intensity。 Through the diamond…shaped window in the center of the elevator door
she thought she could make out the cables； thrumming slightly。 The elevator
clanked to a stop below them； at lobby level。 They heard the doors thump open。
And 。。。
（party）
Why had she thought party？ The word had simply jumped into her head for no
reason at all。 The silence in the Overlook was plete and intense except for
the weird noises ing up the elevator shaft。
（must have been quite a party）
（？？？WHAT PARTY？？？）
For just a moment her mind had filled with an image so real that it seemed to
be a memory 。。。 not just any memory but one of those you treasure； one of
those you keep for very special occasions and rarely mention aloud。 Lights 。。。
hundreds； maybe thousands of them。 Lights and colors； the pop of champagne
corks； a forty…piece orchestra playing Glenn Miller's 〃In the Mood。〃 But Glenn
Miller had gone down in his bomber before she was born； how could she have a
memory of Glenn Miller？
She looked down at Danny and saw his head had cocked to one side； as if he was
hearing something she couldn't hear。 His face was very pale。
Thump。
The door had slid shut down there。 A humming whine as the elevator began to
rise。 She saw the engine housing on top of the car first through the diamond…
shaped window； then the interior of the car； seen through the further diamond
shapes made by the brass gate。 Warm yellow light from the car's overhead。 It was
empty。 The car was empty。 It was empty but
（on the night of the party they must have crowded in by the dozens； crowded
the car way beyond its safety limit but of course it had been new then and all
of them wearing masks）
（？？？？WHAT MASKS？？？？）
The car stopped above them； on the third floor。 She looked at Danny。 His face
was all eyes。 His mouth was pressed into a frightened； bloodless slit。 Above
them； the brass gate rattled back。 The elevator door thumped open； it thumped
open because it was time； the time had e； it was time to say
（Goodnight 。。。 goodnight 。。。 yes； it was lovely 。。。 no； i really can't
stay for the unmasking 。。。 early to bed； early to rise 。。。 oh； was that
Sheila？ 。。。 the monk？ 。。。 isn't that witty； Sheila ing as a monk？ 。。。
yes； goodnight 。。。good）
Thump。
Gears clashed。 The motor engaged。 The car began to whine back down。
〃Jack；〃 she whispered。 〃What is it？ What's wrong with it？〃
〃A short circuit；〃 he said。 His face was like wood。 〃I told you； it was a
short circuit。〃
〃I keep hearing voices in my head！〃 she cried。 〃What is it？ What's wrong？ I
feel like I'm going crazy！〃
〃What voices？〃 He looked at her with deadly blandness。
She turned to Danny。 〃Did you — ？〃
Danny nodded slowly。 〃Yes。 And music。 Like from a long time ago。 In my head。〃
The elevator car stopped again。 The hotel was silent； creaking； deserted。
Outside； the wind whined around the eaves in the darkness。
〃Maybe you are both crazy；〃 Jack said conversationally。 〃I don't hear a
goddamned thing except that elevator having a case of the electrical hiccups。 If
you two want to have duet hysterics； fine。 But count me out。〃
The elevator was ing down again。
Jack stepped to the right； where a glass…fronted box was mounted on the wall
at chest height。 He smashed his bare fist against it。 Glass tinkled inward。
Blood dripped from two of his knuckles。 He reached in and took out a key with a
long； smooth barrel。
〃Jack； no。 Don't。〃
〃I am going to do my job。 Now leave me alone； Wendy！〃
She tried to grab his arm。 He pushed her backward。 Her feet tangled in the hem
of her robe and she fell to the carpet with an ungainly thump。 Danny cried out
shrilly and fell on his knees beside her。 Jack turned back to the elevator and
thrust the key into the socket。
The elevator cables disappeared and the bottom of the car came into view in
the small window。 A second later Jack turned the key hard。 There was a grating；
screeching sound as the elevator car came to an instant standstill。 For a moment
the declutched motor in the basement whined even louder； and then its circuit
breaker cut in and the Overlook went unearthly still。 The night wind outside
seemed very loud by parison。 Jack looked stupidly at the gray metal elevator
door。 There were three splotches of blood below the keyhole from his lacerated
knuckles。
He turned back to Wendy and Danny for a moment。 She was sitting up； and Danny
had his arm around her。 They were both staring at him carefully； as if he was a
stranger they had never seen before； possibly a dangerous one。 He opened his
mouth； not sure what was going to e out。
〃It。。。 Wendy； it's my job。〃
She said clearly： 〃Fuck your job〃
He turned back to the elevator； worked his fingers into the crack that ran
down the right side of the door； and got it to open a little way。 Then he was
able to get his whole weight on it and threw the door open。
The car had stopped halfway； its floor at Jack's chest level。 Warm light still
spilled out of it； contrasting with the oily darkness of the shaft below。
