Meet the Mayor in Person!

[Torebras(#25187)] It\'s a summer\'s morning, though to call it \'fine\' would be going a little too far. A light drizzle trickles down from the clouded sky, and water pools on the eaves of the Pony to fall every now and then with a sudden splash as it hits the muddy ground. Still, there\'s an election to be run and a campaign to fight, whether the weather agrees or no ...

Undeterred by the weather, Torebras Bywater stands under the shelter of a smart black umbrella watching as two hobbit-lads wrestle with the bright awning of a little booth they\'re setting up. Beside it stands a wooden signboard painted with letters that are already beginning to run: VOTE BYWATER and MEET THE MAYOR IN PERSON

Keldean steps out of the stable with a large bucket that fills the air around him with the stench of manure. He\'s halfway across the yard to dump it when he notices the mayor setting up the table. The teen moves in that direction instead, closing the distance and uncaring that he\'s bringing the bucket of animal waste with him. \"What\'s this all about?\" The teen asks, curious.

[Torebras(#25187)] Old habits die hard. Torebras\' nose wrinkles, and his features assume that air of lofty disdain he usually wears around Keldean. But there\'s an election to be fought ... Slowly, laboriously, the hobbit\'s face rearranges itself into an insincere smile. \"Why, good morning, young Master Pinewick!\" he exclaims heartily. \"And how are you? We were just setting up-\"

At that moment one of the young hobbits interrupts. \"Is this how you wanted it, Mister Mayor?\" Torebras squints, then shakes his head. \"No no, a little more to the left.\"

Keldean moves closer, lifting a brow as a sly smile grows on his face when the mayor suddenly changes his attitude. He sets the bucket down near the mayor and casually slips his hands into his pockets. \"I\'m okay, I suppose. I went out for a walk the other night and almost got killed, but.. I\'m rather used to fending for myself I guess.\" Why wouldn\'t the teen take this chance to torment the hobbit a little bit?

[Torebras(#25187)] Torebras looks quite shocked at these words. \"Here, in Bree?\" he demands imperiously. \"This should be a safe town.\" Oh, this will reflect badly if it gets out. \"I really don\'t think -\" He stops, stifling a cough (that bucket /is/ rather near), then goes on as encouragingly as he can, \"Why don\'t you tell me all about it? Ah, a little more to the right there, young Master Cottontoes.\"

\"Just outside the north gate... I think it was one of those bandits. He was an unsavory man, and was talking to me all friendly but I didn\'t like him. Maybe it was that man that escaped from the jail. Yeah, I think it was him.\" Keldean frowns, \"He lunched at me and I ran. He didn\'t catch me, thankfully.\"

[Torebras(#25187)] The two young hobbits wrestle with the wet awning, and at last Torebras is satisfied. \"That\'s it!\" he exclaims. \"Well done, lads!\" Relieved, the diminutive workers tie the ropes firmly to the wooden frame.

Only then does Torebras answer Keldean. \"I see. Outside the gate - most unfortunate. You really shouldn\'t be out there wandering alone at night - that\'s why we have gates, after all.\" His tone is avuncular, and he manages not to sneeze despite the very strong odour of manure rising from nearby. Then he frowns clearly he\'s thinking about something. \"Did you see which way he went?\"

\"No.. I ran because I thought he was going to try and kill me!\" Keldean retorts, scowling. \"He tried to kill Cordelia, you know? And I wasn\'t that far from the gates.. \" Somehow the teen has found himself on the defensive and he isn\'t happy about it. \"How is your campaign going? I hear that a lot of people really like Brenden.\" It\'s just a guess, but Keldean simply wants to harass the hobbit.

[Torebras(#25187)] Torebras shifts uncomfortably from foot to foot. \"Nonsense!\" he exclaims. \"That man has no respect for anyone! Particularly the Smaller Folk. It is a Mayor\'s duty to look after /all/ his constituents, I think most people realize that.\"

He pauses to beam at the two young hobbits and announce, \"A job well done, young fellows! There you go,\" and he reaches into his waistcoat pocket to bring out a handful of coins for each. The pair trot off happily, grinning from ear to ear.

Torebras, left alone with Keldean, looks a little uncomfortable. \"I\'ll - ah, have someone look into the matter of this lurker,\" he tells the teenager awkwardly.

