sk.theshining-第86部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　　〃It's　almost　over。〃
　　
　　*　　*　　*
　　
　　Hallorann　got　to　his　feet　by　propping　his　back　against　the　wall　and　pushing　himself　up。　He　and　Wendy　stared　at　each　other　like　nightmare　survivors　from　a　bombed　hospital。
　　〃We　got　to　get　up　there；〃　he　said。　〃We　have　to　help　him。〃　Her　haunted　eyes　stared　into　his　from　her　chalk…pale　face。；　〃It's　too　late；〃　Wendy　said。　〃Now　he　can　only　help　himself。〃　A　minute　passed；　then　two。　Three。　And　they　heard　it　above　them；　screaming；　not　in　anger　or　triumph　now；　but　in　mortal　terror。
　　〃Dear　God；〃　Hallorann　whispered。　〃What's　happening？〃
　　〃I　don't　know；〃　she　said。
　　〃Has　it　killed　him？〃
　　〃I　don't　know。〃　The　elevator　clashed　into　life　and　began　to　descend　with　the　screaming；　raving　thing　penned　up　inside。
　　
　　*　　*　　*
　　
　　Danny　stood　without　moving。　There　was　no　place　he　could　run　where　the　Overlook　was　not。　He　recognized　it　suddenly；　fully；　painlessly。　For　the　first　time　in　his　life　he　had　an　adult　thought；　an　adult　feeling；　the　essence　of　his　experience　in　this　bad　place…a　sorrowful　distillation：　（Mommy　and　Daddy　can't　help　me　and　I'm　alone。）
　　〃Go　away；〃　he　said　to　the　bloody　stranger　in　front　of　him。　〃Go　on。　Get　out　of　here。〃　It　bent　over；　exposing　the　knife　handle　in　its　back。　Its　hands　closed　around　the　mallet　again；　but　instead　of　aiming　at　Danny；　it　reversed　the　handle；　aiming　the　hard　side　of　the　roque　mallet　at　its　own　face。
　　Understanding　rushed　through　Danny。
　　Then　the　mallet　began　to　rise　and　descend；　destroying　the　last　of　Jack　Torrance's　image。　The　thing　in　the　hall　danced　an　eerie；　shuffling　polka；　the　beat　counterpointed　by　the　hideous　sound　of　the　mallet　head　striking　again　and　again。　Blood　splattered　across　the　wallpaper。　Shards　of　bone　leaped　into　the　air　like　broken　piano　keys。　It　was　impossible　to　say　just　how　long　it　went　on。　But　when　it　turned　its　attention　back　to　Danny；　his　father　was　gone　forever。　What　remained　of　the　face　became　a　strange；　shifting　posite；　many　faces　mixed　imperfectly　into　one。　Danny　saw　the　woman　in　217；　the　dogman；　the　hungry　boy…　thing　that　had　been　in　the　concrete　ring。
　　〃Masks　off；　then；〃　it　whispered。　〃No　more　interruptions。〃　The　mallet　rose　for　the　final　time。　A　ticking　sound　filled　Danny's　ears。
　　〃Anything　else　to　say？〃　it　inquired。　〃Are　you　sure　you　wouldn't　like　to　run？　A　game　of　tag；　perhaps？　All　we　have　is　time；　you　know。　An　eternity　of　time。　Or　shall　we　end　it？　Might　as　well。　After　all；　we're　missing　the　party。〃　It　grinned　with　broken…toothed　greed。
　　And　it　came　to　him。　What　his　father　had　forgotten。
　　Sudden　triumph　filled　his　face；　the　thing　saw　it　and　hesitated；　puzzled。
　　〃The　boiler！〃　Danny　screamed。　〃It　hasn't　been　dumped　since　this　morning！　It's　going　up！　It's　going　to　explode！〃　An　expression　of　grotesque　terror　and　dawning　realization　swept　across　the　broken　features　of　the　thing　in　front　of　him。　The　mallet　dropped　from　its　fisted　hands　and　bounced　harmlessly　on　the　black　and　blue　rug。
　　〃The　boiler！〃　it　cried。　〃Oh　no！　That　can't　be　allowed！　Certainly　not！　No！　You　goddamned　little　pup！　Certainly　not！　Oh；　oh；　oh…〃
　　〃It　is！〃　Danny　cried　back　at　it　fiercely。　He　began　to　shufe　and　shake　his　fists　at　the　ruined　thing　before　him。　〃Any　minute　now！　I　know　it！　The　boiler；　Daddy　forgot　the　boiler！　And　you　forgot　it；　tool〃
