Властелин колец: Две башни
The Stairs of Cirith Ungol
ThenturningfromthecityofMorgul,nownomorethanagreyglimmeracrossadarkgulf,hepreparedtotaketheupwardroad.
Gollum,itseemed,hadcrawledoffalongtheledgeintothedarknessbeyond,whenthegatesofMinasMorgulopened,leavingthehobbitswheretheylay.Henowcamecreepingback,histeethchatteringandhisfingerssnapping.`Foolish!Silly!’hehissed.`Makehaste!Theymustn’tthinkdangerhaspassed.Ithasn’t.Makehaste!’
Theydidnotanswer,buttheyfollowedhimontotheclimbingledge.Itwaslittletothelikingofeitherofthem,notevenafterfacingsomanyotherperils;butitdidnotlastlong.Soonthepathreachedaroundedanglewherethemountain-sideswelledoutagain,andthereitsuddenlyenteredanarrowopeningintherock.TheyhadcometothefirststairthatGollumhadspokenof.Thedarknesswasalmostcomplete,andtheycouldseenothingmuchbeyondtheirhands’stretch;butGollum’seyesshonepale,severalfeetabove,asheturnedbacktowardsthem.
`Careful!’hewhispered.`Steps.Lotsofsteps.Mustbecareful!’
Carewascertainlyneeded.FrodoandSamatfirstfelteasier,havingnowawalloneitherside,butthestairwaywasalmostassteepasaladder,andastheyclimbedupandup,theybecamemoreandmoreawareofthelongblackfallbehindthem.Andthestepswerenarrow,spacedunevenly,andoftentreacherous:theywerewornandsmoothattheedges,andsomewerebroken,andsomecrackedasfootwassetuponthem.
