[SPEAKER_00]: Welcome to the Lord of the Rings lorecast.

[SPEAKER_00]: The show that explores the background of Tolkien's amazing world, from the very beginning.

[SPEAKER_00]: When you think about the qualities of dwarves, what comes to mind?

[SPEAKER_00]: For me, it's things like resilience, stubbornness, strength, ingenuity.

[SPEAKER_00]: A lot of these kinds of qualities get thrown around when we talk about the dwarves, but yet in the Hobbit, we see less of these, or at least the dwarves are in such perilous situations that even though they are resilient and they do rise to the occasion, we get the glimpses of the, I don't know, more real world reactions to things, their fear, their timidity, their apprehension, [SPEAKER_00]: And if you didn't have a very dynamic understanding of the word bravery, you might look at what they do and how they react and think that they aren't brave.

[SPEAKER_00]: Because they're scared a lot.

[SPEAKER_00]: Oftentimes they're scared to the point where they cannot think straight and they need somebody like Gandalf or Bilbo to think for them.

[SPEAKER_00]: But that's not how bravery works.

[SPEAKER_00]: Bravery, as has been discussed many times over the years, is not about a lack of fear.

[SPEAKER_00]: It's about willing yourself forward in spite of fear.

[SPEAKER_00]: Somebody who doesn't have any fear can't be brave.

[SPEAKER_00]: bravery is overcoming fear.

[SPEAKER_00]: And that is something that we see in the dwarves all the time, and sometimes it takes them a minute, and they have to kind of gather themselves, they have to work themselves up.

[SPEAKER_00]: And sometimes they need somebody like Bilbo to light the way for them.

[SPEAKER_00]: But they still overcome that fear.

[SPEAKER_00]: They move forward.

[SPEAKER_00]: In today's section, we are finally moving in to the hoard of Smauge, into the deepest depths, Smauge's bedroom, which is now this treasure room containing all of the wealth of Aribor and probably more.

[SPEAKER_00]: And one thing that comes to mind, often, while reading this is, why aren't the dwarves more bold in their, well, seeking of the recapture of their treasure and dealing with smug?

[SPEAKER_00]: But I think this is another one of those places where Tolkien does something very wise.

[SPEAKER_00]: He treats the dwarves characters as if they [SPEAKER_00]: If this were something like an anime, then Thorn and Company would boldly run down the shaft that they're in into the dark room and be ready to confront Smell.

[SPEAKER_00]: Oh, wait, oh wait, something more like that does happen in the movies.

[SPEAKER_00]: It's not exactly the same.

[SPEAKER_00]: But it's closer.

[SPEAKER_00]: But the way this works in the book is much more realistic.

[SPEAKER_00]: They are scared for their lives.

[SPEAKER_00]: They are lost in the dark.

[SPEAKER_00]: They are at the deepest, darkest bottom of any point of this adventure, probably their entire lives.

[SPEAKER_00]: and yet they move forward.

[SPEAKER_00]: It takes them time, and it takes them having somebody like Bilbo to light the way, but they move forward.

[SPEAKER_00]: That doesn't make them any less brave or bold.

[SPEAKER_00]: It doesn't make them any less dwarf-like.

[SPEAKER_00]: It makes them real people.

[SPEAKER_00]: the kinds of people that Tolkien would have been arm in arm with during World War I, brave individuals who also ended up in desperately dire situations and had to face darkness and death directly.

[SPEAKER_00]: So let's take a close look at the way not at home plays out at the beginning of the chapter.

[SPEAKER_00]: Chapter 13.

[SPEAKER_00]: Here we go.

[SPEAKER_00]: In the meanwhile, the dwarfs sat in darkness and utter silence fell about them.

[SPEAKER_00]: little they ate and little they spoke.

[SPEAKER_00]: They could not count to the passing of time and they scarcely dared to move for the whisper of their voices echoed and rustled in the tunnel.

