towers

Chapter 10
THE VOICE OF SARUMAN
They passed through the ruined tunnel and stood upon a
heap of stones, gazing at the dark rock of Orthanc, and its
many windows, a menace still in the desolation that lay all
about it. The waters had now nearly all subsided. Here and
there gloomy pools remained, covered with scum and wreckage;
but most of the wide circle was bare again, a wilderness
of slime and tumbled rock, pitted with blackened holes, and
dotted with posts and pillars leaning drunkenly this way and
that. At the rim of the shattered bowl there lay vast mounds
and slopes, like the shingles cast up by a great storm; and
beyond them the green and tangled valley ran up into the
long ravine between the dark arms of the mountains. Across
the waste they saw riders picking their way; they were coming
from the north side, and already they were drawing near to
Orthanc.
‘There is Gandalf, and Théoden and his men!’ said Legolas.
‘Let us go and meet them!’
‘Walk warily!’ said Merry. ‘There are loose slabs that may
tilt up and throw you down into a pit, if you don’t take care.’
They followed what was left of the road from the gates to
Orthanc, going slowly, for the flag-stones were cracked and
slimed. The riders, seeing them approach, halted under the
shadow of the rock and waited for them. Gandalf rode forward
to meet them.
‘Well, Treebeard and I have had some interesting discussions,
and made a few plans,’ he said; ‘and we have all
had some much-needed rest. Now we must be going on
again. I hope you companions have all rested, too, and
refreshed yourselves?’