Lemur zaprasza
THE CHOICES OF MASTER SAMWISE Frodo was lying face upward on the ground and the monster washending over him, so intent upon her victim that she took no heed ofSam and his cries, until he was close at hand. As he rushed up hesaw that Frodo was already bound in cords, wound about him fromankle to shoulder, and the monster with her great forelegs was begin-ning half to lift, half to drag his body away.On the near side of him lay, gleaming on the ground, his elven-blade, where it had fallen useless from his grasp. Sam did not wait towonder what was to be done, or whether he was brave, or loyal,or filled with rage. He sprang forward with a yell, and seized hismaster's sword in his left hand. Then he charged. No onslaughtmore fierce was ever seen in the savage world of beasts; wheresome desperate small creature armed with little teeth alone, willspring upon a tower of horn and hide that stands above its fallenmate.Disturbed as if out of some gloating dream by his small yell sheturned slowly the dreadful malice of her glance upon him. But almostbefore she was aware that a fury was upon her greater than any shehad known in countless years, the shining sword bit upon her footand shore away the claw. Sam sprang in, inside the archesof her legs, and With a quick upthrust of his other hand stabbedat the clustered eyes upon her lowered head. One great eye wentdark.Now the miserable creature was right under her, for the momentout of the reach of her sting and of her claws. Her vast belly wasabove him with its putrid light, and the stench of it almost smotehim down. Still his fury held for one more blow, and before she couldsink upon him, smothering him and all his little impudence of courage,he slashed the bright elven-blade across her with desperatestrength.But Shelob was not as dragons are, no softer spot had she saveonly her eyes. Knobbed and pitted with corruption was her age-oldhide, but ever thickened from within with layer on layer of evilgrowth. The blade scored it with a dreadful gash, but those hideousfolds could not be pierced by any strength of men, not though Elfor Dwarf should forge the steel or the hand of Beren or of T˜rinwield it. She yielded to the stroke, and then heaved up the great bagof her belly high above Sam's head. Poison frothed and bubbledfrom the wound. Now splaying her legs she drove her huge bulkdown on him again. Too soon. For Sam still stood upon his feet,and dropping his own sword, with both hands he held the elven-blade point upwards, fending off that ghastly roof; and soShelob, with the driving force of her own cruel will, withstrength greater than any wÔrrior's hand, thrust herself upon a bitterspike. Deep, deep it pricked, as Sam was crushed slowly to theground.No such anguish had Shelob ever known, or dreamed of knowing,in all her long world of wickedness. Not the doughtiest soldier of oldGondor, nor the most savage Orc entrapped, had ever thus enduredher, or set blade to her beloved flesh. A shudder went through her.Heaving up again, wrenching away from the pain, she bent herwrithing limbs beneath her and sprang backwards in a convulsiveleap.Sam had fallen to his knees by Frodo's head, his senses reelingiri the foul stench, his two hands still gripping the hilt of the sword.Through the mist before his eyes he was aware dimly of Frodo's faceand stubbornly he fought to master himself and to drag himselfout of the swoon that was upon him. Slowly he raised his head andsaw her, only a few paces away, eyeing him, her beak drabbling aspittle of venom, and a green ooze trickling from below her woundedeye. There she crouched, her shuddering belly splayed upon theground, the great bows of her legs quivering, as she gathered herselffor another spring-this time to crush and sting to death : no littlebite of poison to still the struggling of her meat; this time to slayand then to rend.Even as Sam himself crouched, looking at her, seeing his death inher eyes, a thought came to him, as if some remote voice had spoken.and he fumbled in his breast with his left hand, and found what hesought : cold and hard and solid it seemed to his touch in a phantomworld of horror, the Phial of Galadriel.'Galadriel ! ' he said faintly, and then he heard voices far off but clear :the crying of the Elves as they walked under the stars in the belovedshadows of the Shire, and the music of the Elves as it came throughhis sleep in the Hall of Fire in the house of Elrond.Gilthoniel A Elbereth !And then his tongue was loosed and his voice cried in a languagewhich he did not know :A Elbereth Gilthonielo menel palan-diriel,le nallon sé di'nguruthos!A tiro nin, Fanuilos!And with that he staggered to his feet and was Samwise the hobbit,Hamfast's son, again.