Jack jumped a little； and Wendy looked at him curiously。
〃Have you seen anything down there； Jack？〃
〃No；〃 he said。 〃Nothing。〃
Danny was looking at him。
〃Nothing；〃 he said again； more calmly。 And that was true。 He had been the
victim of an hallucination。 And that was all。
〃Danny； we have to hear about the woman；〃 Wendy said gently。
So Danny told them； but his words came in cyclic bursts； sometimes almost
verging on inprehensible garble in his hurry to spit it out and be free of
it。 He pushed tighter and tighter against his mother's breasts as he talked。
〃I went in；〃 he said。 〃I stole the passkey and went in。 It was like I couldn't
help myself。 I had to know。 And she 。。。 the lady 。。。 was in the tub。 She was
dead。 All swelled up。 She was nuh…nuh 。。。 didn't have no clothes on。〃 He
looked miserably at his mother。 〃And she started to get up and she wanted me。 I
know she did because I could feel it。 She wasn't even thinking； not the way you
and Daddy think。 It was black 。。。 it was hurt…think 。。。 like 。。。 like the
wasps that night in my room！ Only wanting to hurt。 Like the wasps。〃
He swallowed and there was silence for a moment； all quiet while the image of
the wasps sank into them。
〃So I ran；〃 Danny said。 〃I ran but the door was closed。 I left it open but it
was closed。 I didn't think about just opening it again and running out。 I was
scared。 So I just 。。。 I leaned against the door and closed my eyes and thought
of how Mr。 Hallorann said the things here were just like pictures in a book and
if I 。。。。 kept saying to myself 。。。 you're not there； go away； you're not
there 。。。 she would go away。 But it didn't work。〃
His voice began to rise hysterically。
〃She grabbed me 。。。 turned me around 。。。 I could see her eyes 。。。 how
her eyes were 。。。 and she started to choke me 。。。 I could smell her 。。。 I
could smell how dead she was。。。 〃
〃Stop now； shhh；〃 Wendy said； alarmed。 〃Stop； Danny。 It's all right。 It — 〃
She was getting ready to go into her croon again。 The Wendy Torrance All…
purpose Croon。 Pat。 Pending。
〃Let him finish；〃 Jack said curtly。
〃There isn't any more；〃 Danny said。 〃I passed out。 Either because she was
choking me or just because I was scared。 When I came to； I was dreaming you and
Mommy were fighting over me and you wanted to do the Bad Thing again； Daddy。
Then I knew it wasn't a dream at all 。。。 and I was awake 。。。 and 。。。 I wet
my pants。 I wet my pants like a baby。〃 His head fell back against Wendy's
sweater and he began to cry with horrible weakness； his hands lying limp and
spent in his lap。
Jack got up。 〃Take care of him。〃
〃What are you going to do？〃 Her face was full of dread。
〃I'm going up to that room； what did you think I was going to do？ Have coffee？〃
〃No！ Don't； Jack； please don't！〃
〃Wendy； if there's someone else in the hotel； we have to know。〃
〃Don't you dare leave us alone！〃 she shrieked at him。 Spittle flew from her
lips with the force of her cry。
Jack said： 〃Wendy； that's a remarkable imitation of your mom。〃
She burst into tears then； unable to cover her face because Danny was on her
lap。
〃I'm sorry；〃 Jack said。 〃But I have to； you know。 I'm the goddam caretaker。
It's what I'm paid for。〃
She only cried harder and he left her that way； going out of the kitchen；
rubbing his mouth with his handkerchief as the door swung shut behind him。
〃Don't worry； mommy；〃 Danny said。 〃He'll be all right。 He doesn't shine。
Nothing here can hurt him。〃
Through her tears she said； 〃No； I don't believe that。〃
》
217 REVISITED
He took the elevator up and it was strange； because none of them had used the
elevator since they moved in。 He threw the brass handle over and it wheezed
vibratoriously up the shaft； the brass grate rattling madly。 Wendy had a true
claustrophobe's horror of the elevator； he knew。 She envisioned the three of
them trapped in it between floors while the winter storms raged outside； she
could see them growing thinner and weaker； starving to death。 Or perhaps dining
on each other； the way those Rugby players had。 He remembered a bumper sticker
he had seen in Boulder； RUGBY PLAYERS EAT THEIR OWN DEAD。 He could think of
others。 YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT。 Or menu items。 Wele to the Overlook Dining
Room； Pride of the Rockies。 Eat in Splendor at the Roof of the World。 Human
Haunch Broiled Over Matches La Specialite de la Maison。 The contemptuous smile
flicked over his features again。 As the number 2 rose on the shaft wall； he
threw the brass handle back to the home position and the elevator car creaked to
a stop。 He took his Excedrin from his pocket； shook three of them into his hand；
and opened the elevator door。 Nothing in the Overlook frightened him。 He felt
that he and it were simpatico。
He walked up the hall flipping his Excedrin into his mouth and chewing them
one by one。 He rounded the corner into the short corridor off the main hall。 The
door to Room 217 was ajar； and the passkey hung from the lock on its white
paddle。
He frowned； feeling a wave of irritation and even real anger。 Whatever had
e of it； the boy had been trespassing。 He had been told； and told bluntly；
that certain areas of the hotel were off limits： the equipment shed； the
basement； and all of the guest rooms。 He would talk to Danny about that just as
soon as the boy was over his fright。 He would talk to him reasonably but
sternly。 There were plenty of fathers who would have done more than just talk。
They would have administered a good shaking； and perhaps that was what Danny
needed。 If the boy had gotten a scare； wasn't that at least his just deserts？
He walked down to the door； removed the passkey； dropped it into his pocket；
and stepped inside。 The overhead light was on。 He glanced at the bed； saw it was
not rumpled； and then walked directly across to the bathroom door。 A curious
certainty had grown in him。 Although Watson had mentioned no names or room
numbers； Jack felt sure that this was the room the lawyer's wife and her stud
had shared； that this was the bathroom where she had been found dead； full of
barbiturates and Colorado Lounge booze。
He pushed the mirror…backed bathroom door open and stepped through。 The light
in here was off。 He turned it on and observed the long； Pullman…car room；
furnished in the distinctive early nineteen…hundreds…remodeled…in…the…twenties
style that seemed mon to all Overlook bathrooms； except for the ones on the
third floor — those were properly Byzantine； as befitted the royalty； politicians；
movie stars； and capos who had stayed there over the years。
The shower curtain； a pallid pastel pink； was drawn protectively around the
long claw…footed tub。
（nevertheless they did move）
And for the first time he felt his new sense of sureness （almost cockiness）
that had e over him when Danny ran to him shouting It was her！ It was her！
deserting him。 A chilled finger pressed gently against the base of his spine；
cooling him off ten degrees。 It was joined by others and they suddenly ripp