take her arm and lead her away； presumably to his inner office。
〃Whooo！〃 Wendy said； smiling。 〃There's a dude who earns his money。〃
〃But he didn't like that lady；〃 Danny said immediately。 〃He was just
pretending to like her。〃
Jack grinned down at him。 〃I'm sure that's true； doc。 But flattery is the
stuff that greases the wheels of the world。〃
〃What's flattery？〃
〃Flattery；〃 Wendy told him； 〃is when your daddy says he likes my new yellow
slacks even if he doesn't or when he says I don't need to take off five pounds。〃
〃Oh。 Is it lying for fun？〃
〃Something very like that。〃
He had been looking at her closely and now said： 〃You're pretty； Mommy。〃 He
frowned in confusion when they exchanged a glance and then burst into laughter。
〃Ullman didn't waste much flattery on me；〃 Jack said。 〃e on over by the
window； you guys。 I feel conspicuous standing out here in the middle with my
denim jacket on。 I honest to God didn't think there'd be anybody much here on
closing day。 Guess I was wrong。〃
〃You look very handsome；〃 she said； and then they laughed again； Wendy putting
a hand over her mouth。 Danny still didn't understand； but it was okay。 They were
loving each other。 Danny thought this place reminded her of somewhere else
（the beak…man place）
where she had been happy。 He wished he liked it as well as she did； but he
kept telling himself over and over that the things Tony showed him didn't always
e true。 He would be careful。 He would watch for something called Redrum。 But
he would not say anything unless he absolutely had to。 Because they were happy；
they had been laughing； and there were no bad thoughts。
〃Look at this view；〃 Jack said。
〃Oh； it's gorgeous！ Danny； look！〃
But Danny didn't think it was particularly gorgeous。 He didn't like heights；
they made him dizzy。 Beyond the wide front porch； which ran the length of the
hotel； a beautifully manicured lawn （there was a putting green on the right）
sloped away to a long； rectangular swimming pool。 A CLOSED sign stood on a
little tripod at one end of the pool； closed was one sign he could read by
himself； along with Stop； Exit； Pizza； and a few others。
Beyond the pool a graveled path wound off through baby pines and spruces and
aspens。 Here was a small sign he didn't know： ROQUE。 There was an arrow below
it。
〃What's R…O…Q…U…E； Daddy？〃
〃A game；〃 Daddy said。 〃It's a little bit like croquet； only you play it on a
gravel court that has sides like a big billiard table instead of grass。 It's a
very old game； Danny。 Sometimes they have tournaments here。〃
〃Do you play it with a croquet mallet？〃
〃Like that；〃 Jack agreed。 〃Only the handle's a little shorter and the head has
two sides。 One side is hard rubber and the other side is wood。〃
（e out； you little shit！）
〃It's pronounced roke；〃 Daddy was saying。 〃I'll teach you how to play； if you
want。〃
〃Maybe；〃 Danny said in an odd colorless little voice that made his parents
exchange a puzzled look over his head。 〃I might not like it； though。〃
〃Well if you don't like it； doc； you don't have to play。 All right？〃
〃Sure。〃
〃Do you like the animals？〃 Wendy asked。 〃That's called a topiary。〃 Beyond the
path leading to roque there were hedges clipped into the shapes of various
animals。 Danny； whose eyes were sharp； made out a rabbit； a dog； a horse； a cow；
and a trio of bigger ones that looked like frolicking lions。
〃Those animals were what made Uncle Al think of me for the job；〃 Jack told
him。 〃He knew that when I was in college I used to work for a landscaping
pany。 That's a business that fixes people's lawns and bushes and hedges。 I
used to trim a lady's topiary。〃
Wendy put a hand over her mouth and snickered。 Looking at her； Jack said；
〃Yes； I used to trim her topiary at least once a week〃
〃Get away； fly；〃 Wendy said； and snickered again。
〃Did she have nice hedges； Dad？〃 Danny asked； and at this they both stifled
great bursts of laughter。 Wendy laughed so hard that tears streamed down her
cheeks and she had to get a Kleenex out of her handbag。
〃They weren't animals； Danny；〃 Jack said when he had control of himself。 〃They
were playing cards。 Spades and hearts and clubs and diamonds。 But the hedges
grow； you see — 〃
（They creep； Watson had said 。。。 no； not the hedges； the boiler。 You have to
watch it all the time or you and your fambly will end up on the fuckin moon。）
They looked at him； puzzled。 The smile had faded off his face。
〃Dad？〃 Danny asked。
He blinked at them； as if ing back from far away。 〃They grow； Danny； and
lose their shape。 So I'll have to give them a haircut once or twice a week until
it gets so cold they stop growing for the year。〃
〃And a playground； too；〃 Wendy said。 〃My lucky boy。〃
The playground was beyond the topiary。 Two slides； a big swing set with half a
dozen swings set at varying heights； a jungle gym； a tunnel made of cement
rings； a sandbox； and a playhouse that was an exact replica of the Overlook
itself。
〃Do you like it； Danny？〃 Wendy asked。
〃I sure do；〃 he said； hoping he sounded more enthused than he felt。 〃It's
neat。〃
Beyond the playground there was an inconspicuous chain link security fence；
beyond that the wide； macadamized drive that led up to the hotel； and beyond
that the valley itself； dropping away into the bright blue haze of afternoon。
Danny didn't know the word isolation； but if someone had explained it to him he
would have seized on it。 Far below； lying in the sun like a long black snake
