Chapter 1. Buried Alive

The terror continued after the rumbling of the earth stopped. A thin keening assaulted the ear, it seemed there was more dust than air to breathe, and absolute darkness surrounded them.

Reginard Took took stock of himself. His arms and legs seemed to be working correctly, he could breathe after a fashion, and patting his pocket he found to his relief he still carried flint and steel. The first thing he needed to deal with was the noise, it robbed him of coherent thought.

He felt his way across the floor towards the sound, bruising his knees on fallen rocks, but finding the way clear enough for all that. His hand grasped a foot, and he felt his way up the body until he grasped shoulders, which he shook vigorously, to no avail. Guided by the sound, he slapped hard with an open hand back and forth across someone's cheeks. The sound stopped abruptly.

'Whyever did you do that for?' Ferdinald Took said in an aggrieved tone, seemingly unaware that he had been making the keening sound up until now.

'Are you all right, Dinny?' Reginard asked hoarsely.

'Fine, couldn't be better,' the other answered. 'Why do you ask?' He was obviously in shock.

Reginard decided to take stock of the situation. 'All right, then,' he said, raising his voice. 'Who's here? Sound off. Reginard, Dinny...'

'Alengard,' came a weak voice off to his left.

'Lesethal,' and 'Ferritand,' two voices said together.

'Anybody else?' Reginard said after a pause. He named the other four who'd been with them. 'Aldebrand?' No answer. 'Samenthal?' No answer. 'Everard?' His brother, no answer there either. He hesitated. 'Thain Peregrin? Can you hear me?' No answer. 'Pippin?' He waited several breaths. 'All right, Len, Seth, Andy, are any of you hurt?'

'I think my leg's broken,' Len answered. The others chorused that they were all right.

'Stay put, then, Len.' Reginard ordered.

'I'm not going anywhere, Regi,' Len answered, trying to sound cheerful.

Reginard continued. 'The rest of you, feel around, see if you can find a lantern or a torch. I've got flint and steel; we can make a light and see what's what.'

He heard moving and scraping sounds, then Andy shouted, 'Got a torch here!'

'Fine,' Regi said. 'Follow my voice, bring it over here. Crawl, mind you, we don't need any more broken legs.' He could hear Andy moving towards him, then a hand touched his ankle. He could smell pitch and smoke from the extinguished torch. 'Good lad.' He reached down to fumble for the torch. 'Now let us see what we can see...' He put the torch between his knees, working the flint and steel patiently. He didn't want to drop one or the other in the inky blackness.

The sparks seemed overbright, hurting his eyes, but he struck repeatedly, with unending patience, until a spark finally ignited the end of the torch. A cheer sounded from the other four hobbits.

He held the torch up, but the light was hardly more reassuring than the darkness had been.

Andy gave a long, drawn out sigh. 'Ahhh, it's all come down then.'

'Guess there's not much doubt about the quality of the shoring timbers now,' Regi grunted. 'How much has come down, d'you think? How far do we have to dig, to get out?'

'No way of telling,' Andy answered. 'Aldebrand would probably know, he engineered this dig, or the Thain might, but they're not with us.'

'Aldebrand was heading back towards the entrance,' Reginard thought aloud. 'The Thain was over there...' he waved the torch towards the cave-in, staggered to his feet, weaved drunkenly towards the splintered timber and piled dirt and rock. He gave a shout, whirled to hand the torch to Len. 'Hold it high as you can,' he ordered. 'The rest of you lot, come dig. There's feet here!'

'Whose?' Len said.

'Can't tell,' Regi answered. The four hobbits dug frantically to unearth the buried hobbit. When they pulled out the limp body, Regi tried to breathe life back into the assistant engineer, to no avail. He sat back, shaking his head. 'I'm sorry, Samenthal.' The hobbit would never see his first child, due to be born sometime this month.

Dinny began digging again at top speed. 'I feel another foot,' he cried.

The others joined him, until Reginard held them back. 'Wait,' he said, 'there're some timbers here, holding off rock and dirt. We must go carefully or they'll fall and crush us and whoever is under them.' Cautiously they moved dirt and rock away from the body.

Dinny felt the body twitch under his hands. 'This one's alive!' he said.

'Must be an air pocket near his head, probably thanks to these faulty timbers,' Regi said. 'Go carefully, lads.' They continued to shovel dirt away with their hands until Regi stopped them. 'Now then,' he said, 'I think we can haul him back out from under, if we're careful. Ready? Now...' They pulled the body into the open and turned it over. It was the Thain.

'Pippin? Can you hear me?' There was no response. 'Well, at least he's breathing. That's something, anyway.' Regi looked up. 'Dinny, can you crawl under, carefully, mind, and see if anybody else is there?'

The other hobbit swallowed nervously, then nodded. 'Just dig me out as fast as you can if it comes down,' he said, then turned and wormed his way into the space. Soon he was wiggling backwards again. He turned around and sat up, shaking his head. 'I couldn't feel anything but rock and dirt,' he reported.

'All right, then,' Regi said. 'Let's look around and see what we can find. Torches, lamps, water bottles, food, anything useful. Shovels, too, something to dig with. I don't fancy digging our way out with our bare hands.' He looked down at his bleeding hands and torn fingernails. Too bad he hadn't thought of looking for a shovel earlier, but then they'd been in a tearing hurry to try to get the buried hobbits out in time to save them. Worked for one, at least.

***

A breathless hobbit skidded into the kitchen where Diamond was consulting with the cooks. 'Mistress!' he gasped. 'There's been a cave-in at the new diggings!'

'Is there anybody hurt?' she asked.

He shook his head. 'Don't know, but there are hobbits missing.'

'Who?' she asked.

'The chief engineer, his assistant, several others, we're not quite sure yet just who.'

'The Thain had gone down to consult with the engineers,' Diamond said urgently. 'Was he there?'

The messenger shook his head. 'I'm sorry, Mistress, I don't know. It all happened so fast.'

'Very well,' she said, even though it wasn't. 'I'm coming down. I want you to find Reginard and Ferdibrand, O, and Meliloc Brandybuck, he's probably with Pervinca, tell them to round up as many as they can to dig. Send someone for Healer Woodruff, tell her to get all her assistants down to the dig since we don't know how many casualties we're dealing with.' She turned to the head cook. 'We'll need sweet tea for starters, better make up plenty of sandwiches for the rescue workers,' she said. 'I'll be at the New Smials.'

'Yes, Mistress,' the cook said with a bob, then turned to shout directions at her assistants, standing aghast. 'Come on, you lot! There's work to be done!'

A pall of dust was still hanging in the air over the entrance to the New Smials. Diamond shouted out, 'Who's in charge here?' A grimy hobbit came up to her and she recognized the foreman of one of the digging teams.

'Yes, Palagrim, what can you tell me?'

'We'd just come off duty when the engineers came with the Thain, they wanted to inspect the timbers, seems there've been cracks appearing where they shouldn't. They ordered the next shift to wait until they were done. Next thing you knew there was a roar and a shudder and a wall of earth and rock where the new corridor was being dug...'

'The Thain was inside, then?' Diamond asked, her voice icily calm.

