"GL3" - читать интересную книгу автора (vol09)

was sundered from the earth, and a rift appeared in the midst of
the Great Sea, east of Avallon.
Into this chasm the Great Sea plunged, and the noise of the
falling waters filled all the earth, and the smoke of the cataracts
rose above the tops of the everlasting mountains. But all the
ships of Numenor that were west of Avallon were drawn down
into the abyss, and they were drowned; and Tar-kalion the
golden and bright llien his queen fell like stars into the dark, and
they perished out of all knowledge. But the mortal warriors that
had set foot upon the Land of the Gods were buried under fallen
hills; there it is said they lie imprisoned in the Caves of the
Forgotten until the day of Doom and the Last Battle.
$8 Then Iluvatar cast back the Great Seas west of Middle-
earth and the Empty Lands east of it, and new lands and new
seas were made; and the world was diminished, for Valinor and
Eressea were taken from it into the realm of hidden things. And
thereafter, however a man might sail, he could never again
reach the True West, but would come back weary at last to the

place of his beginning; for all lands and seas were equally
distant from the centre of the earth. There was flood and great
confusion of waters in that time, and sea covered much that in
the Elder Days had been dry, both in the West and East of
Middle-earth.
$9 Numenor, being nigh to the east of the great rift, was
utterly thrown down, and overwhelmed in the sea, and its glory
perished, and only a remnant of all its people escaped the ruin of
those days. Some by the command of Tar-kalion, and some of
their own will (because they still revered the gods and would not
go with war into the West) had remained behind when the fleets
set sail, and they sat in their ships upon the east coast of the
land, lest the issue of war should be evil. Therefore, being
protected for a while by the wall of their land, they avoided the
draught of the sea; and many fled into the East, and came at
length to the shores of Middle-earth.
Small remnant of all the mighty people that had perished
were those that came up out of the devouring sea upon the
wings of the winds of wrath, and shorn were they of their pride
and power of old. But to those that looked out from the
seaward hills and beheld their coming, riding upon the storm
out of the mist and the darkness and the rumour of water, their
black sails against the falling sun, terrible and strong they
seemed, and the fear of the tall kings came into lands far from
the sea.
$10 For lords and kings of men the Numenoreans became,
and nigh to the western shores of Middle-earth they established
realms and strong places. Some few were indeed evil, being of
those who had hearkened to Sauron and still did not forsake
him in their hearts; but the most were those of good will who
had revered the gods and remembered the wisdom of old. Yet