Chapter 15 Chapter 11: Crystal Ball of True Knowledge

When Gandalf set off from Essinger, the sun had already set behind the arms of the mountains.Gandalf carried Merry, and Aragorn carried Pippin.The two imperial guards set off first to scout for any abnormalities in the valley ahead, while the others followed behind leisurely. The tree people stood silently in front of the door, each of them raised their hands high and did not move.Not long after, Merry and Pippin looked back, the sky was still bright, but the shadows had slowly penetrated into Isinger, and the gray ruins began to sink into darkness. Treebeard stood there alone, as old a stump as he had been when the hobbit had first met, and the hobbit could not help recalling his first meeting on Fangorn High.Then they came to the Pillar of the White Hand.The pillar still stands, but the white hand carved on it has been thrown to the ground and smashed to pieces.In the middle of the road only one finger lay in the twilight.

"The Ents are so detailed!" said Gandalf. They continued on, and dusk slowly surrounded the valley. "Gandalf, are we going to ride a long way tonight?" Merry asked after a while, "I don't know what you think of us followers, but followers are tired and don't want to follow for a while. , want to lie down and rest." "Did you hear that too?" said Gandalf, "don't take it too seriously! You should be glad that it wasn't addressed to you. He had never met a hobbit before, and therefore did not know what to say to you." , hope this salvages your pride: you and Pippin are the two most worried people on his mind now. Who are you? How did you get here? And what is it for? What do you know? Are you really captured? If so, how did you escape when all the half-orcs were killed in battle? Saruman's wise head is all spent worrying about this thing. Meriadock, if you are concerned about his If you are proud of your concern, then his contemptuous smile is actually a compliment to you."

"Thanks a lot!" said Merry, "but, Gandalf, it's a real honor to be able to follow your ass around. For example, being in my position gives me the opportunity to repeat the question. Can you ride a long way?" Gandalf smiled. "What a hobbit! All wizards should have a hobbit with them at all times. They can teach them how to use words and correct wizards. I'm sorry." , but I have even thought about these details. We can ride for a few hours relatively easily, rest at the mouth of the valley, and need to hurry tomorrow. When we came, we originally wanted to go directly from Isinger to Edoras' palace, it will take a few days. But after careful consideration, we have changed the plan, and we have sent a messenger to Helm's Deep to inform that the king will return tomorrow, and he will lead many people from there. From now on, day or night, groups of more than three people are advised not to travel openly."

"You either don't talk or you talk a lot!" said Merry. "I'm really just worried about where I'm going to sleep tonight. Where are the other places in Helm's Deep? What can I say about this country? Know nothing." "If you want to understand what's going on, you'd better learn something quickly. But, not now, and not to me, I have too much to do." "Okay, I'll be stalking the Strider by the campfire, he's not that busy. But why the stealth? I thought we won the war!" "Yes, we won, but this is only the first victory, and this victory will bring us more danger. There must be some kind of connection between Mordor and Isengard, I haven't figured it out yet. They How did they exchange information? I don’t know yet, but they do communicate with each other. I think the Eye of the Demon Lord will watch the Wizard Valley and Rohan more frequently, so that it can see as little as possible.”

They stopped.Later left the main road and walked up the slope.The road winds and stretches out of the valley, and after some trekking, everyone came to a place close to the Aisin River.The night approached quietly from the mountains, and the previous fog disappeared, leaving only gusts of cold wind.The semicircular moon filled the eastern sky with a pale luster, while the mountains on the right were slowly sinking, and finally turned into low hillsides, and the great plain spread out in front of them.Finally, the group walked westward for less than a mile and came to a valley.The opening of the valley faced south, against the rounded hill that was the last rise of the northern mountains.The edge of the meadow is undulating with last year's dead grass, and the new shoots that have just emerged this year show a thriving look.

Near the bank the brambles grew very thick, and they camped near it about two hours before Evening.Everyone lit a campfire in the valley, and sat under a dense hawthorn tree. Although this tree has gone through many years, every branch is still very strong, and almost all of it is covered with flower buds. They arranged for guards, two in each shift.The others, after supper, covered themselves with cloaks and went to sleep.The hobbit hid in a corner, lying on a mattress made out of a pile of ferns.Merry felt drowsy, but Pippin seemed to be in high spirits, and he kept tossing and turning, making the ferns squeal strangely under the weight.

