Властелин колец: Две башни
The King of the Golden Hall
’Verily,’saidGandalf,nowinaloudvoice,keenandclear,’thatwayliesourhope,wheresitsourgreatestfear.Doomhangsstillonathread.Yethopethereisstill,ifwecanbutstandunconqueredforalittlewhile.’
Theotherstoonowturnedtheireyeseastward.Overthesunderingleaguesofland,farawaytheygazedtotheedgeofsight,andhopeandfearboretheirthoughtsstillon,beyonddarkmountainstotheLandofShadow.WherenowwastheRing-bearer?Howthinindeedwasthethreaduponwhichdoomstillhung!ItseemedtoLegolas,ashestrainedhisfarseeingeyes,thathecaughtaglintofwhite:farawayperchancethesuntwinkledonapinnacleoftheTowerofGuard.Andfurtherstill,endlesslyremoteandyetapresentthreat,therewasatinytongueofflame.
SlowlyThéodensatdownagain,asifwearinessstillstruggledtomasterhimagainstthewillofGandalf.Heturnedandlookedathisgreathouse.’Alas!’hesaid,’thattheseevildaysshouldbemine,andshouldcomeinmyoldageinsteadofthatpeacewhichIhaveearned.AlasforBoromirthebrave!Theyoungperishandtheoldlinger,withering.’Heclutchedhiskneeswithhiswrinkledhands.
’Yourfingerswouldremembertheiroldstrengthbetter,iftheygraspedasword-hilt,’saidGandalf.
Théodenroseandputhishandtohisside;butnoswordhungathisbelt.’WherehasGrímastowedit?’hemutteredunderhisbreath.
’Takethis,dearlord!’saidaclearvoice.’Itwaseveratyourservice.’
