Part 17

Pippin stood in the nearly dark bedroom and sighed. The small fire in the hearth was shedding some light on things but not nearly enough to suit him. He stood there in his nightshirt and his trousers with his arms wrapped about his chest and his back to the fire. He stared intently at the bed. It was so hard to believe that only a few hours earlier he had been in The Green Dragon with his cousins and Sam. He had felt so very grown up what with the serving lass calling him Sir and everyone bragging on his wheelbarrow and then there was that moment when Frodo and Sam were engaged in conversation and Merry had allowed Pippin a small, very quick, sip of ale. It had been a wonderful night. Pippin wished that he could crawl into bed, get underneath the blankets and drift off to sleep while thinking about the evening but instead he was standing here like a frightened child.

He shifted his feet uneasily and then studied his thumb nail for a minute. His thumb was still bruised but the nail had not fallen off. There was no way to know for sure if Berilac had been right about thumb nails not always growing back. Sam had assured him that they did but there was still a tiny bit of doubt remaining. Pippin sighed. Why did he have to believe everything that the older lads told him? In fact why did he have to believe everything that anyone told him? He never could seem to sort out the truth of things on his own.

He remember that one time Pervinca had told him that he wasn’t really a hobbit at all. She had told him that he was actually the child of an old dwarf woman who hadn’t wanted him and had left him in the Took’s barn at Whitwell. "That’s how we came to be stuck with you," Pervinca had said. "Now, if you aren’t good to me I will tell mum that you misbehaved and she will turn you out." He had believed her in spite of what his eyes told him. He looked like a hobbit but Pervinca had explained this away saying that dwarf children looked exactly like hobbit children. "You can’t tell the difference until the dwarf child is about twelve or so and then if it’s a lad, it begins to grow a long, thick beard and the foot hair falls out so that you can wear dwarf boots. That’s how you know," Pervinca had said. "When you’re twelve everyone will know and mum and papa will likely have to hide you in the barn so that no one will make fun of you."

Pippin had actually believed every word of this and had spent several nights awake tossing and turning and had cried himself to sleep. Finally, when he could stand it no longer he had asked Pearl about it all and it was she who had told him the truth. He’d only been six at the time but Pippin suspected that any other six-year-old would not have believed a word of it.

Pippin looked at his thumb again and then squeezed his eyes shut. He was going to go over there and climb into that bed and get some sleep. He would just ignore the entire thing. He would get under the covers and curl up and sleep. After all, even if it was true then these couldn’t be the same blankets, could they? Uncle Doc and Aunt Esme wouldn’t have given Bilbo a bed with those very blankets still on it, would they? The bed would have been taken apart so that it could be loaded into a wagon and delivered to Bag End. The blankets would have been taken off and probably disposed of. Pippin opened his eyes and looked at the bed. He was no closer to getting into it than he had been a minute before.

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"Merry, are you awake?"

Merry moaned and turned over on his stomach. He pulled his pillow over his head.

"Merry?"

Merry shifted a bit and tried to shake off the feeling that he’d done this before. He lay very still and listened intently until he heard it again.

"Merry, are you awake?"

He could hear one of the floor boards creaking.

"Merry?"

He listened as another board creaked but he remained still.

There was a long sigh.

"I guess you’re asleep already. Night, Merry."

This was different. Merry sat up and stared into the darkness trying to focus his sleepy eyes while his heart hammered in his chest. "Pippin?"

Silence.

"Pip?"

"Did I wake you, Merry?" Pippin’s voice asked from somewhere near the foot of the bed.

"Is that really you, Pippin?" Merry asked still unable to see in the dark room. "And don’t stand there nodding your head because I can’t see a thing."

Pippin stopped nodding and said, "I wasn’t doing that."

Merry let out a long breath and said, "Come over here and get into bed. I don’t fancy having you lurk about the room while I sit here trying to see where you are."

He listened as Pippin moved slowly around the bed and then crawled in beside of him. Merry put the blankets over both of them and relaxed against his pillows. "I’m glad it really was you this time," Merry said as Pippin’s cold feet brushed against his leg.

"What do you mean you’re glad it’s me this time?" Pippin asked confused. "Has Frodo been coming and getting into bed with you?"

Merry snickered. "No, you silly Took. He hasn’t. It’s only that I’ve been dreaming that you were coming into my room. I have been having the dream nearly every night. In my dream I hear you asking me if I’m awake and then when I sit up to answer you, I realize that I’m dreaming. This time I’m glad that I’m not dreaming."

"Me too," Pippin said softly. "Because if you were dreaming then I’d still be in my room instead of in here."