"What happened?" Merry asked. "Are you lying on an ant nest?" "No," said Pippin, "but I don't feel well, and I wonder how long it's been since I've slept in bed?" Merry yawned. "You count it yourself!" he said. "You must know how long we have been away from Lorien." "Oh, you say that!" said Pippin. "I mean a real bed in the bedroom." "Well, that's Rivendell," Merry said. "Why bother so much, I can sleep anywhere tonight." "That's your luck, Merry," said Pippin softly, after a moment's pause. "It is Gandalf who is carrying you."

"so what?" "Did you get any news or intelligence from him?" "A lot, a lot more than usual. You've heard it all, though; we're not whispering, and you're just around the corner. If he's willing to give you a ride, you think you can get more out of him." , then you can go with him tomorrow instead.” "Really? Great! Is his mouth still tight? It hasn't changed at all." "That's right!" Merry regained consciousness a little bit, and began to worry about what was causing her partner to toss and turn. "He seems to have grown a bit, he can be more considerate and alert at the same time; he has changed, but we haven't had a chance to find out how much. Just think about the last time we dealt with Saruman! Saruman was Gandalf's superior officer, he is the chairman of the council, whatever that means. He used to be Saruman the white robe, but now the title of the white robe is inherited by Gandalf. Saruman obediently came over and let someone take him away cane, and finally left obediently!"

"Well, if Gandalf has changed, I think he's been more secretive," argued Pippin. "Especially—that glass bead. He seems glad to have it. He already knows it." Something about it. But did he tell us? No, not a word. I picked it up before it fell in the sink. [HTH] Come on kiddo, give it to me—that's all. Don't know what that is? It feels so heavy." Pippin's voice dropped as if talking to himself. "Wake up!" said Merry, "so that's what you're thinking about? Don't forget, old friend Pippin, what Gildor said, Sam's favorite quote: Don't meddle in the affairs of wizards, they're scheming, Quick to anger."

"However, our lives in the past few months have been inseparable from wizards," said Pippin. "In addition to sharing danger, I should also be entitled to obtain some information! I want to see that crystal ball. " "Go to bed!" said Merry. "You'll find out sooner or later. My dear Pippin, the Tookes have never been better than the Brewbucks in curiosity, but, I ask you, this Is the timing right?" "Well! It shouldn't hurt to tell you that I just wanted to look at the crystal ball, right? I know Gandalf is holding on tight like a hen hatching an egg, and I can't get it. But you'll just tell I can't get it so I'm going to bed! It's no use!"

"Tsk! what should I say otherwise?" said Merry. "What a pity, Pippin, you must have waited until morning. After breakfast I shall be as curious as you, and I shall try to help you with the wizard's words. But I can't hold it anymore, and my mouth will burst if I yawn again. Good night!" Pippin said nothing more; he lay still, but could not sleep.It didn't help that Merry began to breathe evenly soon after laying down.The influence of that black ball seemed to become stronger as the surroundings became quieter.Pippin could feel the weight of it in his hand all the time, and saw the red light swirling in it again, and he tossed and turned to turn his thoughts elsewhere.Finally, he couldn't bear it anymore, he stood up and looked around, the weather was a bit cold, so he could only wrap his cloak tightly.The moon exudes a cold white light, surrounded by the shadows of the trees, it looks pitch black.Driven by an idea that he could not understand, Pippin tiptoed to Gandalf's side.He looked down at each other.The wizard seemed to be asleep, but his eyes were not completely closed, and the pupils of his eyes could be seen between the eyelashes.Pippin stepped back in a panic, and seeing that Gandalf hadn't responded, the hobbit felt himself pushed by a will that was not his own, approaching from the direction of the wizard's head.Gandalf was wrapped in the blanket and the cloak over the outside, and beside him, by his right hand, there was something round like something wrapped in black cloth, and his hand seemed to have just slipped to the ground. Pippin approached quietly, holding his breath.Finally, he knelt down, stretched