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The King's Commission by Larner	6 Review(s)
annmarwalk	Reviewed Chapter: 41 on 2/13/2005
I enjoyed the small details here of everyday life in the Shire, and in Minas Anor: hobbit gammers gossiping over their clothelines, men of the city playing chess. What lovely word-pictures you paint! Author Reply: Thank you, Ann. I am trying to keep up with the Master, whose descriptions when he gave them were fantastic.

SharonB	Reviewed Chapter: 41 on 2/7/2005
Every one that is around Ruvemir keeps emphasising his true talent to the Guild master of the city. It's going to be hard for his work to be discredited. And, LOL Aragorm really does keep surprising people who remember Thorongil. Amazing how even the elves like Glorfindel can tell which figure is in which block. He knew tha Pippin was in the blok being worked the most so far. How well you express what most of us feel as we learn more of Tolkien's view of the undying lands. The way he wrote the trilogy it was not well explained wheter Frodo and Bilbo would live forever there or die there. Aother well written chapter. Thank you. Author Reply: I think by this time the block is coming close enough to the features that those who have seen the four hobbits would be able to recognize this is Pippin's stone, although Glorfindel as the great Elven Lord he is with his own feet in both worlds at once would undoubtedly have greater perception that more "normal" elves. I doubt Master Dorion has any question regarding Ruvemir's skill at this point, particularly as his nephew has worked with Ruvemir elsewhere, including in Casistir. Am still not certain how Master Varondil might be moved to attack Ruvemir, but I think that he'll have accepted by this time attacks on his artistic reputation are meaningless.

FantasyFan	Reviewed Chapter: 41 on 2/7/2005
It has long grieved me, since I read Tolkien's letters, to realize that Frodo (and Sam) would die in Valinor. When I first read the books, I naively assumed that Undying Lands meant exactly that - and I always felt some comfort in the bittersweet ending of the books, to think that Frodo still lived, healed and happy. In this case, more knowledge was less comfort, and I have accepted the reasons that Frodo must die. But it doesn't make me feel any better about it. I am wondering a little about the information that Ruvemir gives in this chapter. I don't remember it being written that Frodo would be given the gift of the Numenorean kings, in recognizing the proper time and giving up his life gratefully, although I have always privately thought it likely. I also wonder about the statement that Frodo's end would be hastened because he was a mortal living in the land of Valinor. If that is true, it would be unlikely for him to survive until Sam came after Rosie's death. Do you have canon support for either of these things? This isn't a criticism, by the way, just curiosity. My own personal UUT (utterly unsupported theory) would be that Eru, being fond of creating exceptions to his own rules, would allow Frodo as long as he wanted, thereby granting me the comfort I seem to need that Frodo and Sam lived long together in Aman, and being the curious types, may be there still. Author Reply: It is my own UUT that Frodo would be given the grace to recognize his time was coming and to choose to offer his life back and accept what comes next; this is written nowhere that I am aware of. As in the eyes of Iluvatar physical death is a gift, I would assume that after having received healing in Aman Frodo would be at least as aware as Aragorn would later be of when his time was approaching. I did not say Frodo's end would be hastened by being in Valinor--he is no longer quite a usual mortal, after all. He has been to the gates of death already and was drawn back from them by the hands of the King; he was well on the way to wraithdom before Elrond could call him back to relative normalcy after the stab by the Morgul blade; Gandalf has foreseen his nature was changing at the time he was recovering in Rivendell. I don't think his death will be hastened as Ar Pharazon was warned (can't remember exactly where I read that warning, whether in the Silmarillion or the Unfinished Tales or where); but I don't think he would choose to remain much past Sam in the end; and Sam has been aging pretty normally for a Hobbit in Middle Earth all these years. As for how I think Bilbo, Frodo, and Sam would find their ends, I suggest you read "Filled with Light as with Water," also on this site.

harrowcat	Reviewed Chapter: 41 on 2/7/2005
deep sigh The conversation about the gift of Iluvatar is just perfect. I am sorry that I haven't reviewed in a while but I am checking in every morning and often late at night to see if you have updated. A wonderful tale and I love the OC characters almost as much as the others which are so true to my imagining. Thank you and please don't finish the story too soon! Author Reply: I'm glad you are enjoying the story, and hope it continues to please. As a Christian myself, I'm certain Tolkien saw that which comes after physical death as a fulfillment, and the sorrow would remain with those of us mortal-side and not with those who are going on.

Dreamflower	Reviewed Chapter: 41 on 2/6/2005
Another fine chapter! I really love to see the wisdom and insight of Ruvemir, his appreciation for the real meaning of the Gift of Iluvatar. This is something so rare, it's no wonder that he has won the friendship and respect of the King. Author Reply: Yes, that he has. Finding folk one has respect for is so rare.

Eruviluieth	Reviewed Chapter: 41 on 2/6/2005
I love Aragorn's ongoing joke about Thorongil. Yet another person to surprise with his many identities! The discussion on the undying lands was excellent. I think you really captured Tolkien's ideas. I'm so glad you called it Iluvatar's gift, not the doom of men. As you pointed out, it was meant as a gift of release to better things. The end here was very touching. Ruvemir's understanding of such things may be part of why he is able to sculpt people so well - he understands so much of the inner workings. Truly beautiful words about the Gift. And an excellent further explanation of the nature of hobbits - their nature is somewhat tied up with their height, isn't it? Thanks for all your insights into Tolkien's world. Please keep on with your great job! Author Reply: Dying is, after all, part of living; and it is the release to what comes next. Ruvemir is a forensic sculptor, but one who wishes to portray the reality of his subjects. As Sam said, back when he realized that Ruvemir had basically shaken down Frodo's room in Bag End, he couldn't do what he does without a curiosity about what makes others tick and a growing appreciation of sentient nature (can't truly say "human nature" as so many of Tolkien's folks are not human). The Hobbits were desperately uncomfortable with the depictions of themselves by the other artists because they are basically honest with and about themselves. What they saw was not honest and didn't show them as they knew themselves to be. Ruvemir's model has been approved because it shows them not only how they are but because they recognize the basic truth in it, even if Frodo of the Nine Fingers holding out the Ring in challenge to the rest of the world is something that didn't happen. Can you guess what the inscription on the base of the memorial will be?

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