The Lord of the Rings: The Siege of Gondor (Part 4)

The Tale

Faramir, Gandalf, and Pippin come to the private chamber of Denethor, where Faramir gives his father his report. Wine is brought, and Faramir takes a short meal of bread to help revive himself. Pippin listens enthralled and Gandalf looks almost asleep as he recounts the doings of the border maneuvers, the movements of the Enemy and the slaying of the great war-beast, the mumak. But then he comes to other matters. This is not the first halfling he has seen.

That makes Gandalf sit up, and with a look stop Pippin’s immanent exclamation. But Denethor observes their reaction and nods his head, as if in confirmation of something he already knew. Faramir tells his tale of his encounter with Frodo, Sam, and Gollum, looking at Gandalf mostly but sometimes at Pippin as if to refresh his memory about hobbits.

Gandalf looks very old and troubled as the tale unfolds, and when he hears they meant to go to Cirith Ungol, he actually springs up and asks Faramir how long was this? Two mornings ago, and they might not even have reached Morgul Vale yet, let alone Cirith Ungol. This darkness spreading over the sky is not a reaction to their presence; it had started too early. Faramir has come with three other messengers and sent the rest of his men to strengthen the force at Osgiliath. He turns to Denethor, and asks if he has done well?

Denethor’s eyes flash in anger. Why ask his judgement? He has noticed his eyes fixed on Mithrandir, ‘seeing whether you said well or too much? He has long had your heart in his keeping.’ Denethor may be old, but he’s not senile yet. He knows the answers to many riddles, and secrets that Faramir has not seen fit to tell him yet.

Faramir answers quietly that he wished he had known what his father and lord wished him to do. As it was, he had to judge the situation as best as he could.

And if he had known, he’d have done just the same thing, Denethor snaps back. Faramir always did want to appear lordly. But this judgement could lead to not only to his death but also the death of his father and his people, who it is his duty to protect, now that Boromir is gone. Would Denethor have wished their places exchanged?

‘Yes, I wish that indeed,’ said Denethor. ‘For Boromir was loyal to me and no wizard’s pupil. He would have remembered his father’s need, and would not have squandered what fortune gave. He would have brought me a mighty gift.’

Faramir reminds him that it was his decision in the first place that sent Boromir instead of himself to Rivendell. The Steward’s counsel prevailed then and look what that led to.

Denethor replies that this is indeed a bitter drink, and it gets worse as he comes to the end of it. If only ‘this thing’ had come to him, as surely Boromir would have brought it to him if he’d found Frodo in Ithilien!

Gandalf contradicts the old steward. Boromir died and died well; may he rest in peace. But Denethor is wrong if he thinks he would have brought him the Ring (which hasn’t been mentioned by name, but they know what they’re talking about). He would have taken it and so have fallen, and what would have returned to Denethor would not have been his son.

Denethor’s reply is hard and cold. Boromir was never as fitting for the wizard’s uses, was he? But he, his father, says he would have brought it to him. Gandalf may be wise and subtle, but not all wisdom is his alone. Gandalf asks what he would have done, then.

Denethor perceives two follies. To use it would be perilous; but to send it into Mordor in the hands of a witless halfling is sheer madness. That is a fool’s hope. It should have been brought to Gondor and been hidden somewhere dark and deep, out of the Enemy’s grasp, perhaps to be used as a last ditch effort if everything else failed. If Gandalf does not trust him with this test, he does not know him yet.

No. Gandalf replies, he does not trust him with this temptation. If he did, he could have spared himself and others much worry and toil. But the wizard does not even trust himself with the thing, and now hearing the steward speak, he trusts him even less. ‘Were it buried beneath the roots of Mindolluin, still it would burn your mind away, as the darkness grows, and the yet worse things follow that shall come upon us.’

For a moment the wills of the steward and the wizard are straining with each other, ‘glances … like blades from eye to eye, flickering as they fenced.’ Pippin watches, fearing some dreadful blow. Then Denethor relaxes and shrugs.

‘If I had! If you had!’ he said. ‘Such words and ifs are vain.’ All they can do now is work together against Sauron and wait to see what the outcome will be, and hope. It won’t be long. And when hope is gone, they can at least die free.

He turns to Faramir. What does he think of the garrison at Osgiliath? Faramir replies that it is not strong, though he has sent his company to strengthen it. Denethor replies they will need some stout captain to lead them. Faramir sighs.

He wishes they still had Boromir, ‘whom I too loved!’ He sways and leans on his father’s chair, asking for his leave to depart. Denethor concedes, having heard that he’s traveled far, and under shadows of evil in the air. He should go and rest while he can. ‘Tomorrow’s needs will be sterner.’

Bits and Bobs

For the first time since the parting at Rauros do members of the Fellowship hear some news of Frodo, but when Gandalf hears that they meant to try the pass of Cirith Ungol, the news seems perilous. The old wizard knows more about that way than he’s telling.

But Sauron’s sudden movements cannot have been because he has Frodo and the Ring; the timing is off. Yet he is striking before he is fully prepared it seems.

Denethor seems to know a lot more about the Ring and the Quest to Mt. Doom than he should. But then he is neither blind nor senile, has pondered long the dream-prophecy, and can put two and two together. His wisdom is great, but it is focused on Gondor’s welfare and less on the whole world. And he underestimates the Ring. But Gandalf has a larger concern; other men, and other lives, and the future. And he pities even Sauron’s slaves.

Denethor seems rather jealous of Faramir’s relationship with Gandalf. But Boromir was no ‘wizard’s pupil’; his loyalty lay entirely with his father, or so it seems to Denethor. Especially now that Faramir, trying to be lordly and subtle, has let the Ring go.

I suppose we can assume that somewhere along the line Aragorn told Gandalf everything about the temptation and death of Boromir, though I can’t remember when such a debriefing took place.

In the contest of wills, it is Denethor who backs down. I do not think he would have fared well against the Ring. Though Faramir has done well under the threat of the Nazgul he doesn’t want to think about it. The memory is evil.

“Mithrandir” is the Sindarin Elvish for ‘Grey-Wanderer or Pilgrim’ and is the name Gandalf is known by in Gondor. Mindolluin (‘towering-blue-head’) is the mountain that Minas Tirith is built by.