first two floors of the hotel。 It was dark gray； halfway down a corridor that
ran at right angles to the main second…floor hallway。 The numbers on the door
looked no different from the house numbers on the Boulder apartment building
they had lived in。 A 2； a 1； and a 7。 Big deal。 Just below them was a tiny glass
circle； a peephole。 Danny had tried several of them。 From the inside you got a
wide； fish…eye view of the corridor。 From outside you could screw up your eye
seven ways to Sunday and still not see a thing。 A dirty gyp：
（Why are you here？）
After the walk behind the Overlook； he and Mommy had e back and she had
fixed him his favorite lunch； a cheese and bologna sandwich plus Campbell's Bean
Soup。 They ate in Dick's kitchen and talked。 The radio was on； getting thin and
crackly music from the Estes Park station。 The kitchen was his favorite place in
the hotel； and he guessed that Mommy and Daddy must feel the same way； because
after trying their meals in the dining room for three days or so； they had begun
eating in the kitchen by mutual consent； setting up chairs around Dick
Hallorann's butcher block； which was almost as big as their dining room table
back in Stovington； anyway。 The dining room had been too depressing； even with
the lights on and the music playing from the tape cassette system in the office。
You were still just one of three people sitting at a table surrounded by dozens
of other tables； all empty； all covered with those transparent plastic
dustcloths。 Mommy said it was like having dinner in the middle of a Horace
Walpole novel； and Daddy had laughed and agreed。 Danny had no idea who Horace
Walpole was； but he did know that Mommy's cooking had begun to taste better as
soon as they began to eat it in the kitchen。 He kept discovering little flashes
of Dick Hallorann's personality lying around； and they reassured him like a warm
touch。
Mommy had eaten half a sandwich； no soup。 She said Daddy must have gone out
for a walk of his own since both the VW and the hotel truck were in the parking
lot。 She said she was tired and might lie down for an hour or so； if he thought
he could amuse himself and not get into trouble。 Danny told her around a
mouthful of cheese and bologna that he thought he could。
〃Why don't you go out into the playground？〃 she asked him。 〃I thought you'd
love that place； with a sandbox for your trucks and all。〃
He swallowed and the food went down his throat in a lump that was dry and
hard。 〃Maybe I will；〃 he said； turning to the radio and fiddling with it。
〃And all those neat hedge animals；〃 she said； taking his empty plate。 〃Your
father's got to get out and trim them pretty soon。〃
〃Yeah；〃 he said。
（Just nasty things 。。。 once it had to do with those damn hedges clipped to
look like animals 。。。）
〃If you see your father before I do； tell him I'm lying down。〃
〃Sure； Mom。〃
She put the dirty dishes in the sink and came back over to him。 〃Are you happy
here； Danny？〃
He looked at her guilelessly； a milk mustache on his lip。 〃Uh…huh。〃
〃No more bad dreams？〃
〃No。〃 Tony had e to him once； one night while he was lying in bed； calling
his name faintly and from far away。 Danny had squeezed his eyes tightly shut
until Tony had gone。
〃You sure？〃
〃Yes； Mom。〃
She seemed satisfied。 〃How's your hand？〃
He flexed it for her。 〃All better。〃
She nodded。 Jack had taken the nest under the Pyrex bowl； full of frozen
wasps； out to the incinerator in back of the equipment shed and burned it。 They
had seen no more wasps since。 He had written to a lawyer in Boulder； enclosing
the snaps of Danny's hand； and the lawyer had called back two days ago — that had
put Jack in a foul temper all afternoon。 The lawyer doubted if the pany that
had manufactured the bug bomb could be sued successfully because there was only
Jack to testify that he had followed directions printed on the package。 Jack had
asked the lawyer if they couldn't purchase some others and test them for the
same defect。 Yes； the lawyer said； but the results were highly doubtful even if
all the test bombs malfunctioned。 He told Jack of a case that involved an
extension ladder pany and a man who had broken his back。 Wendy had
miserated with Jack； but privately she had just been glad that Danny had
gotten off as cheaply as he had。 It was best to leave lawsuits to people who
understood them； and that did not include the Torrances。 And they had seen no
more wasps since。
〃Go and play； doc。 Have fun。〃
But he hadn't had fun。 He had wandered aimlessly around the hotel； poking into
the maids' closets and the janitor's rooms； looking for something interesting；
not finding it； a small boy padding along a dark blue carpet woven with twisting
black lines。 He had tried a room door from time to time； but of course they were
all locked。 The passkey was hanging down in the office； he knew where； but Daddy
had told him he shouldn't touch that。 And he didn't want to。 Did be？
（Why are you here？）
There was nothing aimless about it after all。 He had been drawn to Room 217 by
a morbid kind of curiosity。 He remembered a story Daddy had read to him once
when he was drunk。 That had been a long time ago； but the story was just as
vivid now as when Daddy had read it to him。 Mommy had scolded Daddy and asked
what he was doing； reading a three…year…old baby something so horrible。 The name
of the story was Bluebeard。 That was clear in his mind too； because he had
thought at first Daddy was saying Bluebird； and there were no bluebirds in the
story； or birds of any kind for that matter。 Actually the story was about
Bluebeard's wife； a pretty lady that had corn…colored hair like Mommy。 After
Bluebeard married her； they lived in a big and ominous castle that was not
unlike the Overlook。 And every day Bluebeard went off to work and every day he
would tell his pretty little wife not to look in a certain room； although the
key to that room was hanging right on a hook； just like the passkey was hanging
on the office wall downstairs。 Bluebeard's wife had gotten more and more curious
about the locked room。 She tried to peep through the keyhole the way Danny had
tried to look through Room 217's peephole with similar unsatisfying results。
There was even a picture of her getting down on her knees and trying to look
under the door； but the crack wasn't wide enough。 The door swung wide and 。。。
The old fairy tale book had depicted her discovery in ghastly； loving detail。
The image was burned on Danny's mind。 The severed heads of Bluebeard's seven
previous wives were in the room； each one on its own pedestal； the eyes turned
up to whites； the mouths unhinged and gaping in silent screams。 They were
somehow balanced on necks ragged from the broadsword's decapitating swing； and
there was blood running down the pedestals。
Terrified； she had turned to flee from the room and the castle； only to
discover Bluebeard standing in the doorway； his terrible eyes blazing。 〃I told
you not to enter this room；〃 Bluebeard said； unsheathing his sword。 〃Alas； in
you