　　〃No；　oh　no；　it　mustn't；　it　can't；　you　dirty　little　boy；　I'll　make　you　take　your　medicine；　I'll　make　you　take　every　drop；　oh　no；　oh　no…〃　It　suddenly　turned　tail　and　began　to　shamble　away。　For　a　moment　its　shadow　bobbed　on　the　wall；　waxing　and　waning。　It　trailed　cries　behind　itself　like　wornout　party　streamers。
　　Moments　later　the　elevator　crashed　into　life。
　　Suddenly　the　shining　was　on　him　（mommy　mr。　hallorann　dick　to　my　friends　together　alive　they're　alive　got　to　get　out　it's　going　to　blow　going　to　blow　sky…high）　like　a　fierce　and　glaring　sunrise　and　he　ran。　One　foot　kicked　the　bloody；　misshapen　roque　mallet　aside。　He　didn't　notice。
　　Crying；　he　ran　for　the　stairs。
　　They　bad　to　get　out。
　　　
　　　》
　　THE　EXPLOSION
　　
　　Hallorann　could　never　be　sure　of　the　progression　of　things　after　that。　He　remembered　that　the　elevator　had　gone　down　and　past　them　without　stopping；　and　something　had　been　inside。　But　he　made　no　attempt　to　try　to　see　in　through　the　small　diamond…shaped　window；　because　what　was　in　there　did　not　sound　human。　A　moment　later　there　were　running　footsteps　on　the　stairs。　Wendy　Torrance　at　first　shrank　back　against　him　and　then　began　to　stumble　down　the　main　corridor　to　the　stairs　as　fast　as　she　could。
　　〃Danny！　Danny！　Oh；　thank　God！　Thank　God！〃　She　swept　him　into　a　hug；　groaning　with　joy　as　well　as　her　pain。
　　（Danny。）　Danny　looked　at　him　from　his　mother's　arms；　and　Hallorann　saw　how　the　boy　had　changed。　His　face　was　pale　and　pinched；　his　eyes　dark　and　fathomless。　He　looked　as　if　he　had　lost　weight。　Looking　at　the　two　of　them　together；　Hallorann　thought　it　was　the　mother　who　looked　younger；　in　spite　of　the　terrible　beating　she　had　taken。
　　（Dick…we　have　to　go…run…the　place…it's　going　to）　Picture　of　the　Overlook；　flames　leaping　out　of　its　roof。　Bricks　raining　down　on　the　snow。　Clang　of　firebells　。　。　。　not　that　any　fire　truck　would　be　able　to　get　up　here　much　before　the　end　of　March。　Most　of　all　what　came　through　in　Danny's　thought　was　a　sense　of　urgent　immediacy；　a　feeling　that　it　was　going　to　happen　at　any　time。
　　〃All　right；〃　Hallorann　said。　He　began　to　move　toward　the　two　of　them　and　at　first　it　was　like　swimming　through　deep　water。　His　sense　of　balance　was　screwed；　and　the　eye　on　the　right　side　of　his　face　didn't　want　to　focus。　His　jaw　was　sending　giant　throbbing　bursts　of　pain　up　to　his　temple　and　down　his　neck；　and　his　cheek　felt　as　large　as　a　cabbage。　But　the　boy's　urgency　had　gotten　him　going；　and　it　got　a　little　easier。
　　〃All　right？〃　Wendy　asked。　She　looked　from　Hallorann　to　her　son　and　back　to　Hallorann。　〃What　do　you　mean；　all　right？〃
　　〃We　have　to　go；〃　Hallorann　said。
　　〃I'm　not　dressed　。　。　。　my　clothes。　。　。〃　Danny　darted　out　of　her　arms　then　and　raced　down　the　corridor。　She　looked　after　him；　and　as　he　vanished　around　the　corner；　back　at　Hallorann。　〃What　if　he　es　back？〃
　　〃Your　husband？〃
　　〃He's　not　Jack；〃　she　muttered。　〃Jack's　dead。　This　place　killed　hire。　This　damned　place。〃　She　struck　at　the　wall　with　her　fist　and　cried　out　at　the　pain　in　her　cut　fingers。　〃It's　the　boiler；　isn't　it？〃
　　〃Yes；　ma'am。　Danny　says　it's　going　to　explode。〃
　　〃Good。〃　The　word　was　uttered　with　dead　finality。　〃I　don't　know　if　I　can　get　down　those　stairs　again。　My　ribs　。　。　。　he　broke　my　ribs。　And　something　in　my　back。　It　hurts。〃
　　〃You'll　make　it；〃　Hallorann　said。　〃We'll　all　make　it。〃　But　suddenly　he　remembered　the　hedge　animals；　and　wondered　what　they　would　do　if　they　were　guarding　the　way　out。。