[SPEAKER_00]: They're at the point of this situation where they don't know what to do.

[SPEAKER_00]: They are stuck in this tunnel.

[SPEAKER_00]: They don't know if Smauge is below them.

[SPEAKER_00]: They don't know if they can get out.

[SPEAKER_00]: They don't know if they [SPEAKER_00]: They are completely in the dark physically and metaphorically, and they are so much so unsure of what to do and afraid that they don't eat.

[SPEAKER_00]: Days go by.

[SPEAKER_00]: were told at last after days and days of waiting.

[SPEAKER_00]: This is how terrified they are, and they feel like there might be a trick if they head down the shaft they're going to come across a dragon who is being extra quiet and extra sneaky because they know he's capable of that.

[SPEAKER_00]: I get this picture of a giant house cat playing with the mice, and just waiting for them to peek out of the little mouse hole in order to get, well, destroyed.

[SPEAKER_00]: Thorin speaks at this point and says, let us try the door.

[SPEAKER_00]: I must feel the wind on my face soon or die.

[SPEAKER_00]: I think I would rather be smashed by smell in the open than suffocate in here.

[SPEAKER_00]: This is akin to saying I would rather die fighting than as a coward in a hole.

[SPEAKER_00]: I also like the mention of the wind.

[SPEAKER_00]: This is another one of those mentions to something about nature, and the feeling of being disconnected from nature and how that is not healthy.

[SPEAKER_00]: They are stuck in a hole underground.

[SPEAKER_00]: There is no wind, there is no sound, everything is quiet and dark.

[SPEAKER_00]: There is a reason why things like this are used as torture, because the human mind cannot deal with the lack of stimulus.

[SPEAKER_00]: They have each other, but they don't have anything else.

[SPEAKER_00]: So they go up and try the door for the first time in days and we aren't to hold exactly how many days, but several days and they can't open it.

[SPEAKER_00]: It's been shattered.

[SPEAKER_00]: There is nothing that will work, not the key, not magic that once opened the door, the side of the mountain has been destroyed.

[SPEAKER_00]: And remember previously that Smout went out and destroyed the side of the mountain and then felt secure enough in the knowledge that they must have been killed or at least trapped that he leaves.

[SPEAKER_00]: And he was right.

[SPEAKER_00]: He had a sense of where they must have come in from.

[SPEAKER_00]: And well, probably destroyed a good, I don't know, third of the mountain side, but was able to wreck enough carnage [SPEAKER_00]: Now, this is one of those points of contention.

[SPEAKER_00]: I'm sure there are people who will debate this and will say, well, he didn't really know they were dead and so why would he risk them getting his treasure by leaving to seek vengeance on Lake Town?

[SPEAKER_00]: But if you think about that any further, if they did survive and they make their way down into the mountain and smell returns, [SPEAKER_00]: then Smaug would simply kill them because they'd still be stuck there and how much treasure could they possibly steal without him being able to wreck them?

[SPEAKER_00]: I don't think wreck them is a funny way to say it, but I don't think Smaug was thinking the attack on Lake Town was going to take days and days, which when you think about it, makes this even more peculiar, why would it be days and days with no word from Smaug?

[SPEAKER_00]: which is even more reason for them to be apprehensive to go back down.

[SPEAKER_00]: But Bilbo, in this situation, feels a change.

[SPEAKER_00]: He felt a strange lightning of the heart.

[SPEAKER_00]: And again, is this something about Bilbo?

[SPEAKER_00]: Is this something about Hobbits?

[SPEAKER_00]: Is this a Rue Eluvitar, reaching down, and acting again?

[SPEAKER_00]: As if a heavy weight had gone from under his waistcoat, come come he said, while there's life there's hope, as my father used to say, and third time pays for all, now that's a call back to the previous time when he said that, but I like that he includes this, while there's life there's hope.

[SPEAKER_00]: This is one of the predominant themes throughout Tolkien's work.

