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.Indeed the wholesurface of the plains of Gorgoroth was pocked with great holes, as if, whileit was still a waste of soft mud, it had been smitten with a shower of boltsand huge slingstones.The largest of these holes were rimmed with ridges ofbroken rock, and broad fissures ran out from them in all directions.It wasa land in which it would be possible to creep from hiding to hiding, unseenby all but the most watchful eyes: possible at least for one who was strongand had no need for speed.For the hungry and worn, who had far to go beforelife failed, it had an evil look.Thinking of all these things Sam went back to his master.He had noneed to rouse him.Frodo was lying on his back with eyes open, staring atthe cloudy sky.'Well, Mr.Frodo,' said Sam, 'I've been having a look roundand thinking a bit.There's nothing on the roads, and we'd best be gettingaway while there's a chance.Can you manage it?''I can manage it,' said Frodo.'I must.'Once more they started, crawling from hollow to hollow, flitting behindsuch cover as they could find, but moving always in a slant towards thefoothills of the northern range.But as they went the most easterly of theroads followed them, until it ran off, hugging the skirts of the mountains,away into a wall of black shadow far ahead.Neither man nor orc now movedalong its flat grey stretches; for the Dark Lord had almost completed themovement of his forces, and even in the fastness of his own realm he soughtthe secrecy of night, fearing the winds of the world that had turned againsthim, tearing aside his veils, and troubled with tidings of bold spies thathad passed through his fences.The hobbits had gone a few weary miles when they halted.Frodo seemednearly spent.Sam saw that he could not go much further in this fashion,crawling, stooping, now picking a doubtful way very slowly, now hurrying ata stumbling run.'I'm going back on to the road while the light lasts, Mr.Frodo,' hesaid.'Trust to luck again! It nearly failed us last time, but it didn'tquite.A steady pace for a few more miles, and then a rest.'He was taking a far greater risk than he knew; but Frodo was too muchoccupied with his burden and with the struggle in his mind to debate, andalmost too hopeless to care.They climbed on to the causeway and trudgedalong, down the hard cruel road that led to the Dark Tower itself.But theirluck held, and for the rest of that day they met no living or moving thing;and when night fell they vanished into the darkness of Mordor.All the landnow brooded as at the coming of a great storm: for the Captains of the Westhad passed the Cross-roads and set flames in the deadly fields of ImladMorgul.So the desperate journey went on, as the Ring went south and thebanners of the kings rode north.For the hobbits each day, each mile.wasmore bitter than the one before, as their strength lessened and the landbecame more evil.They met no enemies by day.At times by night, as theycowered or drowsed uneasily in some hiding beside the road, they heard criesand the noise of many feet or the swift passing of some cruelly riddensteed.But far worse than all such perils was the ever-approaching threatthat beat upon them as they went: the dreadful menace of the Power thatwaited, brooding in deep thought and sleepless malice behind the dark veilabout its Throne.Nearer and nearer it drew, looming blacker, like theoncoming of a wall of night at the last end of the world.There came at last a dreadful nightfall; and even as the Captains ofthe West drew near to the end of the living lands, the two wanderers came toan hour of blank despair.Four days had passed since they had escaped fromthe orcs, but the time lay behind them like an ever-darkening dream.Allthis last day Frodo had not spoken, but had walked half-bowed, oftenstumbling, as if his eyes no longer saw the way before his feet.Sam guessedthat among all their pains he bore the worst, the growing weight of theRing, a burden on the body and a torment to his mind.Anxiously Sam hadnoted how his master's left hand would often be raised as if to ward on ablow, or to screen his shrinking eyes from a dreadful Eye that sought tolook in them.And sometimes his right hand would creep to his breast,clutching, and then slowly, as the will recovered mastery, it would bewithdrawn.Now as the blackness of night returned Frodo sat, his head between hisknees, his arms hanging wearily to the ground where his hands lay feeblytwitching.Sam watched him, till night covered them both and hid them fromone another.He could no longer find any words to say; and he turned to hisown dark thoughts.As for himself, though weary and under a shadow of fear,he still had some strength left.The lembas had a virtue without which theywould long ago have lain down to die.It did not satisfy desire, and attimes Sam's mind was filled with the memories of food, and the longing forsimple bread and meats.And yet this waybread of the Elves had a potencythat increased as travellers relied on it alone and did not mingle it withother foods.It fed the will, and it gave strength to endure, and to mastersinew and limb beyond the measure of mortal kind.But now a new decisionmust be made.They could not follow this road any longer; for it went oneastward into the great Shadow, but the Mountain now loomed upon theirright, almost due south, and they must turn towards it.Yet still before itthere stretched a wide region of fuming, barren, ash-ridden land.'Water, water!' muttered Sam.He had stinted himself, and in hisparched mouth his tongue seemed thick and swollen; but for all his care theynow had very little left, perhaps half his bottle, and maybe there werestill days to go.All would long ago have been spent, if they had not daredto follow the orc-road.For at long intervals on that highway cisterns hadbeen built for the use of troops sent in haste through the waterlessregions.In one Sam had found some water left, stale, muddied by the orcs,but still sufficient for their desperate case.Yet that was now a day ago.There was no hope of any more.At last wearied with his cares Sam drowsed, leaving the morrow till itcame; he could do no more.Dream and waking mingled uneasily.He sawlightslike gloating yes, and dark creeping shapes, and he heard noises as of wildbeasts or the dreadful cries of tortured things; and he would start up tofind the world all dark and only empty blackness all about him.Once only,as he stood and stared wildly round, did it seem that, though now awake, hecould still see pale lights like eyes; but soon they flickered and vanished.The hateful night passed slowly and reluctantly.Such daylight asfollowed was dim; for here as the Mountain drew near the air was ever mirky,while out from the Dark Tower there crept the veils of Shadow that Sauronwove about himself.Frodo was lying on his back not moving.Sam stoodbesidehim, reluctant to speak, and yet knowing that the word now lay with him: hemust set his master's will to work for another effort.At length, stoopingand caressing Frodo's brow, he spoke in his ear.'Wake up, Master!' he said.'Time for another start [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]