Chapter 18 Section 3 The Black Door Closes

Before dawn the next day, their journey to Mordor came to an end again.Marshes and deserts were left behind, and before their eyes, black shadows reaching to the sky, were the towering mountains of Mordor. The mountains that stretch west of Mordor are Ifelduth, the Shadow Mountains, and in the north are the broken hills and plateaus of Eredlisu, the gray mountains.These two mountains approached slowly, but the terrain between them was only part of the dark Gorgoroth Basin and Lislad Plain, and the bitter inland Heinonan.Between the walls of the two mountains that extend northwards, there is a deep valley called Cirith Grog, the cursed passage, and the entrance to the Realm of the Demon King.There are low cliffs on both sides, and there are two steep hills at the entrance. The whole mountain range is pure black and barren.On these two hills stood the Fangs of Mordor, two tall and mighty towers.In the past a long time ago, it was built by the humans of Gondor to commemorate their great achievements and strength after overthrowing Sauron, and it was also used to monitor this land to prevent Sauron from fleeing back here.However, the power of Gondor gradually weakened, and humans began to be lazy. The two towers were idle for many years, and then Sauron returned.Now these two tall towers that have been in disrepair for a long time have been repaired again, and there are powerful troops stationed inside them day and night.Their solid outer walls are exposed to the wind and rain, with countless windows facing north, east, and west, filled with many restless eyes.After passing the entrance, the Lord of Darkness built a wall that stretched from one side of the cliff to the other, and within it, there was only a huge iron gate, on which guards patrolled day and night.In the hills on both sides, countless tunnels and caves were also dug, and groups of half-orcs lived in them.

At that time, they were ready to swarm out to fight under the command.Unless the visitors come at the call of Sauron, or know the secret words to open the dark door, they will be surrounded by this powerful force and it is difficult to escape. The two hobbits stared at the two tall towers desperately. Even in the dim light, they could still see the guards in black and black armor patrolling the towers, as well as the endless stream of soldiers in front of the gates.They were lying in the deep valley under the shadow of the end of Iferdus, observing all the changes in front of them. If they could turn into crows, they could reach one of the black towers with a flight of about ten feet.There is a lingering black smoke on the top of the tower, like a smoldering flame in the hills.

Day came, and the pale sun shone lifelessly on the edge of Ered Lisu.Suddenly, a brass horn sounded from the tower, piercing the darkness.From the hills below and behind the walls, and beyond the fortress of Barad-d'd, came the deafening sound of drums and horns, and the evil, hollow sound kept echoing in the valley.It was another new, dreadful day in Mordor; the night watchmen at the signal and obediently returned to their subterranean lodgings, while the day watchmen strode to their posts, the walls gleaming with steel and sunlit lights. brilliant. "Well, here we are at last!" said Sam. "The door is over here, and it looks to me like it's probably the last place we can go. That's my opinion, but if our dad sees I must have something to say when I look so depressed. He always said that if I don't pay attention to where I go next, there will be a bad end. However, I don't think I will be able to see it again. Old chap, he's gonna miss the chance to tell me in front of me: I told you, Sam! As long as he's still breathing next time I see him, he can talk all the way. But , with my current appearance, I'm afraid he won't recognize me without washing my face."

"It's too late to ask 'Where are we going?' now. Unless we want to ask the orcs to give us a ride, there's nowhere to go." "No, no!" said Gollum, "it's no use, we can't go any further, Sméagol said. He said: We can go to the door and see. We can see now, oh , yes, baby, we can see. Sméagol knows hobbits can't go this way, we know. Oh, yes, Sméagol knows." "Then what did you bring us here for?" Sam said gruffly. "That's what the master said: Take us to the gate, so good Sméagol did. That's what the master said, wise master."

"I said so," said Frodo.His expression was very serious and determined, and he showed no regret at all.He was smelly and dirty, his clothes were ragged, and there was a tired look between his brows, but he was no longer hunched over, and his eyes were clearer. "I say this because I intend to go into Mordor, and I know no other way, so I have to go this way, and I have not asked anyone to come with me." "No, no, master!" Gollum lingered at him, seeming very anxious. "It's no use going this way! No use! Don't bring him the treasure! He'll eat us up, if he gets He'll eat the whole world, baby. Good master, keep it, and be kind to Sméagol. Don't let him have it. Or get out of here, and find a good place to live, and give this to little Sméagol Go. Yes, yes, master: Give it back to Sméagol, will you? Sméagol will keep it safe. He will do many good things, especially to the hobbit. Go home, hobbit, and don't go to the gate!"

