sk.theshining-第5部分

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st；　and　of　course　the　bituary　in　that　pissant　little　rag　they　have　down　in　Estes　Park；　but　that　was　just　about　all。　Pretty　good；　considerin　the　reputation　this　place　has　got。　I　expected　some　reporter　would　dig　it　all　up　again　and　just　sorta　put　Grady　in　it　as　an　excuse　to　rake　over　the　scandals。〃
　　〃What　scandals？〃　Watson　shrugged。　〃Any　big　hotels　have　got　scandals；〃　he　said。　〃Just　like　every　big　hotel　has　got　a　ghost。　Why？　Hell；　people　e　and　go。　Sometimes　one　of　em　will　pop　off　in　his　room；　heart　attack　or　stroke　or　something　like　that。　Hotels　are　superstitious　places。　No　thirteenth　floor　or　room　thirteen；　no　mirrors　on　the　back　of　the　door　you　e　in　through；　stuff　like　that。　Why；　we　lost　a　lady　just　this　last　July。　Ullman　had　to　take　care　of　that；　and　you　can　bet　your　ass　he　did。　That's　what　they　pay　him　twenty…two　thousand　bucks　a　season　for；　and　as　much　as　I　dislike　the　little　prick；　he　earns　it。　It's　like　some　people　just　e　here　to　throw　up　and　they　hire　a　guy　like　Ullman　to　clean　up　the　messes。　Here's　this　woman；　must　be　sixty　fuckin　years　old…my　age！…and　her　hair's　dyed　just　as　red　as　a　whore's　stoplight；　tits　saggin　just　about　down　to　her　belly　button　on　account　of　she　ain't　wearin　no　brassy…ear；　big　varycoarse　veins　all　up　and　down　her　legs　so　they　look　like　a　couple　of　goddam　roadmaps；　the　jools　drippin　off　her　neck　and　arms　an　hangin　out　her　ears。　And　she's　got　this　kid　with　her；　he　can't　be　no　more　than　seventeen；　with　hair　down　to　his　asshole　and　his　crotch　bulgin　'like　he　stuffed　it　with　the　funnypages。　So　they're　here　a　week；　ten　days　maybe；　and　every　night　it's　the　same　drill。　Down　in　the　Colorado　Lounge　from　five　to　seven；　her　suckin　up　singapore　slings　like　they're　gonna　outlaw　em　tomorrow　and　him　with　just　the　one　bottle　of　Olympia；　suckin　it；　makin　it　last。
　　And　she'd　be　makin　jokes　and　sayin　all　these　witty　things；　and　every　time　she　said　one　he'd　grin　just　like　a　fuckin　ape；　like　she　had　strings　tied　to　the　corners　of　his　mouth。　Only　after　a　few　days　you　could　see　it　was　gettin　harder　an　harder　for　him　to　grin；　and　God　knows　what　he　had　to　think　about　to　get　his　pump　primed　by　bedtime。　Well；　they'd　go　in　for　dinner；　him　walkin　and　her　staggerin；　drunk　as　a　coot；　you　know；　and　he'd　be　pinchin　the　waitresses　and　grinnin　at　em　when　she　wasn't　lookin。　Hell；　we　even　had　bets　on　how　long　he'd　last。〃　Watson　shrugged。
　　〃Then　he　es　down　one　night　around　ten；　sayin　his　'wife'　is　'indisposed'…　which　meant　she　was　passed　out　again　like　every　other　night　they　was　there…and　he's　goin　to　get　her　some　stomach　medicine。　So　off　he　goes　in　the　little　Porsche　they　e　in；　and　that's　the　last　we　see　of　him。　Next　morning　she　es　down　and　tries　to　put　on　this　big　act；　but　all　day　she's　gettin　paler　an　paler；　and　Mr。
　　Ullman　asks　her；　sorta　diplomatic…like；　would　she　like　him　to　notify　the　state　cops；　just　in　case　maybe　he　had　a　little　accident　or　something。　She's　on　him　like　a　cat。　No…no…no；　he's　a　fine　driver；　she　isn't　worried；　everything's　under　control；　he'll　be　back　for　dinner。　So　that　afternoon　she　steps　into　the　Colorado　around　three　and　never　has　no　dinner　at　all。　She　goes　up　to　her　room　around　ten…　thirty；　and　that's　the　last　time　anybody　saw　her　alive。〃
　　〃What　happened？〃
　　〃County　coroner　said　she　took　about　thirty　sleepin　pills　on　top　of　all　the　booze。　Her　husband　showed　up　the　next　day；　some　big…shot　lawyer　from　New　York。
