Chapter 22
"I WAS in Isengard at that time!" smiled David-turned-to Saruman
devilishly. "And it was David indeed, who set out from there with
you and --" Saruman glanced briefly, disgustedly, at Phil's dead
body. "That lustful, useless bastard. But," his grin grew
wider. "I am here now although I am still in Isengard, too."
He saw a total confusion in Ted's eyes. Saruman waved his right
hand impatiently.
"Hah! I know it is no use talking to men, especially someone like
you. You won't understand!"
Then he turned his attention to Frodo and sighed audibly.
"I can see why Phil couldn't take his eyes off you. Gandalf was
right. You do not have the looks of a normal hobbit! No other
halflings have eyes as stunning as yours!"
Frodo didn't heed Saruman's words except the word `Gandalf". He
flushed with fury.
"Gandalf?" Frodo squeaked. "Oh, I remember! He once mentioned your
name, saying that you are his superior in the world of wizards. You
know my name from him? Then what was the point of telling me to
disguise myself?!"
The outburst annoyed Saruman. He sent a stinging blow with the back
of his hand to Frodo's face, sending the hobbit to the ground.
"Watch your tongue! You hobbits are nothing compared to wizards!
Learn to respect him!"
The betrayed feeling in Frodo's heart overcame all the pains
including the one coming from the slap.
"Respect?" Frodo laughed gingerly. "For abandoning you, and worse,
for revealing your name to the enemy? Maybe he is an enemy himself -
--"
Saruman might be evil but even he was startled to hear Frodo's
bitter remarks. He made it sound as if Gandalf were an informer.
But really, who cared? If the hobbit had a problem with his old
friend and mentor, it was not something that need trouble Saruman.
"So, you think he is an enemy, eh?" Saruman shrugged. "Think what
you will. Anyway, I am not the one who is supposed to answer
questions. You are!"
He left Frodo lying there and pointed at Ted.
"This man here doesn't know anything about the thing I want. What
he cares about is bringing you back to Isengard alive and unspoiled."
Ted shifted restlessly.
"But - isn't that what you asked me to do?" stuttered him
nervously. Saruman sneered.
"Indeed! And you are doing well! I am happy you got rid of Phil.
He was such a nuisance!"
"Now Frodo," called the corrupted wizard, surprising the hobbit who
was listening intently to the exchanges between Saruman and his
servant. Frodo was hoping to just be left alone.
"You know of what I speak. No, I am not asking you to give that
thing to me right here, right now, because I realize the trinket's
desire to return to its real master. No. I just want you to show
me. You may still keep it until we arrive in Isengard. Not further
than that, of course!"
Saruman broke into laughter, this one sounding mean and even more
devilish. Frodo cowered. What, then, would happen if he told him
that he didn't have it, the Ring? Would this old powerful man
decide just to kill him? Most probably. But again, that might be
the best way out for Frodo.
"WELL, FRODO??"
Frodo was shaking at the menacing tone. Gone was the tiny bit of
courage he had mustered over his fury at Gandalf a moment ago. But
he was still trying to cover up his obvious fear.
"I - even if I have it with me, I won't let you see it, let alone
take it!" Frodo braced himself to suppress his feeling. Saruman
clicked his tongue, amused by the futile effort this weak little
creature made. He crouched beside Frodo's small frame.
"You are very brave, but foolish," stated Saruman, observing Frodo
closely.
Frodo flinched. The intimidation inflicted by the much older and
more experienced man was pure, and it left Frodo gasping for air he
felt suddenly denied of him.
"Even many of the big folks must admit their defeat to me in the
end."
Frodo felt like he was under a spell. His tongue was tied and his
mind went blank. He couldn't say anything even if he had wanted
to. The ring. He tried to think about it, to imagine it, to
picture it in his head. But nothing. Nothing came to his mind. He
just knew he had lost it somewhere but he couldn't remember. It was
all so strange.
"Is that true?!" Saruman roared. "You've lost it? You don't have
it with you anymore?!"
