Chapter 353: Finding the Trick

"I stood there, facing three trolls, completely helpless."

Against the backdrop of a noisy banquet, Bilbo Baggins faced the camera, recounting the hobbits' adventure to several children. "They were arguing about how to eat us—whether to swallow us in one bite or take turns crushing us to pulp..."

The old hobbit animated his tale with matching expressions. "They spent too much time on the question, right up until the first rays of morning light climbed over the treetops... Bang! They all turned to stone!"

"Cut!" Duke called out. "Moving on."

Ivanka Trump immediately stepped up from behind him with an iced coffee. Duke took a sip, ignoring the crew as they bustled to set up the next scene. "Evie, how are the copyright negotiations for The Hobbit going?"

"They're still haggling," Ivanka Trump said. "Word from Nancy and Tina is that they can't agree on a price. It might drag on for a while."

When he originally purchased the film rights to The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Duke hadn't secured the rights to The Hobbit. It wasn't for lack of trying; the rights holders just hadn't wanted to cash in all their chips at once, leading to the current negotiations.

Duke considered this for a moment. "As long as their demands aren't completely outrageous, we can afford to raise our bottom line a bit."

Much like The Lord of the Rings trilogy, which had spawned endless legal headaches, the rights to The Hobbit were fraught with ongoing disputes. Duke's goal was to completely buy out The Hobbit, just as he had done with The Lord of the Rings.

He had no desire to end up like Weinstein Brothers Pictures and Warner Brothers, endlessly squabbling over the issue until it became a massive public spectacle.

Next, Duke sent John Schwartzman and several camera assistants out to capture the banquet scenes. Naturally, they didn't waste time on the background extras; the lenses remained focused on the main characters.

Furthermore, since almost everyone here was a hobbit, Duke used oversized stand-ins to highlight the difference in size between them and Gandalf. These were all wide shots, and with added touch-ups in post-production, there was no fear of the illusion breaking.

Because Duke didn't want the film's pacing to drag, the banquet wouldn't feature too many shots. After nearly three hours of filming, he called it a wrap.

The shoot wasn't entirely over, of course; there was still a fireworks show.

Although most of Gandalf's fireworks would be generated with CGI in post-production, Duke still used traditional practical effects for the less complicated ones.

The crew had ordered a massive amount of fireworks from a company in Britain. As one of the world's top manufacturers, its history in the industry was remarkably long, tracing all the way back to displays held for Elizabeth I in the sixteenth century.

Six cameras were positioned at different angles, ready to capture the sky. Once he received confirmation that all departments were in position, Duke had the clapper loader call for action.

"Scene one hundred and seventy-eight, take twenty-three, action!"

As the voice dropped from the megaphone, several streaks of fire leaped into the air. The Middle-earth Gandalf-brand fireworks shot into the sky.

"So beautiful."

Behind Duke, Scarlett Johansson had just washed off her female hobbit makeup. Wearing hot pants and a T-shirt, she stood next to Mrs. Leah. "It reminds me of the Independence Day fireworks from when I was a kid."

Right before her eyes, the beautiful fireworks cascaded from the sky like falling stars. At times they looked like fairies scattering flowers, at others like clashing flames, fluttering butterflies, or blooming buds...

The sky full of fireworks resembled blossoming flowers, bursting into a riot of color and shape.

This was the crew's final scene to film in The Shire, and it doubled as a wild pre-Christmas celebration.

When Duke called "Cut," the entire crew cheered in unison. More fireworks flew into the sky. Soon, catering trucks drove into Hobbiton. An endless stream of fine wine and hot food was served by hired chefs and waiters, replacing the beautiful but inedible hobbit delicacies carved from Polystyrene.

"Hey, Duke."

Scarlett walked up from behind and grabbed his arm. "Why aren't you heading over? I wanted to have a drink with you."

She still remembered secretly sneaking beers with Duke when they were kids. It was one of her fondest childhood memories.

"You go on ahead, and don't drink too much." Duke pulled his arm free, continuing with his work. "I still need to review tonight's footage."

"Then I'm not going either."

Looking toward the lively party, Scarlett restrained her urge to join it. "I'll just stay here and keep you company."

Duke glanced at her. Her parents' divorce had clearly triggered quite a few changes in her personality. Aside from her self-destructive rebellion during the initial aftermath, she was noticeably beginning to mature.

"Where's Mom?" he asked.

"Godmother doesn't really like these kinds of occasions."

This was completely different from a high-society networking event. Scarlett pointed at the sky. "After the fireworks finished, Godmother headed back early."