\"Well, I\'m okay -now-.. But I\'m a little nervous about going outside of town. I don\'t really know Brenden, but I heard that he\'s really interested in being mayor. How long have -you- been the mayor?\" The teen asks, that smile starting to creep onto his face again when he sees the hobbit growing uncomfortable. Casually, Keldean rests the toe of his boot on the rim of the filth-filled bucket.

[Torebras(#25187)] The morning drizzle continues to drip down on everything - on the yard, on the brightly coloured little booth so newly set up, on the painted sign thet\'s starting to run so badly its wording is barely visible. Torebras grimaces and adjusts his umbrella to keep his curly head dry.

\"For ... lets see, the past three years,\" Torebras answers Keldean\'s query readily enough. \"No, no, it must be four. Is it really that long?\" He shakes his head. \"It scarcely seems a day.\" He eyes the youth\'s bucket a little nervously, then adds disapprovingly, \"I really don\'t think that having a Ferny as Mayor would be good for Bree. There\'s not one of that family who\'s honest ...\"

[Ada(#23113)] The yard is redolent of manure though it is clean and though the pawnbroker is used to horses and their leavings (as are all the inhabitants of Bree)she wrinkles her nose and lifts her skirts against a possible accident. She stops suddenly at the entrance though not for fear of encountering horse droppings but in absolute surprise at the booth, its banner and the two standing before it. She shakes her head, her brow wrinkling under her demure widow\'s cap.

Crossing the yard, Ada comes to a halt before them, a puzzled scowl fighting with a bewildered smile on her sharp little face. \"Keldean- Brenden. A good day to you. Ah...does Brenden know about this?\"

\"Four years? Maybe people want a .. Oh. Hello Ada.\" Keldean\'s little game seems to be up, because when he sees the woman approaching that toying smile leaves his face. He reaches a hand up to brush some damp curls from his face, a look of concentration on his face, now. After a moment he asks in a sudden, rather chipper fashion, \"Who do you support, Ada? Mister Bywater or your brother?\"

[Torebras(#25187)] At the sight of Ada Torebras gives a guilty start, sending droplets of water flying from his umbrella. \"Ah, good morning, Mistress Fiddlehead,\" he manages to respond. \"He will know about it very soon, won\'t he?\" He attempts a placating tone. \"Because you will tell him.\"

The bland expression on his face changes to a frown at Keldean\'s words, and he clears his throat rather noisily. \"Ahem. I hardly think that\'s polite, Master Pinewick. Voting should be confidential, you know.\" He attempts a wink.

Ada eyes Torebras suspiciously. Is it a flare for picking up gossip perhaps or simply the very guilty look on the hobbits face? But she shakes a finger at Keldean.

\"You have some cheek young man asking a person a question like that. That is strictly my business even if I think my brother is an energetic, young blood can bring...\" She frowns elaborately and shakes out her skirt. Another surprise she involuntarily agrees with the Mayor.

\"Only four years Mayor? I thought it had been much longer.\"

Keldean draws back a step from the two, shoving his hands into his pockets and adopting an apologetic expression on his face. \"It\'s not really confidential, right? I mean.. when people cast their votes someone sees them, and someone has to count?\" The teen has never been involved in a vote for anything official.

[Torebras(#25187)] The mayor, alas, does not seem to agree with Ada. At the mention of energetic young blood he starts spluttering, and hastily turns it into a cough. \"Are you going to do something with that bucket, Mister Pinewick? And yes, it /is/ confidential.\" He adopts that irritating avuncular tone. \"The vote-counters merely count the slips of paper, they don\'t know who has cast each vote. Only the person who has written on each voting paper knows that.\" He carefully avoids mention of the fact that since half the populace can\'t read or write, \'assistants\' often are needed to fill in the voting papers.

\"Keldean just what did you have in mind, doing this?\" Ada looks unhappily at the Mayor and gives a grudging nod for his lecture on voting procedures.

\"Did you know a person can\'t just pick up and start bandying another person\'s name about without their permission? Suppose, I set up a booth saying I support you doing free stable work to promote cleanliness in Bree.\" She eyes his bucket with as much pleasure as she did meeting the Mayor.

