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the siege of gondor 1055
City, and much was guessed of what he thought as well. He
did not answer.
‘What would you do in my service?’
‘I thought, sir, that you would tell me my duties.’
‘I will, when I learn what you are fit for,’ said Denethor.
‘But that I shall learn soonest, maybe, if I keep you beside
me. The esquire of my chamber has begged leave to go to
the out-garrison, so you shall take his place for a while. You
shall wait on me, bear errands, and talk to me, if war and
council leave me any leisure. Can you sing?’
‘Yes,’ said Pippin. ‘Well, yes, well enough for my own
people. But we have no songs fit for great halls and evil times,
lord. We seldom sing of anything more terrible than wind or
rain. And most of my songs are about things that make us
laugh; or about food and drink, of course.’
‘And why should such songs be unfit for my halls, or for
such hours as these? We who have lived long under the
Shadow may surely listen to echoes from a land untroubled
by it? Then we may feel that our vigil was not fruitless,
though it may have been thankless.’
Pippin’s heart sank. He did not relish the idea of singing
any song of the Shire to the Lord of Minas Tirith, certainly
not the comic ones that he knew best; they were too, well,
rustic for such an occasion. He was however spared the ordeal
for the present. He was not commanded to sing. Denethor
turned to Gandalf, asking questions about the Rohirrim and
their policies, and the position of Éomer, the king’s nephew.
Pippin marvelled at the amount that the Lord seemed to
know about a people that lived far away, though it must, he
thought, be many years since Denethor himself had ridden
abroad.
Presently Denethor waved to Pippin and dismissed him
again for a while. ‘Go to the armouries of the Citadel,’ he
said, ‘and get you there the livery and gear of the Tower. It
will be ready. It was commanded yesterday. Return when
you are clad!’
It was as he said; and Pippin soon found himself arrayed