'O aye, Mistress, and the engineers. I've got lads digging now but there's no telling how much of it has come down. We've got to shore it up as we go or we'll be having to rescue the rescuers.'

'Tell me if there's anything that you need.'

He scratched his head. 'We could use an engineer,' he said soberly. 'I'm afraid the best heads we have in Tookland when it comes to tunnel digging are buried at the moment.'

Meliloc Brandybuck came jogging up to them. 'What can I do?' he asked breathlessly. He'd only been in Tuckborough a month, since his wedding to Pervinca.

'Wait a moment,' Diamond said, laying her hand on his arm as a shout came from the workings. Four filthy hobbits came out bearing a limp body. Diamond stumbled forward as they laid the body down and a healer knelt beside.

'Everard? Can you hear me?' the healer was saying. He looked up. 'He's breathing, at least.'

'He was near the entrance,' one of the rescuers said. 'We were able to get him out quickly enough, I hope.'

'Where's Healer Woodruff?' Diamond asked.

'She's off on a visit in Tuckborough,' the healer's assistant said. 'I've sent for her.' He bent back to the injured hobbit. 'Broken arm,' he said. 'Ribs might be cracked. Get a stretcher and let's get him to the infirmary.'

'If he was near the entrance, then the others...' Diamond began.

The rescuer nodded. 'They're still digging in there.' As they looked, another body was brought out. There was no shout this time, and the rescuers bore their burden in grim silence. It was Aldebrand, the chief engineer.

The foreman had been consulting with the rescuers. 'That's all they could find,' he said now to Diamond. 'There's a solid wall of rock and dirt beyond. No way of telling how far back the rest were, or how deep they're buried. They might be still alive, trapped in an air pocket. Without an engineer, we've no idea how to find out, or reach them without bringing the whole works down on their heads, or the rescuers' for that matter.'

Diamond swung back to Meliloc. 'There are engineers at Brandy Hall,' she said.

'It's too far,' he said helplessly.

'Not by the pony post,' she answered urgently. She'd laughed at the idea when Pippin and Merry had come up with it. They'd placed fast ponies at inns along the road between Bucklebury Ferry and Tuckborough, and were paying the innkeepers to feed and exercise the beasts and keep them ready should a message rider gallop in, to change to a fresh pony and gallop on with an urgent message.

'What could be so very urgent?' she'd teased.

'O, I don't know,' Pippin had answered. 'Perhaps birthday greetings from Hall to Smials might be.' They had laughed together, but the Thain continued to pay for the ponies on his half of the route, while the Master of Buckland paid for the ponies on the other half.

Now Diamond blessed her husband's foresight. 'They could have an engineer here in a few hours,' she said.

'Right!' Meliloc answered. 'I'll see to it at once!' He ran off in the direction of the stables.

Diamond turned back to the foreman. Reading her look, he said, 'We'll keep digging, carefully as we can, and shoring up the sides as we go. I'll keep you posted on what we find.' He patted her arm. 'You might as well find yourself a comfortable spot, Mistress. It's going to be a long day.'

Chapter 2. Pony Post

The Thain spoke suddenly behind him. 'Frodo, d'you think Gandalf will remember which way to go? We've been here for hours.'

Reginard felt a sudden chill. The two that Pippin mentioned had left Middle Earth nearly twenty years ago, now, sailing from the Grey Havens on an elven ship.

'I'm sure we'll find our way out, Pippin,' he said cautiously.

To his relief, the Thain said, 'Reginard? What are you doing here?'

'We were inspecting the new diggings, d'you remember, Sir?'

'New diggings...' Pippin's voice trailed off, puzzled.

'How many fingers am I holding up?' Reginard asked him.

'Well, if you'd just hold them still, maybe I could count them,' the Thain said irritably. 'Oi my head.' He closed his eyes and put his hand over them, then spoke again. 'Regi, did I crack my ribs again?' He moved restlessly. 'Hard to breathe.'

'There's a lot of dust in the air,' Reginard answered. 'Try to take shallow breaths. I couldn't find any broken bones on you, but that doesn't mean there aren't any.' He raised his voice. 'Andy, come over here a minute!'

The Thain winced. 'Oooo, don't shout,' he muttered. 'My ears are still working, at least.'

'Sorry,' Reginard said. 'Andy, help me get him sitting up.' They eased Pippin's back against the wall.

'Dizzy...' Pippin murmured, opening his eyes only to close them hastily.

'D'you feel like heaving?' Reginard asked.

'Yes, but I'd rather not right now, thank you. I think my head might split open if I did,' Pippin said. 'Where are we?'

Reginard felt a stab of alarm. 'Don't you remember, Sir? We're in the New Smials. It all came down on our heads.'

'I know that,' the Thain said in annoyance. 'I meant, where in the diggings are we?'

'At the far end, I'm sorry to say. They could have a hundred feet of rock and dirt to dig through, to get to us. And I wonder how long we're safe here?' Reginard said grimly.

'Until we run out of air?' Pippin said.

'No, until the rest of it comes down on us,' his cousin answered.

To his surprise the Thain chuckled. 'Not likely,' he said,' from what I remember of the plans. There's a natural rock shelf above us. No, we're perfectly safe as long as the air holds out.'

'It could take them days to get to us,' Andy said in a low voice. He didn't want to alarm the others.

The Thain opened his eyes for a quick look about the torchlit chamber before he closed them again. 'Don't think we have that much air,' he said softly. 'We're going to have to figure something else out, can't just sit on our thumbs waiting for rescue.'

'What did you have in mind?' Reginard asked, settling next to him, back against the wall.

'Found a water bottle!' Dinny yelped.

Reginard remembered not to raise his voice. 'Bring it over here then.' He took the bottle, shook it, it was at least half full. He raised it to Pippin's lips. 'Here, take a sip,' he urged. After Pippin had swallowed a sip or two, Regi took out his handkerchief, wet it with a few drops of the precious liquid, and wiped the Thain's face.

'Did you have another idea for getting us out of here?' Andy echoed Reginard's question.

Pippin took several shallow breaths, then spoke. 'There's an old tunnel running into the hillside beneath us. I remember remarking on't when Aldebrand showed me the plans. We're a bit higher up, of course, wanted to leave plenty of floor, wouldn't want a cave-in of course.' He chuckled, but the chuckle turned into a cough. Reginard eased him as best he could. After another sip of water, the Thain went on. We can dig down to it, t'would be much faster than trying to dig through the rockfall.'

'Where do we start digging?' Andy asked.

'We're at the far end?' Pippin asked.

'Aye,' Regi answered.

The Thain was silent for a few breaths, head back against the wall, calculating silently. 'Found a pick! ...and two shovels!' Dinny called behind them.

'Good, lad! Keep looking!' Regi answered. 'Seth, come get this water bottle, give some to Len, will ye?'

'Thanks,' Len called back, 'I'm that dry, I am.'

Seth got the bottle. 'Take a swig yourself,' Regi told him, 'but make it a little one.' The other hobbit nodded and went back to Len.

Pippin spoke again. 'About ten paces from the back wall, I'd say,' he said. 'Just start digging straight down.'

'Right,' Regi said softly. 'You going to be all right here?'

