Rivendell_librarian
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- Aug 19, 2018
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Into the valley of death rode the 600, although this feels more like the first day of The Battle of the Somme which Tolkien knew something about. This is the last throw of the dice as Gandalf put it though I can't quite see Gandalf being the wizard who broke the bank at Edhellond - no sensible casino owner would let him near a gaming table anyway.
Aragorn tells Merry brusquely he's not well enough to go with the Middle Earth Expeditionary Force but (ever the optimist) adds that he need not worry as he might soon be staging his own doomed last stand if the MEEF is wiped out. Merry sadly watches them go with Beregond's son Bergil: will he see Pippin again? Bergil tries to cheer him up by stating confidence that they will return given they are led by the Lord Elfstone and his father is with them.
Osgiliath has been recovered and workers and craftsmen are making some hasty repairs. At the crossroads they stick to their council decision to head for the Black Gate rather than Minas Morgul so as not to alert the enemy to Frodo and Sam. As they progress trumpet are blown and first they cry "The Lords of Gondor are come" but Imrahil prefers "The King Elessar" signalling his fealty to Aragorn.
Scouts led by Mablung enable them to deal quickly with an orc ambush. The young men of the green pastures of Rohan and the meadows of Gondor find the marshes and wastelands too much to bear so Aragorn details them to retake the strategically important island of Cair Andros.
At last they draw up before the Black Gate issue a challenge and wait. Eventually the Black Gate opens and an embassy rides forth led by the Lieutenant of Tower of Barad-Dur, Mordor's own man with no name - only here he is the bad not the good. He is a renegade of the Black Numenoreans who worshipped Sauron in the Second Age. He is scornful of Aragorn and his "Elvish glass" but Aragorn acts as the strong silent type and Gandalf does the talking.
Sauron's messenger has a trump card in the form of Sam's sword, a cloak and elven-brooch and Frodo's mithril-mail!. Pippin leaps forward with a cry of grief and once again suffers the flat of Gandalf's tongue. But the Messenger's card is not that strong as he gives away that they only have one prisoner and he makes no mention of the Ring - conclusion Frodo is captured and James Bond Sam now has the Ring. Sauron's messenger then offers risible terms in exchange for their one hobbit prisoner: the east side of the Anduin to become part of Mordor and Rohan will become like Vichy France with guess who taking over a rebuilt Isengard.
Gandalf casts aside his cloak, reveals his whiteness and rejects the ridiculous terms The embassy rides back and hordes of Orcs and Easterlings pour forth and surround them with a few hill-trolls to make life interesting. A hill-troll knocks out Beregond but Pippin stabs upwards, the troll falls - but on Pippin. Passing out he thinks he hears that the eagles are coming - but is it just a dream?
According to Hammond and Scull this is March 25 whereas we left Sam locked outside the tower of Cirith Ungol on March 13. This chapter could have as a subtitle the mother of all cliff-hangers. In America, crowds waited at the dockside for the ship bearing the next instalment of The Old Curiosity Shop to find the answer to the question "Will Little Nell Live?" and here will little Pippin live - and practically every other of the good guys and gals.
Aragorn tells Merry brusquely he's not well enough to go with the Middle Earth Expeditionary Force but (ever the optimist) adds that he need not worry as he might soon be staging his own doomed last stand if the MEEF is wiped out. Merry sadly watches them go with Beregond's son Bergil: will he see Pippin again? Bergil tries to cheer him up by stating confidence that they will return given they are led by the Lord Elfstone and his father is with them.
Osgiliath has been recovered and workers and craftsmen are making some hasty repairs. At the crossroads they stick to their council decision to head for the Black Gate rather than Minas Morgul so as not to alert the enemy to Frodo and Sam. As they progress trumpet are blown and first they cry "The Lords of Gondor are come" but Imrahil prefers "The King Elessar" signalling his fealty to Aragorn.
Scouts led by Mablung enable them to deal quickly with an orc ambush. The young men of the green pastures of Rohan and the meadows of Gondor find the marshes and wastelands too much to bear so Aragorn details them to retake the strategically important island of Cair Andros.
At last they draw up before the Black Gate issue a challenge and wait. Eventually the Black Gate opens and an embassy rides forth led by the Lieutenant of Tower of Barad-Dur, Mordor's own man with no name - only here he is the bad not the good. He is a renegade of the Black Numenoreans who worshipped Sauron in the Second Age. He is scornful of Aragorn and his "Elvish glass" but Aragorn acts as the strong silent type and Gandalf does the talking.
Sauron's messenger has a trump card in the form of Sam's sword, a cloak and elven-brooch and Frodo's mithril-mail!. Pippin leaps forward with a cry of grief and once again suffers the flat of Gandalf's tongue. But the Messenger's card is not that strong as he gives away that they only have one prisoner and he makes no mention of the Ring - conclusion Frodo is captured and James Bond Sam now has the Ring. Sauron's messenger then offers risible terms in exchange for their one hobbit prisoner: the east side of the Anduin to become part of Mordor and Rohan will become like Vichy France with guess who taking over a rebuilt Isengard.
Gandalf casts aside his cloak, reveals his whiteness and rejects the ridiculous terms The embassy rides back and hordes of Orcs and Easterlings pour forth and surround them with a few hill-trolls to make life interesting. A hill-troll knocks out Beregond but Pippin stabs upwards, the troll falls - but on Pippin. Passing out he thinks he hears that the eagles are coming - but is it just a dream?
According to Hammond and Scull this is March 25 whereas we left Sam locked outside the tower of Cirith Ungol on March 13. This chapter could have as a subtitle the mother of all cliff-hangers. In America, crowds waited at the dockside for the ship bearing the next instalment of The Old Curiosity Shop to find the answer to the question "Will Little Nell Live?" and here will little Pippin live - and practically every other of the good guys and gals.
