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Shade of Carn Dûm
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<img src="http://www.barrowdowns.com/images/posticons/nenya.jpg" align=absmiddle> Re: While on the topic...
I am not at all certain that this is what you are after; but two things occur to me.
1) The Lieutenant doesn't acknowldge the status of those he deals with (especially Elessar), nevertheless,
2) he offers a treaty which, if he was to ratify it, might be understood to aggrandize his claims. That is, I'm not sure that Elessar, even as King, would be entitled to ratify Sauron's claim to all lands east of the Anduin (for instance: Thingol's, Dain's, or Bard's, much less Rhun, Khand, etc.). Now arguably, Legolas and Gimli might have been proxy to the agreement on behalf of their peoples (though nobody represents Bard). Or, arguably, Elessar was only agreeing not to contest Sauron's claim; that might be legitimate diplomacy. He had, however, only a dubious right to negotiate Rivendell, Lorien, the Havens, the dwarves of the Blue Mountains, etc., into fealty to Sauron (as per clause two).
Of course, I'm not at all sure what the diplomatic protocols of ME are. But these do seem like logical discrepancies to me.
(the disappointingly crappy-looking scan is supposed to be the mouth of sauron)
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Edited by <A HREF=http://www.barrowdowns.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_profile&u=00000201>galpsi</A> at: 7/5/00 2:06:51 am