text stringlengths 1 330k |
|---|
Adrahil frowned and shook his head. 'But Angrist made a great deal of sense, Denethor. Why should we not send small fleets of marauders along the coast to draw the Corsairs out a few at a time?' |
'And thereby risk the few ships we have, as well as make Umbar more defensive,' he replied, 'though I do agree that should they come north of the False Firth, we should meet them strongly. That will not raise suspicion.' They sat in the parlor of the Nest, having a last meeting before the Swans returned to Dol Amroth a... |
'I think it would be better if we made them wary of attack,' Adrahil persisted. |
'Then guard the shores more closely. They will fear to approach without a strong force.' |
'And when they have that strong force?' |
'As I explained in the Council, the falas garrisons are going to be increased, Prince. The Corsairs will not attack in full strength until their fleet is completed, so expanding the garrisons will be sufficient,' Denethor replied calmly. There was no true contest here. Adrahil knew the plan presented at the Council was... |
'We cannot take the battle to them,' Luinil quietly noted, 'and so we wait upon their patience. What certainty is there, Denethor, that they will not send smaller fleets upon us, not enough to overwhelm, but enough to give us no rest, harrying us as the Enemy harries in Ithilien?' |
'No certainty, only their habit. They raid haphazardly or they seek to conquer the kingdom. There is little in between.' |
'Are you certain that you will be able to increase the garrisons? There was little in the Steward's guidance that indicated he thought there was any threat.' Adrahil's eyes were keen. 'He spoke so much of peace that I fear we shall be at war all summer.' |
'The increase will be from your own men, Adrahil, and from the southern vales. They will be a strong as you wish.' |
'To spend most of their time building roads,' the Prince added. |
'The pirates will not always be attacking,' Finduilas pointed out, 'so the men might as well be put to useful work. Better than sitting about dicing as they usually do.' |
Adrahil looked at her askance, then laughed. 'As you say, daughter. But, Denethor, I still do not understand the Steward's inattention.' |
'He attends to more than you think. Besides, some neglect on the part of the City is grounds for action upon the coast.' |
The Prince's expression grew crafty. 'I recall that the City does not care for the coast to be too wayward.' |
'To say that the trials faced by the City are of no concern to the coast, that is not acceptable, no,' Denethor said, making his voice stern and holding Adrahil's gaze. 'The City has borne the brunt of the harm, as is almost always the case. But now, the south is at risk. Gondor is a single rock upon which our fortunes... |
Adrahil would not relent. 'What of the Steward?' |
'The Steward cannot stop the Corsairs with a wish.' Only the Powers may wish it so. Denethor resisted touching the pouch holding the lanyard. 'But I do not wait upon the Steward's wishes. Four springs ago, you and I stood on the walls of Minas Tirith and took counsel with each other on this matter, Adrahil. We remain i... |
The young man cast his eyes down, thinking. 'One only, Warden. We shall have to wait for Umbar to come to its full strength and allow it to attack us. We shall draw them from their ships to the land, where we must defeat them. With ships, they may even threaten Rohan. Harad and Khand may join them, and even the Enemy, ... |
'Yet?' Finduilas prompted. |
'Yet… I… dreamed…' Imrahil would not raise his eyes. Denethor sat up at these words, his heart beating faster. Finduilas hid her face in his shoulder and shivered. |
Adrahil scrambled to his feet and knelt before his son, taking Imrahil's hands in his own. 'Of what? And when?' |
Imrahil spoke reluctantly. 'Of ships. Small ships flying north before fire. Fishing ships. Trading ships. It was upon the voyage to bring grandfather home. Grandfather held back the fire with silver nets.' He was silent for several heartbeats, then, 'I do not wish the fire.' There was something distant about his last w... |
Adrahil sat back on his heels, still clasping Imrahil's hands. He raised a hand to his son's face and stroked Imrahil's cheek until the youth returned to himself. The Prince's brow creased in sorrow. 'It is time, child.' Adrahil did not look away from Imrahil as he spoke. 'Denethor, last year was too soon for Imrahil t... |
