: (2) One other question about rings. I noticed an earlier set of postings that talked about the nine and how Sauron kept them. My question is this: How did he get them back from the nine in the first place? I mean, you don't normally want to give up something that has enslaved you and gives you all your power. Granted, they probably didn't know that Sauron could control them through the nine, but still, would they really just give them back? Or did he take them, and wouldn't that have broken them and made them useless?
: Josh.

Sauron couldn't feel the ring at all. He was not even sure the ring was not destroyed. But Bilbo did not use the ring exactly. He put it on his finger and came under it's spell. Frodo put the ring on his finger and sat upon the seat of seeing. This is when the forces came together and drew Sauron's eye to him. When he took off the ring Sauron eye passed over and missed him. Even when Sam put on the ring in the land of Mordor Sauron did not know it, but when Frodo put on the ring at the crack of doom and claimed it for himself Sauron was aware of him.

The wraiths were totally subjegated to Saurons will. They could do nothing but surrender the ring when sauron demanded it. By this time they were no longer living, but slaves of their rings and not whoally in this world but were spirits of mallis (spelling) That is why their cloaks could be seen it was no longer the power of their rings that made them invisible but they were themselves undead wraiths.

There were many other rings made befor the seven and the nine. Bilbos ring could be one of these, a mere trinket a baulble. Gandalf was in doubt. Even he could not believe the luck. The one had fallen into the hands of the wise. The truth is doubtless that Ulvetar intervened. Ah now let me hear the railing :)