[SPEAKER_00]: It's where there is life, there is still hope.

[SPEAKER_00]: There is no darkness that can actually overcome life.

[SPEAKER_00]: When everyone bands together and puts their minds to it, he announces that he is descending the tunnel and he's going to go and take a look, which is exactly in the same spirit as what Thorin was saying.

[SPEAKER_00]: It's time to do something because that's better than nothing.

[SPEAKER_00]: And they agree.

[SPEAKER_00]: It says, in desperation, they agreed.

[SPEAKER_00]: And who's first to go by Bilbo's side?

[SPEAKER_00]: But Thorin, he's ready.

[SPEAKER_00]: And at this point, he is leading from the front, although he took Bilbo to kind of get things going.

[SPEAKER_00]: Thorin leads from the front.

[SPEAKER_00]: And of course, Bilbo is very aware of how much louder the dwarves are than Hobbits are.

[SPEAKER_00]: And so he reminds them to be careful.

[SPEAKER_00]: There's no way of knowing if Smell is at the bottom, but he might be there.

[SPEAKER_00]: We don't want to take unnecessary risks.

[SPEAKER_00]: And yet, [SPEAKER_00]: they are clearly louder than he is, the notes here puffing and shuffling with echoes magnifying alarmingly, the dwarves for as best as they can try in a situation where they absolutely would need to be as quiet as possible, can't really do it.

[SPEAKER_00]: But yet, in the midst of all of this, there is no sound from below.

[SPEAKER_00]: Still nothing.

[SPEAKER_00]: Bilbo slips on his ring and he goes ahead.

[SPEAKER_00]: And it is completely dark.

[SPEAKER_00]: The fact that somehow there is still no sound is even more terrifying.

[SPEAKER_00]: Had they heard a snoring sleeping dragon, at least they would know what they're up against.

[SPEAKER_00]: But no sound at all is somehow even scarier.

[SPEAKER_00]: He works his way out into the darkness and kind of puts his hands out in the air and then we get for the first moment in a long time, what I think is a moment of levity.

[SPEAKER_00]: Unexpectedly, he put his hand on air, stumbled forward and rolled headlong into the hall.

[SPEAKER_00]: There he lay face downwards on the floor and did not dare to get up or hardly even to breathe.

[SPEAKER_00]: Now, clearly he still terrified.

[SPEAKER_00]: He doesn't know if he's just going to be eating or something immediately because he fell on the ground.

[SPEAKER_00]: but it is kind of comedic.

[SPEAKER_00]: He just kind of falls into nothingness and just kind of lays there.

[SPEAKER_00]: I've got this picture in my head, even though I wouldn't be able to see him because it is completely dark.

[SPEAKER_00]: And yet with all of that, nothing happens.

[SPEAKER_00]: And then we get, probably the most unexpected thing to happen in this moment.

[SPEAKER_00]: We as the readers can start to assume that Smauge isn't here, but yet we wouldn't have anticipated that there is a light in this dark room.

[SPEAKER_00]: A pale white glint above him and far off in the gloom is how it's described.

[SPEAKER_00]: pale white glint.

[SPEAKER_00]: What could be shining light in this darkness?

[SPEAKER_00]: It's white.

[SPEAKER_00]: It's not red.

[SPEAKER_00]: If the torches are always described as red, what is it?

[SPEAKER_00]: We're also reminded about the worm stench, which is heavy in this place, which makes me think of maybe a combination of like wet dog and death, something like that, or wet cat maybe because the cat analogy, then Bilbo can't bear it any longer.

[SPEAKER_00]: He says, Confound you smell, you worm, he squeaked aloud, like a mouse being hunted by a cat, still playing hide and seek, give me a light, and then eat me if you can catch me.

[SPEAKER_00]: he speaks out, because he's frustrated, but he also, again, would willingly go out with a fight directly against the thing that is hiding in the darkness, then coward, like a coward.

