the fellowship of the ring- 第76节

　
still　bearing　the　Ring。'　
'We　should　never　have　done　it　without　Strider；'　said　Frodo。　‘But　weneeded　you。　I　did　not　know　what　to　do　without　you。'　
'I　was　delayed；'　said　Gandalf；　‘and　that　nearly　proved　our　ruin。　And　yetI　am　not　sure；　it　may　have　been　better　so。'　
'I　wish　you　would　tell　me　what　happened！'　
'All　in　good　time！　You　are　not　supposed　to　talk　or　worry　about　anythingtoday；　by　Elrond's　orders。'　
‘But　talking　would　stop　me　thinking　and　wondering；　which　are　quite　astiring；'　said　Frodo。　'I　am　wide　awake　now；　and　I　remember　so　many　things　thatwant　explaining。　Why　were　you　delayed？　You　ought　to　tell　me　that　at　least。'　
'You　will　soon　hear　all　you　wish　to　know；'　said　Gandalf。　'We　shall　have　aCouncil；　as　soon　as　you　are　well　enough。　At　the　moment　I　will　only　say　that　Iwas　held　captive。'　
'You？'　cried　Frodo。　　
'Yes；　I；　Gandalf　the　Grey；'　said　the　wizard　solemnly。　'There　are　manypowers　in　the　world；　for　good　or　for　evil。　Some　are　greater　than　I　am。　Againstsome　I　have　not　yet　been　measured。　But　my　time　is　ing。　The　Morgul…lord　andhis　Black　Riders　have　e　forth。　War　is　preparing！'　
‘Then　you　knew　of　the　Riders　already…before　I　met　them？'　
'Yes；　I　knew　of　them。　Indeed　I　spoke　of　them　once　to　you；　for　the　BlackRiders　are　the　Ringwraiths；　the　Nine　Servants　of　the　Lord　of　the　Rings。　But　Idid　not　know　that　they　had　arisen　again　or　I　should　have　fled　with　you　atonce。　I　heard　news　of　them　only　after　I　left　you　in　June；　but　that　story　mustwait。　For　the　moment　we　have　been　saved　from　disaster；　by　Aragorn。'　
'Yes；'　said　Frodo；　‘it　was　Strider　that　saved　us。　Yet　I　was　afraid　of　himat　first。　Sam　never　quite　trusted　him。　I　think；　not　at　any　rate　until　we　metGlorfindel。'　　
Gandalf　smiled。　‘I　have　heard　all　about　Sam；'　he　said。　'He　has　no　moredoubts　now。'　　
'I　am　glad；'　said　Frodo。　'For　I　have　bee　very　fond　of　Strider。　Well；　
_fond_　is　not　the　right　word。　I　mean　he　is　dear　to　me；　though　he　is　strange；　
and　grim　at　times。　In　fact；　he　reminds　me　often　of　you。　I　didn't　know　that　anyof　the　Big　People　were　like　that。　I　thought；　well；　that　they　were　just　big；　
and　rather　stupid：　kind　and　stupid　like　Butterbur；　or　stupid　and　wicked　likeBill　Ferny。　But　then　we　don't　know　much　about　Men　in　the　Shire；　except　perhapsthe　Breelanders。'　　
‘You　don't　know　much　even　about　them；　if　you　think　old　Barliman　isstupid；'　said　Gandalf。　'He　is　wise　enough　on　his　own　ground。　He　thinks　lessthan　he　talks；　and　slower；　yet　he　can　see　through　a　brick　wall　in　time　（asthey　say　in　Bree）。　But　there　are　few　left　in　Middle…earth　like　Aragorn　son　ofArathorn。　The　race　of　the　Kings　from　over　the　Sea　is　nearly　at　an　end。　It　maybe　that　this　War　of　the　Ring　will　be　their　last　adventure。'　
'Do　you　really　mean　that　Strider　is　one　of　the　people　of　the　old　Kings？'　
said　Frodo　in　wonder。　‘I　thought　they　had　all　vanished　long　ago。　I　thought　hewas　only　a　Ranger。'　
'Only　a　Ranger！'　cried　Gandalf。　‘My　dear　Frodo；　that　is　just　what　theRangers　are：　the　last　remnant　in　the　North　of　the　great　people；　the　Men　of　theWest。　They　have　helped　me　before；　and　I　shall　need　their　help　in　the　days　toe；　for　we　have　reached　Rivendell；　but　the　Ring　is　not　yet　at　rest。'　
'I　suppose　not；'　said　Frodo。　'But　so　far　my　only　thought　has　been　to　gethere；　and　I　hope　I　shan't　have　to　go　any　further。　It　is　very　pleasant　just　torest。　I　have　had　a　month　of　exile　and　adventure；　and　I　find　that　has　been　asmuch　as　I　want。'　　
He　fell　silent　and　shut　his　eyes。　After　a　while　he　spoke　again。　'I　havebeen　reckoning；'　he　said；　‘and　I　can't　bring　the　total　up　to　October　thetwenty…fourth。　It　ought　to　be　the　twenty…first。　We　must　have　reached　the　Fordby　the　twentieth。'　
