The Shining 原版小说-第6章
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this woman； must be sixty fuckin years old — my age！ — and her hair's dyed just as
red as a whore's stoplight； tits saggin just about down to her belly button on
account of she ain't wearin no brassy…ear； big varycoarse veins all up and down
her legs so they look like a couple of goddam roadmaps； the jools drippin off
her neck and arms an hangin out her ears。 And she's got this kid with her； he
can't be no more than seventeen； with hair down to his asshole and his crotch
bulgin 'like he stuffed it with the funnypages。 So they're here a week； ten days
maybe； and every night it's the same drill。 Down in the Colorado Lounge from
five to seven； her suckin up singapore slings like they're gonna outlaw em
tomorrow and him with just the one bottle of Olympia； suckin it； makin it last。
And she'd be makin jokes and sayin all these witty things； and every time she
said one he'd grin just like a fuckin ape； like she had strings tied to the
corners of his mouth。 Only after a few days you could see it was gettin harder
an harder for him to grin； and God knows what he had to think about to get his
pump primed by bedtime。 Well； they'd go in for dinner； him walkin and her
staggerin； drunk as a coot； you know； and he'd be pinchin the waitresses and
grinnin at em when she wasn't lookin。 Hell； we even had bets on how long he'd
last。〃
Watson shrugged。
〃Then he es down one night around ten； sayin his 'wife' is 'indisposed' —
which meant she was passed out again like every other night they was there — and
he's goin to get her some stomach medicine。 So off he goes in the little Porsche
they e in； and that's the last we see of him。 Next morning she es down and
tries to put on this big act； but all day she's gettin paler an paler； and Mr。
Ullman asks her； sorta diplomatic…like； would she like him to notify the state
cops； just in case maybe he had a little accident or something。 She's on him
like a cat。 No…no…no； he's a fine driver； she isn't worried； everything's under
control； he'll be back for dinner。 So that afternoon she steps into the Colorado
around three and never has no dinner at all。 She goes up to her room around ten…
thirty； and that's the last time anybody saw her alive。〃
〃What happened？〃
〃County coroner said she took about thirty sleepin pills on top of all the
booze。 Her husband showed up the next day； some big…shot lawyer from New York。
He gave old Ullman four different shades of holy hell。 I'll sue this an I'll sue
that an when I'm through you won't even be able to find a clean pair of
underwear； stuff like that。 But Ullman's good； the sucker。 Ullman got him
quieted down。 Probably asked that bigshot how he'd like to see his wife splashed
all over the New York papers： Wife of Prominent New York Blah Blah Found Dead
With Bellyful of Sleeping Pills。 After playing hide…the…salami with a kid young
enough to be her grandson。
〃The state cops found the Porsche in the back of this allnight burger joint
down in Lyons； and Ullman pulled a few strings to get it released to that
lawyer。 Then both of them ganged up on old Archer Houghton； which is the county
coroner； and got him to change the verdict to accidental death。 Heart attack。
Now ole Archer's driving a Chrysler。 I don't begrudge him。 A man's got to take
it where he finds it； especially when he starts gettin along in years。〃
Out came the bandanna。 Honk。 Peek。 Out of sight。
〃So what happens？ About a week later this stupid cunt of a chambermaid；
Delores Vickery by name； she gives out with a helluva shriek while she's makin
up the room where those two stayed； and she faints dead away。 When she es to
she says she seen the dead woman in the bathroom； layin naked in the tub。 'Her
face was all purple an puffy。' she says； 'an she was grinnin at me。' So Ullman
gave her two weeks' worth of walking papers and told her to get lost。 I figure
there's maybe forty…fifty people died in this hotel since my grandfather opened
it for business in 1910。〃
He looked shrewdly at Jack。
〃You know how most of em go？ Heart attack or stroke； while they're bangin the
lady they're with。 That's what these resorts get a lot of； old types that want
one last fling。 They e up here to the mountains to pretend they're twenty
again。 Sometimes somethin gives； and not all the guys who ran this place was as
good as Ullman is at keepin it out of the papers。 So the Overlook's got a
reputation； yeah。 I'll bet the fuckin Biltmore in New York City has got a