[SPEAKER_00]: And I just realized the connection between the word coward and coward when I said that.

[SPEAKER_00]: So he gets up and the echo's bounce around the halls and yet there is nothing and he's still not convinced that Smaug isn't there He wonders what what on earth Smaug is playing at Then he goes, okay, well if I'm gonna do anything, I need a light [SPEAKER_00]: and Owen and Glowin, and I know some people don't like the pronunciation of that, although I've looked this up a few times, Owen and Glowin is a legitimate pronunciation, and Owen sounds like a name to me, like O-W-E-N rather than O-I-N, but anyway, pronounce it however you want, you know me, I'm not great at pronunciations, but he cries for a light, and they have a Tinder box still, and yet the dwarves are so timid at this point, they don't want to move it all, they don't want to respond to him, and eventually shouts out light, he screams it.

[SPEAKER_00]: And eventually, he gets a light.

[SPEAKER_00]: They take the tinder boxes, and they just kind of make shift towards thing, and he finally has a light.

[SPEAKER_00]: And notice the way this is building up.

[SPEAKER_00]: We go from absolute darkness and silence to them heading down.

[SPEAKER_00]: into the treasure room and the drawers being kind of loud in the way that they walk and shuffle to Bilbo falling flat on the floor to Bilbo yelling out to Bilbo now screaming for a light and a light being lit.

[SPEAKER_00]: Notice the ramp up.

[SPEAKER_00]: They're becoming more and more bold with time, specifically Bilbo, but Thorin joins him.

[SPEAKER_00]: Here, he is the one who makes them go ahead and do the lighting of the torch, and yet still can convince any of the dwarfs to go anywhere.

[SPEAKER_00]: But he explains to Mr.

Baggins that he was still officially their expert burglar and investigator, and if he liked to risk a light, that was his affair.

[SPEAKER_00]: He is letting Bilbo make this choice.

[SPEAKER_00]: and he's not going to get in the way of it.

[SPEAKER_00]: This is a clear sign of trust in a very, very tenuous situation.

[SPEAKER_00]: And then I love the description of the way that they're watching the dark shape of the hobbit across the floor, holding the tiny light left.

[SPEAKER_00]: I can totally picture this in my mind.

[SPEAKER_00]: This, well, I don't know, ocean of darkness because the room is vast and black and one little light with one little tiny hobbit walking around [SPEAKER_00]: Climbing on top of this mound of gold, and then they glint and tingle such fun use of words.

[SPEAKER_00]: And then Bilbo starts to rise into the air, remember it's black even underneath him.

[SPEAKER_00]: You can't see the ground just the little bit that the torch is able to illuminate and the pile of gold is so large that it looks like he starts to kind of hover above the ground as he climbs this mound of treasure.

[SPEAKER_00]: and then he's there.

[SPEAKER_00]: And they're far enough away, kind of peeking out of the little doorway for the little tunnel that they can't really see it it seems.

[SPEAKER_00]: But Bilbo has made his way to the white light at the top of this pile.

[SPEAKER_00]: And we're told very directly here, it was the Arkenstone, which had been mentioned before by Thorin, the heart of the mountain.

[SPEAKER_00]: It is very specifically placed at the top of this pile, if you'll notice.

[SPEAKER_00]: This is not only the crown jewel of the dwarves, but this is the crown jewel of Smauge.

[SPEAKER_00]: He understands [SPEAKER_00]: We don't really know.

[SPEAKER_00]: There are theories out there, and we're going to discuss that in the bonus episode this week.

[SPEAKER_00]: Is it a someril?

[SPEAKER_00]: Probably not in my estimation.

[SPEAKER_00]: Is it something else?

[SPEAKER_00]: Is it similar real adjacent?

[SPEAKER_00]: Well, we'll get into that more.

[SPEAKER_00]: But for right now, Bilbo finds the Arkansas and it's described as shining with its own pallid light.

