towers

966 the two towers
came: Nazgûl uneasy. Spies feared on Stairs. Double vigilance.
Patrol to head of Stairs. I came at once.’
‘Bad business,’ said Gorbag. ‘See here – our Silent
Watchers were uneasy more than two days ago, that I know.
But my patrol wasn’t ordered out for another day, nor any
message sent to Lugbúrz either: owing to the Great Signal
going up, and the High Nazgûl going off to the war, and all
that. And then they couldn’t get Lugbúrz to pay attention for
a good while, I’m told.’
‘The Eye was busy elsewhere, I suppose,’ said Shagrat.
‘Big things going on away west, they say.’
‘I daresay,’ growled Gorbag. ‘But in the meantime enemies
have got up the Stairs. And what were you up to? You’re
supposed to keep watch, aren’t you, special orders or no?
What are you for?’
‘That’s enough! Don’t try and teach me my job. We were
awake all right. We knew there were funny things going on.’
‘Very funny!’
‘Yes, very funny: lights and shouting and all. But Shelob
was on the go. My lads saw her and her Sneak.’
‘Her Sneak? What’s that?’
‘You must have seen him: little thin black fellow; like a
spider himself, or perhaps more like a starved frog. He’s been
here before. Came out of Lugbúrz the first time, years ago,
and we had word from High Up to let him pass. He’s been
up the Stairs once or twice since then, but we’ve left him
alone: seems to have some understanding with Her Ladyship.
I suppose he’s no good to eat: she wouldn’t worry about
words from High Up. But a fine guard you keep in the valley:
he was up here a day before all this racket. Early last night
we saw him. Anyway my lads reported that Her Ladyship
was having some fun, and that seemed good enough for me,
until the message came. I thought her Sneak had brought her
a toy, or that you’d perhaps sent her a present, a prisoner of
war or something. I don’t interfere when she’s playing. Nothing
gets by Shelob when she’s on the hunt.’
‘Nothing, say you! Didn’t you use your eyes back there?