I have a problem with my in-law . . .

[Nilpaurion Felagund]

. . . and he's Tar-Palantír.

It seems that, for all the good he had done in his life, he made one mistake. One possibly fatal mistake.

It remained a custom thereafter . . . that the King should yield the sceptre to his successor before he died; and the Kings died of free will while yet in vigour of mind. (UT II 3)

If Tar-Palantír would indeed repent of the deeds of his forefathers, would he not follow this custom, passing the sceptre to his heir (Míriel) before his death? Would this not have saved Númenor from the machinations of Pharazôn? I know that a majority of the Númenóreans were already corrupted, and that little could change that, but still, would this have resulted in a different - perhaps milder - outcome?