the return of the king-第25部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


from　the　red　southland　swords　that　would　have　hewed　him　as　he　lay。
　　　　　The　Prince　Imrahil　brought　Faramir　to　the　White　Tower；　and　he　said：　Your　son　has　returned；　
lord；　after　great　deeds；　and　he　told　all　that　he　had　seen。　But　Denethor　rose　and　looked　on　the　face　of　
his　son　and　was　silent。　Then　he　bade　them　make　a　bed　in　the　chamber　and　lay　Faramir　upon　it　and　
depart。　But　he　himself　went　up　alone　into　the　secret　room　under　the　summit　of　the　Tower；　and　
many　who　looked　up　thither　at　that　time　saw　a　pale　light　that　gleamed　and　flickered　from　the　
narrow　windows　for　a　while；　and　then　flashed　and　went　out。　And　when　Denethor　descended　again　
he　went　to　Faramir　and　sat　beside　him　without　speaking；　but　the　face　of　the　Lord　was　grey；　more　
deathlike　than　his　son's。
　　　　　So　now　at　last　the　City　was　besieged；　enclosed　in　a　ring　of　foes。　The　Rammas　was　broken；　and　
all　the　Pelennor　abandoned　to　the　Enemy。　The　last　word　to　e　from　outside　the　walls　was　
brought　by　men　flying　down　the　northward　road　ere　the　Gate　was　shut。　They　were　the　remnant　of　
the　guard　that　was　kept　at　that　point　where　the　way　from　Anórien　and　Rohan　ran　into　the　townlands：　
Ingold　led　them；　the　same　who　had　admitted　Gandalf　and　Pippin　less　than　five　days　before；　while　
the　sun　still　rose　and　there　was　hope　in　the　morning。
　　　　　'There　is　no　news　of　the　Rohirrim；'　he　said。　'Rohan　will　not　e　now。　Or　if　they　e；　it　will　
not　avail　us。　The　new　host　that　we　had　tidings　of　has　e　first；　from　over　the　River　by　way　of　
Andros；　it　is　said。　They　are　strong：　battalions　of　Orcs　of　the　Eye；　and　countless　panies　of　Men　
of　a　new　sort　that　we　have　not　met　before。　Not　tall；　but　broad　and　grim；　bearded　like　dwarves；　
wielding　great　axes。　Out　of　some　savage　land　in　the　wide　East　they　e；　we　deem。　They　hold　the　
northward　road；　and　many　have　passed　on　into　Anórien。　The　Rohirrim　cannot　e。'

　　　　　The　Gate　was　shut。　All　night　watchmen　on　the　walls　heard　the　rumour　of　the　enemy　that　roamed　
outside；　burning　field　and　tree；　and　hewing　any　man　that　they　found　abroad；　living　or　dead。　The　
numbers　that　had　already　passed　over　the　River　could　not　be　guessed　in　the　darkness；　but　when　
morning；　or　its　dim　shadow；　stole　over　the　plain；　it　was　seen　that　even　fear　by　night　had　scarcely　
over…counted　them。　The　plain　was　dark　with　their　marching　panies；　and　as　far　as　eyes　could　
strain　in　the　mirk　there　sprouted；　like　a　foul　fungus…growth；　all　about　the　beleaguered　city　great　
camps　of　tents；　black　or　sombre　red。
　　　　　Busy　as　ants　hurrying　orcs　were　digging；　digging　lines　of　deep　trenches　in　a　huge　ring；　just　out　
of　bowshot　from　the　walls；　and　as　the　trenches　were　made　each　was　filled　with　fire；　though　how　it　
was　kindled　or　fed；　by　art　or　devilry；　none　could　see。　All　day　the　labour　went　forward；　while　the　
men　of　Minas　Tirith　looked　on；　unable　to　hinder　it。　And　as　each　length　of　trench　was　pleted；　
they　could　see　great　wains　approaching；　and　soon　yet　more　panies　of　the　enemy　were　swiftly　
setting　up；　each　behind　the　cover　of　a　trench；　great　engines　for　the　casting　of　missiles。　There　were　
none　upon　the　City　walls　large　enough　to　reach　so　far　or　to　stay　the　work。
　　　　　At　first　men　laughed　and　did　not　greatly　fear　such　devices。　For　the　main　wall　of　the　City　was　of　
great　height　and　marvellous　thickness；　built　ere　the　power　and　craft　of　Númenor　waned　in　exile；　
and　its　outward　face　was　like　to　the　Tower　of　Orthanc；　hard　and　dark　and　smooth；　unconquerable　
by　steel　or　fire；　unbreakable　except　by　some　convulsion　that　would　rend　the　very　earth　on　which　it　
stood。
　　　　　'Nay；'　they　said；　'not　if　the　Nameless　One　himself　should　e；　not　even　he　could　enter　here　
while　we　yet　live。'　But　some　answered：　'While　we　yet　live？　How　long？　He　has　a　weapon　that　has　
brought　low　many　strong　places　since　the　world　began。　Hunger。　The　roads　are　cut。　Rohan　will　not　
e。'
　　　　　But　the　engines　did　not　waste　shot　upon　the　indomitable　wall。　It　was　no　brigand　or　orc…chieftain　
that　ordered　the　assault　upon　the　Lord　of　Mordor's　greatest　foe。　A　power　and　mind　of　malice　guided　