'I'll be fine,' Pippin said. 'You go right ahead, I'll prop up this wall, keep it from falling on you.' He didn't open his eyes to see Regi's grin, but smiled at the squeeze Regi gave his shoulder as the older hobbit got up from the wall.

***

The innkeeper was on the roof of the stables, pounding a shingle into place, when he heard his youngest son shout. 'Something's coming!' the lad said.

He looked up to see a cloud of dust on the road. 'A rider, coming fast,' he said through a mouthful of nails.

His oldest son looked up from his own hammering. 'D'ye think it's the Pony Post?' he said.

'Let's not take no chances,' the innkeeper answered. 'Probably just another test, but we might as well be ready as not.' He wasn't going to give the Thain another chance to use the sharp side of his tongue. He spat the nails into his hand, shouting down. 'Who've we got ready in the stables, Toby?'

'Nightengale,' the lad shouted back.

'Saddle 'er up, then, have her ready.' The sound of a distant horn clinched it. 'Hurry up! That rider'll be here in a minute!' He gestured to his oldest son, and the two of them descended from the roof.

The rider brought the pony racing into the yard. The dancing hoofs belied the heaving sides, lathered flanks, flaring nostrils. The innkeeper stepped up to seize the reins. 'Easy, lad,' he soothed, 'You've made a good run, it's time to rest now, for all you're ready to go on.'

Toby came running up, leading Nightengale. The mare was prancing, eager to go. The rider flung himself from the saddle, grabbing the saddlebags from his lathered pony, throwing them over Nightengale, and pulling himself up.

'We're just sitting down to elevenses,' the innkeeper said. 'Would you like a bite?'

'No time!' the rider gasped, but he did take the cup of water that the innkeeper's oldest daughter held up to him, drained it at a gulp, handed it back and turned the pony towards the road with the barest thanks. Over his shoulder, he said, 'Have three ponies ready for the return trip!' With a swift kick to Nightengale's sides, he was gone.

'What is it then, another test?' the innkeeper's wife said, coming from the kitchen.

The innkeeper shook his head, staring after the cloud of dust. 'There must be bad trouble at the Great Smials, is what I'm thinking...'

'Well, we'll hear about it sooner or later. Come on, then, tea's getting cold,' his wife said.

'Just a minute, Daisy.' The innkeeper raised his voice. 'Nibs! Toby! Go get three of the Thain's ponies from the field, saddle 'em up, have 'em ready to go!'

'Yessir!' the boys called back and headed out to the pasture at a jog.

'It'll take the rider another two hours to get to Buckland, and then there's the trip back,' his wife protested.

'Aye,' the innkeeper said grimly. 'But we'll be ready for them when they come. Won't hurt the ponies none to stand under a saddle for a few hours, and whatever's happened, they seem to be in a tearing hurry about it.'

He handed the reins to his oldest son. 'Cool him out good, lad, clean him up and give him a good rub down. Looks as if he went at a gallop all the way here from Tuckborough.'

'Yessir,' his son replied as the innkeeper went to the stables to get down the Thain's saddles.

Chapter 3. Digging Down

Pippin sat listening to the satisfying thunk of Regi's pick digging into the floor of their trap, followed by the scrape of shovels wielded by Andy and Dinny, removing the loosened dirt, then the soft shush as Seth carried bucketfuls of dirt aside and emptied them. The hobbits sang softly as they worked, keeping the rhythm with their tools. He hated this helpless feeling, listening to others work while he merely sat. To distract himself, he called softly to Len, lying nearby.

'How are you, Len?'

'I've been better,' came the reply. 'And yourself?'

'Can't complain,' the Thain answered. 'Cosy seat, good view, fine entertainment. The only thing mising is a cup of wine to make me perfectly happy.'

'Wouldn't the view be better if you opened your eyes?' Len asked.

The Thain smiled. 'O no,' he said softly. 'A watched pot never boils, you know. They'll make much faster progress if I keep my eyes closed.'

Len laughed. 'I have an even better idea,' he said.

'What's that?'

'Once we get out of here, let's leave tunnelling to others and go fishing.'

'Sounds fine to me,' Pippin answered. 'So you've decided you don't want to continue studying to be an engineer?'

'O, I wouldn't go that far,' Len said easily.

'How far would you go?' Pippin asked.

'What d'you mean?' Len said, grimacing as he tried to find a more comfortable position.

'Aldebrand and I were talking of sending you, Dinny, and Seth to the Lonely Mountain, learn a few things about mining from the dwarves.'

Len sat up so fast he gasped at the sudden pain in his leg.

'Easy now, lad,' Pippin said, opening his eyes.

'I'm all right,' Len said. 'Foolish of me.' He coughed. 'Dust is bad,' he commented.

The Thain closed his eyes again. 'Air's not so good, either,' he said, 'but it'll be breathable awhile yet.'

'You're really going to send us to the dwarves?'

'O, aye,' the Thain murmured. 'They've forgotten more about digging than you could ever learn from Aldebrand.' He sighed. 'I hope he got out.'

'I hope we get out,' Len said softly.

***

Diamond had sent Ferdibrand to the Thain's study to get the plans for the dig. He spread them out on the ground while she, Meliloc, and the foreman gathered around. The foreman put a hand on the page. 'That shading means rock, that much I know,' he said. 'If they were at the far end, we can't dig down to them, there's a rock ceiling above.'

Diamond nodded. 'But if some of them were there, it could have saved them,' she said softly. She remembered long hours in the Thain's study, listening to her husband discussing the details of the diggings with the engineers. She frowned and looked more closely. 'These aren't the right plans,' she said.

'What d'you mean?' Meliloc asked. 'They're clearly marked.' He pointed to the legend "New Smials".

Diamond tapped her finger on her husband's barely legible scrawl, "Prlmnry". 'These were the first plans they drew up, the preliminary plans. They are not completely accurate, I know for a fact that changes were made. Did you not find the final plans?'

Meliloc shook his head. 'Aldebrand probably had them with him.'

Diamond looked to the foreman, who shook his head as well. 'They were not on him when he was found,' he said. 'Either someone else has them, or they're buried.'

Diamond took a steadying breath. 'Then we'll use what we have.' They bent back to the plans.

Meliloc put his finger down. 'So if I'm reading this right, the rock stops here? We could dig down into the tunnel, then over.'

'We don't even know where they were...' the foreman said in despair. 'There's a hundred feet of corridor to go through.'

'Tell me again what happened,' Diamond said.

'The Thain had sent Aldebrand out to tell the next shift to wait, he also had a few questions for us, and then he turned to go back in. It wasn't long after that it all came down. I think Everard was with him, yes he would have to have been, but I only remember seeing the two of them. The others must have been further inside.'

'Perhaps at the end of the corridor, where the work had stopped,' Diamond said. She was going to hold out maximum hope. To think anything else was to believe her husband buried under tons of rock and dirt.

There was another rumble and panicked shouts, and a cloud of dust rose from the entrance to the diggings. The foreman excused himself hastily and ran back to the work.

Diamond felt a tug at her skirt. 'Mother?' a grave little voice said.

'Faramir!' she gasped. 'What are you doing here?'

'I heard...' the lad said, his eyes enormous. She wasn't surprised, their son excelled at finding out information he wasn't supposed to know. He nodded towards the entrance, where hobbits scurried about like disturbed ants. 'Is Father in there?'

