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A Matter of Appearances  by Lindelea 5 Review(s)
BodkinReviewed Chapter: 22 on 8/16/2006
Nail chewing here! Plenty of nail chewing!

Will Sam spot the second ruffian? Will Farry be minced? Will Ferdi end up trying to convince a pile of earth that he is still alive? Will Ted recover enough to make Woodruff believe in the experience of his floating soul? Will she risk leaving him?

I'm down to my knuckles already. Update quickly before I lose my ability to type!

Author Reply: Poor thing. Updated. Does that help?

(No, it really doesn't, much. Perhaps the next installment. *looks ahead* Um. Well. We'll get to the happy end, but there's some thundery bog to get through first.)

Author Reply: p.s. you're in good company. According to PJ, Frodo chewed his nails to nubbins.

But please do not lose your ability to type. EF will kill me. Or make me write more graphic horror and suspense. Or something like that.

I wanted to make a quick and dirty, er, happy end to this story so I could work on your birthday present, but she insists. So it's all her fault! (And I told her so, today over coffee. But she says she'll be happy to edit your birthday present once hers is finished.)

Aargh, drank too much strong coffee today and cannot sleep.

Pearl TookReviewed Chapter: 22 on 8/16/2006
Huzzah! We've captured a ruffian . . .

. . . on second thought, nope, no joy in "Mudville". There were two sent, we've only got one and it was what the lead ruffian wants to have happen, so it's most likely all for naught.

Is the lead ruffian fattening Farry up because whoever they're taking him to is hungry? I'm certain it's not out of kindness.

And will Woodruff ever listen to her Ted? Most likely not . . . after all that would upset everyone so much to raise a hue and cry and have it be wrong. (When will you be doing the re-write of your other Ferdi stories ;-) )

*keeping a watchful eye out for updates or ruffians . . . which ever come first*

Author Reply: Well, had some "free" time this morning and managed to type in all of the next chapter, so it ought to be posted tonight if all goes well.

Very astute. Kind of a win-lose situation, in a way, if the ruffians are captured. Or maybe "everyone wins"? (Hobbits and fat man, I mean, both getting what they want. I guess it's not "everyone wins" though, for the captured ruffians certainly would be the losers.)

Re-write of my other Ferdi stories? *snork* Good thing I hate re-writing so very much.

Thanks!

demeter dReviewed Chapter: 22 on 8/16/2006
There was one ruffian going for the gold, and another one following him.. I hope Sam and Jay are up to the both of them! things are looking better for Farry, for a bit, but not so good for Ferdi! i hope Regi has a lot to say about him, and Ted and Woodruff can get there quickly!

Author Reply: Sam and Jay are up to quite a lot of possibilities! Both were at the Battle of Bywater, after all, and both are high in Pippin's opinion, which says a lot for them. We'll just have to see if luck is on their side.

Funny, isn't it, to hope for a long-winded hobbit?

Author Reply: (thought I'd die of boredom, the first dozen times I tried to read LOTR as a teen, and kept stalling in the "Party" chapter.)

LarnerReviewed Chapter: 22 on 8/16/2006
The fat one has realized a well fed Hobbit lad will sleep deeper and pose less of a problem, while Sam and company have got Red but are apparently unaware of the brawny one who was sent to follow him. Two captives would be better in this case, if Sam had thought it possible a follower was also sent.

Now, Ted is alert and able to talk coherently, allowing Woodruff to realize his prescience is working.

Hurry, Ted, Woodruff--it's getting far too close to the time the "words" are finished and things become irrevocable.

And they are referred to as "prescient" dreams. I used to have them frequently as a child, but not as often any more, or not a vividly as I used to to the point of remembering them afterwards. Most of mine are of things like snatches of conversations, things that barely have an impact on anything, although I did dream a monologue a friend in drama class did once, and the funeral of a cousin's husband who was murdered. At the time of the dreams I had NO idea what either dream meant, of course.

Author Reply: Very astute observation. The fat man is no fool. He's simply a very practical, very evil, man.

You've had such dreams? Are you part Took, then? I once knew someone who dreamed... it seems that they're more common in adolescence, something to do with the stresses/hormones of puberty. But the dreams never were clear enough to give any direction, only a sort of "deja vu" when the happening finally took place in reality.

DreamflowerReviewed Chapter: 22 on 8/16/2006
YEESSSS! Yay for Sam, and for Jay and the others--the first of the ruffians to get caught!

I'm a little relieved for Farry--he's still captive, still in mortal peril, but at least his fears are eased a little and he can rest, poor baby.

But--oh dear! Ferdi! How on earth is Ted going to make anyone believe him?

Author Reply: Yay for Sam and Jay and the rest! But the bird's not in the hand, exactly, quite yet.

Poor Farry... he's in for a very rough time, the next few chapters, but am aiming at the happy resolution. Can one say "happy" at a time like this?

And Woodruff and Ted have been married since Pippin was younger than Farry is in this story, so she knows him well and trusts him and he knows what to say to get her to listen. Whew.

And I'm out of time for today, but look forward to reading Chapter 2 of your "Uruk-hai" story when you post it!

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