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Aragorn smiled at him； then he turned to Boromir again。 ‘For my part Iforgive your doubt；' he said。 'Little do I resemble the figures of Elendil andIsildur as they stand carven in their majesty in the halls of Denethor。 I ambut the heir of Isildur； not Isildur himself。 I have had a hard life and along； and the leagues that lie between here and Gondor are a small part in thecount of my journeys。 I have crossed many mountains and many rivers； andtrodden many plains； even into the far countries of Rh。n and Harad where thestars are strange。
'But my home； such as I have； is in the North。 For here the heirs ofValandil have ever dwelt in long line unbroken from father unto son for manygenerations。 Our days have darkened； and we have dwindled； but ever the Swordhas passed to a new keeper。 And this I will say to you； Boromir； ere I end。
Lonely men are we； Rangers of the wild； hunters – but hunters ever of theservants of the Enemy； for they are found in many places； not in Mordor only。
‘If Gondor； Boromir； has been a stalwart tower； we have played anotherpart。 Many evil things there are that your strong walls and bright swords donot stay。 You know little of the lands beyond your bounds。 Peace and freedom；
do you say？ The North would have known them little but for us。 Fear would havedestroyed them。 But when dark things e from the houseless hills； or creep
from sunless woods； they fly from us。 What roads would any dare to tread； whatsafety would there be in quiet lands； or in the homes of simple men at night；
if the Dúnedain were asleep； or were all gone into the grave？
‘And yet less thanks have we than you。 Travellers scowl at us； andcountrymen give us scornful names。 〃Strider〃 I am to one fat man who liveswithin a day's march of foes that would freeze his heart or lay his littletown in ruin； if he were not guarded ceaselessly。 Yet we would not have itotherwise。 If simple folk are free from care and fear； simple they will be；
and we must be secret to keep them so。 That has been the task of my kindred；
while the years have lengthened and the grass has grown。
‘But now the world is changing once again。 A new hour es。 Isildur'sBane is found。 Battle is at hand。 The Sword shall be reforged。 I will e toMinas Tirith。'
‘Isildur's Bane is found； you say；' said Boromir。 ‘I have seen a brightring in the Halfling's hand； but Isildur perished ere this age of the worldbegan； they say。 How do the Wise know that this ring is his？ And how has itpassed down the years； until it is brought hither by so strange a messenger？'
‘That shall be told；' said Elrond。
‘But not yet； I beg； Master！' said Bilbo。 ‘Already the Sun is climbing tonoon； and I feel the need of something to strengthen me。'
‘I had not named you；' said Elrond smiling。 ‘But I do so now。 e！ Tellus your tale。 And if you have not yet cast your story into verse； you may tellit in plain words。 The briefer； the sooner shall you be refreshed。'
‘Very well；' said Bilbo。 ‘I will do as you bid。 But I will now tell thetrue story； and if some here have heard me tell it otherwise' – he lookedsidelong at Glóin – ‘I ask them to forget it and forgive me。 I only wished toclaim the treasure as my very own in those days； and to be rid of the name ofthief that was put on me。 But perhaps I understand things a little better now。
Anyway； this is what happened。'
To some there Bilbo's tale was wholly new； and they listened withamazement while the old hobbit； actually not at all displeased； recounted hisadventure with Gollum； at full length。 He did not omit a single riddle。 Hewould have given also an account of his party and disappearance from theShire； if he had been allowed； but Elrond raised his hand。
'Well told； my friend；' he said； ‘but that is enough at this time。 Forthe moment it suffices to know that the Ring passed to Frodo； your heir。 Lethim now speak！'
Then； less willingly than Bilbo； Frodo told of all his dealings with theRing from the day that it passed into his keeping。 Every step of his journeyfrom Hobbiton to the Ford of Bruinen was questioned and considered； andeverything that he could recall concerning the Black Riders was examined。 Atlast he sat down again。
‘Not bad；' Bilbo said to him。 ‘You would have made a good story of it； ifthey hadn't kept on interrupting。 I tried to make a few notes； but we shallhave to go over it all again together some time； if I am to write it up。 Thereare whole chapters of stuff before you ever got here！'
‘Yes； it made quite a long tale；' answered Frodo。 'But the story stilldoes not seem plete to me。 I still want to know a good deal； especiallyabout Gandalf。'
Galdor of the Havens； who sat near by； overheard him。 ‘You speak for mealso；' he cried； and turning to Elrond he said： ‘The Wise may have good reasonto believe that the halfling's trove is indeed the Great Ring of long debate；
unlikely though that may seem to those who know less。 But may we not hear theproofs？ And I would ask this also。 What of Saruman？ He is learned in the loreof the Rings； yet he is not among us。 What is his counsel…if he knows thethings that we have heard？'
‘The questions that you ask； Galdor； are bound together；' said Elrond。 ‘Ihad not overlooked them； and they shall be answered。 But these things it isthe part of Gandalf to make clear； and I call upon him last； for it is theplace of honour； and in all this matter he has been the chief。'
‘Some； Galdor；' said Gandalf； ‘would think the tidings of Glóin； and thepursuit of Frodo； proof enough that the halfling's trove is a thing of greatworth to the Enemy。 Yet it is a ring。 What then？ The Nine the Nazg。l keep。 TheSeven are taken or destroyed。' At this Glóin stirred； but did not speak。 ‘TheThree we know of。 What then is this one that he desires so much？
'There is indeed a wide waste of time between the River and the Mountain；
between the loss and the finding。 But the gap in the knowledge of the Wise hasbeen filled at last。 Yet too slowly。 For the Enemy has been close behind；
closer even than I feared。 And well is it that not until this year； this verysummer； as it seems； did he learn the full truth。
'Some here will remember that many years ago I myself dared to pass thedoors of the Necromancer in Dol Guldur； and secretly explored his ways； andfound thus that our fears were true： he was none other than Sauron； our Enemyof old； at length taking shape and power again。 Some； too； will remember alsothat Saruman dissuaded us from open deeds against him； and for long we watchedhim only。 Yet at last； as his shadow grew； Saruman yielded； and the Councilput forth its strength and drove the evil out of Mirkwood and that was in thevery year of the finding of this Ring： a strange chance； if chance it was。
‘But we were too late； as Elrond foresaw。 Sauron also had watched us； andhad long prepared against our stroke； governing Mordor from afar through MinasMorgul； where his Nine servants dwelt； until all was ready。 Then he gave waybefore us； but only feigned to flee； and soon after came to the Dark Tower andopenly declared himself。 Then for the last time the Council met； for now welearned that he was seeking ever more eagerly for the One。 We feared then thathe had some news of it that we knew nothing of。 But Saruman said nay； andrepeated what he had said to us before： that the One would never again befound in Middle…earth。
‘ 〃At the worst；〃 said he； 〃our Enemy knows that we have it not and thatit still is lost。 But what was lost may yet be found； he thinks。 Fear not！ Hishope will cheat him。 Have I not earnestly studied this matter？ Into Anduin theGreat it fell； and long ago； while Sauron slept； it was rolled down the Riverto the Sea。 There let it lie until the End。〃'
Gandalf fell silent； gazing eastward from the porch to the far peaks ofthe Misty Mountains； at whose great roots the peril of the world had so longlain hidden。 He sighed。
‘There I was at fault；' he said。 ‘I was lulled by the words of Sarumanthe Wise； but I should have sought for the truth sooner； and our peril wouldnow be less。'
‘We were all at fault；' said Elrond； ‘and but for your vigilance theDarkness； maybe； would already be upon us。 But say on！'
‘From the first my heart misgave me； against all reason that I knew；'
said Gan