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What has the old fool gone and got himself into this time? Snaveling’s mind hurried through this and any number of other pressing questions like it as he rushed across the yard to the stables. Stupid old hobbit! he thought angrily, how could you have let it get to this point? Why didn’t you tell me your troubles last night when we could have done something about it?
He burst into the stables causing a general uproar amongst the horses and cast about hissing Toby’s name between his teeth. He was muttering now as well. “Ridiculous, foolish, gad-headed, numbskull” and on with more epithets than he had even thought he knew. So furious was he that he did not stop to think of the effects of his litany on his friend. The first few stalls he looked in were bare of the hobbit, and Snaveling began to fear that with no empty spaces Toby might have done something truly ridiculous and attempted to hide somewhere just outside the Inn or, worse, that he had made off entirely. Startled by the idea, he swung about and made to run to the gate to call up the road when Aman’s new horse snickered at him and bit the sleeve of his tunic. “Not now,” he began but the look the horse gave him was so clear that without another word he vaulted over the low gate of the stall and pushed past the creature to see a pair of dirty breeches protruding from between the rails into the next stall. Grabbing at the patched socks about an elderly pair of ankles, he hauled the fugitive Tobias Hornblower back into the hay demanding as he did so, now really furious, “Just where in the name of the King do you think you are going Tobias?”
The poor hobbit slumped to the ground and stared at the tall Man with quivering eyes. His nose twitched like a rat’s scenting danger on the wind, and for a terrible moment it looked as though he really might cry for the shame of his circumstances. Snaveling was immediately overcome with regret and smoothing out his countenance he kneeled down before his friend and placed his hand upon his shoulder. “I am sorry to have yelled at you Toby, but I am very concerned. I am sure you know what Aman and I have just learned from the officers, but you must know too that we don’t believe a word of it. Aman is in there right now keeping them busy with food and drink, and I am to bring you to her study where we can all talk and decide what to do next.” Toby’s mouth opened and closed, twice, as he tried to take this in. Snaveling smiled in what he hoped was a comforting manner. “Come,” he said standing and holding out his hand to help up the elderly hobbit.
But Toby just shook his head violently from side to side. “No no no,” he said quickly, “I cannot; I cannot face Aman, not now, not after what I’ve done. And you, when you know the truth you won’t be so happy to know me. You think you can trust me, that I’ve innocent of all the charges, but you don’t know, you can’t. Why don’t you just go on back and let me be. I’ll be fine. I can lay low until dark and then just slip away.”
“Absolutely not!” Snaveling said firmly. “And that’s settled. I am going to help you, my old friend, as you once helped me. Do you not remember my crimes? Nothing you have done could surpass them, and yet I was shown forgiveness and justice. You shall have the same – I swear it, by all the power that is mine to wield. Though it is not much, I have yet some potency. And as for money, if it is a matter that can be settled with gold or silver, I am well enough supplied with both.” He took Toby by the hand and hauled him upright. “Now you old rogue, let us get to Aman’s study, and let us hope that your countrymen will be too distracted by the delights of the Dragon to notice us!”
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