Chapter 26. The Mayor Steps In

Mayor Samwise gave over the reins of his pony and walked into the Great Smials. Reginard Took met him at the door.

'What brings you here?' he asked.

'I'm off to Gondor for a visit,' the Mayor smiled.

'Gondor!' the steward said, startled.

'I know,' Sam answered, 'I can hardly believe it myself.' He gazed consideringly at the steward. 'Came to say goodbye, see if the Thain would want me to bring anything back, or maybe to try to pry him loose and come along.'

Regi shook his head but didn't smile in return. 'He'd like that, I'm sure.'

Sam's smile faded. 'What's wrong?' he said. He half expected to be put off, turned away, told that the Thain was off on a visit elsewhere in Tookland, so sorry, wasted trip, real pity, that.

To his surprise, Regi said, 'Come on, I'm sure he'd like to see you.' He led the Mayor, not to the study, but deep into the Smials where the Thain's private apartments were to be found.

'Why didn't you turn me away at the door?' Sam asked curiously.

Regi smiled without humour. 'Why, didn't you know? You're practically family.'

He stopped before the Thain's door, indicating that Samwise should wait, tapped lightly and entered. A moment later, the door opened to admit the Mayor.

Samwise entered, keeping his smile in place, not showing the shock he felt at the Thain's appearance.

'Well, Sam, good to see you,' Pippin said wearily. 'I hear you're off to Gondor.'

'Yes, Strider's asked me and Rose and Elanor for a visit,' he answered. 'We're to meet the King's escort at Brandywine Bridge next week.'

Pippin sighed. 'How I wish I could come with you.' He stirred restlessly against the pillows. 'But pressing matters of business keep me here, I fear.'

'Too bad,' Samwise said. 'I know Merry wished he might come along as far as Rohan, but Buckland could not spare him even that long.'

'Yes, besides, if Master, Mayor and Thain all left at the same time, Shirefolk might discover they can get along perfectly well without, and we'd be out of a job!'

Samwise laughed, taking in the tray with its untouched food. Following his glance, the Thain said to his steward, 'Go ahead and dispose of the evidence, Regi, before Diamond comes back. I couldn't eat another bite.' Reginard nodded and left silently with the tray.

Sam settled in the chair next to the bed. 'How are you?' he said bluntly.

Pippin shook his head. 'O it's naught but a cold,' he said. 'Bunch of ninnies, they are, every cough is pneumonia and every sneeze a death knell, you know.'

'Don't let them get away with it,' Sam said.

'I know,' Pippin sighed, 'but good help is so hard to come by these days.' He shifted again, and Sam rose.

'Here, let me,' he said, plumping the pillows and rearranging them to settle the Thain more comfortably.

'Thanks, that's just what was needed,' Pippin murmured, his eyes closing. In a few moments he was asleep, and Samwise went in search of Diamond.

***

'...you put the cooked tomatoes through the sieve, like this,' Samwise said as the head cook and assistants watched. 'Comes out all smooth and velvet-like, and all the seeds strained out.'

He set the bowl of tomato puree down to check on the progress of the sandwich filling. 'That's it,' he said approvingly. 'Mince the meat just as fine as you can. The Thain likes the bite of onion; chop that just a tad more coarsely, but not enough to make him have to chew it if he doesn't want to. Then mix enough dressing in to make it nice and moist but not soggy.'

Looking up, he jumped back to the tomatoes. 'What do you think you're doing?' he demanded, intercepting the pitcher with a sniff. 'Milk, I warrant.'

'Aye,' said the startled cook.

'Good thing I stopped you before you added it and we'd had to start all over,' the Mayor said sternly, shaking a finger in the other's face. 'Cream,' he intoned soberly. 'Richest you can come up with.' He nodded for emphasis. 'Cream, and no milk, in the Thain's soups and sauces from this point on.'

'Yes, Sir,' the cook said respectfully, stirring the desired cream into the gently warming soup.

'Now, let me show you how to put it all together,' Sam said. He cut thin slices of bread, spooned the filling on, topped the sandwich. 'Now we cut it in half, and then into quarters.' He suited word to action, laying the triangles neatly on the plate in a pleasing pattern. 'He'll eat more if it looks like less,' he muttered. 'Now the soup.'

He bypassed the bowl the cook held out, opting instead for a mug. 'Easier to sip from,' he said, 'and sips are larger than spoonfuls.'

He added a snowy napkin to the tray, and a bowl of freshly sliced fruit in bite-sized pieces. 'There.'

Diamond shook her head in wonder. 'Wherever did you learn all this, Samwise?'

His eyes met hers soberly. 'I kept Mr Frodo going long after he'd given up on himself,' he said softly. 'But we've got a harder row to be hoeing ahead of us...'

'What do you...?'

He looked around to make sure all the kitchen staff were busy about their dinner preparations, and there were no ears nearby, then spoke so softly Diamond almost didn't catch the words. 'We've got to get Mr Pippin built up to where he can take up the fight again,' he breathed. 'He has no Havens to go to.'

With a nod, he picked up the tray, raising his voice to the kitchen staff. 'I thank you for your kind attention!' There was a murmur of response, and the Mayor and the Mistress of Tookland departed to bring the Thain his elevenses.