He reached out and gave a light pop with the heel of his hand at the
base of Frodo's nose. Such a meaningless strike but it made Frodo
gasp with surprise. The effect was almost deadly. Frodo heaved.
Tears flowed down involuntarily due to the unbearable pain. He
tried to bring his tied hands to his nose but they were held down by
the wicked wizard. Finally Frodo could only gaze at Saruman
defeatedly.
"Are you going to kill me?" he asked faintly.
Saruman didn't answer. He let go off Frodo's hands, whacked the
back of the ring bearer's head, and got up.
***
"Let's go, Sam," encouraged Strider. "Quickly."
Sam rubbed his teary eyes with the sleeve of his shirt.
"Wait for me, Strider," he said chokingly. "Don't leave me behind."
The man who had been steps ahead of Sam stopped in an instant and
turned around.
"I won't leave you behind, Sam. Don't worry," he replied.
A tone of anxiety slipped out of his words.
"Are you all right, Sam?" Strider realized that most of the time he
forgot that Sam was still very young. This whole experience might
have broken an older man since a long time ago. But not Sam. Even
if he was afraid, he rarely showed it.
"I'm fine," replied Sam quietly.
They continued to the forest, not too far, though. Strider was
still following the steps made by one of the three hobbits. He also
noticed that the grass on the right side of the path all lay flat,
as if someone - or something - had been dragged on and along them.
Suddenly the ranger halted. Sam almost bumped into him.
"What is it?" whispered Sam.
"Look!" answered Strider, also in a whisper. He directed hi gaze to
a tree standing straight from where they stood.
"There's a hobbit under the tree!" cheered Sam and he fled before
Strider had the chance to warn him not to rush. He himself still
continued his quiet paces. But then he quickened a little bit while
hoping that it would be Frodo, that the ring was with him, and that
the fair hobbit was still alive.
Vaguely he heard Sam calling.
"What's keeping you, Strider? Come on!"
TBC
"I WAS in Isengard at that time!" smiled David-turned-to Saruman
devilishly. "And it was David indeed, who set out from there with
you and --" Saruman glanced briefly, disgustedly, at Phil's dead
body. "That lustful, useless bastard. But," his grin grew
wider. "I am here now although I am still in Isengard, too."
He saw a total confusion in Ted's eyes. Saruman waved his right
hand impatiently.
"Hah! I know it is no use talking to men, especially someone like
you. You won't understand!"
Then he turned his attention to Frodo and sighed audibly.
"I can see why Phil couldn't take his eyes off you. Gandalf was
right. You do not have the looks of a normal hobbit! No other
halflings have eyes as stunning as yours!"
Frodo didn't heed Saruman's words except the word `Gandalf". He
flushed with fury.
"Gandalf?" Frodo squeaked. "Oh, I remember! He once mentioned your
name, saying that you are his superior in the world of wizards. You
know my name from him? Then what was the point of telling me to
disguise myself?!"
The outburst annoyed Saruman. He sent a stinging blow with the back
of his hand to Frodo's face, sending the hobbit to the ground.
"Watch your tongue! You hobbits are nothing compared to wizards!
Learn to respect him!"
The betrayed feeling in Frodo's heart overcame all the pains
including the one coming from the slap.
"Respect?" Frodo laughed gingerly. "For abandoning you, and worse,
for revealing your name to the enemy? Maybe he is an enemy himself -
--"
Saruman might be evil but even he was startled to hear Frodo's
bitter remarks. He made it sound as if Gandalf were an informer.
But really, who cared? If the hobbit had a problem with his old
friend and mentor, it was not something that need trouble Saruman.
"So, you think he is an enemy, eh?" Saruman shrugged. "Think what
you will. Anyway, I am not the one who is supposed to answer
questions. You are!"
He left Frodo lying there and pointed at Ted.
"This man here doesn't know anything about the thing I want. What
he cares about is bringing you back to Isengard alive and unspoiled."
