and groaning like an old woman trying to get out of bed。 Hissing jets of steam
had begun to play around the edges of old patches； beads of solder had begun to
sizzle。
He didn't see； he didn't hear。 Frozen with his hand on the valve that would
dump off the pressure and damp the fire； Jack's eyes glittered from their
sockets like sapphires。
（It's my last chance。）
The only thing not cashed in now was the life…insurance policy he had taken
out jointly with Wendy in the summer between his first and second years at
Stovington。 Forty…thousand…dollar death benefit； double indemnity if he or she
died in a train crash； a plane crash； or a fire。 Seven…e…eleven； die the
secret death and win a hundred dollars。
（A fire 。。。 eighty thousand dollars。）
They would have time to get out。 Even if they were sleeping； they would have
time to get out。 He believed that。 And he didn't think the hedges or anything
else would try to hold them back if the Overlook was going up in flames。
（Flames。）
The needle inside the greasy； almost opaque dial had danced up to two hundred
and fifteen pounds per square inch。
Another memory occurred to him； a childhood memory。 There had been a wasps'
nest in the lower branches of their apple tree behind the house。 One of his
older brothers — he couldn't remember which one now — had been stung while
swinging in the old tire Daddy had hung from one of the tree's lower branches。
It had been late summer； when wasps tend to be at their ugliest。
Their father； just home from work； dressed in his whites； the smell of beer
hanging around his face in a fine mist； had gathered all three boys； Brett；
Mike； and little Jacky； and told them he was going to get rid of the wasps。
〃Now watch；〃 he had said； smiling and staggering a little （he hadn't been
using the cane then； the collision with the milk truck was years in the future）。
〃Maybe you'll learn something。 My father showed me this。〃
He had raked a big pile of rain…dampened leaves under the branch where the
wasps' nest rested； a deadlier fruit than the shrunken but tasty apples their
tree usually produced in late September； which was then still half a month away。
He lit the leaves。 The day was clear and windless。 The leaves smoldered but
didn't really burn； and they made a smell — a fragrance that had echoed back to him
each fall when men in Saturday pants and light Windbreakers raked leaves
together and burned them。 A sweet smell with a bitter undertone； rich and
evocative。 The smoldering leaves produced great rafts of smoke that drifted up
to obscure the nest。
Their father had let the leaves smolder all that afternoon； drinking beer on
the porch and dropping the empty Black Label cans into his wife's plastic
floorbucket while his two older sons flanked him and little Jacky sat on the
steps at his feet； playing with his Bolo Bouncer and singing monotonously over
and over： 〃Your cheating heart 。。。 will make you weep 。。。 your cheating
heart 。。。 is gonna tell on you。〃
At quarter of six； just before supper； Daddy had gone out to the apple tree
with his sons grouped carefully behind him。 In one hand he had a garden hoe。 He
knocked the leaves apart； leaving little clots spread around to smolder and die。
Then he reached the hoe handle up； weaving and blinking； and after two or three
tries he knocked the nest to the ground。
The boys fled for the safety of the porch； but Daddy only stood over the nest；
swaying and blinking down at it。 Jacky crept back to see。 A few wasps were
crawling sluggishly over the paper terrain of their property； but they were not
trying to fly。 From the inside of the nest； the black and alien place； came a
never…to…be…forgotten sound： a low； somnolent buzz； like the sound of high…
tension wires。
〃Why don't they try to sting you； Daddy？〃 he had asked。
〃The smoke makes em drunk； Jacky。 Go get my gascan。〃
He ran to fetch it。 Daddy doused the nest with amber gasoline。
〃Now step away； Jacky； unless you want to lose your eyebrows。〃
He had stepped away。 From somewhere in the voluminous folds of his white
overblouse； Daddy had produced a wooden kitchen match。 He lit it with his
thumbnail and flung it onto the nest。 There had been a white…orange explosion；
almost soundless in its ferocity。 Daddy had stepped away； cackling wildly。 The
wasps' nest had gone up in no time。
〃Fire；〃 Daddy had said； turning to Jacky with a smile。 〃Fire will kill
anything。〃
After supper the boys had e out in the day's waning light to stand solemnly
around the charred and blackened nest。 From the hot interior had e the sound
of wasp bodies popping like corn。
The pressure gauge stood at two…twenty。 A low iron wailing sound was building
up in the guts of the thing。 Jets of steam stood out erect in a hundred places
like porcupine quills。
（Fire will kill anything。）
Jack suddenly started。 He had been dozing off 。。。 and he had almost dozed
himself right into kingdom cone。 What in God's name had he been thinking of？
