Chapter 14 Section 1 The Tower of Cirise Ungol-1

Sam got up from the ground in great pain. For a moment, he didn't know where he was, and all the despair and sadness he felt before came back.He was just in front of the underground entrance under the orc fortress, and the bronze door was tightly closed.He must have knocked himself unconscious when he slammed the door, but he didn't know how long he had been there.At that time, he seemed to be on fire all over his body, panicked and angry, but now he felt as if he was in an ice cellar, shivering from the cold.He quietly walked to the door, put his ear on it and listened. He could hear faint goblins moving in the distance, but soon they receded into the distance, and at last they could no longer be heard.

His head hurts, and there are all kinds of phantoms jumping around in the darkness, but he still struggles hard, calms down in the darkness, and thinks carefully about the situation in front of him.Obviously, it is completely impossible for him to enter the orc's fortress through this entrance. It may not be opened until several days later, and he can't wait any longer. Time is very precious and urgent.He no longer has any doubts about his mission, he must rescue his master, even at the expense of his life! "Sacrificing life is the most likely outcome, and it is also the easiest choice." When he put away his sword and needles and turned away from the bronze door, he said to himself solemnly.He didn't dare to use the elf's starlight, so he could only grope his way out in the dark tunnel.

Meanwhile, he tried to piece together the sequence of events that had occurred since Frodo and him had left the Crossroads.He doesn't even know what time it is now, it should be almost the next day, he thought, but he can't even be sure how many days have passed.He is in a kingdom full of darkness. Here, time in the real world seems to have been forgotten long ago, and those who walk into this kingdom will also be forgotten along with them. "I don't know if they will think of us," he said, "What is their situation now?" He gestured casually in front of his eyes.In fact, he was facing south, toward Shelob's lair, not west.In the outer western world, this time is the twelfth day of March in the Sharkhan calendar, Aragorn is leaving Pelag with the Black Fleet, and Merry and Hussars are entering the Valley of Stone Wheels, Minas Tirith Caught in the flames, Pippin watched the madness build up in Denethor's eyes... Even in this distressing situation, their friends still thought of Frodo and Sam from time to time.They were not forgotten, but there was no one to help them, and thinking alone was not enough to help Sam Weiss, who was now completely alone.

At last, he finally returned to the stone door at the entrance of the orc passage, but he still couldn't find any mechanism to make it close so tightly; therefore, he climbed over in the old way as before, and jumped down as lightly as a swallow.Then, noiselessly, he came to the exit of Shelob's lair, the remains of its great web still blowing in the cold wind.After the suffocating darkness before, the wind here made him shiver, but it also made him a lot more awake, and Sam walked carefully out. Everything was silent, and the brightness in front of his eyes was only about the level of a sunset shrouded in dark clouds.The black smoke from Mordor skimmed low and drifted westward, and he could see the dark clouds below, lit up by the red firelight, stained dark red all over.

Sam raised his head and looked at the orc's tall tower. There was a sudden red light from its small windows. I wonder if this was some kind of signal?Fears that had been forgotten by his rage returned to him now.As far as he could see, he had only one possible path: Sam had to find the main entrance to the ugly tower.However, he felt that his legs were weak and his whole body was shaking uncontrollably.He moved his eyes away from the horrifying sight in front of him, and forced himself to move forward step by step.He listened attentively to all the sounds around him, and watched all the crevices and shadows that were near, and under the stinking breath of Shelob, he walked back to the place where Frodo had fallen; On the Lord of the Rings, watching Shagra's procession pass by the col.

There he stopped and sat down, he could no longer walk.He had a feeling that if he crossed this pass, and took a step toward Mordor, he would never be able to turn back, and he would never leave that dark realm.He took out the Lord of the Rings for no reason, and put it on again. At the same moment, he immediately felt its heaviness, and at the same time, he also felt more clearly that the Eye of Mordor was anxiously searching, Investigating, hoping to confirm the source of all these uneasiness and doubts. As before, Sam immediately felt that his hearing was much amplified, but the world in front of him became blurred.The walls of the pass were pale, as if through a mist, but far away he could hear the wailing of Shelob in agony; and very near he seemed to hear shouts and clashes of weapons.He jumped up and immediately clung to the rock wall, not daring to move.He was glad to have the help of the Ring, for there was another company of Goblins before him.At first he thought so, and then he realized that was not the case, and he was confused by his own hearing again. The cry of the goblin came from the tower, and now the top of the tower was above his head.

Sam shivered and tried to force himself to move forward, it was obvious what was wrong.Perhaps these Goblins, freed from the strict orders of their superiors, and allowed their cruel natures to prevail, are now mistreating Frodo, and even slashing him to death.He continued to listen, and gradually, a glimmer of hope ignited in his heart.He was sure there had been a fight in the tower, that the Orcs had turned against each other, that Shagra and Gorbag's men were fighting.Although this is only a very slim hope, it is enough for him to muster up his courage again. This may be the only chance.His love for Frodo overwhelmed all other emotions, and forgetting the danger he was in, he cried out, "Mr. Frodo, here I come!" He ran towards the slope, After the highest point, the slope turns to the left and begins to descend sharply, and Sam enters Mordor.