`Now come, you filth ! ' he cried. `You've hurt my master, you brute,and you'll pay for it. We're going on; but we'll settle with you first.Come on, and taste it again ! 'As if his indomitable spirit had set its potency in motion, the glassblazed suddenly like a white torch in his hand. It flamed like a starthat leaping from the firmament sears the dark air with intolerablelight. No such terror out of heaven had ever burned in Shelob's facebefore. The beams of it entered into her wounded head and scoredit with unbearable pain, and the dreadful infection of light spread fromeye to eye. She fell back beating the air with her forelegs, her sightblasted by inner lightnings, her mind in agony. Then turning hermaimed head away, she rolled aside and began to crawl, claw by claw,towards the opening in the dark cliff behind.Sam came on. He was reeling like a drunken man, but he came on.And Shelob cowed at last, shrunken in defeat, jerked and quivered asshe tried to hasten from him. She reached the hole, and squeezingdown, leaving a trail of green-yellow slime, she slipped in, even asSam hewed a last stroke at her dragging legs. Then he fell to theground.Shelob was gone; and whether she lay long in her lair, nursing hermalice and her misery, and in slow years of darkness healed herselffrom within, rebuilding her clustered eyes, until with hunger likedeath she spun once more her dreadful snares in the glens of theMountains of Shadow, this tale does not tell.Sam was left alone. Wearily, as the evening of the Nameless Landfell upon the place of battle, he crawled back to his master.'Master, dear master,' he said, but Frodo did not speak. As he hadrun forward, eager, rejoicing to be free, Shelob with hideous speedhad come behind and with one swift stroke had stung him in theneck. He lay now pale, and heard no voice. and did not move.`Master, dear master ! ' said Sam, and through a long silence waited.listening in vain.Then as quickly as he could he cut away.the binding cords andlaid his head upon Frodo's breast and to his mouth, but no stir of lifecould he find, nor feel the faintest flutter of the heart. Often hechafed his master's hands and feet, and touched his brow, but allwere cold.`Frodo, Mr. Frodo ! ' he called. 'Don't leave me here alone ! It'syour Sam calling. Don't go where I can't follow! Wake up, Mr.Frodo! O wake up, Frodo, me dear, me dear. Wake up!'Then anger surged over hint, and he ran about his master's bodyin a rage, stabbing the air, and smiting the stones, and shoutingchallenges. Presently he came back, and bending looked at Frodo'sface, pale beneath him in the dusk. And suddenly he saw that hewas in the picture that was revealed to him in the mirror of Galad-riel in L¢rien : Frodo with a pale face lying fast asleep under a greatdark cliff. Or fast asleep he had thought then. `He's dead ! ' he said.'Not asleep, dead ! ' And as he said it, as if the words had set the venomto its work again. it seemed to him that the hue of the face grew lividgreen.And then black despair came down on him, and Sam bowed tothe ground, and drew his grey hood over his head, and night came intohis heart, and he knew no more.When at last the blackness passed, Sam looked up and shadowswere about him; but for how many minutes or hours the world hadgone dragging on he could not tell. He was still in the same place,and still his master lay beside him dead. The mountains had notcrumbled nor the earth fallen into ruin.'What shall I do, what shall I do ? ' he said. `Did I come all thisway with him for nothing ? ' And then he remembered his own voicespeaking words that at the time he did not understand himself, at thebeginning of their journey : I have something to do before the end.I must see it through, sir, if you understand.`But what can I do? Not leave Mr. Frodo dead, unburied on thetop of the mountains, and go home ? Or go on ? Go on ? ' he repeated,and for a moment doubt and fear shook him. `Go on? Is that whatI've got to do ? And leave him ? 