THE HOBBIT, J.R.R. Tolkien INSIDE INFORMATION Bilbo was now beginning to feel really uncomfortable. Whenever Smaugs roving eye, seeking for him in the shadows, flashed across him, he trembled, and an unaccountable desire seized hold of him to rush out and reveal himself and tell all the truth to Smaug. In fact he was in grievous danger of coming under the dragon-spell. But plucking up courage he spoke again. You dont know everything, O Smaug the Mighty, said he. Not gold alone brought us hither. Ha! Ha! You admit the us laughed Smaug. Why not say us fourteen and be done with it, Mr Lucky Number? I am pleased to hear that you had other business in these parts besides my gold. In that case you may, perhaps, not altogether waste your time. I dont know if it has occurred to you that, even if you could steal the gold bit by bit - a matter of a hundred years or so - you could not get it very far? Not much use on the mountain side? Not much use in the forest? Bless me! Had you never thought of the catch? A fourteenth share, I suppose, or something like it, those were the terms, eh? But what about delivery? What about cartage? What about armed guards and tolls? And Smaug laughed aloud. He had a wicked and wily heart, and he knew his guesses were not far out, though he suspected that the Lake-men were at the back of the plans, and that most of the plunder was meant to stop there in the town by the shore that in his young days had been called Esgaroth. You will hardly believe it, but poor Bilbo was really very taken aback. So far all his thoughts and energies had been concentrated on getting to the Mountain and finding the entrance. He had never bothered to wonder how the treasure was to be removed, certainly never how any part of it that might fall to his share was to be brought back all the way to Bag-End Under-Hill. Now a nasty suspicion began to grow in his mind - had the dwarves forgotten this important point too, or were they laughing in their sleeves at him all the time? That is the effect that dragon-talk has on the inexperienced. Bilbo of course ought to have been on his guard; but Smaug had rather an overwhelming personality. I tell you, he said, in an effort to remain loyal to his friends and to keep his end up, that gold was only an afterthought with us. We came over hill and under hill, by wave and wind, for REVENGE. Surely, O Smaug the unassessably wealthy, you must realize that your success has made you some bitter enemies? Then Smaug really did laugh - a devastating sound which shook Bilbo to the floor, while far up in the tunnel the dwarves huddled together and imagined that the hobbit had come to a sudden and nasty end. Revenge! he snorted, and the light of his eyes lit the hall from floor to ceiling like scarlet lightning. Revenge! The King under the Mountain is dead and where are his kin that dare seek revenge? Girion Lord of Dale is dead, and I have eaten his people like a wolf among sheep, and where are his sons sons that dare approach me? I kill where I wish and none dare resist. I laid low the warriors of old and their like is not in the world today. Then I was but young and tender. Now I am old and strong, strong, strong, Thief in the Shadows! he gloated. My armour is like tenfold shields, my teeth are swords, my claws spears, the shock of my tail a thunderbolt, my wings a hurricane, and my breath death! I have always understood, said Bilbo in a frightened squeak, that dragons were softer underneath, especially in the region of the - er - chest; but doubtless one so fortified has thought of that. The dragon stopped short in his boasting. Your information is antiquated, he snapped. I am armoured above and below with iron scales and hard gems. No blade can pierce me. I might have guessed it, said Bilbo. Truly there can nowhere be found the equal of Lord Smaug the Impenetrable. What magnificence to possess a waistcoat of fine diamonds! Yes, it is rare and wonderful, indeed, said Smaug absurdly pleased. He did not know that the hobbit had already caught a glimpse of his peculiar under-covering on his previous visit, and was itching for a closer view for reasons of his own. The dragon rolled over. Look! he said. What do you say to that? Dazzlingly marvelous! Perfect! Flawless! Staggering! exclaimed Bilbo aloud, but what he thought inside was: Old fool! Why there is a large patch in the hollow of his left breast as bare as a snail out of its shell! After he had seen that Mr Baggins one idea was to get away. Well, I really must not detain Your Magnificence any longer, he said, or keep you from much needed rest. Ponies take some catching, I believe, after a long start. And so do burglars, he added as a parting shot, as he darted back and fled up the tunnel. It was an unfortunate remark, for the dragon spouted terrific flames after him, and fast though he sped up the slope, he had not gone nearly far enough to be comfortable before the ghastly head of Smaug was thrust against the opening behind. Luckily the whole head and jaws could not squeeze in, but the nostrils sent sent forth fire and vapour to pursue him, and he was nearly overcome, and stumbled blindly on in great pain and fear. He had been feeling rather pleased with the cleverness of his conversation with Smaug, but his mistake at the end shook him into better sense. Never laugh at live dragons, Bilbo you fool! he said to himself, and it became a favourite saying of his later, and passed into a proverb. You arent nearly through this adventure yet, he added, and that was pretty true as well.
Posted on: Wed, 06 Nov 2013 00:20:46 +0000
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