The Treason of Isengard (60 page)

Swift as lightning Sam slipped inside. He longed to stab the Orc but wisely restrained himself. In the light of [the torch o]

the small East window he saw Frodo lying on the bare stone -

his arms over his face [?guarding] from the whip blow. Muttering the orc went out and closed the door.

Frodo groaned and turned over uncovering his face - still pale from the poison. 'Why do dreams cheat me?' he said. 'I thought I heard a voice singing the song of Elbereth! '

'You were not dreaming!' said Sam. 'It is me, master.' He drew off the Ring.

But Frodo felt a great hatred well up in his heart. Before him there stood a small orc, bowlegged, leering at him out of a gloating face. It reminded him faintly of some one he had once known and loved - or hated. He stood up. 'Thief!' he cried.

'Give it to me.'

Sam was greatly taken aback: and stepped away, so sudden and grim was his master's face. 'The poor dear is still mithered,'(29) he thought.

'Surely, Master Frodo. I have come behind as quick as I could just for to give it you.' And with that he gave the ring into Frodo's snatching hand, and took the chain from about his neck. [Only for two days had he been Ringbearer, yet he felt a curious regret as it left him.] (30)

'Sam! ' cried Frodo. 'Sam! my dear old Sam. How did you come here? I thought' - and then he leant upon Sam and wept long. 'I thought,' he said again at last. 'Well never mind. I thought I was lost and that they had taken the Ring and all was in ruin. How did you get it - tell me.'

'Not by thieving,' said Sam with an effort at a smile. 'Or not exactly. I took it when I thought you were gone, Master. Yes, I thought you were dead for certain away back in that Kirith place, with those crawling horrors. That was a black hour, Master Frodo, but it seemed to me that Sam had got to carry on

- if he could.' Then he told the tale of the attack and how he had followed. 'And it is in a place called Minas Morgul that we are,'

he said, 'and not for a small mercy in the Dark Tower itself, leastways not yet. But Minas whatever it be: we have got to get out quick. And how, I don't see.'

They talked it over long in whispering voices. 'The Ring won't cover two,' said Sam; 'and I think you won't want to part from it again. Anyhow the Ring is yours, master,' said Sam.

'Once out of here you can get away fairly easy, so long as none of the Ring-wraiths or Black Riders turn up, or something worse. There is some nasty eyes in this town, or the pricking of my skin is merely the shivers of a cold coming on. My advice to you is to leg it as quick as may be.'

'And you?' said Frodo.

'0, me,' said Sam. 'That can't be helped. I may find a way out, or I may not. Anyway I have done the job I came to do.'

'Not yet, I think,' said Frodo. 'Not yet. I do not think that we part here, dear friend.'

'Well then, master, tell me how.'

'Let me think,' said Frodo. 'I have a plan,' he said at last. 'A risk, but it may work. Have you still got your sword?'

'I have,' said Sam, 'and Sting too, and your glass of light. I was a-going to lay them by you under the stones,' he stammered, 'when the murdering Orcs came on us. I thought you were dead - until you cried out as they gripped you.'

Frodo smiled and took back his treasures. He drew Sting half from its sheath and the pale blue light of it flickered from the blade. 'Not surprising,' he said, 'that Sting should shine in Minas Morgul! Well now, Sam, get away over there - where you will be behind the door when it opens. Draw your sword. I will lie on the floor as I was. Then you can start your song again

- and that should bring in an orc soon enough. Let us hope it is not many more than one.'

'But the whips, master, the murdering hounds will fetch you one for me, and I cannot abide it.'

'You won't have to abide it if you are quick with your sword,'

said Frodo. 'But you need not worry! They have not had time to search me - not that Orcs dare touch the Ring that is for none less than servants of the Ring or for Sauron himself. They made sure that I had no sword and flung me on the floor. So I have still my mithril-coat. That lash you heard as you came in was laid well across my side and back - but I don't think you would find any weal.'

Sam was much relieved. 'Very well, what's the idea, Mr.

