[Child of the 7th Age]

Child got up and stretched. She had a splitting headache. She was sitting in bed with the classified ads spread out in front of her. She was comparing the desirability and price of various pieces of real estate in Tol Eressea and Amon.

Birdland was banging incessently at the door of her cabin. She sat up in bed just as Birdie with her enormous strength took the door off its hinges. Behind Birdie stood a contingent of her friends.

Birdie went over to the bed and shook Child very hard. "Wake up, wake up!!!" The she stuck a mirror in front of Child's nose.

Birdie glared: "Does that look like an Elf face?? What are the possibilities of the Valar sending a real ship to pick you up and bring you to Aman?? Since when has the Council of Valar paid the slightest attention to your private affairs. The last time you went to Amon by mistake, Varda ushered you out through a time warp in exactly 30 seconds and told you not to fall into the wrong story again!!!"

Child had to admit that the possibility of Varda wanting her to return had seemed quite remote indeed. And even if she had been lucky enough to go there, it would surely be on a holiday, and not as a permanent resident.

Frodo and Samwise--now that was a possibility, but herself and Birdie???? It did seem like a mistake had been made, or else something much more sinister was happening. Birdie seemed to incline to the latter view.

After she listened to the whole story told by Birdie and the assembled throng, she had to admit they might be correct. For one single instant, Child felt deep and genuine sorrow that a beachfront home in Avallone did not seem to be in her future. Then she pulled herself together and tried to think things through.

Her brain was really rather muddled. It was almost as if someone had drugged her. She remembered the big room with all the bottles and began to have serious doubts about what exactly was in the water on this ship.

Then Child retorted to Birdland, "You can do what you want, but I am not getting off this vessel. What about the others on board? I will not leave Samwise or Frodo or some of those Elves who are still hidden behind the barrels. And do you think I can swim across the ocean. You must be kidding. Now if I wanted to, I could fly away on Angara and leave the rest of you here. But that doesn't seem like the decent thing to do."

"And what about Legolas?? Is that a demon Legolas? I don't think so. I think he was captured at our birthday party and bewitched, just as we were."

"I wonder if any of this has anything to do with the remnant of that REG. Of course, I'm sure whoever had that piece certainly trashed and destroyed it, didn't they???" Child looked directly at Pioseniel.

Child continued, "Our only course is clear. We have to mutiny and gain control of this vessel. You know we do have a few things on our side and one of them is Angara. Last night, before I went to bed, Angara told me she thought there was something very fishy going on. I didn't even listen to her, because I didn't want her to be right. But I guess she was right, and things have gone very wrong indeed."

"Now, let's put our heads together and figure out how to get out of this mess. I do have my dagger and bow, and I see some of you also have weapons. Any ideas??"

"And, oh yeah, who is going to break this news to Samwise, Stacey, and Frodo? The two of them may be very disappointed because, unlike us, they actually have been to Aman."