WW LXXX: It's About Time!

[Inziladun]

As the passengers exited the train at the Blandford station in Dorset, England, they recalled what the e-mail had said: "I'll be holding a sign, and the sign will have a particular character you will instantly recognize." They looked around the platform and saw a man in a white lab coat standing there, smiling, holding a large placard bearing the Tolkien Sigil: a central line both a "T" and a "J", with two mirror-image "R";s on either side. He beckoned them to follow him. They did so, and walked behind him outside. There was a small, old bus at the curb, with its storage compartment open. The man said "Place your luggage in there and hop on board." The man closed the door of the storage bin and climbed onto the bus himself, perching himself on the driver's seat. As the bus pulled away, he picked up the PA system microphone. "I know you're all intensely curious, and I promise you once we arrive at our destination all will be explained." The passengers looked at one another, then out the windows, watching the city streets give way to open countryside.
After about twenty minutes of driving, with no houses or other buildings having been seen for a while, they saw a dirt road ahead on the right. The bus slowed, and turned onto that road. As the bus bounced and lurched along the narrow lane, its riders wondered (not for the first time) what they'd gotten themselves into.
After another ten minutes or so, a large three-story house appeared, surrounded by a high wrought-iron fence. The bus came to a stop in front of a gate, while the bus driver reached into his pocket and removed a small device on which there were two buttons. He pressed one, and the gate opened. The bus passed through, and the gate shut quietly behind it.
As the bus stopped in from of the house, the passengers spoke for the first time.
"The windows- they've been bricked up!", said Sally in surprise. Indeed they had.
"And look at the door", said Pitchwife. Where once had probably been a front door made of fine wood, there was now a heavy-looking metal one, such as one expected to see in a prison.
"What's this all about, anyway?" Fea asked.
"What? Oh, don't be alarmed! Just some security precautions, that's all", the man in the lab coat said reassuringly. He opened the bus's storage compartment. "Just get your things and follow me."
As they retrieved their bags and cases, the man reached into his pocket and brought out the same device he'd used to open the gate. He pressed the other button, and the metal door into the house opened. "Come along!", he said, waving his hand.
With no small amount of uneasiness, the 13 people followed him inside.
As they walked over the threshold, someone gave a yell. The looked back and saw Wilwa clutching Shasta's arm, apparently having nearly fallen. "I tripped on that!" she said, pointing at a tool box just inside the door.
"Sorry!" said the man in the coat. "I meant to clean up some, but I forgot." He reached into another pocket and pulled out an old-fashioned micro-cassette recorder. He spoke into it, "Note to self: 'Tidy up this place!'" He replaced the device.
"Everyone inside? Let's see...one, two, three....yes! All here." He walked over to the metal door, and they noticed a small control panel on one side of it. He stepped in front of it, so that they could not see what he was doing, but the door closed with a crash, making them all jump.
"Now", he said, turning back to them. "Would you all like to know why you're here?"