[drigel]

I'm going back to this quote, as it's the most fascinating part of the chapter for me.

They were like great figures seated upon thrones. Each had three joined bodies, and three heads facing outward, and inward, and across the gateway. The heads had vulture-faces, and on their great knees were laid clawlike hands. They seemed to be carved out of huge blocks of stone, immovable, and yet they were aware: some dreadful spirit of evil vigilance abode in them. They knew an enemy.

Quite an image! 3 joined bodies, 3 vulture heads. An almost Mesopotamian figure. IMO most out of the ordinary when you consider the beastiary of ME, where natural forms become twisted and malformed by the enemy. This is a bad lab experiment gone awry in comparison. For some reason, I see the Watchers far beyond the craft of Sauron. I see them as one of the few (possibly only) objects of legacy from Morgoth that Sauron could actually master and utilize. For example:

Visible or invisible none could pass unheeded. They would forbid his entry, or his escape.

Seen even when the Ring is worn. Gandalf himself did not have this abitlity. How they got there is something to think about. Looking at the sentence: "...seemed to be carved of stone.. immovable.. yet aware" leaves the door opened in my mind that they arent made of stone, they are immovable, but by what? By the spell of Sauron, the nature of their creation, or their own...? Mabye movement is possible for them if Morgoth willed it so. But since he is in the Void, all they can do is Watch.....

And from those evil heads there came a high shrill cry that echoed in the towering walls before him.

A necessary skill to have if your a Watcher is to let someone know about what you are watching for. It shows a definate sentience to me. Note that the signal is perfomed only with Sam's intrusion, and not for orcs, etc.

Now back to the star of the chapter, Sam:

He sprang out to meet Shagrat with a shout. He was no longer holding the Ring, but it was there, a hidden power, a cowing menace to the slaves of Mordor; and in his hand was Sting, and its light smote the eyes of the orc like the glitter of cruel stars in the terrible elf-countries, the dream of which was a cold fear to all his kind.

I love that passage. Long live Samwise the brave! And another - to again avoid the Watchers on their way out:

Sam drew out the elven-glass of Galadriel again. As if to do honour to his hardihood, and to grace with splendour his faithful brown hobbit-hand that had done such deeds, the phial blazed forth suddenly, so that all the shadowy court was lit with a dazzling radiance like lightning; but it remained steady and did not pass.

To do honor indeed.