He looked in for what seemed a long time。
〃It's empty；〃 he said then。 〃A short circuit； like I said。〃 He hooked his
fingers into the slot behind the door and began to pull it closed 。。。 then her
hand was on his shoulder； surprisingly strong； yanking him away。
〃Wendy！〃 he shouted。 But she had already caught the car's bottom edge and
pulled herself up enough so she could look in。 Then； with a convulsive heave of
her shoulder and belly muscles； she tried to boost herself all the way up。 For a
moment the issue was in doubt。 Her feet tottered over the blackness of the shaft
and one pink slipper fell from her foot and slipped out of sight。
〃Mommy！〃 Danny screamed。
Then she was up； her cheeks flushed； her forehead as pale and shining as a
spirit lamp。 〃What about this； Jack？ Is this a short circuit？〃 She threw
something and suddenly the hall was full of drifting confetti； red and white and
blue and yellow。 〃Is this？〃 A green party streamer； faded to a pale pastel color
with age。
〃And this？〃
She tossed it out and it came to rest on the blue…black jungle carpet； a black
silk cat's…eye mask； dusted with sequins at the temples。
〃Does that look like a short circuit to you； Jack？〃 she screamed at him。
Jack stepped slowly away from it； shaking his head mechanically back and
forth。 The cat's…eye mask stared up blankly at the ceiling from the confetti…
strewn hallway carpet。
》
THE BALLROOM
It was the first of December。
Danny was in the east…wing ballroom； standing on an over…stuffed； high…backed
wing chair； looking at the clock under glass。 It stood in the center of the
ballroom's high； ornamental mantelpiece； flanked by two large ivory elephants。
He almost expected the elephants would begin to move and try to gore him with
their tusks as he stood there； but they were moveless。 They were 〃safe。〃 Since
the night of the elevator he had e to divide all things at the Overlook into
two categories。 The elevator； the basement； the playground； Room 217； and the
Presidential Suite （it was Suite； not Sweet； he had seen the correct spelling in
an account book Daddy had been reading at supper last night and had memorized it
carefully） — those places were 〃unsafe。〃 Their quarters； the lobby； and the porch
were 〃safe。〃 Apparently the ballroom was； too。
（The elephants are； anyway。）
He was not sure about other places and so avoided them on general principle。
He looked at the clock inside the glass dome。 It was under glass because all
its wheels and cogs and springs were showing。 A chrome or steel track ran around
the outside of these works； and directly below the clockface there was a small
axis bar with a pair of meshing cogs at either end。 The hands of the clock stood
at quarter past XI； and although he didn't know Roman numerals he could guess by
the configuration of the hands at what time the clock had stopped。 The clock
stood on a velvet base。 In front of it； slightly distorted by the curve of the
dome； was a carefully carved silver key。
He supposed that the clock was one of the things he wasn't supposed to touch；
like the decorative fire…tools in their brass…bound cabinet by the lobby
fireplace or the tall china highboy at the back of the dining room。
A sense of injustice and a feeling of angry rebellion suddenly rose in him and
（never mind what i'm not supposed to touch； just never mind。 touched me；
hasn't it？ played with me； hasn't it？）
It had。 And it hadn't been particularly careful not to break him； either。
Danny put his hands out； grasped the glass dome； and lifted it aside。 He let
one finger play over the works for a moment； the pad of his index finger denting
against the cogs； running smoothly over the wheels。 He picked up the silver key。
For an adult it would have been unfortably small； but it fitted his own
fingers perfectly。 He placed it in the keyhole at the center of the clockface。
It went firmly home with a tiny click； more felt than heard。 It wound to the
right； of course； clockwise。
Danny turned the key until it would turn no more and then removed it。 The
clock began to tick。 Cogs turned。 A large balance wheel rocked back and forth in
semicircles。 The hands were moving。 If you kept your head perfectly motionless
and your eyes wide open； you could see the minute hand inching along toward its
meeting some forty…five minutes from now with the hour hand。 At XII。
（And the Red Death held sway over all。）
He frowned； and then shook the thought away。 It was a thought with no meaning
or reference for him。
He reached his index finger out again and pushed the minute band up to the
hour； curious about what might happen。 It obviously wasn't a cuckoo clock； but
that steel rail had to have some purpose。
There was a small； ratcheting series of clicks； and then the clock began to
tinkle Strauss's 〃Blue Danube Waltz。〃 A punched roll of cloth no more than two
inches in width began to unwind。 A small series of brass strikers