He took off the Ring, perhaps as a deep warning of danger within him, but he felt he had to see better. "Better see your surroundings clearly," he murmured, "you don't have to go headlong into the mist!" The land in front of him looked barren and lifeless, right at his feet, Ifildu The mountains of Sri Lanka formed a steep cliff and fell straight down into a ravine. On the other side of the ravine was a high hill, but the hill was uneven, and it looked like the tip of a sharp claw. Uncomfortable, this is Mogai, the second circle of defense in the dark kingdom.After that was a great dark lake, speckled with sparks; and there was a great fire there, and out of that fire rose a column of smoke of incredible size, which rolled up into the sky.The bottom of the smoke column is dark red, and the upper end forms the zenith covering the dark earth.

Before Sam was Oroduin, the Mountain of Fire.From time to time, hot, deadly, poisonous magma spewed from the furnace below, spreading across the nearby ground.Some of the lava flowed down great channels to Barad-dur, others meandered up the rocky plains, and eventually, when they cooled, they looked like hideous stone dragons spit out by the land.What Sam, weary, saw now was the scene of the doomsday rift when it was violently active. Its light was blocked by the mountains of Iferdus, so that those who came from the west could only see the mountain walls as if soaked in blood. . In this horrible light Sam stood stunned, and when he turned to the left he could see the hideous Cirith Angotah, whose crag he saw from the other side was but its tallest spire.On its east side there are three huge storeys extending from the lower mountain wall, backed by another high cliff, on this cliff there are huge tiers of gradually receding fortresses, facing the southeast and northeast walls, smooth to the point of view. Flies are also difficult to stay.On the lowest level, two hundred feet below Sam's feet, there was a square surrounded by walls, and the exit was on the southeast, facing a broad road.The outer tower of the city wall was built on the edge of the cliff, overlooking where this road meets the road that leads to Morgul Vale.The other direction of the road crosses rough terrain and enters the Gorgoroth Basin, leading to Barad-dur.The path Sam was on led down a steep flight of steps and joined the road just outside the Tower Gate.

When he looked at the road in front of him, Sam was surprised to understand that the purpose of this tower was not to prevent outsiders from entering, but to keep enemies inside.In fact, this is a fortress built by Gondor long ago, the eastern outpost of Ithilien, after the Great War of the Last Alliance, built by the humans of the Western Royal Family to monitor the continent where the creatures of Sauron still lurk of.But, like the Towers of Fang, the people let go, and the Nazgul took over these towers, which have been occupied by evil creatures for many years.After Sauron returned to Mordor, he felt that these towers were very good, because his servants were few and most of them were slaves driven by fear, so the purpose of this tower was still the same as in ancient times, to prevent people from escaping from Mordor. many.It is, however, the last line of defense outside Morgul Vale and Shelob's lair, should an enemy try to infiltrate Mordor secretly.

Sam knew all too well how difficult it was to get past the closely guarded tower and enter the gate.Even if he did, he wouldn't be far down the heavily guarded road below: not even the thick darkness would keep him from the goblins with night vision.Worst of all, though, his mission wasn't to escape the guards, but to break into the tower single-handedly. His thoughts turned to the Ring, but he could only get fear and danger from it, and when he saw Mount Doom, he felt a change in the Ring.Many years ago, the Lord of the Rings was cast here, and its power became stronger and stronger, and it became more and more evil, and only those with extremely strong willpower could control it.Sam stood there, and though he had no Ring on, but hung it around his neck, he felt himself growing bigger.He seems to be wearing a huge phantom of himself, standing on the high wall of Mordor overlooking everything, posing an incomparable threat.He could feel that there were only