The Treason of Isengard (2 page)

He knew Gandalf. He was intrigued by Bilbo's story, and found Gollum. When Gandalf went off on the last perilous quest - really to find out about Black Riders and whether the Dark Lord would attack the Shire - he [> Gandalf and Bilbo] arranged with Trotter (real name [other unfinished names struck oat in the act of writing: Bara / Rho / Dam] Aragorn son of Aramir) to go towards the Shire and keep a lookout on the road from East (Gandalf was going South). He gives Aragorn a letter to Frodo. Aragorn pretends he is a Ranger and hangs about Bree. (He also warns Tom Bombadil.) Reason of wooden shoes - no need in this case because Aragorn is a man. Hence there is no need for Gandalf... The cache of food at Weathertop is Aragorn's. Aragorn steers them to Weathertop as a good lookout.

But how could Trotter miss Gandalf?

What delayed Gandalf? Black Riders or other hunters. Treebeard.

Aragorn did not miss Gandalf and arranged tryst on Weathertop.

At the end is written very emphatically and twice underlined: NO

0 D O.

The likeness of what is said of Trotter/Aragorn here (he was a man of Elrond's race and household, he became a friend of Bilbo's, and he

'pretends he is a Ranger') to the proposal at the end of $1 (Trotter was

'a disguised elf', one of the Rivendell scouts, a friend of Bilbo's in Rivendell, and he 'pretends to be a ranger') may suggest that the one arose directly from the other. On the other hand, my father had still not finally decided the question; for on the reverse of this piece of paper and undoubtedly at the same time he wrote:

Alternative function for Trotter. Trotter is Peregrin Boffin that Bilbo took away with him or who ran off with Bilbo - but this rather duplicates things - unless you cut out all Frodo's friends.

If Trotter is Peregrin Boffin then Bilbo must go off quietly and Peregrin simply vanish about the same time.

This is followed by a brief passage sketching a rough narrative on these lines:

There was peace in Hobbiton for many years. Gandalf came seldom and then very quietly and mainly to visit Bilbo. He seemed to have given up trying to persuade even [?young] Tooks to go off on mad adventures out of the Shire. Then suddenly things began to happen.

Bilbo Baggins disappeared again - that is hardly exact: he walked off without saying a word except to Gandalf (and to his nephews Peregrin and Frodo, it may be supposed). It was a great blow to Frodo. He found Bilbo had left everything he possessed to himself and Peregrin. But Peregrin also disappeared, leaving a will in which his share

Here these notes end, the idea abandoned. Perhaps it was here that Trotter ceased finally to be a hobbit, Peregrin Boffin.

(3) A page of clear notes in ink, agreeing in part with features of $1

and $2, is headed optimistically Final decisions. Oct. 8 1939. This was subsequently emended in pencil, but I give it first as it was written.

(1) General plot as at present. Bilbo vanishes at party (but all that chapter will have to be reduced, especially the Sackville-Baggins business). (Begin with a conversation between Bilbo and Frodo?) (2) Gandalf not expected by Frodo. Gandalf had not been seen for 213 years. Frodo grew restless and went off - although Gandalf had really not wished him to go till he returned.

(3) When Bilbo went Gandalf not sure of nature of Ring. Bilbo's longevity had made him suspicious - and he induced Bilbo not to take Ring with him. Bilbo had no idea that Ring was dangerous -

hence simplify all Bilbo's motives, and remove the difficulty of his burdening Frodo with it.

(4) Frodo's friends are Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Boffin called Merry and Perry (only; no Odo). Peregrin drops off at Crickhollow. Merry at Rivendell. Sam only goes on to end.

(5) Trotter is not a hobbit but a real ranger who had gone to live in Rivendell after much wandering. Cut out shoes.

In (4) it is seen that despite the decision - which was indeed final - that Trotter was a Man, 'Peregrin Boffin' survived the loss of his alter ego, remaining an intimate of the owner of Bag End in a later generation; and for a brief moment may be said to step into the shoes of Odo Bolger - since he 'drops off at Crickhollow'.

