[Kransha]

Toby coughed loudly, not a natural cough. He wanted the attention now. He admitted to himself that he seemed very much like an arrogant attention-grabbing fool, but he had a personal maxim that stated simply, ‘Never rob someone you don’t know.’ It was an odd maxim, but he stuck to it, always getting to know his victims.

“Sir and Madam!” he said to the man called Grimm and the woman called Cree, “Perhaps you did not hear my question the first few times it was asked. I would very much like to know your names and possibly strike up a dialogue or pleasant discourse. I grow weary of oafish banter that fills this place and desire some civility. Perhaps you could be of help, if you please.” He kept the fake smile plastered on his wizened face.

He spoke up much louder, his gruff voice peeking over the din. He didn’t like being ignored, since he rarely was. People often knew him wherever he went, but not here in the Green Dragon. He had a bit of celebrity aura in Longbottom, because of his routes in the Hornblower family. The Hornblowers were, after all, the most respectable hobbit line in the Southfarthing of the Shire. Here he was just as new here as these two southern folk, but he pretended not to, and very convincingly. He waited eagerly for response from either.

<font size=1 color=339966>[ 2:05 PM February 03, 2004: Message edited by: Kransha ]