two choices: continue to hold the ring and endure its torment; or wear the ring and challenge the evil lord hiding in this kingdom.The Lord of the Rings has begun to gnaw at his reason and thoughts, and whimsical scenes began to appear in his mind: he saw the invincible Sam Weiss, the hero Sam of this era, holding the holy sword of fire across the dark land At his call, all the peoples surrendered and came to conquer Barad-doh; then, all the clouds dispersed, the sun shone on the earth, and under his will, the valley of Gorgolos became a beautiful place full of flowers and fruit trees. valley.He just needs to put on the ring, make himself its master, and it will all work out. It was his love for his master that kept him sane during that ordeal, but the hobbit inside him was still awake; he knew he wasn't great enough to bear the burden, even if the visions came true. There will be a difference.What he wants is just a small garden, not a territory that expands into an entire country; he wants to plant everything with his own hands, instead of commanding others to serve him. "Anyway, it's all just an illusion. I can't fool me!" he said to himself. My whereabouts will soon be found, alas, as far as I can say, this time is as hopeless as a spring frost! I can't use the ring when invisibility would help! Even if I can go deeper into Mordor , that thing will become a heavier and heavier burden, what should I do?" In fact, he was not really puzzled, he knew that he had to go to the door immediately.He shrugged his shoulders, as if shaking off those phantoms and burdens, and began to climb slowly down.With every step he took he felt himself shrinking so much that he could not go very far, and he was the small, frightened hobbit again.Before long he came to the outer wall of the tower, and even without the ring he could hear the fighting within.At this time, the voice seemed to come from the square inside the outer wall. Sam was halfway up the climb, when suddenly two Orcs came out of the darkness, not toward him, but toward the road, but before they had gone far, they both staggered and fell to the ground, never to be seen again. Get up too.Sam didn't see the attackers, but he guessed that the two guys were probably shot dead by enemies hiding in the walls or in the shadows.He moved on, leaning against the wall to the left.He looked up and knew that it was impossible to climb up.This stone wall is almost thirty feet high, and there is no gap on it. The most terrible thing is that the top is shaped like an upside-down staircase, and the gate is the only entrance. He continued to advance cautiously, and at the same time he couldn't help wondering, how many of Shagra's men were there in the tower?How many troops does Gorbag ​​have?What are they arguing about?What happened inside?Shaglar's company numbered about forty men, but Gorbag's number was nearly twice as many, but Shaglar's patrol was only a part of the force under his command, and they were mostly quarreling over Frodo and the spoils.Sam stopped in his tracks, he suddenly figured it out, and the scene inside clearly appeared in front of his eyes: mithril chain mail!It must be so!Frodo was wearing it, and they would surely find out.From what Sam had heard, Gorbag ​​would have wanted it for himself.The orders of Mordor are arguably Frodo's only talisman, and if they decide to ignore the orders of their superiors, Frodo may be killed at any time. "Come on, you slow fellow!" Sam said to himself, "Run!" He drew the stinger and rushed to the open door, but just as he was about to break through , suddenly felt a shudder, as if he had run into a web of Sheloh, but it was invisible; he could not see what stood in his way, only that there was something in front of him that was too tough for him to break through.He looked around and saw two watchers in the shadows by the door. They look like two statues seated on thrones, each with three heads, one looking out, one looking across, and one looking inside the door.The head of the statue looks like a vulture, and on the knees are hands like bird claws. They seem to be carved out of a huge piece of rock, they don't move, but they are conscious, as if they are some kind of evil. Demon spirits were injected into their bodies.They can distinguish between friend and foe, invisible or not, no