"I am commanded to go to Mordor, and therefore I must go," said Frodo. "If this is the only way, then I have no choice, and the rest will be left to Fate!" Sam said nothing, but the look on Frodo's face was already worth a thousand words, and he knew it was useless to say anything else.After all, from the very beginning, he had no hope for this mission.But, being a happy hobbit, he didn't need any hope, so long as despair was out of sight.Now, they finally had to face the ending, which was also the real purpose of his coming, and of course they had to follow the master closely.His master would never go to Mordor alone, and Sam would go with him, at least to get rid of Gollum.

However, Gollum was not going to be freed yet. He knelt at Frodo's feet and rubbed his hands together. "Not this way, Master!" he pleaded. "There is another direction, oh yes, another direction indeed, another darker, harder to find, more secret way. But Sméagol knows , let Sméagol take you there!" "Another way?" Frodo looked down at Gollum with a suspicious look on his face. "Hiss! Hiss! There really is another way, Sméagol found it, let's see if it's still there." "You didn't mention this before." "No, because the master didn't ask, the master didn't say what he wanted, he didn't tell poor Sméagol. He just said: Sméagol, take me to the gate, and say goodbye! Sméagol can go anywhere. But now he said again: I was going to enter Mordor by this way, so Sméagol was very afraid, and he didn't want to lose his good master. And, he swore, the master made him swear to save the baby, but if the master went in this direction, He's going to give it straight to him, straight to the black palm. So Sméagol has to save them both, and he thinks of another way that used to exist before, good master, Sméagol is very good and always helpful .”

Sam frowned. If his eyes could punch holes in Gollum, Gollum would be covered in blood.His heart was full of doubts. On the surface, it seemed that Gollum was really anxious and wanted to help Frodo, but Sam remembered the arguments he had heard before, and found it hard to believe that Smell had been suppressed before. Ge, suddenly became a strong personality: at least, that voice did not dare to say the last word in the debate.Sam surmises that Sméagol and Gollum (or as he mentally called them: Coward and Dirty) At least temporarily reached a consensus - neither of them wanted the Demon King to get the Lord of the Rings, but hoped that Frodo would not be captured, or that the longer they could be under their surveillance, the better.Anyway, the more time passes, the more opportunities the dirty ghost has to get his hands on his "baby."Sam wondered if there was any other way to Mordor, and he murmured to himself, "Fortunately, the two halves of this stinky guy don't know what the master's purpose is," he thought, "If he knows the Buddha Mr. Rodo is ready to destroy his treasure forever, this guy will definitely try his best. Anyway, the dirty ghost is very afraid of the devil, seems to accept some orders from him, he would rather report us than be found helping us, of course , let alone let his baby be melted. At least, this is my opinion, I hope the master can think about it carefully. He is smarter than most people, but his heart is too soft. I really can't guess Come out and what will he do next."

Frodo did not answer Gollum at once.In Sam's dull but shrewd mind, when he was considering these things, he stared blankly at the cliff of Cirris Grog.The valley they hid in was a valley formed on the edge of a small hill some distance away from this mountain range, and in this valley was the foundation of the western watchtower.In the morning light he could see clearly where the roads meet before the gates of Mordor, one going north, another entering the thick mist that wraps around the foot of Ered Lithus, and a third heading toward him. ; the road skirted the tower and entered not far into the valley below his feet.On his right, that is, to the west, the road turned a corner, skirted the foot of the mountain, passed the western cliff of Iferdus, and at the end of the line of sight was the land between the river and the mountains.

