[Ithaeliel]

"Ah, well-met, Mr Goodbody! D'you mind if I come in? This may take a while."

The flustered hobbit flattened himself against the wall to get out of Ardo's path. "Of course! Please make yourself comfortable."

Ardo looked about the place. It was quite primitive; nothing compared to the smial in which he dwelt. Its walls were lined with thin strips of bark, its floors with nothing but the very soil of the land (although it was quite smooth and packed-in from the constant tramping of feet), and the door was also a large bark board, not circular or beautiful like Shire-doors. Yet Ardo wondered if this wasn't one of the cleaner homes he would see.

As Goodbody ushered Baggins into the hole, two children ran shrieking with laughter into the room. "Papa, papa, did you see? Drocas has got himself into a mess!"
Almost as if on cue, a crying toddler came in, his whole frontside plastered with mud. The father looked in surprise at young Drocas. "My, my, dear boy, you must've fallen right into the middle of the mud puddle! Now quickly go see your mother and see that she washes that off. We've got company; a man from the Shire. This is Mr. Baggins."
The children gaped up at Ardo in awe and revelry. "The SHIRE? The REAL Shire?"
"The one with the ghosts and the green hills and the--"
"Yes, children, that Shire. Now go on and see if y'can't help your mother with supper."

As the children ran off, whispering excitedly, Goodbody turned to Ardo, smiling ruefully. "They're a handful, they are. Can't sit still for a minute. Now, have a seat, Mr. Baggins, and let's get down to business."
"Right," agreed Ardo before clearing his throat. "I'm here as one of the 24 messengers, as you know already, and I am here to invite you to settle in the Shire."
Goodbody sighed. "I'd have gone already if I wasn't so uncertain. I'm not sure we could afford it, as I've got four other mouths to feed besides my own. I'd give anything for my family, but I think we're comfortable here in Staddle."
Ardo bit his tongue. He wanted to burst out with all of the wonderful things he discovered when he settled in the Shire, but it would be a bit too fast. He needed to talk things through calmly, not barrage the man with ideas that were too good to be true. That was the kind of thing that would get him kicked out of the house. So he started off slow.
"Mr. Goodbody, no doubt you would find comfort in your settlement here, but would you perhaps consider our proposal? You need not buy any land; it shall be given to you, should you choose to hearken to the Shire. You need only buy that which you have here in this household: A table to eat at, chairs to sit in, and so on and so forth. You'd find friendly neighbors, wide meadows where your children can play without worry... there are so many wonderful things about the Shire; I could not list them in an entire day. Your children would be educated, you would live in peace and comfort! You would never, ever have to move from place to place again! My dear sir, you say you would do anything for your family. If that is so, you would want to give them the best, wouldn't you? The Shire is what you'd find to fit the description."
Goodbody listened intently to Ardo's entire speech, his eyes widening as it went. By the end, a broad grin was plastered on his strong face, and he nodded. "Goodness, Mr. Baggins... I'm reconsiderin', sir, honest I am. I don't want to pass this up, by the way you tell it... you have a talent for solicitation, sir. But before I say yes or no, I have to know the details of the agreement. Would you tell me that?"
Ardo smiled as he pulled out the scroll. He read off the terms to Goodbody, and as he did he noticed the children peeking in curiously, as well as the wife, whose lips were drawn tight in an expression that clearly said, "Is this Mr. Baggins a phony?"
Ardo continued to read. As he finished, Goodbody straightened himself from his forward slumping position. "If you'd be so kind as to give me a day to discuss this with my family," and at 'family' the four heads disappeared around the corner, "I'll give you a definite yes or no tomorrow. Will y'be in Staddle that long?"
"Indeed I will, as will my companion Pippin. I'll alow you the time you request, and I'll check back at sunset tomorrow."

[ September 19, 2002: Message edited by: Ithaeliel ]