sk.theshining-第42部分

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　　Gravel　rattled　on　the　path。
　　He　jerked　his　head　around　to　look　at　the　dog　and　it　was　halfway　down　the　pathway；　just　behind　the　lions　now；　its　mouth　wide　and　yawning。　Before；　it　had　only　been　a　hedge　clipped　in　the　general　shape　of　a　dog；　something　that　lost　all　definition　when　you　got　up　close　to　it。　But　now　Jack　could　see　that　it　had　been　clipped　to　look　like　a　German　shepherd；　and　shepherds　could　be　mean。　You　could　train　shepherds　to　kill。
　　A　low　rustling　sound。
　　The　lion　on　the　left　had　advanced　all　the　way　to　the　fence　now；　its　muzzle　was　touching　the　boards。　It　seemed　to　be　grinning　at　him。　Jack　backed　up　another　two　steps。　His　head　was　thudding　crazily　and　he　could　feel　the　dry　rasp　of　his　breath　in　his　throat。　Now　the　buffalo　had　moved；　circling　to　the　right；　behind　and　around　the　rabbit。　The　head　was　lowered；　the　green　hedge　horns　pointing　at　him。　The　thing　was；　you　couldn't　watch　all　of　them。　Not　all　at　once。
　　He　began　to　make　a　whining　sound；　unaware　in　his　locked　concentration　that　he　was　making　any　sound　at　all。　His　eyes　darted　from　one　hedge　creature　to　the　next；　trying　to　see　them　move。　The　wind　gusted；　making　a　hungry　rattling　sound　in　the　close…matted　branches。　What　kind　of　sound　would　there　be　if　they　got　him？
　　But　of　course　he　knew。　A　snapping；　rending；　breaking　sound。　It　would　be…　（no　no　NO　NO　I　WILL　NOT　BELIEVE　THIS　NOT　AT　ALL！）　He　clapped　his　hands　over　his　eyes；　clutching　at　his　hair；　his　forehead；　his　throbbing　temples。　And　he　stood　like　that　for　a　long　time；　dread　building　until　he　could　stand　it　no　longer　and　he　pulled　his　hands　away　with　a　cry。
　　By　the　putting　green　the　dog　was　sitting　up；　as　if　begging　for　a　scrap。　The　buffalo　was　gazing　with　disinterest　back　toward　the　roque　court；　as　it　had　been　when　Jack　had　e　down　with　the　clippers。　The　rabbit　stood　on　its　hind　legs；　ears　up　to　catch　the　faintest　sound；　freshly　clipped　belly　exposed。　The　lions；　rooted　into　place；　stood　beside　the　path。
　　He　stood　frozen　for　a　long　time；　the　harsh　breath　in　his　throat　finally　slowing。　He　reached　for　his　cigarettes　and　shook　four　of　them　out　onto　the　gravel。　He　stooped　down　and　picked　them　up；　groped　for　them；　never　taking　his　eyes　from　the　topiary　for　fear　the　animals　would　begin　to　move　again。　He　picked　them　up；　stuffed　three　carelessly　back　into　the　pack；　and　lit　the　fourth。　After　two　deep　drags　he　dropped　it　and　crushed　it　out。　He　went　to　the　hedge…clipper　and　picked　it　up。
　　〃I'm　very　tired；〃　be　said；　and　now　it　seemed　okay　to　talk　out　loud。　It　didn't　seem　crazy　at　all。　〃I've　been　under　a　strain。　The　wasps　。　。　。　the　play　。　。　。　Al　calling　me　like　that。　But　it's　all　right。〃　He　began　to　trudge　back　up　to　the　hotel。　Part　of　his　mind　tugged　fretfully　at　him；　tried　to　make　him　detour　around　the　hedge　animals；　but　he　went　directly　up　the　gravel　path；　through　them。　A　faint　breeze　rattled　through　them；　that　was　all。　He　had　imagined　the　whole　thing。　He　had　had　a　bad　scare　but　it　was　over　now。
　　In　the　Overlook's　kitchen　he　paused　to　take　two　Excedrin　and　then　went　downstairs　and　looked　at　papers　until　he　heard　the　dim　sound　of　the　hotel　truck　rattling　into　the　driveway。　He　went　up　to　meet　them。　He　felt　all　right。　He　saw　no　need　to　mention　his　hallucination。　He'd　had　a　bad　scare　but　it　was　over　now。
　　　
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　　SNOW
　　
　　It　was　dusk。
