“Thorin and Company to Burglar Bilbo greeting! For your hospitality our sincerest thanks, and for your offer of professional assistance our grateful acceptance. Terms: cash on delivery, up to and not exceeding one fourteenth of total profits (if any); all travelling expenses guaranteed in any event; funeral expenses to be defrayed by us or our representatives, if occasion arises and the matter is not otherwise arranged for. “Thinking it unnecessary to disturb your esteemed repose, we have proceeded in advance to make requisite preparations, and shall await your respected person at the Green Dragon Inn, Bywater, at 11 a.m. sharp.
Trusting that you will be punctual,
“We have the honour to remain
“Yours deeply
“Thorin & Co.”
“That leaves you just ten minutes. You will have to run,” said Gandalf. Tolkien, J.R.R.. The Hobbit: Or There and Back Again (Lord of the Rings) (p. 28). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.

Bilbo suddenly felt the need to rush about but stopped himself. Why the sudden rush about when he had to set his own responsibilities onto others? Why wasn’t HE being given time?
He mentally went through the laborious contract; that he had FORCED the company to go over and sign and realized by this very letter they had broken both the spirit and letter of the contract already in the rush to be about. Hoping that if they gave him no room to think about it, he would not notice it.

Bilbo planted himself. Legs akimbo and arms posed to remind one he took after both his parents, and stared at Gandalf, telling him “No, both you and they, with your rushing and this letter broke your words and your contract. Or were you going to continue onwards like that with all half-truths and full of lies? Gandalf the Wise and BENEVOLENT Black!”

The Wizard stumbled backwards as though he had been stabbed deeply with a telling blow that might as well be fatal.
But the small Hobbit wasn’t finished yet with him, “I notice that your companions on this journey all got time to put their affairs in good order, my contract signed in good faith said I would get that same time.
“Yet here you are, the morning after showing you and your companions are liars by breaking that contract by trying to force me to hurry out without setting my responsibilities to my renters and people to rest.
“So, again, I say, No. Find yourself someone else.
“Good day sirrah.”

They stared each other down Gandalf trying to force his will on a member of the Took family. Till Bilbo had enough and told him flat out that “Unless you want to prove to Yvanna you have gone to the Black side of Magic enough to take my will totally away from me. THAT WILL BE ALL! You will leave now.”

Gandalf winced, showing his thoughts until he realized he had been called out on them and what they meant and quietly left the home of the one he thought he could trick into being the lucky number fourteen.

Fini
7/7/2025