'Then at last he began to weep; and going to Frodo he composed hisbody, and folded his cold hands upon his breast, and wrapped hiscloak about him; and he laid his own sword at one side, and the staffthat Faramir had given Ôt the other.'If I'm to go on,' he said, `then I must take your sword, by yourleave, Mr. Frodo, but I'll put this one to lie by you, as it lay by theold king in the barrow; and you've got your beautiful mithril coatfrom old Mr. Bilbo. And your star-glass, Mr. Frodo, you did lend itto me and I'll need it, for I'll be always in the dark now. It's too goodfor me, and the Lady gave it to you, but maybe she'd understand. Doyou understand, Mr. Frodo ? I've got to go on.'But he could not go, not yet. He knelt and held Frodo's hand andcould not release it. And time went by and still he knelt, holding hismaster's hand, and in his heart keeping a debate.Now he tried to find strength to tear himself away and go on alonely journey--for vengeance. If once he could go, his anger wouldbear him down all the roads of the world, pursuing, until he had himat last: Gollum. Then Gollum would die in a corner. But that wasnot what he had set out to do. It would not be worth while to leavehis master for that. It would not bring him back. Nothing would.They had better both be dead together. And that too would be a lonelyjourney.He looked on the bright point of the sword. He thought of thcplaces behind where there was a black brink and an empty fall intonothingness. There was no escape that way. That was to do nothing,not even to grieve. That was not µwhat he had set out to do. 'Whatam I to do then ? ' he cried again, and now he seemed plainly to knowthe hard answer: see it through. Another lonely journey, and theworst.`What ? Me, alone, go to the Crack of Doom and all ? ' He quailedstill, but the resolve grew. `What ? Me take the Ring from him ? TheCouncil gave it to him.'But the answer came at once: `And the Council gave him com-panions, so that the errand should not fail. And you are the last of allthe Company. The errand must not fail.'`I wish I wasn't the last,' he groaned. `I wish old Gandalf was hareor somebody. Why am I left all alone to make up my mind? I'm sureto go wrong. And it's not for me to go taking the Ring, putting myselfforward.''But you haven't put yourself forward; you've been put forward.And as for not being the right and proper person, why, Mr. Frodowasn't as you might say, nor Mr. Bilbo. They didn't choose them-selves.'`Ah well, I must make up my own mind. I will make it up. ButI'll be sure to go wrong : that'd be Sam Gamgee all over.'Let me see now : if we're found here, or Mr. Frodo's found, andthat Thing's on him, well, the Enemy will get it. And that's the end ofall of us, of Lorien, and Rivendell, and the Shire and all. And there sno time to lose, or it'll be the end anyway. The war's begun, andmore than likely things are all going the Enemy's way already. Nochance to go back with It and get advice or permission. No, it's sithere till they come and kill me over master's body, and gets It: or takeIt and go.' He drew a deep breath. 'Then take It, it is ! 'He stooped. Very gently he undid the clasp at the neck and slippedhis hand inside Frodo's tunic; then with his other hand raising thehead, he kissed the cold forehead, and softly drew the chain overit. And then the head lay quietly back again in rest. No changecame over the still face, and by that more than by all other tokensSam was convinced at last that Frodo had died and laid aside theQuest.`Good-bye, master, my dear ! ' he murmured. 'Forgive your Sam.He'll come back to this spot when the job's done-if he manages it.And then he'll not leave you again. Rest you quiet till I come; andmay no foul creature come anigh you! And if the Lady could hearme and give me one wish, I would wish to come back and find youagain. Good-bye ! 'And then he bent his own neck and put the chain upon it, and atonce his head was bowed to the ground with the weight of the Ring,as if a great stone had been strung on him. But slowly, as if the weightbecame less, or new strength grew in him, he raised his head,and then with a great effort got to his feet and found that he couldwalk and bear his burden. And for a moment he lifted up the Phialand looked down at his master, and the light burned gently now withthe soft radiance of the evening-star in summer, and in that lightFrodo's face was fair of hue again, pale but beautiful with an elvishbeauty, as of one who has long passed the shadows. And with thebitter comfort of that last sight Sam turned and hid the light andstumbled on into the growing dark.He had not far to go. The tunnel was some way behind; the Clefta couple of hundred yards ahead, or less. The path was visible in thedusk` a deep rut worn in ages of passage, running now gently up ina long trough with cliffs on either side. The trough narrowed rapidly.Soon Sam came to a long flight of broad shallow steps. Now the orc-tower was right above him, frowning black, and in it the red eyeglowed. Now he was hidden in the dark shadow under it. He wascoming to the top of the steps and was in the Cleft at last.'I've made up my mind,' he kept saying to himself. But he had not.Though he had done his best to think it out, what he was doing wasaltogether against the grain of his nature. `Have I got it wrong ? ' hemuttered. `What ought I to have done ? 