　　They　stood　on　the　porch　in　the　fading　light；　Jack　in　the　middle；　his　left　arm　around　Danny's　shoulders　and　his　right　arm　around　Wendy's　waist。　Together　they　watched　as　the　decision　was　taken　out　of　their　hands。
　　The　sky　had　been　pletely　clouded　over　by　two…thirty　and　it　had　begun　to　snow　an　hour　later；　and　this　time　you　didn't　need　a　weatherman　to　tell　you　it　was　serious　snow；　no　flurry　that　was　going　to　melt　or　blow　away　when　the　evening　wind　started　to　whoop。　At　first　it　had　fallen　in　perfectly　straight　lines；　building　up　a　snowcover　that　coated　everything　evenly；　but　now；　an　hour　after　it　had　started；　the　wind　had　begun　to　blow　from　the　northwest　and　the　snow　had　begun　to　drift　against　the　porch　and　the　sides　of　the　Overlook's　driveway。
　　Beyond　the　grounds　the　highway　had　disappeared　under　an　even　blanket　of　white。
　　The　hedge　animals　were　also　gone；　but　when　Wendy　and　Danny　had　gotten　home；　she　had　mended　him　on　the　good　job　he　had　done。　Do　you　think　so？　he　had　asked；　and　said　no　more。　Now　the　hedges　were　buried　under　amorphous　white　cloaks。
　　Curiously；　all　of　them　were　thinking　different　thoughts　but　feeling　the　same　emotion：　relief。　The　bridge　had　been　crossed。
　　〃Will　it　ever　be　spring？〃　Wendy　murmured。
　　Jack　squeezed　her　tighter。　〃Before　you　know　it。　What　do　you　say　we　go　in　and　have　some　supper？　It's　cold　out　here。〃　She　smiled。　All　afternoon　Jack　had　seemed　distant　and　。　。　。　well；　odd。　Now　he　sounded　more　like　his　normal　self。　〃Fine　by　me。　How　about　you；　Danny？〃
　　〃Sure。〃　So　they　went　in　together；　leaving　the　wind　to　build　to　the　low…pitched　scream　that　would　go　on　all　night…a　sound　they　would　get　to　know　well。　Flakes　of　snow　swirled　and　danced　across　the　porch。　The　Overlook　faced　it　as　it　had　for　nearly　three　quarters　of　a　century；　its　darkened　windows　now　bearded　with　snow；　indifferent　to　the　fact　that　it　was　now　cut　off　from　the　world。　Or　possibly　it　was　pleased　with　the　prospect。　Inside　its　shell　the　three　of　them　went　about　their　early　evening　routine；　like　microbes　trapped　in　the　intestine　of　a　monster。
　　　
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　　INSIDE　217
　　
　　A　week　and　a　half　later　two　feet　of　snow　lay　white　and　crisp　and　even　on　the　grounds　of　the　Overlook　Hotel。　The　hedge　menagerie　was　buried　up　to　its　haunches；　the　rabbit；　frozen　on　its　hind　legs；　seemed　to　be　rising　from　a　white　pool。　Some　of　the　drifts　were　over　five　feet　deep。　The　wind　was　constantly　changing　them；　sculpting　them　into　sinuous；　dunelike　shapes。　Twice　Jack　had　snowshoed　clumsily　around　to　the　equipment　shed　for　his　shovel　to　clear　the　porch；　the　third　time　he　shrugged；　simply　cleared　a　path　through　the　towering　drift　lying　against　the　door；　and　let　Danny　amuse　himself　by　sledding　to　the　right　and　left　of　the　path。　The　truly　heroic　drifts　lay　against　the　Overlook's　west　side；　some　of　them　towered　to　a　height　of　twenty　feet；　and　beyond　them　the　ground　was　scoured　bare　to　the　grass　by　the　constant　windflow。　The　first…floor　windows　were　covered；　and　the　view　from　the　dining　room　which　Jack　had　so　admired　on　closing　day　was　now　no　more　exciting　than　a　view　of　a　blank　movie　screen。　Their　phone　had　been　out　for　the　last　eight　days；　and　the　CB　radio　in　Ullman's　office　was　now　their　only　munications　link　with　the　outside　world。