　　He　gave　old　Ullman　four　different　shades　of　holy　hell。　I'll　sue　this　an　I'll　sue　that　an　when　I'm　through　you　won't　even　be　able　to　find　a　clean　pair　of　underwear；　stuff　like　that。　But　Ullman's　good；　the　sucker。　Ullman　got　him　quieted　down。　Probably　asked　that　bigshot　how　he'd　like　to　see　his　wife　splashed　all　over　the　New　York　papers：　Wife　of　Prominent　New　York　Blah　Blah　Found　Dead　With　Bellyful　of　Sleeping　Pills。　After　playing　hide…the…salami　with　a　kid　young　enough　to　be　her　grandson。
　　〃The　state　cops　found　the　Porsche　in　the　back　of　this　allnight　burger　joint　down　in　Lyons；　and　Ullman　pulled　a　few　strings　to　get　it　released　to　that　lawyer。　Then　both　of　them　ganged　up　on　old　Archer　Houghton；　which　is　the　county　coroner；　and　got　him　to　change　the　verdict　to　accidental　death。　Heart　attack。
　　Now　ole　Archer's　driving　a　Chrysler。　I　don't　begrudge　him。　A　man's　got　to　take　it　where　he　finds　it；　especially　when　he　starts　gettin　along　in　years。〃　Out　came　the　bandanna。　Honk。　Peek。　Out　of　sight。
　　〃So　what　happens？　About　a　week　later　this　stupid　cunt　of　a　chambermaid；　Delores　Vickery　by　name；　she　gives　out　with　a　helluva　shriek　while　she's　makin　up　the　room　where　those　two　stayed；　and　she　faints　dead　away。　When　she　es　to　she　says　she　seen　the　dead　woman　in　the　bathroom；　layin　naked　in　the　tub。　'Her　face　was　all　purple　an　puffy。'　she　says；　'an　she　was　grinnin　at　me。'　So　Ullman　gave　her　two　weeks'　worth　of　walking　papers　and　told　her　to　get　lost。　I　figure　there's　maybe　forty…fifty　people　died　in　this　hotel　since　my　grandfather　opened　it　for　business　in　1910。〃　He　looked　shrewdly　at　Jack。
　　〃You　know　how　most　of　em　go？　Heart　attack　or　stroke；　while　they're　bangin　the　lady　they're　with。　That's　what　these　resorts　get　a　lot　of；　old　types　that　want　one　last　fling。　They　e　up　here　to　the　mountains　to　pretend　they're　twenty　again。　Sometimes　somethin　gives；　and　not　all　the　guys　who　ran　this　place　was　as　good　as　Ullman　is　at　keepin　it　out　of　the　papers。　So　the　Overlook's　got　a　reputation；　yeah。　I'll　bet　the　fuckin　Biltmore　in　New　York　City　has　got　a　reputation；　if　you　ask　the　right　people。〃
　　〃But　no　ghosts？〃
　　〃Mr。　Torrance；　I've　worked　here　all　my　life。　I　played　here　when　I　was　a　kid　no　older'n　your　boy　in　that　wallet　snapshot　you　showed　me。　I　never　seen　a　ghost　yet。　You　want　to　e　out　back　with　me；　I'll　show　you　the　equipment　shed。〃
　　〃Fine。〃　As　Watson　reached　up　to　turn　off　the　light；　Jack　said；　〃There　sure　are　a　lot　of　papers　down　here。〃
　　〃Oh；　you're　not　kiddin。　Seems　like　they　go　back　a　thousand　years。　Newspapers　and　old　invoices　and　bills　of　lading　and　Christ　knows　what　else。　My　dad　used　to　keep　up　with　them　pretty　good　when　we　had　the　old　wood…burning　furnace；　but　now　they've　got　all　out　of　hand。　Some　year　I　got　to　get　a　boy　to　haul　them　down　to　Sidewinder　and　burn　em。　If　Ullman　will　stand　the　expense。　I　guess　he　will　if　I　holler　‘rat'　loud　enough。〃
　　〃Then　there　are　rats？〃
　　〃Yeah；　I　guess　there's　some。　I　got　the　traps　and　the　poison　Mr。　Ullman　wants　you　to　use　up　in　the　attic　and　down　here。　You　keep　a　good　eye　on　your　boy；　Mr。
　　Torrance。　You　wouldn't　want　nothing　to　happen　to　him。〃
　　〃No；　I　sure　wouldn't。〃　ing　from　Watson　the　advice　didn't　sting。
　　They　went　to　the　stairs　and　paused　there　for　a　moment　while　Watson　blew　his　nose　again。
　　〃You'll　find　all　the　tools　you　need　out　there　and　some　you　don't；　I　guess。　And　there's　the　shingles。　Did　Ullman　tell　you　about　that？〃
