The Shining 原版小说-第2章

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taken　you　on。〃　
　　Jack's　hands　were　clenched　tightly　in　his　lap；　working　against　each　other；　
sweating。　Officious　little　prick；　officious　
　　〃I　don't　believe　you　care　much　for　me；　Mr。　Torrance。　I　
little　prick；　officious　—　　
don't　care。　Certainly　your　feelings　toward　me　play　no　part　in　my　own　belief　
that　you　are　not　right　for　the　job。　During　the　season　that　runs　from　May　
fifteenth　to　September　thirtieth；　the　Overlook　employs　one　hundred　and　ten　
people　full…time；　one　for　every　room　in　the　hotel；　you　might　say。　I　don't　think　
many　of　them　like　me　and　I　suspect　that　some　of　them　think　I'm　a　bit　of　a　
bastard。　They　would　be　correct　in　their　judgment　of　my　character。　I　have　to　be　a　
bit　of　a　bastard　to　run　this　hotel　in　the　manner　it　deserves。〃　


　
　
　　He　looked　at　Jack　for　ment；　and　Jack　flashed　the　PR　smile　again；　large　and　
insultingly　toothy。　
　　Ullman　said：　〃The　Overlook　was　built　in　the　years　1907　to　1909。　The　closest　
town　is　Sidewinder；　forty　miles　east　of　here　over　roads　that　are　closed　from　
sometime　in　late　October　or　November　until　sometime　in　April。　A　man　named　Robert　
Townley　Watson　built　it；　the　grandfather　of　our　present　maintenance　man。　
Vanderbilts　have　stayed　here；　and　Rockefellers；　and　Astors；　and　Du　Pouts。　Four　
Presidents　have　stayed　in　the　Presidential　Suite。　Wilson；　Harding；　Roosevelt；　
and　Nixon。〃　
　　〃I　wouldn't　be　too　proud　of　Harding　and　Nixon；〃　Jack　murmured。　
　　Ullman　frowned　but　went　on　regardless。　〃It　proved　too　much　for　Mr。　Watson；　and　
he　sold　the　hotel　in　1915。　It　was　sold　again　in　1922；　in　1929；　in　1936。　It　stood　
vacant　until　the　end　of　World　War　II；　when　it　was　purchased　and　pletely　
renovated　by　Horace　Derwent；　millionaire　inventor；　pilot；　film　producer；　and　
entrepreneur。〃　
　　〃I　know　the　name；〃　Jack　said。　
　　〃Yes。　Everything　he　touched　seemed　to　turn　to　gold　。。。　except　the　Overlook。　
He　funneled　over　a　million　dollars　into　it　before　the　first　postwar　guest　ever　
stepped　through　its　doors；　turning　a　decrepit　relic　into　a　showplace。　It　was　
Derwent　who　added　the　roque　court　I　saw　you　admiring　when　you　arrived。〃　
　　〃Roque？〃　
　　〃A　British　forebear　of　our　croquet；　Mr。　Torrance。　Croquet　is　bastardized　
roque。　According　to　legend；　Derwent　learned　the　game　from　his　social　secretary　
and　fell　pletely　in　love　with　it。　Ours　may　be　the　finest　roque　court　in　
America。〃　
　　〃I　wouldn't　doubt　it；〃　Jack　said　gravely。　A　roque　court；　a　topiary　full　of　
hedge　animals　out　front；　what　next？　A　life…sized　Uncle　Wiggly　game　behind　the　
equipment　shed？　He　was　getting　very　tired　of　Mr。　Stuart　Ullman；　but　he　could　see　
that　Ullman　wasn't　done。　Ullman　was　going　to　have　his　say；　every　last　word　of　
it。　
　　〃When　he　had　lost　three　million；　Derwent　sold　it　to　a　group　of　California　
investors。　Their　experience　with　the　Overlook　was　equally　bad。　Just　not　hotel　
people。　
　　〃In　1970；　Mr。　Shockley　and　a　group　of　his　associates　bought　the　hotel　and　
turned　its　management　over　to　me。　We　have　also　run　in　the　red　for　several　years；　
