[The Saucepan Man]

Originally Posted by Raynor

I think it is reasonable to believe that poor Pippin was lip-synching to the messages he transmited to Sauron.

So now Saruman is an expert lip-reader too ...?

I am sure that even Sauron would have acknowledged that Saruman was quite capable himself of extracting such information as Pippin had. If he had thought that Pippin did not have the Ring, but information only, I am sure that he would not have hesitated to ask of the Ring's whereabouts, particularly as the more logical assumption would be that Saruman had already extracted this information.

Originally Posted by Raynor

Then again, it may be that Gandalf left out the possibility of Saruman "trading" the hobbit, even though without the ring, only with information.

So Gandalf is fallible, then?

If we are assuming that Gandalf's has got it right, then it is clear that Sauron was incredibly eager to get hold of Pippin, and not just for information. I really cannot see any reason for Sauron's eagereness, bordering on obsession, in this regard if he did not think that Pippin had the Ring.

If we are to believe that perhaps Gandalf got it wrong, then it all comes down to your interpretation of the words "it" and "dainty", as used by Sauron.

OK, I'm all argued out on this point, and merely repeating myself. All I really add is that, whenever I have read this passage, I have always interpreted the references to "it" and "dainty" to mean the Ring, and therefore that Sauron mistook Pippin for the Ringbearer. I am not about to change that long-held view without very clear evidence, which has not been forthcoming thus far.