Strangers in a Strange Land by My blue rose

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Chapter Five: Debate

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Chapter Five: Debate

“Men could not a second time be saved by any such embassy, and for the treason of Númenor there was no easy absolving.” ~The Silmarillion, Akallabêth

6th of Víresse in the Year 3316 of the Second Age, King’s Reckoning:

“What do you think?” Manwë asked the other Valar in ósanwe.

“They have chosen to follow the words of Sauron and they sacrifice their own kin. They will reap what they have sown if they come here seeking to war against us,” Yavanna said.

“Why should we endeavor to help evil Men? They have admitted those still faithful to us are few. The rest of their people worship Moringotto believing he should release them from Death.” Tulkas sounded disgusted.

“Yet perhaps we share some of the blame. Should we not have ensured that Moringotto’s lieutenant did not escape justice?” Aulë asked.

“The fault is not yours, my friend,” Manwë said gently.

“Yet he was my servant and I was responsible for him,” the Smith replied.

“We all lost servants to the Fallen One. None of us holds you responsible for Sauron’s actions,” Irmo said.

“Yet Aulë is correct,” Ulmo said. “Had we ensured that Sauron was bound with the rest of the Úmaiar these Men would have had no need to come here,”

“Do not be so certain of that,” Námo countered. “The Men of Andorë became cruel and greedy long ere Sauron came amongst them. Their envy of the Eldar corrupted their hearts yeni ago. Should we have mercy on those whom have none? Those whom are kind to the cruel will be cruel to the kind.”

“And what of those who have remained faithful to us?” Nienna asked pointedly. “Would you doom them as well, Brother? They are willing to die rather than worship Moringotto. Is it for their loyalty or their courage that you would desert them?”

“It is not for their courage or their loyalty that I fault them, Sister. It is their numbers,” The Lord of Mandos replied, grimly. “They are few and the majority of the population harbor malice in their hearts. They send their ships along the coast of Endórë pillaging and slaying the Men they do not sell as slaves upon altars dedicated to Moringotto. Their cruelty affects tens of thousands. Why should the many suffer when the faithful are few?”

“Do we not own them at least some aide?” Ulmo asked. “We were the ones to raise Andorë within sight of Tol Eressëa. Perhaps we should have foreseen that they would become envious of the Eldar. We taunt them with that which they can never have and do not understand. Perhaps some of the fault still lies with us.”

“There is truth in your words,” Manwë said. “If we were to do such a thing now we would certainly place the island closer to Endórë. Nevertheless, Men were new to us then and we did not yet know how their hearts differed from those of the Eldar. Yet they alone are responsible for their evil deeds. For they had knowledge of the good and the true yet they turned from it in their arrogance.”

“And in fear,” Nienna said sadly. “Men have always been more inclined toward fear than the Eldar. Perhaps because Moringotto managed to corrupt them so soon after their creation.”

“Be that as it may, what can we do if we were to aid them?” Estë asked.

“I would gladly go to Andorë and drag Sauron here by the scruff of his neck to stand in judgement before us,” Tulkas offered, only half jesting.

“As would I,” Oromë said. “But is this what we are truly considering? What if he sends Men to fight against us? Do we strike them down also? Sauron is known to be cruel and he may destroy Armenelos out of spite if he realizes he cannot escape. I do not think I could prevent such a disaster and retrieve him at the same time.”

“Oromë is right. Even if we were to aid them in such a manner we would cause more harm than good,” Námo advised.

“Is that prescience, Brother?” Nienna asked.

“Nay, ‘tis only wisdom, for I have seen nothing,” the Lord of Mandos replied. “Yet Men are fragile in hröa and if we attempt to curb Sauron’s strength through power we will likely destroy more than we save.”

 “If we cannot go ourselves,” Oromë began. “Then I do not believe Maiar would fare any better for Sauron is one of the strongest amongst them. I also do not believe sending more messengers to warn them would stop their folly, either. For who would consider our delegates if the Men do not recognize our authority?”

“If they did not harken to those whom we sent years ago they shall by no means listen now,” Vairë stated.

“Then do you propose we do nothing?” Aulë asked. “If we will not remove Sauron from power by force nor send messengers, what path is left to us?”

“Yet shall we forsake those still loyal to us?” Ulmo asked. “My heart forefends such unconscionable inaction.”

“Perhaps a compromise?” Irmo suggested. “We could send them signs instead of messengers. Mayhap their hearts will return to us. If not, they will at least be forced to acknowledge our power and Ar-Pharazôn may reconsider his foolish notions of war.”

“Do any object to this?” Manwë asked. When there was no reply he nodded. “Then we are agreed. Now we must decide what to do with these Men.”

“They have broken the Ban,” Námo replied. “We agreed when we made the decree that the penalty for such trespass would be death. Do we now seek to change our own laws?”

“You think they all deserve death, Brother?” Nienna inquired. “What of the servants, Avalôbêl and Abârôn? Should we punish them for merely following their Lords’ command?”

