XPost: rec.arts.books.tolkien   
   From: schwarzb@dqel.com   
      
   At the Council of Elrond, Glorfindel suggest sending the ring "over   
   the Sea."  Elrond responds "They who dwell beyond the Sea would not   
   receive it: for good or ill it belongs to Middle-earth."  How can he   
   and Gandalf keep a straight face during this?   
      
   They both know that Sauron is not a creature of Middle-earth.  He is a   
   Maia.  He entered Arda with the Valar at the beginning of the world   
   and eventually became Melkor's servant.  The Valar chose to delay   
   dealing with Melkor due to their uncertainty about the coming of Elves   
   and Men.   
      
   But what is their excuse for not dealing with Sauron after the War of   
   Wrath.  Gandalf, in his true form as one of the high ranking Maiar,   
   would have been there as part of the Western forces.  Elrond would be   
   there as part of the Elven forces.  They both would have known that   
   Sauron surrendered to Eonwë and his subsequent escape was due solely   
   to blatant negligence by the Powers.  All the havoc Sauron caused,   
   from the destruction of Númenor to making the One Ring, was   
   perpetrated by someone from Valinor and tolerated by the Valar's   
   indifference.   
      
   Why is it the responsibility of the inhabitants of Middle-earth to   
   deal with problems caused by an outsider?  It's not like the Valar   
   didn't know what was happening.  In the Akallabêth: "Manwë was   
   grieved, seeing a cloud gather ..."   
      
   It should not have been necessary to send the ring into the West.  The   
   Valar should have come for it and Sauron.  If not immediately after   
   discovering his escape then as part of the changing of the world when   
   Ar-Pharazôn stepped on Undying Lands.   
      
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