Pencilled emendations were made to (4) and (5). To (4) was first added: 'Peregrin stays at Hobbiton and tells Gandalf.' This was struck out, and the first sentence of the note was changed to read: 'Frodo's friends are Meriadoc Brandybuck and Ham [ilcar] Bolger and Faramond Took, called Merry, Ham, and Far', with the further addition:

'Ham drops off at Crickhollow, but is picked up by Gandalf and used as a decoy.?' (On this see under $6 below, p. 13.) Thus once more 'Odo Bolger' will bounce back, but now under the name of Hamilcar of that ilk. 'Hamilcar' has appeared hitherto only in a note dated August 1939, where it is proposed that 'Odo' be changed to 'Hamilcar' or

'Fredegar' (VI.373). 'Peregrin Boffin' disappears again - but only temporarily.

To (5) was added in pencil, after 'a real ranger': 'descendant of Elendil. Tarkil.' The name Tarkil appears in the Etymologies in V.364

(stem KHIL 'follow'): * tara-khil, in which the second element evidently bears the sense mortal man (Hildi the Followers, an Elvish name for Men, V.245).

(4) A page of very rough notes in pencil, covered with emendations and additions, is dated 'Autumn 1939* and headed New Plot. There now enters a very important development: a far more explicit account of what had caused Gandalf s delay than anything that has been said hitherto; and the evil figure of 'Giant Treebeard', his captor, disappears - though not for good (see p. 72).

Time Scheme won't work out for Gandalf to be ahead.

(1) Crickhollow scene - only Hamilcar [struck out: or Folco](9) there. He blows horn and startles the Riders' horses, which bolt.

They run out of the house, and find a way (10) as the hue and cry wakes.

(2) Gandalf is behind at Bree. He knows Trotter (real name Aragorn). Trotter helped him track Gollum. He brings Trotter back in April 1418 to keep watch especially S.E. of Shire. It was a message of Trotter's in July (?) that took Gandalf away (11)-fearing Black Riders. He meets Trotter at Sarn Ford.(11) He then tells him of Frodo's intended departure on Sept. 22. Begs him to watch East Road in case anything happens to Gandalf himself. He visits Bree on way back to Shire on Sept. [date illegible]. But is pursued and tries to get round to west of Shire.

Black Riders pursue them [read him] - Gandalf has insufficient magic to cope with Black Riders unaided, whose king is a wizard.

They pursue him over Sarn Ford and he cannot (or dare not) go back to Shire.

Eventually he is besieged in the Western Tower. He cannot get away while they guard it with five Riders. But when Black Riders have located Frodo and found that he has gone off without Gandalf they ride away. Three are ahead. Three follow Frodo, but miss him and get ahead at Bree. Three come behind.(13) Gandalf follows after -

meets Peregrin [written above: news from Gaffer].

The remainder of this outline is a very rough and much corrected chronology of Gandalf's subsequent movements, which is best considered together with other chronologies of this time ($6).

A remarkable feature of this 'New Plot' is the date April 1418, for this is the first appearance of any 'exterior' chronology; moreover 1418 is the year in LR, Appendix B - according to the Shire Reckoning, i.e. 3018 of the Third Age. At the present time, at any rate, I am unable to cast any light on the chronology underlying this date, or to make any suggestion as to the process by which it had arisen.

(5) On the reverse of the page bearing this 'New Plot' is a series of notes on unconnected topics.

(1) Some mention of Bill Ferney's pony. Does this remain at Rivendell? [The question is answered 'Yes'.]

(2) Real name of Trotter? [Pencilled against this: 'Aragorn'. See $$ 2,4.)

(3) Elrond should tell more of Gilgalad?

(4) New name of Dimrilldale (now transferred to South). River Hoarwell flowing out of ? Hoardale. Nen fimred. Wolfdale

[written above: Entishdale]. The region west of the Misty Mountains north of Rivendell is called the Entishlands - home of Trolls.(14)

(5) Gandalf says Tom Bombadil never leaves his own ground.

How then known to Butterbur? Tom's boundaries are from Bree to High Hay?(15) [Against the words 'How then known to Butterbur?' my father pencilled 'Not'.]

(6) Trotter is a Ranger - descendant of Elendil? - he is known to Bilbo, and Gandalf. He has previously been to Mordor and been tormented (caught in Moria). Gandalf brought him back towards borders of Shire in April. It was a message from Trotter that fetched Gandalf away in summer before Frodo left.