but　I'm　happy　to　say　that　the　trust　of　the　present　owners　in　me　has　never　
wavered。　Last　year　we　broke　even。　And　this　year　the　Overlook's　accounts　were　
written　in　black　ink　for　the　first　time　in　almost　seven　decades。〃　
　　Jack　supposed　that　this　fussy　little　man's　pride　was　justified；　and　then　his　
original　dislike　washed　over　him　again　in　a　wave。　
　　He　said：　〃I　see　no　connection　between　the　Overlook's　admittedly　colorful　
history　and　your　feeling　that　I'm　wrong　for　the　post；　Mr。　Ullman。〃　
　　〃One　reason　that　the　Overlook　has　lost　so　much　money　lies　in　the　depreciation　
that　occurs　each　winter。　It　shortens　the　profit　margin　a　great　deal　more　than　
you　might　believe；　Mr。　Torrance。　The　winters　are　fantastically　cruel。　In　order　
to　cope　with　the　problem；　I've　installed　a　full…time　winter　caretaker　to　run　the　
boiler　and　to　heat　different　parts　of　the　hotel　on　a　daily　rotating　basis。　To　
repair　breakage　as　it　occurs　and　to　do　repairs；　so　the　elements　can't　get　a　


　
　
foothold。　To　be　constantly　alert　to　any　and　every　contingency。　During　our　first　
winter　I　hired　a　family　instead　of　a　single　man。　There　was　a　tragedy。　A　horrible　
tragedy。〃　
　　Ullman　looked　at　Jack　coolly　and　appraisingly。　
　　〃I　made　a　mistake。　I　admit　it　freely。　The　man　was　a　drunk。〃　
　　Jack　felt　a　slow；　hot　grin　—　the　total　antithesis　of　the　toothy　PR　grin　—　　
stretch　across　his　mouth。　〃Is　that　it？　I'm　surprised　Al　didn't　tell　you。　I've　
retired。〃　
　　〃Yes；　Mr。　Shockley　told　me　you　no　longer　drink。　He　also　told　me　about　your　
last　job　。。。　your　last　position　of　trust；　shall　we　say？　You　were　teaching　
English　in　a　Vermont　prep　school。　You　lost　your　temper；　I　don't　believe　I　need　
to　be　any　more　specific　than　that。　But　I　do　happen　to　believe　that　Grady's　case　
has　a　bearing；　and　that　is　why　I　have　brought　the　matter　of　your　。。。　uh；　
previous　history　into　the　conversation。　During　the　winter　of　1970…71；　after　we　
had　refurbished　the　Overlook　but　before　our　first　season；　I　hired　this。。。　this　
unfortunate　named　Delbert　Grady。　He　moved　into　the　quarters　you　and　your　wife　
and　son　will　be　sharing。　He　had　a　wife　and　two　daughters。　I　had　reservations；　
the　main　ones　being　the　harshness　of　the　winter　season　and　the　fact　that　the　
Gradys　would　be　cut　off　from　the　outside　world　for　five　to　six　months。〃　
　　〃But　that's　not　really　true；　is　it？　There　are　telephones　here；　and　probably　a　
citizen's　band　radio　as　well。　And　the　Rocky　Mountain　National　Park　is　within　
helicopter　range　and　surely　a　piece　of　ground　that　big　must　have　a　chopper　or　
two。〃　
　　〃I　wouldn't　know　about　that；〃　Ullman　said。　〃The　hotel　does　have　a　two…way　
radio　that　Mr。　Watson　will　show　you；　along　with　a　list　of　the　correct　
frequencies　to　broadcast　on　if　you　need　help。　The　telephone　lines　between　here　
and　Sidewinder　are　still　aboveground；　and　they　go　down　almost　every　winter　at　
some　point　or　other　and　are　apt　to　stay　down　for　three　weeks　to　a　month　and　a　
half。　There　is　a　snowmobile　in　the　equipment　shed　also。〃　
　　〃Then　the　place　really　isn't　cut　off。〃　
　　Mr。　Ullman　looked　pained。　〃Suppose　your　son　or　your　wife　tripped　on　the　stairs　