'You　have　talked　and　reckoned　more　than　is　good　for　you；'　said　Gandalf。　
‘How　do　the　side　and　shoulder　feel　now？'　　
　
'I　don't　know。'　Frodo　answered。　'They　don't　feel　at　all：　which　is　animprovement；　but'…he　made　an　effort…'I　can　move　my　arm　again　a　little。　Yes；　itis　ing　back　to　life。　It　is　not　cold；'　he　added；　touching　his　left　hand　withhis　right。　
‘Good！'　said　Gandalf。　‘It　is　mending　fast。　You　will　soon　be　sound　again。　
Elrond　has　cured　you：　he　has　tended　you　for　days；　ever　since　you　were　broughtin。'　　
'Days？'　said　Frodo。　
‘Well；　four　nights　and　three　days；　to　be　exact。　The　Elves　brought　youfrom　this　where　you　lost　count。　We　have　been　terribly　anxious；　and　Sam　hashardly　left　your　side；　day　or　night；　except　to　run　messages。　Elrond　is　amaster　of　healing；　but　the　weapons　of　our　Enemy　are　deadly。　To　tell　you　thetruth；　I　had　very　little　hope；　for　I　suspected　that　there　was　some　fragment　ofthe　blade　still　in　the　closed　wound。　But　it　could　not　be　found　until　last　　
night。　Then　Elrond　removed　a　splinter。　It　was　deeply　buried。　and　it　wasworking　inwards。'　
Frodo　shuddered；　remembering　the　cruel　knife　with　notched　blade　that　hadvanished　in　Strider's　hands。　‘Don't　be　alarmed！'　said　Gandalf。　‘It　is　gonenow。　It　has　been　melted。　And　it　seems　that　Hobbits　fade　very　reluctantly。　Ihave　known　strong　warriors　of　the　Big　People　who　would　quickly　have　beenovere　by　that　splinter；　which　you　bore　for　seventeen　days。'　
‘What　would　they　have　done　to　me？'　asked　Frodo。　‘What　were　the　Riderstrying　to　do？'　
'They　tried　to　pierce　your　heart　with　a　Morgul…knife　which　remains　in　thewound。　If　they　had　succeeded；　you　would　have　bee　like　they　are；　only　weakerand　under　their　mand。　You　would　have　became　a　wraith　under　the　dominion　of　　
the　Dark　Lord；　and　he　would　have　tormented　you　for　trying　to　keep　his　Ring；　ifany　greater　torment　were　possible　than　being　robbed　of　it　and　seeing　it　on　hishand。'　　
'Thank　goodness　I　did　not　realize　the　horrible　danger！'　said　Frodofaintly。　I　was　mortally　afraid；　of　course；　but　if　I　had　known　more；　I　shouldnot　have　dared　even　to　move。　It　is　a　marvel　that　I　escaped！'　
'Yes；　fortune　or　fate　have　helped　you；'　said　Gandalf；　‘not　to　mentioncourage。　For　your　heart　was　not　touched；　and　only　your　shoulder　was　pierced；　
and　that　was　because　you　resisted　to　the　last。　But　it　was　a　terribly　narrowshave；　so　to　speak。　You　were　in　gravest　peril　while　you　wore　the　Ring；　forthen　you　were　half　in　the　wraith…world　yourself；　and　they　might　have　seizedyou。　You　could　see　them；　and　they　could　see　you。'　
‘I　know；'　said　Frodo。　‘They　were　terrible　to　behold！　But　why　could　we　allsee　their　horses？'　　
‘Because　they　are　real　horses；　just　as　the　black　robes　are　real　robesthat　they　wear　to　give　shape　to　their　nothingness　when　they　have　dealings　withthe　living。'　
‘Then　why　do　these　black　horses　endure　such　riders？　All　other　animals　areterrified　when　they　draw　near；　even　the　elf…horse　of　Glorfindel。　The　dogs　howland　the　geese　scream　at　them。'　
‘Because　these　horses　are　born　and　bred　to　the　service　of　the　Dark　Lord　　
in　Mordor。　Not　all　his　servants　and　chattels　are　wraiths！　There　are　orcs　and　　
trolls；　there　are　wargs　and　werewolves；　and　there　have　been　and　still　are　manyMen；　warriors　and　kings；　that　walk　alive　under　the　Sun；　and　yet　are　under　hissway。　And　their　number　is　growing　daily。'　
‘What　about　Rivendell　and　the　Elves？　Is　Rivendell　safe？'　　
‘Yes；　at　present；　until　all　else　is　conquered。　The　Elves　may　fear　theDark　Lord；　and　they　may　fly　before　him；　but　never　again　will　they　listen　tohim　or　serve　him。　And　here　in　Rivendell　there　live　still　some　of　his　chief　　
foes：　th