enemy can enter this door, these two statues will prevent him from entering or leaving. Sam resolutely rushed again, this time he seemed to have been punched in the chest and head, and staggered back a few steps.In the end, having no choice, he had an idea and took out the glass bottle given by Galadriel.Its white light intensified rapidly, and the shadows in the dark doorway fled in an instant, and the hideous Watchers sat there motionless, revealing their rigidity.Sam saw the menacing gleam in their stone eyes, and he drew back a few steps; but he could feel the will of the two statues faltered, replaced by fear. He rushed in immediately, and the moment he put the glass bottle in his pocket, he could feel a door closing behind him forcefully, and they came to their senses again, screaming mournfully from those evil heads The sound echoed through the high walls.From a very high place came a shrill bell, as if answering the warning. "It's over!" said Sam, "I just rang the bell! Well, come on!" He yelled, "Tell Shagra that the mighty Elven warrior is coming with the Elven sword!" No response, Sam Striding forward, the thorn in his hand flashed blue light, the whole square was shrouded in shadow, but he could clearly see the corpses on the ground.There were two orc archers at his feet, both with knives stuck in their backs, and there were more horrible corpses after that.Some were hacked to death, some were shot to death, some still clung to each other before they died, and some died by biting and grabbing each other. The entire ground of the square was covered with black blood. Sam noticed two uniforms, one with blood-red eyes embroidered on it, the other with a moon with a skull face, but he didn't stop to take a closer look.On the other side of the square, the door at the bottom of the tower was ajar, with a red light shining from inside, and a tall half-orc died beside the door.Sam jumped over the corpse and walked in, looking around in bewilderment. A wide corridor leads from the door to the mountain.The torches on the walls on either side provided dim lighting.There were many doors on both sides of the corridor, but apart from a few corpses on the ground, everything was empty.From the conversation between the two captains, Sam infers that whether Frodo is dead or alive, he will be locked in the highest room on the top of the tower, but it may take a whole day just to find the way to the top. sky. "I guess it's somewhere near the back," Sam murmured. "The whole tower seems to be leaning back, anyway, I'll walk along these firelights first!" He walked slowly along the corridor, Each step became heavier, and he began to feel the fear again.Except for the sound of his footsteps, there was a dead silence all around; more than that, the footsteps seemed to grow louder and louder, and at last it was even a bit like the clapping of giants.The corpses all over the floor, the empty corridor, and the wet walls that seemed to be covered with blood all made him paranoid, worried that the enemy would suddenly rush out and kill him.In addition to the threat in front of him, the two terrifying statues at the door have always been a shadow in his heart.This has almost exceeded the limit of his tolerance, he would rather face the enemy face to face (of course, the number of opponents should not be too many), and he does not want to continue to endure this kind of fearful torture.He forced himself to think of Frodo, of him bound and slumped in some dark corner. He walked through the place where the fire was shining, and came to an arched door at the end of the corridor, which was the other side of the previous underground passage, and he guessed correctly.At this time, a choked scream came from above his head, he stopped immediately, and then heard footsteps approaching, and a guy ran desperately down from above. Sam's will could not restrain his hand, and he drew out the necklace, and grasped the Ring, but Sam did not put it on, for, while the hand was holding the Ring to his breast, an Orc appeared.He jumped out of a door on the right and rushed towards Sam, and when he was within a few steps of Sam, he looked up and saw him; Sam could hear his rapid breathing and his bloodshot eyes.He stopped abruptly, because, in his eyes, instead of a shivering little hobbit in front of him, he saw