Frodo looked at the scene in front of him, and suddenly realized that there seemed to be a commotion on the plain. It seemed that a huge army was marching, but most of the army was covered by dust from the wasteland. and smoke obscured it.However, he could still see many spears and helmets moving in the smoke, and on both sides of the road, he could also see knights advancing with many infantry.He thought of the scene he had seen on Mount Amon Hen only a few days ago, and it seemed like a world away when he recalled it.Then, he knew that the little hope that had been ignited in his heart was once again disillusioned: the sound of the horn was not the sound of warning, not the signal that the soldiers of Gondor attacked the Dark Lord, but the sound of the horn of welcome.These are men of other tribes,

They came from the vast eastern land, and they came under the call of the king; these troops were stationed in front of the gate before, and now they are preparing to enter his base during the day and submit to his command.Frodo seemed now to realize that he was so near danger, and involuntarily drew the hood of his gray cloak over his head, and drew back to Gollum.Then he said to Gollum: "Sméagol, I would like to trust you once more, and it seems that I must, and it seems destined to accept your assistance, where I least expect it; and your fate is to assist a formerly held You have been following for a long time with malicious intentions. So far, you have been very cooperative and have not violated your oath. I can almost say that you are a very loyal partner." He glanced at Sam and continued: "Twice We're pretty much at your mercy, but you haven't done us any harm, and you haven't tried to take from me what you wanted so badly before. Maybe the third time would be for the best! But, Sméagol , I must warn you that you are in great danger." "Yes, yes, master!" said Gollum. "Very dangerous. Sméagol trembles at the thought of it, but he cannot run away, and he must help his master." "I don't mean the dangers we all have to face," said Frodo, "I mean the dangers that only you face. You swear by that thing you call precious, remember! It will ensure You kept your oath, but twisted your oath and got you hurt. You should have been affected, and foolishly showed me off. You just said, [HTH] give it back to Sméagol [HT] .Don't say that again! Don't let this idea grow in your mind! You can never get this thing back, but the desire it brings will bring you into misery. I should wear the baby, and this The darling has possessed you long ago. If I wear it and give you orders, even to jump off a cliff or into a fire, you must obey. Be careful, Sméagol! " Sam looked at his master with relief, but at the same time he felt a little surprised. The expression on his face and the tone of his voice were something Sam had never seen before.He had always thought that there must be something wrong with a man as good-natured as Frodo (old Bilbo and Gandalf were perhaps two exceptions).Gollum, who hadn't been with his master very long, might have made the same mistake, confusing thoughtfulness with blindness.In any case, this statement had a great effect on him. He lay on the ground and could only murmur "good master" inarticulately. Frodo waited patiently a little while, and then, in a softer tone, he said: "Come, Gollum or Sméagol, tell me the other way you speak of. If you may, please Explain in detail why I should abandon the obvious path and follow your plan. Come on, I'm in a hurry!" Gollum, however, seemed too frightened, for he was so frightened by Frodo's threats that it was difficult to make out what he was going to say from the slurred words in his mouth, and there was still a lot of talk between them. Often lying on the ground, begging the two to be nice to "poor little Sméagol".After a while he grew calmer with difficulty, and Frodo could barely comprehend the general idea from what he was talking to himself.If the traveler follows the road which turns west at Iphildus, he will come to a crossroads in a circle of dark trees, and on the right there is a road leading to Osgiliath and Cross the bridge over the Anduin; in the middle of the crossroads, there will be another road going south. "Go and go and go and go," said Gollum, "we never walked that way, but they say it goes for hundreds of miles, and at the end you see the Great Pool of Eternity. There are many The fish, and the big fish-eating birds, must be good birds. But alas, we've never been to that place, no chance. They say there's more land there, but the yellow face is over there It's hot, there's not much cloud, and the people there are fierce, with black faces. We don't want to see that land." "Of course not," said Frodo. "Don't go too far. Where is the third junction?" "Oh yes, oh yes, there is a third junction," said Gollum, "and that is the junction on the left, and it climbs up at once, into the tall shadows, and then rounds the black A rock, you see it all of a sudden and you want to hide." "See it, see it? What exactly will you see?" "Old fortress, very old, very scary. We used to hear tales of the South before, when Sméagol was young. Oh, yes, we used to sit on the banks of the great river, where