[SPEAKER_00]: It's a little globe [SPEAKER_00]: There are very few things that I recall that shine their own light in Tolkien's Legendarium.

[SPEAKER_00]: There's of course the Silmarils.

[SPEAKER_00]: There's only three of those.

[SPEAKER_00]: There's the file of Galadriel, right?

[SPEAKER_00]: That shines the light of the stars.

[SPEAKER_00]: It's a vessel for shining light on things.

[SPEAKER_00]: And it was also probably used in the worship of Varda because of course the elves love Varda above all else because she represents the stars and all of that which we've discussed before.

[SPEAKER_00]: heart of the mountain.

[SPEAKER_00]: Bilbo Guest from Thorne's description, but indeed, there could not be two such gems, even in so marvelous a hoard, even in all of the world.

[SPEAKER_00]: That feels like it lends itself to being something like a someril, because we know at this point the someril's have been divided.

[SPEAKER_00]: If anybody were to happen to have one, then there could never be more than one together, because of everything that happened will all the somerils at this point.

[SPEAKER_00]: But, maybe that's also just a reference to the fact that it is singular.

[SPEAKER_00]: There is only one of these, it is unique, and that's part of what makes it so valuable.

[SPEAKER_00]: The great jewel shown before his feet of its own inner light, and yet cut and fashioned by the dwarves, who had dug it from the heart of the mountain long ago.

[SPEAKER_00]: It took all light that fell upon it and changed it into ten thousand sparks of white [SPEAKER_00]: Now, remember the previous description about it being like, oh, what was it?

[SPEAKER_00]: The reflection of light on the water and snow in the moonlight and that kind of thing.

[SPEAKER_00]: I know that's not exactly the right quotes, but you get the idea, this is much more descriptive because he's actually looking at it.

[SPEAKER_00]: Notice that point there, changed into 10,000 sparks of white radiance shot with glints of the rainbow.

[SPEAKER_00]: This thing is beautiful and unique, and that to me does not sound like a someril.

[SPEAKER_00]: Suddenly, Bilbo's arm went toward it, drawn by its enchantment, as if the item itself was acting upon him.

[SPEAKER_00]: Now, was this sum of the dragon sickness being that, Smauke's influence was still in the air, or was it simply the effect of something like this, naturally, being enchanting, being something that he had never seen before, and brilliant beyond anything he could have imagined.

[SPEAKER_00]: But in chance him, it's enchanting.

[SPEAKER_00]: It holds a quality over him.

[SPEAKER_00]: Notice that it is the thing acting.

[SPEAKER_00]: It's causing, well, at least it's causing Bilbo's arm to act.

[SPEAKER_00]: His small hand would not close about it.

[SPEAKER_00]: For it was a large and heavy gem.

[SPEAKER_00]: That gives you a sense of the size.

[SPEAKER_00]: Sure, Bilbo's hands are small, but that must be a very large gem for him not to be able to enclose in one hand.

[SPEAKER_00]: but he lifted it from assuming with two hands, shut his eyes, and put it in his deepest pocket.

[SPEAKER_00]: And then he thinks to himself, now I am a burglar indeed.

[SPEAKER_00]: In fact, it's hard to think of somebody else, aside from Baron and Luthian stealing the Silmaril directly from Morgoth's crown, who's a better burglar than Bilbo at this point.

[SPEAKER_00]: But I suppose I must tell the dwarves about it.

[SPEAKER_00]: Sometime, right here, the moment he takes it, he realizes that he doesn't want to tell them about it yet.

[SPEAKER_00]: And we're not told why.

[SPEAKER_00]: The very next sentence says, they did say I could pick and choose my own share.

[SPEAKER_00]: And I think I would choose this if they took all the rest.

[SPEAKER_00]: But that's not a reason for not telling them.

[SPEAKER_00]: If he can pick his share, he could just tell them, well, I found this and this will count for my 14th share.

