[Elven-Maiden]

2941 of the Third Age
WHAT WAS THEN HOBBITON

The intruder came from beyond. A powerful, celestial being, almost as old as the universe itself, he had been born in a vast cloud of ice, rocks, dust, and gas a thousand years before.

Bilbo Baggins owned the prestigious hobbit-hole at the base of the hill. To an outsider it looked like a old, run-down, uninteresting hole. But that was merely a clever disguise to keep would-be thieves out. Inside this hobbit-hole were rooms and rooms filled with antique automobiles, and wine cellars stocked with Bourbon, Cabernet Sauvignon, Dom Perignon, Ferri-Carano Siena, Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Brut Champagne, Chardonnay, Sparr Pinot Noir and even Retsina, a fine old Greek wine.

Baggins was handsome, but not in the movie-star sense. He was tall for a hobbit, dark-haired and well-built, with deep green eyes and hairy feet. An urgent knock on the door interrupted his reverie. He downed his tequila and cocked his trusty old .45 caliber automatic Colt pistol.

He opened the door to his hobbit-hole and grinned as he recognised his old childhood pal, Gandalf the Gray.