return

the tower of cirith ungol 1189
Though here at journey’s end I lie
in darkness buried deep,
beyond all towers strong and high,
beyond all mountains steep,
above all shadows rides the Sun
and Stars for ever dwell:
I will not say the Day is done,
nor bid the Stars farewell.
‘Beyond all towers strong and high,’ he began again, and
then he stopped short. He thought that he had heard a faint
voice answering him. But now he could hear nothing. Yes,
he could hear something, but not a voice. Footsteps were
approaching. Now a door was being opened quietly in the
passage above; the hinges creaked. Sam crouched down
listening. The door closed with a dull thud; and then a snarling
orc-voice rang out.
‘Ho la! You up there, you dunghill rat! Stop your squeaking,
or I’ll come and deal with you. D’you hear?’
There was no answer.
‘All right,’ growled Snaga. ‘But I’ll come and have a look
at you all the same, and see what you’re up to.’
The hinges creaked again, and Sam, now peering over the
corner of the passage-threshold, saw a flicker of light in an
open doorway, and the dim shape of an orc coming out. He
seemed to be carrying a ladder. Suddenly the answer dawned
on Sam: the topmost chamber was reached by a trap-door in
the roof of the passage. Snaga thrust the ladder upwards,
steadied it, and then clambered out of sight. Sam heard a
bolt drawn back. Then he heard the hideous voice speaking
again.
‘You lie quiet, or you’ll pay for it! You’ve not got long to
live in peace, I guess; but if you don’t want the fun to begin
right now, keep your trap shut, see? There’s a reminder for
you!’ There was a sound like the crack of a whip.
At that rage blazed in Sam’s heart to a sudden fury. He
sprang up, ran, and went up the ladder like a cat. His head