854
But first they would need to invent some tape
(i.imgur.com)
They could have fitted the whole ring / tape / mouse assembly into a small paper bag Aragorn could have kept it in his jacket and fed it little bits of lembas on the way how lovely x
They say he couldn't keep it safe. And he couldn't - because he does not care. He is the personification of Middle Earth itself, and the ring has no effect on him because the plot has no effect on him. Whatever you think of his inclusion, being a cartoon character set firmly askew in a fairly grounded universe, he is a reminder that Sauron threatens the people of this world... not the world. In his wildest egomaniacal fantasies, Sauron still lacks the power to impact the stage for all this drama. His boss, the devil, can't even do that.
The executive summary of Tolkien's whole cosmology is that Melkor declared he would ruin the song that is reality, and the omnipotent creator of all things told him, "You can try."
Yeah that totally contradicts where I said he could keep it safe, oh wait.
The text is outright telling you, eventually Sauron would get it. Not by "steamrolling" anything. Tortuously, through the use of all his power, with several hint-hint comparisons to the world itself having no strong opinion. Not because Tom Bombadil is any less capable than some half-pint farmers and a few aristocrats. He's filled to his feather-topped brim with bullshit magic. But the power to defy the enemy is not within him. Frodo shows him the ring and he barely gives a shit.
You're arguing like I think he's the bestest OC ever, donut steel. Nah. He's Roger Rabbit. Eddie gets handcuffed to Roger, they barely survive some shenanigans, and when he finally gets a hacksaw to separate them Roger slides his hand out so he can lean in and watch. Eddie understandably throttles him, demanding - "You mean you could've done that, at any time?!" Roger tells him: "No! Only when it was funny."
Yeah that totally contradicts where I said the good guys were flush with capable holdouts, oh wait.
Who are you talking to?