　　It　snowed　every　day　now；　sometimes　only　brief　flurries　that　powdered　the　glittering　snow　crust；　sometimes　for　real；　the　low　whistle　of　the　wind　cranking　up　to　a　womanish　shriek　that　made　the　old　hotel　rock　and　groan　alarmingly　even　in　its　deep　cradle　of　snow。　Night　temperatures　had　not　gotten　above　10°；　and　although　the　thermometer　by　the　kitchen　service　entrance　sometimes　got　as　high　as　25°　in　the　early　afternoons；　the　steady　knife　edge　of　the　wind　made　it　unfortable　to　go　out　without　a　ski　mask。　But　they　all　did　go　out　on　the　days　when　the　sun　shone；　usually　wearing　two　sets　of　clothing　and　mittens　on　over　their　gloves。　Getting　out　was　almost　a　pulsive　thing；　the　hotel　was　circled　with　the　double　track　of　Danny's　Flexible　Flyer。　The　permutations　were　nearly　endless：　Danny　riding　while　his　parents　pulled；　Daddy　riding　and　laughing　while　Wendy　and　Danny　tried　to　pull　（it　was　just　possible　for　them　to　pull　him　on　the　icy　crust；　and　flatly　impossible　when　powder　covered　it）；　Danny　and　Mommy　riding；　Wendy　riding　by　herself　while　her　menfolk　pulled　and　puffed　white　vapor　like　drayhorses；　pretending　she　was　heavier　than　she　was。　They　laughed　a　great　deal　on　these　sled　excursions　around　the　house；　but　the　whooping　and　impersonal　voice　of　the　wind；　so　huge　and　hollowly　sincere；　made　their　laughter　seem　tinny　and　forced。
　　They　had　seen　caribou　tracks　in　the　snow　and　once　the　caribou　themselves；　a　group　of　five　standing　motionlessly　below　the　security　fence。　They　had　all　taken　turns　with　Jack's　Zeiss…Ikon　binoculars　to　see　them　better；　and　looking　at　them　had　given　Wendy　a　weird；　unreal　feeling：　they　were　standing　leg…deep　in　the　snow　that　covered　the　highway；　and　it　came　to　her　that　between　now　and　the　spring　thaw；　the　road　belonged　more　to　the　caribou　than　it　did　to　them。　Now　the　things　that　men　had　made　up　here　were　neutralized。　The　caribou　understood　that；　she　believed。　She　had　put　the　binoculars　down　and　had　said　something　about　starting　lunch　and　in　the　kitchen　she　had　cried　a　little；　trying　to　rid　herself　of　the　awful　pent…up　feeling　that　sometimes　fell　on　her　like　a　large；　pressing　hand　over　her　heart。　She　thought　of　the　caribou。　She　thought　of　the　wasps　Jack　had　put　out　on　the　service　entrance　platform；　under　the　Pyrex　bowl；　to　freeze。
　　There　were　plenty　of　snowshoes　hung　from　nails　in　the　equipment　shed；　and　Jack　found　a　pair　to　fit　each　of　them；　although　Danny's　pair　was　quite　a　bit　outsized。　Jack　did　well　with　them。　Although　he　had　not　snowshoed　since　his　boyhood　in　Berlin；　New　Hampshire；　he　retaught　himself　quickly。　Wendy　didn't　care　much　for　it…even　fifteen　minutes　of　tramping　around　on　the　outsized　laced　paddles　made　her　legs　and　ankles　ache　outrageously…but　Danny　was　intrigued　and　working　hard　to　pick　up　the　knack。　He　still　fell　often；　but　lack　was　pleased　with　his　progress。　He　said　that　by　February　Danny　would　be　skipping　circles　around　both　of　them。
　　
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　　This　day　was　overcast；　and　by　noon　the　sky　had　already　begun　to　spit　snow。　The　radio　was　promising　another　eight　to　twelve　inches　and　chanting　hosannas　to　Precipitation；　that　great　god　of　Colorado　skiers。　Wendy；　sitting　in　the　bedroom　and　knitting　a　scarf；　thought　to　herself　that　she　knew　exactly　what　the　skiers　could　do　with　all　that　snow。　She　knew　exactly　where　they　could　put　it。
　　Jack　was　in　the　cellar。　He　had　gone　down　to　check　the　furnace　and　boiler…such　checks　had　bee　a　ritual　with　him　since　the　snow　had　closed　them　in…and　after　satisfying　himself　that　everything　was　going　well　he　had　wandered　through　the　arch；　screwed　the　lightbulb　on；　and　had　seated　himself　in　an　old　and　cobwebby　camp　chair　he　had　found。　He　was　leafing　throug