it。　As　soon　as　the　great　catapults　were　set；　with　many　yells　and　the　creaking　of　rope　and　winch；　they　
began　to　throw　missiles　marvellously　high；　so　that　they　passed　right　above　the　battlement　and　fell　
thudding　within　the　first　circle　of　the　City；　and　many　of　them　by　some　secret　art　burst　into　flame　as　
they　came　toppling　down。
　　　　　Soon　there　was　great　peril　of　fire　behind　the　wall；　and　all　who　could　be　spared　were　busy　
quelling　the　flames　that　sprang　up　in　many　places。　Then　among　the　greater　casts　there　fell　another　
hail；　less　ruinous　but　more　horrible。　All　about　the　streets　and　lanes　behind　the　Gate　it　tumbled　down；　
small　round　shot　that　did　not　burn。　But　when　men　ran　to　learn　what　it　might　be；　they　cried　aloud　or　
wept。　For　the　enemy　was　flinging　into　the　City　all　the　heads　of　those　who　had　fallen　fighting　at　
Osgiliath；　or　on　the　Rammas；　or　in　the　fields。　They　were　grim　to　look　on；　for　though　some　were　
crushed　and　shapeless；　and　some　had　been　cruelly　hewn；　yet　many　had　features　that　could　be　told；　
and　it　seemed　that　they　had　died　in　pain；　and　all　were　branded　with　the　foul　token　of　the　Lidless　
Eye。　But　marred　and　dishonoured　as　they　were；　it　often　chanced　that　thus　a　man　would　see　again　
the　face　of　someone　that　he　had　known；　who　had　walked　proudly　once　in　arms；　or　tilled　the　fields；　
or　ridden　in　upon　a　holiday　from　the　green　vales　in　the　hills。
　　　　　In　vain　men　shook　their　fists　at　the　pitiless　foes　that　swarmed　before　the　Gate。　Curses　they　
heeded　not；　nor　understood　the　tongues　of　western　men；　crying　with　harsh　voices　like　beasts　and　
carrion…birds。　But　soon　there　were　few　left　in　Minas　Tirith　who　had　the　heart　to　stand　up　and　defy　
the　hosts　of　Mordor。　For　yet　another　weapon；　swifter　than　hunger；　the　Lord　of　the　Dark　Tower　had：　
dread　and　despair。
　　　　　The　Nazg？l　came　again；　and　as　their　Dark　Lord　now　grew　and　put　forth　his　strength；　so　their　
voices；　which　uttered　only　his　will　and　his　malice；　were　filled　with　evil　and　horror。　Ever　they　
circled　above　the　City；　like　vultures　that　expect　their　fill　of　doomed　men's　flesh。　Out　of　sight　and　
shot　they　flew；　and　yet　were　ever　present；　and　their　deadly　voices　rent　the　air。　More　unbearable　they　
became；　not　less；　at　each　new　cry。　At　length　even　the　stout…hearted　would　fling　themselves　to　the　
ground　as　the　hidden　menace　passed　over　them；　or　they　would　stand；　letting　their　weapons　fall　from　
nerveless　hands　while　into　their　minds　a　blackness　came；　and　they　thought　no　more　of　war；　but　only　
of　hiding　and　of　crawling；　and　of　death。
　　　　　During　all　this　black　day　Faramir　lay　upon　his　bed　in　the　chamber　of　the　White　Tower；　
wandering　in　a　desperate　fever；　dying　someone　said；　and　soon　'dying'　all　men　were　saying　upon　the　
walls　and　in　the　streets。　And　by　him　his　father　sat；　and　said　nothing；　but　watched；　and　gave　no　
longer　any　heed　to　the　defence。
　　　　　No　hours　so　dark　had　Pippin　known；　not　even　in　the　clutches　of　the　Uruk…hai。　It　was　his　duty　to　
wait　upon　the　Lord；　and　wait　he　did；　forgotten　it　seemed；　standing　by　the　door　of　the　unlit　chamber；　
mastering　his　own　fears　as　best　he　could。　And　as　he　watched；　it　seemed　to　him　that　Denethor　grew　
old　before　his　eyes；　as　if　something　had　snapped　in　his　proud　will；　and　his　stern　mind　was　
overthrown。　Grief　maybe　had　wrought　it；　and　remorse。　He　saw　tears　on　that　once　tearless　face；　
more　unbearable　than　wrath。
　　　　　'Do　not　weep；　lord；'　he　stammered。　'Perhaps　he　will　get　well。　Have　you　asked　Gandalf？'
　　　　　'fort　me　not　with　wizards！'　said　Denethor。　'The　fool's　hope　has　failed。　The　Enemy　has　found　
it；　and　now　his　power　waxes；　he　sees　our　very　thoughts；　and　all　we　do　is　ruinous。
　　　　　'I　sent　my　son　forth；　unthanked；　unblessed；　out　into　needless　peril；　and　here　he　lies　with　poison　
in　his　veins。　Nay；　nay；　whatever　may　now　betide　in　war；　my　line　too　is　ending；　even　the　House　of　
the　Stewards　has　failed。　Mean　folk　shall　rule　the　last　remnant　of　the　Kings　of　Men；　lurking　in　the　
hills　until　all　are　hounded　out。'
　　　　　Men　came　to　the　door　crying　for　the　Lord　of　the　City。　'Nay；　I　will　not　e　down；'　he　said。　'I　
must　stay　beside　my　son。　He　might　still　speak　before　the　end。　But　that　is　nea