Властелин колец: Две башни
Shelob’s Lair
`Hedoesn’tknowwhatweminds,doesheprecious?No,hedoesn’t.ButSméagolcanbearthings.Yes.He’sbeenthrough.Oyes,rightthrough.It’stheonlyway.’
`Andwhatmakesthesmell,Iwonder,’saidSam.`It’slike-well,Iwouldn’tliketosay.SomebeastlyholeoftheOrcs,I’llwarrant,withahundredyearsoftheirfilthinit.’
’Well,’saidFrodo,’Orcsorno,ifit’stheonlyway,wemusttakeit.’
Drawingadeepbreaththeypassedinside.Inafewstepstheywereinutterandimpenetrabledark.NotsincethelightlesspassagesofMoriahadFrodoorSamknownsuchdarkness,andifpossiblehereitwasdeeperanddenser.There,therewereairsmoving,andechoes,andasenseofspace.Heretheairwasstill,stagnant,heavy,andsoundfelldead.Theywalkedasitwereinablackvapourwroughtofveritabledarknessitselfthat,asitwasbreathed,broughtblindnessnotonlytotheeyesbuttothemind,sothateventhememoryofcoloursandofformsandofanylightfadedoutofthought.Nightalwayshadbeen,andalwayswouldbe,andnightwasall.
Butforawhiletheycouldstillfeel,andindeedthesensesoftheirfeetandfingersatfirstseemedsharpenedalmostpainfully.Thewallsfelt,totheirsurprise,smooth,andthefloor,saveforastepnowandagain,wasstraightandeven,goingeverupatthesamestiffslope.Thetunnelwashighandwide,sowidethat,thoughthehobbitswalkedabreast,onlytouchingtheside-wallswiththeiroutstretchedhands,theywereseparated,cutoffaloneinthedarkness.
