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 Jack was pleased
with his progress。 He said that by February Danny would be skipping circles
around both of them。
* * *
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 through the old records and papers；
constantly wiping his mouth with his handkerchief as he did so。 Confinement had
leached his skin of its autumn tan； and as he sat hunched over the yellowed；
crackling sheets； his reddish…blond hair tumbling untidily over his forehead； he
looked slightly lunatic。 He had found some odd things tucked in among the
invoices； bills of lading； receipts。 Disquieting things。 A bloody strip of
sheeting。 A dismembered teddy bear that seemed to have been slashed to pieces。 A
crumpled sheet of violet ladies' stationery； a ghost of perfume still clinging
to it beneath the musk of age； a note begun and left unfinished in faded blue
ink： 〃Dearest Tommy； I can't think so well up here as I'd hoped； about us I
mean； of course； who else？ Ha。 Ha。 Things keep getting in the way。 I've had
strange dreams about things going bump in the night； can you believe that and〃
That was all。 The note was dated June 27； 1934。 He found a hand puppet that
seemed to be either a witch or a warlock 。。。 something with long teeth and a
pointy hat； at any rate。 It had been improbably tucked between a bundle of
natural…gas receipts and a bundle of receipts for Vichy water。 And something
that seemed to be a poem； scribbled on the back of a menu in dark pencil：
〃Medoc/are you here？/I've been sleepwalking again； my dear。/The plants are
moving under the rug。〃 No date on the menu； and no name on the poem； if it was a
poem。 Elusive； but fascinating。 It seemed to him that these things were like
pieces in a jigsaw； things that would eventually fit together if he could find
the right linking pieces。 And so he kept looking； jumping and wiping his lips
every time the furnace roared into life behind him。
* * *
Danny was standing outside Room 217 again。
The passkey was in his pocket。 He was staring at the door with a kind of
drugged avidity； and his upper body seemed to twitch and jiggle beneath his
flannel shirt。 He was humming softly and tunelessly。
He hadn't wanted to e here； not after the fire hose。 He was scared to e
here。 He was scared that he had taken the passkey again； disobeying his father。
He had wanted to e here。 Curiosity
（killed the cat； satisfaction brought him back）
was like a constant fishhook in his brain； a kind of nagging siren song that
would not be appeased。 And hadn't Mr。 Hallorann said； 〃I don't think there's
anything here that can hurt you〃？
（You promised。）
（Promises were made to be broken。）
He jumped at that。 It was as if that thought had e from outside； insectile；
buzzing； softly cajoling。
（Promises were made to be broken my dear redrum； to be broken。 splintered。
shattered。 hammered apart。 FORE！）
His nervous humming broke into low； atonal song： 〃Lou； Lou； skip to m' Lou；
skip to m' Lou my daaarlin。。。〃
Hadn't Mr。 Hallorann been right？ Hadn't that been； in the end； the reason why
he had kept silent and allowed the snow to close them in？
Just close your eyes and it will be gone。
What he had seen in the Presidential Sweet had gone away。 And the snake had
only been a fire hose that had fallen onto the rug。 Yes； even the blood in the
Presidential Sweet had been harmless； something old； something that had happened
long before he was born or even thought of； something that was done with。 Like a
movie that only he could see。 There was nothing； really nothing； in this hotel
that could hurt him； and if he had to prove that to himself by going into this
room； shouldn't he do so？
〃Lou； Lou； skip to m'Lou 。。。〃
（Curiosity killed the cat my dear redrum； redrum my dear； satisfaction brought
him back safe and sound； from toes to crown； from head to ground he was safe and
sound。 He knew that those things）
（are like scary pictures； they can't hurt you； but oh my god）
（what big teeth you have grandma and is that a wolf in a BLUEBEARD suit or a
BLUEBEARD in a wolf suit and i'm so）
（glad you asked because curiosity killed that cat and it was the HOPE of
satisfaction that brought him）
up the hall； treading softly over the blue and twisting jungle carpet。 He had
stopped by the fire extinguisher； had put the brass nozzle back in the frame；
and then had poked it repeatedly with his finger； heart thumping； whispering：
〃e on and hurt me。 e on and hurt me； you cheap prick。 Can't do it； can
you？ Huh？ You're nothing but a cheap fire hose。 Can't do nothin but lie there。
e on； e on！〃 He had felt insane with bravado。 And nothing had happened。 It
was only a hose after all； only canvas and brass； you could hack it to pieces
and it would never plain； never twist and jerk and bleed green slime all over
the blue carpet； because it was only a hose； not a nose and not a rose； not
glass buttons or satin bows； not a snake in a sleepy doze 。。。 and he had
hurried on； had hurried on because he was
（〃late； I'm late；〃 said the white rabbit。）
the white rabbit。 Yes。 Now there was a white rabbit out by the playground；
once it had been green but now it was white； as if something had shocked it
repeatedly on the snowy； windy nights and turned it old 。。。
Danny took the passkey from his pocket and slid it into the lock。
〃Lou； Lou 。。。〃
（the white rabbit had been on its way to a croquet party to the Red Queen's
croquet party storks for mallets hedgehogs for balls）
He touched the key； let his fingers wander over it。 His head felt dry and
sick。 He turned the key and the tumblers thumped back smoothly。
（OFF WITH HIS HEAD！ OFF WITH HIS HEAD！ OFF WITH HIS HEAD！）
（this game isn't croquet though the mallets are too short this game is）
（WHACK…BOOM！ Straight