towers

902 the two towers
not harm.’ He cut the cords on Gollum’s wrists and ankles
and raised him to his feet.
‘Come hither!’ said Faramir. ‘Look at me! Do you know
the name of this place? Have you been here before?’
Slowly Gollum raised his eyes and looked unwillingly into
Faramir’s. All light went out of them, and they stared bleak
and pale for a moment into the clear unwavering eyes of the
man of Gondor. There was a still silence. Then Gollum
dropped his head and shrank down, until he was squatting
on the floor, shivering. ‘We doesn’t know and we doesn’t
want to know,’ he whimpered. ‘Never came here; never come
again.’
‘There are locked doors and closed windows in your mind,
and dark rooms behind them,’ said Faramir. ‘But in this I
judge that you speak the truth. It is well for you. What oath
will you swear never to return; and never to lead any living
creature hither by word or sign?’
‘Master knows,’ said Gollum with a sidelong glance at
Frodo. ‘Yes, he knows. We will promise Master, if he saves
us. We’ll promise to It, yes.’ He crawled to Frodo’s feet. ‘Save
us, nice Master!’ he whined. ‘Sméagol promises to Precious,
promises faithfully. Never come again, never speak, no never!
No, precious, no!’
‘Are you satisfied?’ said Faramir.
‘Yes,’ said Frodo. ‘At least, you must either accept this
promise or carry out your law. You will get no more. But I
promised that if he came to me, he should not be harmed.
And I would not be proved faithless.’
Faramir sat for a moment in thought. ‘Very good,’ he said
at last. ‘I surrender you to your master, to Frodo son of
Drogo. Let him declare what he will do with you!’
‘But, Lord Faramir,’ said Frodo bowing, ‘you have not yet
declared your will concerning the said Frodo, and until that
is made known, he cannot shape his plans for himself or
his companions. Your judgement was postponed until the
morning; but that is now at hand.’