لكن المرآة أظلمت تمامًا بلا مقدمات، كأن ثقبًا قد انفتح فجأة في العالَم المنظور. كان (فرودو) الآن يحدِّق في اللاشيء، في هوة سوداء بلا قرار توسَّطَتها عينٌ واحدة أخذَت تدنو ببطء حتى ملأت سطح المرآة. كان مرآها مزلزلًا إلى درجة أن (فرودو) تجمَّد تمامًا في مكانه عاجزًا عن الصراخ أو الهرب بعيدًا ولو بعينيه. كانت حواف العين مشتعلة بألسنة لهبٍ بدَت كأنها تخرج من العين نفسها، التي كانت تلتمع بصُفرة عيون القطط وتُراقب بإصرار وترصُّد. بينما يتحرك بؤبؤها المشقوق كنافذة ضيقة تُطِلُّ على العدم.

Wonderful folk, Elves, sir! Wonderful!' 'They are,' said Frodo. 'Do you like them still, now you have had a closer view?

Look, Sam!' he cried, started into speech. 'Look! The king has got a crown again!

A wild light came into Frodo's eyes. 'Stand away! Don't touch me!' he cried. 'It is mine, I say. Be off!' His hand strayed to his sword-hilt. But then quickly his voice changed. 'No, no, Sam,' he said sadly. 'But you must understand. It is my burden, and no one else can bear it. It is too late now, Sam dear. You can't help me in that way again. I am almost in its power now. I could not give it up, and if you tried to take it I should go mad.

O Sam! cried Frodo. 'What have I said? What have I done? Forgive me! After all you have done. It is the horrible power of the Ring. I wish it had never, never, been found. But don't mind me, Sam. I must carry the burden to the end. It can't be altered. You can't come between me and this doom.

Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends. I have not much hope that Gollum can be cured before he dies, but there is a chance of it. And he is bound up with the fate of the Ring. My heart tells me that he has some part to play yet, for good or ill, before the end; and when that comes, the pity of Bilbo may rule the fate of many - yours not least.

He is not half through yet, and to what he will come in the end not even Elrond can foretell. Not to evil, I think. He may become like a glass filled with a clear light for eyes to see that can.

Sam: Mordor. The one place in Middle-earth we don't want to see any closer, and the one place we're trying to get to. It's just where we can't get. Let's face it, Mr. Frodo, we're lost. I don't think Gandalf meant for us to come this way.Frodo: He didn't mean for a lot of things to happen, Sam... but they did.

...so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.