The Last Ring-bearer - Kirill Yeskov [43]
Chapter 18
"No," Sharya-Rana said after some thought. "I mean – no, it won't be a hint. Tell me your solution."
"Please tell me about the palantíri first, all right?"
"As you please. Those, too, are magical crystals; with your magical limitations they can only interest you as means of communication. Anything surrounding one crystal can be transmitted to another – images, sounds, smells. Let me stress: it is the phenomenon itself that gets transmitted, rather than information about it. How this happens is rather difficult to understand, nor do you need to. Thoughts and feelings don't get transmitted, that's a fairy tale. A palantír can work in sending, receiving, or two-way mode; in principle, it is possible to set up contact between more than two crystals, but that is very complicated."
"What do they look like?"
"A ball of smoky crystal, about the size of a child's head."
"So they're portable, at least, that's a big plus. Then here's the idea. The seven palantíri and the Mirror are a complementary pair and can't exist without each other, right? So instead of the Mirror we can drop the palantíri into Orodruin, with the same result! You will tell me where to look for them; would that be legal?"
"Hmm… Ingenious! Unfortunately, this is technically impossible, at least as far as I can see. The thing is, you need all seven to succeed, and some palantíri are quite out of reach. We have only one in Mordor, that one's not a problem. I surmise that Aragorn grabbed Denethor's palantír, and Gandalf has Saruman's. Those are at least within theoretical reach, so that's three. But then there's the palantír of the Western Elves; their ruler Kirden keeps it in the tower of Elostirion in Emyn Beraid – how is that any better than Lórien, it's only further away? Finally, there is the palantír of Osgiliath, tossed into Anduin ages ago – who knows where it is by now? – and the two of Arnor, from Annúminas and the tower of Amon Súl; those are in a sunken ship at the bottom of the Bay of Forochel. I can give you exact coordinates if you wish, but I really don't see how that will help you."
Haladdin felt the tips of his ears burn. Impudent whelp – to think that you could solve in three minutes a puzzle that the greatest mathematical mind of all time must have been pondering for many years… He was incredibly surprised to hear Sharya-Rana say:
"Great job, Haladdin. Honestly, only now am I somewhat at peace. This means that you have actually started working on this puzzle, and nothing will stop you now."
"Yes, you've suckered me in quite deftly, no question," he grumbled. "By the way, where is our palantír, of Mordor? Just in case."
"Try guessing. Tzerlag must've taught you a few things over the last month, no?"
"Some guess! At least tell me when it was hidden?"
"Right after the Battle of Cormallen, when it became clear that Mordor will fall."
"All right…" He thought for a couple of minutes. "So. To begin with, where it certainly can't be is all your hideouts, guerilla bases, and the like. Should I explain?"
"Not to me. Next?"
"No way you'd hide it in Barad-Dur, for all of its wonderful hiding places, because of the coming siege and fires."
"That's logical."
"To move it abroad is dicey. First, it was precisely at that time, right after Cormallen, that the roads were at their riskiest; second, who knows what the local agents will do after the defeat? Although it would be tempting to hide it in Minas Tirith!"
"Well… All right. Accepted."
"Caves, abandoned mines, old wells are out: there are a lot more accidental observers around such places than is commonly known. For the same reason, can't sink it under a buoy in some pretty cove of Núrnen – the fishermen are curious folks."
"Right again."
"In other words, I would bury it in some faraway, unpopulated, and undistinguished location, in the mountains or in the desert, noting