3. Bad Company

'What did you want to talk to me about?' Pippin asked his special assistant. Ferdi had asked Regi to come a little late to the study this day, so that he might have a private word with the Thain.

Ferdi cleared his throat. Never at a loss for words, he had no idea how to say what he needed to say.

'It's Faramir,' he finally began. Instantly the Thain was alert, tense.

Ferdi held up a hand. 'Nothing like that,' he said. 'The lad's fine, eating well, sleeping again, seems to be full of spirits.'

'O you gave me a scare just now, Ferdi,' Pippin said, wiping his brow. 'Do not do that to me!'

'I'm sorry, cousin,' Ferdi apologised, 'it's just that...'

'What?' Pippin said.

'Those cousins of his are leading him astray,' Ferdi said.

'Which ones?' Pippin said. A reasonable question, since everyone at the Smials was cousin to everyone else in one degree or another.

'The ones he's been spending so much time with lately,' Ferdi said. 'Ever since...' He did not want to finish the sentence, but the Thain understood anyhow.

Pippin nodded, then looked puzzled. 'Astray?' he asked. 'Adelgrim, Palangrim, Odobard and Hildibald?'

'Those are the ones,' Ferdi said grimly.

'I cannot believe you, cousin, they're just high-spirited lads! What's a little mischief, after all? You and I did plenty of our own, in the old days. Nearly burned down the old Thain's stable, even.'

'They are leading him astray,' Ferdi reiterated. 'Not just pranks, mind, but serious mischief.'

'I cannot believe it,' Pippin repeated. 'They come of some of the finest families in the Smials! What are you on about?'

Holding on to his temper, Ferdi said, 'They may be the grandsons of your father's sisters, but they are trouble, Pip. Believe me.'

'I cannot,' Pippin said. 'What is this about?' He gave the other a searching glance. 'I know that Farry has not spent as much time in the company of your sons, lately...'

'No, for my sons do not spend time with those Tooks,' Ferdi answered.

Pippin shook his head. 'Ferdi,' he said seriously. 'I think you have an unreasonable prejudice against those families. I know that they were instrumental in your shunning, years back, but that was cleared up after my father died.'

'This has nothing to do with that,' Ferdi said in frustration. One simply did not shout at the Thain, no matter how blind and aggravating the hobbit might be acting. 'Your father put me under the ban, and it was his prerogative as Thain, unjust as it might have been. His sisters and their families didn't need to take such pleasure in carrying out his wishes, of course, but I can understand that they wanted to honour Thain Paladin's decision.' They still had avoided speaking to him, after the unjust ban was lifted, but that was beside the point.

'It is just that I do not think they are the best companions for your son.' Ferdi would not say the phrase "bad influence", but the words hung between them.

'Ferdi, Ferdi, Ferdi,' Pippin sighed, shaking his head. He put a soothing hand on his assistant's shoulder. Ferdi gritted his teeth and refrained from shaking it off. 'Calm yourself. Give the lads a chance. They're good lads, really, very polite and proper.'

Of course they were polite and proper in the Thain's presence. They weren't fools. That was part of the problem. Had they been fools, Faramir would not suffer their company.

'I cannot move you on this?' Ferdi said bleakly.

'I see no point in it,' Pippin said. Turning the subject, he added, 'We have a lot of business to cover this day; I'd suggest we get started.'

Ferdi sighed, and nodded.

'Very well,' he said.

***

That day at teatime, Ferdi had a serious talk with his children. Well, not his, not exactly, they were the children of his own Nell's first marriage, who'd become children of Ferdi's own heart when he married their widowed mother.

The topic, of course, was Faramir and his new bosom friends.

'They praise him and flatter him and laugh at his jokes, even the lame ones,' Rudivar, the eldest, said in frustration. 'They've turned his head, and he won't hear me.'

Ferdi made a difficult decision. 'Then you are not to associate with Faramir,' he said, and Rudivar, Odovar and Fredevar gasped. 'None of you,' he went on, looking from Rudi to his brothers. 'Not so long as he is going about with that crowd of cousins. Do you understand me?'

Rudi nodded slowly. 'I understand, Da, but...'

Ferdi shook his head. 'No, lad, I will not have your younger brothers spoilt... nor yourself, though I suspect you have too much sense to let that happen.'

'Yes, Da,' Rudi said obediently. Reluctantly, Odo and Freddy gave their word as well.

***

'Come with us!' Faramir called. 'We're off on an adventure!'

Rudi dug his toe in the dirt. 'I can't,' he said.

'O come on!' Faramir said. 'You've been busy every time I've invited you the past fortnight! Surely you're not busy today!'

'I've other fish to fry,' Rudi said sullenly. Faramir and the others had fishing poles over their shoulders; it looked as if they would be having much more fun this afternoon than he anticipated having himself. His da, Ferdi, was not going far from the Smials these days.

'Dunno where you'll find any, here at the Smials. Come along with us and you'll really have fish to fry,' Palangrim said.

'O leave the old stick-in-the-mud,' Odobard laughed. 'He'd just scare the fish away, anyhow, pulling that long face!'

'It's your burial,' Faramir said, turning to follow the others.

'No, more likely it's yours,' Rudi muttered after him, but of course Faramir didn't hear, running as he was to catch up with his cousins.

***

That evening, as Ferdi told stories by the cheerful fire on the hearth, Pimpernel gave a gasp. He broke off, anxious. 'What is it, Nell, my love?' he asked. 'Is it the babe?'

'No,' she said, then, 'Well, yes, it is, but not in the way you meant. He's not coming this minute, or even this night, but he is kicking hard enough to take my breath away.'

She looked around the circle of expectant children and said brightly, 'Your brother's dancing, who'd like to greet him?' An eager chorus broke out, and they swarmed around their mother, laying eager hands on her swollen belly, each one exclaiming as he or she felt the movement of the newest member of the family, eagerly awaited, and due any day.