careful but nonexistent progress,' he said. 'I've been watching. They've bought their own lie, treating you as if your leg's broken, never letting you put weight on't. How do they expect it to bear a load?'

He crossed the room, sat down next to his cousin. 'Here, I want to try something. Put your arm around my shoulders.'

Pippin gave a glance at Diamond. 'Really,' he said, 'in front of my wife?'

Regi snorted. 'All right, now we're going to stand up.' He suited action to word.

'All right,' Pippin said. 'We're standing. Now what?'

'Diamond, take his other side,' Regi said. Hardly daring to breathe, Diamond complied.

'Now, cousin, I know you can move that leg, I've seen you do it enough times for those blasted healers. Move the leg. Take a step.' The Thain, face tight with concentration, slid his right foot forward.

'Good,' the steward said. 'Now lean on us and take a step with the other leg.' Pippin complied, and a smile broke out on his face.

'I'm walking,' he said softly.

'Of course you're walking,' Regi affirmed. 'I never had any doubt that you would if you gave it half a chance.'

'Are you sure you want to be a steward? You might do better as a healer,' Pippin said.

'Don't tempt me,' Regi answered. 'Surely dealing with recalcitrant patients would be much easier than dealing with a Thain.'

After a few more steps, the steward eased the Thain back to the bed. 'I think that's enough for one day,' he said.

'Thank you,' Diamond said to him.

'I don't know why you're thanking me,' Regi answered. 'The Thain did all the hard part.'

Pippin sat down with a sigh. 'Well, that's one load off my mind,' he said. 'Though I was prepared to be stuck in a chair forever.'

Regi nodded. 'That was part of your problem, cousin,' he said soberly. 'Though I beg to argue with you that the people wouldn't follow you--they would indeed, even were you legless. It's not your legs that make you Thain.'

Pippin looked up. 'Since you're so good at solving problems, Regi, what are we going to do about the rumours that people are spreading? It sounds as if a wholesale panic is about to start.'

'Well, now,' the steward said, 'as a matter of fact, I've been giving it some thought...'