October 13, 2002

Mistakes and Mistakes
Brett [the Wraith] C.

Galactus, I never said the Minas Morgul [to give it it's post-liberation name] siege timeline was a big mistake, just that it strained credulity. You are right in saying Tolkien was a perfectionist, since he admitted finding many fualts in his own work he wished to correct. This may have been one of them, ot there may indeed be unpublished circumstances, beyond the natural reservation on the part of the Gondorian rebels to face the might of Mordor.

And its only three deaths for the Great One, by the way, though at cocktail parties on Orodruin we prefer to refer to them as 'tactically convenient terminal occurences'.

This incidentally brings up another point mentioned much earlier, that his Dread Lordship should have realised the incidious peril of the Ring-quest when he discovered the presence of halfling spies in Mordor. What was not mentioned was the deliberate and wantonly cruel strategy of that coniving wizard, Gandalf the Frayed, in forcing one of his hobbit followers to look into the glass of Orthanc, thereby subjecting the hapless creature to the undimmed splendour of the Great Eye, an event the pitiful hobbit's mind was scarcely able to withstand [and which Gandalf himself was afraid to face - tsk tsk, shameful!]. Naturally it was deememd that THIS halfling in the palantir must be the one carrying the Ring, on his way to Minas Tirith.

Whoa whoa whoa whooaa, Arina! Yes it is a nice name, but I was the first one with a ring. You can have 3rd spot, if our bountiful sovereign so wishes. [Annataaaaaaar, Arina wants my job....!!! :(]