The Two Towers: Being the Second Part of the Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien

Author:J. R. R. Tolkien
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9780547928203
Publisher: Mariner Books
Published: 2012-09-18T05:00:00+00:00

They came now to the foot of Orthanc. It was black, and the rock gleamed as if it were wet. The many faces of the stone had sharp edges as though they had been newly chiselled. A few scorings, and small flake-like splinters near the base, were all the marks that it bore of the fury of the Ents.

On the eastern side, in the angle of two piers, there was a great door, high above the ground; and over it was a shuttered window, opening upon a balcony hedged with iron bars. Up to the threshold of the door there mounted a flight of twenty-seven broad stairs, hewn by some unknown art of the same black stone. This was the only entrance to the tower; but many tall windows were cut with deep embrasures in the climbing walls: far up they peered like little eyes in the sheer faces of the horns.

At the foot of the stairs Gandalf and the king dismounted. ‘I will go up,’ said Gandalf. ‘I have been in Orthanc and I know my peril.’

‘And I too will go up,’ said the king. ‘I am old, and fear no peril any more. I wish to speak with the enemy who has done me so much wrong. Éomer shall come with me, and see that my aged feet do not falter.’

‘As you will,’ said Gandalf. ‘Aragorn shall come with me. Let the others await us at the foot of the stairs. They will hear and see enough, if there is anything to hear or see.’

‘Nay!’ said Gimli. ‘Legolas and I wish for a closer view. We alone here represent our kindreds. We also will come behind.’

‘Come then!’ said Gandalf, and with that he climbed the steps, and Théoden went beside him.

The Riders of Rohan sat uneasily upon their horses, on either side of the stair, and looked up darkly at the great tower, fearing what might befall their lord. Merry and Pippin sat on the bottom step, feeling both unimportant and unsafe.

‘Half a sticky mile from here to the gate!’ muttered Pippin. ‘I wish I could slip off back to the guardroom unnoticed! What did we come for? We are not wanted.’

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