'Yes, he is,' Diamond said soberly.

'Is he in charge?' Faramir asked. 'Or is he one of the ones buried?' His clear eyes gazed directly into his mother's.

She hesitated, and he knew the answer. In his disconcerting way he went straight to the point. 'I'm too young to be Thain,' he said. 'I'm only ten.'

Diamond hugged him hard. 'We don't know anything yet,' she said. 'We have to hold on to hope.'

The foreman came back, shaking his head. 'That was close,' he said. 'The fall is just too unstable. We need more shoring timbers before we can keep digging. I've sent off, but don't know when they'll get here.'

'Could you start digging down from the top while you're waiting?' Diamond said. It went against the grain to just sit and wait while hobbits were buried alive.

The foreman nodded. 'We'll do that, Mistress.' He turned to shout orders, and several work crews shouldered picks and shovels and began to climb the hill above the diggings.

***

Merry looked across the River at the sound of a horn, saw that the flag was raised at the Ferry. He saw hobbits at the Buckland landing jump to send the Ferry back across to the western shore. Berilac came up to him. 'Pony Post?'

Merry nodded. 'That's what it looks like. Wonder what Pippin's about. It isn't anyone's birthday.'

Berilac grinned. 'Maybe he saw fit to run another test, keep the innkeepers from getting slack.'

'It's a little warm to be running ponies at top speed,' Merry shook his head. 'Let's go down to meet him, see what's up.'

The young rider from Tookland had dismounted when he saw the Master and Steward approaching the landing, and he left the lathered pony in the care of one of the other hobbits, to jump to shore as the Ferry was being tied up. He was hardly recognisable, so dust-coated was he, and he was breathing hard, but he began to speak as soon as the Master reached him.

'There's been a cave-in at the new diggings in Tuckborough,' he gasped. 'The Took is lost, don't know if he's alive or not,' Merry gave a start, and the rider continued, 'We've no engineers left; they're all buried.'

'That was short-sighted of them,' Berilac murmured, but when the rider turned on him in anger Merry put up a restraining hand. He could see his steward was deep in thought. 'I wish my father were still here,' he said. 'Merimac was the best engineer Buckland ever had.' He looked up. 'D'you think Buckland can spare both Steward and Master? I was training under him before you tapped me for Steward.'

'Right,' Merry said. 'You see to the ponies whilst I get Doderic.' He turned to the messenger. 'Take your pony to the stables, they'll care for him there, then go up to the Hall and give your message to the Mistress. Tell her the Master and Steward and Chief Engineer are all off at once.'

'Yes, Sir,' the messenger said, handing Merry the saddlebags and turning back to lead his pony from the Ferry.

Merry snagged a young Brandybuck, telling him to run for Doderic, he'd be in his study this time of day, then he turned to the saddlebags, digging out the hastily scrawled message from Meliloc. Good, they could use the Pony Post; he'd ordered three ponies made ready for them at each stop. Fine foresight on his part, he'd probably already figured that Merry, Berilac, and Doderic would be the ones to come.

Chapter 4. Down and...

The trapped hobbits had made quite a bit of progress; the hole was now head-high and they had to take turns working in it. First one would wield the pick, loosening all the dirt and rock at the bottom of the hole that he could, then the others would haul him up and another would jump down to shovel dirt into buckets, which he'd lift up to the waiting hands. There was not enough air for singing, anymore.

Reginard slid down next to the Thain. 'You still with us?' he asked hoarsely.

The other rolled his head to look over, attempting a grin. 'How could I tear myself away?' he whispered.

'Just how deep d'you think we have to go?' Regi asked.

The Thain made the effort to focus on the work at hand. 'My, you've delved deep,' he said in surprise. 'We've been here that long already?'

'O aye,' Regi returned. 'You know how the time passes when you've a pleasant occupation.' He coughed painfully. Breathing in didn't feel all that different from breathing out anymore.

'Can't be much further,' the Thain whispered.

'Too bad we didn't find a bit of rope,' Regi said. 'Would've made hauling the buckets of dirt out that much easier.'

'Ah,' the Thain said wisely. 'If you want rope you ought to talk to the Mayor. He twists his own, you know.'

'Aye, lad,' Regi said, squeezing the Thain's shoulder as he struggled to rise, to go back to the digging. He had to get the Thain to fresher air, and soon. For that matter, he needed to get himself to fresher air. He crawled back to the lip of the hole in time to grab the next bucket of dirt.

***

The three from Buckland poured over the plans while the foreman told of the rescue efforts thus far. 'We dug down from the top twice, to try to reach them that way, hit solid rock each time. We've still got a team trying to clear the corridor, but it's slow and treacherous work. We're even trying to dig inwards from the side of the hill.' He was tired, and he'd run out of ideas. He was no engineer, just the foreman of a digging crew. Now he lapsed into silence.

Doderic touched a spot on the page. 'What's this, here?' Berilac looked more closely, nodding. It looked like another possibility, if he was reading the plans right.

The foreman scratched his head. 'I don't rightly know,' he said.

'It looks like another tunnel, on a lower level,' Doderic said. 'This type of shading is used to imitate depth, show something below the level you're working at.'

'Is there another tunnel, or cave?' Merry asked.

'There might be...' the foreman said slowly.

A small voice spoke up behind them. 'There is!' Merry turned to see Faramir behind them, though he had been shooed away several times already. 'We're not supposed to play there; Father says it's dangerous.'

'What can you tell us about it, lad?' Merry asked.

'It goes back into the hill a ways. I think it was dug to keep ale cool, there's still bits of broken casks near the back,' Faramir said readily.

Berilac looked up. 'If this plan is right, it passes right under where the excavation stopped. We might have a better chance at reaching them from below; there's much less ground to get through.'

'Is it dirt or solid rock?' Doderic asked. He bent to the plan again. 'A mix, it seems.' He looked up. 'All right, let's get a team there, we'll send probes up through the ceiling of the tunnel, see if we can get one up all the way without being stopped by rock.' He looked to the foreman. 'Keep the other teams on the job, just in case...' In any event, they wouldn't leave the hobbits entombed there; they'd recover the bodies if they couldn't get there in time to rescue them alive.

He looked to the young Took. 'Can you take us to this tunnel of yours?' he asked. The boy nodded. 'All right, Doderic said, jumping to his feet. 'Let's go.'

***

For some time now, Pippin didn't know how long, the sound of the pick had changed. Instead of the dull thunking sound it made as it was buried in the dirt and pulled free again, he had been hearing a sharp metallic sound.

'Regi!' he called weakly. The other crawled to him. 'What's the matter with the pick?' he said. 'It doesn't sound right somehow.'

'We're digging as hard as ever,' Reginard answered. 'Just listen to that rhythm.'

The Thain shook his head. 'Something's amiss,' he maintained. 'Can ye not hear it?'

Regi stopped to listen; he'd been working automatically for so long now that the only sound he noticed was the silence if the work should be interrupted. As his brain slowly absorbed the implications of what he was hearing, his shoulders slumped. 'We've hit rock,' he said, heavily. As if the same notion had come to the pick wielder, the sound slowed and then stopped.

