sk.theshining-第31部分

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ccepted　it。
　　And　later；　at　midnight；　Derwent　himself　crying：　〃Unmask！　Unmask！〃　The　masks　ing　off　and　。　。　。　
　　（The　Red　Death　held　sway　over　all！）　He　frowned。　What　left　field　had　that　e　out　of？　That　was　Poe；　the　Great　American　Hack。　And　surely　the　Overlook…this　shining；　glowing　Overlook　on　the　invitation　he　held　in　his　hands…was　the　farthest　cry　from　E。　A。　Poe　imaginable。
　　He　put　the　invitation　back　and　turned　to　the　next　page。　A　paste…up　from　one　of　the　Denver　papers；　and　scratched　beneath　it　the　date：　May　15；　1947。
　　
　　POSH　MOUNTAIN　RESORT　REOPENS　WITH　STELLAR　GUEST　REGISTER　Derwent　Says　Overlook　Will　Be　〃Showplace　of　the　World〃
　　
　　By　David　Felton；　Features　Editor　The　Overlook　Hotel　has　been　opened　and　reopened　in　its　thirty…eight…year　history；　but　rarely　with　such　style　and　dash　as　that　promised　by　Horace　Derwent；　the　mysterious　California　millionaire　who　is　the　latest　owner　of　the　hostelry。
　　Derwent；　who　makes　no　secret　of　having　sunk　more　than　one　million　dollars　into　his　newest　venture…and　some　say　the　figure　is　closer　to　three　million…says　that　〃The　new　Overlook　will　be　one　of　the　world's　showplaces；　the　kind　of　hotel　you　will　remember　overnigbting　in　thirty　years　later。〃　When　Derwent；　who　is　rumored　to　have　substantial　Las　Vegas　holdings；　was　asked　if　his　purchase　and　refurbishing　of　the　Overlook　signaled　the　opening　gun　in　a　battle　to　legalize　casino…style　gambling　in　Colorado；　the　aircraft；　movie；　munitions；　and　shipping　magnate　denied　it　。　。　。　with　a　smile。　〃The　Overlook　would　be　cheapened　by　gambling；〃　he　said；　〃and　don't　think　I'm　knocking　Vegas！　They've　got　too　many　of　my　markers　out　there　for　me　to　do　that！　I　have　no　interest　in　lobbying　for　legalized　gambling　in　Colorado。　It　would　be　spitting　into　the　wind。〃　When　the　Overlook　opens　officially　（there　was　a　gigantic　and　hugely　successful　party　there　some　time　ago　when　the　actual　work　was　finished）；　the　newly　painted；　papered；　and　decorated　rooms　will　be　occupied　by　a　stellar　guest　list；　ranging　from　Chic　designer　Corbat　Stani　to　。　。　。　
　　
　　Smiling　bemusedly；　Jack　turned　the　page。　Now　he　was　looking　at　a　full…page　ad　from　the　New　York　Sunday　Times　travel　section。　On　the　page　after　that　a　story　on　Derwent　himself；　a　balding　man　with　eyes　that　pierced　you　even　from　an　old　newsprint　photo。　He　was　wearing　rimless　spectacles　and　a　forties…style　pencil…　line　mustache　that　did　nothing　at　all　to　make　him　look　like　Errol　Flynn。　His　face　was　that　of　an　accountant。　It　was　the　eyes　that　made　him　look　like　someone　or　something　else。
　　Jack　skimmed　the　article　rapidly。　He　knew　most　of　the　information　from　a　Newsweek　story　on　Derwent　the　year　before。　Born　poor　in　St。　Paul；　never　finished　high　school；　joined　the　Navy　instead。　Rose　rapidly；　then　left　in　a　bitter　wrangle　over　the　patent　on　a　new　type　of　propeller　that　he　had　designed。　In　the　tug　of　war　between　the　Navy　and　an　unknown　young　man　named　Horace　Derwent；　Uncle　Sam　came　off　the　predictable　winner。　But　Uncle　Sam　had　never　gotten　another　patent；　and　there　had　been　a　lot　of　them。
　　In　the　late　twenties　and　early　thirties；　Derwent　turned　to　aviation。　He　bought　out　a　bankrupt　cropdusting　pany；　turned　it　into　an　airmail　service；　and　prospered。　More　patents　followed：　a　new　monoplane　wing　design；　a　bomb　carriage　used　on　the　Flying　Fortresses　that　had　rained　fire　on　Hamburg　and　Dresden　and　Berlin；　a　machine　gun　that　was　cooled　by　alcohol；　a　prototype　of　the　ejection　seat　later　used　in　United　States　jets。
