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The Usual Suspects  by GamgeeFest 7 Review(s)
Isilhen DaegolReviewed Chapter: 2 on 1/1/2006
Hrm... Merry and Frodo with a mysterious box of... something. Whatever could be going on? I do like the stories of the kids, especially the one about the salamanders! I wonder what it was that they really did? And the bit about the water moccasin as a water monster. That was just the sort of thing Bilbo would say to a little kid. Good job!

Author Reply: I actually manage to answer all the questions in this story, of which I'm very proud. :) Fendi and Morti are the resident tricksters. Every generation has to have some and they're it. Merry and Pippin are good successors to them. ~_^

Bilbo would make up water monsters just to impress Merry - and make Saradoc look more like a hero in his son's eyes than he already does. Merry's at that age where his parents (and Frodo) are everything to him and he would likely believe that Saradoc was the one who went and slayed the dragon if Bilbo told him it was so. :)

Grey WondererReviewed Chapter: 2 on 12/29/2005
It's me again, stealing a minute or two for another wonderful chapter. I laughed out loud at poor Esmeralda's efforts to find the truth! This is so very good. I do feel sorry for Bilbo in this one but I am guessing that things will work out before too long. Merry is adorable and he is having such fun in this. I am enjoying myself too. I will be back for more over the weekend!

Author Reply: Esme's going to hear some interesting stories with this assignment, lol. She knew it would be difficult, but it'll prove harder than she thought to get to the truth of the matter. Bilbo's having fun, though he does miss Frodo's company. He too is encounter something he didn't quite expect to. He understands that Frodo's at that age where he's starting to pull away from guardianship, but it doesn't make it any easier, especially since he sees so little of Frodo as it is. Wee!Merry was fun to write. He's such a good friend and companion to his cousin and understandably wants to be just like him. ^_^

Thanks for reading!

AndreaReviewed Chapter: 2 on 12/13/2005
Great story so far!
Frodo and Merry obviously have a secret and it has to be something very special, otherwise Frodo would not leave Bilbo's side for it.

Right now, everything is possible and everyone could be the "kitchen robber", including Frodo and Merry.
Fendi and Morti were very inventive with their answer to Esme's inquiry. They *are* guilty of something, the question is only, what this "something" is :)
Poor Esme, I wouldn't like to be in her place.

And why did Frodo "visit" Maggot's fields again? Maybe just *because* he came directly from Bilbo with all his stories about adventures. Compared to that, Brandy Hall is a boring place. I think it's possible that Frodo only wanted to have a real adventure on his own ;-)

I'm looking forward to reading more!

Author Reply: Frodo definetly has something up his sleeves, as he always does. And as do Fendi and Morti. They are the Merry and Pippin of their generation, lol, and have long ago fine-tuned giving spontaneous, simulateous responses to inquiries. Esme's in for a bit more than she bargained for with this assignment.

Frodo is going through that age of disenchantment, when much of the childhood wonders no longer hold their luster, and he's always been more imaginative than other children his age, which would set him apart at any age. He's also had a much "shorter" and traumatic childhood, what with the death of his parents. All of that, combined with the enticing adventures related in Bilbo's tales as well as with the looming prospect that he is about to be left behind again (when Gil moves away, which would have been months in the planning at this point), makes for one very restless (and rebellious) young hobbit. The forbidden dangers of Maggots' fields would have looked far too appealing to leave them be.

TheHobbitWaffleReviewed Chapter: 2 on 12/13/2005
I love it!

I must apologize for being a loser and not reviewing. I couldn't think of anything to say without sounding presumptuous! Tis a malady of too little sleep and an overactive imagination, so I'll just say that your story is excellent and impressed me so much it exhausted me, until typing took a real effort and I didn't have energy to spare ^^

What is Frodo up to? This ultimatum sounds bad, and I'm getting the vibe something is going to come of it. Hmm? You have intrigued me.

Author Reply: You always have to be careful when issuing ultimatums and be prepared to follow through with it if the worst happens. Rory is clearly not prepared to do that, and it is an extra burden upon Frodo, who already has quite a lot to deal with. Yet, Rory really didn't have much of a choice. We can only cross our fingers and hope for the best.

Any review is a good one. Thanks for reading. :)

LarnerReviewed Chapter: 2 on 12/12/2005
I find myself wondering if this is a variation of a gingerbread house or something quite different. You are managing to maintain the intrigue well, I must say! And Merry is more or less directing the construction? Heh! Poor Esme!

Author Reply: Mmmm, gingerbread house. That's a good theory. :) Merry does have his little hands all over the project, with sufficient guidance from Frodo of course. Esme isn't going to have an easy time with this assignment I'm afraid. She may be ready to pack it in and move to Oatbarton herself before too long!

DreamflowerReviewed Chapter: 2 on 12/11/2005
Whatever Frodo and Merry are up to, has nothing to do with what Esme is investigating--I'm sure of that! But I'm truly baffled as to what it could be!

It's pretty clear Fendi and Morti pulled the wool over Esme's eyes.

My favorite bit was young Gordi--butterscotch under the seat cushions--eeww!!

I'm really curious as to what Frodo and Merry are up to...

Author Reply: Well, whatever they're doing, you can be sure it's not something they want to be caught at. ;) Fendi and Morti are masters at deception, but they're not off the suspect list yet. And Gordi, just like a child to solve a problem in such a manner, sticking the candy under the seat cushions so he won't get the floor sticky, lol.

MaidenofValinorReviewed Chapter: 2 on 12/11/2005
Aw...Merry-filled cuteness. I love the dialogue, especially between Saradoc and Bilbo. Great job!

Author Reply: Wee!Merry is quite adorable isn't he? So adoring of his older cousin, going along with anything Frodo does, and so impressed with his father's daring battle with the "water monsters". ^_^ And then he grew up, lol.

Saradoc only wants what's best for Frodo, and as harsh as Rory's decision was it does seem to be working. Bilbo wasn't too appeased by what he heard though, for he knows that such an ultimatum would only put extra pressure on Frodo.

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