　　Then　Danny　was　ing　back。　He　had　Wendy's　boots　and　coat　and　gloves；　also　his　own　coat　and　gloves。
　　〃Danny；〃　she　said。　〃Your　boots。〃
　　〃It's　too　late；〃　he　said。　His　eyes　stared　at　them　with　a　desperate　kind　of　madness。　He　looked　at　Dick　and　suddenly　Hallorann's　mind　was　fixed　with　an　image　of　a　clock　under　a　glass　dome；　the　clock　in　the　ballroom　that　had　been　donated　by　a　Swiss　diplomat　in　1949。　The　hands　of　the　clock　were　standing　at　a　minute　to　midnight。
　　〃Oh　my　God；〃　Hallorann　said。　〃Oh　my　dear　God。〃　He　clapped　an　arm　around　Wendy　and　picked　her　up。　He　clapped　his　other　arm　around　Danny。　He　ran　for　the　stairs。
　　Wendy　shrieked　in　pain　as　he　squeezed　the　bad　ribs；　as　something　in　her　back　ground　together；　but　Hallorann　did　not　slow。　He　plunged　down　the　stairs　with　them　in　his　arms。　One　eye　wide　and　desperate；　the　other　puffed　shut　to　a　slit。
　　He　looked　like　a　one…eyed　pirate　abducting　hostages　to　be　ransomed　later。
　　Suddenly　the　shine　was　on　him；　and　he　understood　what　Danny　had　meant　when　he　said　it　was　too　late。　He　could　feel　the　explosion　getting　ready　to　rumble　up　from　the　basement　and　tear　the　guts　out　of　this　horrid　place。
　　He　ran　faster；　bolting　headlong　across　the　lobby　toward　the　double　doors。
　　
　　*　　*　　*
　　
　　It　hurried　across　the　basement　and　into　the　feeble　yellow　glow　of　the　furnace　room's　only　light。　It　was　slobbering　with　fear。　It　had　been　so　close；　so　close　to　having　the　boy　and　the　boy's　remarkable　power。　It　could　not　lose　now。　It　must　not　happen。　It　would　dump　the　boiler　and　then　chastise　the　boy　harshly。
　　〃Mustn't　happen！〃　it　cried。　〃Oh　no；　mustn't　happen！〃　It　stumbled　across　the　floor　to　the　boiler；　which　glowed　a　dull　red　halfway　up　its　long　tubular　body。　It　was　huffing　and　rattling　and　hissing　off　plumes　of　steam　in　a　hundred　directions；　like　a　monster　calliope。　The　pressure　needle　stood　at　the　far　end　of　the　dial。
　　〃No；　it　won't　be　allowed！〃　the　manager/caretaker　cried。
　　It　laid　its　Jack　Torrance　hands　on　the　valve；　unmindful　of　the　burning　smell　which　arose　or　the　searing　of　the　flesh　as　the　red…hot　wheel　sank　in；　as　if　into　a　mudrut。
　　The　wheel　gave；　and　with　a　triumphant　scream；　the　thing　spun　it　wide　open。　A　giant　roar　of　escaping　steam　bellowed　out　of　the　boiler；　a　dozen　dragons　hissing　in　concert。　But　before　the　steam　obscured　the　pressure　needle　entirely；　the　needle　had　visibly　begun　to　swing　back。
　　〃I　WIN！〃　it　cried。　It　capered　obscenely　in　the　hot；　rising　mist；　waving　its　flaming　hands　over　its　head。　〃NOT　TOO　LATE！　I　WIN！　NOT　TOO　LATE！　NOT　TOO　LATE！
　　NOT…〃　Words　turned　into　a　shriek　of　triumph；　and　the　shriek　was　swallowed　in　a　shattering　roar　as　the　Overlook's　boiler　exploded。
　　
　　*　　*　　*
　　
　　Hallorann　burst　out　through　the　double　doors　and　carried　the　two　of　them　through　the　trench　in　the　big　snowdrift　on　the　porch。　He　saw　the　hedge　animals　clearly；　more　clearly　than　before；　and　even　as　he　realized　his　worst　fears　were　true；　that　they　were　between　the　porch　and　the　snowmobile；　the　hotel　exploded。
　　It　seemed　to　him　that　it　happened　all　at　once；　although　later　he　knew　that　couldn't　have　been　the　way　it　happened。
　　There　was　a　flat　explosion；　a　sound　that　seemed　to　exist　on　one　low　all…　pervasive　note　（WHUMMMMMMMMM…）　and　then　there　was　a　blast　of　warm　air　at　their　backs　that　seemed　to　push　gently　at　them。　They　were　thrown　from　the　porch　on　its　breath；　the　three　of　them；　and　a　confused　though