Merry laughed. "So, are you going to tell me why you’re here or do you just want to go to sleep?"

"I don’t really want to talk about it in the dark," Pippin said nervously. "Could you light the lantern? It’s too creepy to speak of in the dark."

"All right," Merry said and he got out of the bed, fumbled about in the dark for a minute or two and managed to light the lantern. He adjusted the flame so that it was a rather dim light and then climbed back into bed beside of Pippin. "Better?"

"Yes," Pippin said softly. "Only now you can see me while I’m talking. Do try not to laugh too much." Pippin was clearly embarrassed about something because he had rolled over on his side so that he wasn’t facing Merry.

"I will try very hard," Merry said. "After all, you didn’t laugh at my dream."

Pippin lay still for so long that Merry began to think that his younger cousin had drifted off to sleep. Finally, Pippin said, "When you and I first came here this summer I was actually feeling quite grown up for once. My parents were letting me stay the whole summer here without them just as if I were a tween like you and then Frodo gave me my own room with a door all my own just like I were a proper guest rather than a tag-a-long."

"You are a proper guest," Merry said.

"I suppose," Pippin said doubtfully. "But I never come on my own. I come with you or with my family but I don’t come on my own like proper guests do. I tag-along with you and until this visit I was always in the little room off of your room instead of in a regular guest room."

"I thought you liked the little room," Merry said. "When you started having trouble sleeping in the guest room that Frodo fixed for you I figured that it was because you missed your old room or maybe missed me or something."

"I was kind of sad that the little room wasn’t still a bedroom and I did miss you only that wasn’t the reason that I couldn’t sleep in my new room," Pippin said.

"But you can’t sleep in there anymore can you?" Merry asked when Pippin fell silent.

"No," Pippin said. "I don’t want to hurt Frodo’s feelings, Merry but I just can’t sleep in there now."

"Is that why you won’t tell us what is bothering you? Is it because you don’t want to hurt Frodo’s feelings?" Merry asked.

"I can’t tell Frodo why I can’t sleep in that bed, Merry," Pippin said. "It would upset him if he knew about the bed."

"If he knew what about the bed?"

"Well, I guess he wouldn’t remember it properly and I don’t suppose that Bilbo told him. Maybe Bilbo didn’t know either," Pippin said nervously. "I don’t see why your parents would have given that bed to Bilbo in the first place. It seems rather unkind to me."

"Unkind?" Merry was confused by this remark. How could giving Bilbo a bedroom full of furniture be considered unkind? "Maybe you’d should explain that to me a bit better, Pip. I don’t think I’m following you just now."

"Well, I should think that it might have upset Bilbo to have that bed considering what happened with it," Pippin said. "I know that it would upset Frodo if he knew. I can’t think that he does know because if he did then I think he would get rid of the furniture in a hurry."

"Pippin?" Merry sighed. "I don’t think you’re explaining this very well even for you."

"Well, you remember a few weeks ago just after we came here? We’d only been here for two weeks or so and we went into town to do some shopping for Frodo. It was that day that we ran into your father. Berilac and Merimas were with him," Pippin said. "Do you remember that?"

"I remember," Merry said. "We were in the bake goods shop getting bread for dinner and there they all were getting some things to eat on their way back to Buckland. They’d come in to Hobbiton to look at some ponies that the Greenholm’s were selling."

"You wanted to see the ponies that Uncle Doc had purchased and you went outside ahead of me, remember?" Pippin asked.

"I think so," Merry said. "But what does all of this have to do with Frodo and your bed?"

"While you were outside, Berilac and I were talking," Pippin said."We were waiting for Mister Burrows to finish getting the bread. Berilac asked me if I was still sleeping in the little room. He said it with that tone he uses when he wants to remind me that he’s older than I am. You know the one."

"I do," Merry said. Berilac Brandybuck was a nice enough hobbit but he did enjoy teasing Pippin and sometimes he went too far. Berilac liked Pippin but he also enjoyed picking on him because Pippin was so easy to fool and all of the older lads knew how sensitive Pippin was about his age. Merry could see that this was going to be one of those times that he wished Berilac had not talked to Pippin.

"Well, I told him about my new room," Pippin said. "Merimas seemed impressed by it. He said that now Frodo would probably fix that room up for me every time I came and it would be my special room. That’s when Berilac told me about the bed."

"What did Berilac tell you?" Merry said. He was sure that it couldn’t have been anything good.

"I told him all about the room and how the furniture had been some that your parents had given to Bilbo and that was when he told me," Pippin said.

"That was when he told you what?" Merry prodded.

