[The Squatter of Amon Rûdh]

Do you have anyone to house-sit when on vacation

You think I can afford a holiday when I waste money on expensive Tolkieniana? When I do venture from my halls, Glaurung sometimes lends a claw. He provides his own meals, but has a tendency to heap everything in the middle of the sitting room and go to sleep on it. Usually I just rely on an elaborate system of booby traps and a private arrangement with the Belegost Mafia.

Nonetheless, I was quite surprised at what you paid for them, going by the newspaper story from the bookseller, which you linked to us once in chat. Assuming that link wasn't hacked.

Would I hack a newspaper's website just to impress a few people in the chat room? More to the point, would I admit to it in public? What you have to remember about the newspaper in question is that it's basically a glorified shop window for estate agents. The article was written in the midst of the furore over the films, and news was short that week.

Those first-edition maps are a feature I'd like to see revived in new editions. I think that a lot of people would be prepared to pay more for better cartography (my HarperCollins edition even has 'Drimrill Dale' on its maps). Yes, the pub probably wasn't the best place to look at those books, but I'm sure there'll be other opportunities. Some scans could be arranged, other commitments and pointless translations permitting.