XPost: rec.arts.books.tolkien   
   From: tkoenig@netcologne.de   
      
   Christopher J. Henrich  schrieb:   
   > In article , Barry Schwarz   
   > wrote:   
   >   
   >> In one of CT's publishings, probably History of Middle Earth or Book   
   >> of Lost Tales, there is a short section that describes the   
   >> construction of Orthanc by men of Númenor.   
   >>   
   >> In The Two Towers, at the end of the chapter The Voice of Saruman,   
   >> Gandalf says "We cannot destroy Orthanc from without..."   
   >>   
   >> Is there any explanation elsewhere, such as the Letters, that explains   
   >> why this particular citadel is essentially indestructible while so   
   >> many others were not?   
      
   > Also up for explanation is how it came to be destroyed, a few months   
   > later.   
      
   Isengard was destroyed, but Orthanc (the tower itself) wasn't.   
      
   > Perhaps Gandalf really had in mind: "*We* cannot destroy Orthanc from   
   > without (but I know someone who could...)"   
      
   I think the emphasis on *we" is correct.  I'm sure a company   
   of busy dwarves could have toppled Orthanc by undermining it,   
   but since Saruman was ecentially neutralized within it (and not   
   company of dwarves was at hand), this wasn't done.   
      
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    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)