'As the sheer sides of the Cleft closed about him, befoxe he reachedthe actual summit, before he looked at last on the path descendinginto the Nameless Land. he turned. For a moment, motionless inintolerable doubt, he looked back. He could still see, like a smallblot in the gathering gloom, the mouth of the tunnel; and he thoughthe could see or guess where Frodo lay. He fancied there was a glimmeron the ground down there, or perhaps it was some trick of his tears,as he peered out at that high stony place where all his life had fallen inruin.'If only I could have my wish, my one wish,' he sighed, `to go backand find him ! ' Then at last he turned to the road in front and took aEew steps : the heaviest and the most reluctant he had ever taken.Only a few steps; and now only a few more and he would be goingdown and would never see that high place again. And then suddenlyhe heard cries and voices. He stood still as stone. Orc-voices. Theywere behind him and before him. A noise of tramping feet and harshshouts : Orcs were coming up to the Cleft from the far side, from someentry to the tower, perhaps. Tramping feet and shouts behind. Hewheeled round. He saw small red lights, torches, winking away belowthere as they issued from the tunnel. At last the hunt wasup. The red eye of the tower had not been blind. He wascaught.Now the flicker of approaching torches and the clink of steel aheadwas very near. ln a minute they would reach the top and be on him.He had taken too long in making up his mind, and now it was nogood. How could he escape, or save himself, or save the Ring? TheRing. He was not aware of any thought or decision. He simply foundhimself drawing out the chain and taking the Ring in his hand. Thehead of the orc-company appeared in the Cleft right before him. Thenhe put it on.The world changed, and a single moment of time was filled with anhour of thought. At once he was aware that hearing was sharpenedwhile sight was dimmed, but otherwise than in Shelob's lair. Allthings about him now were not dark but vague; while he himselfwas there in a grey hazy world, alone, like a small black solid rockand the Ring, weighing down his left hand, was like an orb of hotgold. He did not feel invisible at all, but horribly and uniquelyvisible; and he knew that som‚where an Eye was searching forhim.He heard the crack of stone` and the murmur of water far off inMorgul Vale; and down away under the rock the bubbling misery ofShelob, groping, lost in some blind passage; and voices in the dungeonsof the tower; and the cries of the Orcs as they came out of the tunnel;and deafeuing, roaring in his ears, the crash nf the feet and the rendingclamour of the Orcs before him. He shrank against the cliff. Butthey marehed up like a phantom company, grey distorted figures in amist, only dreams of fear with pale flames in their hands. And theypassed him by. He cowered, trying to creep away into some crannyand to hide.He listened. The Orcs from the tunnel and the others marehingdown had sighted one another, and both parties were now hurryingand shouting. He heard them both clearly, and he understood whatthey said. Perhaps the Ring gave understanding of tongues, or simplyunderstanding, especially of the servants of Sauron its maker, so thatif he gave heed, he understood and translated the thought to himself.Certainly the Ring had grown greatly in power as it approachedthe places of its forging; but one thing it did not confer, andthat was courage. At present Sam still thought only of hiding, oflying low till all was quiet again; and he listened anxiously. He couldnot tell how near the voices were, the words seemed almost in hisears.'Hola ! Gorbag ! What are you doing up here ? Had enough of waralready ? ''Orders, you lubber. And what are you doing, Shagrat? Tired oflurking up there ? Thinking of coming down to fight ? ''Orders to you. I'm in command of this pass. So speak civil. What'syour report ? ''Nothing.'`Hai ! hai ! yoi ! ' A yell broke into the exehanges of the leaders. TheOrcs lower down had suddenly seen solrtething. They began to run.So did the others.