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the tower of cirith ungol 1191
Sam felt that he could sit like that in endless happiness;
but it was not allowed. It was not enough for him to find his
master, he had still to try and save him. He kissed Frodo’s
forehead. ‘Come! Wake up, Mr. Frodo!’ he said, trying to
sound as cheerful as he had when he drew back the curtains
at Bag End on a summer’s morning.
Frodo sighed and sat up. ‘Where are we? How did I get
here?’ he asked.
‘There’s no time for tales till we get somewhere else, Mr.
Frodo,’ said Sam. ‘But you’re in the top of that tower you
and me saw from away down by the tunnel before the orcs
got you. How long ago that was I don’t know. More than a
day, I guess.’
‘Only that?’ said Frodo. ‘It seems weeks. You must tell me
all about it, if we get a chance. Something hit me, didn’t it?
And I fell into darkness and foul dreams, and woke and found
that waking was worse. Orcs were all round me. I think they
had just been pouring some horrible burning drink down my
throat. My head grew clear, but I was aching and weary.
They stripped me of everything; and then two great brutes
came and questioned me, questioned me until I thought I
should go mad, standing over me, gloating, fingering their
knives. I’ll never forget their claws and eyes.’
‘You won’t, if you talk about them, Mr. Frodo,’ said Sam.
‘And if we don’t want to see them again, the sooner we get
going the better. Can you walk?’
‘Yes, I can walk,’ said Frodo, getting up slowly. ‘I am not
hurt, Sam. Only I feel very tired, and I’ve a pain here.’ He
put his hand to the back of his neck above his left shoulder.
He stood up, and it looked to Sam as if he was clothed in
flame: his naked skin was scarlet in the light of the lamp
above. Twice he paced across the floor.
‘That’s better!’ he said, his spirits rising a little. ‘I didn’t
dare to move when I was left alone, or one of the guards came.
Until the yelling and fighting began. The two big brutes: they
quarrelled, I think. Over me and my things. I lay here terrified.
And then all went deadly quiet, and that was worse.’