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Consequences of a Fall  by Dreamflower 8 Review(s)
Indigo BuntingReviewed Chapter: 12 on 7/13/2006
Whoa! Nobody wants to be the Thain, do they? And Ferumbras does have an ulterior motive for wanting to clear Pearl’s name. He wants to be rid of the title and foist it upon Paladin, and he can’t do that if his daughter’s been disgraced. Sure seems selfish to me, but then you can’t judge a man until you’ve walked a mile in his shoes. Not most times, anyway. I have to admit that while I used to dream about things like being the President when I was a little girl, I wouldn’t want that job anymore. Being a leader in such a high position seems to really take it out on people. I doubt that any President, regardless of his circumstances, gets much rest – especially in these days of constant news coverage, quick travel and even quicker communication. Maybe Ferumbras feels some of these pressures. Maybe it’s not really that bad and he’s got a self-interested streak, like his mother. Surely she rubbed off on him in some way.

I wonder why Laila hates Paladin and his family so much. I don’t recall that you’ve said why thus far.


Author Reply: You've got it, exactly. And to top it all off, hobbits are by nature not interested in power (with rare exceptions like Lotho--or Hyacinth--or Lalia) and so find jobs in which they must wield it onerous.

I do have a reason for Lalia's hostility, going back to Paladin's father. But it was in a "backstory" file that I lost last year to computer woes. Perhaps I will be able one day to re-create it enough to tell the story.

PIppinfan1988Reviewed Chapter: 12 on 5/21/2006
He sat back, and amused himself with a fantasy in which his cousin somehow found a wife, and was presented immediately with a bouncing little lad, thus sparing him the trouble of ever becoming Thain himself…

You know, I've often thought about Paladin's fantasy becoming reality...but then I have difficulty imagining anyone wanting the self-centered old prune. Perhaps Hyacinth...lol.

Poor wee Pippin's back! Blisters are absolutely no fun...

Pippinfan


Author Reply: "Self-centered old prune" LOL! Good description. He's not really bad, but he's spent his life trying to get what he can in spite of his mother, and it has made him manipulative and devious.

No, blisters are no fun.

BodkinReviewed Chapter: 12 on 5/11/2006
Hyacinth is so petty-mindedly spiteful - and just clever enough to try to pull a veil over people's eyes. (Reggie should definitely have put a foot on her neck earlier. It's all very well sneakily trying to overcome her plots, but he allowed a miasma of evil to spread around her - and damaged his daughters irrevocably.)

Poor Pippin. But at least he's giving Pearl something else to think about - and keeping his father on his toes. I don't know that Paladin needs to be exhausted when he's trying to deal with all this, though. He might find himself out-manoeuvred while he's trying to shake off sleep.

Author Reply: You have described her perfectly.

Reggie, of course, is hampered by any number of things, story-internally. (And story-externally by an author who needs him for the plot.) First of all, with the way hobbits regard marriage, he finds the idea of actually putting her aside repugnant; second, of course, would be the scandal--which would touch not only him, but his daughters as well; third, of course, is the fact that he is bearing this completely alone. He really has no one in whom he can confide the extent of Hyacinth's perfidy, and so he struggles alone with his burden, and does what he thinks is best. Yet you are absolutely right in what the result is--"miasma of evil". And Hyacinth's "miasma" has been encouraged to grow by the very similar "miasma" that Lalia brought to the Great Smials. Under another sort of person--for example, Eglantine--Hyacinth's attitudes and gossip would have been nipped in the bud.

Yes, poor Pippin--he is proving a distraction it is true. But he will also be proving something else entirely to Hyacinth.

A temptation.

AndreaReviewed Chapter: 12 on 5/10/2006
But instead, Reggie, the fool, had found the legal papers drawn up by Gerontius.

So that's what Reggie did! I had wondered!
Poor Reggie! I pity him. He fell in love with Hyacinth long ago and did not know the true nature of his wife. And that love has not yet died completely.
However, he is a good guy and hopefully he will gather enough information to unburden Pearl.

And poor Pippin! That must hurt a lot. I like the way how his family keeps watch over him. Sometimes it's quite enough to be simply assured that you are not alone.

Author Reply: Yes, Reggie does not really want to be Thain either.

Poor Reggie realized Hyacinth's true nature, but being a hobbit, it is almost unheard of to break up a marriage. And he does love his daughters dearly, though he seldom has a chance to show them properly, as Hyacinth does her best to undermine him with them. But he is a good guy, and very intelligent. And he *would* make a good Thain--if he were married to someone else.

I am sure he does hurt a lot. But hobbits would never allow a sick or injured family member to be alone.

Pearl TookReviewed Chapter: 12 on 5/9/2006
Politics are politics are politics. Doesn't seem to matter when, where, or with whom.

Have you written about this personal grievance between Lalia and the Whitwell Tooks?

Poor Paladin! I'm sure he feels awful for falling asleep.

Eagerly awaiting more :)


Author Reply: Yes they are. And no fun.

I've not written it yet, although the backstory has begun to take form in my head--it has to do with Adalgrim Took and his wife Periwinkle Goldworthy.

I am quite sure he does.

There will be more as soon as Lin is feeling up to beta-ing. She's a bit under the weather right now.

Queen GaladrielReviewed Chapter: 12 on 5/9/2006
Oh, poor Pippin--he must begin to think he'll never get better. I can only imagine how uncomfortable that must be.

"A fine foot of fur..." that's a very interesting and Hobbity expression. :) It makes sense, I've just never thought about it before. I can't believe Reggie *ever* admired Hyacinth!
God bless,
Galadriel

Author Reply: Yes, itchy and miserable, and just well enough to be antsy, poor baby.

I just figured that nice curly foot fur would be considered attractive by hobbits.

Reggie *did* love Hyacinth to begin with. I think she was probably a rather attractive hobbit in her physical appearance, and she knew just the right things to say to him. He loved her right up until she unwittingly revealed her true nature to him when Pippin was born, and then the blinkers fell off and he understood how she really was. Of course, she never really loved him at all, though she made him think she did.

LindeleaReviewed Chapter: 12 on 5/9/2006
Nice scene between Paladin and Pearl. Sounds as if they understand one another well. So much said in so few words!

Woodruff and chicken soup, eh? Sounds wonderful... and I'll pass a bowl on to Pippin, for quicker healing. (Can you rub it on sunburn?)

Sorry. Delirious. Toddling back to bed now.

Author Reply: Poor dear. *pats on head, guides back to the bed*

Take it easy, and I really do hope that you are soon feeling better. (Maybe I should have sent Ent-draught instead...)

LarnerReviewed Chapter: 12 on 5/9/2006
Poor Pippin! So, Bilbo brought that paper to light did he? And Bungo was one of the signers? Excellent.

It is so like Hyacinth to blame Reggie for not following along with her own obsessions. He has far more sense and integrity than she would dream of having.

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