'Should've realized before,' the Thain muttered. 'Can't think... air's bad...' He sat suddenly upright, clutching at his cousin. 'Regi,' he said urgently. 'The air's bad!'

'I know, lad,' the other said soothingly. 'Not much we can do about it.'

'Who's in the pit? You've got to get him out; the bad air's heavier, he'll suffocate before the rest of us...' the Thain said wildly.

Regi nodded stupidly as the knowledge dimly penetrated his brain. 'I'll get right on't,' he said. He turned and crawled to the pit. Dinny and Seth lay on their faces where they had fallen near the lip. For a wonder, Len still held the guttering torch aloft, though it was tilted as if he could no longer manage to keep it upright. Regi peered over, to see Andy sprawled at the bottom of the pit. Regi turned so that he could go down feet first, might as well not break his neck at this late date. He took as deep a breath as he could, knowing that this air had to be better than what was down there, let himself fall. He picked up the other hobbit and thrust him over the lip of the pit, head bursting with the effort. It seemed too much trouble to climb out himself, but then he heard the Thain's call.

'Regi!' Pippin pushed himself away from the wall, falling forward, trying to crawl towards the pit.

Reginard made a last effort, hauling himself up over the lip before collapsing at the edge. He reached out his hand to the Thain, fingers barely brushing those outstretched towards him. He couldn't tell if Pippin were dead or merely unconscious. Staring into the unseeing eyes turned towards him, he said the words he'd left until almost too late.

'You made a fine Thain, cousin, the past six years. I only wish it could have been longer. It's been an honour...' Breath failed him; he laid his own head upon the ground and drifted off to sleep. As his eyes were closing, he saw the torch dip, then gracefully glide to the ground. Darkness claimed them once again.

Chapter 5. ...Out

The probe had found a likely spot, the digging was going fairly quickly despite the complication of trying to dig straight up. Carpenters hammered together an ever growing scaffold of sorts as the diggers worked their way upwards.

Suddenly the work stopped. 'What is it?' Doderic called, waving Merry and Berilac to silence.

A muffled voice called back. 'A noise, something, d'you hear it?' Merry stopped the hammering of the carpenters and all listened to the sound, a fairly regular metallic clink.

'It's them!' Merry shouted. 'They're trying to dig their way down!'

A cheer went up, but Doderic shook his head. 'They've hit rock, then,' he said quietly.

Berilac said urgently, 'From the sound, we're not too far from where they're digging, and the probe still shows our way clear, going up... if we can just get up to where they are and then traverse it'll cut time off.'

'Right!' Doderic said. He handed up a short probe. 'Use this to probe to the side. As long as you hit rock you know you haven't reached them yet. Be cautious, you don't want to stab someone when it breaks through.' The digging started again with a will, continuing even after the clinking stopped. Merry realized he was holding his breath when he started to feel dizzy. He forced himself to breathe. They had to be getting close.

A muffled voice called down, 'The probe's going through! We're digging... we've broken through!'

Then suddenly, the workers at the top of the scaffold were falling, limp, barely caught in time by those below.

'Watch out!' Doderic shouted. 'Bad air! It'll be sinking down through the hole, everyone to the sides, away from the hole.'

'How long do we have to wait?' Merry asked urgently.

'Good air ought to be rising even as the bad air is coming down,' Doderic said. 'When we can stick a torch in the hole without it going out, it'll be safe to climb up.' He put a hand on Merry's shoulder. 'Remember, cousin, the air in the pit they were digging will be much worse than higher up. We may still have some survivors, probably not whoever was digging, but somebody up top might be with us yet.'

It seemed like an eternity before Doderic pronounced it safe to ascend. A healer was one of the first to go up, and soon limp bodies were being passed down the line of hobbits on the scaffold to the willing hands below. The healer descended with the first body. 'How many?' Merry asked him.

'Six breathing,' was the answer, 'This one's not.' Merry nodded, that was the number they'd been looking for. The healer continued, 'It was a near thing for some that are still with us. This one never had a chance, he was crushed to death, I think.' He looked back up to shout, 'Take it easy with that one! He's got a broken leg!'

The last one to be handed down was the Thain. He opened his eyes as his people gently eased him onto a stretcher. 'Good to see you, Sir,' the healer said. Other voices joined in, hands touching him as if to make sure he was still among them.

'Good to see you, too,' the Thain told his people. His eyes turned then to the three from Buckland, and he looked puzzled. 'Whatever are you doing here?' he asked.

Chapter 6. Lying Low

The slow trip carrying the stretchers back to the main part of the Smials was made longer by the hobbits who gathered to see and touch the rescued. The healer had sent a runner ahead, to let the Mistress know the Thain was alive, and to tell her to find Samenthal's wife, to break the news to her as gently as could be.

Merry was amazed at the number of hobbits who thronged the Thain, as if assuring themselves that he had not been lost to them. He remembered Pippin's frustration, the subtle disrespect that he'd met on returning to Tookland six years earlier, the stubborn resistance to any plan he might put forth. 'But that's not the way Thain Paladin did things...'

He'd had his work cut out for him, to win the hobbits of Tookland, to weed out the seeds sown by his father's constant and outspoken disdain.

It seemed Pippin had won this particular battle. As a matter of fact, his hobbits' affection was threatening now to overwhelm him. The healer's voice rose to a shout. 'All right, clear out, the lot of you! These hobbits need air!' The rescuers pushed back the crowding hobbits more vigorously, and the stretcher bearers were able to make their way to the main entrance to the Smials.

The rescuers allowed the waiting relatives through their protective line. Weeping wives came up, one to throw herself upon her husband, another to take up a hand gently in hers; a mother tenderly kissed her son's grimy cheek and hugged him as if he might break.

The Mistress of Tookland knelt by the Thain. 'Pippin?' she said softly.

Her husband opened his eyes and smiled. 'Hullo, my love,' he said. 'What's for tea?'

'Tea's over and done with,' she said.

'Did you save me any seedcake?' he whispered.

She kissed his forehead. 'I think I might be able to scrape up a few crumbs.'

His eyes went to their son. 'Faramir, I want a word with you...' he said, trying to look stern.

'Yes, Father?' the boy said.

'I understand you led them to the abandoned tunnel. I know you've been told more than once about the dangers of that tunnel...'

'Yes, Father,' the boy repeated.

'All I have to say to you, lad, is...' the Thain took a few shallow breaths. 'Thank you.' He closed his eyes again, and Healer Woodruff stepped in.

'I'm sorry, Mistress, we need to get him into a bed. I want to check him over and this is not the place to be doing it.'

'Yes, of course,' Diamond said, rising to follow the stretcher.

***

As Diamond helped to wash the grime from her husband, he opened his eyes again. 'Just when I'd managed a thoroughly even coat of dirt,' he said. 'Now look, all my work's wasted.'

'Could be worse,' Diamond said, surprising herself with her next words. 'We could have been laying you out for your burial.'

'Aye, looks as if I've got it backwards, then. First the burying, *then* the laying out. You mean it goes the other way around?'

'Yes, I think so,' his wife said.

'Ah, well, just think, you still have that to look forward to,' he said. At her puzzled look, he said. 'Ask for me on the morrow, you'll find me a very grave hobbit.'

She made a face. 'I don't think I care for that joke, and it's one I've heard before.'