\"What? This isn\'t my booth! It\'s his!\" The teen says, pointing at the booth. \"I just work here.\" Keldean reaches down to heft up the bucket, moving it away now that he\'s caused the mayor significant displeasure with it. \"And how do people know what to write? I mean.. for the folks that can\'t read?\" The last is quickly added in the fashion that suggests -he- doesn\'t suffer such a vice.

[Torebras(#25187)] Torebras eyes Ada, and a frown fixes itself on his round face. \"I was the one who set up the booth,\" he tells her primly. \"I\'m sure your brother won\'t mind - he does, after all, have his name plastered across half of Bree hill. Brendan\'s annual ale festival, indeed! What a piece of nonsense!\"

As Keldean\'s bucket is moved away, the Mayor lets out an audible sigh. \"There are always a few altruistic folk standing by to help those who can\'t read,\" he tells the teenager kindly. \"My young brother Brandebras usually volunteers for the job.\"

Keldean gives Torebras a shrewd look. \"Oh.. that\'s good.. Your brother helping people with the voting? Is that even fair? And what do you mean about Bree Hill? There\'s a festival?\" Clearly the teen -can\'t- read because there are plenty of signs around about it.

[Torebras(#25187)] \"Young Brandebras is alway very keen,\" Torebras announces, smiling pleasantly. \"I\'m sure if you have any difficulties yourself, he\'d be happy to help.\" A moment\'s pause while he adjusts his umbrella, then he asks Keldean a little haughtily, \"Haven\'t you seen the signs, young man? It\'s quite ridiculous, there\'s been an autumn ale festival every year since I was a lad, and now that ... that Ferny,\" outraged as he is, he doesn\'t seem to notice his faux pas, \"tries to claim it as his.\"

\"I don\'t need any help.\" Keldean mutters, shifting to a more guarded posture in a self-conscious fashion. \"A festival sounds fun. Why wouldn\'t you want him to throw a festival? Will there be a lot of food?\" The teen asks in an innocent tone.

[Ada(#23113)] Ada has recovered her expression of bland good humor which works very well with her customers. She narrows her eyes once when the Mayor mentions his brother counting votes. \"That is very interesting about your brother volunteering. It makes me think that I should, too, for counting the votes and perhaps more.\" She nods with thte look of someone discovering that she is also called to a higher good, her eyes slanting once at Torebras to gage his expression.

\"My brother is giving the Festival a boost. Yes. A definite boost this year.\"

[Torebras(#25187)] Torebras eyes Keldean with distaste. The pre-election cordiality is definitely wearing off. \"I have nothing against festivals - indeed, I find them quite splendid affairs,\" the hobbit states pompously. \"I merely object to Mister Ferny bandying his name about as though he were the instigator.\" He takes his gaze off the youth to frown disapprovingly at Ada, then adds sharply, \"And I certainly hope there will be food!\" Ohoh, seems the hobbit and the teenager have one interest in common.

\"Ah ... I .. that is, that would be very kind of you, Mistress Fiddlehead,\" he murmurs weakly in response to Ada\'s offer. \"Now, if you\'ll excuse me, I really should get ready for my constituents.\" Which, roughly translated, might be \'It\'s wetter out here than under that awning\'. Nodding with slightly forced civility to both the Big Folk he\'s been talking to, Torebras heads toward the little booth, shaking out his umbrella vigorously as he enters.

Alas for his enthusiasm. The painted sign in front of the booth now reads:

HOT_ __WATER __d M___ T__ MAYOR __ P__S ON

Keldean perhaps realizes how wet -he\'s- getting as well, because he only sighs and moves back to scoop up the bucket, and goes to dump it with the rest of the stable filth at the back of the yard. After that\'s done he leaves the bucket out in the rain and trudges back to the barn, glancing once towards Ada though to see what she\'s about. Curiosity will kill Keldean one of these days.

Ada gives the Mayor his due and manages the barest of curtseys something she had neglected on greeting him. She then fingers her cap which has begun to lose its sharp peaks in the drizzle and a frown settles on her face as gray as the day.

Shaking out her skirts again she shoots a look at Keldean, interest and suspicion mixed in equal parts. \"Talk to my brother before you get any deeper in this boy.\" And then follows in the Mayor\'s steps.