out his hand carefully, and picked up the lump, which seemed to be not as heavy as he thought. "Maybe it's just a package!" He actually felt relieved in his heart, but he didn't put the thing down.He held that thing in a daze for a moment, and then suddenly thought of an idea.He tiptoed away again, found a big rock, and walked back silently. He quickly pulled off the outer cloth, wrapped the stone in, knelt down and put the cloth bag back into the wizard's hand.Only then did he have time to carefully examine what he had just discovered.There it was, a smooth orb, now looking lifeless.Pippin raised the ball, and quickly covered him with his cloak, and turned to walk back to the bed.At that moment Gandalf moved, and muttered something in what seemed to be a strange language; then he reached out his hand, found the bag, and sighed contentedly, without making any further movement. "You fool!" said Pippin to himself, "you're going to get in big trouble, put it back!" But only then did he realize that his legs were weak, and he didn't dare to go back to the wizard to get the cloth bag. "I'm sure I'll wake him up this time," he thought, "better wait until I'm calmer. In that case, I might as well just take a look." Of course not here! He sat down on a rock not far from his crib, the moon looking down over the edge of the valley. Pi hired his knees to clamp the crystal ball.He looked down, like a hungry child looking at the soup bowl in a corner.He lifted his cloak and looked carefully at the crystal ball.The surrounding air seemed suddenly very heavy, and at first the crystal ball was black as ink, the moonlight reflected on its surface; open your eyes.Soon, the inside seemed to be engulfed in flames, and it was not known whether the ball itself was spinning or the light inside was moving.Suddenly, the light went out, he was taken aback, and began to struggle, but his posture was still bending over to stare at the crystal ball, holding his hands tightly.His head came closer and closer, until at last it was too rigid to move; his lips moved soundlessly for a moment, and then, with a sudden cry, he fell motionless to the ground. The scream woke everyone up, and the night watchman rushed over immediately, and the whole camp woke up soon. "So this is the thief!" said Gandalf, hastily drawing his cloak over the crystal ball. "Pippin, this is a terrible situation for you!" He knelt beside Pippin, and the hobbit stared up at the sky, his eyes wide open. "It's a curse! What did he do to himself, and what did he do to us?" The wizard looked pale and worried. He took Pippin's hand, stooped to listen to his breathing, and then put his hand on his forehead.The hobbit twitched, finally closed his eyes, sat up with a cry, and looked at the people around him under the moonlight. "This is not for you, Saruman!" he shouted in a shrill voice, avoiding Gandalf's touch. "I'll send for it right away. Do you understand? Do you understand?" Then he struggled to get up and run away, but Gandalf hugged him tenderly. "Peregrin Took!" said he, "wake up!" Relieved, the hobbit lay back, clutching the wizard's hand. "Gandalf!" He cried, "Gandalf! Forgive me!" "Forgive you?" said the wizard, "tell me first what you have done!" "I, I took this crystal ball and looked into it," stammered Pippin. "I saw something that frightened me. I wanted to go, but I couldn't. Then he came and questioned me." , he looked at me, that's all I remember." "That is not enough," said Gandalf sternly, "what did you see, and what did you say?" Pippin closed his eyes and shuddered uncontrollably, but said nothing.Everyone looked at him intently, only Merry couldn't bear to look away.But Gandalf's expression remained unmoved. "Say it!" he yelled. Pippin spoke again in a hesitant and slow tone, and his voice gradually became clear and powerful. "I saw a black sky, and a very majestic fortress," he said, "and small stars, which seemed very far away and ancient, but very clear. Then, those stars began to twinkle, as if they had been Something with wings is covering it. I think those things are really big, but from the inside of the crystal ball it looks like bats are flying around the tower. I think there must be a few of them, and one of them is flying directly towards me. It's getting bigger and bigger. It's kind of scary—no, no! I can't say it." "I thought it was going to fly out, so I tried to run away; but when