Chapter 3 – The Ways of the Enemy
Osgiliath, TA 1432
The Library Of Osgiliath
Saruman sat in the vault containing the archives of Osgiliath, surrounded by scrolls and documents going back thousands of years. There were even a few that had survived from Beleriand back in the First Age.
Saruman enjoyed the work of scholarship. He like learning things he hadn't known before, and making connections, and knowing things no one else knew. He took pleasure in holding the ancient parchments in his hands, and reading archaic languages written in old fashioned handwriting.
He came here to research Sauron's activities in the Second Age. He learned about the battles Sauron fought, the breeding of orcs, and the construction of Barad-dûr.
He was also looking for accounts of historical events that would give him insight into Sauron's character. He wanted to know what Sauron would do in various situations.
He was horrified by what he learned. In the First Age, when Sauron served Morgoth, the Elves called him 'the Dreaded' and 'the Cruel. But it got worse. In the Second Age, when he put on the Ring, he became a monster. He laid Eregion to waste, and had his friend Celebrimbor tortured to death. Those who opposed him were offered up to Morgoth as human sacrifice.
He wasn't the same person Saruman knew in Valinor. Back then, he was the Responsible One. He was grave and serious, and had a sarcastic mouth, but he wasn't mean. He certainly wasn't dangerous. They used to keep dogs as pets, and Saruman remembered how gentle he was with the puppies. Could the Ring have corrupted him that much, that fast?
What an evil thing the Ring must be. I hope I never have to touch it, thought Saruman.
He felt pity for Sauron, poisoned by his own creation. I wonder if he even knew it was happening? Saruman thought.
Saruman turned back to the scrolls. He read accounts of Sauron's capture by Ar-Pharazôn in the late Second Age. The accounts described how Sauron was marched through the streets of Umbar after being taken prisoner. His captors thought his defeat left him humbled and submissive. They thought so right up until the moment he reduced their island to a crater on the ocean floor.[1]
Sauron is unimaginably dangerous, thought Saruman. I don't know how we're going to contain him.
The Palantir Of Osgiliath
"Are you ready to take a break? I have something interesting to show you."
Tar-Eldacar, the King of Gondor, stuck his head in the door of the archives. One of the great things about being a Maia was that he had the ability to influence people and win their trust easily.
Without it, Saruman, a stranger, could never have walked in off the street and gotten an audience with the king of the most powerful realm in Arda. Within a short time, Saruman had become his trusted friend.
Tar-Eldacar led him up flight after flight of stairs, to the very top of the building. The Dome of the Stars was built on a bridge over the river Anduin.
On the climb up, he could see the Basilica, on the next bridge over, which once housed the twin thrones of Isildur and Anárion. The two bridges were close to the point of touching, and were connected by a huge courtyard. Saruman like to let on as though nothing impressed him, but the massive stone works for which Gondor was famed made his jaw drop.
Finally, they reached the top of the building. The domed ceiling was painted dark blue and sprinkled with stars. He recognized the constellations of the summer sky, the Sickle of Melkor[2] prominent among them.
In the center of the room, Saruman saw a huge glass orb. It was almost as tall as he was. It rested on a low pedestal built into the floor.
"What is it?" asked Saruman.
"It's a Palantir, a seeing stone. Seven of them were gifted to the Númenorian kings, but this one is the largest and most powerful." said Tar-Eldacar.
Tar-Eldacar showed him how to look into it. Saruman positioned himself so that he was looking through the stone towards Mirkwood. In the swirling fog within the orb, images of dark green leaves began to take shape, acre upon acre of ancient forest.
He moved a little to the left, until Southern Mirkwood came into view. The Palantir showed him huge spiders among the trees, their webs ghostly white between the trees.
He fixed his thoughts on Dol Guldur. The image in the Palantir settled upon a bald hill standing tall above the forest canopy, with stone walls on its peak like a crown. He willed the Palantir to go inside its walls. The stonework dissolved in a mist, revealing …
Tar-Eldacar touched his arm.
"That's enough for now. If you don't know what you're doing, you can get into serious trouble."
[1] Sauron didn't reduce Númenor to a crater, nor did he see it coming. However, he was responsible for provoking Ilúvatar to do it.
[2] The Big Dipper