Elendil looked up; and then swiftly climbed another flight of stone steps at the northern end of the cove... Flat upon the stone with his chin in his hands lay a youth. He was looking out to sea, and did not turn his head as his father came up and sat down on the seat...

He looked down on the white body before him. It was dear to him, and beautiful. Herendil [Isildur] was naked, for he had been diving from the high point, being a daring diver and proud of his skill. It seemed suddenly to Elendil that the lad had grown over night, almost out of knowledge.

'Of what are you dreaming, Herendil, that your ears hear not?'

'I am thinking; I am not dreaming. I am a child no longer.'...

'How you have grow!' he said. 'You have the makings of a mighty man, and have nearly finished the making.'

'Why do you mock me?' said the boy. 'You know I am dark, and smaller than most others of my year. And that is a trouble to me. I stand barely to the shoulder of Almariel, whose hair is of shining gold, and she is a maiden, and of my own age. We hold that we are of the blood of kings, but I tell thee thy friends' sons make a jest of me and call me Terendul - slender and dark; and they say I have Eressean blood, or that I am half-Noldor. And that is not said with love in these days. It is but a step from being called half an Elf to being called Godfearing; and that is dangerous....'

There was a silence. At length Herendil spoke again: 'Of whom do you say that our king, Tarkalion [Ar-Pharazon], is descended?'

'From Earendel the mariner, son of Tuor the mighty who was lost in these seas.'...

[Herendil] 'They [the followers of Sauron] say now that the tale was altered by the Eresseans, who are slaves of the Lords [Valar]: that in truth Earendel was an adventurer, and showed us the way, and that the Lords of the West took him captive for that reason; and his work is perforce unfinished. Therefore the son of Earendel, our king, should complete it. They wish to do what has been long left undone.'

'What is that?'

'You know: to set foot in the far West, and not withdraw it. To conquer new realms for our race, and ease the pressure of this peopled island, where every road is trodden hard, and every tree and grass-blade counted. To be free, and masters of the world. To escape the shadow of sameness, and of ending. We would make our king Lord of the West. Death comes here slow and seldom; yet it comes. The land is only a cage gilded to look like Paradise.' ...

'You know, I suppose, that all hearts in Numenor are not drawn to Sauron? '

'Yes. There are fools even in Numenor,' said Herendil, in a lowered voice. 'But why speak of such things in this open place? Do you wish to bring evil on me?'

'I bring no evil,' said Elendil. 'That is thrust upon us: the choice between evils: the first fruits of war. But look, Herendil!...You are but four twelves, and were but a small child when Sauron came. You do not understand what days were like before then. You cannot choose in ignorance.'

'But others of greater age and knowledge than mine - or thine - have chosen,' said Herendil. 'And they say that history confirms them, and that Sauron has thrown a new light on history. Sauron knows history, all history.'

'Sauron knows, verily; but he twists knowledge. Sauron is a liar! ' Growing anger caused Elendil to raise his voice as he spoke. The words rang out as a challenge.

'You are mad,' said his son, turning at last upon his side and facing Elendil, with dread and fear in his eyes. 'Do not say such things to me! They might, they might...'

'Who are they, and what might they do?' said Elendil, but a chill fear passed from his son's eyes to his own heart.

'Do not ask! And do not speak - so loud! ' Herendil turned away, and lay prone with his face buried in his hands. 'You know it is dangerous - to us all. Whatever he be, Sauron is mighty, and has ears. I fear the dungeons. And I love thee, I love thee. Atarinya tye-melane.'

Atarinya tye-melane, my father, I love thee: the words sounded strange, but sweet: they smote Elendil's heart.

- The Númenórean Chapters (ii)" (HoME 5) p. 57 - 76

"Two chapters from the final part of the voyage were written in full, the story of Elendil the father and his son Herendil in Númenor whilst Sauron is steadily gaining power on the island and persecuting the Faithful and spurring on the king to act against the Valar.

The description of Elendil’s villa by the sea is enchanting: JRRT wishes to recreate a distant world, perhaps a piece of the Roman Empire where pagan decadence and the first thrilled, untamed Christians meet and struggle grimly. The son does not understand his father’s ideas and wavers between his affection for him and the corrupt seductiveness of Sauron.

The work was written in 1937 and the horrifying totalitarian state of Númenor under Ar-Pharazon which is about to bring war to Tol Eressea (and the rest) drew on contemporary events: the Third Reich and the imminent war in Europe."

- The History of Middle-Earth (12 Volumes), reviewed by Franco Manni-(TV)