it covered the crystal ball, it disappeared. Then it came. It didn't speak, it didn't speak any language I understood. It just Just look at me and I know what he means." "'Are you back? Why haven't you reported to me for so long?'" "I didn't answer. He asked again, 'Who are you?' I still didn't answer, but I felt the pain, and it kept coming, and finally all I could say was, 'I'm a hobbit.'" "Then, all of a sudden, it seemed to see me and laughed. It was a cruel smile. It was like stabbing me with a knife. I struggled for a moment, but it said, 'Wait! We'll see you again soon.' , tell Saruman that this is not for him, and I will send someone over to get it right away. Do you understand? Just tell him so!』” "And then he just looked down at me and I felt like I was falling apart... No, no! I couldn't say anything more, and I couldn't remember anything after that." "Look at me!" said Gandalf. Pippin looked him straight in the eye.The wizard stared at him silently.Then his expression softened, showing a half-smile expression.He laid his hand gently on Pippin's head. "Well!" he said, "no more! You're not hurt. Fortunately, you're not lying, but that's because he hasn't been with you very long. You're a fool, Pippin, but at least you're an honest one. A wiser person might have made a huge mistake in such an encounter. But remember it! You and all your friends can get away with it, it's just good luck, it won't happen a second time. If If he questions you immediately, then you will definitely tell him everything you know and put us all in danger. But he is too impatient, he not only wants information, but also wants to get you quickly, so that he can You can be dealt with slowly in the Dark Tower. Don't tremble! If you want to intervene in the affairs of wizards, you must be prepared to face such a situation. Come on! I forgive you, don't worry, things are not as bad as you think .” He lifted Pippin tenderly and carried him back to the bed.Merry followed and sat down beside him. "Pippin, take your chance and lie down!" said Gandalf. "Believe me, if you ever get itchy hands again, tell me! I can cure it. Remember, dear Hobbit, Stop putting stones in my arms! Come on, I'll leave you two alone." As soon as Gandalf had finished speaking, he returned to the others.Everyone still stood beside the crystal ball with heavy thoughts. "We were in danger when we least expected it," he said. "It was a close call!" "How is Pippin?" asked Aragorn. "I think it's all right," Gandalf replied. "He hasn't been affected for long, and the hobbit's resilience is amazing. The memory and fear may fade quickly, perhaps too soon. Will you take this crystal ball of Orthanc, Aragorn, and keep it safe? It is a dangerous task." "Dangerous it may be, but not to everyone," said Aragorn; "at least one is rightfully his heir to it. This must be the Orb of Wisdom in the treasure-house of Elendil, borne by the Kings of Gondor He was placed here. Now that my time is near, I am willing to accept him." Gandalf looked at Aragorn, and in the astonishment of everyone, he raised Geb, bowed and offered the crystal ball to Aragorn. "Take it, my lord!" he said. "This is nothing more than restitution. But let me add, you can't use it yet! Be careful!" "I have waited and prepared for so many years. How can I be in a hurry?" said Aragorn. Gandalf replied, "At least please don't make a fuss about it, not only you, but all of you here! And especially don't let Pippin the hobbit know where it is. For its temptation may come again, for he should never have gone Use it, even touch it. He shouldn't have touched it in Isengard, and I should have moved faster. But I was only watching Saruman at the time, and finally found out what it was.Only now can I be absolutely sure of the true origin of this stone. " "Yes, there will be no more doubts," said Aragorn; "at least we know the connection between Isengard and Mordor, and many mysteries are explained." "Our enemies have unearthly strengths, but also unearthly weaknesses!" Theoden said. "As the old adage goes: [HTH] what comes around [HT] is what it is." "It has been proved many times," said Gandalf, "but this time our luck has been very good. Perhaps the hobbit has prevented a great danger for me. I had thought of testing this for myself Stone, see what it's for, and if I did, I'd probably be out in front of him. Even if it was inevitable, I'm not ready for such a