　　And　along　the　line；　the　accountant　who　lived　in　the　same　skin　as　the　inventor　kept　piling　up　the　investments。　A　piddling　string　of　munition　factories　in　New　York　and　New　Jersey。　Five　textile　mills　in　New　England。　Chemical　factories　in　the　bankrupt　and　groaning　South。　At　the　end　of　the　Depression　his　wealth　had　been　nothing　but　a　handful　of　controlling　interests；　bought　at　abysmally　low　prices；　salable　only　at　lower　prices　still。　At　one　point　Derwent　boasted　that　he　could　liquidate　pletely　and　realize　the　price　of　a　threeyear…old　Chevrolet。
　　There　bad　been　rumors；　Jack　recalled；　that　some　of　the　means　employed　by　Derwent　to　keep　his　head　above　water　were　less　than　savory。　Involvement　with　bootlegging。　Prostitution　in　the　Midwest。　Smuggling　in　the　coastal　areas　of　the　South　where　his　fertilizer　factories　were。　Finally　an　association　with　the　nascent　western　gambling　interests。
　　Probably　Derwent's　most　famous　investment　was　the　purchase　of　the　foundering　Top　Mark　Studios；　which　had　not　had　a　bit　since　their　child　star；　Little　Margery　Morris；　had　died　of　a　heroin　overdose　in　1934。　She　was　fourteen。　Little　Margery；　who　had　specialized　in　sweet　seven…year…olds　who　saved　marriages　and　the　lives　of　dogs　unjustly　accused　of　killing　chickens；　had　been　given　the　biggest　Hollywood　funeral　in　history　by　Top　Mark…the　official　story　was　that　Little　Margery　had　contracted　a　〃wasting　disease〃　while　entertaining　at　a　New　York　orphanage…and　some　cynics　suggested　the　studio　had　laid　out　all　that　long　green　because　it　knew　it　was　burying　itself。
　　Derwent　hired　a　keen　businessman　and　raging　sex　maniac　named　Henry　Finkel　to　run　Top　Mark；　and　in　the　two　years　before　Pearl　Harbor　the　studio　ground　out　sixty　movies；　fifty…five　of　which　glided　right　into　the　face　of　the　Hayes　Office　and　spit　on　its　large　blue　nose。　The　other　five　were　government　training　films。
　　The　feature　films　were　huge　successes。　During　one　of　them　an　unnamed　costume　designer　had　juryrigged　a　strapless　bra　for　the　heroine　to　appear　in　during　the　Grand　Ball　scene；　where　she　revealed　everything　except　possibly　the　birthmark　just　below　the　cleft　of　her　buttocks。　Derwent　received　credit　for　this　invention　as　well；　and　his　reputation…or　notoriety…grew。
　　The　war　had　made　him　rich　and　he　was　still　rich。　Living　in　Chicago；　seldom　seen　except　for　Derwent　Enterprises　board　meetings　（which　he　ran　with　an　iron　hand）；　it　was　rumored　that　he　owned　United　Air　Lines；　Las　Vegas　（where　he　was　known　to　have　controlling　interests　in　four　hotel…casinos　and　some　involvement　in　at　least　six　others）；　Los　Angeles；　and　the　U。S。A。　itself。　Reputed　to　be　a　friend　of　royalty；　presidents；　and　underworld　kingpins；　it　was　supposed　by　many　that　he　was　the　richest　man　in　the　world。
　　But　he　had　not　been　able　to　make　a　go　of　the　Overlook；　Jack　thought。　He　put　the　scrapbook　down　for　a　moment　and　took　the　small　notebook　and　mechanical　pencil　he　always　kept　with　him　out　of　his　breast　pocket。　He　jotted　〃Look　into　H。
　　Derwent；　Sidwndr　Ibry？〃　He　put　the　notebook　back　and　picked　up　the　scrapbook　again。　His　face　was　preoccupied；　his　eyes　distant。　He　wiped　his　mouth　constantly　with　his　hand　as　he　turned　the　pages。
