Властелин колец: Две башни
The White Rider
’Yes,togetherwewillfollowyou,’saidLegolas.’Butfirst,itwouldeasemyheart,Gandalf,tohearwhatbefellyouinMoria.Willyounottellus?Canyounotstayeventotellyourfriendshowyouweredelivered?’
’Ihavestayedalreadytoolong,’answeredGandalf.’Timeisshort.Butiftherewereayeartospend,Iwouldnottellyouall.’
’Thentelluswhatyouwill,andtimeallows!’saidGimli.’Come,Gandalf,tellushowyoufaredwiththeBalrog!’
’Namehimnot!’saidGandalf,andforamomentitseemedthatacloudofpainpassedoverhisface,andhesatsilent,lookingoldasdeath.’LongtimeIfell,’hesaidatlast,slowly,asifthinkingbackwithdifficulty.’LongIfell,andhefellwithme.Hisfirewasaboutme.Iwasburned.Thenweplungedintothedeepwaterandallwasdark.Colditwasasthetideofdeath:almostitfrozemyheart.’
’DeepistheabyssthatisspannedbyDurin’sBridge,andnonehasmeasuredit,’saidGimli.
’Yetithasabottom,beyondlightandknowledge,’saidGandalf.’ThitherIcameatlast,totheuttermostfoundationsofstone.Hewaswithmestill.Hisfirewasquenched,butnowhewasathingofslime,strongerthanastranglingsnake.
’Wefoughtfarunderthelivingearth,wheretimeisnotcounted.Everheclutchedme,andeverIhewedhim,tillatlasthefledintodarktunnels.TheywerenotmadebyDurin’sfolk,GimlisonofGlóin.Far,farbelowthedeepestdelvingoftheDwarves,theworldisgnawedbynamelessthings.EvenSauronknowsthemnot.
