return

1196 the return of the king
live like other living creatures. Foul waters and foul meats
they’ll take, if they can get no better, but not poison. They’ve
fed me, and so I’m better off than you. There must be food
and water somewhere in this place.’
‘But there’s no time to look for them,’ said Sam.
‘Well, things are a bit better than you think,’ said Frodo. ‘I
have had a bit of luck while you were away. Indeed they did
not take everything. I’ve found my food-bag among some
rags on the floor. They’ve rummaged it, of course. But I
guess they disliked the very look and smell of the lembas,
worse than Gollum did. It’s scattered about and some of it is
trampled and broken, but I’ve gathered it together. It’s not
far short of what you’ve got. But they’ve taken Faramir’s
food, and they’ve slashed up my water-bottle.’
‘Well, there’s no more to be said,’ said Sam. ‘We’ve got
enough to start on. But the water’s going to be a bad business.
But come, Mr. Frodo! Off we go, or a whole lake of it won’t
do us any good!’
‘Not till you’ve had a mouthful, Sam,’ said Frodo. ‘I won’t
budge. Here, take this elven-cake, and drink that last drop in
your bottle! The whole thing is quite hopeless, so it’s no good
worrying about tomorrow. It probably won’t come.’
At last they started. Down the ladder they climbed, and
then Sam took it and laid it in the passage beside the huddled
body of the fallen orc. The stair was dark, but on the roof-top
the glare of the Mountain could still be seen, though it was
dying down now to a sullen red. They picked up two shields
to complete their disguise and then went on.
Down the great stairway they plodded. The high chamber
of the turret behind, where they had met again, seemed
almost homely: they were out in the open again now, and
terror ran along the walls. All might be dead in the Tower of
Cirith Ungol, but it was steeped in fear and evil still.
At length they came to the door upon the outer court, and
they halted. Even from where they stood they felt the malice
of the Watchers beating on them, black silent shapes on either