　　He　skimmed　the　material　that　followed；　making　a　mental　note　to　read　it　more　closely　later。　Press　releases　were　pasted　into　many　of　the　pages。　So…and…so　was　expected　at　the　Overlook　next　week；　thus…and…such　would　be　entertaining　in　the　lounge　（in　Derwent's　time　it　had　been　the　Red…Eye　Lounge）。　Many　of　the　entertainers　were　Vegas　names；　and　many　of　the　guests　were　Top　Mark　executives　and　stars。
　　Then；　in　a　clipping　marked　February　1；　1952：
　　
　　MILLIONAIRE　EXEC　TO　SELL　COLORADO　INVESTMENTS　Deal　Made　with　California　Investors　on　Overlook；　Other　Investments；　Derwent　Reveals
　　
　　By　Rodney　Conklin；　Financial　Editor　In　a　terse　munique　yesterday　from　the　Chicago　offices　of　the　monolithic　Derwent　Enterprises；　it　was　revealed　that　millionaire　（perhaps　billionaire）　Horace　Derwent　has　sold　out　of　Colorado　in　a　stunning　financial　power　play　that　will　be　pleted　by　October　1；　1954。　Derwent's　investments　include　natural　gas；　coal；　hydroelectric　power；　and　a　land　development　pany　called　Colorado　Sunshine；　Inc。；　which　owns　or　holds　options　on　better　than　500；000　acres　of　Colorado　land。
　　The　most　famous　Derwent　holding　in　Colorado；　the　Overlook　Hotel；　has　already　been　sold；　Derwent　revealed　in　a　rare　interview　yesterday。　The　buyer　was　a　California　group　of　investors　headed　by　Charles　Grondin；　a　former　director　of　the　California　Land　Development　Corporation。　While　Derwent　refused　to　discuss　price；　informed　sources　。　。　。
　　
　　He　had　sold　out　everything；　lock；　stock；　and　barrel。　It　wasn't　just　the　Overlook。　But　somehow。。　。　somehow。　。　。
　　He　wiped　his　lips　with　his　hand　and　wished　he　had　a　drink。　This　would　go　better　with　a　drink。　He　turned　more　pages。
　　The　California　group　had　opened　the　hotel　for　two　seasons；　and　then　sold　it　to　a　Colorado　group　called　Mountainview　Resorts。　Mountainview　went　bankrupt　in　1957　amid　charges　of　corruption；　nest…feathering；　and　cheating　the　stockholders。　The　president　of　the　pany　shot　himself　two　days　after　being　subpoenaed　to　appear　before　a　grand　jury。
　　The　hotel　had　been　closed　for　the　rest　of　the　decade。　There　was　a　single　story　about　it；　a　Sunday　feature　headlined　FORMER　GRAND　HOTEL　SINKING　INTO　DECAY。　The　acpanying　photos　wrenched　at　Jack's　heart：　the　paint　on　the　front　porch　peeling；　the　lawn　a　bald　and　scabrous　mess；　windows　broken　by　storms　and　stones。
　　This　would　be　a　part　of　the　book；　if　he　actually　wrote　it；　too…the　phoenix　going　down　into　the　ashes　to　be　reborn。　He　promised　himself　he　would　take　care　of　the　place；　very　good　care。　It　seemed　that　before　today　he　had　never　really　understood　the　breadth　of　his　responsibility　to　the　Overlook。　It　was　almost　like　having　a　responsibility　to　history。
　　In　1961　four　writers；　two　of　them　Pulitzer　Prize　winners；　had　leased　the　Overlook　and　reopened　it　as　a　writers'　school。　That　had　lasted　one　year。　One　of　the　students　had　gotten　drunk　in　his　third…floor　room；　crashed　out　of　the　window　somehow；　and　fell　to　his　death　on　the　cement　terrace　below。　The　paper　hinted　that　it　might　have　been　suicide。
　　Any　big　hotel。　have　got　scandals；　Watson　had　said；　just　like　every　big　hotel　has　got　a　ghost。　Why？　Hell；　people　e　and　go　。　。　。　
　　Suddenly　it　seemed　that　he　could　almost　feel　the　weight　of　the　Overlook　bearing　down　on　him　from　above；　one　hundred　and　ten　guest　rooms；　the　storage　rooms；　kitchen；　pantry；　freezer；　lounge；　ballroom；　dining　room　。　。　。
　　（In　the　room　the　women　e　and　go）　（。　。　。　and　the　Red　Death　held　sway　over　all。）　He　rubbed　his　lips　and　turned　to　the　next　page　in　the　scrapbook。　He　was　in　the　last　third　of　it　now；　and　for　the　first　time　he　wondere