When Elwil woke up late in the morning in a strange bed on a strange, cloudy day in Bree, she did not feel tired anymore. She only felt afraid and alone. The night and the morning had been filled with dreams and nightmares about the stranger in the Pony who had come to kill her, Delioron and the man she had known as Parthadan. The last nightmare had been the worst of all, but blissfully the memory of the dream began to fade away right after she opened her eyes leaving behind only a haunting image of Mîwon, her dead son, looking at her through the darkness with scared, lost eyes.
Elwil took her time dressing up before she finally ventured out of the big guestroom and walked down the corridor. The house was silent as a mausoleum. It was nearly noon already.
She went to the room with the fireplace where she had sat with Delioron yesterday evening and looked out of the window. Last night it had snowed a little sleet, but it was all gone now and the yard only looked wet and miserable, the grass yellow and dead. Greengage emerged into the room, looking slightly hungover but still in good humor.
”Good morning, dear”, he said. ”Soon to turn into afternoon. Hungry?”
”I am, Mr. Greengage.”
”Oh, just call me Bob”, Greengage said. ”And I’m a late sleeper too. I will go tell my hag of a wife to fix us some breakfast. I can’t stand her, but she’s a great cook. And knows it too, the witch. Wilma!”
A few moments later wooden shoes clip-clopped down the corridor. The surly, sour-faced woman appeared at the doorway, arms akimbo.
”Be a dear and and fix us both some breakfast and tea”, Greengage said.
”It’s almost noon”, Wilma harrumphed.
”Thank you, dear”, Bob smiled and turned to look at Elwil. ”Like a cuckoo clock, isn’t she? I can always count on her to tell me exactly what the time is!”
Elwil looked down at her feet. She felt uncomfortable and slightly embarrassed for having to witness this scene between the old married couple, and a little sorry for the woman. Wilma harrumphed again and turned from the door.
”What a hag”, Bob said with his cheerful voice, in exactly the same tone he had wished Elwil good morning a little earlier. Elwil suddenly realized she didn’t like Bob Greengage very much. Bob sat down by the small table and waved his hand for Elwil to sit down on the other side. She did so.
Greengage looked at Elwil and smiled. ”Well, here we are. Won’t you fill me in about what’s going on?”
Elwil looked at him and frowned. ”I thought Delioron already told you everything last night.”
”Ah, yes, yes. He gave me a very detailed report, which has been sent to Parthadan. The real Parthadan. Still, we have all this time on our hands with nothing else to do but chat while we wait for Delioron to come back from… whatever it is he went out doing. Surely there are things you didn’t have time to tell him? About the false Parthadan in Minas Tirith, or the man you came here with? Or perhaps something Delioron told you before you came here? Something he forgot to mention yesterday? Like, what is he doing?”
Elwil didn’t know what to say to that. She tried to smile. ”I really don’t… there’s not much to say. Delioron said…”
Bob stared and crossed his fingers under his nose. He leaned forward like a cat watching a mouse. ”Delioron said?”
There was a cold feeling in the bottom of Elwil’s stomach. Something wasn’t quite right now.
”Delioron said?” Bob asked again, gently, a man with infinite patience and good will.
”That I just have to wait here until he returns.”
”And when is that?”
”I don’t know. I really don’t.”
”Today? Do you think he will come back today?”
”I don’t know. Maybe? Look, I’m sorry but…”
Bob smiled and raised a hand. ”Sorry? There’s no need to be sorry, dear. We’re just making conversation. I’m sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable by asking too many questions. I forgot you’ve just been through a terrible ordeal.”
Bob’s words and voice were soothing, but when Elwil looked into his eyes she saw something there she didn’t like. Didn’t like at all.