`Hai ! Hola ! Here's something ! Lying right in the road. A spy, aspy ! ' There was a hoot of snarling horns and a babel of bayingvoices.With a dreadful stroke Sam was wakened from his cowering mood.They had seen his master. What would they do? He had heardtales of the Orcs to make the blood run cold. It could not be borne.He sprang up. He flung the Quest and all his decisions away,and fear and doubt with them. He knew now where his place wasand had been : at his master's side, though what he could do therewas not clear. Back he ran down the steps, down the path towardsFrodo.`How many are there ? ' he thought. `Thirty or forty from the towerat least, and a lot more than that frnm dnwn belnw, I guess. Hnwmany can I kill before they get me? They'll see the flame of thesword, as soon as I draw it, and they'll get me sooner or later. Iwonder if any song will ever mention it : How Samwise fell in the HighPass and made a wall of bodies round his master. No, no song. Ofcourse not. for the Ring'll be found, and there'll be no more songs. Ican't help it. My place is by Mr. Frodo. They must understand that-Elrond and the Council, and the great Lords and Ladies with all theirwisdom. Their plans have gone wrong. I can't be their Ring-bearer.Not without Mr. Frodo.'But the Orcs were out of his dim sight now. He had had no time toconsider himself, but now he realized that he was weary, weary almostto exhaustion : his legs would not carry him as he wished. He wastoo slow. The path seemed miles long. Where had they all got to in themist ?There they were again ! A good way ahead still. A cluster of figuresround something lying on the ground; a few seemed to be dartingthis way and that, bent like dogs on a trail. He tried to make aspurt.'Come on, Sam ! ' he said, `or you'll be too late again.' He loosenedthe sword in its sheath. In a minute he would draw it, and then-There was a wild clamour, hooting and laughing, as something waslifted from the ground. 'Ya hoi ! Ya harri hoi ! Up ! Up ! 'Then a voice shouted : `Now off ! The quick way. Back to the Under-gate ! She'll not trouble us tonight by all the signs.' The whole band oforc-figures began to move. Four in the middle were carrying a bodyhigh on their shoulders. `Ya hoi ! 'They had taken Frodo's body. They were off. He could not catehthem up. Still he laboured on. The Orcs reached the tunnel and werepassing in. Those with the burden went first, and behind them therewas a good deal of stl-uggling and jostling. Sam came on. He drew thesword, a fticker of blue in his wavering hand, but they did not seeit. Even as he came panting up, the last of them vanished into theblack hole.For a moment he stood, gasping, clutehing his breast. Then hedrew his sleeve across his face, wiping away the grime, and sweat,and tears. 'Curse the filth ! ' he said, and sprang after them into thedarkness.It no longer seemed very dark to him in the tunnel, rather it was asif he had stepped out of a thin mist into a heavier fog. His wearinesswas growing but his wilI hardened all the more. He thought hecould see the light of torches a little way ahead, but try as he would,he could not catch them up. Orcs go fast in tunnels, and this tunnelthey knew well.; for in spite of Shelob they were forced to use it oftenas the swiftest way from the Dead City over the mountains. In whatfar-off time the main tunnel and the great round pit had been made,where Shelob had taken up her abode in ages past. they did not know:but many byways they had themselves delved about in on either side,so as to escape the lair in their goings to and fro on the business oftheir masters. Tonight they did not intend to go far down. but werehastening to find a side-passage that led back to their watch-tower onthe cliff. Must of them were gleeful, delighted with what they hadfound and seen, and as they ran they gabbled and yammered afterthe fashion of their kind. Sam heard the noise of their harsh voices,8at and hard in the dead air, and he could distinguish two voicesfrom among all the rest : they were louder, and nearer to him. Thecaptains of the two parties seemed to be bringing up the rear, debatingas they went.'Can't you stop your rabble making such a racket, Shagrat ? ' gruntedthe one. `We don't want Shelob on us.'