22. Like Old Times

After the feasting was ended, and the Thain had invited the Mayor and Master to join him in the study for ale, Mayor Samwise rose to lift the Thain from his chair, nodding to the Master of Buckland to take his other side. As they raised him, Merry found the burden to be much less than he'd expected. Alarmed, he met Sam's calm gaze; the Mayor gave the slightest shake of his head and said to Pippin, 'Don't know how we can manage you, this heavy mail and all.'

'Now, Sam,' Pippin chided, 'You expect me to believe that? After you hauled Frodo up Mount Doom?'

'He wasn't wearing mail at the time,' Sam answered, unruffled.

As they reached the corridor, Pippin said, 'What kind of a ride is this, I ask you, and on Race Day? I've drawn a couple of plodding plough ponies, and no mistake!'

Staid Mayor Samwise threw up his head. 'Plough ponies!' he snorted. 'Are we going to let him abuse us so, Merry?' To the delight of the young Gamgees and Brandybucks and Tooks in the hallway, he tossed his head, pranced a bit and gave a creditable whinny.

'Is it a race, then?' Merry grinned.

'O aye, that's the spirit!' Pippin cried.

'I wager they'll be neck and neck at the turn,' Diamond laughed.

'They'd better be, or it'll be my neck that's broken,' Pippin called back as the two fiery steeds bore him away, past astonished servants and laughing relatives.

***

Sipping at his ale, Pippin looked about and sighed. 'It has been a glorious day,' he said. 'I cannot think when last I laughed so hard.'

Regi topped off their glasses and said, 'I don't know how long it'll take people to get over that last "race". They may press to replace Mayor and Master as well as Thain.'

'Ah, well, I can devote more time to racing, then,' Merry said. 'Much more fun than mastering, anyhow.'

'Look at us,' Pippin broke in. 'The three most important hobbits in the Shire. Can you feel how heavy the air is?'

'O, and I thought Ferdi had forgot to open the damper again,' Regi said.

'Just think what we could accomplish if we put our heads together,' Pippin said. 'Why, we could invade Mirkwood!'

'And then what?' Merry laughed.

'O I dunno,' the Thain said, scratching his head. 'Civilize the Elves, I suppose.'

'They'd probably end up civilizing the hobbits instead,' Samwise put in.

The Thain shook his head. 'No, we couldn't have that...' he said. 'That would not do at all. Elves are fine for food and music but they're dull as houses.' Sam choked on his ale and Reginard made a great show of slapping his back.

'I guess we'd better leave off ideas of conquest,' Merry suggested. 'What'll we do with our time, then?'

'Well, if you decide not to devote your time to pony races, I've a couple of projects in mind,' the Thain said. Turning to the Mayor, he said, 'First off, Samwise, I've never understood why there's not a road between Tuckborough and Hobbiton; there must be a way to persuade the farmers that it would be a good thing to let a road pass through their fields...'

They talked on, Ferdibrand unobtrusively taking notes, until Regi said, tipping the pitcher over the Thain's glass, 'Well, that's the last of the ale.'

'Good thing, too, otherwise I'd be as drunk as a Brandybuck before the evening's out,' Samwise said.

'Watch yourself! I resemble that remark!' Merry said with mock sharpness.

'My keeper is telling us the evening is at an end,' Pippin laughed. 'I trust your quarters meet your satisfaction?' Both Master and Mayor expressed their contentment. 'How long can you stay?'

'I need to be at Michel Delving for Lithe, of course,' Mayor Samwise said. 'We can stay another week, I think. It's nice to have a holiday.'

'Stay as long as you like,' the Thain told him. 'Move in permanently, there's plenty of room in the new diggings.'

'Are you sure they won't come down about our heads?' Samwise grinned.

'No, that new supplier you put us on to has provided some very nice wood, very high quality,' Pippin said, raising his glass in a toast to the Mayor before turning to the Master. 'And you, Merry?'

'We'd planned to stay through Lithe,' he said, 'as long as Buckland doesn't wash away in the meantime.'

'Well, since it's not the rainy season I suppose we'll be stuck with you until then,' Pippin said mischievously.

'Is there anything else you'll be needing?' Reginard said to the guests.

Samwise drained his glass and stood. 'I can take a hint,' he said. 'Come on, Merry, I have a need to cool out my race pony with a stroll in the evening air.' They took their leave of the Thain and his counsellors, and left the study.