a silent figure hiding in the gray shadows, and the flickering light behind him made the man look extremely tall ... The enemy's right hand held a sword, and the light from the sword made him unbearable, while the other hand was placed on his chest, holding some kind of terrifying power, enough to kill him with one blow. The half-orc stayed for a moment, then screamed, turned around and ran away.As if seeing the enemy turning his head and running away, Sam chased after him vigorously like a hound, shouting: "That's right! The elf warriors are coming!" he yelled, tearing his throat open. "I'm coming! Take me up, or I'll skin you off!" However, although the orc was very scared, he at least ate He is full and familiar with this place; Sam is a stranger who is thirsty and hungry. The stairs are high and steep, and Sam soon begins to gasp for breath.The goblin was quickly out of sight, and Sam could just barely hear his footsteps from above, and sometimes he let out a meaningless growl that echoed down the stairwell, but the sound faded away. Disappeared. Sam staggered on, and he could feel he was on the right track, and he picked himself up and gave chase.He put away the Ring and tightened his belt. "Okay, okay!" he said, "as long as they're so afraid of me and the needles, there's hope. Anyway, it looks like Shagra and Gorbag's men should have done most of the work for me." Work. Except for that scared little mouse, I believe there should be no one left here!" As soon as he finished speaking, he stopped suddenly, as if hitting an invisible wall, and then he understood what he just said What does it mean──No one survived!Whose scream was it just now? "Frodo, Frodo! Master!" he cried, crying. "What shall I do if they kill you? I must go up and see what is the matter!" Climbing up, except for the occasional torch in the corner and a little light from the window, the stairwell is dark.Sam tried to count how many stairs there were, but after two hundred he lost count.He deliberately lowered the volume, because he felt as if he could hear someone talking above. It seemed that more than one mouse might be left behind. Just when he thought he could no longer breathe and lift his feet, the stairs reached the end.He stopped, and the voice became clearer and closer.Sam looked around. He had already climbed to the third tier of the tallest tower. It was a flat roof: about twenty feet long and wide, with low battlements on both sides. The dome has a low door facing east and west.To the east, Sam could see the vast, dark plains of Mordor, and the burning mountains in the distance. The deep volcano seemed to be in an unusual commotion, and the high-heat magma dyed the surrounding mountains bright red; The rear tower was blocked, and this tower rose from view, the highest point surpassing even the top of the mountain behind.Lights flickered in its windows, and the entrance was only ten yards from where Sam stood. The door was open, but it was dark inside, and that was where the sound came from. At first, Sam didn't listen. He took a step towards the east door and looked out. He immediately understood that this was the place where the fighting was fiercest. The whole platform was full of goblin corpses and headless heads. Limbs and limbs were scattered all over the place, and the place smelled of rancidity.A growl and a knock made him flinch, and he heard the angry voice of a goblin, a hoarse, rough, cold voice he recognized at once—it was Shagra, Captain of the Tower. "You say you dare not go again? Shit, Snagar, you bastard! If you think I'm hurt enough that you can lie to me, then you're wrong! Come here, I'll blow your eyeball out Just like I did with Rydbor. I'll deal with you when new recruits come, and I'll send you to Shelob." "They won't come, at least not until you die!" Snagar said haughtily Said, "I have told you twice, Gorbag's men went to the gate first, and no one from our side got out. Raghev and Maskash rushed out, but they were also shot dead. I told You and I saw it from the window, and they are the last two." "Then it's your turn, I have to stay here, I'm hurt. May the black pit swallow that damned Gorbag!" Chagra then continued Spit out a series of curses and insults: "I gave him more things, but this bitch stabbed me before I strangled him. You go, or I will eat you, you