Many Meetings

Okay, you know what you're in for.


Frodo woke and found himself lying in bed. At first he thought that he had slept late, after a long unpleasant dream that still hovered on the edge of memory. Or perhaps he had been ill?
'Where am I, and what is the time?' he said aloud to the ceiling.
'In the House of Elrond, and it is ten o'clock in the morning,' said a voice. 'It is the morning of October the twenty-fourth if you want to know.'
Gandalf!' cried Frodo, sitting up. There was the old wizard, sitting in a chair by the open window.
'Yes,' he said, 'I am here. And you are lucky to be here, too, after all the absurd things you have done since you left home.'
Frodo lay down again. He felt too comfortable and peaceful to argue, and in any case he did not think he would get the better of an argument. While he was thinking of all these things and trying in vain to bring his memory down to his arriving in Rivendell, there was a long silence, broken only by the soft puffs of Gandalf's pipe as he blew white smoke-rings out of the window.
'Where's Sam?' Frodo asked at length.
' Sam was here until I sent him off to get some rest about half and hour ago,' answered Gandalf. He looked at Frodo, but he had shut his eyes. 'You are safe for the present. Soon there will be feasting and merrymaking to celebrate the victory at the Ford of Bruinen, and you will all be there in places of honor.'
'Splendid!' said Frodo. 'It is wonderful that such great lords, not to mention Strider, should show me so much kindness.'
'Well, there are many reasons why they should,' said Gandalf, smiling. 'I am one good reason. And you are the heir of Bilbo, the Ring-finder.'
'Dear Bilbo!' said Frodo sleepily. ' I wonder where he is. I wish he was here and could hear all about it. It would have made him laugh. The cow jumped over the Moon! And the poor old Troll!' With that he fell fast asleep.

Sorry, people, if you are howling in rage because I skipped about three pages in the process of typing this, but you'll have to live with it for as long as I say. :)