Linaewen's New Job
by Linaewen
Here's a little paraphrase of a familiar text to let you know what I
have been up to since moving last week. The original text comes from
the FOTR chapter "At the Sign of the Prancing Pony."
Boromir went forward into the private guest
house, and nearly bumped into a medium-height, not-so-fat woman with
long hair bound up on top of her head, and face flushed red with
exertion. She had a white apron on, and was bustling out of one door
and in through another, carrying a tray laden with mugs in one hand and
clean bedding under her other arm.
"May I ---- " began Boromir.
"Half a minute, if you please!" shouted the
woman over her shoulder, and vanished into the kitchen. In a moment she
was out again, wiping her hands on her apron.
"Good evening!" she said, craning her neck to look up at the tall warrior. "What may you be wanting?"
"A moment of your time, for one thing, and an inkling for Monday, if that can be managed. You are Linaewen, are you not?"
"That's right, and don't pretend you didn't
recognize me! I'm run off my feet; but I'll see what I can do for you.
I don't have nearly enough time nowadays to write like I used to, what
with having moved and all, and still so much unpacking and setting up
to do. But there is such a crowd already in the house tonight as there
hasn't been for long enough. It never rains but it pours, we say in
Wisconsin."
"Yes, we say that in Minas Tirith as well," said Boromir, trying to cut in quickly; but Linaewen went on without a break.
"Well, now, what was I saying?" said
Linaewen, tapping her forehead. "One thing drives out another, so to
speak. I'm that busy tonight, my head is going round. There's that
party that came the day after we moved in, just in from the Far East --
and us barely unpacked and I was having to cook meals and make beds.
Then there's a travelling family about to move overseas coming in this
evening, I was just going to get their rooms ready. And now there's
you, wanting an inkling. If you weren't Boromir, I doubt if I could
help you. But..."
"But...?"
"Well, you know I can't refuse when you want
a moment of my time. I will see what I can do. Perhaps after the guests
have arrived from the airport and are settled, I can sit with you for a
bit. I won't be able to manage a new inkling this week, but perhaps we
can dig up something interesting. I hope that will suit? Excuse me now.
I'm that busy. No time for talking or writing inklings. I must be
trotting. It's hard work for two legs, but luckily, I think I'm getting
thinner! I'll look in again later."
Off she went at last, leaving Boromir feeling
rather breathless. Linaewen seemed capable of an endless stream of
talk, however busy she might be.
"And she has not yet even begun her work in
the writing department at the office," sighed Boromir. "This does not
bode well for the writing of inklings."
He sighed again, then snagged a mug from Linaewen's tray as she passed by on her way back to the kitchen.
"I may as well have a mug of something while
I wait," Boromir said, as he headed for the coffeemaker. "I hear the
coffee is good in this establishment."
