Властелин колец: Две башни
The Voice of Saruman
’Iwilltakecareofthis,’hesaid.’Itisnotathing,Iguess,thatSarumanwouldhavechosentocastaway.’
’Buthemayhaveotherthingstocast,’saidGimli.’Ifthatistheendofthedebate,letusgooutofstone’sthrow,atleast!’
’Itistheend,’saidGandalf.’Letusgo.’
TheyturnedtheirbacksonthedoorsofOrthanc,andwentdown.Theridershailedthekingwithjoy,andsalutedGandalf.ThespellofSarumanwasbroken:theyhadseenhimcomeatcall,andcrawlaway,dismissed.
’Well,thatisdone,’saidGandalf.’NowImustfindTreebeardandtellhimhowthingshavegone.’
’Hewillhaveguessed,surely?’saidMerry.’Weretheylikelytoendanyotherway?’
’Notlikely,’answeredGandalf,’thoughtheycametothebalanceofahair.ButIhadreasonsfortrying;somemercifulandsomelessso.FirstSarumanwasshownthatthepowerofhisvoicewaswaning.Hecannotbebothtyrantandcounsellor.Whentheplotisripeitremainsnolongersecret.Yethefellintothetrap,andtriedtodealwithhisvictimspiece-meal,whileotherslistened.ThenIgavehimalastchoiceandafairone:torenouncebothMordorandhisprivateschemes,andmakeamendsbyhelpingusinourneed.Heknowsourneed,nonebetter.Greatservicehecouldhaverendered.Buthehaschosentowithholdit,andkeepthepowerofOrthanc.Hewillnotserve,onlycommand.HelivesnowinterroroftheshadowofMordor,andyethestilldreamsofridingthestorm.