that had decided to snooze for a while； was the road that led back through
Sidewinder Pass and eventually to Boulder。 The road that would be closed all
winter long。 He felt a little suffocated at the thought； and almost jumped when
Daddy dropped his hand on his shoulder。
〃I'll get you that drink as soon as I can； doc。 They're a little busy right
now。〃
〃Sure； Dad。〃
Mrs。 Brant came out of the inner office looking vindicated。 A few moments
later two bellboys； struggling with eight suitcases between them； followed her
as best they could as she strode triumphantly out the door。 Danny watched
through the window as a man in a gray uniform and a hat like a captain in the
Army brought her long silver car around to the door and got out。 He tipped his
cap to her and ran around to open the trunk。
And in one of those flashes that sometimes came； he got a plete thought
from her； one that floated above the confused； low…pitched babble of emotions
and colors that he usually got in crowded places。
（i' d like to get into his pants）
Danny's brow wrinkled as he watched the bellboys put her cases into the trunk。
She was looking rather sharply at the man in the gray uniform； who was
supervising the loading。 Why would she want to get that man's pants？ Was she
cold； even with that long fur coat on？ And if she was that cold； why hadn't she
just put on some pants of her own？ His mommy wore pants just about all winter。
The man in the gray uniform closed the trunk and walked back to help her into
the car。 Danny watched closely to see if she would say anything about his pants；
but she only smiled and gave him a dollar bill — a tip。 A moment later she was
guiding the big silver car down the driveway。
He thought about asking his mother why Mrs。 Brant might want the car…man's
pants； and decided against it。 Sometimes questions could get you in a whole lot
of trouble。 It had happened to him before。
So instead he squeezed in between them on the small sofa they were sharing and
watched all the people check out at the desk。 He was glad his mommy and daddy
were happy and loving each other； but he couldn't help being a little worried。
He couldn't help it。
》
HALLORANN
The cook didn't conform to Wendy's image of the typical resort hotel kitchen
personage at all。 To begin with； such a personage was called a chef； nothing so
mundane as a cook — cooking was what she did in her apartment kitchen when she
threw all the leftovers into a greased Pyrex casserole dish and added noodles。
Further； the culinary wizard of such a place as the Overlook； which advertised
in the resort section of the New York Sunday Times； should be small； rotund； and
pasty…faced （rather like the Pillsbury Dough…Boy）； he should have a thin pencil…
line mustache like a forties musical edy star； dark eyes； a French accent；
and a detestable personality。
Hallorann had the dark eyes and that was all。 He was a tall black man with a
modest afro that was beginning to powder white。 He had a soft southern accent
and he laughed a lot； disclosing teeth too white and too even to be anything but
1950…vintage Sears and Roebuck dentures。 Her own father had had a pair； which he
called Roebuckers； and from time to time he would push them out at her ically
at the supper table 。。。 always； Wendy remembered now； when her mother was out
in the kitchen getting something else or on the telephone。
Danny had stared up at this black giant in blue serge； and then had smiled
when Hallorann picked him up easily； set him in the crook of his elbow； and
said： 〃You ain't gonna stay up here all winter。〃
〃Yes I am；〃 Danny said with a shy grin。
〃No； you're gonna e down to St。 Pete's with me and learn to cook and go out
on the beach every damn evenin watchin for crabs。 Right？〃
Danny giggled delightedly and shook his head no。 Hallorann set him down。
〃If you're gonna change your mind；〃 Hallorann said； bending over him gravely；
〃you better do it quick。 Thirty minutes from now and I'm in my car。 Two and a
half hours after that； I'm sitting at Gate 32； Concourse B； Stapleton
International Airport； in the mile…high city of Denver； Colorado。 Three hours
after that； I'm rentin a car at the Miama Airport and on my way to sunny St。
Pete's； waiting to get iota my swimtrunks and just laaafin up my sleeve at
anybody stuck and caught in the snow。 Can you dig it； my boy？〃
〃Yes； sir；〃 Danny said； smiling。
Hallorann turned to Jack and Wendy。 〃Looks like a fine boy there。〃
〃We think he'll do；〃 Jack said； and offered his hand。 Hallorann took it。 〃I'm
Jack Torrance。 My wife Winnifred。 Danny you've met。〃
〃And a pleasure it was。 Ma'am； are you a Winnie or a Freddie？〃
〃I'm a Wendy；〃 she said； smiling。
〃Okay。 That's better than the other two； I think。 Right this way。 Mr。 Ullman
wants you to have the tour； the tour you'll get。〃 He shook his bead and said
under his breath： 〃And won't I be glad to see the last of him。〃
Hallorann menced to tour them around the most immense kitchen Wendy had
ever seen in her life。 It was sparkling clean。 Every surface was coaxed to a
high gloss。 It was more than just big； it was intimidating。 She walked at
Hallorann's side while Jack； wholly out of his element； hung back a little with
Danny。 A long wallboard hung with cutting instruments which went all the way
from paring knives to twohanded cleavers hung beside a four…basin sink。 There
was a breadboard as big as their Boulder apartment's kitchen table。 An amazing
array of stainle