Feigned fleeing or farciful forestalling?

[Morthoron]

Originally Posted by skip spence

I imagine that Sauron did put up a fight, although without the intention of winning. The White Council would feel more at ease perhaps having to fight a battle to oust the Necromancer than just seeing him slip out the back door. The devices of Saruman could've been the explosives that were used in Helms Deep by his army or other siege equipment, perhaps mechanical.

Myself I'm more curious about this phrase: "the Council put forth its strength and drove the evil out of Mirkwood" The White Council has an army at it's disposal? And how would this force be made up?

To me, it seems obvious that Saruman was already duplicitous, long forestalling the White Council's attack on Amon Lanc for his personal reasons. Perhaps the 'devices' Saruman used were just as feigned as was Sauron fleeing, and the two had already worked out an 'exit strategy' together. Both were in possession of the palantiri at the time.

As far as the phrase "the Council put forth its strength and drove the evil out of Mirkwood", I don't consider this to infer an army; rather, it seems to me more likely the White Council put forth their innate powers to drive Sauron forth, much like Galadriel did at the end of the War of the Ring when she laid bare the pits of Dol Guldur and toppled its tower.