"That I was ever so brave to sleep in that bed," Pippin said. "In fact he was surprised that Frodo had given me the bed." Pippin began to tell the entire thing now. He lay there in the bed next to Merry and let himself recall the his conversation with Berilac.

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"It’s not a very big room, but the furniture is ever so nice," Pippin said. "I have my own wardrobe and the bed is extra large and very comfortable. Frodo said that the furniture once belonged to Uncle Doc and Aunt Esme but I don’t remember that. Frodo said that Uncle Doc gave it to Bilbo to make room for Merry’s studying room. You know, the room just off of Merry’s room that has the desk in it?"

"Not that furniture," Berilac said, eyes wide with surprise. "Surely you can’t mean the furniture that was in Merry’s study."

Merimas wrinkled his forehead in concentration as Berilac said this. He wasn’t sure where this was going but he could sense a prank of some sort. He would have to try and catch on quickly or he might spoil Berilac’s prank.

"That’s the very furniture," Pippin said thinking that Berilac’s reaction to this was because he was envious or impressed. "The large, dark furniture with the extra high headboard."

"Better you than me," Berilac said still wide eyed. He then looked over at Merimas. "You remember that furniture don’t you?" he asked Merimas who was still trying to decide what might be expected of him.

"I think so," Merimas said sounding uncertain and trying not to seem as lost as he felt.

Pippin was watching them both intently. "What about my furniture?"

"Well, I should think that either Frodo doesn’t know where that furniture came from or that he has forgot," Berilac said.

"It was Frodo who told me that it was from the Hall," Pippin said growing puzzled.

"Something’s not right here, Pip," Berilac said. "I remember that bed and there isn’t anything good about it."

"How can a bed have something bad about it?" Pippin asked obviously confused. "It’s a very nice bed."

"It might have been nice before there were dead bodies in it," Berilac said with a shiver.

Merimas’s mouth fell open and he hurried to close it before Pippin looked his way.

"Dead hobbits?" Pippin said. "You’re teasing, aren’t you?"

"No," Berilac said. "That was the bed that they put Frodo’s parents on after they pulled their bodies from the river. That’s why I’m surprised that Frodo would have it in his smial and I am definitely surprised that he would actually let you sleep in it."

Pippin had gone white and he was having trouble forming his words. "B-b-b-but, but Frodo wouldn’t, I mean-"

"I’ll bet he doesn’t even know about it," Berilac said. "I mean they say that when his parents were pulled out of the Brandywine that Frodo was in so much of a state that he could hardly be thought of as lucid. I’ll bet he either wasn’t allowed to see them until they were cleaned up or that he doesn’t remember this."

"H-h-how do you k-know this?" Pippin asked.

"I’ve heard Uncle Doc talking about it," Berilac said. "He said that was why he got rid of the furniture in the first place. He couldn’t stand to have it around and he certainly didn’t want it in the room next to his son."

"You’re teasing me again, aren’t you?" Pippin said in a rather squeaky voice.

"No, I’m not," Berilac said. "In fact, if I were you I’d be very nervous sleeping in a bed that had once been used to put bodies on. I hear that they pulled them from the river and brought them straight up to the Hall and laid them wet and cold and dead right on that very bed!"

Merimas wanted to interrupt but frankly he was far too shocked by this latest prank of Berilac’s to say anything at all. This was beyond wicked.

"So that bed-" Pippin began in a shaky voice.

"That very bed," Berilac said. "I just bet that Frodo doesn’t know that and if I were you I wouldn’t want to be the one to tell him. I can also imagine how scandalized Merry would be if he knew about it."

"Why should Merry be upset? He didn’t even know Frodo’s parents and he isn’t sleeping in the bed," Merimas said. He was starting to wonder if any of this might actually be true. After all, Berilac was certainly telling it as if it were true.

"Well, how do you think Merry would feel if he knew that his own parents had been thoughtless enough to give that bed to Bilbo and Frodo?" Berilac said.

"Here you go lad," Mister Burrows said and he handed several loaves of fresh baked bread to Pippin.

Pippin took the bread without saying anything and continued to stare at Berilac. As Mister Burrows gave Merimas his purchase, Berilac leaned over to Pippin and whispered, "I wouldn’t say anything about this if I were you. You’ve no idea how upset Frodo might get if he truly doesn’t know about that bed."

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Merry was sitting up in the bed now and his expression was one of complete rage. Pippin had seen Merry look like this before and it always meant that someone was in very big trouble. Pippin looked up at Merry and then squeezed his eyes shut. "Berilac told me not to say anything and I tried not to say anything, honest, Merry," Pippin said. "I know your mum and Uncle Doc would never hurt Frodo. Please don’t be anger with me but I just can’t sleep in there and there is still a lot of the summer left."

