the fellowship of the ring-第79部分

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r　level。　At　the　moment　that　was　theirchief　danger；　for　in　the　dark　they　could　not　see　a　descent；　until　they　came　onit；　and　put　their　feet　out　into　emptiness。　Gandalf　felt　the　ground　with　hisstaff　like　a　blind　man。　　
At　the　end　of　an　hour　they　had　gone　a　mile；　or　maybe　a　little　more；　andhad　descended　many　flights　of　stairs。　There　was　still　no　sound　of　pursuit。　
Almost　they　began　to　hope　that　they　would　escape。　At　the　bottom　of　the　seventhflight　Gandalf　halted。　
‘It　is　getting　hot！　'　he　gasped。　‘We　ought　to　be　down　at　least　to　thelevel　of　the　Gates　now。　Soon　I　think　we　should　look　for　a　left…hand　turn　to　　
take　us　east。　I　hope　it　is　not　far。　I　am　very　weary。　I　must　rest　here　amoment；　even　if　all　the　orcs　ever　spawned　are　after　us。'　
Gimli　took　his　arm　and　helped　him　down　to　a　seat　on　the　step。　‘Whathappened　away　up　there　at　the　door？　'　he　asked。　‘Did　you　meet　the　beater　ofthe　drums？　'　　
'I　do　not　know；'　answered　Gandalf。　‘But　I　found　myself　suddenly　faced　bysomething　that　I　have　not　met　before。　I　could　think　of　nothing　to　do　but　totry　and　put　a　shutting…spell　on　the　door。　I　know　many；　but　to　do　things　ofthat　kind　rightly　requires　time；　and　even　then　the　door　can　be　broken　bystrength。　
‘As　I　stood　there　I　could　hear　orc…voices　on　the　other　side：　at　anymoment　I　thought　they　would　burst　it　open。　I　could　not　hear　what　was　said；　
they　seemed　to　be　talking　in　their　own　hideous　language。　All　I　caught　was_ghash；_　that　is　〃fire〃。　Then　something　came　into　the　chamber　–　I　felt　it　　
　
through　the　door；　and　the　orcs　themselves　were　afraid　and　fell　silent。　It　laidhold　of　the　iron　ring；　and　then　it　perceived　me　and　my　spell。　
'What　it　was　I　cannot　guess；　but　I　have　never　felt　such　a　challenge。　Thecounter…spell　was　terrible。　It　nearly　broke　me。　For　an　instant　the　door　leftmy　control　and　began　to　open！　I　had　to　speak　a　word　of　mand。　That　provedtoo　great　a　strain。　The　door　burst　in　pieces。　Something　dark　as　a　cloud　wasblocking　out　all　the　light　inside；　and　I　was　thrown　backwards　down　the　stairs。　
All　the　wall　gave　way；　and　the　roof　of　the　chamber　as　well；　I　think。　
‘I　am　afraid　Balin　is　buried　deep；　and　maybe　something　else　is　buriedthere　too。　I　cannot　say。　But　at　least　the　passage　behind　us　was　pletelyblocked。　Ah！　I　have　never　felt　so　spent；　but　it　is　passing。　And　now　what　aboutyou；　Frodo？　There　was　not　time　to　say　so；　but　I　have　never　been　more　delightedin　my　life　than　when　you　spoke。　I　feared　that　it　was　a　brave　but　dead　hobbitthat　Aragorn　was　carrying。'　
‘What　about　me？　'　said　Frodo。　'I　am　alive；　and　whole　I　think。　I　ambruised　and　in　pain；　but　it　is　not　too　bad。'　
‘Well；'　said　Aragorn；　‘I　can　only　say　that　hobbits　are　made　of　a　stuff　sotough　that　I　have　never　met　the　like　of　it。　Had　I　known；　I　would　have　spokensofter　in　the　Inn　at　Bree！　That　spear…thrust　would　have　skewered　a　wild　boar！　
'　　
'Well；　it　did　not　skewer　me；　I　am　glad　to　say；'　said　Frodo；　‘though　Ifeel　as　if　I　had　been　caught　between　a　hammer　and　an　anvil。'　He　said　no　more。　
He　found　breathing　painful。　
'You　take　after　Bilbo；'　said　Gandalf。　‘There　is　more　about　you　than　meetsthe　eye；　as　I　said　of　him　long　ago。'　Frodo　wondered　if　the　remark　meant　morethan　it　said。　　
They　now　went　on　again。　Before　long　Gimli　spoke。　He　had　keen　eyes　in　thedark。　‘I　think；'　he　said；　‘that　there　is　a　light　ahead。　But　it　is　notdaylight。　It　is　red。　What　can　it　be？　'　