He nodded, 'O aye, 'tis a very old joke.'

When he was clean and tucked in with clean sheets and propped up with pillows, he sighed.

'Sorry, Sir, but you can't rest quite yet,' Healer Woodruff said gently.

'It's always something,' he muttered.

'I don't like the sound of your lungs,' she went on. 'We've got to get you to try to cough.'

'Ah, no, I'd rather not,' he answered.

Diamond was shocked, but the healer spoke as if he'd agreed whole-heartedly. 'We're brewing some tea right now that will loosen things up a bit, and I'm going to have you breathe some steam for me.'

The Thain shook his head. 'I'm tired,' he said, 'and my head hurts. Let me be.'

The healer smiled, shook her head, answered, 'I'm afraid we cannot do that. And you know it very well, Sir. You can rest a few minutes whilst the tea is brewing, but then we've got to start the fight that's ahead of us.'

The Thain closed his eyes. 'Tired,' he said again. Diamond looked to the healer, panic stirring deep within her, and met the worry in the other's eyes.

The healer squeezed the Thain's shoulder and rose. 'We'll let you rest now,' she said, and nodding to the Mistress to follow her, she left the room.

Chapter 7. The Old Gaffer's Friend, Revisited

"The Old Gaffer's Friend" -- Shire term for pneumonia, which carried off the elderly relatively quickly and painlessly

Merry was waiting in the corridor. 'Got him all tucked up, nice and cosy?' he asked, but his smile faded at the sight of Diamond's face. 'What is it?' he asked.

'O Merry, I'm so glad you're here,' she sobbed, and he put his arms around her, looking to the healer, whose face was grim.

'He's fighting me,' she said, 'which is in itself not unusual. What worries me is his not fighting.'

'I don't understand,' Merry said.

'The Thain has always been a difficult patient at the best of times,' Woodruff said. 'He refuses to give in to illness or injury, and I practically have to tie him in bed to keep him there.'

'So I'll go in and sit on him then,' Merry said, but the healer was shaking her head, and Diamond gave a little sob against his chest.

'That's just it,' Woodruff answered. 'He's not fighting this time. He's not railing about this project and that undertaking and why in the world am I keeping him in bed for a sneeze or a scratch?' She sighed. 'I think if I were to let him be this time, he'd turn his face to the wall.' Merry felt a chill as the healer used the old hobbit expression for one who'd had enough.

He looked down at Diamond. 'Let me speak to him,' he said.

'Right,' the healer said, straightening. 'We'll go off to the kitchen, Mistress, and you'll help me make this tea palatable enough for him to choke it down.'

'And if he doesn't choke it down?' Diamond asked.

Woodruff smiled. 'I still have a few tricks up my sleeve, Mistress,' she said, and took Diamond's arm to lead her away.

Merry entered the room, staring down at his cousin for a long moment before he spoke. 'You know, this will not do. It won't do at all.'

Pippin opened his eyes. 'Did Diamond send for you? I'm that bad off?' he asked. 'When did you get here, Merry?'

Merry sat himself in the chair by the bed. 'Don't you remember, Pippin? I was there when they dug you out... Tookland was suffering a sudden dearth of engineers, so they sent to Buckland for some.'

'Ah,' Pippin said, closing his eyes again.

Merry chuckled. 'The Pony Post finally paid for itself,' he said.

'Oh?'

'Yes, we were here by teatime,' Merry answered.

'So was it you ate up all the seedcake?' Pippin asked.

'No, I think it was Doderic,' Merry said. 'I was too busy eating all the jam tart.' He could hear the rattle of his cousin's breathing. 'You know, you've got Diamond quite upset.'

The Thain didn't answer. 'Pippin, look at me!' Merry said urgently. When there was no response he pinched his cousin sharply.

'Whatever did you do that for?' Pippin said, opening his eyes.

'Trying to wake you up,' Merry said, barely holding on to his temper, which proceeded to slip from his grasp. 'You're lying here feeling sorry for yourself, it's not bad enough you got yourself buried, scaring your wife half to death, but now you have her even more upset with your selfishness.'

'I--' Pippin began.

'Exactly!' Merry snapped. 'I -- I -- I -- that's all you're thinking about. Not a thought to those who love you and are worried about you, like your wife, I saw her outside just now, she's worried sick!' He took hold of himself again and spoke more softly. 'Pippin, you've got to fight. We don't want to lose you.'

The Thain's eyes opened wide. 'You're not going to lose me,' he said. 'I'm just tired, is all. If I start to cough my head is going to split wide open and my brains will fall right out.'

'That might be an improvement,' Merry said evenly. 'Now I want you to do exactly what Healer Woodruff says, and I want you to smile at your wife and say "Yes, dear" to everything she says.'

'Yes, dear,' Pippin muttered.

'You're delirious,' Merry said.

'No,' Pippin answered, opening one eye. 'Just practicing.'

***

When Merry saw the agonies his cousin went through to try to cough the dust from his lungs, he was almost sorry he'd talked him into it. Almost. He knew there was really no other choice. He held Pippin firmly through the coughing fits, easing him back on the pillows at the end of the last one, smoothing his hair back and saying, 'At least your brains haven't fallen out yet.'

'Just give it time,' Pippin gasped. 'I've shook them loose, anyway.'

***

They were having a whispered consultation in the corridor. 'I don't believe he realizes how very ill he is,' Merry said.

'So what else is new?' Diamond demanded in frustration.'

'No,' Merry shook his head. 'This is different, somehow. Before we've always had to fight to keep him in his bed, telling stories to distract him. This time I think he needs the stories to keep him from slipping away from us.'

He tried to smile at Diamond. 'I've done this before,' he said. 'I'm sending Berilac back to Buckland, but I'll stay until your husband is out of danger.' He spoke more confidently than he felt, but Diamond nodded and he saw some measure of the fear leave her eyes.

'Now, Mistress,' the healer said, taking her by the arm. 'I want you to put your feet up and rest. You can be holding the Thain's hand whilst you do so, but those feet are to be up on a stool and I will take no arguments from you, I've enough to contend with from the Thain.'

Merry gazed at Diamond in shock. She nodded up at him. 'Yes,' she said. 'It's not generally known, yet, I just told Pippin yesterday, as a matter of fact.'

'Congratulations,' he said, smiling gently. 'Woodruff's right. You worry about yourself and the little one, and leave the worrying about Pippin to me. I've had lots of practice.'

***

'I was afraid of this,' the healer said, lifting her head from the Thain's chest. 'We're in for the full fight.'

'What, the Old Gaffer's Friend has come back for a visit?' Pippin asked weakly. 'I thought he only came in the winter.'

'Ah, no,' Woodruff said softly, wringing out a cloth to place it on his forehead. 'It seems he's made an exception in your case.'

'We can get through this,' Merry said encouragingly. 'You've done this before.'

Pippin nodded, closing his eyes. 'O aye,' he said, 'Practice makes perfect.'

Chapter 8. Storyteller

Merry awakened slowly, lulled and pulled at the same time by a lilting voice with a storyteller's cadence. He thought at first it was Diamond, coaxing Pippin to stay with them, but it was not her voice, not quite... He listened with eyes closed, feeling the weariness of the long watch in every bone.

