SCENE XXI

[Scene: the Council Chamber. The Steward already sits at the table, as well as the Captain, Guilin, and three others: the horse-master (a male) and two ladies: one a Scribe, the other the Head of Intelligence. Others are still coming in, and Gwindor and Túrin walk in together, discussing something, and sit at the table next to each other. Lastly Orodreth comes in, sitting at the table with a weary sigh and trying to get the councilors to be quiet.]

Orodreth:

                Well, well, let us begin now.

                [They become quiet.]

                Firstly, has the problem with the skiffs on the River been corrected?

Head of Intelligence:

                Well, not exactly, your highness. We have still been having difficulties with passing the wards over the Narog – the skiffs are too weak for the strong current of the Narog, and we –

Steward:

                Can you just build bigger boats?

Intelligence: [explaining patiently:]

                No. In order to build larger boats, one needs more supplies; in order to obtain these supplies, and to build new ships, one needs more willing to work in that area. At present we have too few – all are taken on the marches and in battles. Also, what we are shipping over is the armour and weapons of the soldiers, which is already nearly too heavy.

Orodreth:

                You need to speak to the Boat Master –

Intelligence:

                I have, sire. He is even more frustrated than I with the situation. He has very few that want to help him with that kind of work. All not want to follow the Mormegil.

                [Orodreth sighs]

Orodreth: [to the Steward:]

                Will you please speak to the Boat Master? I know not what else to do about this.

Túrin:

                My lord –

                [Just then the door opens and Celebrimbor comes running in, a stack of papers under his arm, and a set of tools still hanging about his waist. He sits down at the table with the others, his face flushed from running. Orodreth looks at him with one eyebrow raised.]

Celebrimbor:

Forgive me, lord. I was working on the Great clock in the Halls of Hours – the water gage that tolls the coming of each hour, seems to have been broken somehow – and lost track of time.

                [pause; Orodreth lowers his eyebrow]

Orodreth:

                Very well. You are just in time to give us your update.

                [Celebrimbor looks blank]

                – On … the hounds?

Celebrimbor: [flurrying around in his papers]

Oh – oh yes. Well, I – have mostly completed this, although I got a bit sidetracked along the way and started calculating the strength of the bark of each hound – none of them has any bark at all like to Huan’s – that was so loud it could make the ears bleed …

                [he trails off, everyone looks at him; he clears his throat]

Yes, well. The problem is that I really know nothing at all about dogs. I – had to take over the duty quickly when my – when Celegorm left here –

                [Orodreth winces visibly at this]

A – and I know just as little about them now as I did then. So perhaps … I should have responsibility for this job anymore.

                [pause]

Orodreth: [eyebrow raised]

                You are resigning your post?

Celebrimbor:

                Technically no, since I never really was assigned the post in the first place.

                [pause]

Guilin:

                My lord, if I may make a suggestion?

                [Orodreth looks at him.]

Perhaps our Horse Master would be willing to take on the duty.

Horse Master:

                Oh, no, sire. I know nothing about dogs.

Celebrimbor: [muttering:]

                How much easier it was when Huan was here.

Orodreth:

                Well, it does seem to fit …

Horse Master: [expostulating:]

My lord, I – the hounds should be left to the Hunters, not the Riders. I have no experience…

Captain:

Perhaps – the Mormegil would be willing. He is a hunter, as he told us when first he came here.

                [Everyone stops. Túrin does not change expression or respond.]

Orodreth:

                Well, Adanedhel? What experience do you have with hounds and hunting?

Túrin:

                Some, sire.

Orodreth:

Are you willing to … work with Celebrimbor and the Horse Master, in organizing the packs?

Túrin: [nods]

                Yes, I am willing. The training of hounds is part of the security of the realm.

                [Celebrimbor looks infinitely relieved.]

Celebrimbor:

                Thank you, Mormegil –

                [Orodreth nods.]

Orodreth:

                Yes, well, that should now be added to your report.

