(As he shouts, the sky grows dark and those present at the Council wince as if in pain. Boromir has sat down, the sky has lost the darkness, and Elrond has taken his head from out of his hands)

Elrond: Never before has any voice uttered the words of the tongue here in Imladris.

Gandalf: (gruffly) I do not ask your pardon, Master Elrond, for the Black Speech of Mordor may yet be heard in every corner of the West! The Ring is altogether evil.

Boromir: (insistently) It is a gift! A gift to the foes of Mordor! Why not use this Ring? (paces) Long has my father, the Steward of Gondor, kept the forces of Mordor at bay. By the blood of our people are your lands kept safe! Give Gondor the weapon of the enemy. Let us use it against him!

Aragorn: You cannot wield it! None of us can. The One Ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master.

Boromir: And what would a ranger know of this matter?

(Suddenly, Legolas stands up with an angry look on his face)

Legolas: This is no mere ranger. He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance.

Boromir: Aragorn? (turns towards Aragorn with disbelief in his eyes) This... is Isildur's heir?

Legolas: And heir to the throne of Gondor.

(Frodo looks wide-eyed at Aragorn)

Aragorn: Havo dad Legolas *Sit down Legolas*

Boromir: Gondor has no king. Gondor needs no king.

(he returns to his seat with a sigh)

Gandalf: Aragorn is right. We cannot use it.

Elrond: You have only one choice. The Ring must be destroyed.

Gimli: What are we waiting for?

(Gimli grabs his axe and approaches the pedestal)

Gimli: ARGH!!

(Gimli strikes the Ring as hard as he can, but is thrown back, falling to the ground. Concurrently, Frodo sees the Eye of Sauron in his mind and winces in pain. The Ring remains intact on the pedestal with the shards of the axe around it, whispers in the Black tongue is heard)

Elrond: The Ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli, son of Gloin by any craft that we here possess. The Ring was made in the fires of Mount Doom. Only there can it be unmade. It must be taken deep into Mordor and cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came.

Ring: (whispers) Ash Nazg…

Elrond: One of you must do this.

(Dead silence)

Boromir: One does not simply walk into Mordor. Its black gates are guarded by more than just orcs. There is evil there that does not sleep. And the great Eye is ever watchful. It is a barren wasteland. Riddled with fire and ash and dust. The very air you breathe is a poisonous fume. Not with ten thousand men could you do this. It is folly!

Legolas: (stands up) Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said? The Ring must be destroyed!

Gimli: (leaps to his feet) And I suppose you think you're the one to do it?!

Boromir: (rises) And if we fail, what then?! What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?!

Gimli: I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an elf!

(the other Elves rises and starts shouting at Gimli and the other Dwarves. Legolas holds out his hand to stop them from starting a fight)

Gimli: Never trust an elf!

Gandalf: (rises) Do you not understand that while we bicker among ourselves, Sauron's power grows?! None can escape it!

Man: You'll all be destroyed!

(Frodo watches the Ring, the angry figures of the council reflected on its surface. Suddenly, flames flare up, engulfing the surface of the Ring)

Ring: Ash Nazg Durbatuluk! Ash Nazg Gimbatul! Ash Nazg Gimbatul! Ash Nazg Gimbatul!

(The intensity of the arguments increase. Slowly, Frodo understands what he must do. He rises and takes a step toward the arguing council, trying to make his voice heard above theirs)

Frodo: I will take it! I will take it!