return

1186 the return of the king
a yelp darted back into the turret and disappeared. Then
Shagrat halted. Out of the eastward door Sam could see
him now by the parapet, panting, his left claw clenching
and unclenching feebly. He put the bundle on the floor and
with his right claw drew out a long red knife and spat on it.
Going to the parapet he leaned over, looking down into the
outer court far below. Twice he shouted but no answer
came.
Suddenly, as Shagrat was stooped over the battlement, his
back to the roof-top, Sam to his amazement saw that one of
the sprawling bodies was moving. It was crawling. It put out
a claw and clutched the bundle. It staggered up. In its other
hand it held a broad-headed spear with a short broken haft.
It was poised for a stabbing thrust. But at that very moment
a hiss escaped its teeth, a gasp of pain or hate. Quick as a
snake Shagrat slipped aside, twisted round, and drove his
knife into his enemy’s throat.
‘Got you, Gorbag!’ he cried. ‘Not quite dead, eh? Well, I’ll
finish my job now.’ He sprang on to the fallen body, and
stamped and trampled it in his fury, stooping now and again
to stab and slash it with his knife. Satisfied at last, he threw
back his head and let out a horrible gurgling yell of triumph.
Then he licked his knife, and put it between his teeth, and
catching up the bundle he came loping towards the near door
of the stairs.
Sam had no time to think. He might have slipped out of
the other door, but hardly without being seen; and he could
not have played hide-and-seek with this hideous orc for long.
He did what was probably the best thing he could have done.
He sprang out to meet Shagrat with a shout. He was no
longer holding the Ring, but it was there, a hidden power, a
cowing menace to the slaves of Mordor; and in his hand was
Sting, and its light smote the eyes of the orc like the glitter of
cruel stars in the terrible elf-countries, the dream of which
was a cold fear to all his kind. And Shagrat could not both
fight and keep hold of his treasure. He stopped, growling,
baring his fangs. Then once more, orc-fashion, he leapt aside,