the willows were , and many stories told, when the River was young too, Gollum, Gollum." He began to sob and mutter to himself, and the hobbit waited patiently. "The tales of the South," Gollum went on, "of the tall men with shining eyes, and their houses like hills of rock, and their kings with silver crowns and holy white trees, beautiful stories. They Very tall towers will be built, one silver and white, with a head like the moon inside, and majestic white walls around it. Oh, yes, there are many stories about the Tower of the Moon.” "That must be the tower of Minas Ithil, Isildur son of Elendil, built," said Frodo. "It was Isildur who cut off the Finger of the Demon King." "Yes, there are but four fingers left on his black palm, but that is enough," said Gollum, trembling, "and he hates the city of Isildur." "Is there anything in the world he does not hate?" said Frodo. "But what has the Tower of the Moon to us?" "Wait a minute, master, there was a relationship before, and there will be now, the tower has white walls and houses, but it is no longer beautiful, it is no longer complete, he conquered it long ago. Now It's become very scary here, travelers can't help but tremble when they see it, they will hide from this place, they will hide from the shadow here. But the master must go this way, this is the only way, because the mountains are there The lower side, where the ancient roads lead up the mountain, until they reach the pass at the top. Then the road will go down all the way down, until it reaches Gorgoroth." His voice fell to a whisper. , I couldn't help shivering again. "But how can this help us?" Sam asked, "The Demon King must know his territory well, and that pass should also be heavily guarded? The tower is not empty, is it?" "Oh, no, it's not empty!" whispered Gollum. "It looks empty, but it's not, oh, no! Terrible things live there, goblins, goblins forever, and There are scarier monsters, scarier monsters dwell there. The road goes over there over the shadows, through the gates, and nothing that moves on the road escapes their watch, and what's inside knows everything, and they're silent monitor." "So that's what you suggested," Sam said. "We could go a long way south and find ourselves stranded in a much worse place, if only we could get there." "No, of course not," said Gollum, "the hobbit must see, the hobbit must understand, he does not expect an attack from that side, his magic eye looks everywhere, but there is Less noticeable. He can't see everything at once, at least not yet. You know? He's conquered all the territory from the Shadow Mountains down to the river, and the bridge is under his control. He thinks No one can cross the Tower of the Moon without starting a big fight, and even if they were going to cross the river with many boats, there would be enough for him to notice." "You seem to know a lot about what he thinks and what he does," Sam said. "Have you talked to him lately? Or have you discussed it all with the Orc?" "Bad hobbit, unreasonable!" Gollum gave Sam an angry look, and turning to Frodo said, "Of course, Sméagol talked to the Orcs before he met his master. And he also spoke to many people. He has traveled great distances and what he said is known to many now. His greatest danger is in the North, and it is the same for us. One day he will walk out of the black gate , that day will come soon. This is the only way that a large army can come, but he is not afraid of the enemy going west, because there are silent watchers there." "That's right!" Sam said, not wanting to be ignored. "So we can go up, knock on the door, and ask if we're on the right track? Or are they too silent to answer? That." It doesn't make any sense. Maybe we stay here and don't go, maybe we can save the energy of a long journey." "Don't make fun of that," hissed Gollum. "It's not funny, oh, it's not funny at all. There's no sense in breaking into Mordor. But if the master says he's going, or he Must go, he'll have to find his way. That's where Sméagol helps, good Sméagol, and he's willing to help, though no one tells him exactly what he's going to do. Here's what he found , he knows the way." "What have you found?" asked Frodo.Gollum sprawled on the ground, his voice very low again: "A path goes through the mountains, and then many stairs, narrow stairs. Oh, yes, long and narrow, and then more stairs. And then... " His voice became even lower and inaudible: "It's a tunnel, a dark tunnel, and a crack at the end, just above the road. That's how Sméagol got out of the dark. But that was years ago, That road may be gone, but it may not be there yet." "I don't like it," said Sam. "It sounds so easy to hear him say. If that road is still there, it must be guarded by now. Gollum, there is guard there, isn't it?" When he asked a question, he thought he saw a green light in Gollum's eyes, but Gollum still muttered and didn't answer. "Is there a guard at all?" asked Frodo sternly. "Did you escape from the darkness over there, Sméagol? Or did he let you go, to go on your errand? At least this is Aragorn in the Dead Marshes. Thoughts when I found you." "He lied!" said Gollum, and when he heard Aragorn's eyes gleamed evilly, "he lied to me, yes, he