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第59章

The Shining 原版小说-第59章

小说: The Shining 原版小说 字数: 每页4000字

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in grammar school。 Public humiliation。 Worse experiences in high school and 
college。 He had been arrested and sent to an institution after exposing himself 
to a pair of little girls getting off a school bus。 Worst of all; he had been 


 
 
dismissed from the institution; let back out onto the streets; because the man 
in charge had decided he was all right。 This man's name had been Grimmer。 
Grimmer had known that Monkey DeLong was exhibiting deviant symptoms; but he had 
written the good; hopeful report and had let him go anyway。 Jack liked and 
sympathized with Grimmer; too。 Grimmer had to run an understaffed and 
underfunded institution and try to keep the whole thing together with spit; 
baling wire; and nickle…and…dime appropriations from a state legislature who had 
to go back and face the voters。 Grimmer knew that Monkey could interact with 
other people; that he did not soil his pants or try to stab his fellow inmates 
with the scissors。 He did not think he was Napoleon。 The staff psychiatrist in 
charge of Monkey's case thought there was a better…than…even chance that Monkey 
could make it on the street; and they both knew that the longer a man is in an 
institution the more he es to need that closed environment; like a junkie 
with his smack。 And meanwhile; people were knocking down the doors。 Paranoids; 
schizoids; cycloids; semicatatonics; men who claimed to have gone to heaven in 
flying saucers; women who had burned their children's sex organs off with Bic 
lighters; alcoholics; pyromaniacs; kleptomaniacs; manic…depressives; suicidals。 
Tough old world; baby。 If you're not bolted together tightly; you're gonna 
shake; rattle; and roll before you turn thirty。 Jack could sympathize with 
Grimmer's problem。 He could sympathize with the parents of the murder victims。 
With the murdered children themselves; of course。 And with Monkey DeLong。 Let 
the reader lay blame。 In those days he hadn't wanted to judge。 The cloak of the 
moralist sat badly on his shoulders。 
  He had started The Little School in the same optimistic vein。 But lately he 
had begun to choose up sides; and worse still; he had e to loathe his hero; 
Gary Benson。 Originally conceived as a bright boy more cursed with money than 
blessed with it; a boy who wanted more than anything to pile a good record so 
he could go to a good university because he had earned admission and not because 
his father had pulled strings; he had bee to Jack a kind of simpering Goody 
Two…shoes; a postulant before the altar of knowledge rather than a sincere 
acolyte; an outward paragon of Boy Scout virtues; inwardly cynical; filled not 
with real brilliance (as he had first been conceived) but only with sly animal 
cunning。 All through the play he unfailingly addressed Denker as 〃sir;〃 just as 
Jack had taught his own son to address those older and those in authority as 
〃sir。〃 He thought that Danny used the word quite sincerely; and Gary Benson as 
originally conceived had too; but as he had begun Act V; it had e more and 
more strongly to him that Gary was using the word satirically; outwardly 
straight…faced while the Gary Benson inside was mugging and leering at Denker。 
Denker; who had never had any of the things Gary had。 Denker; who had had to 
work all his life just to bee head of a single little school。 Who was now 
faced with ruin over this handsome; innocent…seeming rich boy who had cheated on 
his Final position and had then cunningly covered his tracks。 Jack had seen 
Denker the teacher as not much different from the strutting South American 
little Caesars in their banana kingdoms; standing dissidents up against the wall 
of the handiest squash or handball court; a super…zealot in a paratively 
small puddle; a man whose every whim bees a crusade。 In the beginning he had 
wanted to use his play as a microcosm to say something about the abuse of power。 
Now he tended more and more to see Denker as a Mr。 Chips figure; and the tragedy 


 
 
