town is Sidewinder； forty miles east of here over roads that are closed from
sometime in late October or November until sometime in April。 A man named Robert
Townley Watson built it； the grandfather of our present maintenance man。
Vanderbilts have stayed here； and Rockefellers； and Astors； and Du Pouts。 Four
Presidents have stayed in the Presidential Suite。 Wilson； Harding； Roosevelt；
and Nixon。〃
〃I wouldn't be too proud of Harding and Nixon；〃 Jack murmured。
Ullman frowned but went on regardless。 〃It proved too much for Mr。 Watson； and
he sold the hotel in 1915。 It was sold again in 1922； in 1929； in 1936。 It stood
vacant until the end of World War II； when it was purchased and pletely
renovated by Horace Derwent； millionaire inventor； pilot； film producer； and
entrepreneur。〃
〃I know the name；〃 Jack said。
〃Yes。 Everything he touched seemed to turn to gold 。。。 except the Overlook。
He funneled over a million dollars into it before the first postwar guest ever
stepped through its doors； turning a decrepit relic into a showplace。 It was
Derwent who added the roque court I saw you admiring when you arrived。〃
〃Roque？〃
〃A British forebear of our croquet； Mr。 Torrance。 Croquet is bastardized
roque。 According to legend； Derwent learned the game from his social secretary
and fell pletely in love with it。 Ours may be the finest roque court in
America。〃
〃I wouldn't doubt it；〃 Jack said gravely。 A roque court； a topiary full of
hedge animals out front； what next？ A life…sized Uncle Wiggly game behind the
equipment shed？ He was getting very tired of Mr。 Stuart Ullman； but he could see
that Ullman wasn't done。 Ullman was going to have his say； every last word of
it。
〃When he had lost three million； Derwent sold it to a group of California
investors。 Their experience with the Overlook was equally bad。 Just not hotel
people。
〃In 1970； Mr。 Shockley and a group of his associates bought the hotel and
turned its management over to me。 We have also run in the red for several years；
but I'm happy to say that the trust of the present owners in me has never
wavered。 Last year we broke even。 And this year the Overlook's accounts were
written in black ink for the first time in almost seven decades。〃
Jack supposed that this fussy little man's pride was justified； and then his
original dislike washed over him again in a wave。
He said： 〃I see no connection between the Overlook's admittedly colorful
history and your feeling that I'm wrong for the post； Mr。 Ullman。〃
〃One reason that the Overlook has lost so much money lies in the depreciation
that occurs each winter。 It shortens the profit margin a great deal more than
you might believe； Mr。 Torrance。 The winters are fantastically cruel。 In order
to cope with the problem； I've installed a full…time winter caretaker to run the
boiler and to heat different parts of the hotel on a daily rotating basis。 To
repair breakage as it occurs and to do repairs； so the elements can't get a
foothold。 To be constantly alert to any and every contingency。 During our first
winter I hired a family instead of a single man。 There was a tragedy。 A horrible
tragedy。〃
Ullman looked at Jack coolly and appraisingly。
〃I made a mistake。 I admit it freely。 The man was a drunk。〃
Jack felt a slow； hot grin — the total antithesis of the toothy PR grin —
stretch across his mouth。 〃Is that it？ I'm surprised Al didn't tell you。 I've
retired。〃
〃Yes； Mr。 Shockley told me you no longer drink。 He also told me about your
last job 。。。 your last position of trust； shall we say？ You were teaching
English in a Vermont prep school。 You lost your temper； I don't believe I need
to be any more specific than that。 But I do happen to believe that Grady's case
has a bearing； and that is why I have brought the matter of your 。。。 uh；
previous history into the conversation。 During the winter of 1970…71； after we
had refurbished the Overlook but before our first season； I hired this。。。 this
unfortunate named Delbert Grady。 He moved into the quarters you and your wife
and son will be sharing。 He had a wife and two daughters。 I had reservations；
the main ones being the harshness of the winter season and the fact that the
Gradys would be cut off from the outside world for five to six months。〃
〃But that's not really true； is it？ There are telephones here； and probably a
citizen's band radio as well。 And the Rocky Mountain National Park is within
helicopter range and surely a piece of ground that big must have a chopper or
two。〃
〃I wouldn't know about that；〃 Ullman said。 〃The hotel does have a two…way
radio that Mr。 Watson will show you； along with a list of the correct
frequencies to broadcast on if you need help。 The telephone lines between here
and Sidewinder are still aboveground； and they go down almost every winter at
some point or other and are apt to stay down for three weeks to a month and a
half。 There is a snowmobile in the equipment shed also。〃
〃Then the place really isn't cut off。〃
