towers

968 the two towers
mischief. The big fellow with the sharp sword doesn’t seem
to have thought him worth much anyhow – just left him lying:
regular Elvish trick.’
‘We’ll see. Come on now! We’ve talked enough. Let’s go
and have a look at the prisoner!’
‘What are you going to do with him? Don’t forget I spotted
him first. If there’s any game, me and my lads must be in it.’
‘Now, now,’ growled Shagrat, ‘I have my orders. And it’s
more than my belly’s worth, or yours, to break ’em. Any
trespasser found by the guard is to be held at the tower.
Prisoner is to be stripped. Full description of every article,
garment, weapon, letter, ring, or trinket is to be sent to
Lugbúrz at once, and to Lugbúrz only. And the prisoner is
to be kept safe and intact, under pain of death for every
member of the guard, until He sends or comes Himself.
That’s plain enough, and that’s what I’m going to do.’
‘Stripped, eh?’ said Gorbag. ‘What, teeth, nails, hair, and
all?’
‘No, none of that. He’s for Lugbúrz, I tell you. He’s wanted
safe and whole.’
‘You’ll find that difficult,’ laughed Gorbag. ‘He’s nothing
but carrion now. What Lugbúrz will do with such stuff I
can’t guess. He might as well go in the pot.’
‘You fool,’ snarled Shagrat. ‘You’ve been talking very
clever, but there’s a lot you don’t know, though most other
folk do. You’ll be for the pot or for Shelob, if you don’t take
care. Carrion! Is that all you know of Her Ladyship? When
she binds with cords, she’s after meat. She doesn’t eat dead
meat, nor suck cold blood. This fellow isn’t dead!’
Sam reeled, clutching at the stone. He felt as if the whole
dark world was turning upside down. So great was the shock
that he almost swooned, but even as he fought to keep a hold
on his senses, deep inside him he was aware of the comment:
‘You fool, he isn’t dead, and your heart knew it. Don’t trust
your head, Samwise, it is not the best part of you. The trouble
with you is that you never really had any hope. Now what is