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Dead Steward's Gift  by Stefania 4 Review(s)
Agape4GondorReviewed Chapter: 6 on 6/11/2008
OK - I want first dibs on the annals! I cannot believe how my heart stopped at just reading those words... To actually have Denethor's journal in one's hands. Wow - though I wonder how difficult it will be for Faramir to read them... if he ever lets to the stone!

Author Reply: Hi Agape -

I wish I could put you in the secret room of the Observatory just so that you can spend lots of quality time with the annals. I'm sure Faramir will be glued to them after this story ends. Thanks for following along.

- Steff

LarnerReviewed Chapter: 6 on 5/23/2008
It's about time! Heh!

Author Reply: No kidding :)

Thanks for keeping up with this, Larner.

- Steff

BMReviewed Chapter: 6 on 5/22/2008
Oh man, Faramir doesn't seem to be thinking very clearly, and I'm afraid of what trouble he's going to find now that he has the stone!

Another great chapter! This is an excellent story! Very well written, very engaging. Your characters are vibrant and lively and so very real. I love this and can't wait for more!

Thanks so much for sharing it!

Author Reply: Thanks so much, BM. I'm glad you are enjoying this tale. It's my first attempt at writing a mystery/comedy.

Faramir has solved the mystery "where is it/who has it." He now gets his chance to look into it. Tolkien tells us that palantirs were not evil or very powerful in of themselves. They were merely communications devices, the iPhones of classic fantasy. Evil powers like Sauron or Saruman got their hands on these tools and used them for evil purposes.

In post Ring-war Gondor, few people knew of the palantirs. And those who did equated them with the power to drive their users mad (see Denethor). Is Faramir's desperate urge to look inside the palantir due to the insidious, evil nature of the stone? Or is is it just his curiosity getting the better of him?

You'll find out in the final chapter, coming up next.

- Steff

Linda HoylandReviewed Chapter: 6 on 5/22/2008
You had me holding my breath about if the palantir would be found.I hope Faramir is not becoming obsessed with it.

Author Reply: Hi Linda -

You and Faramir are holding your collective breaths that I finish poor Faz' travails.

Thanks to everyone for keeping up with Dead Steward's Gift. Unfortunately, right around the time I finished the last chapter, my elderly mother fell and broke her hip. The good news is, she is well on the mend and walking about with a cane. But the past few months were taking up with Mom issues and cross-country (3000 miles in the US) flights to help get her on the road to recovery.

So Faramir has had to wait and wait before he gets his opportunity to use the palantir. Hang on, everyone.

- Steff

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