Frodo?' he asked.

'You must do your best to kill the Orc that comes in,' said Frodo. 'If there is more than one I must leap up and help, and maybe we shall have to try and fight our way out. But to get someone to come in seems our only way of getting out.'

Frodo now began again to sing 0 Elbereth (a few lines). With an oath the door was flung open and in strode the orc-captain, cracking his lash. 'Lie quiet, you dog,' he shouted, and raised his whip. But even as he did so, Sam leapt from behind the door and stabbed at his throat. He fell with a gurgle. Frodo sprang up, pushed the door gently to, and crouched waiting for any other orc that might come. The sound of harsh voices far off up the further stairs came to them, but no other sounds.

'Now's our chance,' said Frodo. 'Get into his gear as quick as you can.' Swiftly they stripped the orc, peeling off his coat of black scale-like mail, unbuckling his sword, and unslinging the small round shield at his back. The black iron cap was too large for Sam (for orcs have large heads for their size), but he slipped on the mail. It hung a little loose and long. He cast the black hooded cloak about him, took the whip and scimitar, and slung the red shield. Then they dragged the body behind the door and crept out. Frodo went first.

It was dark outside when the door was shut again. Frodo took out the glass of light. They hurried down the stairs.

Halfway down they met someone coming up with a torch.

Frodo slipped on his Ring and drew aside; but Sam went on to meet the goblin. They brushed into one another and the goblin spoke in his harsh tongue; but Sam answered only with an angry snarl. That seemed satisfactory. Sam was evidently mistaken for someone important. The goblin drew aside to let him pass, and they hastened on. [Struck out: They did not guess that it was the messenger returning from Baraddur!]

Now they issued from the Loathly Tower. Evening was falling: away in the West over the valley of the Anduin there was some light. Far away loomed the Black Mountains and the tower of Minas Tirith, had they known. But in the East the sky was dark, with black and lowering clouds that seemed almost to rest upon the land. An uneasy twilight lay in the shadowy streets. Shrill cries came as it were from underground, strange shapes flitted by or peered out of alley[s] and holes in the

[?gaping] houses; there were [??dispirited] voices and faint echoes of monotonous and unhappy song. All the carven faces leered, and their eyes glowed with a fire at great depth.

The hobbits shuddered as they hurried on. Feet seemed to follow them, and they turned many corners, but they never threw them off. Rustling and pattering on the stones they came doggedly after them.

They came to the gates. The main gates were closed; but a small door was still open. Sentinels stood on either side, and at the opening stood an armed warder, gazing out into the gathering dusk. The Orcs were waiting for the messenger from Baraddur.

'Stay here,' whispered Frodo, drawing Sam into a shadow of a pillar just before the gate. 'While I wear the Ring I can understand much of their speech, or of the thought behind it - I don't know which. If I cry out come at a run, and get through the door if you can.'

[The following was struck out probably as soon as written: He went forward. The guard at the open door was grumbling.

'One would have thought we had caught no more than a stray elf,' he said. 'Is [? the] Ringbearer [written above: Thief] of no matter to them at the Dark Tower now? One would have thought He would have sent a Rider at least. Not even the war that is now set afoot can surely have lessened the worth of the One Treasure.'

Suddenly Frodo stabbed with Sting. The warder fell. But Frodo leant against the door lest a guard should thrust it to and called out. The sentinels sprang up. Sam came running, but at first they took him for a goblin running up to help. He smote one down before they were aware of his enmity and sprang through the door]

'Nay,' said Sam, 'that won't do. If we have a fight at the gate it won't be much use getting through. We'll have the whole wasps' nest a-buzzing after us before we have gone many yards: and they know these nasty mountains as well as I mind me of Bagend. Swagger is the only hope, Mr. Frodo, begging your pardon.'

'Very well, my good Sam,' said Frodo, 'try swagger.'

Feeling as little like 'swagger' as ever in his life, Sam walked as unconcernedly as he could manage into the shadow of the dark gateway. The sentinels on either side looked at him and did not move. He came beside the warder and looked out. The warder started and looked at him angrily.

