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A Matter of Appearances by Lindelea	5 Review(s)
demeter d	Reviewed Chapter: 23 on 8/20/2006
What comes of cleaning out one's in-box in a hurry. I did miss this one. So the club-man fell, when but for his greed he could have gotten away. No hobbit had to lay a finger on him, this was an act of nature, if you will. Ferdi and Farry are both still dreaming. I think we do not want Farry to wake up just yet to the horror around him. But Ferdi had better, and soon! Dreamflower is just right with the comparison to Snow White and the Queen's Huntsman. He was basically good-hearted, and did not want to hurt the princess. And, he presented the wild pig's heart as hers. Now, what happens next here? And great symbolism. the lamb in the "thicket", and Farry, the young ruffian, even Ferdi and the other grown-up hobbits, all innocents confronting the evil that men do. A comment on "do kidnappers still do that?" We have all heard chilling tales from the Middle East, lately, about hostages's bodies being found - with heads no longer attached. The spirit of Morgoth is still very much in the hearts of men, sadly enough. Author Reply: Ah, well, I'm one to miss emails, too. And sometimes emails don't even lodge in my box, for some unknown reason. (I haven't had a one of Dreamflower's last few reviews, and haven't a clue why, but at least I was able to see them on SoA.) Yes, the contrast between evil and innocence was one of the themes that shaped this story.

Pearl Took	Reviewed Chapter: 23 on 8/17/2006
jaw dropping Woodruff is really going to believe Ted :-O She's really going to run out to the graveside and try to stop them? 'Tis almost too good to be true. Please hurry Woodruff!! I see things will still not go well for finding Farry, not with that ruffian breaking his neck. No one for the Tooks to torture for information. Maybe he's to take Ferdi's place as someone who can't do anything but isn't dead since Ferdi might finally be saved from his fate. ;-) If the fat man sings, is the story over? LOL (sorry, that just popped into my head embarrassed blushing ) So nice that he hasn't given up his plans for Farry, what ever they are. I've no idea if he wants ransom or to just steal from a hoard or just cut the lad up as part of someone else's revenge against the Tooks/hobbis. Onward to digging up Ferdi :-) :-) Author Reply: Yes, the mention of the dream about their daughter Heather was the clincher. She had to believe him then. Don't know if Heather's story will come out or not; it's background material and I haven't found a place yet to fit it in. I suppose I can put it in the author's notes, if all else fails. LOL "If the fat man sings" -- very funny! Smiles are rare, at the moment, when contemplating this story. I'm in the middle of the part that stretches me the most, and cannot wait to get past it. This is why I gave up reading Stephen King and graphic murder mysteries. As to the fat man's plans, those will become clear in chapter 25, I think. Thanks! Author Reply: p.s. can't quite dig someone up until they've been buried, now, can we?

Dreamflower	Reviewed Chapter: 23 on 8/17/2006
Stoopid ruffian! Broke his neck, and now what's Sam to do? Let's hope the other one is not as in the clear as he thinks--Sam really does deserve to catch at least one of the villians! Yay for Ted and Woodruff--hurry, Woodruff, hurry! Thank goodness Ferdi does not realize what's happening to him! And I'm very glad that poor little Farry is at least getting some sleep. That's right, lad, remember how brave your father and Uncle Merry were! Author Reply: The club-wielder was the dullest of the group--Red isn't too bright, either, but he has his brother's twisted loyalty and the fat man's promise to their mother. It was Red who originally gave away their presence to Ferdi, necessitating the clonking on the head by the club-wielder. If Red hadn't broken cover, the ruffians could have gone on to their ultimate destination without bothering or terrorizing any hobbits at all. How they deserve their "just" desserts. Hope I can get it typed in over the weekend. Chapter 25 is a doozy, and I'm not sure I want to leave readers hanging over the weekend. I might just wait until Monday to post 25, if I don't have time to type in 26. (I think 26 is where the worst of it gets resolved. Hope so.)

Larner	Reviewed Chapter: 23 on 8/17/2006
Ooh, I hope they find the brawny Man before he has the chance to return to his companions--or at least become aware of his presence and track him back before worse evil befalls Farry. Poor Ferdi--serious brain injuries can be so difficult to deal with. At least he's beginning to be able to communicate. Author Reply: Yes, Ferdi is recovering, perhaps at an unbelievable rate. I can only point to the fact that Frodo was at death's door late one night, and hopping out of bed the next morning. Thanks!

Bodkin	Reviewed Chapter: 23 on 8/17/2006
This is going right to the wire! And now nobody is close enough to poor Ferdi to see his shallow breathing or hear whispered words. I only hope Woodruff gets there in time to jump in the grave and check out Ted's 'I see not-quite dead people' moment. And Ted seems a bit better. Fingers crossed that the fever's broken and he will recover. Now - will Sam and his assistants notice the brawny man? Because when kidnappers say no-one's to be there, they generally get nasty if they find that the law is waiting. Not that the club-wielder will care - and I suppose he died happily surrounded by quantities of gold. And his demise is vengeance of a sort for Ferdi's injury. But the brawny man is still free! And, every now and then the fat man seems to be - quite pleasant. Which is scary, because at other times he is clearly anything but. And if the young ruffian has already written out all the required notes, he becomes disposable too. Like Farry. Then the villains could be down to Porky and Red. And that's not a good combination. So much going on - and little of it good! Author Reply: You can blame "Utah" (the editor formerly known as EF) for going right to the wire. She eats this stuff up with a spoon. Hmm, poetic justice perhaps, that the club-wielder fell on his head. Hadn't really thought of that, but perhaps the Muse was thinking deeper thoughts than mine. Happens periodically. The fat man scares me too. Completely practical, and devoid of any real sentiment. Someone called Red a sociopath, but I think his big brother definitely fits the ticket.

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