lied. I did escape, and it was by my poor one." He did tell me to find the treasure and I did search and search and search and search but not for the Dark Lord. The baby was ours and I told you it was ours and I did escape .” Frodo had a strange feeling that Gollum had not been duplicity this time, as the others supposed; he had indeed found a way out of Mordor, or at least he believed he had found it by his own wit.For, he noticed, Gollum used the word me.This is only used in rare cases, when he is telling the truth and is more sincere.However, even if what Gollum said was true, Frodo did not dare to forget the cunning of the Demon King. This "escape" may have been arranged at all, and it was a drama carefully planned by the evil tower.At any rate, he could see that Gollum was hiding many truths. "I'll ask you again," he said, "is this secret passage unguarded?" But Aragorn's name made Gollum sullen, and he felt like a liar who seldom told the truth, and was as unhappy to be suspected for speaking the truth once.He didn't answer. "Is there a guard?" repeated Frodo. "Yes, perhaps, there is no safe place here at all," said the Gollum with reservation. "There is no safe place. But if the master does not try, there is no other way but home." They said No further clues could be forced from him, and he could not, or would not, say the name of the secret passage and the pass. That name was Cirith Ungol, a land of terrible legends, and perhaps Aragorn could tell them of its fame, and Gandalf would warn them never to go there.But they had no one to rely on at this time, the Aragonese were far away, and Gandalf was dealing with Saruman in the ruins of Isengard.But even when he gave Saruman his ultimatum, and the sphere of knowledge fell like a ball of fire on the steps, his thoughts still fell on Frodo and Sam, and his will crossed the long road, Still looking after them. Perhaps Frodo felt it without knowing it, as he did on Amon Han when he thought Gandalf was dead, buried forever in the shadow of Moria.For a long time he sat on the ground in thought, bowing his head, trying to recall all that Gandalf had said to them.But, at this juncture, he couldn't think of anything relevant.Gandalf's guidance was taken away too early. At that time, they were still far away from the dark land. Gandalf didn't say how they would finally enter Mordor, and maybe he didn't know either.He once ventured into Dol Guldur, the stronghold of the Demon King in the north, but after the Demon King was reincarnated and re-entered the Baraddur Fortress, had he ever been to this place?Frodo didn't think so.And he was just a little halfling from the Shire, just a simple-minded hobbit, suitable for living in the quiet countryside.Now, the chances of him having to dig for hope where great men dare not, or cannot find their way, are so slim!However, this responsibility was a burden he took on without hesitation in a small living room far away last spring.Looking at him now, that seems to be the history that happened in ancient times, which is a wrong choice.Now, what path should he choose?If both roads lead equally to death and destruction, why bother choosing? Time passed by every minute and every second, and the gray pit where they were hiding was shrouded in a deep silence. Being so close to the place of fear, they could clearly feel that everything dared not make a sound. The pressure of silence seemed to be a veil separating everyone from the whole world.Looking up, they can see a blue sky above their heads cut by bunches of black smoke, but it seems to be thousands of miles away, as if separated by many layers of transparent curtains. Not even a goshawk flying in the sun could spot the two hobbits sitting silently in gray cloaks in the valley under the pressure of doom; Gollum, a small creature lying on the ground; perhaps it was the skeleton of some human child, with tattered clothes still hanging from its body, and its slender arms and feet were almost white, and it seemed that it had no flesh at all, not worth pecking at. Food.Frodo lay back with his head on his knees, and Sam folded his hands behind his back, staring blankly at the empty sky, at least, for the time being.Then it seemed to Sam that he saw a black bird-like creature fly into his field of vision, soar for a moment, and then fly in another direction; then two more, then a fourth . . . It's very small, but he can still feel that the opponent's body is actually quite large, with an extremely wide wingspan, flying under the extremely high sky.He covered his eyes and bent forward, and it was the same sense of oppression and fear they felt when they felt the presence of the black knight, the same feeling when there was a roar in the wind, and the moon was hidden by shadows, only this time. This time the threat was more distant, but it was a threat nonetheless, and Frodo felt it too.His thoughts were interrupted, and he writhed and trembled, but did not look up; Gollum crouched like a cornered spider.The winged creatures circled, then swooped, and flew back to Mordor.Sam took a deep breath. "The knights are circling again!" he said hoarsely. "I saw them, do you think they can see us? They are very tall, if they are