At first it was simply a black crystal-like stone. All of a sudden a glowing light appeared. Pippin found himself drawn in to the stone, hands locked around it, unable to look away. After several tense moments he let out a scream that woke everyone up. Gandalf was one of the first one the scene covering the stone and chastising Pippin and the rousing the rigid hobbit. Finally Pippin awoke: "'It is not for you Saruman!' he cried in a shrill and toneless voice. 'I will send for it at once. Do you understand? Say just that!'" (p. 198, The Two Towers). Gandalf sternly interrogated Pippin to determine what he had seen. The hobbit told of flying shapes, nine total, and a dark tower. And he saw Him: Sauron. The Dark Lord stared at him and laughed and gave Pippin a message for Saruman (the words he spoke when coming too). Once Gandalf determined Pippin was not lying he seemed rather pleased with the situation, all things considered.
He took counsel with Aragorn and Theoden. First, he charged Aragorn to keep the Orthanc-stone, which Aragorn recognized now as a palantir. Gandalf surmised the situation. It was clear the stone was the link between Mordor and Isengard. The Wizard had been contemplating looking into it to find out exactly what it was but that may have proved ill since Sauron was on the other side. Indeed, Pippin's foolish look may have worked to their advantage. Sauron would figure the stone was in Orthanc (news of it's capture would not have yet reached his ears) and that Saruman had caught a hobbit, perhaps the hobbit, and was holding him captive. It was decided they should now move with all haste for surely Sauron would be sending for news and it was at that moment a shadow of fear fell on them all. The moonlight was cut out as a winged creature flew by in the direction of Isengard. Gandalf spurred all to action: "'Nazgul!' he cried. 'The messenger of Mordor. The storm is coming. The Nazgul have crossed the River. Ride, ride! Wait not for the dawn! Let not the swift wait for the slow! Ride!'" (p. 201, The Two Towers). You can just feel the tension as you read this.
Gandalf mounted Shadowfax and decided to take Pippin with him; for he felt the farther away from the seeing-stone he was the better. Merry was not pleased, somehow Pippin had gotten all he wanted: no sleep and the chance to ride with Gandalf. Aragorn gently reminded Merry that he would have fared no better had he looked into the stone. I like that humble perspective. Shadowfax was flying across the land. The cool wind now fully revived Pippin after his ordeal and he began to question Gandalf. At first he inquired about Gandalf's ability to ride bareback: "'You do not ride Shadowfax: he is willing to carry you--or not'" (p. 202, The Two Towers). Then Pippin inquired about a song he heard Gandalf singing about seven stars, seven stones, and one white tree. Gandalf said the stones were the palantiri: "'The name meant that which looks far away'" (p. 203, The Two Towers). Pippin was fascinated and quite delighted to find Gandalf was willing to answer questions for once.
Gandalf gave a history of the stones: "'The palantiri came from beyond Westernesse, from Eldamar. The Noldor made them. Feanor himself, maybe, wrought them, in days so long ago that time cannot be measured in years'" (p. 203, The Two Towers). He told Pippin how the Kings of Gondor used them to communicate and they were lost over the years. Sauron must have found the Minis Ithil stone when he captured that tower and renamed it Minas Morgul. He must have purposed the stone for evil. When Saruman looked into the Orthanc stone he was captured by Sauron. Gandalf deduced that Saruman had been using the stone for his own purposes, not realizing Sauron might have one, as he never informed the White Council of its existence. Indeed, Saruman was probably drawn to the stones power. Even Gandalf felt it: "'Even now my heart desires to test my will upon it, to see if I could not wrench it from him and turn it where I would--to look across the wide seas of water and of time to Tirion the Fair, and perceive the unimaginable hand and mind of Feanor at their work; while both the White Tree and the Golden were in flower!'" (p. 204, The Two Towers).
Pippin asked more questions of Gandalf and the Wizard felt the hobbit unquenchable asking him what more could he possibly want to know. "'The names of all the stars, and of all living things, and the whole history of Middle-earth and Over-heaven and of the Sundering Seas,' laughed Pippin'" (p. 204, The Towers). I may be able to help Pippin with the whole history of Middle-earth. Really Pippin was curious about the messenger of Mordor that flew over them. Gandalf explained it was a Black Rider on wings, a Nazgul, on its way to Orthanc. Most likely to check on Saruman for he would not have checked in with Sauron for several days; but after seeing Pippin Gandalf was sure another messenger would be dispatched to retrieve the hobbit from Saruman's clutches. This would put Saruman in a bind for he did not repent and join Gandalf for fear of betraying Sauron but Pippin's looking into the palantiri would make Sauron think he was betrayed. And now Saruman had no armies or allies. Even still Gandalf explained they were not simply fleeing the danger approaching Orthanc. "'And so we fly--not from danger but into greater danger'" (p. 205, The Two Towers). Indeed, Pippin and Gandalf were travelling toward Minis Tirith in hopes of reaching Gondor before Sauron attacked.
Middle-earth timeline: Third Age, 3019, March 5th-6th
Today's reading comes from: The Two Towers, pages 194-206
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