`Go on, Gorbag! Yours are making more than half the noise,' saidthe other. `But let the lads play ! No need to worry about Shelob for abit, I reckon. Shes sat on a nail, it seems, and we shan t cr aboutthat. Didn't you see : a nasty mess all the way back to that cursedcrack of hers? If we've stopped it once, we've stopped it a hundredtimes. So let 'em laugh. And we've struck a bit of luck at last: gotsomething that Lugb˜rz wants.''Lugb˜rz wants it, eh ? What is it, d'you think ? Elvish it looked tome, but undersized. What's the danger in a thing like that ? ''Don't know till we've had a look.''Oho! So they haven't told you what to expect? They don't tell usall they know, do they ? Not by half. But they can make mistakes, eventhe Top Ones can.'`Sh, Gorbag ! ' Shagrat's voice was lowered, so that even with hisstrangely sharpened hzaring Sam could only just catch what was said.'They may, but they've got eyes and ears everywhere; some among mylot, as like as not. But there's no doubt about it, they're troubled aboutsomething. The Nazgfll down below are, by your account; and Lugb˜rzis too. Something nearly slipped.'`Nearly, you say ! ' said Gorbag.`All right,' said Shagrat, `but we'll talk of that later: Wait till we getto the Under-way. There's a place there where we can talk a bit, whilethe lads go on.'Shortly afterwards Sam saw the torches disappear. Then there wasa rumbling noise, and just as he hurried up, a bump. As far as hecould guess the Orcs had turned and gone into the very openingwhich Frodo and he had tried and found blocked. It was stillblocked.There seemed to be a great stone in the way, but the Orcs had gotthrough somehow, for he could hear their voices on the other side.They were still running along, deeper and deeper into the mountain,back towards the tower. Sam felt desperate. They were carrying offhis master's body for some foul purpose and he could not follow. Hethrust and pushed at the block, and he threw himself against it, but itdid not yield. Then not far inside, or so he thought, he heard thetwo captains' voices talking again. He stood still listening for a littlehoping perhaps to learn something useful. Perhaps Gorbag, who seemedto belong to Minas Morgul, would come out, and he could then slipin.`No, I don't know,' said Gorbag's voice. `The messages go throughquicker than anything could fly, as a rule. But I don't enquire howit's done. Safest not to. Grr! Those Nazg×l give me the creeps. Andthey skin the body off you as soon as look at you, and leave youall cold in the dark on the other side. But He likes 'em; they're Hisfavourites nowadays, sn it's no use grumbling. I tell you, it's no gameserving down in the city.'`You should try being up here with Shelob for company,' saidShagrat.'I'd like to try somewhere where there's none of 'em. But the war'son now, and when that's over things may be easier.'`It's going well, they say.''They would.' grunted Gorbag. `We'll see. But anyway, if it doesgo well, there should be a lot more room. What d'you say?-if weget a chance, ýou and me'll slip off and set up somewhere on our ownwith a few trusty lads, somewhere where there's good loot nice andhandy, and no big bosses.''Ah ! ' said Shagrat. `Like old times.'`Yes,' said Gorbag- 'But don't count on it. I'm not easy in my mind.As I said, the Big Bosses, ay,' his voice sank almost to a whisper,`ay, even the Biggest, can make mistakes. Something nearly slippedyou say. I say, something has slipped. And we've got to look out.Always the poor Uruks to put slips right, and small thanks. But don'tforget : the enemies don't love us any more than they love Him, andif they get topsides on Him, we're done too. But see here : when wereyou ordered out ? '`About an hour ago, just before you saw us. A message came:Nazg×l uneasy. Spies feared on Stairs. Double vigilance. Patrol to headof Stairs. I came at once.''Bad business,' said Gorbag. `See here--our Silent Watchers wereuneasy more than two days ago. that I know. But my patrol wasn'tordered out for another day, nor any message sent to Lugb˜rz either :owing to the Great Signal going up, and the High Nazg×l going off tothe war, and all that. And then theycouldn't get Lugb˜rz to pay at-tention for a good while, I'm told.'`The Eye was busy elsewhere, I suppose,' said Shagrat. `Big thingsgoing on away west, they say.''I daresay,' growled Gorbag. `But in the meantime enemies havegot up the Stairs. And what were you up to? You're supposedto keep watch, aren't you, special orders or no? What are youfor?'`That's enough! Don't try and teach me my job. We were awakeall right. We knew there were funny things going on.'`Very funny ! '`Yes, very funny : lights and shouting and all. But Shelob was onthe go. My lads saw her and her Sneak.'