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.When they came to the northernmost corner of the lake they found anarrow creek that barred their way.It was green and stagnant, thrust outlike a slimy arm towards the enclosing hills.Gimli strode forwardundeterred, and found that the water was shallow, no more than ankle-deep atthe edge.Behind him they walked in file, threading their way with care, forunder the weedy pools were sliding and greasy stones, and footing wastreacherous.Frodo shuddered with disgust at the touch of the dark uncleanwater on his feet.As Sam, the last of the Company, led Bill up on to the dry ground onthe far side, there came a soft sound: a swish, followed by a plop, as if afish had disturbed the still surface of the water.Turning quickly they sawripples, black-edged with shadow in the waning light: great rings werewidening outwards from a point far out in the lake.There was a bubblingnoise, and then silence.The dusk deepened, and the last gleams of thesunset were veiled in cloud.Gandalf now pressed on at a great pace, and the others followed asquickly as they could.They reached the strip of dry land between the lakeand the cliffs: it was narrow, often hardly a dozen yards across, andencumbered with fallen rock and stones; but they found a way, hugging thecliff, and keeping as far from the dark water as they might.A milesouthwards along the shore they came upon holly trees.Stumps and deadboughs were rotting in the shallows, the remains it seemed of old thickets,or of a hedge that had once lined the road across the drowned valley.Butclose under the cliff there stood, still strong and living,.two talltrees, larger than any trees of holly that Frodo had ever seen or imagined.Their great roots spread from the wall to the water.Under the loomingcliffs they had looked like mere bushes, when seen far off from the top ofthe Stair; but now they towered overhead, stiff, dark, and silent, throwingdeep night-shadows about their feet, standing like sentinel pillars at theend of the road.`Well, here we are at last! ' said Gandalf.'Here the Elven-way fromHollin ended.Holly was the token of the people of that land, and theyplanted it here to mark the end of their domain; for the West-door was madechiefly for their use in their traffic with the Lords of Moria.Those werehappier days, when there was still close friendship at times between folk ofdifferent race, even between Dwarves and Elves.''It was not the fault of the Dwarves that the friendship waned,' saidGimli.'I have not heard that it was the fault of the Elves,' said Legolas.'I have heard both,' said Gandalf; 'and I will not give judgement now.But I beg you two, Legolas and Gimli, at least to be friends, and to helpme.I need you both.The doors are shut and hidden, and the sooner we findthem the better.Night is at hand! 'Turning to the others he said: 'While I am searching, will you eachmake ready to enter the Mines? For here I fear we must say farewell to ourgood beast of burden.You must lay aside much of the stuff that we broughtagainst bitter weather: you will not need it inside, nor, I hope, when wecome through and journey on down into the South.Instead each of us musttake a share of what the pony carried, especially the food and thewater-skins.''But you can't leave poor old Bill behind in this forsaken place, Mr.Gandalf! ' cried Sam, angry and distressed.`I won't have it, and that'sflat.After he has come so far and all! ''I am sorry, Sam,' said the wizard.`But when the Door opens I do notthink you will be able to drag your Bill inside, into the long dark ofMoria.You will have to choose between Bill and your master.''He'd follow Mr.Frodo into a dragon's den, if I led him,' protestedSam.`It'd be nothing short of murder to turn him loose with all thesewolves about.''It will be short of murder, I hope,' said Gandalf.He laid his hand onthe pony's head, and spoke in a low voice.`Go with words of guard andguiding on you,' he said.`You are a wise beast, and have learned much inRivendell.Make your ways to places where you can find grass, and so come intime to Elrond's house, or wherever you wish to go.`There, Sam! He will have quite as much chance of escaping wolves andgetting home as we have.'Sam stood sullenly by the pony and returned no answer.Bill, seeming tounderstand well what was going on, nuzzled up to him, putting his nose toSam's ear.Sam burst into tears, and fumbled with the straps, unlading allthe pony's packs and throwing them on the ground.The others sorted out thegoods, making a pile of all that could be left behind, and dividing up therest.When this was done they turned to watch Gandalf.He appeared to havedone nothing.He was standing between the two trees gazing at the blank wallof the cliff, as if he would bore a hole into it with his eyes.Gimli waswandering about, tapping the stone here and there with his axe.Legolas waspressed against the rock, as if listening.'Well, here we are and all ready,' said Merry; `but where are theDoors? I can't see any sign of them.''Dwarf-doors are not made to be seen when shut,' said Gimli.`They areinvisible, and their own masters cannot find them or open them, if theirsecret is forgotten.''But this Door was not made to be a secret known only to Dwarves,' saidGandalf, coming suddenly to life and turning round.`Unless things arealtogether changed, eyes that know what to look for may discover the signs.'He walked forward to the wall.Right between the shadow of the treesthere was a smooth space, and over this he passed his hands to and fro,muttering words under his breath.Then he stepped back.'Look!' he said.`Can you see anything now?'The Moon now shone upon the grey face of the rock; but they could seenothing else for a while.Then slowly on the surface, where the wizard'shands had passed, faint lines appeared, like slender veins of silver runningin the stone.At first they were no more than pale gossamer-threads, so finethat they only twinkled fitfully where the Moon caught them, but steadilythey grew broader and clearer, until their design could be guessed.At the top, as high as Gandalf could reach, was an arch of interlacingletters in an Elvish character.Below, though the threads were in placesblurred or broken, the outline could be seen of an anvil and a hammersurmounted by a crown with seven stars.Beneath these again were two trees,each bearing crescent moons.More clearly than all else there shone forth inthe middle of the door a single star with many rays.`There are the emblems of Durin!' cried Gimli.`And there is the Tree of the High Elves!' said Legolas.`And the Star of the House of Flanor,' said Gandalf.`They are wroughtof ithildin that mirrors only starlight and moonlight, and sleeps until itis touched by one who speaks words now long forgotten in Middle-earth.It islong since I heard them, and I thought deeply before I could recall them tomy mind.''What does the writing say?' asked Frodo, who was trying to decipherthe inscription on the arch.'I thought I knew the elf-letters but I cannotread these.'`The words are in the elven-tongue of the West of Middle-earth in theElder Days,' answered Gandalf [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]