return

1226 the return of the king
Sam nodded. ‘I understand,’ he said. ‘But I’ve been thinking,
Mr. Frodo, there’s other things we might do without.
Why not lighten the load a bit? We’re going that way now,
as straight as we can make it.’ He pointed to the Mountain.
‘It’s no good taking anything we’re not sure to need.’
Frodo looked again towards the Mountain. ‘No,’ he said,
‘we shan’t need much on that road. And at its end nothing.’
Picking up his orc-shield he flung it away and threw his
helmet after it. Then pulling off the grey cloak he undid the
heavy belt and let it fall to the ground, and the sheathed
sword with it. The shreds of the black cloak he tore off and
scattered.
‘There, I’ll be an orc no more,’ he cried, ‘and I’ll bear no
weapon, fair or foul. Let them take me, if they will!’
Sam did likewise, and put aside his orc-gear; and he took
out all the things in his pack. Somehow each of them had
become dear to him, if only because he had borne them
so far with so much toil. Hardest of all it was to part with
his cooking-gear. Tears welled in his eyes at the thought of
casting it away.
‘Do you remember that bit of rabbit, Mr. Frodo?’ he said.
‘And our place under the warm bank in Captain Faramir’s
country, the day I saw an oliphaunt?’
‘No, I am afraid not, Sam,’ said Frodo. ‘At least, I know
that such things happened, but I cannot see them. No taste
of food, no feel of water, no sound of wind, no memory of
tree or grass or flower, no image of moon or star are left to
me. I am naked in the dark, Sam, and there is no veil between
me and the wheel of fire. I begin to see it even with my
waking eyes, and all else fades.’
Sam went to him and kissed his hand. ‘Then the sooner
we’re rid of it, the sooner to rest,’ he said haltingly, finding
no better words to say. ‘Talking won’t mend nothing,’ he
muttered to himself, as he gathered up all the things that they
had chosen to cast away. He was not willing to leave them
lying open in the wilderness for any eyes to see. ‘Stinker
picked up that orc-shirt, seemingly, and he isn’t going to add