Властелин колец: Две башни

           Therewasthesoundofgallopinghorses.TheRidersweredrawingintheirringcloseroundtheknoll,riskingtheorc-arrows,soastopreventanysortie,whileacompanyrodeofftodealwiththenewcomers.SuddenlyMerryandPippinrealizedthatwithoutmovingtheywerenowoutsidethecircle:therewasnothingbetweenthemandescape.

           ’Now,’saidMerry,’ifonlywehadourlegsandhandsfree,wemightgetaway.ButIcan’ttouchtheknots,andIcan’tbitethem.’

           ’Noneedtotry,’saidPippin.’Iwasgoingtotellyou:I’vemanagedtofreemyhands.Theseloopsareonlyleftforshow.You’dbetterhaveabitoflembasfirst.’

           Heslippedthecordsoffhiswrists,andfishedoutapacket.Thecakeswerebroken,butgood,stillintheirleaf-wrappings.Thehobbitseachatetwoorthreepieces.Thetastebroughtbacktothemthememoryoffairfaces,andlaughter,andwholesomefoodinquietdaysnowfaraway.Forawhiletheyatethoughtfully,sittinginthedark,heedlessofthecriesandsoundsofbattlenearby.Pippinwasthefirsttocomebacktothepresent.

           ’Wemustbeoff,’hesaid.’Halfamoment!’Grishnákh’sswordwaslyingcloseathand,butitwastooheavyandclumsyforhimtouse;sohecrawledforward,andfindingthebodyofthegoblinhedrewfromitssheathalongsharpknife.Withthishequicklycuttheirbonds.

           ’Nowforit!’hesaid.’Whenwe’vewarmedupabit,perhapsweshallbeabletostandagain,andwalk.Butinanycasewehadbetterstartbycrawling.’

           Theycrawled.