test. Even if I had the power to escape, the mere To be discovered by him before the time comes is a great danger." "The time has come, I think," said Aragorn. "Not yet," said Gandalf, "he is in a momentary doubt, which we must take care of. The devil thought the crystal ball was still in Orthanc Tower, of course, he had no reason to doubt it.Therefore, the hobbit was kept there, under the pressure of Saruman to use the crystal ball, which was a kind of torture for him.The devil's mind will be filled with the hobbit's voice and vision, and it may be some time before his error is discovered, and we must seize that time.We were already too slack, now we must hurry up.The area around Isengard is no longer suitable for staying for a long time, and I will immediately take Pippin forward.it's better than letting him have a One is much safer lying in the dark. " "I will leave Eomer and ten hussars behind," said the king. "They will go out with me early tomorrow morning, and the others may follow Aragorn, any time." "Do as you say," said Gandalf, "but you must take refuge in the cover of the mountains as soon as possible, and go to Helm's Deep!" At that moment, shadows fell over them, and the bright moonlight was suddenly blocked.Several hussars exclaimed and hugged their heads, as if trying to avoid the attack from the sky.They felt terribly frightened and icy cold, and there was a huge winged creature flying across the moon like a huge dark cloud.It circled for a moment, then flew north again, faster than any gale in the world.The stars also paled.Finally, it disappeared. They rose stiffly, and Gandalf looked up at the sky, his hands clenched into fists. "The Ringwraiths!" he cried. "This is the messenger of Mordor. The storm is approaching, and the Ringwraiths have crossed the great river! Let go! Quickly! Don't wait for daylight! Go at full speed!" He ran away at once, calling Shadowfax forward, with Aragorn following him.Gandalf grabbed Pippin, carried him on his shoulders, and said, "This time you come with me!" He said, "Shadowfax will show you how fast it walks!" Then, he ran towards the direction where he slept, where Shadow Catalyst was already waiting.The wizard took a small bag of luggage and jumped on the horse.Aragorn took Pippin in his arms, and placed him in Gandalf's arms, wrapping him in cloak and blanket. "Farewell! Come on!" Gandalf yelled. "Go, Shadowfax!" The horse raised its head and swung its tail in the moonlight, then it leaped forward, kicked up dust, and disappeared into the mountains like the north wind. "A peaceful night indeed!" said Merry to Aragorn. "Some people are lucky. He couldn't sleep, and wanted to ride with Gandalf—whoosh! Now he's gone! And there's no justice. Turn him into a stone statue!" "What would have happened now if you had taken the crystal ball first, and not him?" said Aragorn. "You might be in more trouble. Who knows? You might be lucky to come with me. We're off at once. Go get ready and get what Pippin didn't take with you." .hurry up!" Shadow Speed ​​galloped across the plains without guidance or urging.In less than an hour they had crossed the ford of the Eshin.Behind them are the tombs of the knights and those cold spears. Pippin was slowly recovering.He felt warm, and the wind on his face was quite refreshing. He is with Gandalf.The horrors of the crystal ball and the shadows of the moon were fading, and those were left behind in the mists or nightmares of the mountains.He took a deep breath. "Gandalf, I didn't know you didn't use a saddle," he said. "You don't have a saddle, and you don't have a bit!" "I wouldn't ride like an elf if it weren't for Shadowfax," said Gandalf. "Shadowfax would not bear the burden of any saddle. You don't ride Shadowfax, but he rides you willingly. Of course , if it wants to. Unless you jump off yourself, it will keep you on the horse.” Pippin asked, "How fast can it run? It sounds very fast from the sound of the wind, but it's very steady. It's so light!" "The speed of a horse is as fast as it is now," answered Gandalf, "but it is not fast for him. The terrain is a little sloping and rough here. You can see the speed of the White Mountains approaching under the stars. How fast! The peaks are approaching us like the point of a black spear. Before long we will come to the fork in the deep ravine where the battle of the night before was." Pippin was silent for a moment.He heard