Frodo came behind warily. He saw the orc's hand go to the hilt of his scimitar. 'Who are you and who do you think you are pushing,' said he. 'Am I in charge of the gate or not?' Sam tried the trick again. He snarled angrily and stepped out of the gate.

But the trick did not work so well a second time. The warder sprang after him and grabbed at his cloak. 'Closing time is [? by read past by?] half an hour,' he said, 'and you know that. No one but the Lord's messengers are allowed in or out, and you know that well enough. If I have any more trouble I shall report you to the Captain [struck out: of Morgul].' Sam prepared to give battle. He turned to face the warder gripping his hilt and swung round his shield. It was a red shield, and in the midst was painted a single black eye. The warder fell back nimbly. 'Your pardon,' he said, '0 Captain of Morgul. I did not recognize you.

I only did my duty as I thought.' Sam, guessing something of what had occurred, snarled again and waved his hand as if in dismissal and walked away down the path into the dusk. The warder stared after him shaking his head. He stood blocking the door so that Frodo could not pass.

Sam had now disappeared on the downward track, and still Frodo waited hoping for a chance to slip out without a fight, before the door was closed. Suddenly there was a loud boom.

Dong Dong Dong. A big bell was ringing in the Loathly Tower: the alarm was sounded. Frodo heard distant cries. Soon he could hear voices calling: 'Close the gates. Ear the door. Watch the walls. The Bearer has escaped from the Tower.'

The warder seized the door and began to close it. Feet came running. Frodo took the only chance. Stooping he seized the warder's legs and threw him down and sprang out. As he ran he heard loud shouts and oaths. 'But the Captain is lying dead and stripped in the Tower, I tell you,' he heard. 'Take that for a fool.

You have let the bearer escape. Take that for a fool.' There was a blow and a cry. Orcs came pouring out of the gate, and still the bell tolled.

Suddenly dark overhead a black shape appeared flying low out of the east: a great bird it seemed, like an eagle or more like a vulture. The orcs halted chattering shrilly: but Frodo did not wait. He guessed that some urgent message concerning himself had come from the Dark Tower.

Here the text in ink ends, but is followed by a few pencilled notes: Finds Sam

They escape - and as they are actually making towards Mordor this delays hunt which goes towards the Anduin North and West.

End of Chapter XXV.

Gorgoroth.

How Frodo came to the Fiery Mountain. See sketch (b) (c).

This last is a reference to the pages of the previous Plot, in this book pp. 208 - 9, from 'The Gap of Gorgoroth not far from Fire Mountain'

to 'hurls himself and Gollum into the gulf?'

All this story of the escape from Minas Morgul was developed from the brief words of the earlier Plot (p. 209):

Sam ... passes into Morgol and finds Frodo. Frodo feels hatred of Sam and sees him as an orc. But suddenly the orc speaks and holds out Ring and says: Take it. Then Frodo sees it is Sam. They creep out.... Sam dresses up like an orc.

There can be no doubt whatsoever that the text just given, beginning as an outline in the present tense and sliding almost imperceptibly into full narrative, was the actual emergence on paper of what ultimately became 'The Tower of Cirith Ungol' in The Return of the King (VI.1).

It was written very fast (though surprisingly legibly), with virtually no

'correction made on grounds of suitability of phrasing, and gives an impression of uninterrupted composition, perhaps even at one sitting.

Being written at this stage,(31) its relation to the ultimate form of the story in 'The Tower of Cirith Ungol' is much more remote than has been the case anywhere else, and although certain new elements (not present in the previous Plot) now enter and would be preserved -

notably Sam's song, instrumental in his discovery of where Frodo was

- the story would be radically refashioned in every point, in geography, in motives, in the structure of events, so as to become almost a new conception.

Some further development seems in fact to have taken place quite soon. Found with this text are some other papers, themselves all of the same time, but entirely distinct in appearance and mode of writing.