' "...could crawl away if we could only somehow cut our bonds. But there's no hope for it, I suppose. My hands are tied so tight I can't even feel my fingers anymore." '

'His cousin answered, "That's what I was trying to tell you. I've managed to free my hands; these loops are only left for show. But you're worn out, cousin. I think we'll get farther if you have a bit of lembas first." He slipped off the cords and felt in his pocket for the lembas that he'd carried all the way from Parth Galen. It was broken but still in its leaf-wrappings, still wholesome, y'know, and each of them ate a few pieces. It brought thoughts of sunshine and sweet water and laughter and fair faces to them as they sat on the battlefield and ate.'

Merry heard the speaker take a deep breath before going on. 'Then Pippin, he came to himself, realizing again where he was, and he said, "But we must be off! What are we doing, just sitting here? We have places to go and people to see!" He crawled to the goblin and found a long sharp knife, and used it to cut their bonds. Then he said, "Now for it! We'd better start by crawling, I think, to keep us below notice, y'know, and because I for one can't walk at the moment!" He laughed, and added, "but later perhaps we can stand and walk." And so they crawled through the grass, round the watch-fire, to the edge of the stream. Father, do you hear me?'

Merry heard a catch in the speaker's breath, and opened his eyes to see young Faramir, leaning forward, grasping his father's hand, speaking earnestly, tears on his face. 'Then Pippin said, "We must get under cover before those Riders see us! It would be small comfort for them to discover we are not Orcs only after we are dead!" He staggered to his feet and stamped them vigorously. "These cords have cut me like wires," he said, "but I think my feet are getting warm again. I can feel them well enough, feels like all the pins and needles in the Shire are to be found in my feet! I could stagger on, now, rather I think we must, don't you, Merry?" '

The lad breathed raggedly, stifling a sob, and continued. 'Merry got up and stamped his own feet, saying, "Yes, I think I can manage it. The lembas certainly puts heart in you, better than that old orc-draught, anyhow." He wanted a drink but Pippin told him they'd better find a place along the stream where the banks weren't so steep. And so they walked into the forest... And Merry said... Merry said...'

Faramir wiped his face with his sleeve, looking into his father's face, then he laid his head down upon the blankets.

Merry rose, and placing a hand on the boy's shaking shoulders, he said softly, 'You seem to have been doing well, Master Took. You will get almost a chapter in old Bilbo's book, if ever I get a chance to report to him. I shall have to brush up my toes, if I am to get level with you.' Faramir turned and threw his arms around Merry's waist, and Merry held him tightly, murmuring wordless comfort to the lad. As he felt the sobs ease, he knelt to look eye to eye with the lad. 'Go to bed now, lad, and thanks for spelling me. I'll take over now.'

'Don't fall asleep,' the boy ordered.

'Don't worry,' Merry said. 'I got a bit of a rest just now, I'll be fine until morning. Now go before your mother finds you out of bed.'

Faramir left with a last look at his father. Merry turned back to his cousin. 'You've a fine lad, there, Pippin,' he said. 'You can't go leaving him, he needs you. Diamond needs you.' He looked up to the ceiling in frustration, then back down at the bed. 'For that matter, I need you. And Tookland needs her Thain. Stay with us, cousin.' He sighed. 'I know you're tired, but you've been tired before. Keep fighting.'

Chapter 9. The Honourable Mayor

When the Mayor of the Shire was shown into the Thain's study, Ferdibrand Took rose to greet him, showing him to a chair by the great, intricately carved desk.

'What can I do for you?' Ferdibrand asked gruffly.

'I came to see the Took,' the Mayor said.

'He's out,' Ferdi grunted.

'Out where?' Samwise asked. 'I heard you'd had an accident here, and he was in the middle of it. So he's up again? And out?'

'Our of his head, mainly, the past two days,' Ferdibrand muttered, then shook himself as if realizing what he'd revealed. 'You heard of the accident? News travels fast, it was barely a week ago.'

'I came to borrow an engineer to help us plan a project in Hobbiton,' the Mayor said.

'Sorry, we've none to spare at the moment,' Ferdibrand said shortly.

'So I've been given to understand.' Samwise waited. 'Can I see him?'

Ferdibrand hesitated. The knowledge that the Thain was dangerously ill was being carefully guarded. Rising from the desk, he excused himself for a moment and left the room.

A moment later, Mayor Samwise was surprised to see the Master of Buckland enter the study.

'Merry!' he exclaimed. 'What brings you here?'

'I could ask the same,' the Master said, smiling, but the sharp-eyed Mayor detected in his face the subtle signs of strain.

'I thought I'd kill two birds with one stone,' Samwise said. 'We needed an engineer to plan some new diggings, and the nearest are here in Tuckborough. And while I was here I thought I'd see Pippin. I'd heard there was some sort of accident, but couldn't find out any other details.'

Merry met Sam's quizzical look calmly. 'That's probably because the Tooks are guarding the details with great care. I'm surprised you even heard about the accident.'

'Well I didn't hear much,' Sam admitted, his disquiet growing. 'Just what is going on?'

Merry shrugged. 'It's not my news to tell. You know how the Tooks are.'

Sam fixed him with the look that Frodo would have called his way of "staring through a brick wall". 'All right,' he said sternly. 'Enough is enough.' He blanched as a thought struck him. 'Is Pippin dead? ...and his son too young to be Thain, is that what all this is about?' He regarded Merry soberly. 'And you're here to try to keep Tookland from being thrown into an uproar.'

Merry met his gaze steadily, disconcerted by the Mayor's shrewd guesses. It could have been that way, could still happen as a matter of fact.

'He's ill,' he conceded. 'The only reason I know anything is because I was on the spot. I think they make allowances for the fact that I'm half Took myself. The Tooks aren't telling anybody anything at the moment, not until they see which way things are going to turn.'

'So what can you tell me?' Samwise asked reasonably.

'My hands are tied,' Merry said helplessly. 'As Mayor, the Tooks ought to inform you, but they're not talking to anybody right now.' He rose.

'Let me intercede for you with Ferdibrand,' he said. 'Samwise the Fellow Traveller might pull more weight at the moment than Mayor Samwise.'

He was gone some time. Samwise sat tight. Finally Merry returned with Ferdibrand Took, who seated himself behind the desk again, meeting Sam's gaze with a wary look of his own.

Sam said nothing, merely raised an eyebrow.

'You may rely on his discretion,' Merry said quietly.

Ferdibrand seemed to come to a decision, nodding abruptly. 'We had undertaken a major new excavation,' he began.

'The New Smials,' Sam nodded. At Ferdibrand's look of surprise, he said, 'The Thain told me about it on his last visit to Hobbiton.'

Subtly reassured, Ferdibrand continued. 'We were having problems with the shoring timbers; cracks were appearing in some of the beams. The Thain and his engineers were inspecting the worksite when it all came down on them.'

The Mayor stiffened, then asked, 'How many did you lose?'

'Two, the chief engineer and his assistant. The rest are all abed.'

'And the Thain?'

Ferdibrand shook his head. Merry laid his hand on his arm, in tacit request. At the other's nod, he said, 'You know how his lungs are. He got a knock on the head, that wasn't so bad in itself, but the dust he breathed is killing him.'

