My sister and I are half a chapter away from the end of Book III in LotR. Gandalf has just grabbed Pippin and galloped away on Shadowfax, following Pippin’s little adventure with the palantir. Things are tense.
I love this chapter. The first part, with Merry and Gandalf and then with Merry and Pippin, is sweet and funny (my sister: “Merry is the best!”). Then it veers off into sheer terror when Pippin steals the palantir. You can feel the compulsion Pippin feels, the compulsion to do something he knows is a bad idea because he just needs to know. And obviously there’s something magical going on here, but I think we’ve all felt the non-magically enhanced version of this, and that’s a terrifying feeling in and of itself.
Favorite quotes from this part:
All Wizards should have a hobbit or two in their care - to teach them the meaning of the word, and to correct them.
(S: Wait, aren’t there only three wizards at this point? and one of them just turned evil?)
‘He has grown, or something. He can be both kinder and more alarming, merrier and more solemn than before, I think. He has changed; but we have not had a chance to see how much, yet. But think of the last part of that business with Saruman! Remember Saruman was once Gandalf’s superior: head of the Council, whatever that may be exactly. He was Saruman the White. Gandalf is the White now. Saruman came when he was told, and his rod was taken; and then he was just told to go, and he went!'
(Merry is really perceptive sometimes.)
What’s the harm in my telling you what I should like: a look at that stone? I know I can’t have it, with old Gandalf sitting on it, like a hen on an egg.
(That’s an amazing visual.)
The hobbit relaxed and fell back, clinging to the wizard’s hand. 'Gandalf!’ he cried. 'Gandalf! Forgive me!’
'Forgive you?’ said the wizard. 'Tell me first what you have done!’
'I, I took the ball and looked at it,’ stammered Pippin; 'and I saw things that frightened me. And I wanted to go away, but I couldn’t. And then he came and questioned me; and he looked at me, and, and that is all I remember.’
'That won’t do,’ said Gandalf sternly. 'What did you see, and what did you say?’
Pippin shut his eyes and shivered, but said nothing. They all stared at him in silence, except Merry who turned away. But Gandalf’s face was still hard. 'Speak!’ he said.
In a low hesitating voice Pippin began again, and slowly his words grew clearer and stronger. 'I saw a dark sky, and tall battlements,’ he said. 'And tiny stars. It seemed very far away and long ago, yet hard and clear. Then the stars went in and out-they were cut off by things with wings. Very big, I think, really; but in the glass they looked like bats wheeling round the tower. I thought there were nine of them. One began to fly straight towards me, getting bigger and bigger. It had a horrible - no, no! I can’t say.
(Holy sh-)
'Dangerous indeed, but not to all,’ said Aragorn. 'There is one who may claim it by right. For this assuredly is the palantír of Orthanc from the treasury of Elendil, set here by the Kings of Gondor. Now my hour draws near. I will take it.’
(Aragorn is being Kingly. :D)
The Nazgûl have crossed the River! Ride, ride! Wait not for the dawn! Let not the swift wait for the slow! Ride!’
(S: “So what he actually means is, ‘I’m swift, you’re slow, bye!’”)
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