Protecting the hotel was his job。 He was the caretaker。
A sweat of terror sprang to his hands so quickly that at first he missed his
grip on the large valve。 Then he curled his fingers around its spokes。 He
whirled it one turn； two； three。 There was a giant hiss of steam； dragon's
breath。 A warm tropical mist rose from beneath the boiler and veiled him。 For a
moment he could no longer see the dial but thought he must have waited too long；
the groaning； clanking sound inside the boiler increased； followed by a series
of heavy rattling sounds and the wrenching screech of metal。
When some of the steam blew away he saw that the pressure gauge had dropped
back to two hundred and was still sinking。 The jets of steam escaping around the
soldered patches began to lose their force。 The wrenching； grinding sounds began
to diminish。
One…ninety。。。 one…eighty 。。。 one seventy…five 。。。
（He was going downhill； going ninety miles an hour； when the whistle broke
into a scream — ）
But he didn't think it would blow now。 The press was down to one…sixty。
（ — they found him in the wreck with his hand on the throttle； he was scalded
to death by the steam。）
He stepped away from the boiler； breathing hard； trembling。 He looked at his
hands and saw that blisters were already rising on his palms。 Hell with the
blisters； he thought； and laughed shakily。 He had almost died with his hand on
the throttle； like Casey the engineer in 〃The Wreck of the Old 97。〃 Worse still；
he would have killed the Overlook。 The final crashing failure。 He had failed as
a teacher； a writer； a husband； and a father。 He had even failed as a drunk。 But
you couldn't do much better in the old failure category than to blow up the
building you were supposed to be taking care of。 And this was no ordinary
building。
By no means。
Christ； but he needed a drink。
The press had dropped down to eighty psi。 Cautiously； wincing a little at the
pain in his hands； he closed the dump valve again。 But from now on the boiler
would have to be watched more closely than ever。 It might have been seriously
weakened。 He wouldn't trust it at more than one hundred psi for the rest of the
winter。 And if they were a little chilly； they would just have to grin and bear
it。
He had broken two of the blisters。 His hands throbbed like rotten teeth。
A drink。 A drink would fix him up； and there wasn't a thing in the goddamn
house besides cooking sherry。 At this point a drink would be medicinal。 That was
just it； by God。 An anesthetic。 He had done his duty and now he could use a
little anesthetic — something stronger than Excedrin。 But there was nothing。
He remembered bottles glittering in the shadows。
He had saved the hotel。 The hotel would want to reward him。 He felt sure of
it。 He took his handkerchief out of his back pocket and went to the stairs。 He
rubbed at his mouth。 Just a little drink。 Just one。 To ease the pain。
He had served the Overlook； and now the Overlook would serve him。 He was sure
of it。 His feet on the stair risers were quick and eager； the hurrying steps of
a man who has e home from a long and bitter war。 It was 5：20 A。M。； MST。
》
DAYLIGHT
Danny awoke with a muffled gasp from a terrible dream。 There had been an
explosion。 A fire。 The Overlook was burning up。 He and his mommy were watching
it from the front lawn。
Mommy had said： 〃Look； Danny； look at the hedges。〃
He looked at them and they were all dead。 Their leaves had turned a suffocant
brown。 The tightly packed branches showed through like the skeletons of half…
dismembered corpses。 And then his daddy had burst out of the Overlook's big
double doors； and he was burning like a torch。 His clothes were in flames； his
skin had acquired a dark and sinister tan that was growing darker by the moment；
his hair was a burning bush。
That was when he woke up； his throat tight with fear； his hands clutching at
the sheet and blankets。 Had he screamed？ He looked over at his mother。 Wendy lay
on her side； the blankets up to her chin； a sheaf of straw…colored hair lying
against her cheek。 She looked like a child herself。 No； he hadn't screamed。
Lying in bed； looking upward； the nightmare began to drain away。 He had a
curious feeling that some great tragedy
（fire？ explosion？）
had been averted by inches。 He let his mind drift out； searching for his
daddy； and found him standing somewhere below。 In the lobby。 Danny pushed a
little harder； trying to get inside his father。 It was not good。 Because Daddy
was thinking about the Bad Thing。 He was thinking how
（good just one or two would be i don't care sun's over the yardarm somewhere
in the world remember how we used to say that al？ gin and tonic bourbon with
just a dash of bitters scotch and soda rum and coke tweedledum and tweedledee a
drink for me and a drink for thee the martians have landed somewhere in the
world princeton or houston or stokely on carmichael some fucking place after all
tis the season and none of us are）
（GET OUT OF H