"J.R.R. Tolkien - 2 - The two towers" - читать интересную книгу автора (Tolkien J.R.R)

large hands. They were armed with short broad-bladed swords, not with the curved scimitars usual
with Orcs: and they had bows of yew, in length and shape like the bows of Men. Upon their shields
they bore a strange device: a small white hand in the centre of a black field; on the front of
their iron helms was set an S-rune, wrought of some white metal.
'I have not seen these tokens before,' said Aragorn. 'What do they mean?'
'S is for Sauron,' said Gimli. 'That is easy to read.'
'Nay!' said Legolas. 'Sauron does not use the Elf-runes.'
'Neither does he use his right name, nor permit it to be spelt or spoken,' said Aragorn. 'And
he does not use white. The Orcs in the service of Barad-d├╗r use the sign of the Red Eye.' He stood
for a moment in thought. 'S is for Saruman, I guess,' he said at length. 'There is evil afoot in
Isengard, and the West is no longer safe. It is as Gandalf feared: by some means the traitor
Saruman has had news of our journey. It is likely too that he knows of Gandalf's fall. Pursuers
from Moria may have escaped the vigilance of L├│rien, or they may have avoided that land and come
to Isengard by other paths. Orcs travel fast. But Saruman has many ways of learning news. Do you
remember the birds?'
'Well, we have no time to ponder riddles,' said Gimli. 'Let us bear Boromir away!'
'But after that we must guess the riddles, if we are to choose our course rightly,' answered
Aragorn.
'Maybe there is no right choice,' said Gimli.
Taking his axe the Dwarf now cut several branches. These they lashed together with
bowstrings, and spread their cloaks upon the frame. Upon this rough bier they carried the body of
their companion to the shore, together with such trophies of his last battle as they chose to send
forth with him. It was only a short way, yet they found it no easy task, for Boromir was a man
both tall and strong.
At the water-side Aragorn remained, watching the bier. while Legolas and Gimli hastened back
on foot to Parth Galen. It was a mile or more, and it was some time before they came back,
paddling two boats swiftly along the shore.
'There is a strange tale to tell!' said Legolas. 'There are only two boats upon the bank. We
could find no trace of the other.'
'Have Orcs been there?' asked Aragorn.
'We saw no signs of them,' answered Gimli. 'And Orcs would have taken or destroyed all the
boats, and the baggage as well.'
'I will look at the ground when we come there,' said Aragorn.
Now they laid Boromir in the middle of the boat that was to bear him away. The grey hood and
elven-cloak they folded and placed beneath his head. They combed his long dark hair and arrayed it
upon his shoulders. The golden belt of L├│rien gleamed about his waist. His helm they set beside
him, and across his lap they laid the cloven horn and the hilts and shards of his sword; beneath
his feet they put the swords of his enemies. Then fastening the prow to the stern of the other
boat, they drew him out into the water. They rowed sadly along the shore, and turning into the
swift-running channel they passed the green sward of Parth Galen. The steep sides of Tol Brandir
were glowing: it was now mid-afternoon. As they went south the fume of Rauros rose and shimmered
before them, a haze of gold. The rush and thunder of the falls shook the windless air.
Sorrowfully they cast loose the funeral boat: there Boromir lay, restful, peaceful, gliding
upon the bosom of the flowing water. The stream took him while they held their own boat back with
their paddles. He floated by them, and slowly his boat departed, waning to a dark spot against the
golden light; and then suddenly it vanished. Rauros roared on unchanging. The River had taken
Boromir son of Denethor, and he was not seen again in Minas Tirith, standing as he used to stand


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