[SPEAKER_00]: But he doesn't, there's no reason not to tell them that he gives us other than considering that maybe this is the thing that he would want to keep, which makes sense because it's the brightest, shiniest, most special item in the entire room.

[SPEAKER_00]: All the same he had an uncomfortable feeling that the picking and choosing had not really been meant to include this marvelous gem, and that trouble would yet come of it.

[SPEAKER_00]: Well, he's right.

[SPEAKER_00]: He's right.

[SPEAKER_00]: This is the one thing in the room that Thor and doesn't really want a part with, but we'll get there.

[SPEAKER_00]: Now before we get to the rest of this section, think about the movie, most of you have probably seen the movies, and think about this moment in the films.

[SPEAKER_00]: In the films, the dwarves end up going in, they end up having to confront smell directly, a fight ensues, they use the mechanisms inside the mountain which are really cool to see in order to fight off the dragon and the dragon gets mad and leaves.

[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know that that plays out the same way as this.

[SPEAKER_00]: Yes, it is more exciting.

[SPEAKER_00]: Yes, it makes sense.

[SPEAKER_00]: I get why they would have changed that for modern audiences watching a movie.

[SPEAKER_00]: It also becomes the climax of the second of the three films.

[SPEAKER_00]: I get it.

[SPEAKER_00]: They needed something to be a big climax at that point in the film.

[SPEAKER_00]: But when you think about the way this plays out in the book, it's slower, it's quieter, it's more realistic.

[SPEAKER_00]: And the dwarves themselves never actually have to confront smaug directly.

[SPEAKER_00]: Bilbo does the people of Lake Town do, but not the dwarves.

[SPEAKER_00]: And I can imagine how movie writers and directors would think that that doesn't feel satisfying to a modern audience.

[SPEAKER_00]: But it's actually a really interesting twist.

[SPEAKER_00]: The dwarves don't deal directly with the dragon.

[SPEAKER_00]: That's not how things play out and it breaks expectations and that makes it a more interesting story Because if you can make up the story before you even read it then everything happens the way you would expect it to happen [SPEAKER_00]: And is that a great story?

[SPEAKER_00]: This feels better.

[SPEAKER_00]: And we even get little details about Bilbo at this point.

[SPEAKER_00]: Wondering off, he wanders down the other side of this mound.

[SPEAKER_00]: He's doing exactly what he should be doing.

[SPEAKER_00]: He's exploring this space.

[SPEAKER_00]: He's making sure that it's safe.

[SPEAKER_00]: He's trying to figure out the dimensions of the room.

[SPEAKER_00]: He makes his way over to the great doors on the other side and feels a draft of fresh air.

[SPEAKER_00]: Remember, at the beginning of this thorn was talking about needing to feel the wind on his face.

[SPEAKER_00]: And he does.

[SPEAKER_00]: There is wind.

[SPEAKER_00]: There is fresh air blowing into this underground chamber from somewhere else.

[SPEAKER_00]: I would imagine that the dwarves would have ventilation shafts and all sorts of things in order to make sure that they could monitor and control the quality of the air and the temperature inside the mountain.

[SPEAKER_00]: This is a great little detail, and it almost puffs the light out, and notice it's not the thing in nature, like I guess a bat is a natural thing, and that's about to happen.

[SPEAKER_00]: But the wind itself, which was the natural connection I discussed earlier, is not the thing that turns out is light, as he turns around.

[SPEAKER_00]: a black shape swooped at him and brushed his face.

[SPEAKER_00]: He squeaked again, I like that he squeaks.

[SPEAKER_00]: All right, like a mouse.

[SPEAKER_00]: And fell backwards, his torch falls on the ground, hits the head of the torch to the ground, and it goes out.

[SPEAKER_00]: It's this dark thing in the darkness, which is probably a bat, but we aren't told definitively.

[SPEAKER_00]: That's the thing that puts the light out, not the wind.