must inform Luge Betsy's side, or we're both doomed! Yes, you're the same, you can't escape hiding here." "I'm not going any further," said Snagar, "I don't care Not captain, no! Take your hand off the knife or I'll shoot you an arrow. You won't be captain until they know what's going on here. I'm for my brother in this tower Fight those Morden guys, look at what you two damn captains are doing to get that prisoner!" "Enough is enough," said Shaglar, "I have my orders, and it was Gorbag ​​who tried to grab that prisoner!" Wear that beautiful chain mail, that's why." "It's not because you put it away, at least he knows more than you. He told you several times that the more dangerous enemy has not been caught yet Come on, you just won't listen. I tell you, Gorbag ​​is right, there's a terrible warrior around, he might be one of those elves who kill without batting an eye, or those Tak people Tak is West in Elvish The royal family, later distorted by the goblins and quoted in their own dialect, means the people of Gondor, I tell you, he is coming! You also heard the alarm bells, he passed those watchers, this must be Takgan Yes! He's on the stairs, and I'm not going out until he's gone, not even if you're a Ringwraith." "Really? Is that so?" Shagra shouted, "Do whatever you want What? When he comes, will you leave me and run away? No, no! I will kill you first!" The little orc escaped from the tower, and the tall Shagara chased him out, his arms hurt. He is long and hangs to the ground when he runs; however, he seems to be unable to move one hand, which is still stained with blood, and the other hand is holding a large black bundle.Sam hid in the dark, and took a look at him in the dim red light as he passed by: Shagra's face seemed to be scratched by sharp claws, and there was blood all over it; Roaring like a beast. In front of Sam, Shagra ran desperately on the platform, chasing and killing Snagar, who dodged all the way, and finally rushed into the tower.Shagra stopped at the door, and Sam noticed that he was panting and flicking his left hand weakly.He put the bundle on the floor, took out a slender red knife with his right hand, and spat on it.He walked to the edge of the tower and yelled a few times to the outside, but there was no response. Suddenly, as Shagra was leaning against the low wall and surveying the square below, Sam was surprised to see a corpse begin to move. He crawled forward slowly, then reached out and grabbed the bundle—he staggered to his feet, holding in his other hand a spear that had broken off at the bottom, aiming for the target, ready to thrust hard.At that moment, he sucked in a breath, probably from pain or anger; Shagra quickly slid aside like a snake, turned around, and stabbed the enemy's throat with his knife. "Got you, Gorbag!" he yelled, "Aren't you dead yet? Huh, I've got a beginning and an end!" He kicked the enemy away and started chopping and stomping on the dead body , to unleash that savage rage.Satisfied at last, he raised his head and howled like a wild beast; then, licking the knife, closing it between his teeth, he took his pack and staggered to the stairs. Sam didn't have time to think about it. He might be able to sneak out, but he would probably be discovered by the other party. He couldn't keep playing hide-and-seek with this orc. He had only one choice.He jumped out and faced Shagra with a yell!He no longer held the Ring, but it was still with him, and the hidden dark power was not gone, and that alone was enough to make the slaves of Mordor bow their heads; besides, he held the lancet in the other hand.The light from the sword mercilessly stung the half-orc's eyes. This kind of thing with elf power is the most terrible nightmare of the half-orc. It is impossible for Shagra to fight against him and hold the treasure at the same time.Growling, he bent down, baring his fangs, and, like all orcs, dodged aside again, using the bundle as a shield and weapon, hitting his foe hard in the face.Sam staggered, and before he had time to regain his footing, Shagra sprinted into the stairwell. Sam ran after it, cursing, but he didn't go very far.Soon he thought of Frodo, and another Orc who had broken into the tower, another dilemma, and he didn't have much time to think about it.If Shagra escaped, he would soon find a helper