Scribe:

                Sire, should I make not of this change for the records?

Orodreth: [slightly annoyed:]

                Yes, yes, of course.

                [sighs]

                Now that we have that complete, Adanedhel, I would hear your report on Security?

Túrin:

Yes, lord. All thing go better since the Orcs were driven back over the River Narog, but the Intelligence commission is correct when they say that the passage of arms has grown difficult.

Guilin:

                Do you have a suggestion for how to improve this?

Túrin:

                Yes. We must build a mighty bridge over the Narog, to the Doors of Felagund.

                [There are several exclamations of surprise through the group at this.]

Gwindor:

                A bridge? But, we cannot do that!

Túrin:

How else can we have a safe passage of arms over the river? This lurking among the reeds and fens does good for none of us.

Gwindor:

                But, thus we are kept in secrecy from Morgoth.

Orodreth: [sighs]

                I must agree with Gwindor on this, Adanedhel.

Túrin:

First hear me, lord, and then judge what you shall do. As of now, the archers of Nargothrond do not go forth into battle, but hang back, allowing the dark forces to go up and down the river, and in all the lands west and east of this land. If we do not assail Morgoth, the orcs shall come to our very door, banging on them and seeking entrance.

Intelligence:

                And how will a bridge aid our war against the orcs?

Túrin:

If we lurk in hiding, Morgoth shall find us all one by one, and destroy us. If we seek now to go forth, valiantly, with strong force of arms, we will drive all the servants of Morgoth out of this land, so that none will dare to come near.

Gwindor: [shakes his head]

We may drive them back for a time, but thus we shall reveal our stronghold, and Morgoth shall discover the hidden entrance of this land, and send greater force against us.

Túrin: [shaking his head]

Not if we build a great bridge – there we shall have a swifter passage of our armour and weapons; and defending that bridge and the Doors of Felagund none shall pass through.

Gwindor:

Not lest Glaurung come. Please, hear me: I have been in Angband; I have seen its power. The Black Hand, finding where we reside, will drive us out. I have seen the powers of the Dark Fortress!

                [His face is drawn and peaked. There is silence. At last Orodreth speaks.]

Orodreth:

I tend to agree with Gwindor on this matter; but … let me hear first what the rest of you think of this plan.

Steward: [relieved that he shall not have to now talk to the boat master:]

                I think it is a very good idea. This takes care of our problem with the skiffs.

Intelligence:

                Yes, but where shall we amass the resources for such a large project?

Scribe:

                Take the workers from the shores and move them to worn on the bridge instead.

Intelligence:

                Yes, but where shall we get the stone for such a large bridge?

Celebrimbor:

Finding stone is simple: we are surrounded by it! I can get my quarriers and smiths to work with chipping the stone free from the mountain.

Horse Master:

I, also, am inclined to the idea. We have had such troubles getting our horseman over the river: the water is in places too deep to wade and the horses fear the rocks and the lashing of the water.

Captain:

I support, as always, all counsels that the Mormegil offers: and I believe, in this case especially, that we do need such a bridge. Leading the rangers across the Guarded Plain, through marshes, and briar patches, is so difficult: if we could have a bridge, with what ease and greater force we could attack the servants of Morgoth!

Orodreth:

                That is yet to be seen.

                [pause; he sighs]

Very well, since most of you seem to support this idea: please raise your hand if you are in favour of building a bridge over the Narog.

[He watches, without voting himself, as everyone at the table raises his hand except Gwindor, who just sits there, looking dejected. Guilin, seeing his son, lowers his hand. Orodreth sighs.]

Orodreth: [weary:]

                Very well.

                [to the Scribe:]

Take note of this: I want the head of the Engineers, the Mathematicians, and the Architects to meet in my chambers with me, the Steward, and Adanedhel, in two weeks’ time, with their plans for the bridge. Celebrimbor, you come as well. You can help with the stone.

                [Celebrimbor nods.]

Scribe:

                Yes, lord.