As they thrust forward they felt things brush against their heads, or against their hands, long tentacles, or hanging growths perhaps: they could not tell what they were. But how long was it, how much more of this would they have to endure, or could they endure? The breathlessness of the air was growing as they climbed and now they seemed often in the blind dark to sense some resistance thicker than the foul air. 'It's as orc-like a place as ever there could be!'Īfter that, first he on the right, and then Frodo on the left, passed three or four such openings, some wider, some smaller but there was as yet no doubt of the main way, for it was straight, and did not turn, and still went steadily up. 'There's more than one passage here,' he whispered with an effort: it seemed hard to make his breath give any sound. But after a time their senses became duller, both touch and hearing seemed to grow numb, and they kept on, groping, walking, on and on, mainly by the force of the will with which they had entered, will to go through and desire to come at last to the high gate beyond.īefore they had gone very far, perhaps, but time and distance soon passed out of his reckoning, Sam on the right, feeling the wall, was aware that there was an opening at the side: for a moment he caught a faint breath of some air less heavy, and then they passed it by. While they were still able to give heed to such things, they could hear his breath hissing and gasping just in front of them. Gollum had gone in first and seemed to be only a few steps ahead. The tunnel was high and wide, so wide that, though the hobbits walked abreast, only touching the side-walls with their outstretched hands, they were separated, cut off alone in the darkness. The walls felt, to their surprise, smooth, and the floor, save for a step now and again, was straight and even, going ever up at the same stiff slope. Night always had been, and always would be, and night was all.īut for a while they could still feel, and indeed the senses of their feet and fingers at first seemed sharpened almost painfully. They walked as it were in a black vapour wrought of veritable darkness itself that, as it was breathed, brought blindness not only to the eyes but to the mind, so that even the memory of colours and of forms and of any light faded out of thought. Here the air was still, stagnant, heavy, and sound fell dead. There, there were airs moving, and echoes, and a sense of space. Not since the lightless passages of Moria had Frodo or Sam known such darkness, and if possible here it was deeper and denser. In a few steps they were in utter and impenetrable dark. 'Well,' said Frodo, 'Orcs or no, if it's the only way, we must take it.'ĭrawing a deep breath they passed inside. Some beastly hole of the Orcs, I'll warrant, with a hundred years of their filth in it.' 'It's like �C well, I wouldn't like to say. 'And what makes the smell, I wonder,' said Sam. 'He doesn't know what we minds, does he precious? No, he doesn't. 'Phew! But perhaps you don't mind bad smells.' 'D'you mean to say you've been through this hole?' said Sam.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |