第40部分（第1页）

that　would　go　on　all　night　　a　sound　they　would　get　to　know　well。　Flakes　of　snow

swirled　and　danced　across　the　porch。　The　Overlook　faced　it　as　it　had　for　nearly

three　quarters　of　a　century；　its　darkened　windows　now　bearded　with　snow；

indifferent　to　the　fact　that　it　was　now　cut　off　from　the　world。　Or　possibly　it

was　pleased　with　the　prospect。　Inside　its　shell　the　three　of　them　went　about

their　early　evening　routine；　like　microbes　trapped　in　the　intestine　of　a

monster。

》

INSIDE　217

A　week　and　a　half　later　two　feet　of　snow　lay　white　and　crisp　and　even　on　the

grounds　of　the　Overlook　Hotel。　The　hedge　menagerie　was　buried　up　to　its

haunches；　the　rabbit；　frozen　on　its　hind　legs；　seemed　to　be　rising　from　a　white

pool。　Some　of　the　drifts　were　over　five　feet　deep。　The　wind　was　constantly

changing　them；　sculpting　them　into　sinuous；　dunelike　shapes。　Twice　Jack　had

snowshoed　clumsily　around　to　the　equipment　shed　for　his　shovel　to　clear　the

porch；　the　third　time　he　shrugged；　simply　cleared　a　path　through　the　towering

drift　lying　against　the　door；　and　let　Danny　amuse　himself　by　sledding　to　the

right　and　left　of　the　path。　The　truly　heroic　drifts　lay　against　the　Overlooks

west　side；　some　of　them　towered　to　a　height　of　twenty　feet；　and　beyond　them　the

ground　was　scoured　bare　to　the　grass　by　the　constant　windflow。　The　first…floor

windows　were　covered；　and　the　view　from　the　dining　room　which　Jack　had　so

admired　on　closing　day　was　now　no　more　exciting　than　a　view　of　a　blank　movie

screen。　Their　phone　had　been　out　for　the　last　eight　days；　and　the　CB　radio　in

Ullmans　office　was　now　their　only　munications　link　with　the　outside　world。

It　snowed　every　day　now；　sometimes　only　brief　flurries　that　powdered　the

glittering　snow　crust；　sometimes　for　real；　the　low　whistle　of　the　wind　cranking

up　to　a　womanish　shriek　that　made　the　old　hotel　rock　and　groan　alarmingly　even

in　its　deep　cradle　of　snow。　Night　temperatures　had　not　gotten　above　10°；　and

although　the　thermometer　by　the　kitchen　service　entrance　sometimes　got　as　high

as　25°　in　the　early　afternoons；　the　steady　knife　edge　of　the　wind　made　it

unfortable　to　go　out　without　a　ski　mask。　But　they　all　did　go　out　on　the　days

when　the　sun　shone；　usually　wearing　two　sets　of　clothing　and　mittens　on　over

their　gloves。　Getting　out　was　almost　a　pulsive　thing；　the　hotel　was　circled

with　the　double　track　of　Dannys　Flexible　Flyer。　The　permutations　were　nearly

endless：　Danny　riding　while　his　parents　pulled；　Daddy　riding　and　laughing　while

Wendy　and　Danny　tried　to　pull　（it　was　just　possible　for　them　to　pull　him　on　the

icy　crust；　and　flatly　impossible　when　powder　covered　it）；　Danny　and　Mommy

riding；　Wendy　riding　by　herself　while　her　menfolk　pulled　and　puffed　white　vapor

like　drayhorses；　pretending　she　was　heavier　than　she　was。　They　laughed　a　great

deal　on　these　sled　excursions　around　the　house；　but　the　whooping　and　impersonal