Doom. Sam and Frodo are at the end of their road, utterly hopeless and prepared to die. One of Frodo’s fingers has already fallen into the Crack of Doom, surrounded by the Ring and Gollum’s teeth; and the rest of Frodo and Sam are about to follow when Mount Orodruin erupts. But Frodo has completed his Quest: this is his joy. As for Sam, Frodo’s return from what could be called spiritual death is his joy. Sam sees Frodo “pale and worn, and yet himself again. . . . ‘Master!’ cried Sam, and fell upon his knees. In all that ruin of the world, for the moment he felt only joy, great joy. The burden
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