The Two Towers (The Lord of the Rings, Book 2) by J. R. R. Tolkien

Author:J. R. R. Tolkien
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Fantasy, epic, Fairy Tales; Folk Tales; Legends & Mythology, Classics, Dragons & Mythical Creatures, Humorous, General
Publisher: HarperCollins UK
Published: 2009-04-20T05:04:25+00:00

They turned their backs on the doors of Orthanc, and went down. The riders hailed the king with joy, and saluted Gandalf. The spell of Saruman was broken: they had seen him come at call, and crawl away, dismissed.

‘Well, that is done,’ said Gandalf. ‘Now I must find Treebeard and tell him how things have gone.’

‘He will have guessed, surely?’ said Merry. ‘Were they likely to end any other way?’

‘Not likely,’ answered Gandalf, ‘though they came to the balance of a hair. But I had reasons for trying; some merciful and some less so. First Saruman was shown that the power of his voice was waning. He cannot be both tyrant and counsellor. When the plot is ripe it remains no longer secret.

Yet he fell into the trap, and tried to deal with his victims piece-meal, while others listened. Then I gave him a last choice and a fair one: to renounce both Mordor and his private schemes, and make amends by helping us in our need. He knows our need, none better. Great service he could have rendered. But he has chosen to withhold it, and keep the power of Orthanc. He will not serve, only command. He lives now in terror of the shadow of Mordor, and yet he still dreams of riding the storm. Unhappy fool! He will be devoured, if the power of the East stretches out its arms to Isengard. We cannot destroy Orthanc from without, but Sauron – who knows what he can do?’

‘And what if Sauron does not conquer? What will you do to him?’ asked Pippin.

‘I? Nothing!’ said Gandalf. ‘I will do nothing to him. I do not wish for mastery. What will become of him? I cannot say. I grieve that so much that was good now festers in the tower. Still for us things have not gone badly. Strange are the turns of fortune! Often does hatred hurt itself! I guess that, even if we had entered in, we could have found few treasures in Orthanc more precious than the thing which Wormtongue threw down at us.’

A shrill shriek, suddenly cut off, came from an open window high above.

‘It seems that Saruman thinks so too,’ said Gandalf. ‘Let us leave them!’

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