`Her Sneak ? What's that ? '`You must have secn him : little thin black fellow; like a spiderhimself, or perhaps more like a starved frog. He's been here before.Came out of Lugb˜rz the first time, years ago, and we had wordfrom High Up to let him pass. He's been up the Stairs once or twicesince then, but we've left him alone: seems to have some under-standing with Her Ladyship. I suppose he's no good to eat: shewouldn't worry about words from High Up. But a fine guard youkeep in the valley : he was up here a day before all this racket. Earlylast night we saw him. Anyway my lads reported that Her Ladyshipwas having some fun, and that seemed good enough for me, until themessage came. I thought her Sneak had brought her a toy. or thatyou'd perhaps sent her a present, a prisoner of war or something.I don't interfere when she's playing. Nothing gets by Shelob whenshe's on the hunt.''Nothing, say you ! Didn't you use your eyes back there? I tell youl'm not easy in my mind. Whatever came up the Stairs, did get by.It cut her web and got clean out of the hole. That's something tothink about ! '`Ah well, but she got him in the end, didn't she ? '`Got him ? Got who ? This little fellow ? But if he was the only onethen she'd have had him off to her larder long before, and there he'dbe now. And if Lugb˜rz wanted him, you'd have to go and get him.Nice for you. But there was more than one.'At this point Sam began to listen more attentively and pressed hisear against the stone.'Who cut the cords she'd put round him, Shagrat? Same one as cutthe web. Didn't you see that? And who stuck a pin into Her Lady-ship ? Same one, I reckon. And where is he ? Where is he,Shagrat ? 'Shagrat made no reply.`You may well put your thinking cap on, if you've got one. It'sno laughing matter. No one, no one has ever stuck a pin in Shelobbefore, as you should know well enough. There's no grief in that; butthink-there's someone loose hereabouts as is more dangerous thanany other damned rebel that ever walked since the bad old times,since the Great Siege. Something has slipped.'`And what is it then ? ' growled Shagrat.`By all the signs, Captain Shagrat. I'd say there's a large warriorloose, Elf most likely, with an elf-sword anyway. and an axe as wellmaybe: and he's loose in your bounds, too. and you've never spottedhim. Very funny indeed ! ' Gorbag spat. Sam smiled grimly at this de-scription of himself.'Ah well, you always did takc a gloomy view.' said Shagrat. 'Youcan read the signs how you like, but there may be other ways toexplain them. Anyhow. I've got watchers at every point, and I'mgoing to deal with one thing at a time. When I've had a look at thefellow we have caught, then I'll begin to worry about something else.'`It's my guess you won't find much in that little fellow.' said Corbag.'He may have had nothing to do with the real mischief. The bigfellow with the sharp sword doesn't seem to have thought him worthmuch anyhow--just left him lying : regular elvish trick.'`We'll see. Come on now ! We've talked enough. Let's go and have alook at the prisoner !`What are you going to do with him? Don't forget I spotted himfirst. lf there's any game, me and my lads must be in it.''Now, now,' growled Shagrat. 'I have my orders. And it's morethan my belly's worth. or yours, to break 'em. Any trespasser foundby the guard is to be held at the tower. Prisoner is to be stripped.Full description of every article, garment, weapon, letter, ring. ortrinket is to be sent to Lugb˜rz at once, and to Lugb˜rz only. Andthe prisoner is to be kept safe and intact, under pain of death for everymember of the guard, until He sends or comes Himself. That's plainenough, and that's what I'm going to do.''Stripped, eh ? ' said Gorbag. 'What, teeth, nails, hair, and all ? '`No, none of that. He's for Lugb˜rz, I tell you. He's wanted safe andwhole.''You'll find that diffcult,' laughed Gorbag. 'He's nothing but carrionnow. What Lugb˜rz will do with such stuff I can't guess. He might aswell go in the pot.''You fool,' snarled Shagrat. 'You've been talking very clever, butthere's a lot you don't know, though most other folk do. You'll befor the pot or for Shelob, if you don't take care. Carrion ! Is that allyou know of Her Ladyship? When she binds with cords, she's aftermeat. She doesn't eat dead meat, nor suck cold blood. This fellow isn'tdead ! 