and come back; but if Sam pursued him, another orc might do something terrible, and Sam might not catch Shagra at all. Or be killed by him.He turned quickly and continued running upstairs. "I think I might be wrong again this time," he sighed, "but no matter what, I have to go up first, and whatever happens after that!" At this time, Shagra had already rushed out of the stairs, carrying her baby The burden came to the square.If Sam had found him, and foresaw how distressed his escape would be to his companions, he might have tried his best to catch up with him, but at the moment his mind was on the task at hand.He opened the door of the tower carefully and walked in. It was dark inside, but soon, his eyes found a glimmer of light on the right.It was from a portal leading to another staircase, narrow and dark, that seemed to go up the interior of the wall, and somewhere above it a torch glowed faintly. Silently, Sam began to climb, and he came to the flickering torch, which was stuck in the door on his left hand, facing the west-facing window, which was before him and Frodo. One of many red eyes seen outside.Sam hurried past the door and hurried to the second floor, fearing that at any moment he might be attacked or be strangled behind by silent hands.Then he came to another door and another torch, this time the window faced the east, and he was probably in the middle of the tower.The door was open, and the passage outside was unlit except for the faint red light from the outside, but the stairs no longer went up.There was a low door on either side, but both were closed and locked, and there was no sound from all around. "Dead end," Sam muttered, "I've been climbing for so long! This is not the top of the tower, what should I do now?" He ran back to the lower level and tried to open the door there, but in vain.He ran up again, and big beads of sweat dripped from his forehead. He didn't dare to waste a single minute, but the time passed mercilessly, and he was helpless, unable to think of any way Come.He was completely incapable of thinking about Shagra, Snagar, or the other goblins, he just wanted to find his master, just to see him again, to touch him again. In the end, he had to sit down tired and helpless, holding his head in his hands, not knowing what to do, the surrounding was very quiet, so quiet that it was scary.When he arrived, the torch, which had been burning for a long time, flickered a few times and died out, and he felt the darkness engulfing him like a tide; He even opened his mouth to sing. His voice sounded weak and trembling in the dark, cold tower.It was a hopeless, weary little hobbit, and no half-orc would have heard it and mistook him for an elf warrior.He murmured Shire's nursery rhymes and Bilbo's poems, and scenes of his hometown flashed before his eyes; then, he suddenly felt a new power awakening in his body, and he became full of energy, from his mind The words that pop up are automatically filled in this simple tune: Under the sunshine of the western land, the spring is full of flowers, the trees are lush and the water is like midsummer, and the birds are singing and flying. The cloudless night sky is blue, beside the swaying cypress trees, the elf stars are like white diamonds, and the dense branches and leaves are shining with stars. After traveling thousands of miles, I finally stopped, and the dark breath separated me. The towering towers cannot be covered, the majestic mountains cannot be covered, the sun is still blazing, and the stars are shining forever. It is not too late to rise up at this moment. "The towering tower cannot be overthrown..." he began to sing again, but stopped suddenly.He thought he heard a faint voice answering his singing, but then there was nothing.Yes, he could hear something, but it wasn't a human voice, it was footsteps.A door in the upper passageway opened with a sound of turning on its hinges.Sam bent over and listened carefully, the door cada closed, and a harsh goblin voice came. "Hey! That one up there, you dead mouse! Stop barking, or I'm going to get you. Did you hear that?" No one answered. 「好吧，」史那加低吼着：「反正我看看，你到底在搞什么鬼。」门枢再度发出转动的声音，山姆跑到门廊边，这次终于发现门廊中传来了一丝火光，一名半兽人走出外面，他似乎带着一具梯子。山姆突然间明白了：最上面的房间，必须透过天花板上的陷板门才能打开。史那加把梯子往上一戳，稳住两边，接着就爬了进去。山姆听见他拉开门闩的声音，然后，那刺耳的声音又开始了。 「你不好好安静躺着，到时就完蛋了！我猜你可能活不了多久了，如果你不想要现在就开始乐一乐，最好闭上你那张嘴，懂了吗？