Samwise nodded. 'I know, it's why I told him he could never be a farmer.'

Ferdibrand guffawed suddenly. 'Pippin, a farmer?' He sobered, shook his head, apologized. Samwise could see clearly now the strain of the past week.

'May I see him?' he asked softly.

Ferdibrand nodded to Merry, who turned to Sam and said, 'I'll take you to him now.'

Chapter 10. "As Long ss It Takes"

Pippin was so exhausted he didn't know how he could draw the next breath ... but he did. And then the next ... and then the next. He felt the hand with cool, slim fingers release his own, and a new hand took up his, large, strength in it, powerful, but gentle, too, cradling his fingers as if they were eggs in a robin's nest. He sighed, and then worked on the next breath ... and the next.

Samwise spoke, 'Hullo, Pippin. Do you know me?'

He stirred and opened his eyes. 'Sam? Is it time to get up already?'

'Not quite time,' Sam answered. 'You can sleep a little while yet.'

'Good,' he said. 'I'm tired. Don't know why I'm so tired...' He moved a little fretfully on the pillow. Someone took the cloth from his forehead and replaced it with a cool, damp cloth. After working on a few more breaths, he said, 'Sam? Are you still here?'

The fingers tightened slightly on his. 'I'm still here, Pippin.'

'Don't let Frodo eat up all the breakfast now. Save some for me, will you? I'll be along in a minute.'

'Don't you worry yourself none about it,' Sam said huskily. 'There's plenty for all, and then some.'

'Good,' the Thain said. He let his eyes close the rest of the way and started paying more attention to the breaths, which had threatened to stop the minute he took his mind off them.

Merry spoke behind Sam. 'How long can you stay?'

Samwise considered. Mid-year's Day was past, so he didn't have to worry about the three-day Lithe celebration. Barley harvest was beginning, but they didn't really need the Mayor to open that festival, now did they? He hated to leave Rose alone with all the little ones, but seventeen year old Frodo-lad was remarkably responsible for his age, and of course young Elanor was her mother's main prop and stay.

When he'd told Rose he was going to Tuckborough, to get to the bottom of things, she'd said, 'Stay as long as you have to. Send word if you can.'

He gently squeezed the limp fingers, was rewarded by a flutter of movement. 'As long as it takes,' he answered. 'Why don't you go off and get yourself some rest, Merry? I'll take the next watch.'

***

Pippin noted the passage of time in simple ways. Breaths. Cool cloths replacing warm dry ones. Voices. Sips of hot or cold beverages, sweet or gaggingly bitter by turn. And then there were the hands. There was always a hand holding his, which was a great comfort. He didn't like the thought of walking alone in the dark. Sometimes the hand had cool, slim fingers, sometimes the hand was firm and strong, sometimes large and work-worn, but gentle for all its rough exterior. There were other hands too, one much smaller than the rest, a child's hand. There were always voices speaking to him, keeping him anchored as the wind and waves threatened to sweep him away. And then there were the breaths. One... after... another.

One morning he awakened and something was different. He felt as if he'd been pressed flat, absolutely drained, without the energy to lift a finger much less an eyelid. He wondered idly if the next breath would come along. It did.

'Pippin, can you hear me?' Diamond's voice. Where had she been? He'd missed her. He had looked and looked for her but to no avail, and now here she was, under his nose, practically speaking. The cool slim fingers tightened on his. 'Pippin, love? The fever's broken.' He catalogued that information but didn't have the energy to nod. 'Pippin, are you awake?' He managed to move his fingers slightly in answer.

Diamond felt the flutter. 'He's awake,' she said.

'Let's try to get some broth into him, then,' the healer said. Mayor Sam lifted him from the other side, and the healer held the cup to his lips. 'Come on, then, Sir, take a little sip for us.'

'That's right, my love,' Diamond said, seeing him swallow. She kept hold of his hand as they eased him back onto the pillows.

Pippin felt as if he'd been cocooned in softness, pillows beneath him and blankets above. He sighed, then waited for the next breath to come. It did. This was progress.

'Tired,' he whispered with the next breath.

Diamond's voice came, close to his ear. 'Sleep then, love, it's all right. We're keeping watch for you.'

Pippin thought he'd take her up on that.

***

The next time he woke, Mayor Samwise was on one side of him, Merry on the other. This time he managed to lift his eyelids despite the pony that seemed to be sitting on each one.

'Good morning,' Merry smiled.

'What time is it?' he breathed.

'Nearly time for elevenses,' Samwise answered.

'What're you doing here, Sam? Don't you have a festival to open, or what not?'

Mayor Sam stretched. 'O yes,' he answered. 'There will be a big celebration here, any day now, I'm thinking.'

'O really?' Pippin said, interested in spite of himself. 'Why didn't anybody tell me?'

'You were busy with other things,' Merry said.

Busy with other things. O yes, the diggings. He frowned. 'It all came down, then, didn't it?'

'Yes it did,' Merry answered softly.

'How many... how many did we lose?' They were quiet, and he opened his eyes wider, trying to sit up.

Merry's eyes met Sam's as they eased Pippin back against the pillows. Sam nodded solemnly. 'He'll get no rest until he knows.'

Merry nodded, looking back to Pippin. 'Two,' he said.

'Who?'

'Aldebrand and Samenthal,' he answered.

Pippin closed his eyes, and a tear leaked from the corner of one. 'His son will never see his father,' he whispered. 'My fault. How could I have been so stupid?'

Samwise leaned forward, tightening his grasp on Pippin's hand. 'You were pretty stupid,' he admitted. Merry looked on in shock. Sam continued, 'Stupid, short-sighted, overconfident. You want more?' Pippin made no answer.

Sam said, 'I don't know what you were thinking of, taking all your engineers, even the apprentices, underground with you at the same time. Did you never think to leave one on watch outside, just in case? They had to send all the way to Buckland to get someone to dig you out again.'

'Right,' Pippin breathed. Sam watched him closely. It was best to draw the thorn quickly, let the poison out right away so that the wound could begin its proper healing. 'Guess I bit off more than I could chew.'

'Well, it's not your fault the timber was badly seasoned,' Sam said. 'I'd find a new supplier, though, if I were you.'

Pippin shook his head. 'Don't know how I can even think about another project,' he said. 'I've let my people down so badly. Shouldn't wonder if they trundle me out of the garden with a wheelbarrow.'

Sam said, 'I want to show you something.' He pushed the covers back, took up a blanket and wrapped it around the Thain. Looking up at Merry, he said, 'Take him from the other side.' They lifted him between them, carrying him out of the room, into the corridor, through several turns, and out the front entrance of the Great Smials, hobbits staring hopefully after them as they went.

Samwise and Merry carried the Thain right out the front door and turned. Pippin saw a great drift of flowers laid up on both sides of the entrance. Some hobbit children were laying armfuls of wildflowers atop the piles as they emerged. A little hobbit lass pointed and squeaked, and her brother took off running.

'They add new flowers every day,' Samwise said.

'Whatever for?' Pippin asked. Tooks and Tooklanders were gathering round, faces welcoming, hope replacing dread in their eyes.

Merry smiled. 'For their Thain,' he said. 'They wanted be ready to greet you.'