Властелин колец: Возвращение короля
Mount Doom
Theycouldnotfollowthisroadanylonger;foritwentoneastwardintothegreatShadow,buttheMountainnowloomedupontheirright,almostduesouth,andtheymustturntowardsit.Yetstillbeforeittherestretchedawideregionoffuming,barren,ash-riddenland.
"Water,water!"mutteredSam.Hehadstintedhimself,andinhisparchedmouthhistongueseemedthickandswollen;butforallhiscaretheynowhadverylittleleft,perhapshalfhisbottle,andmaybetherewerestilldaystogo.Allwouldlongagohavebeenspent,iftheyhadnotdaredtofollowtheorc-road.Foratlongintervalsonthathighwaycisternshadbeenbuiltfortheuseoftroopssentinhastethroughthewaterlessregions.InoneSamhadfoundsomewaterleft,stale,muddiedbytheorcs,butstillsufficientfortheirdesperatecase.Yetthatwasnowadayago.Therewasnohopeofanymore.
AtlastweariedwithhiscaresSamdrowsed,leavingthemorrowtillitcame;hecoulddonomore.Dreamandwakingmingleduneasily.Hesawlightslikegloatingyes,anddarkcreepingshapes,andheheardnoisesasofwildbeastsorthedreadfulcriesoftorturedthings;andhewouldstartuptofindtheworldalldarkandonlyemptyblacknessallabouthim.Onceonly,ashestoodandstaredwildlyround,diditseemthat,thoughnowawake,hecouldstillseepalelightslikeeyes;butsoontheyflickeredandvanished.
Thehatefulnightpassedslowlyandreluctantly.