After speaking, she stood quietly by Duke's side, watching him work without interrupting again.

In truth, being able to reach the heights she once had was enough to prove that Scarlett Johansson wasn't stupid. She knew very well that after their initially harmonious interactions, Duke had actively distanced himself from her—and her constant chattering was likely a major reason why.

Although the party was very appealing, Scarlett remained standing there until Duke finished the work at hand.

"Evie..." Duke turned off the monitor. "Have security take the film to the armored truck."

The shot film was always the crew's top security priority, especially since Duke had a particularly unforgettable past experience with it.

Seeing that Duke had finished his work, Scarlett stopped fiddling with her fingers. She looked up at the starry sky and asked, "Where are we going for Christmas?"

Christmas was just around the corner. It was also the final Christmas before the new millennium.

"I rented a small island near the Great Barrier Reef." Duke pulled a chair over and pointed to it. "Sit down, Scar."

"A small island?" Scarlett turned the chair around and straddled it, resting her arms on the backrest. Looking at Duke, she whispered, "There are a lot of doomsday rumors going around New York right now. I think we should find somewhere high up, like the highest plateau in the world, just in case there's a tsunami..."

"Scar!" Duke glared at her.

"I'm just saying." Scarlett shrank her neck back and muttered quietly, "Anyway, with you and Godmother keeping me company, I'm not afraid."

The crew's wild party wouldn't end until the early hours of the morning. When Ivanka Trump returned, Duke checked the time. "If you're not going to join the party, let's head back."

"Alright."

Scarlett stood up, linked her arm through Duke's, and walked with him toward the parking lot.

With the scenes in The Shire completed, the crew returned to the set in Wellington, kicking off a five-day Christmas vacation. The previously bustling studio suddenly became quiet. Not only did a large number of cast and crew members leave Wellington, but even the entertainment reporters who had been stationed there long-term largely cleared out.

Some reporters chased Duke all the way to the airport, but upon seeing them head directly for the private tarmac, they gave up on the pursuit.

The plane's destination was Brisbane in Queensland, Australia. Duke planned to head to the Gold Coast first, and from there, take a rented private yacht out near the Great Barrier Reef to spend the final Christmas of the millennium on a quiet private island.

"Mom, you should consider buying a plane too."

Unbuckling his seatbelt, Duke had the flight attendants bring over some drinks. "You travel back and forth between North America and Europe so often, it would make things much easier."

Mrs. Leah picked up her water glass and took a sip. "I've already placed an order. It should be ready around March of next year."

After chatting with his mother a bit more about the plane, Duke turned his head. Scarlett Johansson was holding a handheld console, tapping away at the buttons with great interest.

"What are you playing?" Duke tilted his head curiously to look.

Scarlett angled the screen slightly toward him. "A surfing game."

"Surfing?"

Hearing Duke's doubt, Scarlett offered a playful shrug. "I really like the sport. I even went out of my way to practice in Hawaii for a while over the summer."

"Then you can surf to your heart's content this trip." Duke recalled the information about the island that Ivanka Trump had mentioned. "There's a calm stretch of sea over there that's perfect for diving or surfing."

"We can go together." Seeing Duke appear to hesitate, Scarlett asked, "You don't know how?"

"I don't," Duke said, shaking his head.

"I can teach you," she said, flashing a sly smile.

Duke continued to shake his head. "I highly doubt your skill level."

From what he knew of her, Scarlett Johansson was a beginner at best.

The plane arrived in Brisbane. Just as Duke and the others turned on their phones, Mrs. Leah received a call. After only a few words, her brows quickly furrowed.

She hung up and sighed. "Duke, I'm sorry, but I won't be able to spend Christmas with you."

"Did something happen, Mom?" Duke quickly asked.

"There's a slight problem with Saintphia's collaboration with Chanel." Mrs. Leah turned to give a few instructions to her assistant, then spoke to Duke again. "I have to make a trip to Paris to handle the Chanel contract."

She looked at Duke, then at Scarlett. "Duke, I'm leaving Scar in your care for now. I'll take the plane; I need to fly directly to Paris."

"Why don't I go with you?" Duke offered.

Mrs. Leah shook her head. "You don't understand the European fashion industry, and you haven't dealt with them before. You wouldn't be able to help even if you went. I can handle this little matter. You and Scar go on with your vacation."

Without giving Duke another chance to speak, she turned and walked back toward the plane.

"Now it's just the two of us," Scarlett said, looking at the sky.