noWizardme
Half-elven
Sep 13 2019, 6:05pm
Views: 1998
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Hmm - I'm not sure it's so clear Gandalf is able to put up a fight (which is a mystery in itself). The quote you give extends as follows:
"The third choice is to stay here, until the end.”
‘“ Until what end?”
‘“ Until you reveal to me where the One may be found. I may find means to persuade you. Or until it is found in your despite, and the Ruler has time to turn to lighter matters: to devise, say, a fitting reward for the hindrance and insolence of Gandalf the Grey.”
‘“ That may not prove to be one of the lighter matters,” said I. He laughed at me, for my words were empty, and he knew it.
They took me and they set me alone on the pinnacle of Orthanc..."
Gandalf's account of his visit to Saruman, Council of Elrond (with my italics)
Now I'm not saying that's totally incompatible with your idea, Solicitr, that Gandalf has lots of power that he's not allowed to use. Indeed, I think that's how it's quite likely meant to work. But I note Gandalf really is in dire straits here (I think he played ryhthm guitar after Mark Knopfler's brother left, but more to the point he's in a lot of trouble once Sruman tries to detain him). The Nine are on the loose, seeking for Frodo, and Saruman's treachery in itself is a pretty urgent discovery. Gandalf might well think that it's all going to go horribly wrong if he's not about to chaperone Frodo to safety (though of course later on it turns out that it might have all been for the best). So perhaps Gandalf ought to be desperate enough to use his powers - it's a bit surprising that he's not up for resisting arrrest with at least a few lightning flashes, such as he uses against the Nine at Weathertop. He does all that Weathertop show without, I note, contravening the Wizarding version of the Prime Directive (or whatever the rules are about not using magic).
Now of course we can 'ret-con' (as you nicely put it, Solicitr) that problem too in various ways (I like to use a sharpie myself). One can imagine that one almighty magic battle happens in the paragrah break, or invent some hand-wavy thing about magic to get out of trouble (e.g. just like you can't apparate in Hogworts, maybe only Saruman can use magic in Orthanc. Or some other such rule, according to taste).
Frankly though, I'm beginning to find the whole 'Saruman trapped me on the roof' story fishy. I reckon that, having realised there was no way of budging Frodo until the autumn, Gandalf decided on a holiday, called on Saruman and they just went clubbing. Hence Saruman wearing his party frock and bling. Saruman's fancy ring, btw was handed over to an innkeeper somewhere as there was no other way to pay the bar bill they ran up. Fun, fun, fun all summer long until Saruman let slip that he was after the Ring in September, whereupon Gandalf rushes off to Rohan to get a fast horse back to work, and makes up some cock-and-bull story about where he's been all this time. It fixes eveything see - no Saruman's Ring to deactivate, no troublesome precedent that Eagles can function as a taxi service, no confuson about Gandalf's staff (left either at the Bull Hotel, or the Cock Inn - let's face it by that time in the evening it was all getting a bit hazy...). Good thing that either any old stick will do as a staff [I like that dea], or that Gandalf has got spare staffs stashed away somewhere (in a Staff Room, probably).
In fact, now I've got started, I might just re-write the whole thing....
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"Go down to the shovel store and take your pick." Traditional prank played on dwarves when they start down the mine.
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