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One Who Sticks Closer than a Brother  by Lindelea 4 Review(s)
harrowcatReviewed Chapter: 10 on 10/3/2006
Well this short cut is certainly making a long delay! And poor Hilly! This fever is dreadful.

Author Reply: Another of Pippin's whimsies, which his relations (barely) tolerate. If someone is belated, he always has to mention short-cuts. Really, the fellow could be irritating sometimes, if he weren't so very charming.

BodkinReviewed Chapter: 10 on 10/3/2006
So Hilly's down with it now! There's not going to be anyone left standing to seek out that poor unfortunate Tolly soon! Are you sure the Brandybucks didn't slip something into the barrels?

It's about time someone cottoned on to the fact that flies are healthier than this bunch of hobbits and put two and two together to match Tolly's odd disappearance with fever. Which would, in some ways, make things even worse! Healthy missing Tolly might have Dark Secrets, but would survive, but feverish, cloakless, gloveless hallucinating Tolly won't be doing too well out there in the snow. (Thank goodness for that dog! Needs its own little brandy barrel round its neck!)

Author Reply: ...slip something into the barrels? Now why didn't I think of that? After all, you know what they say about Brandybucks! (Only, not in polite company.)

You're right, it is about time that someone makes a leap of logic. Adds nicely to the angst, as well. But it'll have to happen in a future chapter, because it's not in the next one, just posted...

We had a dog with a taste for brandy, once. She would not have been one to trust with a little barrel round her neck.

DreamflowerReviewed Chapter: 10 on 10/2/2006
Oh dear! It's spreading fast...and with Hilly down, that's one less to have to go looking for him! It's really good that he's already been found by that farmer!

Looks like there may be an epidemic going...

Author Reply: Might be something like an epidemic. A "catching" fever, worse when the immune system's been under a strain, like Woodruff's watching over her husband for three sleepless nights after a long stretch of shorting herself on rest, or like Tolly's stressful experience, chasing ruffians and watching the execution. A higher-than-proportionate number of the mustered hobbits may be affected as a result.

I'd be worried about Pippin except that he was so recently in the presence of athelas.

Thanks!

LarnerReviewed Chapter: 10 on 10/2/2006
And the fever claims yet another victim, driving him to delirium. Now if they can only make the connection to Tolly himself.

Author Reply: Hmmm. People seem to be falling ill all over the place. It's evidently a catching fever, and easier caught if one is exhausted by effort and events (like Woodruff, and Tolly, and Hilly).

I think once Tolly is found they'll realise he was acting in a delirium, but for the moment they're going to be wallowing around with no clear direction. Too often true life is like that, too! (O to be an omniscient narrator... and not just in storytelling...)

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