of the Three, for they have never been lost, and they endure
no evil. He knows that it is not one of the Seven, or the Nine,
for they are accounted for. He knows that it is the One. And
he has at last heard, I think, of hobbits and the Shire.
‘The Shire – he may be seeking for it now, if he has not
already found out where it lies. Indeed, Frodo, I fear that he
may even think that the long-unnoticed name of Baggins has
become important.’
‘But this is terrible!’ cried Frodo. ‘Far worse than the worst
that I imagined from your hints and warnings. O Gandalf,
best of friends, what am I to do? For now I am really afraid.
What am I to do? What a pity that Bilbo did not stab that
vile creature, when he had a chance!’
‘Pity? It was Pity that stayed his hand. Pity, and Mercy:
not to strike without need. And he has been well rewarded,
Frodo. Be sure that he took so little hurt from the evil, and
escaped in the end, because he began his ownership of the
Ring so. With Pity.’
‘I am sorry,’ said Frodo. ‘But I am frightened; and I do not
feel any pity for Gollum.’
‘You have not seen him,’ Gandalf broke in.
‘No, and I don’t want to,’ said Frodo. ‘I can’t understand
you. Do you mean to say that you, and the Elves, have let
him live on after all those horrible deeds? Now at any rate he
is as bad as an Orc, and just an enemy. He deserves death.’
‘Deserves it! I daresay he does. 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 judge-
ment. 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. In any
case we did not kill him: he is very old and very wretched.
The Wood-elves have him in prison, but they treat him with
such kindness as they can find in their wise hearts.’