‘_Ghash！_'　muttered　Gandalf。　‘I　wonder　if　that　is　what　they　meant：　thatthe　lower　levels　are　on　fire？　Still；　we　can　only　go　on。'　
Soon　the　light　became　unmistakable；　and　could　be　seen　by　all。　It　wasflickering　and　glowing　on　the　walls　away　down　the　passage　before　them。　Theycould　now　see　their　way：　in　front　the　road　sloped　down　swiftly；　and　some　wayahead　there　stood　a　low　archway；　through　it　the　glowing　light　came。　The　airbecame　very　hot。　
When　they　came　to　the　arch　Gandalf　went　through；　signing　to　them　to　wait。　
As　he　stood　just　beyond　the　opening　they　saw　his　face　lit　by　a　red　glow。　
Quickly　he　stepped　back。　
‘There　is　some　new　devilry　here；'　he　said；　'devised　for　our　wele　nodoubt。　But　I　know　now　where　we　are：　we　have　reached　the　First　Deep；　the　levelimmediately　below　the　Gates。　This　is　the　Second　Hall　of　Old　Moria；　and　theGates　are　near：　away　beyond　the　eastern　end；　on　the　left；　not　more　than　aquarter　of　a　mile。　Across　the　Bridge；　up　a　broad　stair；　along　a　wide　roadthrough　the　First　Hall；　and　out！　But　e　and　look！　'　
They　peered　out。　Before　them　was　another　cavernous　hall。　It　was　loftierand　far　longer　than　the　one　in　which　they　had　slept。　They　were　near　itseastern　end；　westward　it　ran　away　into　darkness。　Down　the　centre　stalked　adouble　line　of　towering　pillars。　They　were　carved　like　boles　of　mighty　treeswhose　boughs　upheld　the　roof　with　a　branching　tracery　of　stone。　Their　stemswere　smooth　and　black；　but　a　red　glow　was　darkly　mirrored　in　their　sides。　
Right　across　the　floor；　close　to　the　feet　of　two　huge　pillars　a　great　fissurehad　opened。　Out　of　it　a　fierce　red　light　came；　and　now　and　again　flames　lickedat　the　brink　and　curled　about　the　bases　of　the　columns。　Wisps　of　dark　smokewavered　in　the　hot　air。　　
'If　we　had　e　by　the　main　road　down　from　the　upper　halls；　we　shouldhave　been　trapped　here；'　said　Gandalf。　‘Let　us　hope　that　the　fire　now　liesbetween　us　and　pursuit。　e！　There　is　no　time　to　lose。'　
Even　as　he　spoke　they　heard　again　the　pursuing　drum…beat：　_Doom；　doom；　　
　
doom_。　Away　beyond　the　shadows　at　the　western　end　of　the　hall　there　came　criesand　horn…calls。　_Doom；　doom_：　the　pillars　seemed　to　tremble　and　the　flames　toquiver。　
‘Now　for　the　last　race！　'　said　Gandalf。　'If　the　sun　is　shining　outside　wemay　still　escape。　After　me！　'　
He　turned　left　and　sped　across　the　smooth　floor　of　the　hall。　The　distancewas　greater　than　it　had　looked。　As　they　ran　they　heard　the　beat　and　echo　ofmany　hurrying　feet　behind。　A　shrill　yell　went　up：　they　had　been　seen。　Therewas　a　ring　and　clash　of　steel。　An　arrow　whistled　over　Frodo's　head。　
Boromir　laughed。　‘They　did　not　expect　this；'　he　said。　‘The　fire　has　cutthem　off。　We　are　on　the　wrong　side！　'　
‘Look　ahead！　'　called　Gandalf。　‘The　Bridge　is　near。　It　is　dangerous　andnarrow。'　　
Suddenly　Frodo　saw　before　him　a　black　chasm。　At　the　end　of　the　hall　thefloor　vanished　and　fell　to　an　unknown　depth。　The　outer　door　could　only　bereached　by　a　slender　bridge　of　stone；　without　kerb　or　rail；　that　spanned　thechasm　with　one　curving　spring　of　fifty　feet。　It　was　an　ancient　defence　of　theDwarves　against　any　enemy　that　might　capture　the　First　Hall　and　the　outerpassages。　They　could　only　pass　across　it　in　single　file。　At　the　brink　Gandalfhalted　and　the　others　came　up　in　a　pack　behind。　
'Lead　the　way；　Gimli！　'　he　said。　'Pippin　and　Merry　next。　Straight　on　andup　the　stair　beyond　the　door！　'　
Arrows　fell　among　them。　One　struck　Frodo　and　sprang　back。　Another　piercedGandalf's　hat　and　stuck　there　like　a　black　feather。　Frodo　looked　behind。　　