and　fractured　his　or　her　skull；　Mr。　Torrance。　Would　you　think　the　place　was　cut　
off　then？〃　
　　Jack　saw　the　point。　A　snowmobile　running　at　top　speed　could　get　you　down　to　
Sidewinder　in　an　hour　and　a　half　。。。　maybe。　A　helicopter　from　the　Parks　Rescue　
Service　could　get　up　here　in　three　hours　。。。　under　optimum　conditions。　In　a　
blizzard　it　would　never　even　be　able　to　lift　off　and　you　couldn't　hope　to　run　a　
snowmobile　at　top　speed；　even　if　you　dared　take　a　seriously　injured　person　out　
into　temperatures　that　might　be　twenty…five　below…or　forty…five　below；　if　you　
added　in　the　wind　chill　factor。　
　　〃In　the　case　of　Grady；〃　Ullman　said；　〃I　reasoned　much　as　Mr。　Shockley　seems　to　
have　done　in　your　case。　Solitude　can　be　damaging　in　itself。　Better　for　the　man　
to　have　his　family　with　him。　If　there　was　trouble；　I　thought；　the　odds　were　very　
high　that　it　would　be　something　less　urgent　than　a　fractured　skull　or　an　
accident　with　one　of　the　power　tools　or　some　sort　of　convulsion。　A　serious　case　
of　the　flu；　pneumonia；　a　broken　arm；　even　appendicitis。　Any　of　those　things　
would　have　left　enough　time。　
　　〃I　suspect　that　what　happened　came　as　a　result　of　too　much　cheap　whiskey；　of　


　
　
which　Grady　had　laid　in　a　generous　supply；　unbeknownst　to　me；　and　a　curious　
condition　which　the　old…timers　call　cabin　fever。　Do　you　know　the　term？〃　Ullman　
offered　a　patronizing　little　smile；　ready　to　explain　as　soon　as　Jack　admitted　
his　ignorance；　and　Jack　was　happy　to　respond　quickly　and　crisply。　
　　〃It's　a　slang　term　for　the　claustrophobic　reaction　that　can　occur　when　people　
are　shut　in　together　over　long　periods　of　time。　The　feeling　of　claustrophobia　is　
externalized　as　dislike　for　the　people　you　happen　to　be　shut　in　with。　In　extreme　
cases　it　can　result　in　hallucinations　and　violence　—　murder　has　been　done　over　
such　minor　things　as　a　burned　meal　or　an　argument　about　whose　turn　it　is　to　do　
the　dishes。〃　
　　Ullman　looked　rather　nonplussed；　which　did　Jack　a　world　of　good。　He　decided　to　
press　a　little　further；　but　silently　promised　Wendy　he　would　stay　cool。　
　　〃I　suspect　you　did　make　a　mistake　at　that。　Did　he　hurt　them？〃　
　　〃He　killed　them；　Mr。　Torrance；　and　then　mitted　suicide。　He　murdered　the　
little　girls　with　a　hatchet；　his　wife　with　a　shotgun；　and　himself　the　same　way。　
His　leg　was　broken。　Undoubtedly　so　drunk　he　fell　downstairs。〃　
　　Ullman　spread　his　hands　and　looked　at　Jack　self…righteously。　
　　〃Was　he　a　high　school　graduate？〃　
　　〃As　a　matter　of　fact；　he　wasn't；〃　Ullman　said　a　little　stiffly。　〃I　thought　a；　
shall　we　say；　less　imaginative　individual　would　be　less　susceptible　to　the　
rigors；　the　loneliness　—　〃　
　　〃That　was　your　mistake；〃　Jack　said。　〃A　stupid　man　is　more　prone　to　cabin　fever　
just　as　he's　more　prone　to　shoot　someone　over　a　card　game　or　mit　a　spur…of…　
the…moment　robbery。　He　gets　bored。　When　the　snow　es；　there's　nothing　to　do　
but　watch　TV　or　play　solitaire　and　cheat　when　he　can't　get　all　the　aces　out。　
Nothing　to　do　but　bitch　at　his　wife　and　nag　at　the　kids　and　drink。　It　gets　hard　
to　sleep　because　there's　nothing　to　hear。