Hello, and welcome to the NataCast podcast, the podcast that usually goes through a Song of Ice and Fire

one chapter a week, but not here. I'm one of your hosts Emmett, also known as Poor Quentin. My co-host

Jeff, also known as Bryndan Beefish, is taking a couple of months off the podcast for work.

Soon as he's back, we'll jump right back into Song of Ice and Fire with Sansa's third

chapter in a storm of swords.

In the meantime, I'm picking up where I left off last time with J.R.R. Tolkien's the Lord

of the Rings.

Last week, we kicked off Book 5 by doing the first part of the first chapter Minas Terith,

in which Pippen was introduced to the city and its steward Denethor, to whom he immediately swore his sword, and this week we're going to be wrapping up Book 5, Chapter 1,

Minas Terith.

Last week, Pippin was caught in between Gandalf and Denethor, used as a pawn in their clearly

pre-existing rivalry. It was an uncomfortable spot to be in, and now Tolkien takes the time to remind us of the

difference between the two. When Pippin nervously asks if Gandalf is angry with him, saying,

I did the best I could, we might expect Gandalf to snap at him, and Gandalf the Grey might have

fool of a took. But Gandalf the White is different, for better or worse. Mary says it best when the hobbits all reunite in book six.

Gandalf is not so close as he used to be, though he laughs more than he talks.

The ragged intimacy of Gandalf the Grey is replaced by a more cosmic perspective,

but that can still produce joy, as Tolkien describes it here. Great joy,

like a fountain bubbling over in this dead place, enough to set a whole kingdom laughing.

And Gandalf acknowledges that Pippen was caught between two terrible old men, that's how he puts it.

Gandalf does what he has to, but he always keeps an eye on the mortals to make sure they're okay.

Denethor doesn't really care about those in his charge.

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