'Sam reeled, clutching at the stone. He felt as if the whole darkworld was turning upside down. So great was the shock that he almostswooned, but even as he fought to keep a hold on his senses, deepinside him he was aware of the comment : 'You fool, he isn't dead,and your heart knew it. Don't trust your head, Samwise, it is not thebest part of you. The trouble with you is that you never really hadany hope. Now what is to be done ? ' Fur the moment nothing, but toprop himself against the unmoving stone and listen, listen to the vileorc-voices.`Garn ! ' said Shagrat. 'She's got more than one poison. When she'shunting, she just gives 'em a dab in the neck and they go as limp asboned fish, and then she has her way- with them. D'you rememberold Ufthak? We lost him for days. Then we found him in a corner;5anging up he was, but he was wide awake and glaring. How welaughed! She'd forgotten him, maybe, but we didn't touch him-nogood interfering with Her. Nar--this little filth, he'll wake up, in afew hours; and beyond feeling a bit sick for a hit, he'll be all right.Or would be, if Lugb˜r L would let him alone. And of course, beyondwondering where he is and what's happened to him.''And what's going to happen to him,' laughed Gorbag. 'We can tellhim a few stories at any rate, if we can't do anything else. I don'tsuppose he's ever been in lovely Lugb˜rz, so he may like to knowwhat to expect. This is going to be more funny than I thought. Let'sgo!'`There's going to be no fun, I tell you,' said Shagrat. 'And he's got tobe kept safe, or we're all as good as dead.'`AII right! But if I were you, I'd catch the big one that's loose,before you send in any report to Lugb˜rz. It won't sound too prettyto say you've caught the kitten and let the cat escape.'The voices began to move away. Sam heard the sound of feetreceding. He was recovering from his shock, and now a wild furywas on him. `I got it all wrong ! ' he cried. `I knew I would. Nowthey've got him, the devils ! the filth ! Never leave your master, never,never: that was my right rule. And I knew it in my heart. May Ibe forgiven! Now I've got to get back to him. Somehow, some-how ! 'He drew his sword again and beat on the stone with the hilt, butit only gave out a dull sound. The sword, however, blazed so brightlynow that he could see dimly in its light. To his surprise he noticedthat the great block was shaped like a heavy door, and was less thantwice his own height. Above it was a dark blank space between thetop and the low arch of the opening. It was probably only meant tobe a stop against the intrusion of Shelob, fastened on the inside withsome latch or bolt beyond the reach of her cunning. With his remain-ing strength Sam leaped and caught the top, scrambled up, anddropped; and then he ran madly, sword blazing in hand, round a bendand up a winding tunnel.The news that his master was still alive roused him to a last effortbeyond thought of weariness. He could not see anything ahead. for thisnew passage twisted and turned constantly; but he thought he wascatching the two Orcs up : their voices were growing nearer again. Nowthey seemed quite close.`That's what I'm going to do,' said Shagrat in angry tones. 'Put himright up in the top chamber.'`What for ? ' growled Gorbag. `Haven't you any lock-ups downbelow ? '`He's going out of harm's way, I tell you,' answered Shagrat. 'See?He's precious. I don't trust all my lads, and none of yours; nor youneither, when you're mad for fun. He's going where I want him, andwhere you won't come, if you don't keep civil. Vp to the top, I say.He'll be safe there.'`Will he ? ' said Sam. 'You're forgetting the great big elvish warriorthat's loose ! ' And with that he raced round the last corner. only tofind that by some trick of the tunnel, or of the hearing which theRing gave him, he had misjudged the distance.The two orc-figures were still some way ahead. He could seethem now, black and squat against a red glare. The passage ranstraight at last, up an incline; and at the end, wide open, weregreat double doors, leading probably to deep chambers far belowthe high horn of the tower. Already the Orcs with their burdenhad passed inside. Gorbag and Shagrat were drawing near thegate.Sam heard a burst of hoarse singing. blaring of horns and bangingof gongs, a hideous clamour. Gorbag and Shagrat were already on thethreshold.Sam yelled and brandished Sting, but his little voice was drownedin the tumult. No one heeded him.The great doors slammed to. Boom. The bars of iron fell into placeinside. Clang. The gate was shut. Sam hurled himself against the boltedbrazen plates and fell senseless to the ground. He was out in the dark-ness. Frodo was alive but taken by the Enemy. Perv Next Mail to me |