They parted soon after. Imrahil said he would meet them the next morning to ride to Minas Tirith and joked about the good luck to have Morvorin for company, though his eyes kept wandering to distant shores. Luinil and Adrahil both embraced Denethor warmly and clung to Finduilas tightly before allowing them to leave. Th... |
'You are thinking, Denethor.' |
'Pelargir is an interesting port.' |
Thorongil nodded thoughtfully, drawing on the pipe. 'We set out for there tomorrow.' |
'You will remain in Minas Tirith.' |
'Yes.' The captain's eyes were bright. 'I stay.' |
'But you will journey.' |
'It is a soldier's lot,' Thorongil agreed. |
'I will have boats.' |
The Lost's face lit up. 'Enough?' |
'If used properly.' |
'Like a storm from the Sea.' |
'There will be cargo.' |
Thorongil cocked his head. 'Cargo?' |
'Yes. More precious than victory. There will not be enough boats for that.' |
'Yes there will.' |
Denethor sipped his wine, meeting Thorongil's fierce gaze. The captain slouched down in his chair, pipe smoke and shining eyes making him look like a dragon ready to pounce. They sat as the bells rang the hour, then the quarter, then the half. The captain broke the silence. |
'In the fall?' |
'The spring?' |
'When I say.' |
'And when is that?' |
'When will they attack?' |
'Two springs from now, in 2980.' |
'So shall we.' |
'Then I will sail.' |
'Perhaps. Only if the Steward thinks you will use them properly. Otherwise, I shall have to find another captain.' |
'You serve the Steward, and will do as he commands.' |
A troubled look passed over Thorongil's face. 'And you defy.' |
'I serve Gondor.' |
Finally the captain looked away. He tried drawing on the pipe, but it had gone out. Rising, Thorongil tapped the ashes out into the fireplace and put the pipe away. 'No. He will command it. I will see to it.' |
'As I expect you to. I shall not wait upon you, though. Dangerous times call for dangerous acts.' |
The captain stared at Denethor a moment before walking to the door. He grasped the handle, then paused, looking at the door. 'She will not thank either of us if you are lost.' |
A longer pause. 'Gondor.' |
'The time has come, Thorongil. You are Lost. Mayhap you shall be found. Until then, your eyes will look only south. Beware what you seek, lest you find it.' |
Thorongil turned to Denethor and regarded him evenly for a minute, then moved a hand. It was a small gesture, perhaps something, perhaps nothing, perhaps by accident. |
With a respectful nod, the captain left. |
In Challenges |
Story Information |
Author: Anglachel |
Status: Reviewed |
Completion: Complete |
Rating: Adult |
Last Updated: 07/01/09 |
Original Post: 02/23/04 |
Back to challenge: Son of Ecthelion |
Go to story: Hands of the King |
Keyword Search |
Results are ordered alphabetically by title. |
Probate and Trust Law |
Dawn T. Christoffersen, Esquire |
Bhavik R. Patel, Esquire |
Mara Ising |
Appeal by Spicer from a judgment enforcing a settlement agreement dismissed where the the trial court lacked jurisdiction to grant the trustee's motion to vacate the initial judgment setting aside the conveyance, because the initial judgment had become final. Spicer v. Donald N. Spicer Revocable Living Trust, et. al., ... |
Gwen and Donald Spicer owned certain property together. After experiencing marital difficulties, Donald conveyed his one-half interest in the property to his trust. Upon his death, Gwen Spicer sought to set aside the conveyance based on the argument that they owned the property together as tenants by the entirety. I... |
Held: Appeal dismissed. The court lacked jurisdiction to grant the trustee's motion to vacate the initial judgment setting aside the conveyance. Pursuant to Rule 75.01, judgment becomes final after 30 days unless a party files some post-trial motion. Because the trustee of the trust was not a party to the original s... |
James H. Wild, College of the Ozarks, and Cottey College appeal the trial court's judgment in favor of Katherine and Laura Cunningham in a case seeking a declaration regarding how to distribute the balance of an insurance trust. Judgment reversed where the trial court incorrectly found that the Cunninghams were the on... |
Decedent created both a revocable trust and an insurance trust. The revocable trust directed the trustee to make specific distributions first and residual distributions to two charitable remainder annuity trusts ("CRAT"). Each CRAT provided for James H. Wild to be the lifetime beneficiary and two colleges to be the r... |