the former black knights, at least they shouldn't be able to see anything during the day, right?" "Nothing may be seen, yes," said Frodo, "but their mounts may be seen, and these winged creatures, perhaps, see farther than any other creature in the world. They just Like large birds eating carrion, they are looking for something, and I guess the devil has raised his alarm." The feeling of dread subsided, but the enveloping silence was broken.They seemed to be isolated from the world before, on an isolated island, but now they are exposed to the enemy again, and the crisis has appeared again.But Frodo still did not speak to Gollum, nor made his choice known.He closed his eyes, as if dreaming, or carefully reviewing all the memories of the past.Finally, he stood up, as if he had made a choice and was about to speak.But all of a sudden, "What!" he said, "What is that?" A new fear descends,.They heard singing and rude shouting.At first it seemed to be coming from far away, but the sound was getting closer, coming towards them.The thought that floated in their minds was that those great black birds saw them and sent armed soldiers to hunt them down. Sauron's terrible servants are always famous for their speed.They hid themselves and listened, the voices and the clang of weapons and the sound of horses' hooves were all very near.Frodo and Sam drew their weapons a little, and this time there was no escape. Slowly Gollum got up, and crawled like an insect to the side of the hole, and carefully stretched out his neck inch by inch until he could look through the gap between the two rocks.He remained motionless, watching for a while without making a sound, and by now the sound had begun to subside, slowly becoming weaker.The horn sounded again far above the gates of Mordor, and Gollum slipped back into the pit. "More humans go to Mordor," he said in a low voice. "Black faces, we haven't seen this kind of humans before, no, Sméagol has not. They are fierce, with black eyes and black hair, ears With rings of gold, yes, lots and lots of beautiful gold. Some also had red paint on their faces, red cloaks, flags and spears were red, and they had black and yellow round shields with big Spikes. No, they look like cruel humans, almost as bad as goblins, and much taller. Sméagol thinks they come from the end of the river, that's where they come from. They The Black Gate has been entered, but more will follow. There will always be more entering Mordor, and one day, perhaps, all of them will enter." "Is it fierce?" As soon as Sam heard about this unknown race, he immediately felt very excited and threw his previous fears to the sky. "No, no Mam. What is Mam?" asked Gollum. Sam stood up, folded his hands behind his back (as he did every time he "read poetry"), and said: As gray as a mouse, As big as a house, nose like a snake, I'll make the earth hiccup, when I cross the grass; Trees will follow. I blow a trumpet in my mouth, wandering about in the south, flap your ears, Many years have passed. I take a long walk, never lie on the ground with eyes closed, Don't lie down even to die. i am fierce I am the biggest creature in the world, Old, tall, huge. if you ever saw me, Never forget me. if you've never seen me, Definitely don't believe me. But I am the old mammoth, Never lie down fiercely. "Well," said Sam, when he had finished, "that's a poem we read in the Shire. Maybe it's just gibberish, maybe it's not, but we've had legends and stories about the South since ancient times. , the hobbits traveled often, and not many came back, and not many believed what they said: thus came the so-called [HTH] Talks of the Shire[HT] and [HTH] News of Bree[HT]. But I have heard legends about those big guys in the land of the sun. We call them Swodin in the stories, when they fight At that time they would ride mammoths, and it is said that they would put houses and towers on their backs, and the mammoths would throw stones and trees at each other.So when you mentioned "Southern people, wearing red clothes and gold", I would naturally ask "Is there any fierceness?" 'Because if there is one, I must take the risk to see it.Alas, looking at it now, I don't think I'll ever have the chance to see a mammoth in my life. Maybe there is no such animal in this world. he sighed. "No, no Mam," Gollum said again, "Sméagol has not heard of Mammoth, he does not want to see them, he does not want these creatures to exist, Sméagol wants to get out of here and hide in a safer place .Sméagol wants to go with master, good master, do you want to go with Sméagol?" Frodo stood up, and couldn't help laughing as Sam recited the poem.Laughter dispelled his hesitation. "I wish we had a thousand of them, and Gandalf would ride on the first white one," he said, "then we could force our way into this wicked place. But we have nothing but a pair of weary feet. Well, Sméagol, a third trust in you may be the best, and I am willing to go with you." "Good master, wise master, good master!" Gollum patted Frodo's knee happily. "Good master! Then good hobbit, rest first in the shadow of the rock, by the rock! Rest quietly until the yellow face is gone, and then we can go quickly. We must be as quiet as possible." Like a shadow!"