The Shining 原版小说-第83章
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Sidewinder; passes the Overlook Hotel; and finally winds down the Western Slope
and into Utah。
The entrance ramp had been blocked by an overturned semi。 Bright…burning
flares had been scattered around it like birthday candles on some idiot child's
cake。
He came to a stop and rolled his window down。 A cop with a fur Cossack hat
jammed down over his ears gestured with one gloved hand toward the flow of
traffic moving north on I…25。
〃You can't get up here!〃 he bawled to Hallorann over the wind。 〃Go down two
exits; get on 91; and connect with 36 at Broomfield!〃
〃I think I could get around him on the left!〃 Hallorann shouted back。 〃That's
twenty miles out of my way; what you're rappin!〃
〃I'll rap your friggin head!〃 the cop shouted back。 〃This ramp's closed!〃
Hallorann backed up; waited for a break in traffic; and continued on his way
up Route 25。 The signs informed him it was only a hundred miles to Cheyenne;
Wyoming。 If he didn't look out for his ramp; he'd wind up there。
He inched his speed up to thirty…five but dared no more; already snow was
threatening to clog his wiper blades and the traffic patterns were decidedly
crazy。 Twenty…mile detour。 He cursed; and the feeling that time was growing
shorter for the boy welled up in him again; nearly suffocating with its urgency。
And at the same time he felt a fatalistic certainty that he would not be ing
back from this trip。
He turned on the radio; dialed past Christmas ads; and found a weather
forecast。
〃 — six inches already; and another foot is expected in the Denver metro area
by nightfall。 Local and state police urge you not to take your car out of the
garage unless it's absolutely necessary; and warn that most mountain passes have
already been closed。 So stay home and wax up your boards and keep tuned to — 〃
〃Thanks; mother;〃 Hallorann said; and turned the radio off savagely。
》
WENDY
Around noon; after Danny had gone into the bathroom to use the toilet; Wendy
took the towel…wrapped knife from under her pillow; put it in the pocket of her
bathrobe; and went over to the bathroom door。
〃Danny?〃
〃What?〃
〃I'm going down to make us some lunch。 'Kay?〃
〃Okay。 Do you want me to e down?〃
〃No; I'll bring it up。 How about a cheese omelet and some soup?〃
〃Sure。〃
She hesitated outside the closed door a moment longer; 〃Danny; are you sure
it's okay?〃
〃Yeah;〃 he said。 〃Just be careful。〃
〃Where's your father? Do you know?〃
His voice came back; curiously flat: 〃No。 But it's okay。〃 She stifled an urge
to keep asking; to keep picking around the edges of the thing。 The thing was
there; they knew what it was; picking at it was only going to frighten Danny
more 。。。 and herself。 Jack had lost his mind。 They had sat together on Danny's
cot as the storm began to pick up clout and meanness around eight o'clock this
morning and had listened to him downstairs; bellowing and stumbling from one
place to another。 Most of it had seemed to e from the ballroom。 Jack singing
tuneless bits of song; Jack holding up one side of an argument; Jack screaming
loudly at one point; freezing both of their faces as they stared into one
another's eyes。 Finally they had heard him stumbling back across the lobby; and
Wendy thought she had heard a loud banging noise; as if he had fallen down or
pushed a door violently open。 Since eightthirty or so — three and a half hours
now — there had been only silence。
She went down the short hall; turned into the main first floor corridor; and
went to the stairs。 She stood on the firstfloor landing looking down into the
lobby。 It appeared deserted; but the gray and snowy day had left much of the
long room in shadow。 Danny could be wrong。 Jack could be behind a chair or couch
。。。 maybe behind the registration desk 。。。 waiting for her to e down。。。
She wet her lips。 〃Jack?〃
No answer。
Her hand found the handle of the knife and she began to go down。 She had seen
the end of her marriage many times; in divorce; in Jack's death at the scene of
a drunken car accident (a regular vision in the dark two o'clock of Stovington
mornings); and occasionally in daydreams of being discovered by another man; a
soap opera Galahad who would sweep Danny and her onto the saddle of his snow…
white charger and take them away。 But she had never envisioned herself prowling
halls and staircases like a nervous felon; with a knife clasped in one hand to
use against Jack。
A wave of despair struck through her at the thought and she had to stop