The insurance trust included a provision title "Outright Gifts," stating, "[t]he Trustee shall distribute, outright and free of trust, to each person who is determined under Missouri law to be ultimately responsible for any federal estate tax, state estate or inheritance tax or any other death tax as a result of Granto... |
Upon decedent's death, U.S. Bank filed suit to seek a declaration as to how funds from the insurance trust should be distributed. Respondents, the Cunninghams, and both colleges filed cross motions for judgment on the pleadings. The court granted only the Cunninghams' motion finding they were the only party entitled ... |
Held: Reversed and Remanded. The trial court misapplied the law when it found the Cunninghams to be the only parties entitled to a distribution. The Cunninghams asserted two positions: (1) that "reimbursement" as used in the revocable trust and "gift" as used in the insurance trust are terms with the same meaning an... |
The Cunninghams' first position fails to abide by the plain meaning of the words used. The mere fact that the documents were created at the same time but used different words demonstrates the decedent's intent for the two words to have separate meanings. While the trustee had no right to reimbursement from the insura... |
The court also disagreed with the Cunninghams' second position that the revocable trust was inconsistent with the insurance trust. "The paramount rule in construing a trust is that the intent of the grantor is supreme." Where the trust includes clear and unambiguous language as to the grantor's intent, the court shou... |
Appeal by Reed from a decision of the probate court determining that Reed was unfit to care for K.J.R.H. and appointing grandfather as guardian. The presumption that the natural parent is the appropriate custodian for a minor child may be overcome by evidence that the parent is unfit to care for the child. In Re The M... |
Reed was previously in a relationship with decedent and allegedly conceived K.J.R.H., although paternity was never established. In granting decedent's father guardianship over K.J.R.H. over Reed, the court found that Reed abused alcohol and drugs, experienced anger issues, admitted to not being a father to K.J.R.H., a... |
Held: Affirmed. Reed's lack of planning, anger management, inability to provide as a father, and substance abuse constitutes sufficient evidence to support a finding that Reed is unfit as a parent. "Although there is a rebuttable presumption that a natural parent is the appropriate custodian for a minor child, it ma... |
Appeal by United Asset Management Trust Co. ("United Asset"), as trustee of The Coast to Coast Holding Trust (the "Trust"), from a judgment holding that a piece of property formerly held by the Trust was properly transferred to the Clarks by tax sale. Judgment affirmed where the Collector and the Clarks provided notic... |
The trust failed to pay taxes owing on property belonging to the trust. Although the county tax collector attempted to notify the trust, through both mail and publication, of its intent to sell the property via tax sale, the trust never received notice and the property was sold to the Clarks. The Clarks thereafter at... |
Held: Affirmed. While parties whose rights would be affected by a tax sale are entitled to reasonable notice, notice is required only when "it is practicable to do so." "Due process does not require that a property owner receive actual notice before the government may take his property." Rather, due process requires... |
The Missouri Bar Courts Bulletin, 11-May |
close window |
Engine Hosting |
The World Parrot Trust website is powered and partially funded by Engine Hosting. |
Engine Hosting is a privately-held technology company that provides high-performance web hosting for dynamic, content-driven sites. |
As a member of the Ellis Labs Network, Engine Hosting works with its partners to build a sustainable business model that drives long-term growth through the development of software applications and ancillary products and services that enable people to use the internet in meaningful ways. |
Friday, September 21, 2012 |
Corrupt Attorney's General |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.