Saruman's Treachery

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Originally Posted by Gorthaur the Cruel

What an astute observation. But Gandalf as a maia may have added some extra mojo on that secrecy. My hypothesis is that Gandalf did not use the Red Ring until after he was resurrected as Gandalf the White. Why? Because simply as you have said, Frodo did not feel it nor recognized as he did with the Lady Galadriel. But did not Galadriel chose freely to confirm it herself?

I think that Frodo hadn't the skill nor the mental prowess to discern ringbearers from common folk when he hung out with Gandalf. He was growing in his 'ring strength,' yet had not seen the 'lidless Eye' until Lothlorien, after which time Galadriel reveals herself as, seemingly, she now knows that Frodo can see her Ring.

And if he did notice something a bit different about Gandalf, he may have thought that this was do to 'exposure' - seeing more into the nature of his friend and mentor.

Gandalf's statement on the Bridge is not in regards to his Ring. I always associated it with Iluvatar, but this may not be right either.

Saruman may have never mentioned (or even showed an interest in) any of the Elven Rings in order to dissemble his motives. And didn't he create a ring of his own?

Sauron knew full well where at least two of the Three lay. Think about it - you're the (almost) all-seeing Eye, yet there's these blank spots on the 'map' that for some reason you can never see into. I know where I would look. Or did Galadriel and Elrond have some kind of shielding device that confused Sauron?

And Sauron's mind wasn't 'firewalled' in the least. Saruman must have picked his mind about the ringmaking, and Galadriel said something about 'knowing his thoughts,' and I think that Gandalf ran around in there too ('he's afraid').