The Treason of Isengard (58 page)

5. For another use of Neldoreth, from the legends of the First Age, in The Lord of the Rings see VI.384.

6. The three cities were still relatively far apart on the redrawn portion 'C' of the First Map, repeated on the 1943 map; see note 1.

7. That this river flowed from Minas Tirith is not perfectly clear on the First Map, owing to a difficulty in distinguishing between the fine lines that mark the outer contours of the mountains and those that mark streams (see note 2); but on my 1943 map it is shown very clearly as flowing out of the city (and I have so redrawn it on Map III).

8. This is still the case not only on the 1943 map but also on a later map of my father's (p. 312).

9. This is a convenient place to notice that the redrawn version of the LR map first published in Unfinished Tales contains an error, in that I showed Sirith as the western arm and Celos, its tributary, as the eastern, whereas it should be the reverse (as it is on the large-scale map of Mordor, Gondor, and Rohan in The Return of the King).

10. Cobas Haven: cf. Kopas Alqalunte in The Book of Lost Tales (1.257 and Index). In the Etymologies (V.364 - 5) Quenya kopa

'harbour, bay' was given under the stem KOP, but this entry was replaced by a stem KHOP, whence Quenya hopa, Noldorin hobas, as in Alfobas = Alqualonde.

11. For Dant-ruin, Dant-ruinel, and Rauros see pp. 283, 285.

12. This name can in fan only be made out in the light of the appearance of the Isle of Emris in a time-scheme of this period (see p. 367), where it was changed to Eregon, and that to Tolbrandir. On the fair copy manuscript of 'Farewell to Lorien'

Tolondren was changed to Eregon (p. 285)-

13. For earlier forms Brandor, Tol Brandor see p. 285.

14. The divided course of Anduin on o 13 is very clear on the map.

15. I have represented the extension of the Black Mountains on P 8-9

with dots and strokes to make it consistent with the representation of mountains elsewhere on Map III (see note 2); in the original the contours are shown by continuous lines, as on Map IV(E).

XVI.

THE STORY FORESEEN FROM

LORIEN.

(i)

The Scattering of the Company.

It seems certain that before my father wrote the conclusion of

'Farewell to Lorien' - that is, from the point where the Company returned to the hythe and departed down the Great River - he began to write a new and very substantial outline of the way ahead. The opening pages of this outline are complex, and at the beginning the text was much altered, though it is clear that my father was changing the embryonic story as he wrote and that the layers of the text belong together. The notes are here again an essential part of the elucidation.

At the head of the text he wrote, in a second stage, 'XXI', then changed it to 'XX continued' and after the opening words 'The Company sets off from Tongue' wrote in 'XXI'. On the arrangement of chapters in this outline see pp. 329 - 30.(1)

The Company sets off from Tongue.

They are attacked with arrows.(2)

They come to [struck out: Stony] Stoneait [struck out: Tolharn] Tollernen (3) [added: sheersided except on North where there [is] a little shingle beach. It rises to a high brown hill, higher than the low brown hills on either bank. They land and camp on the island]. Debate whether to go East or West. Frodo feels it in his heart that he should go East and crosses over with Sam to east shore and climbs a hill, and looks out south-east towards the Gates of Mordor. He tells Sam that he wishes to be alone for a while and bids him go back [and] guard the boat on which they had crossed from the Island. Meanwhile Boromir taking another boat crossed over. He hides his boat in bushes.

[This passage changed to read: Debate whether to go East or West. Frodo feels it in his heart that he should go East and climbs the tall hill in the midst of the island. Sam goes with him but near the top Frodo says to him that he is going to sit on hill top alone and bids him wait for him. Frodo sits alone and looks out towards Mordor over Sarn Gebir and Nomen's land.(4) Meanwhile Boromir has crept away from Company and climbed hill from west side.]