Ted shifted restlessly.
"But - isn't that what you asked me to do?" stuttered him
nervously. Saruman sneered.
"Indeed! And you are doing well! I am happy you got rid of Phil.
He was such a nuisance!"
"Now Frodo," called the corrupted wizard, surprising the hobbit who
was listening intently to the exchanges between Saruman and his
servant. Frodo was hoping to just be left alone.
"You know of what I speak. No, I am not asking you to give that
thing to me right here, right now, because I realize the trinket's
desire to return to its real master. No. I just want you to show
me. You may still keep it until we arrive in Isengard. Not further
than that, of course!"
Saruman broke into laughter, this one sounding mean and even more
devilish. Frodo cowered. What, then, would happen if he told him
that he didn't have it, the Ring? Would this old powerful man
decide just to kill him? Most probably. But again, that might be
the best way out for Frodo.
"WELL, FRODO??"
Frodo was shaking at the menacing tone. Gone was the tiny bit of
courage he had mustered over his fury at Gandalf a moment ago. But
he was still trying to cover up his obvious fear.
"I - even if I have it with me, I won't let you see it, let alone
take it!" Frodo braced himself to suppress his feeling. Saruman
clicked his tongue, amused by the futile effort this weak little
creature made. He crouched beside Frodo's small frame.
"You are very brave, but foolish," stated Saruman, observing Frodo
closely.
Frodo flinched. The intimidation inflicted by the much older and
more experienced man was pure, and it left Frodo gasping for air he
felt suddenly denied of him.
"Even many of the big folks must admit their defeat to me in the
end."
Frodo felt like he was under a spell. His tongue was tied and his
mind went blank. He couldn't say anything even if he had wanted
to. The ring. He tried to think about it, to imagine it, to
picture it in his head. But nothing. Nothing came to his mind. He
just knew he had lost it somewhere but he couldn't remember. It was
all so strange.
"Is that true?!" Saruman roared. "You've lost it? You don't have
it with you anymore?!"
He reached out and gave a light pop with the heel of his hand at the
base of Frodo's nose. Such a meaningless strike but it made Frodo
gasp with surprise. The effect was almost deadly. Frodo heaved.
Tears flowed down involuntarily due to the unbearable pain. He
tried to bring his tied hands to his nose but they were held down by
the wicked wizard. Finally Frodo could only gaze at Saruman
defeatedly.
"Are you going to kill me?" he asked faintly.
Saruman didn't answer. He let go off Frodo's hands, whacked the
back of the ring bearer's head, and got up.
***
"Let's go, Sam," encouraged Strider. "Quickly."
Sam rubbed his teary eyes with the sleeve of his shirt.
"Wait for me, Strider," he said chokingly. "Don't leave me behind."
The man who had been steps ahead of Sam stopped in an instant and
turned around.
"I won't leave you behind, Sam. Don't worry," he replied.
A tone of anxiety slipped out of his words.
"Are you all right, Sam?" Strider realized that most of the time he
forgot that Sam was still very young. This whole experience might
have broken an older man since a long time ago. But not Sam. Even
if he was afraid, he rarely showed it.
"I'm fine," replied Sam quietly.
They continued to the forest, not too far, though. Strider was
still following the steps made by one of the three hobbits. He also
noticed that the grass on the right side of the path all lay flat,
as if someone - or something - had been dragged on and along them.
Suddenly the ranger halted. Sam almost bumped into him.
"What is it?" whispered Sam.
"Look!" answered Strider, also in a whisper. He directed hi gaze to
a tree standing straight from where they stood.
"There's a hobbit under the tree!" cheered Sam and he fled before
Strider had the chance to warn him not to rush. He himself still
continued his quiet paces. But then he quickened a little bit while
hoping that it would be Frodo, that the ring was with him, and that
the fair hobbit was still alive.
Vaguely he heard Sam calling.
"What's keeping you, Strider? Come on!"
TBC