reputation； if you ask the right people。〃
〃But no ghosts？〃
〃Mr。 Torrance； I've worked here all my life。 I played here when I was a kid no
older'n your boy in that wallet snapshot you showed me。 I never seen a ghost
yet。 You want to e out back with me； I'll show you the equipment shed。〃
〃Fine。〃
As Watson reached up to turn off the light； Jack said； 〃There sure are a lot
of papers down here。〃
〃Oh； you're not kiddin。 Seems like they go back a thousand years。 Newspapers
and old invoices and bills of lading and Christ knows what else。 My dad used to
keep up with them pretty good when we had the old wood…burning furnace； but now
they've got all out of hand。 Some year I got to get a boy to haul them down to
Sidewinder and burn em。 If Ullman will stand the expense。 I guess he will if I
holler ‘rat' loud enough。〃
〃Then there are rats？〃
〃Yeah； I guess there's some。 I got the traps and the poison Mr。 Ullman wants
you to use up in the attic and down here。 You keep a good eye on your boy； Mr。
Torrance。 You wouldn't want nothing to happen to him。〃
〃No； I sure wouldn't。〃 ing from Watson the advice didn't sting。
They went to the stairs and paused there for a moment while Watson blew his
nose again。
〃You'll find all the tools you need out there and some you don't； I guess。 And
there's the shingles。 Did Ullman tell you about that？〃
〃Yes； he wants part of the west roof reshingled。〃
〃Hell get all the for…free out of you that he can； the fat little prick； and
then whine around in the spring about how you didn't do the job half right。 I
told him once right to his face； I said 。。。〃
Watson's words faded away to a forting drone as they mounted the stairs。
Jack Torrance looked back over his shoulder once into the impenetrable； musty…
smelling darkness and thought that if there was ever a place that should have
ghosts； this was it。 He thought of Grady； locked in by the soft； implacable
snow； going quietly berserk and mitting his atrocity。 Did they scream？ he
wondered。 Poor Grady； feeling it close in on him more every day； and knowing at
last that for him spring would never e。 He shouldn't have been here。 And he
shouldn't have lost his temper。
As he followed Watson through the door； the words echoed back to him like a
knell； acpanied by a sharp snap…like a breaking pencil lead。 Dear God； he
could use a drink。 Or a thousand of them。
》
SHADOWLAND
Danny weakened and went up for his milk and cookies at quarter past four。 He
gobbled them while looking out the window； then went in to kiss his mother； who
was lying down。 She suggested that he stay in and watch 〃Sesame Street〃 — the
time would pass faster — but he shook his head firmly and went back to his place
on the curb。
Now it was five o'clock； and although he didn't have a watch and couldn't tell
time too well yet anyway； he was aware of passing time by the lengthening of the
shadows； and by the golden cast that now tinged the afternoon light。
Turning the glider over in his hands； he sang under his breath： 〃Skip to m
Lou； n I don't care 。。。 skip to m Lou； n I don't care 。。。 my master's gone
away 。。。 Lou； Lou； skip to In Lou。。。〃
They had sung that song all together at the Jack and Jill Nursery School he
had gone to back in Stovington。 He didn't go to nursery school out here because
Daddy couldn't afford to send him anymore。 He knew his mother and father worried
about that； worried that it was adding to his loneliness （and even more deeply；
unspoken between them； that Danny blamed them）； but he didn't really want to go
to that old Jack and Jill anymore。 It was for babies。 He wasn't quite a big kid
yet； but he wasn't a baby anymore。 Big kids went to the big school and got a hot
lunch。 First grade。 Next year。 This year was someplace between being a baby and
a real kid。 It was all right。 He did miss Scott and Andy…mostly Scott…but it was
still all right。 It seemed best to wait alone for whatever might happen next。
He understood a great many things about his parents； and he knew that many
times they didn't like his understandings and many other times refused to
believe them。 But someday they would have to believe。 He was content to wait。
It was too bad they couldn't believe more； though； especially at times like
now。 Mommy was lying on her bed in the apartment； just about crying she was so
worried about Daddy。 Some of the things she was worried about were too grown…up
for Danny to understand…vague things that had to do with security； with Daddy's
selfimage feelings of guilt and anger and the fear of w