As Frodo is sitting alone on hill top, Boromir comes suddenly up and stands looking at him. Frodo is suddenly aware as if some unfriendly thing is looking at him behind. He turns and sees only Boromir smiling with a friendly face.

'I feared for you,' said Boromir, 'with only little Sam. It is ill to be alone on the east side of the River.(5) Also my heart is heavy, and I wished to talk a while with you. Where there are so many all speech becomes a debate without end in the conflict of doubting wills.'

'My heart too is heavy,' said Frodo, 'for I feel that here doubts must be resolved; and I foresee the breaking up of our fair company, and that is a grief to me.'

'Many griefs have we had,' said Boromir, and fell silent.

There was no sound; only the cold rustle of the chill East wind in the withered heather. Frodo shivered.

Suddenly Boromir spoke again.

'It is a small thing that lies so heavy on our hearts, and confuses our purposes,' said Boromir. [Here include conversation written above and bring down to Boromir's attempt to seize the Ring.]

This last sentence was written continuously with the preceding text.

The conversation referred to is found on two pages of the 'August 1940' examination paper, written in pencil so faint and rapid that my father went over it more clearly in ink, although, so far as the underlying text can be made out, he followed it almost exactly. This obviously preceded the new outline into which it is inserted, and was a development from the scene in the previous Plot ('The Story Foreseen from Moria') given on p. 208, where the debate, Boromir's intervention, and Frodo's flight wearing the Ring all take place 'at Angle': here the scene is set 'at the Stone Hills, whence Eredwethion (6) can be glimpsed'

(these words being visible in the underlying text also). In the notes given on p. 233 the 'parting of the ways' took place 'at Stonehills'; in the outlines for 'Farewell to Lorien' (pp. 268 - 9) the debate and the

'scene with Boromir' follow the landing on Tolondren and the ascent into the Green Hills, or the Emyn Rhain.

Conversation of Boromir and Frodo at the Stone Hills, whence Eredwethion can be glimpsed like a smudge of grey, and behind it a vague cloud lit beneath occasionally by a fitful glow.

'It is a small thing from which we suffer so much woe,' said Boromir. 'I have seen it but once for an instant, in the house of Elrond. Could I not have a sight of it again?'

Frodo looked up. His heart went suddenly cold. He caught a curious gleam in Boromir's eye, though his face otherwise was friendly and smiling as of old.

'It is best to let it lie hid,' he answered.

'As you will. I care not,' said Boromir. 'Yet I will confess that it is of the Ring that I wish to speak. (Yet hidden or revealed I would wish now to speak to you of the Ring?)... [sic]

Boromir says that Elrond etc. are all foolish. 'It is mad not to use the power and methods of the Enemy: ruthless, fearless.

Many elves, half-elves, and wizards might be corrupted by it -

but not so a true Man. Those who deal in magic will use it for hidden Power. Each to his kind. You, Frodo, for instance, being a hobbit and desiring peace: you use it for invisibility. Look what a warrior could do! Think what I - or Aragorn, if you will

- could do! How he would fare among the enemy and drive the Black Riders! It would give power of command.

'And yet Elrond tells us not only to throw it away and destroy it - that is understandable (though not to my mind wise since I have pondered on it by night on our journey). But what a way -

walk into the enemy's net and offer him every chance of re-capturing it!'

Frodo is obdurate.

'Come at least to Minas-tirith!' said Boromir. He laid his hand on Frodo's shoulder in friendly fashion, but Frodo felt his arm tremble as if with suppressed excitement. Frodo stepped away and stood further off.

'Why are you so unfriendly?' said Boromir. 'I am a valiant man and true,' he said. 'And I give you my word that I would not keep it - would not, that is I should say, if you would lend it to me. Just to make trial!'

No! No! said Frodo. [Added: It is mine alone by fate to bear.']