[SPEAKER_00]: And Bilbo says, only about, I suppose, and hope, he said miserably, but now what am I to do?

[SPEAKER_00]: Which is East, South, North, or West?

[SPEAKER_00]: He's talking out loud to himself, which is probably something that helps keep him sane in the situation where he was now beaved in darkness again.

[SPEAKER_00]: He calls out to the dwarves, [SPEAKER_00]: and makes a big commotion, and yet no dragon appears.

[SPEAKER_00]: He's so far away that they can't really tell what he's saying, they hear the word help, and Thorn has this great line that feels very dwarven.

[SPEAKER_00]: Now, what on earth or under it has happened?

[SPEAKER_00]: Certainly not the dragon, or he would not go on squeaking, which I can't just squeaking.

[SPEAKER_00]: Come, one of you, get another light or two, Thorn orders.

[SPEAKER_00]: It seems we have got to go and help our burglar.

[SPEAKER_00]: Finally, finally the dwarves muster up the courage to move forward.

[SPEAKER_00]: Now part of that is because it seems like Bilbo has shown them that there really isn't a dragon here, but also they aren't complete cowards.

[SPEAKER_00]: They move forward.

[SPEAKER_00]: They are still terrified.

[SPEAKER_00]: You have to remember, this room is vast.

[SPEAKER_00]: It is dark.

[SPEAKER_00]: Bilbo hasn't been eaten yet, but that doesn't mean that there's not danger still hiding in the darkness.

[SPEAKER_00]: And then Balan confirms this.

[SPEAKER_00]: He says, it is about our turn to help.

[SPEAKER_00]: And I am quite willing to go.

[SPEAKER_00]: Anyway, expected is safe for the moment.

[SPEAKER_00]: He kind of justifies it, okay, I think it's probably safe now, but hey, we got to do our share.

[SPEAKER_00]: Let's go.

[SPEAKER_00]: It's it's time.

[SPEAKER_00]: We've been cowering in the darkness long enough.

[SPEAKER_00]: Let's go.

[SPEAKER_00]: Bilbo sees the other torches, knows where to go because he can see the light, he meets up with them.

[SPEAKER_00]: He explains that it was probably a bat, there's really nothing else going on, notice there's still concerned that maybe something dangerous has happened to him and he's like, now don't worry about it, just drop the torch, a bat scared me, no big deal.

[SPEAKER_00]: and we find out that they're relieved.

[SPEAKER_00]: We also find out that the narrator says that he doesn't know what they would have done or how they would have reacted.

[SPEAKER_00]: Had Billba mentioned the art stone at this point and then finally at the end of this entire section where things have been building and building where their timidity has slowly gone away we get this.

[SPEAKER_00]: The mere fleeting glimpses of treasure which they had caught as they went along had rekindled all the fire of their [SPEAKER_00]: And when the heart of a dwarf, even the most respectable, is awakened by gold and by jewels, he grows suddenly bold, and he may become fierce.

[SPEAKER_00]: Finally, the dwarves are acting like dwarves again.

[SPEAKER_00]: You take a dwarf away from his treasure and something is not complete, but you show him that treasure again, and they become emboldened.

[SPEAKER_00]: And this will carry forward in the rest of the story.

[SPEAKER_00]: The dwarves indeed no longer needed any urging, all were now eager to explore the hall while they had the chance, and willing to believe that, for the present, Smauge was away from home.

[SPEAKER_00]: Each now gripped a lighted torch, and as they gazed, first on one side and then another, they forgot fear, and even caution.

[SPEAKER_00]: They spoke aloud, and cried out to one another.

[SPEAKER_00]: as they lifted old treasures from the mound or from the wall and held them in the light, caressing and fingering.

[SPEAKER_00]: This week on the Patreon for our Patreon members, we are going to be digging further into the arc and stone and what are May or May not be.

