The Lord Of The Rings (Collection)

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.Had I known, I would havespoken softer in the Inn at Bree! That spear-thrust would have skewered awild boar! ''Well, it did not skewer me, I am glad to say,' said Frodo; `though Ifeel as if I had been caught between a hammer and an anvil.' He said nomore.He found breathing painful.'You take after Bilbo,' said Gandalf.`There is more about you thanmeets the eye, as I said of him long ago.' Frodo wondered if the remarkmeant more than it said.They now went on again.Before long Gimli spoke.He had keen eyes inthe dark.`I think,' he said, `that there is a light ahead.But it is notdaylight.It is red.What can it be? '`Ghvsh!' muttered Gandalf.`I wonder if that is what they meant: thatthe lower levels are on fire? Still, we can only go on.'Soon the light became unmistakable, and could be seen by all.It wasflickering and glowing on the walls away down the passage before them.Theycould now see their way: in front the road sloped down swiftly, and some wayahead there stood a low archway; through it the glowing light came.The airbecame very hot.When they came to the arch Gandalf went through, signing to them towait.As he stood just beyond the opening they saw his face lit by a redglow.Quickly he stepped back.`There is some new devilry here,' he said, 'devised for our welcome nodoubt.But I know now where we are: we have reached the First Deep, thelevel immediately below the Gates.This is the Second Hall of Old Moria; andthe Gates are near: away beyond the eastern end, on the left, not more thana quarter of a mile.Across the Bridge, up a broad stair, along a wide roadthrough the First Hall, and out! But come and look! 'They peered out.Before them was another cavernous hall.It was loftierand far longer than the one in which they had slept.They were near itseastern end; westward it ran away into darkness.Down the centre stalked adouble line of towering pillars.They were carved like boles of mighty treeswhose boughs upheld the roof with a branching tracery of stone.Their stemswere smooth and black, but a red glow was darkly mirrored in their sides.Right across the floor, close to the feet of two huge pillars a greatfissure had opened.Out of it a fierce red light came, and now and againflames licked at the brink and curled about the bases of the columns.Wispsof dark smoke wavered in the hot air.'If we had come by the main road down from the upper halls, we shouldhave been trapped here,' said Gandalf.`Let us hope that the fire now liesbetween us and pursuit.Come! There is no time to lose.'Even as he spoke they heard again the pursuing drum-beat: Doom, doom,doom.Away beyond the shadows at the western end of the hall there camecries and horn-calls.Doom, doom: the pillars seemed to tremble and theflames to quiver.`Now for the last race! ' said Gandalf.'If the sun is shining outsidewe may still escape.After me! 'He turned left and sped across the smooth floor of the hall.Thedistance was greater than it had looked.As they ran they heard the beat andecho of many hurrying feet behind.A shrill yell went up: they had beenseen.There was a ring and clash of steel.An arrow whistled over Frodo'shead.Boromir laughed.`They did not expect this,' he said.`The fire has cutthem off.We are on the wrong side! '`Look ahead! ' called Gandalf.`The Bridge is near.It is dangerous andnarrow.'Suddenly Frodo saw before him a black chasm.At the end of the hall thefloor vanished and fell to an unknown depth.The outer door could only bereached by a slender bridge of stone, without kerb or rail, that spanned thechasm with one curving spring of fifty feet.It was an ancient defence ofthe Dwarves against any enemy that might capture the First Hall and theouter passages.They could only pass across it in single file.At the brinkGandalf halted and the others came up in a pack behind.'Lead the way, Gimli! ' he said.'Pippin and Merry next.Straight onand up the stair beyond the door! 'Arrows fell among them.One struck Frodo and sprang back.Anotherpierced Gandalf's hat and stuck there like a black feather.Frodo lookedbehind.Beyond the fire he saw swarming black figures: there seemed to behundreds of orcs.They brandished spears and scimitars which shone red asblood in the firelight.Doom, doom rolled the drum-beats, growing louder andlouder, doom, doom.Legolas turned and set an arrow to the string, though it was a longshot for his small bow.He drew, but his hand fell, and the arrow slipped tothe ground.He gave a cry of dismay and fear.Two great trolls appeared;they bore great slabs of stone, and flung them down to serve as gangwaysover the fire.But it was not the trolls that had filled the Elf withterror.The ranks of the orcs had opened, and they crowded away, as if theythemselves were afraid.Something was coming up behind them.What it wascould not be seen: it was like a great shadow, in the middle of which was adark form, of man-shape maybe, yet greater; and a power and terror seemed tobe in it and to go before it.It came to the edge of the fire and the light faded as if a cloud hadbent over it.Then with a rush it leaped across the fissure.The flamesroared up to greet it, and wreathed about it; and a black smoke swirled inthe air.Its streaming mane kindled, and blazed behind it.In its right handwas a blade like a stabbing tongue of fire; in its left it held a whip ofmany thongs.'Ai! ai! ' wailed Legolas.'A Balrog! A Balrog is come! 'Gimli stared with wide eyes.`Durin's Bane! ' he cried, and letting hisaxe fall he covered his face.'A Balrog,' muttered Gandalf.`Now I understand.' He faltered andleaned heavily on his staff.`What an evil fortune! And I am already weary.'The dark figure streaming with fire raced towards them.The orcs yelledand poured over the stone gangways.Then Boromir raised his horn and blew.Loud the challenge rang and bellowed, like the shout of many throats underthe cavernous roof.For a moment the orcs quailed and the fiery shadowhalted.Then the echoes died as suddenly as a flame blown out by a darkwind, and the enemy advanced again.'Over the bridge!' cried Gandalf, recalling his strength.`Fly! This isa foe beyond any of you.I must hold the narrow way.Fly! ' Aragorn andBoromir did not heed the command, but still held their ground, side by side,behind Gandalf at the far end of the bridge.The others halted just withinthe doorway at the hall's end, and turned, unable to leave their leader toface the enemy alone.The Balrog reached the bridge.Gandalf stood in the middle of the span,leaning on the staff in his left hand, but in his other hand Glamdringgleamed, cold and white.His enemy halted again, facing him, and the shadowabout it reached out like two vast wings.It raised the whip, and the thongswhined and cracked.Fire came from its nostrils.But Gandalf stood firm.`You cannot pass,' he said.The orcs stood still, and a dead silencefell.`I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor.Youcannot pass.The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udyn.Go back to theShadow! You cannot pass.'The Balrog made no answer.The fire in it seemed to die, but thedarkness grew [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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