April 20, 2002

Re: The Eagles
Brett C.

There must be a problem with my computer, since the last couple of artilcles I've sent in have been late or absent. You guys aren't still holding that Balrog's wings debate against me, are you?

I think the reason the eagles couldn't help get the ring to Mt Doom was because first, as I saw someone point out, the Eye of Sauron would have spotted such a brazen attempt. Second, the Dark Lord is said by Boromir to be able to control the storms on the borders of Mordor [ as may be seen in the eruption of Mt Doom at the beginning of the movie, as Gandalf is approaching Minas Tirith.

Finally, the winged nazgul are around in th books as early as the second half of FOTR. One flies over the company in Hollin [or such is the implication], producing the line "It may have been only a wisp of cloud...Then it was moving fast, and not with the wind." which PJ lifted and used to refer to the crebain.

So with all that, an Star Wars trench run on Mordor seems out of the question. It is only when Sauron is totally preoccupied with the assault on Gondor, goaded on by Aragorn's challenge through the Palantir, that Mordor's gaurd is relaxed enough for Frodo and Sam to slip through.

Apologies for spelling...was rushing off to work.