"Cooperate?"
Garrett was amused by the envoy's question.
"Sauron must have been cooped up in that tower so long he's lost his mind. What did he send you for, to come and die?"
The envoy didn't react to Garrett's blunt mockery. He kept the same attitude as before, as if he hadn't heard it. Remaining humble, head bowed, he continued:
"Please believe me, I come with my master's sincerity."
"We are willing to sign a peace pact with you and will never harm any city or resident of the Free Cities. In addition, we can offer you assistance. For example, that Balrog in Khazad-dûm. We can help you find it, and then assist you in killing it. Besides that, whatever else you need, feel free to ask. I will convey it to my master."
Garrett's brow twitched and an interested look crossed his face.
"How interesting. Tell me in detail. What do you want?"
With Garrett's permission, the envoy went on: "You won't have to give anything. Just help us keep an eye out for the lost Rings of Power. He wishes to recover them."
Garrett rolled his eyes.
Well, of course. The fellow was waiting for this.
Seeing Garrett didn't immediately refuse, the envoy hurried on.
"According to our intelligence, one ring appeared in the Shire. A Hobbit picked up one of the Rings of Power, a trivial one, with only weak magic. If you could help retrieve it, we would be extremely grateful. Afterwards, whatever you wish to do, you would have the aid of Mordor and Mordor's many allies."
"I have no interest in doing business with you."
Garrett waved his hand, clearly having lost interest.
"Go back and tell him not to try anything. He might as well stay home and wait to die."
The envoy fell silent.
"As you wish."
He didn't say more. Nervously, he turned and walked away, glancing back constantly as if afraid the next second he would be skewered.
Behind him, Garrett and the guards watched the envoy until he vanished at the edge of sight.
The envoy breathed a sigh of relief.
Thank goodness his negotiator had been this legendary figure. People of that stature acted openly and honorably. They scorned petty tricks.
He hadn't expected his life to matter much to him.
---
"Negotiations failed."
Inside Mordor, the envoy reported Garrett's words back verbatim.
Unexpectedly, when Sauron heard those insulting words, the flame in the Dark Eye didn't flicker at all.
It was very calm.
"Withdraw."
The envoy bowed slightly and quietly left the hall.
The goal had already been achieved. There had never been any plan to actually reach a cooperation agreement with Garrett.
The real point of the conversation was to let him know that a Ring of Power had appeared. Once he heard that, he would surely be curious and send people to search.
What if he actually found it?
No need to do anything. Leave the rest to the One Ring.
Many had once wanted to possess the One Ring alone, but they did not understand: the One Ring was born of darkness and fire. It always belonged to evil, to the maker who poured most of his power into it, a part of the maker's own being.
Perhaps the one who obtained the One Ring at first could, through will and strength, wield it, command the other rings, gain great power, even storm Mordor and take the Dark Lord's throne himself...
But time would wear everything away.
Victory would come in the end. It was only a matter of sooner or later.
Before that, even if things truly went wrong, even if he ended up becoming a lowly servant to a newly born dark legend, or was tortured until he lost his form and had to skulk in the shadows, so what?
It wouldn't be the first time he'd done something like that.
Sauron was quietly making his own plans.
Information asymmetry could grant one many advantages.
But this time, strangely enough, Sauron was the one at the disadvantage in terms of information.
Inside the city, Garrett turned away and promptly tossed the matter out of his mind.
Gandalf was handling it, he could just...
Then, as if struck by a thought, his steps suddenly faltered. Actually, he wasn't entirely at ease about it.
---
The Shire, Bag End.
"We'll hide it! Hide it somewhere no one will ever find it, and never touch it again!"
Frodo, flustered, held up the Ring and moved toward Gandalf.
"Take it, Gandalf!"
Startled, Gandalf backed away.
"No..."
"Take it!" Frodo kept moving closer.
"No, no, no, I can't..."
Gandalf kept retreating, shouting inwardly in frustration.
This foolish boy, must he test people like this?
"You can't give it to me, Frodo."
Frodo looked at him innocently. "I just want you to hold it..."
"Don't tempt me, Frodo!" Gandalf refused again, this time his voice much sterner.
Then his tone softened into a sigh.
"I cannot take it, not even to keep it safe. You must understand. I might try to use it for good... but through me, it would unleash power too terrible to imagine. At that point, there would be only one person in this land capable of stopping me, and I have no wish to end up like that."
Frodo's eyes flickered thoughtfully. "What about Garrett? We could give it to him. He'd know what to do."
"Absolutely not!"
Gandalf rejected the idea instantly, even more agitated than before.
"If he failed the test, the whole world would be torn apart by him! And I'm not exaggerating. There's no one who could stop him."
That bad?
"But... we can't just leave it here in the Shire. You said the enemy already knows about it."
"Correct."
Having calmed down, Gandalf stepped closer to Frodo again.
"We can't leave it here."
Frodo glanced at the Ring, then at Gandalf, as if making up his mind.
"What should I do?"
"Leave the Shire. Head east, to Bree."
"Will it be safe in Bree?"
"I don't know," Gandalf said, shaking his head.
"But Garrett is there. At least no one will be able to take the Ring from you. That'll buy us time to decide what to do next."
"All right, I'll go." Frodo began hurriedly packing his things.
Gandalf closed his eyes and sighed.
"My dear Frodo... Hobbits are truly a remarkable folk. You can learn all their ways in a month, and yet, even after a hundred years, they'll still surprise you."
Frodo smiled at Gandalf, puffing up with pride at the compliment. Seeing the Hobbit's innocent grin, Gandalf couldn't help but smile back.
Rustle...
Outside the window came a faint sound, the brushing of grass, and perhaps... a sniffle?
Gandalf's smile vanished.
"Get down."
He raised his staff and crept toward the window, then suddenly jabbed it into the bushes.
Thud!
"Yowch!"
Rustle!
Gandalf reached out a large hand and yanked up a plump Hobbit.
Samwise Gamgee.