XPost: rec.arts.books.tolkien   
   From: mmikeda@erols.com   
      
   Stan Brown  wrote in   
   news:MPG.28d85c768b0371ac98d12e@news.individual.net:   
      
   > On Sun, 11 Sep 2011 23:09:45 -0800, sean_q wrote:   
   >> I think the DL at least knew (from his spies) that "Strider"   
   >> was a Ranger, ie one of those pesky Dunedain (Numenoreans in   
   >> exile).   
   >   
   > *Did* he?  Did Sauron have any certain knowledge that the last   
   > of the Dúnedain -- or at least the last of the line of Elendil   
   > -- had not perished with Arvedui, last King of Arthedain?   
      
   I suspect he did think that the line of Elendil had perished with   
   Arvedui.  However, I also suspect that he thought that the Rangers   
   were of Numenorean descent.   
      
   >   
   > Sauron seems remarkably ill informed about the doings in   
   > Eriador, or west of the Misty Mountains generally.  If I were   
   > aiming at world domination, I would make it my business to have   
   > an extensive spy network in enemy territory.  But Sauron seems   
   > to have neglected intelligence gathering almost completely.  And   
   > it can't be because he was relying on Saruman, for their   
   > alliance (or Saruman's subjection) was comparatively recent.   
   >   
      
   My guess at his attitude would be something along the lines of "Why   
   bother with spies when I can SEE everything of importance myself?".   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)