Gandalf

Welcome to a special Tuesday edition of 'The Secret of the Inklings'  I took a long weekend and am just getting to this post today.  Last week I apologized to Mr Tolkien.  Today I apologize to you gentle reader.  Now on with the post.

Gandalf drew smoke in from his pipe while he looked past his cup of tea to the fire in the hearth in Bilbo's kitchen.  It was a bright cheery morning in late spring, yet Gandalf had a chill.  Much like the one he had some time ago when Bilbo admitted to finding Gollum's ring in the tunnels under the Misty Mountain.  Something was not right.  The man who for lack of a better word landed in Bilbo's garden two days ago seemed kind and wanted to know everything about the shire.  He had taken to taking long walks along the lanes and roads of this pleasant country.  Gandalf could not get over the coincidence of the stranger whom Bilbo called Jar Tulkeen arriving at Bag End of all places and his description of where he is from even more puzzling carts pulled without horses and devices called radios that could send voices hundreds of leagues thru the air.  More puzzling was the strangers account of how he had gotten here.  Gandalf knew there would be many many days ahead of conversations with Bilbo's.... well what was he Prisoner?  Guest?  Only time would help unravel this puzzle.