Mr。 Ullman looked pained。 〃Suppose your son or your wife tripped on the stairs
and fractured his or her skull； Mr。 Torrance。 Would you think the place was cut
off then？〃
Jack saw the point。 A snowmobile running at top speed could get you down to
Sidewinder in an hour and a half 。。。 maybe。 A helicopter from the Parks Rescue
Service could get up here in three hours 。。。 under optimum conditions。 In a
blizzard it would never even be able to lift off and you couldn't hope to run a
snowmobile at top speed； even if you dared take a seriously injured person out
into temperatures that might be twenty…five below…or forty…five below； if you
added in the wind chill factor。
〃In the case of Grady；〃 Ullman said； 〃I reasoned much as Mr。 Shockley seems to
have done in your case。 Solitude can be damaging in itself。 Better for the man
to have his family with him。 If there was trouble； I thought； the odds were very
high that it would be something less urgent than a fractured skull or an
accident with one of the power tools or some sort of convulsion。 A serious case
of the flu； pneumonia； a broken arm； even appendicitis。 Any of those things
would have left enough time。
〃I suspect that what happened came as a result of too much cheap whiskey； of
which Grady had laid in a generous supply； unbeknownst to me； and a curious
condition which the old…timers call cabin fever。 Do you know the term？〃 Ullman
offered a patronizing little smile； ready to explain as soon as Jack admitted
his ignorance； and Jack was happy to respond quickly and crisply。
〃It's a slang term for the claustrophobic reaction that can occur when people
are shut in together over long periods of time。 The feeling of claustrophobia is
externalized as dislike for the people you happen to be shut in with。 In extreme
cases it can result in hallucinations and violence — murder has been done over
such minor things as a burned meal or an argument about whose turn it is to do
the dishes。〃
Ullman looked rather nonplussed； which did Jack a world of good。 He decided to
press a little further； but silently promised Wendy he would stay cool。
〃I suspect you did make a mistake at that。 Did he hurt them？〃
〃He killed them； Mr。 Torrance； and then mitted suicide。 He murdered the
little girls with a hatchet； his wife with a shotgun； and himself the same way。
His leg was broken。 Undoubtedly so drunk he fell downstairs。〃
Ullman spread his hands and looked at Jack self…righteously。
〃Was he a high school graduate？〃
〃As a matter of fact； he wasn't；〃 Ullman said a little stiffly。 〃I thought a；
shall we say； less imaginative individual would be less susceptible to the
rigors； the loneliness — 〃
〃That was your mistake；〃 Jack said。 〃A stupid man is more prone to cabin fever
just as he's more prone to shoot someone over a card game or mit a spur…of…
the…moment robbery。 He gets bored。 When the snow es； there's nothing to do
but watch TV or play solitaire and cheat when he can't get all the aces out。
Nothing to do but bitch at his wife and nag at the kids and drink。 It gets hard
to sleep because there's nothing to hear。 So he drinks himself to sleep and
wakes up with a hangover。 He gets edgy。 And maybe the telephone goes out and the
TV aerial blows down and there's nothing to do but think and cheat at solitaire
and get edgier and edgier。 Finally。。。 boom； boom； boom。〃
〃Whereas a more educated man； such as yourself？〃
〃My wife and I both like to read。 I have a play to work on； as Al Shockley
probably told you。 Danny has his puzzles； his coloring books； and his crystal
radio。 I plan to teach him to read； and I also want to teach him to snowshoe。
Wendy would like to learn how； too。 Oh yes； I think we can keep busy and out of
each other's hair if the TV goes on the fritz。〃 He paused。 〃And Al was telling
the truth when he told you I no longer drink。 I did once； and it got to be
serious。 But I haven't had so much as a glass of beer in the last fourteen
months。 I don't intend to bring any alcohol up here； and I don't think there
will be an opportunity to get arty after the snow flies。〃
〃In that you would be quite correct；〃 Ullman said。 〃But as long as the three
of you are up here； the potential for problems is multiplied。 I have told Mr。
Shockley this； and he told me he would take the responsibility。 Now I've told
you； and apparently you are also willing to take the responsibility — 〃
〃I am。〃
〃All right。 I'll accept that； since I have little choice。 But I would still
rather have an unattached college boy taking a year off。 Well； perhaps you'll
do。 Now I'll turn you over to Mr。 Watson； who will take you through the basement
and around the grounds。 Unless you have further questions？〃
〃No。 None at all。〃
Ullman stood。 〃I hope there are no hard feelings； Mr。 Torrance。 There is
nothing personal in the things I have said to you。 I only want what's best for
the Overlook。 It is a great hotel。 I want it to stay that way。〃
〃No。 No hard feelings。〃 Jack flashed the PR grin again； but he was glad Ullman