Властелин колец: Две башни
Journey to the Cross-roads
Theymaybeofservicetothosewhowalkorclimbinthewild.ThemenoftheWhiteMountainsusethem;thoughthesehavebeencutdowntoyourheightandnewlyshod.Theyaremadeofthefairtreelebethron,belovedofthewoodwrightsofGondor,andavirtuehasbeensetuponthemoffindingandreturning.MaythatvirtuenotwhollyfailundertheShadowintowhichyougo!’
Thehobbitsbowedlow.`Mostgracioushost,’saidFrodo,’itwassaidtomebyElrondHalfelventhatIshouldfindfriendshipupontheway,secretandunlookedfor.CertainlyIlookedfornosuchfriendshipasyouhaveshown.Tohavefounditturnseviltogreatgood.’
Nowtheymadereadytodepart.Gollumwasbroughtoutofsomecornerorhiding-hole,andheseemedbetterpleasedwithhimselfthanhehadbeen,thoughhekeptclosetoFrodoandavoidedtheglanceofFaramir.
’Yourguidemustbeblindfolded,’saidFaramir,’butyouandyourservantSamwiseIreleasefromthis,ifyouwish.’
Gollumsquealed,andsquirmed,andclutchedatFrodo,whentheycametobindhiseyes;andFrodosaid:’Blindfoldusallthree,andcoverupmyeyesfirst,andthenperhapshewillseethatnoharmismeant.’Thiswasdone,andtheywereledfromthecaveofHennethAnnûn.Aftertheyhadpassedthepassagesandstairstheyfeltthecoolmorningair,freshandsweet,aboutthem.Stillblindtheywentonforsomelittletime,upandthengentlydown.AtlastthevoiceofFaramirorderedthemtobeuncovered.
Theystoodundertheboughsofthewoodsagain.