Merry was trembling with rage but he managed to reach over and pat Pippin on the arm. "I’m not angry with you, Pip. It’s all right. However, I do hope that Berilac left the Shire after he told that great load of codswallop because if he didn’t then he is going to pay dearly for this one," Merry said darkly and his eyes narrowed. "I wouldn’t want to be Berilac Brandybuck right about now."

"You aren’t angry with me?" Pippin asked opening his eyes.

"Of course not," Merry said.

"Do you believe it?" Pippin asked.

"Believe what?" Merry asked.

"That the bed that Frodo has in my room is the one that they put his parents bodies on after they pulled them out of the river," Pippin said in barely a whisper. He wasn’t sure what he was hoping that Merry would say. If it wasn’t true, then he’d been gullible again and let an older lad trick him but if it was true then that was simply horrible.

"No, it isn’t true," Merry said kindly. "That bed used to belong to my father when he was a lad. He gave it to Bilbo to make room for my study when I became old enough for lessons. He thought that it would be easier to get me to study if I had a special room for it and because he wanted someone to have it that would take care of it, he gave it to Bilbo."

"It was Uncle Doc’s bed?’ Pippin said.

"It was," Merry smiled gently. "No one died in it or was put into it after they died. In fact I’ve slept in it with Frodo before when I was very small. Your sister, Nell has slept in that bed before while visiting at the Hall. I think the worst thing that has ever happened to the bed is one time, Lobelia fainted in the parlor here at Bag End and Bilbo and Frodo put her on that bed to rest until she came to."

Pippin squeezed his eyes shut again. "I’m an idiot."

"No, you aren’t," Merry said. "You are just far too trusting. You have to learn that not everyone is telling you the truth, Pip. Why didn’t you ask me?"

"Berilac said it would upset you if you thought that Uncle Doc and Aunt Esme had given Frodo a bed that his folks, well, a bed where something like that happened," Pippin said.

"Berilac certainly tied this one up in a grand fashion didn’t he?" Merry sighed. "You couldn’t tell Frodo for obvious reasons, you couldn’t tell me, and if you started coming in and getting into bed with me without telling me why it would just look as if you weren’t old enough for your own guest room."

"Maybe I’m not," Pippin said turning over on his side and facing away from Merry.

"Yes you are," Merry said. "And you and I are going to prove that."

"How?" Pippin asked sitting up and looking at Merry.

"We are going to go into that room now and sleep in that bed," Merry said firmly.

"Both of us?" Pippin squeaked. "Now?"

"Right now," Merry said getting up from the bed. "Come on but be quiet. We don’t want to wake Frodo."

Nervously Pippin followed Merry out of the room.

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"Now," Merry said as the two of them stood in front of the fire where Pippin had stood before. "We are going to get into that bed and go to sleep."

"But, Merry," Pippin said moving closer to his older cousin.

"What?"

"I know that they weren’t really in that bed now," Pippin said. "But I’ve thought of them in it for so long that I don’t think I can sleep in that bed."

Merry sighed. "That is ridiculous, Pip."

"It’s only that I have a very good imagination, Merry and I can sort of see them there now," Pippin said grimly.

"Stand here if you want but I am going to go over there and get into that bed and go to sleep," Merry said and he began to walk over toward the bed leaving Pippin by the fire.

Merry reached the side of the bed, pulled back the covers and then looked over at Pippin. "I’m going to do this," Merry said.

Pippin bit his lower lip and watched but he didn’t say anything.

"Berilac Brandybuck is not going to frighten me and if you’re thinking straight then you won’t let him frighten you either," Merry said still standing by the bed. "You’ll come over here and you’ll get into this bed with me and we will both show Berilac that he can’t ruin our sleep with a ridiculous story like that." Merry continued to look at the bed. He reached over and fluffed the pillow and adjusted the blankets again. "He is not winning this one."

"Merry, if you’re going to sleep in here, then can I sleep in your room?" Pippin asked.

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"Don’t say a word about this to anyone, you hear?" Merry hissed as they lay down in the bed in Merry’s room. "I mean it Pip, if you tell anyone about this I will hang you for certain. Are we clear on that?"

"Yes, Merry," Pippin said with his back to his older cousin. He was trying hard not to smile.

"Now, go to sleep and we’ll figure out what to do in the morning," Merry said sternly.

"My imagination is pretty powerful isn’t it?" Pippin asked in a sleepy voice.

"How do you mean?" Merry asked.

"It even frightens you, doesn’t it?" Pippin asked.

Merry groaned. "Go to sleep, Pippin. I don’t want to discuss it."

TBC