Chapter 9. Late Supper, Early Morn

The great room had been scrubbed clean of all reminders that animals from the Great Smials stables, barns, and byres had been given refuge there, and now the Tooks of the Great Smials sat down to late supper. As the Tooks entered the room, each looked fearfully at the head table, where places were set for the Thain and his family, all empty, of course. If the Thain were dead, the heavy ring that was his seal and signet would repose in the center of his empty plate. Each hobbit breathed a sigh of relief to see the absence of the Thain's ring, and went on to his or her place.

The usual boisterous talk was replaced by subdued conversation, hobbits comparing notes with others who had been in other places during the fire, and hobbits who'd been together going over the events of the day.

Everard sat next to Ferdibrand, forcing himself to eat though he wasn't really hungry, listening to the quiet talk around him. Ferdi sat in silence, neither talking nor eating, not responding to any talk directed at him. The other Tooks let him be.

Halfway through the meal, Everard saw Reginard come in and take his place next to the Thain's. He breathed a sigh of relief to see his brother safe and sound; he'd heard that Regi was directing things, bringing order back out of the chaos, but hadn't actually laid eyes on him until just now.

A Took cousin across the table from them said, 'That was good work, Ev'ard.'

'Thanks,' Everard said absently.

'Good thinking,' the other went on. 'That black powder of yours saved us, I warrant.' Others were nodding.

'Wasn't my black powder,' Everard replied. 'Came from Buckland, you know.'

The other snorted. 'Buckland!'

'Be fair, Thorigrim. Truth is, the powder came from Buckland. The idea to bring it to the Tookland was the Thain's. So I suppose you could call it "his" powder.'

'O aye,' the other said. 'But 'twas your idea to use it.'

Everard kept a tight hold on his temper; after all, Thorigrim was only trying to compliment him. Somehow he managed to keep his tone even, though perhaps exaggeratedly patient. 'The only reason I had the idea to use it was because I'd learned to use it. The reason I'd learned to use it, and the powder was there to be used in the first place, is because the Thain thought it might be good to borrow an idea from Buckland for a change. Give the credit where it's due.'

Thorigrim nodded and took another bite of his supper, chewing without enthusiasm, though there was nothing wrong with the food. The cooks had taken more pains than usual, as a matter of fact, knowing the importance of food to soothing the low spirits of worn and weary hobbits.

'He shouldn't have been there,' Ferdi said under his breath.

Everard turned to him. 'What did you say?' he asked quietly.

Ferdi said again, 'He shouldn't have been there. He shouldn't have been at the fire. Why did Regi let him go?'

Everard answered, 'Because Pippin's Thain, and you don't exactly tell the Thain what to do.'

'But he shouldn't have been there!' Ferdi nearly shouted. 'Why did he have to be there?'

The hobbits around them fell quiet.

Everard sighed. He had to jostle Ferdi out of this mood. 'He was there...' he began quietly, then his voice rose, '...because he was DAFT!' He took in Ferdi's expression with satisfaction; his cousin was awake, no longer sunk deep within himself but reacting to Everard's words with indignation, anger.

Everard went on. 'He could have stayed, safe in his study, safe in the Smials, with all the doors closed, whilst the fire raged right over Tuckborough and on to the Brandywine. He could have stayed safe...' He fixed Ferdi with his gaze, and let himself deflate. 'But he didn't. Why didn't he? ...because the people are more important than the Thain. ...because the Thain swore an oath to protect the people. ...because,' and he put a sympathetic hand on Ferdi's shoulder, 'because he had to be there, Ferdi. He had no choice.'

Hobbits around them were nodding quietly.

'He wasn't daft,' Ferdi said.

'No, lad, of course he wasn't,' Everard replied. 'I just said that to get you to listen.'

'I should have got him out of there sooner,' Ferdi went on.

'He would have stayed to see the fire break do its work,' Thorigrim countered. 'He had to know if it worked or if it didn't work, so that he would know the next move to be made.'

'You did all you could, Ferdi,' Everard soothed. 'You rode down from the ridge to warn us in the woods. You were the first to see that Pippin was in trouble. You got him out of there as quick as the pony could take you and him. You did all you could,' he finished.

'At least you didn't leave him to face the flames alone this time,' Thorigrim spoke up. Ferdibrand flinched but didn't answer, and Everard quelled Thorigrim with a look. They finished their meal in silence.

Mardibold rose from his place at the head table, there by right of his family's standing amongst the Tooks, and put a hand on Ferdi's shoulder. 'Don't give him up quite yet,' he said quietly. 'He's fighting.' Ferdi nodded, then put his hands over his face and wept. The other Tooks studiously paid him no mind, and Mardi nodded to Everard. 'Get him to his bed,' he said. 'I'll make up something to help him sleep.' Everard nodded, and Mardibold departed.

***

In the quiet room, Healer Woodruff put her foot down. 'Mistress,' she said firmly to Eglantine Took. 'You take yourself off to bed now. Look,' she added, 'Pearl is here, she'll watch in your place.'

Rosamunda quietly rubbed the pungent ointment onto the Thain's chest, feeling the slight rise and fall beneath her fingers, then at Woodruff's nod, went to refresh the herbal mixture simmering on the bedroom hearth.

The Thain's mother did not take her eyes from her son's face, and her hand tightened on his. 'I used to watch him sleep this way, when he was tiny,' she said softly. A smile crossed her face. 'When we were finally able to get him to sleep, that is.' She shook her head. 'Such a rascal.'

'Mama, take your rest,' Pearl said, with a hand on Eglantine's shoulder.

Eglantine looked up at her eldest. 'You haven't called me that since the time Pip ate half the teacakes I'd made for your little tea party.'

'O Mum,' Pearl said. 'I'd forgot all about that. Now rest, please? We don't want you to fall ill.'

'No,' Eglantine sighed, 'I suppose an old gammer like me ought to be plying my needlework, rocking by the...' for a moment her iron control failed her, and her voice shook, but she forced herself to say the word, '...fire.' She placed a gentle kiss on the hand she held, laid it down carefully upon the coverlet, bent to soothe the hair away from the forehead. 'Good night, my love,' she said to her son. 'I shall hope to see you in the morning.'

She got up, and Pearl took her place in the chair by the bed. Eglantine looked over to Diamond, on the other side, holding Pippin's other hand. 'Will you be all right, my dear?' she said gently.

Without taking her eyes from her husband's face, Diamond answered, 'I am well.'

Pervinca took her mother's arm. 'Come, Mum,' she coaxed. 'Off to bed with you now.'

'Just who's the mother here?' Eglantine said, but she allowed her daughter to take her away.