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| Poems and Tales of Middle-Earth: |
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(illustration by Alan Lee) |
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The Lord of the Rings
Part II. The Two Towers
Quotes from Tolkien's Novel
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| Mordor: Borders. |
" 'I wonder,' said Frodo. 'It's my doom, I think, to go to that Shadow yonder,
so that a way will be found. But will good or evil show it to me? What hope we had was in speed. Delay plays into the
Enemy's hands - and here I am: delayed. Is it the will of the Dark Tower that steers us? All my choices have proved ill.
I should have left the Company long before [...] Every day that passes is a precious day lost. I am tired, Sam.
I don't know what is to be done.' "
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"Sometimes in the silence of that barren country they fancied that they heard faint
sounds behind them, a stone falling, or the imagined step of flapping feet on the rock. But if they halted and stood
still listening, they heard no more, nothing but the wind sighing over the edges of the stone - yet even that reminded
them of breath softly hissing through sharp teeth."
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"The smoky blur of the mountains in the East was lost in a deeper blackness that was already
reaching out westwards with long arms. There was a distant mutter of thunder borne on the rising breeze."
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"The hurrying darkness, now gathering great speed, rushed up from the East and
swallowed up the sky. There was a dry splitting crack of thunder right overhead. Searing lightning smote down into
the hills. Then came a blast of savage wind, and with it, mingling with its roar, there came a high shrill shriek.
The hobbits had heard just such a cry far away in the Marish as they fled form Hobbiton, and even there in the woods
of the Shire it had frozen their blood. Out here in the waste its terror was far greater: it pierced them with with cold blades
of horror and despair, stopping heart and breath."
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"Frodo drew himself up, and again Sam was startled by his words and the stern
voice. 'On the Precious? How dare you?' he said. 'Think!
One Ring to rule them all and in the Darkness bind them.
Would you commit your promise to that, Sméagol? It will hold you. But it is more treacherous than you are.
It will twist your words. Beware!' [...]
'No! not on it', said Frodo, looking down at him with stern pity. 'All you wish is to see it and
touch it, if you can, though you know it would drive you mad. Not on it. Swear by it, if you will.' "
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"A glint came into his [Gollum's] eyes, and Sam, catching the gleam in the
darkness, thought it far from pleasant."
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" 'Day is near,' he whispered, as if Day was something that might
overhear him and spring on him. 'Sméagol will stay here: I will stay here, and the Yellow Face won't see me.' "
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"Sam scratched his head. 'Must really be asleep,' he muttered. 'And if I was like
Gollum, he wouldn't wake up never again.' He restrained the thoughts of his sword and the rope that sprang to his mind,
and went and sat down by his master."
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" 'I don't know how long we shall take to - to finish,' said Frodo.'We were miserably
delayed in the hills. But Samwise Gamgee, my dear hobbit - indeed, Sam my dearest hobbit, friend of friends - I do not
think we need give thought to what comes after that. To do the job as you put it - what hope is there that we
ever shall? And if we do, who knows what will come of that? If the One goes into the Fire, and we are at hand? I ask you,
Sam, are we ever likely to need bread again? I think not. If we can nurse our limbs to bring us to Mount Doom, that is
all we can do. More than I can, I begin to feel.'
Sam nodded silently. He took his master's hand and bent over it. He did not kiss it, though
his tears fell on it."
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