“’Tis no excuse of wrongdoing if one obeys orders that one knows are immoral,” Oromë observed. “If they have done so why should we absolve them? We did not extend such mercy to even our own kind when we judged those whom blindly followed Melkor.”

“The Ban was created to prevent Men from seeking these shores for their own protection so they might not desire what is not good for them.” Ulmo stated. “Yet they came here seeking our aid not out of their own interest. These are good and noble Men and I would fain see them returned to their home.”

“That is not possible,” Manwë said. “Never have we allowed any who have come here to return. They have broken one law and I shall not permit them to break another.”

“Yet perhaps some accommodation might be made for them here,” Nienna offered.

“You propose to withhold justice from these Men because you favor them,” The Lord of Mandos said.  “They are indeed worthy Men, more so than many of their kind. Yet if we do not punish them, Fëanáro’s accusation against us will hold true. For is this not the work of tyrants?”

There was silence as they contemplated his words.

 “Do we have the authority to take their lives?” Nessa wondered.

“They are under our purview as the Governors of Arda,” Oromë noted, frowning thoughtfully.  

“You speak of taking their lives,” Ulmo said heatedly. “Yet we would not consider doing such a thing to one of the Eldar without Father’s permission. These Men are not ours to trifle with,” the Lord of Waters declared.

“Who among us is trifling?” Aulë demanded, exasperated.

“Yet Ulmo is correct. Their lives are not ours to take. Beloved?” Varda addressed her husband, who sighed deeply.

“I will not ask for permission to take their lives until we have ascertained their guilt. Námo, you will act as Judge?” Manwë asked.

“Of course,” the Lord of Mandos answered.

“Heru Amandil, come into the Ring,” Lord Manwë commanded. Placing his empty goblet on the table, Amânzîr did so. His heart racing, he bowed once more to the Elder King.  

“We cannot help you as you would desire, Child. Your people turned their hearts from us long ere Sauron began his fell influence upon you. It has been twelve hundred years of the Sun since Tar-Atanamir first spoke openly against us and refused to heed the emissaries I sent to remind him that death was not to be feared. It has been four hundred and fifteen years since Ar-Adûnakhôr declared himself the Lord of the West in challenge to my authority.”

Lord Manwë shook his head sadly.

“Yet it is not only us your people have forsaken, Child. Were it so, I would be inclined to forgive you and render aid as we are able. But sixty-one years have passed since anyone last ascended to the Hallow upon the heights of Meneltarma. And before Tar-Palantir attempted to return your hearts to us, the Men of Númenórë had long neglected their duty and devotion to the One. Not since before the reign of Tar-Ancalimon has the offering of the firstfruits been regularly given to Lord Eru.”

Amânzîr’s shoulders slumped; he bowed his head in shame and defeat for the words the Elder King spoke were true.

“Do not look so downcast, Child,” Lord Manwë said gently. “For your embassy was not in vain. We have decided to send omens to your countrymen in hopes that they might repent from their evil and turn from the worship of Moringotto and their envy of the Eldar. Yet they must choose not to heed the words and devices of Sauron of their own will. For even if we were to remove him from Númenórë by force, I deem it would only increase the resentment the King’s Men bear in their hearts for us.”

“Thank you, Herunya,” Amânzîr said gratefully, bowing. “I pray the signs will turn my people from their folly.”  

“As do we all, Child. For all our sakes,” Lord Manwë said sincerely. “But now we must decide what is to be done with you and your companions for your violation of the Ban.”

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Chapter End Notes

Glossary

Ósanwe (Quenya): ‘interchange of thought’. Essentially telepathy. Tolkien said that all of the Children of Eru have the ability to perceive other minds to some degree. Ósanwe is the Valar and Maiar natural form of communication; when embodied, even their ability to ‘speak’ mind-to-mind is diminished in force and precision. Among Incarnates, the Elves have a greater faculty for ósanwe owning to the strength of their bodies but even they need some sort of strengthening for such ‘mind-speech’ to be effective, such as affinity (kinship, love), urgency (need and emotion in the sender) or authority. However, no mind can perceive more than the existence of another unless that mind is open (láta). While ‘Openness’ is the natural state for minds, any mind can be closed (pahta) by an act of conscious will. A closed mind cannot be read, not even by a Vala (hence Melkor's and Sauron's need for deceit in their dealings with others). Any attempts to ‘force’ a mind create a sense of pressure and fear that only shuts it tighter.

Hröa (Quenya): ‘body’. Plural is ‘hröar’.

Moringotto (Quenya): ‘Black Foe’. The name Fëanor gave Melkor after he stole the Silmarils and slew Finwë. The Sindarin form is ‘Morgoth’.

Úmaiar (Quenya): those fallen Maiar that followed Morgoth.

Andorë (Quenya): ‘Númenor’. This is what the Valar originally named the island. Literally, ‘Land of Gift’.

Armenelos (Quenya): name of the capital city of Númenor, located in Arandorë, at the foot of the Meneltarma.

Heru (Quenya): ‘Lord’.

Herunya (Quenya): ‘My lord’.