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Title: Alas, Poor Ufthak! (#1727)
Author: ElenaTiriel
Chapters: 1

Archive: Tolkien
Category: Lord of the Rings
Description: Drabble: An orc guard of the Tower of Cirith Ungol reminisces fondly about his late colleague...
Published: 29 Mar 2005
Updated: 29 Mar 2005
Warnings:
Type: Horror
Characters: Ufthak; Shagrat; Shelob


Chapter 1 - Alas, Poor Ufthak!

Alas, Poor Ufthak!

Alas poor Ufthak! I knew him well... he was a friend, another Tower Guard. But when he disappeared, we suspected he'd deserted like a stinkin' Morgul-rat.

Our patrol spied him wound in cords head to foot, dangling upside-down in some dark corner, aging like choice Elf-flesh -- hoping we'd free him! But Shagrat stopped us.

We encouraged him: "Take heart! Her Ladyship doesn't eat dead meat, or suck cold blood. She'll keep you alive, here in Her larder, maybe for weeks!"

How he glared!

Radbug advised, "When Shelob comes... Hide!" Laughing, we trooped away under the dreadful malice of his stare.


***

"[Said Shagrat,] 'D'you remember old Ufthak? We lost him for days. Then we found him in a corner; hanging up he was, but he was wide awake and glaring. How we laughed! She'd forgotten him, maybe, but we didn't touch him -- no good interfering with Her' ..."

The Two Towers, LoTR Book 4, Ch 10, The Choices of Master Samwise
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