(7) Note Frodo's red sword is broken. Hence he accepts Sting.'

A final note was added in pencil: '(8) Not Barnabas Butterbur.' - In the remarks about Trotter here the only point that has not appeared in notes already given is that Trotter was captured in Moria: cf. the original story of the Council of Elrond (VI.401): 'Trotter had tracked Gollum as he wandered southwards, through Fangorn Forest, and past the Dead Marshes, until he had himself been caught and imprisoned by the Dark Lord.' It is seen here that the story of Trotter's capture and torturing survived his change from hobbit to man.

Since Trotter's real name is not yet known these notes evidently preceded those in $2 and $4; but no doubt they all come from the same time.

(6) Time-schemes. In this section I attempt to present four chronologies of Gandalf's movements, which I label A, B, C, D. A is the conclusion of the 'New Plot' given in $4 above, and was probably the first to be set down. The schemes vary among themselves, each one giving slightly different chronologies; and it is hard to be sure to what extent the story differed in each, since my father was more explicit and less explicit at different points in the different schemes. They were working chronologies, much confused by alternatives and additions, and they cannot be usefully reproduced as they stand, but in the table on p. 12 I set out comparatively the (final) dates in each, with statements in the original wording or closely based on it. The dates of Frodo's journey from Hobbiton to Weathertop remain of course unchanged, but I repeat them here for convenience:

Thurs. Sept. 22. Frodo's party

Fri. 23. Frodo and his friends leave Hobbiton

Sat. 24. Night with the Elves

Sun. 25. Farmer Maggot; reach Crickhollow

Mon. 26. Old Forest; first night with Bombadil Tues. 27. Second night with Bombadil.

Wed. 28. Leave Bombadil; Barrow-downs.

Thurs. 29. Reach Bree.

Fri. 30. Leave Bree; in Chetwood.

Sat. Oct. 1. In Chetwood.

Sun. 2. In the Midgewater Marshes.

Mon. 3. Second day in the Marshes.

Tues. 4. Camp by stream under alders.

Wed. 5. Camp at feet of the hills.

Thurs. 6. Reach Weathertop; attack at night.

Notes on the Time-schemes (table on p. 12).

The relative chronology of Gandalf's movements is much the same in all four, though the actual dates differ; but in C he takes longer from Hobbiton to Crickhollow, and in D he takes a day less from Bree to Weathertop. In A and B the date of Gandalf s escape from the Tower was first given as 24 September, the night that Frodo and his companions passed with the Elves in the Woody End, and in B there is a suggestion, struck out, that Frodo 'dreamt his dream at night with the Elves'; as is seen from the other schemes, he dreamed of Gandalf in the Western Tower. In C it is said that Frodo dreamt of the Tower when 'with the Elves near Woodhall', but against this my father wrote: 'No - at Crickhollow'; he also noted here that the attack on Crickhollow should be told on the night of The Prancing Pony (whence the 'doubled' opening of FR Chapter 11, 'A Knife in the Dark'). In D the placing of Frodo's 'vision of Gandalf' or 'Dream of the Tower' hesitates between the night he spent with the Elves, the night at Crickhollow, and the first night at Bombadil's house. - For the remarkable history of the dream see pp. 33-6.

The mention in A and B of Gandalf's meeting with Peregrin Boffin (Perry) at Hobbiton after his escape belongs with the addition made to the 'final decisions' given in $3 above: 'Peregrin stays at Hobbiton and tells Gandalf.' This was a short-lived idea - indeed already in the 'New Plot' ($4) my father scribbled in here 'news from Gaffer': a reference to the story that will appear in the next phase of work on 'The Council of Elrond' (p. 135; FR p. 276).

Scheme A makes no mention of what happened at Crickhollow, but the 'New Plot' that precedes it begins with the statement that only Hamilcar Bolger was there, and that the horses of the Riders bolted when he blew a horn: which presumably means that the attack took place before Gandalf arrived. An addition to B (contradicting the chronology of that scheme) says that

The Black Riders creep into Buckland, but too late to see Frodo depart. They track him to Crickhollow and guard it, and see Gandalf enter. But Gandalf (and Ham pretending to be Frodo) burst out on night of Sept. 29.

Journeys of Gandalf.

A

Sun. Escapes from Tower.