was not the intellectual racking of Gary Benson but rather the destruction of a 
kindly old teacher and headmaster unable to see through the cynical wiles of 
this monster masquerading as a boy。 
  He hadn't been able to finish the play。 
  Now he sat looking down at it; scowling; wondering if there was any way he 
could salvage the situation。 He didn't really think there was。 He bad begun with 
one play and it had somehow turned into another; presto…chango。 Well; what the 
hell。 Either way it had been done before。 Either way it was a load of shit。 And 
why was he driving himself crazy about it tonight anyway? After the day just 
gone by it was no wonder he couldn't think straight。 
  〃 — get him down?〃 
  He looked up; trying to blink the cobwebs away。 〃Huh?〃 
  〃I said; how are we going to get him down? We've got to get him out of here; 
Jack。〃 
  For a moment his wits were so scattered that he wasn't even sure what she was 
talking about。 Then he realized and uttered a short; barking laugh。 
  〃You say that as if it were so easy。〃 
  〃I didn't mean — 〃 
  〃No problem; Wendy。 I'll just change clothes in that telephone booth down in 
the lobby and fly him to Denver on my back。 Superman Jack Torrance; they called 
me in my salad days。〃 
  Her face registered slow hurt。 
  〃I understand the problem; Jack。 The radio is broken。 The snow 。。。 but you 
have to understand Danny's problem。 My God; don't you? He was nearly catatonic; 
Jack! What if he hadn't e out of that?〃 
  〃But he did;〃 Jack said; a trifle shortly。 He had been frightened at Danny's 
blank…eyed; slack…faced state too; of course he had。 At first。 But the more he 
thought about it; the more he wondered if it hadn't been a piece of play…acting 
put on to escape his punishment。 He had; after all; been trespassing。 
  〃All the same;〃 she said。 She came to him and sat on the end of the bed by his 
desk。 Her face was both surprised and worried。 〃Jack; the bruises on his neck! 
Something got at him! And I want him away from it!〃 
  〃Don't shout;〃 he said。 〃My head aches; Wendy。 I'm as worried about this as 
you are; so please 。。。 don't 。。。 shout。〃 
  〃All right;〃 she said; lowering her voice。 〃I won't shout。 But I don't 
understand you; Jack。 Someone is in here with us。 And not a very nice someone; 
either。 We have to get down to Sidewinder; not just Danny but all of us。 
Quickly。 And you 。。。 you're sitting there reading your play!〃 
  〃 'We have to get down; we have to get down;' you keep saying that。 You must 
think I really am Superman。〃 
  〃I think you're my husband;〃 she said softly; and looked down at her hands。 
  His temper flared。 He slammed the playscript down; knocking the edges of the 
pile out of true again and crumpling the sheets on the bottom。 
  〃It's time you got some of the home truths into you; Wendy。 You don't seem to 
have internalized them; as the sociologists say。 They're knocking around up in 
your head like a bunch of loose cueballs。 You need to shoot them into the 
pockets。 You need to understand that we are snowed in。〃 
  Danny had suddenly bee active in his bed。 Still sleeping; he had begun to 


 
 
twist and turn。 The way he always did when we fought; Wendy thought dismally。 
And we're doing it again。 
  〃Don't wake him up; Jack。 Please。〃 
  He glanced over at Danny and some of the flush went out of his cheeks。 〃Okay。 
I'm sorry。 I'm sorry I sounded mad; Wendy。 It's not really for you。 But I broke 
the radio。 If it's anybody's fault it's mine。 That was our big link to the 
outside。 Olly…olly…in…for…free。 Please e get us; Mister Ranger。 We can't stay 
out this late。〃 
  〃Don't;〃 she said; and put a hand on his shoulder。 He leaned his head against 
it。 She brushed his hair with her other hand。 〃I guess you've got a right; after 
what I accused you of。 Sometimes I am like my mother。 I can be a bitch。 But you 
have to understand that some things 。。。 are hard to get over。 You have to 
understand that。〃 
  〃Do you mean his arm?〃 His lips had thinned。 
  〃Yes;〃 Wendy said; and then she rushed on: 〃But it's not just you。 I worry 
when he goes out to play。 I worry about him wanting a two…wheeler next year; 
even one with training wheels。 I worry about his teeth and his eyesight and 
about this thing; what he calls his shine。 I worry。 Because he's little and he 
seems very fragile and because 。。。 because something in this hotel seems to 
want him。 And it will go through us to get him if it has to。 That's why we must 
get him out; Jack。 I know that! I feel that! We must get him out!〃 
  Her hand had tightened painfully on his shoulder in her agitation; but he 
didn't move away。 One hand found the firm weight of her left breast and he began 
to stroke it through her shirt。 
  〃Wendy;〃 he said; and stopped。 She waited for him to rearrange whatever he had 
to say。 His strong hand on her breast felt good; soothing。 〃I could maybe 
snowshoe him down。 He could walk part of the way himself; but I would mostly 
have to carry him。 It would mean camping out one; two; maybe three nights。 That 
would mean building a travois to carry supplies and bedrolls on。 We have the 
AM/FM radio; so we could pick a day when the weather forecast c

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