Gandalf humming softly to himself, singing the same song in many languages, and the scenery on both sides passed away quickly.Finally, the wizard changed to a song that Pippin could understand: a few lines wafted into his ears clearly in the wind: tall ships and great kings There are nine in total, what made them cross the sea Come here? In order to be with the Seven Stars and the Seven Crystals A tree meets white. "Gandalf, what are you talking about?" asked Pippin. "I was reciting some songs just now," replied the wizard, "and I think the hobbits may have forgotten all they ever knew." "That's not likely," said Pippin. "We also have a lot of our own songs, maybe you won't be interested. But I have never heard this song. What is the content of this song? What are seven stars and seven crystals?" "This is the story of the Kings of old and the [HTH] Palantri [HT]," said Gandalf. "What is that?" "That word means 'things that can be seen.' Orthanc Tower's geode is one of them." "Then it's not, it's not—" Pippin hesitated, "Didn't it be made by the devil?" "No," said Gandalf. "It was not done by Saruman either. It was beyond his ability, and beyond that of Sauron. [HTH] Palantri [HT] came from the race before the royal families of the West, from the continent of Eldama What the Noldor created, even Prince Fanor himself made, is too old to be measured in years and months. It is a pity that there is nothing that Sauron cannot use for evil. Saruman is also really unlucky. I only now speculate that this crystal ball of true knowledge is probably the source of his downfall. Anyone who dares to use a device with power beyond his own will be in danger. But the real blame is actually himself. Stupid To keep such a thing secret, hoping to profit by it. He never mentioned it to the members of the council. We don't know of any Palantri that escaped the ancient battle of Gondor. Before the council Besides, Men and Elves have even forgotten the existence of such a thing, and it is only in the historical songs that the brethren of Aragorn have." "What did ancient humans do with this thing?" Pippin was excited to find that he had obtained answers to so many questions at once, and wondered how long such good luck would last. "Can see far away, and talk to each other with thoughts," said Gandalf. "Therefore, these artifacts have been able to guard Gondor and unite Gondor throughout the long history. They placed these crystal balls of truth in Minas Anor, Minas Ithil, and Aisin The tower of Orthanc in the grid wall. The treasure that governs all these orbs is kept under the star dome of Osgiliath before its destruction. The others are far away. Since there is no The songs were passed down, so that not many knew where the orb was hidden. But in the records kept by Elrond, it is said that these treasures were hidden in Anuminas, Amon Sul, and the on the tower hill." "Each of the Orbs of Wisdom can talk to each other, but the one in Osgiliath can monitor all of them at once. It seems that Orthanc Tower is not only impervious to the ravages of time, but even the The crystal balls are still left. If there is only this one, in fact, you can only see things in the distance and the influence of the past, and it will not have any special effect. Undoubtedly, for Saruman who likes to study history , is quite enough. However, it seems that he is not satisfied. He looks farther and farther, until his eyes come to Balado, and there he falls into a trap!" "Who knows where the other orbs are now? Maybe buried in the ground, in the sea, or hidden deep in the mountains. But at least Sauron got one and used it for his evil cause. I guess it should be Ithir's That one, because he conquered Minas Ithil a long time ago, and transformed the place into Minas Morgul. Combining all the above inferences, it is easy to know that Saruman who was watching around was trapped there, Since then, he has been under the constant influence of the demon king. When persuasion is useless, the other party uses intimidation. Inch by inch, foot by foot, he just fell into the grasp of the demon king! I didn't know he had accepted it here How long has it been given the instructions and orders of the Demon King, and after such a long time of influence, this spar of true knowledge will involuntarily turn to Balado unless it meets someone with a will of steel. And it has such a terrifying attraction! Will I feel