Boromir gets more angry, and so more incautious (or actually evil purpose now only begins to grow in him). 'You are foolish!'

he cried. 'Doing yourself to death and ruining our cause. Yet the Ring is not yours, save by chance. It might as well have been Aragorn's - or mine. Give it to me! Then you will be rid of it, and of all responsibility. You would be free' (cunningly) 'You can lay the blame on me, if you will, saying that I was too strong and took it by force. For I am too strong for you, Frodo,' he said. And now an ugly look had come suddenly over his fair and pleasant face. He got to his feet and sprang at Frodo.

Frodo could do nothing else. He slipped the Ring on, and vanished among the rocks. Boromir cursed, and groped among the rocks. Then suddenly the fit left him, and he wept.

'What folly possessed me!' he said. 'Come back, Frodo!' he called. 'Frodo! Evil came into my heart, but I have put it away.'

But Frodo was now frightened, and he hid until Boromir went back to camp. Standing on rocks he saw nothing about him but a grey formless mist, and far away (yet black and clear and hard) the Mountains of Mordor: the fire seemed very red. Fell voices in air. Feels Eye searching, and though it does not find him, he feels its attention is suddenly arrested (by himself).(7) Here the inserted text ends and the new Plot continues: Then Frodo took counsel with himself, and he perceived that the evil of the Ring was already at work even among the Company. (Also its evil was again on him, since he had put it on again.) He said to himself: this is laid on me. I am the Ringbearer and none can help me. I will not emperil the other hobbits or any of my companions. I will depart alone.

He slips away unseen and coming to the boats takes one and crosses over to the East.

Boromir is now himself frightened and though (half) repent-ing his own greed for the Ring the curse has not wholly left him.

He ponders what tale he shall tell to the others. Hastening back to the River he comes upon Sam, who anxious at Frodo's long absence is coming to the hill-top to find him.

'Where is my master?' says Sam.

'I left him on the hill-top,' said Boromir, but something wild and odd in his face caused Sam sudden fear. 'What have you done with him?' 'I have done nothing,' said Boromir. 'It is what he has done himself: he has put on the ring and vanished! '

'Thank goodness the island is not large,' said Sam in great alarm, but he thought also to himself: 'And what made him do that, I should like to know. What mischief has this great fool been up to?' Without another word to Boromir he ran back to the camp to find Trotter. 'Master Frodo has disappeared! ' he cried.

Consternation. The hunt. Some scour the island. But Sam discovers the fact that a boat is missing. Has Frodo gone East or West? Trotter decides that they cannot hope to recapture Frodo against his will, but they must follow him if they can. Which way?

[Or make Island inaccessible: steep shores. Black birds circle high above its tall cliffs and central summit. Distant noise of the falls of Dantruinel.(8) They camp on west shore. Hence when Frodo is lost they all go after him. Thus Pippin and Merry get separated.(9) Sam sits alone and so discovers missing boat. He takes another and goes after Frodo.] [Against this bracketed passage is written Yes.]

It is clear that my father at once accepted his suggestion in this last passage that the Company camped on the west bank, not on the island in the river, because that passage contains the words 'Sam discovers missing boat. He takes another and goes after Frodo', and this, as will be seen in a moment, is a necessary element in the story that follows.

Boromir is for West. In any case he says he is afraid - the Ring will fall now almost certainly into the Enemy's hands. 'This madness was set [in] him for that purpose.'(10) He wishes to get now to Minas-Tirith as quick as possible. Sam goes West [read East], others East [read West].

Sam picks up trail of Frodo.(11) How? He finds boat knocking against the bank.(12) A little further he finds a scrap of grey stuff on a bramble - a great bramble tract has to be crossed. Very soon Sam discovered that he was lost in a pathless listening land. But he felt sure his master would steer towards the Fiery Mt. Away on his right the falls roared. He climbed down into the Wetwang. Daylight fell. Slept in tree. Heard Gollum at foot and tried to track him, thinking he was after Frodo. But Sam is not clever enough for Gollum, who is soon aware of him and turns and discovers him. He confesses to Gollum t hat h e i s trying to find Frodo.