[SPEAKER_00]: I know this has come up before, and I believe it was some questions I answered, but I wanted to dig a little bit more into this and kind of shine a light on it, but also welcome to our newest members, Paul and D.

and Bacon, Bacon, welcome to the Patreon, so glad that you're here.

[SPEAKER_00]: Thank you for supporting the show, and also shout-outs to all of our VIP patrons, [SPEAKER_00]: Let's get through the list.

[SPEAKER_00]: Let's see if I can do it.

[SPEAKER_00]: A.K.

[SPEAKER_00]: Music lover, Aldarin was right, Apollo, Avarial, Asyl-Razzle, Barney D, Daniel Knight, Weaver, David S, Divine Madman, Fulcrum, Gimli, a break, Ginger Fury.

[SPEAKER_00]: Who on is my hero, Jess?

[SPEAKER_00]: Jesser, I just told you, just messed that up.

[SPEAKER_00]: Copena, Lori B, Mason, Weathertop, Matt, Norwegian, Norwood, Norwood, [SPEAKER_00]: Oh man, Norwajianis, Balrogius, Hunteris, Norwajianis is difficult word to say for me.

[SPEAKER_00]: Party Snacks, Philip M, Richard J.

Rosie Rose, Sinkle Ant looking for antlives, the best is boy NTJT.

[SPEAKER_00]: Thank you so much for your continued support, all of your wonderful, your my favorite people in the whole world, ever, ever, ever.

[SPEAKER_00]: Then we got this review on Apple podcasts.

[SPEAKER_00]: Thank you for reviewing on different platforms And if you leave a five-star review on Apple, I will read it out on a few trips So like this one from Missy Ray 1987 my place of solace.

[SPEAKER_00]: Oh, how nice [SPEAKER_00]: Well, I wish I had listened to this before I named my dog, should have been who on.

[SPEAKER_00]: I love this podcast so much, even in the darkest parts it has become my place of solace.

[SPEAKER_00]: Thank you for an amazing explanation and retelling of sorts.

[SPEAKER_00]: If you want to connect to these stories, this is the podcast to choose.

[SPEAKER_00]: Oh, thank you so much, Missy Ray.

[SPEAKER_00]: I really do appreciate that.

[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, it would be cool to name a dog who on.

[SPEAKER_00]: I'm sure there are a lot of dogs that have been named who won through the years.

[SPEAKER_00]: If you happen to have a dog named who won, let me know, comment or review and post about it or something.

[SPEAKER_00]: That's really, really cool.

[SPEAKER_00]: That's going to do it for this week's episode.

[SPEAKER_00]: I do have a big announcement that's coming up in the next few weeks about a new project that I'm starting, that I have a feeling a lot of you will absolutely dig.

[SPEAKER_00]: It's probably the thing that I've put a lot of work into this show, but [SPEAKER_00]: But probably gonna end up putting even more work into this other show I'm starting with the friend of mine and I can't reveal more about it yet.

[SPEAKER_00]: But it's gonna be big news.

[SPEAKER_00]: I think it's gonna be awesome and I can't wait for people to see it.

[SPEAKER_00]: So, more on that in the future, have a wonderful rest of your week and when you're venturing out in the darkness, remember that if Bilbo can do it, then you can too.

[SPEAKER_00]: Have a wonderful week and I'll see you next time.

[SPEAKER_00]: Thanks for listening to the Lord of the Rings lorecast.

[SPEAKER_00]: If you'd like to learn more about other fantasy worlds, check out my other podcasts.

[SPEAKER_00]: The Elder Scrolls lorecast, the Witcher lorecast, and more, at robotsradio.net.

[SPEAKER_00]: If you'd like to reach out, I'd love to hear from you.

[SPEAKER_00]: Send me a note on Twitter at robots underscore radio, or join our amazing community on the robots radio discord.

[SPEAKER_00]: There are links in the show notes, or just search robotsradio discord, or find the link on robotsradio.net.

[SPEAKER_00]: I'll see you next time.