Властелин колец: Братство кольца
At the Sign of the Prancing Pony
‘Wellanswered!’saidStriderlaughing.‘Buttheexplanationissimple:IwaslookingforaHobbitcalledFrodoBaggins.Iwantedtofindhimquickly.IhadlearnedthathewascarryingoutoftheShire,well,asecretthatconcernedmeandmyfriends.
‘Now,don’tmistakeme!’hecried,asFrodorosefromhisseat,andSamjumpedupwithascowl.‘Ishalltakemorecareofthesecretthanyoudo.Andcareisneeded!’Heleanedforwardandlookedatthem.‘Watcheveryshadow!’hesaidinalowvoice.‘BlackhorsemenhavepassedthroughBree.
OnMondayonecamedowntheGreenway,theysay;andanotherappearedlater,cominguptheGreenwayfromthesouth.’
Therewasasilence.AtlastFrodospoketoPippinandSam:‘Ioughttohaveguesseditfromthewaythegatekeepergreetedus,’hesaid.‘Andthelandlordseemstohaveheardsomething.Whydidhepressustojointhecompany?Andwhyonearthdidwebehavesofoolishly:weoughttohavestayedquietinhere.’
‘Itwouldhavebeenbetter,’saidStrider.‘Iwouldhavestoppedyourgoingintothecommon-room,ifIcould;buttheinnkeeperwouldnotletmeintoseeyou,ortakeamessage.’
‘Doyouthinkhe——’beganFrodo.
‘No,Idon’tthinkanyharmofoldButterbur.Onlyhedoesnotaltogetherlikemysteriousvagabondsofmysort.’Frodogavehimapuzzledlook.‘Well,Ihaveratherarascallylook,haveInot?’saidStriderwithacurlofhislipandaqueergleaminhiseye.‘ButIhopeweshallgettoknowoneanotherbetter.