halfway down the stairs and hold the railing; afraid her knees would buckle。
(Admit it。 It isn't just Jack; he's just the one solid thing in all of this
you can hang the other things on; the things you can't believe and yet are being
forced to believe; that thing about the hedges; the party favor in the elevator;
the mask)
She tried to stop the thought but it was too late。
(and the voices。)
Because from time to time it had not seemed that there was a solitary crazy
man below them; shouting at and holding conversations with the phantoms in his
own crumbling mind。 From time to time; like a radio signal fading in and out;
she had heard — or thought she had — other voices; and music; and laughter。 At one
moment she would hear Jack holding a conversation with someone named Grady (the
name was vaguely familiar to her but she made no actual connection); making
statements and asking questions into silence; yet speaking loudly; as if to make
himself heard over a steady background racket。 And then; eerily; other sounds
would be there; seeming to slip into places — a dance band; people clapping; a man
with an amused yet authoritative voice who seemed to be trying to persuade
somebody to make a speech。 For a period of thirty seconds to a minute she would
hear this; long enough to grow faint with terror; and then it would be gone
again and she would only hear Jack; talking in that manding yet slightly
slurred way she remembered as his drunk…speak voice。 But there was nothing in
the hotel to drink except cooking sherry。 Wasn't that right? Yes; but if she
could imagine that the hotel was full of voices and music; couldn't Jack imagine
that he was drunk?
She didn't like that thought。 Not at all。
Wendy reached the lobby and looked around。 The velvet rope that had cordoned
off the ballroom had been taken down; the steel post it had been clipped to had
been knocked over; as if someone had carelessly bumped it going by。 Mellow white
light fell through the open door onto the lobby rug from the ballroom's high;
narrow windows。 Heart thumping; she went to the open ballroom doors and looked
in。 It was empty and silent; the only sound that curious subaural echo that
seems to linger in all large rooms; from the largest cathedral to the smallest
hometown bingo parlor。
She went back to the registration desk and stood undecided for a moment;
listening to the wind howl outside。 It was the worst storm so far; and it was
still building up force。 Somewhere on the west side a shutter latch had broken
and the shutter banged back and forth with a steady flat cracking sound; like a
shooting gallery with only one customer。
(Jack; you really should take care of that。 Before something gets in。)
What would she do if he came at her right now; she wondered。 If he should pop
up from behind the dark; varnished registration desk with its pile of triplicate
forms and its little silver…plated bell; like some murderous jack…in…the…box;
pun intended; a grinning jack…in…the…box with a cleaver in one hand and no sense
at all left behind his eyes。 Would she stand frozen with terror; or was there
enough of the primal mother in her to fight him for her son until one of them
was dead? She didn't know。 The very thought made her sick — made her feel that her
whole life had been a long and easy dream to lull her helplessly into this
waking nightmare。 She was soft。 When trouble came; she slept。 Her past was
unremarkable。 She had never been tried in fire。 Now the trial was upon her; not
fire but ice; and she would not be allowed to sleep through this。 Her son was
waiting for her upstairs。
Clutching the haft of the knife tighter; she peered over the desk。
Nothing there。
Her relieved breath escaped her in a long; hitching sigh。
She put the gate up and went through; pausing to glance into the inner office
before going in herself。 She fumbled through the next door for the bank of
kitchen light switches; coldly expecting a hand to close over hers at any
second。 Then the fluorescents were ing on with minuscule ticking and humming
sounds and she could see Mr。 Hallorann's kitchen — her kitchen now; for better or
worse — pale green tiles; gleaming Formica; spotless porcelain; glowing chrome
edgings。 She had promised him she would keep his kitchen clean; and she had。 She
felt as if it was one of Danny's safe places。 Dick Hallorann's presence seemed
to enfold and fort her。 Danny had called for Mr。 Hallorann; and upstairs;
sitting next to Dan