Dear wise and ever hardworking Arno Diggle,
I shall not waste any of your time and get right to business, as I know your time right now is precious given the circumstances. The economic situation in Nobottle does not look good. In fact, it looks very bad. I am a well travelled merchant and so I have seen this unpleasant situation unfold many times. It always breaks my heart to see a prosperous village of the surface reduced to rubble and destitution not by war or violence but by plummeting market prices. And this is exactly what I see occurring in Nobottle now.
The “Market Riot” as the locals have taken to calling it has provoked something in the hearts of the locals of Nobottle that is causing all sorts of havoc. Political unrest is intense as ever and it is everywhere. One cannot wish his neighbor “Good Morning” without in turn being asked if he supports Lotho or Fredegar. A physical confrontation usually follows afterwards once an answer to that question is given. Regardless of what the origin for this unrest is, the current situation is clear: investors are being scared away from Nobottle and market prices are falling dramatically because of it. There is no sign that a solution will be made that will appeal to both sides, as Lotho has been definitively ousted from Nobottle thus establishing Mayor Will Whitfoot’s indefinite rule.
And Mayor Will Whitfoot was the one who gave those Dwarves the legal permission to host this “Market Riot”. I would know, as I am quite familiar with the Dwarf who hosted it. It may be hard to believe, but he had good intentions! But there is no political or legal solution to this endless strife in sight. If things continue as they are currently going, all the hobbits of Nobottle will be cast onto the streets, entirely broke or even worse: hungry! And I have heard from a certain Hubo Clayhanger that even you are now beginning to find it difficult to pay your dues…so something must be done immediately.
Thankfully I have a solution that is outside the purview of the politics that has been rendered totally useless. As I have previously said, I have seen this sort of crisis unfold before. But unlike those previous times I will not cowardly run away like the other investors are doing now. I shall stand with my hobbit friends and fight! Or rather take the financial risk so many other foreign investors are unwilling to take. So to the point: I should like to purchase the Fox and Fiddle.
Now this may seem drastic, especially since the tavern has been in your family for so long. But allow me to explain. If a wealthy and well renowned merchant such as myself makes an investment in Nobottle, other merchants will notice this as well. In their minds, if such a successful merchant is making an investment in Nobottle, there still must be something worthwhile in this town. So if I make this investment, I can guarantee other merchants will follow. I do have quite the reputation.
As for the fact that this tavern has been in your family for generations, consider this: you will be making the ultimate sacrifice to save Nobottle. Forsaking your family’s prestige so that no hobbit in Nobottle will have to go hungry. You will be lauded as a hero and win for your family a far greater kind of prestige that lasts forever! Selling a tavern in exchange for eternal glory? That sounds like quite the bargain to me!
Now of course I will have to ask to buy your tavern for a fraction of its usual asking price…but remember I am financially hurt as much by this dire economic situation as you are. And desperate times call for desperate measures. And you won’t even notice a difference in your everyday life, as I intend to keep everything in the tavern just the way they are now, with you as the bartender. The only difference is that now you will have access to Dwarven brewing secrets and Dwarven trade connections. So what do you say, friend? Are you prepared to make the sacrifice and become the greatest hero Nobottle has ever known? But decide quickly, as this matter is urgent. The market can only get worse, and if we wait too long I may have to offer an even lower price than the current one I am offering. So respond to this business offer posthaste!
Yours truly,
Frimsi Gembeard, Merchant of the Lonely Mountain
...With great sorrow Arno Diggle agreed to these terms as he saw no other way out of his current financial predicament at that moment. You could only imagine his rage when market prices started to recover quickly after the locals of Nobottle realized this whole "Market Riot" fiasco was just a great (and deliberately fabricated) misunderstanding. Mayor Will Whitfoot apologized profusely for how he handled the situation and promised that he will be more careful granting permission to foreigners to host markets in the Shire and anywhere else within the Shire's bounds. But regardless of this, Durin's Folk Trading Company now owns the Fox and Fiddle tavern...