Beyond　the　fire　he　saw　swarming　black　figures：　there　seemed　to　be　hundreds　oforcs。　They　brandished　spears　and　scimitars　which　shone　red　as　blood　in　thefirelight。　_Doom；　doom_　rolled　the　drum…beats；　growing　louder　and　louder；　
_doom；　doom_。　
Legolas　turned　and　set　an　arrow　to　the　string；　though　it　was　a　long　shotfor　his　small　bow。　He　drew；　but　his　hand　fell；　and　the　arrow　slipped　to　theground。　He　gave　a　cry　of　dismay　and　fear。　Two　great　trolls　appeared；　they　boregreat　slabs　of　stone；　and　flung　them　down　to　serve　as　gangways　over　the　fire。　
But　it　was　not　the　trolls　that　had　filled　the　Elf　with　terror。　The　ranks　of　　
the　orcs　had　opened；　and　they　crowded　away；　as　if　they　themselves　were　afraid。　
Something　was　ing　up　behind　them。　What　it　was　could　not　be　seen：　it　waslike　a　great　shadow；　in　the　middle　of　which　was　a　dark　form；　of　man…shapemaybe；　yet　greater；　and　a　power　and　terror　seemed　to　be　in　it　and　to　go　beforeit。　　
It　came　to　the　edge　of　the　fire　and　the　light　faded　as　if　a　cloud　hadbent　over　it。　Then　with　a　rush　it　leaped　across　the　fissure。　The　flames　roaredup　to　greet　it；　and　wreathed　about　it；　and　a　black　smoke　swirled　in　the　air。　
Its　streaming　mane　kindled；　and　blazed　behind　it。　In　its　right　hand　was　ablade　like　a　stabbing　tongue　of　fire；　in　its　left　it　held　a　whip　of　manythongs。　
'Ai！　ai！　'　wailed　Legolas。　'A　Balrog！　A　Balrog　is　e！　'　
Gimli　stared　with　wide　eyes。　‘Durin's　Bane！　'　he　cried；　and　letting　hisaxe　fall　he　covered　his　face。　　
'A　Balrog；'　muttered　Gandalf。　‘Now　I　understand。'　He　faltered　and　leanedheavily　on　his　staff。　‘What　an　evil　fortune！　And　I　am　already　weary。'　　
The　dark　figure　streaming　with　fire　raced　towards　them。　The　orcs　yelledand　poured　over　the　stone　gangways。　Then　Boromir　raised　his　horn　and　blew。　
Loud　the　challenge　rang　and　bellowed；　like　the　shout　of　many　throats　under　thecavernous　roof。　For　a　moment　the　orcs　quailed　and　the　fiery　shadow　halted。　
Then　the　echoes　died　as　suddenly　as　a　flame　blown　out　by　a　dark　wind；　and　theenemy　advanced　again。　
'Over　the　bridge！'　cried　Gandalf；　recalling　his　strength。　‘Fly！　This　is　afoe　beyond　any　of　you。　I　must　hold　the　narrow　way。　Fly！　'　Aragorn　and　Boromirdid　not　heed　the　mand；　but　still　held　their　ground；　side　by　side；　behindGandalf　at　the　far　end　of　the　bridge。　The　others　halted　just　within　the　　
　
doorway　at　the　hall's　end；　and　turned；　unable　to　leave　their　leader　to　facethe　enemy　alone。　
The　Balrog　reached　the　bridge。　Gandalf　stood　in　the　middle　of　the　span；　
leaning　on　the　staff　in　his　left　hand；　but　in　his　other　hand　Glamdringgleamed；　cold　and　white。　His　enemy　halted　again；　facing　him；　and　the　shadowabout　it　reached　out　like　two　vast　wings。　It　raised　the　whip；　and　the　thongswhined　and　cracked。　Fire　came　from　its　nostrils。　But　Gandalf　stood　firm。　　
‘You　cannot　pass；'　he　said。　The　orcs　stood　still；　and　a　dead　silencefell。　‘I　am　a　servant　of　the　Secret　Fire；　wielder　of　the　flame　of　Anor。　Youcannot　pass。　The　dark　fire　will　not　avail　you；　flame　of　Ud。n。　Go　back　to　theShadow！　You　cannot　pass。'　
The　Balrog　made　no　answer。　The　fire　in　it　seemed　to　die；　but　the　darknessgrew。　It　stepped　forward　slowly　on　to　the　bridge；　and　suddenly　it　drew　itselfup　to　a　great　height；　and　its　wings　were　spread　from　wall　to　wall；　but　stillGandalf　could　be　seen；　glimmering　in　the　gloom；　he　seemed　small；　andaltogether　alone：　grey　and　bent；　like　a　wizened　tree　before　the　onset　of　astorm。　　
From　out　of　the　shadow　a　red　s