　　〃Yes；　he　wants　part　of　the　west　roof　reshingled。〃
　　〃Hell　get　all　the　for…free　out　of　you　that　he　can；　the　fat　little　prick；　and　then　whine　around　in　the　spring　about　how　you　didn't　do　the　job　half　right。　I　told　him　once　right　to　his　face；　I　said　。　。　。〃　Watson's　words　faded　away　to　a　forting　drone　as　they　mounted　the　stairs。
　　Jack　Torrance　looked　back　over　his　shoulder　once　into　the　impenetrable；　musty…　smelling　darkness　and　thought　that　if　there　was　ever　a　place　that　should　have　ghosts；　this　was　it。　He　thought　of　Grady；　locked　in　by　the　soft；　implacable　snow；　going　quietly　berserk　and　mitting　his　atrocity。　Did　they　scream？　he　wondered。　Poor　Grady；　feeling　it　close　in　on　him　more　every　day；　and　knowing　at　last　that　for　him　spring　would　never　e。　He　shouldn't　have　been　here。　And　he　shouldn't　have　lost　his　temper。
　　As　he　followed　Watson　through　the　door；　the　words　echoed　back　to　him　like　a　knell；　acpanied　by　a　sharp　snap…like　a　breaking　pencil　lead。　Dear　God；　he　could　use　a　drink。　Or　a　thousand　of　them。
　　　
　　　》
　　SHADOWLAND
　　
　　Danny　weakened　and　went　up　for　his　milk　and　cookies　at　quarter　past　four。　He　gobbled　them　while　looking　out　the　window；　then　went　in　to　kiss　his　mother；　who　was　lying　down。　She　suggested　that　he　stay　in　and　watch　〃Sesame　Street〃…the　time　would　pass　faster…but　he　shook　his　head　firmly　and　went　back　to　his　place　on　the　curb。
　　Now　it　was　five　o'clock；　and　although　he　didn't　have　a　watch　and　couldn't　tell　time　too　well　yet　anyway；　he　was　aware　of　passing　time　by　the　lengthening　of　the　shadows；　and　by　the　golden　cast　that　now　tinged　the　afternoon　light。
　　Turning　the　glider　over　in　his　hands；　he　sang　under　his　breath：　〃Skip　to　m　Lou；　n　I　don't　care　。　。　。　skip　to　m　Lou；　n　I　don't　care　。　。　。　my　master's　gone　away　。　。　。　Lou；　Lou；　skip　to　In　Lou　。　。　。　〃　They　had　sung　that　song　all　together　at　the　Jack　and　Jill　Nursery　School　he　had　gone　to　back　in　Stovington。　He　didn't　go　to　nursery　school　out　here　because　Daddy　couldn't　afford　to　send　him　anymore。　He　knew　his　mother　and　father　worried　about　that；　worried　that　it　was　adding　to　his　loneliness　（and　even　more　deeply；　unspoken　between　them；　that　Danny　blamed　them）；　but　he　didn't　really　want　to　go　to　that　old　Jack　and　Jill　anymore。　It　was　for　babies。　He　wasn't　quite　a　big　kid　yet；　but　he　wasn't　a　baby　anymore。　Big　kids　went　to　the　big　school　and　got　a　hot　lunch。　First　grade。　Next　year。　This　year　was　someplace　between　being　a　baby　and　a　real　kid。　It　was　all　right。　He　did　miss　Scott　and　Andy…mostly　Scott…but　it　was　still　all　right。　It　seemed　best　to　wait　alone　for　whatever　might　happen　next。
　　He　understood　a　great　many　things　about　his　parents；　and　he　knew　that　many　times　they　didn't　like　his　understandings　and　many　other　times　refused　to　believe　them。　But　someday　they　would　have　to　believe。　He　was　content　to　wait。
　　It　was　too　bad　they　couldn't　believe　more；　though；　especially　at　times　like　now。　Mommy　was　lying　on　her　bed　in　the　apartment；　just　about　crying　she　was　so　worried　about　Daddy。　Some　of　the　things　she　was　worried　about　were　too　grown…up　for　Danny　to　understand…vague　things　that　had　to　do　with　security；　with　Daddy's　selfimage　feelings　of　guilt　and　anger　and　the　fear　of　what　was　to　bee　of　them…but　the　two　main　things　on　her　mind　right　now　were　that　Daddy　had　had　a　breakdown　in　the　mountains　（then　why　doesn't　he　call？）　or　that　Daddy　had　gone　off　to　do　the　Bad　Thing。　Danny　knew　perfec