这是一点教训！」接着是听起来像是鞭子甩动的声音。 山姆胸中的怒火立刻爆发。他跳了出去，像是野猫一样敏捷地攀上楼梯。他的脑袋从一个圆形大房间的地板上伸了出来，天花板上挂着一盏红色的油灯，西边的窗户又高又暗，但有一个半兽人的身影站在旁边。对方又再度举起鞭子，但这一鞭再也无法落下。 山姆大喊一声冲了出去，手中紧握着宝剑刺针；半兽人猛地转过身，在他来得及反应之前，山姆就一剑将他持鞭的手砍了下来。半兽人因为痛苦和恐惧开始狂嚎，但还是本能地朝向敌人冲去。山姆的第二剑完全没砍中目标，他自己也因为对方的冲撞而抱着对方连连后退，最后摔倒在地上，对方却也被他绊了个脚步踉跄。在山姆来得及站起来之前，他就听到一声惨叫和轰然巨响。原来，半兽人在慌张狂乱的状态中竟一个不小心从陷板门跌了下去。山姆没有时间管他，立刻跑向躺在地板上的那人──那正是佛罗多。 他浑身未着寸缕，神智不清地躺在一堆烂布上。他举着手臂挡住头，身侧有道火红的鞭痕。 「佛罗多！亲爱的佛罗多先生！」山姆大喊着，泪水让他眼前一片模糊。「我是山姆，我来了！」他扶起主人，紧拥着他，佛罗多睁开了眼睛。 「我还在作梦吗？」他呢喃着：「其他的梦都好恐怖！」「主人，你不是在作梦，」山姆说：「这是真的！是我，我来救你了！」「我真不敢相信！」佛罗多紧抱着他说：「原来还是个拿着鞭子的半兽人，现在却变成了山姆！那我刚刚听到的歌声不是梦罗？我还试着回答！那是你吗？」「是我，佛罗多先生，我差一点点就完全放弃了，我一直找不到你啊……」「好啦，山姆，亲爱的山姆，你已经找到我了！」佛罗多说。然后，他闭上眼，满足地躺在山姆的臂弯里，彷佛是做噩梦的小孩，终于可以躲到父母怀里一样。 山姆觉得他可以一辈子都坐在这边看着主人，但他并不能这么做，光是找到主人还不够，他还必须要试着救他出去。他亲吻了佛罗多的前额。「乖！佛罗多先生，快醒来！」他试着让自己的声音放轻松，听起来像是在夏尔早晨叫唤主人起床的样子。 佛罗多叹了一口气，坐直身。「我们在哪里？我怎么到这边来的？」他问道。 「等我们逃出去之后再说吧，佛罗多先生，」山姆说：「你在高塔的最上面，就是在半兽人抓到你之前，我们从很远地方看到的建筑。我根本已经不记得那是多久以前了，我想大概至少有一天了吧。」「只有一天？」佛罗多说：「我感觉好像过了好几个星期，有机会你一定得好好告诉我。有个东西打中我，然后我就开始做起噩梦，醒过来却发现现实变得更糟糕，我的身边全都是半兽人。我想他们把某种辛辣的饮料倒进我嘴里，我的思绪变得比较清楚，但全身还是又痛又累。他们把我身上所有的东西都剥了下来，然后有两个壮硕的家伙跑来审问我，一直不停地问，他们还边玩弄着小刀，最后我都快发疯了！我永远忘不了他们的爪子和眼神。」「佛罗多先生，你越说就越忘不了，」山姆说：「如果我们不想要再看见他们，我们最好赶快离开。你走得动吗？」「还好，我走得动。」佛罗多缓缓爬起来。「山姆，我没受伤，只是觉得非常非常累。对了，我这边还有点痛！」他指着左肩上方的脖子处。他站了起来，在山姆眼中，他浑身发红，看起来让人十分担心。 他来回走了几次，「好多了！」他说，精神也稍稍提振了一些。「只有我一个人、或是有守卫在旁边的时候，我动也不敢动；后来，吼叫和打斗就开始了，我想，是那两个壮硕的家伙彼此起了争执，应该是和我身上带的东西有关。我害怕得躺在那边不敢动弹，然后，一切都安静下来，这样更让人害怕。」「没错，看起来他们似乎起了争执，」山姆说：「这个地方恐怕有好几百个那种恐怖的家伙。对山姆来说可真是太困难了一点。不过，幸好他们全都替我把辛苦的部分完成了，将对方杀了个精光，等我们逃出去之后，有机会可以做首歌来纪念一下。现在我们要怎么办？佛罗多先生，你可不能就这样光着屁股走出去啊！」「山姆，他们把所有东西都拿走了，」佛罗多说：「我身上的所有东西。你明白吗?所有东西！」他再度低着头在地板上坐了下来，彷佛他自己所说的话，才让他明白这事态到底有多严重，一切都已经结束了。「山姆，我的任务失败了，即使我们可以逃出去，我们能躲到哪里去？只有精灵能离开这一切，远离中土世界，到海的另一边去；最后，可能连海都无法阻挡魔影的扩张。」「不，其实不是每样东西，佛罗多先生，你的任务没有失败，至少暂时还没有。佛罗多先生，请你见谅，是我拿走的，我替你好好保管着──它就挂在我的脖子上，而且它还好沉重！」山姆拨弄着挂在练子上的魔戒。「但我想你一定得把它收回去了！」到了这个地步，山姆实在不想把魔戒还给主人，让他再承受这重担。 「在你手上？」佛罗多吃惊地说：「你把它带来了？山姆，你真是太棒了！」然后，他的语气很快改变了。「把它给我！」他大喊一声，颤抖着伸出手。「立刻把它给我！它不是你的！」「好嘛！佛罗多先生，」山姆吃惊地说：「拿去！」他慢慢地掏出魔戒，将练子绕过头。「可是，你现在人在魔多，等你走出去的时候，就会看见火焰山脉了。魔戒会变得很危险，非常沉重。如果这对你来说承受不了，或许我可以帮你分担一下？」「不，不行！」佛罗多一把将魔戒从山姆手中抢走。「你，你不行，你这个小偷！」他气喘吁吁地看着山姆，布满血丝的双眼中充满了恐惧；接着，他一手抓着魔戒，脸上却露出不知如何是好的呆滞表情，他眼前的迷雾似乎消退了。佛罗多揉捏着疼痛的眉心，刚刚他眼前的景象实在太恐怖了，让他惊骇得不知该如何是好！山姆幻化成另一只贪婪的半兽人，虎视眈眈地拿着他的宝物。现在，那幻象已经消失了，山姆跪在他面前，脸上露出极端痛苦的表情，主人的态度让他比被刀砍还要痛苦。」「喔，山姆！」佛罗多大喊一声。「我刚刚说了什么？我做了什么？请原谅我，在你经历了那么多之后，我竟然这样！那是魔戒的力量，我真希望它根本没有被发现！山姆，别管我了，我必须背负这重担直到最后。这是无法改变的命运，你无法阻止我走向一切的末日。」「没关系的，佛罗多先生，」山姆擦着眼泪道：「我明白的，可是我还是忍不住，还是忍不住哇！我是来救你出去的。马上，好吗？不过，你必须先弄到一些衣服和装备，然后还得要有些食物。衣服会是最简单可以弄到的。由于我们人在魔多，最好穿得和这里的人一样，不过，我们也没有多少选择，不是吗？佛罗多先生，你恐怕必须要穿半兽人的衣服了，我也一样。如果我们要一起走，最好得穿一样才行。先把这披上！」山姆解开灰斗篷，将它披在佛罗多的肩膀上，然后，他卸下背包，将它放在地板上。他拔出刺针，现在，剑刃上几乎没有什么蓝光。「我都忘了这个了，佛罗多先生！」他说。「不，他们没有拿走所有的东西！如果你还记得，你把女皇的玻璃管和刺针借给了我，我都还带在身上。佛罗多先生，请把它们再借给我一段时间，我必须去看看能找到些什么。你留在这边，四处走一走，活络一下筋骨。我很快就会来，应该不用走太远就可以找到的。」「山姆，要小心！」佛罗多说：「动作要快！或许还有半兽人躲了起来！」「我得要冒这个险才行，」山姆说。他打开陷板门，爬了下去。不久之后，他又探出头来，丢上来一柄小刀。 「这应该可以派得上用场，」他说：「刚刚打你的那家伙已经死了，看来他摔断了脖子。佛罗多先生，如果你还有力气，我建议你把梯子收上来，在我喊出口令之前，你绝对不要把梯子放下来。口令就用伊尔碧绿丝好了，这是精灵的用语，半兽人不会这样说的！」佛罗多坐了一阵子，打了个寒颤，许多恐怖念头在他脑中跑来跑去。然后，他披着灰斗篷站了起来，为了不让自己再胡思乱想，他只好来来回回地走动，试图看清楚这房间的每一个角落。 虽然恐惧让这段时间感觉起来有好几小时，但实际上山姆的声音不久之后就从下面传了上来：伊尔碧绿丝、伊尔碧绿丝！佛罗多把梯子放下去。山姆气喘吁吁地爬上来，头上顶着一个大包袱，他让那些东西轰的一声掉到地上。 「快点，佛罗多先生！」他说：「我花了不少时间才找到尺寸够小、我们可以穿的衣服，看来我们得将就一点了，但动作必须快点。我没有遇到任何活人、也没看到任何迹象，虽然我不能解释，但是我就是有种感觉──好像会飞的黑骑士就在附近，在上空的一片黑暗中。」他打开包袱，佛罗多强忍住恶心打量着里面的东西，但他其实别无选择：他得要穿上这些东西，再不然就得光着屁股到处跑。里面是用某种肮脏兽皮做的，毛绒绒的裤子，以及一件肮脏的皮上衣。他套上这些衣服，在衣服外面还有一件对半兽人来说有点太短的结实环甲，但对佛罗多来说却太长也太重了；他接着绑上腰带，腰带上还有一柄宽刃的短剑。山姆也扛来了几个半兽人的头盔，其中一件相当适合佛罗多的头型。那是顶嵌着铁环的黑帽子，铁箍上还画了红色的的邪眼，底下则是突出的，类似鹰嘴的护鼻。 「魔窟的装备，哥巴葛的东西比较合身，也做得比较好，」山姆说：「但我想在经过这边的骚动之后，带着魔窟的徽记在这里到处走动并不安全。好啦，佛罗多先生，你看！请容我大胆说一句：很逼真的小半兽人哪！如果你可以戴上面具、把手臂弄长、弄出一双弯腿来，就真的天衣无缝啦！这应该可以隐藏掉一些破绽，」他将一件宽大的黑斗篷披在佛罗多的肩膀上。「好啦！我们走的时候，你可以再背一面盾牌。」「山姆，那你呢？」佛罗多说：「我们不是要穿成对吗？」「佛罗多先生，我刚刚考虑了一下，」山姆说：「我最好不要把任何东西留下来，当然更不可以把它们弄坏，我也不可能在外面套那么多的盔甲，对吧？我得要伪装一下才行。」他跪了下来，小心翼翼地折起精灵斗篷，它的尺寸变成了不起眼的一小团，然后，他将斗篷收进地上的背包里面。接着，他站起来，背起背包，戴上半兽人的头盔，然后也披上一件类似的黑斗篷。「好啦！」他说：「现在我们看起来够接近了，该出发了！」「山姆，我不可能从头跑到尾，」佛罗多笑着说：「我希望你已经打听好路上的旅店在哪里了；另外，你忘记了食物和饮水？」「天哪！我还真的忘记了！」山姆说，他吹了声口哨。「呼，佛罗多先生，你这一说我才觉得又渴又饿！我不知道已经有多久没吃过东西了，光是忙着要找你，我都忘记了。让我想想！我上次检查的时候，我还有不少的精灵乾粮，而且加上法拉墨将军给我们的食物，我们至少还可以节省一点走几个礼拜。不过，水已经完全喝光了。就算还有剩下来，也绝对不可能够两个人喝。半兽人难道不吃也不喝吗？还是他们靠着这恶臭的空气和毒液就可以活下来？」「不，山姆，他们会吃会喝。孕育他们的魔影只会模仿、不会创造，它不可能变出完全属于它的东西。我不认为它将生命赐给了半兽人，它只是扭曲、改造他们，如果他们想要活下来，必须和其他的生物一样吃东西。如果他们只能找到臭水和臭肉，那他们也得吃，但说剧毒就太夸张了。他们喂我吃过一些东西，所以我的状况比你要好，但我猜这里某处应该还有吃的和喝的。」「可是我们没时间去找了，」山姆说。