Chapter 16 – The Spies of the Enemy
TA 2939
You Again
Saruman sent his agents to visit taverns far up and down the banks of the Anduin. He had them visit all the ones he'd visited earlier as well as new ones, to make inquiries about magic rings. He also had them visit the east bank, which he hadn't investigated before.
Saruman wondered if he was getting sloppy with his record-keeping. An agent sent into a town they hadn't visited yet, at least he thought they hadn't, reported that one of the people he talked to balked, saying, 'Weren't you just here last week, asking me all those same questions?'
Mosquito Bites
Saruman was sitting in a tavern at the end of the day in a little town near the Anduin. He was tired and out of sorts.
He had spent yet another long day hiking through the marshland near the Gladden Fields, but all he had to show for it was sunburn and mosquito bites. One of them started to itch. He tried not to scratch it, because he knew it would only make all the other ones near it start to itch, too.
A New Friend
The tavern was crowded, and there were only a few empty chairs left. A well-mannered stranger sat down in the chair next to his.
"You look like you've had a rough day. May I get you a pint of ale? My treat."
Saruman found himself liking the man.
"Actually, I have an ulterior motive. Most of the patrons in this tavern are simple rustics. You and I are the only educated people in here, and I feel the need for intelligent conversation."
Saruman found himself telling the stranger about his day, with all its irritations and hardships. The man listened attentively, and nodded.
Saruman began to relax, partly due to the pleasant conversation and partly because he was on at least his second pint of ale.
The Biter Gets Bit
The man told several amusing anecdotes. Then he added, "I've traveled all over., and once I heard a story about a magic ring that can make you invisible. Have you ever heard of such a thing?"
Saruman replied, "Oh, I can top that. Invisibility is just the beginning of it. I know of rings that can .. "
Then he stopped himself. That was almost exactly the way he asked local people if they'd heard of a magic ring in the neighborhood.
Saruman clenched his teeth. So now he knew. The servants of Sauron were searching the Gladden Fields. Sauron must have learned of Isildur's end and the Disaster in the Gladden Fields.
Saruman realized, now that Sauron was searching, the game had just changed.
He stood up to go, furious for having played the fool, and turned to face the man.
"I have a message for your Master. 'Tell Mairon that Curumo says hi.'[1] He'll know what it means." Saruman said sarcastically.
Reenactment
Because Saruman looked into the Palantir so often, he happened to see something remarkable, right as it was happening.
He began looking into the Palantir before dawn, meaning to finish within fifteen minutes, but it was here it was mid-morning and he was still looking.
Saruman saw an image of the Disaster in the Gladden Fields. But it wasn't dark and far away like images from the distant past usually are. It was bright and clear, as though it were happening right now.
Saruman watched as Isildur's men were overwhelmed when orcs swarmed over them and cut them down. Then a horn blew. Everybody froze attackers and defenders both.
New people entered the scene, people with scripts, people with surveying instruments, and people with clipboards. Saruman noticed the swords were made of wood and the arrow shafts were blunt and harmless.
Orcs of extreme age were consulted during these deliberations, and adjustments to positions were made based on their advice. Orcs came from Elves, so perhaps they could live for centuries, too. Saruman guessed these ones might be eyewitnesses to the original conflict.
After their positions were recorded, the players backed up to their original positions. The horn blew, and the action resumed.
Orthanc was not close to the Gladden Fields. Saruman rode hard for several days to reach the site. When he arrived, the reenactors were just getting started. The Palantir must have shown him an image from a few days in the future.
Saruman picked an observation post from which he could observe the action unseen. He watched four or five reenactments of Isildur's end.
Each time, a note taker recorded the spot where Isildur sank, which varied from one scenario to the next. The reenactors identified several spots where Isildur might have met his end and wrote them down on a clipboard.
Saruman had almost stopped paying attention, when there was a shout that carried across the water. One of the workman raised his arm above his head. The others stopped what they were doing and crowded around him. There was a lot of splashing as they pushed and shoved, trying to get close enough to see.
An official in fine clothes water waded into the swamp. The crowd parted for him. He held out his hand, and the workman put something in it.
Saruman felt the color drain from his face. He could guess what was happening, and there wasn't a single thing he could do about it.
No! It was supposed to be mine!
Saruman realized what he's just said, and felt profoundly embarrassed.
I mean, No, it must never fall into Sauron's hands.
The crowd appeared to be breaking up. The reenactors were returning to their places. The horn blew, and the scenario resumed at the place where it had left off.
False alarm.
Saruman put his hand to his chest. It was a long time before his pulse returned to normal. He stayed in his perch until the reenactors packed up and left. When the last of them had gone, he headed for home himself, badly shaken.
Sauron was getting way too close to the Ring. The White Council had to stop him.
[1] 'Tell Sauron that Saruman says hi.'