nothing? Even now, my will must constantly resist the temptation to challenge myself, to see if I can resist the will of the devil and guide this crystal ball into the right path; so that I can see the endless The beauty of the other side of the sea, look at the fairyland created by Prince Feanor, look at the glorious age of the Holy White Tree and the Golden Tree!" He sighed and was silent for a moment. "I wish I had known sooner," said Pippin. "I don't know anything about it." "Oh, no, you know," said Gandalf. "You actually know you're doing something wrong, making stupid mistakes, and you tell yourself, but you just don't listen. I didn't tell you this before, but it's because I got all the clues So much more than just associating them while riding a horse. But if I told you earlier, it wouldn't lower your desire, or make you resist it more easily. Quite the opposite! No, nothing , not gaining wisdom. One has to be taught a lesson before he can remember it.” "You're right," said Pippin. "Now, even with all seven crystals in front of me, I just want to close my eyes and put my hands in my pockets." "Very well!" said Gandalf, "just as I expected." "But I want to know..." Pippin began again. "Please!" cried Gandalf, "if sharing knowledge with you is just to cure your curiosity, I'm afraid I'll have to talk to you for the rest of my life. What more do you want to know?" "The names of all the stars and creatures, and the history of the whole Middle-earth world and the stories of outer space and overseas," Pippin said jokingly, "of course! I must seize the opportunity! Oh, actually, there is no such rush tonight !What I really want to know is that shadow. I hear you yelling 'Messenger of Mordor'. What is that? What effect will it have on Isengard?" "That is a Nazgul with wings," said Gandalf, "and it will take you to the Dark Tower." "But he didn't come for me, did he?" stammered Pippin, "I mean, he didn't know it was me..." "Of course not," said Gandalf. "It's six hundred miles direct from Barad-dur to Orthanc Tower, and even the Nazgul would take hours to fly. Saruman, I suppose, The hedron must have been used after the orcs were sent out, and his innermost thoughts had been unknowingly known. The messenger came to find out what he was up to. After tonight's accident, still There will be another ring spirit rushing over quickly. In this way, Saruman will take the last step towards the trap. He has no captives in his hands, and no crystal ball of true knowledge to use, let alone respond to the call of the devil. Ren will think he is hiding the captives and refuses to use the Orb of Wisdom. Even if Saruman tells the truth to the messenger, it will not help. Although Isengard is destroyed, he is still safe in Orsan Ketazhong. No matter what he does, he will look like a traitor. But he still rejects us and wants to escape this crisis! Even I can't guess what he will do in this situation. As long as he is still Orthanc Tower, I think he still has the power to resist the Nine Knights. He may try to do so. He may try to trap the Nazgul, or at least kill the mounts they ride on. If that's the case, Rohan must take care of the horses carefully!" "But I can't predict what the final result will be and how it will affect us. Maybe the Demon King is still very confused, and his judgment will be clouded by his anger towards Saruman. Maybe he will soon know that I was there , followed by the hobbits. I can even know that the son of Elendil is still alive, right by my side. If the clever words are not deceived by the armor of the Rohan Kingdom, he should still remember Aragorn That's what I'm worried about. That's why we must move quickly. Not to escape, but to face greater danger. Pippin, every step of Shadowfax brings you closer to the shadow's stronghold. " 皮聘一言不发，只是紧紧的搂著斗篷，彷佛突然间感到极度的阴寒。灰色的大地不停的往后掠去。 「你看看！」甘道夫说：「西洛汗的山谷就在眼前。我们终于又回到了那条路上，眼前就是深溪谷的入口。里面就是爱加拉隆的闪耀洞穴。不要问我有关那里的问题，如果你再遇到金雳，去问他；这次你搞不好会获得意料之外的冗长答案。你这次恐怕没办法亲眼欣赏那个地方。很快的，我们就会越过该处。」 「我还以为你要去圣盔谷！」皮聘说：「你到底要去哪里？」 「在战火包围米那斯提力斯之前，我要去那里。」 「喔！那里有多远呢？」 「很远很远，」甘道夫回答。「大约是希优顿王宫距离这里的三倍；我们从这边到希优顿的王宫大概要一百多哩。影疾得要好好跑上一程。不知道它和魔多的信差究竟谁快？我们要一直骑到天亮，看来还有一段时间。到时，即使是影疾都必须找个谷地休息。我希望会是伊多拉斯。趁著你有机会的时候睡觉吧！你或许可以看见第一线曙光照耀在伊多拉斯黄金宫殿上的美景。两天以内，你就可以看见明多陆安山和迪耐瑟的白色城墙。影疾，快跑！用你从未有过的速度快跑！我们现在已经到了你生长的地方，你该知道此地的一草一木。快跑吧！我们的希望和你的速度息息相关！」 影疾一昂首，大声嘶鸣，彷佛被号角声召唤投入战场一般。然后它一跃向前，四蹄冒出火花，夜色化成劲风不停的流动。 皮聘慢慢的陷入梦中，同时却有种奇怪的感觉：他和甘道夫像石像一样僵硬，两人正坐在一匹作势欲奔的骏马雕像上；整个世界则是夹带著强劲的风声不停后退。