第30部分（第1页）

Derwent　refused　to　discuss　price；　informed　sources　。。。

He　had　sold　out　everything；　lock；　stock；　and　barrel。　It　wasnt　just　the

Overlook。　But　somehow。。　。　somehow。。。

He　wiped　his　lips　with　his　hand　and　wished　he　had　a　drink。　This　would　go

better　with　a　drink。　He　turned　more　pages。

The　California　group　had　opened　the　hotel　for　two　seasons；　and　then　sold　it　to

a　Colorado　group　called　Mountainview　Resorts。　Mountainview　went　bankrupt　in　1957

amid　charges　of　corruption；　nest…feathering；　and　cheating　the　stockholders。　The

president　of　the　pany　shot　himself　two　days　after　being　subpoenaed　to　appear

before　a　grand　jury。

The　hotel　had　been　closed　for　the　rest　of　the　decade。　There　was　a　single　story

about　it；　a　Sunday　feature　headlined　FORMER　GRAND　HOTEL　SINKING　INTO　DECAY。　The

acpanying　photos　wrenched　at　Jacks　heart：　the　paint　on　the　front　porch

peeling；　the　lawn　a　bald　and　scabrous　mess；　windows　broken　by　storms　and　stones。

This　would　be　a　part　of　the　book；　if　he　actually　wrote　it；　too　—　the　phoenix　going

down　into　the　ashes　to　be　reborn。　He　promised　himself　he　would　take　care　of　the

place；　very　good　care。　It　seemed　that　before　today　he　had　never　really

understood　the　breadth　of　his　responsibility　to　the　Overlook。　It　was　almost　like

having　a　responsibility　to　history。

In　1961　four　writers；　two　of　them　Pulitzer　Prize　winners；　had　leased　the

Overlook　and　reopened　it　as　a　writers　school。　That　had　lasted　one　year。　One　of

the　students　had　gotten　drunk　in　his　third…floor　room；　crashed　out　of　the　window

somehow；　and　fell　to　his　death　on　the　cement　terrace　below。　The　paper　hinted

that　it　might　have　been　suicide。

Any　big　hotel　have　got　scandals；　Watson　had　said；　just　like　every　big　hotel

has　got　a　ghost。　Why？　Hell；　people　e　and　go。。。

Suddenly　it　seemed　that　he　could　almost　feel　the　weight　of　the　Overlook

bearing　down　on　him　from　above；　one　hundred　and　ten　guest　rooms；　the　storage

rooms；　kitchen；　pantry；　freezer；　lounge；　ballroom；　dining　room　。。。

（In　the　room　the　women　e　and　go）

（。。。　and　the　Red　Death　held　sway　over　all。）

He　rubbed　his　lips　and　turned　to　the　next　page　in　the　scrapbook。　He　was　in　the

last　third　of　it　now；　and　for　the　first　time　he　wondered　consciously　whose　book

this　was；　left　atop　the　highest　pile　of　records　in　the　cellar。

A　new　headline；　this　one　dated　April　10；　1963。

LAS　VEGAS　GROUP　BUYS　FAMED　COLORADO　HOTEL

Scenic　Overlook　to　Bee　Key　Club

Robert　T。　Leffing；　spokesman　for　a　group　of　investors　going　under　the　name

of　High　Country　Investments；　announced　today　in　Las　Vegas　that　High

Country　has　negotiated　a　deal　for　the　famous　Overlook　Hotel；　a　resort