surprise down inside； raking over old coals？ He looked at his watch。 Almost half
an hour。
He let himself down to the edge of the roof； dropped one leg over； and felt
around until his foot found the top rung of the ladder just below the overhang。
He would go down to the equipment shed where he had stored the bug bomb on a
high shelf out of Danny's reach。 He would get it； e back up； and then they
would be the ones surprised。 You could be stung； but you could also sting back。
He believed that sincerely。 Two hours from now the nest would be just so much
chewed paper and Danny could have it in his room if he wanted to — Jack had had
one in his room when he was just a kid； it had always smelled faintly of
woodsmoke and gasoline。 He could have it right by the head of his bed。 It
wouldn't hurt him。
〃I'm getting better。〃
The sound of his own voice； confident in the silent afternoon； reassured him
even though he hadn't meant to speak aloud。 He was getting better。 It was
possible to graduate from passive to active； to take the thing that had once
driven you nearly to madness as a neutral prize of no more than occasional
academic interest。 And if there was a place where the thing could be done； this
was surely it。
He went down the ladder to get the bug bomb。 They would pay。 They would pay
for stinging him。
》
DOWN IN THE FRONT YARD
Jack had found a huge white…painted wicker chair in the back of the equipment
shed two weeks ago； and had dragged it around to the porch over Wendy's
objections that it was really the ugliest thing she had ever seen in her whole
life。 He was sitting in it now； amusing himself with a copy of E。 L。 Doctorow's
Wele to Hard Times； when his wife and son rattled up the driveway in the
hotel truck。
Wendy parked it in the turn…around； raced the engine sportily； and then turned
it off。 The truck's single taillight died。 The engine rumbled grumpily with
post…ignition and finally stopped。 Jack got out of his chair and ambled down to
meet them。
〃Hi； Dad！〃 Danny called； and raced up the hill。 He had a box in one hand。
〃Look what Mommy bought me！〃
Jack picked his son up； swung him around twice； and kissed him heartily on the
mouth。
〃Jack Torrance； the Eugene O'Neill of his generation； the American
Shakespeare！〃 Wendy said； smiling。 〃Fancy meeting you here； so far up in the
mountains。〃
〃The mon ruck became too much for me； dear lady；〃 he said； and slipped his
arms around her。 They kissed。 〃How was your trip？〃
〃Very good。 Danny plains that I keep jerking him but I didn't stall the
truck once and 。。。 oh； Jack； you finished it！〃
She was looking at the roof； and Danny followed her gaze。 A faint frown
touched his face as he looked at the wide swatch of fresh shingles atop the
Overlook's west wing； a lighter green than the rest of the roof。 Then he looked
down at the box in his hand and his face cleared again。 At night the pictures
Tony had showed him came back to haunt in all their original clarity； but in
sunny daylight they were easier to disregard。
〃Look； Daddy； look！〃
Jack took the box from his son。 It was a model car； one of the Big Daddy Roth
caricatures that Danny bad expressed an admiration for in the past。 This one was
the Violent Violet Volkswagen； and the picture on the box showed a huge purple
VW with long '59 Cadillac Coupe de Ville taillights burning up a dirt track。
The VW had a sunroof； and poking up through it； clawed hands on the wheel down
below； was a gigantic warty monster with popping bloodshot eyes； a maniacal
grin； and a gigantic English racing cap turned around backward。
Wendy was smiling at him； and Jack winked at her。
〃That's what I like about you； doc；〃 Jack said； handing the box back。 〃Your
taste runs to the quiet； the sober； the introspective。 You are definitely the
child of my loins。〃
〃Mommy said you'd help me put it together as soon as I could read all of the
first Dick and Jane。〃
〃That ought to be by the end of the week；〃 Jack said。 〃What else have you got
in that fine…looking truck； ma'am？〃
〃Uh…uh。〃 She grabbed his arm and pulled him back。 〃No peeking。 Some of that
stuff is for you。 Danny and I will take it in。 You can get the milk。 It's on the
floor of the cab。〃
〃That's all I am to you；〃 Jack cried； clapping a hand to his forehead。 〃Just a
dray horse； a mon beast of the field。 Dray here； dray there； dray
everywhere。〃
〃Just dray that milk right into the kitchen； mister。〃
〃It's too much！〃 he cried； and threw himself on the ground while Danny stood
over him and giggled。
〃Get up； you ox；〃 Wendy said； and prodded him with the toe of her sneaker。
〃See？〃 he said to Danny。 〃She called me an ox。 You're a witness。〃
〃Witness； witness！〃 Danny concurred gleefully； and broadjumped his prone
father。
Jack sat up。 〃That reminds me； chumly。 I've got something for you。 too。 On the
porch by my ashtray。〃
〃What is it？〃
〃Forgot。 Go and see。〃
Jack got up and the two of them stood together； watching Danny charge up the
lawn and then take the steps to the porch two by two。 He put an arm around
Wendy's waist。
〃You happy； babe？〃
She looked up at him solemnly。 〃This is the happiest I've been since we were
married。〃
〃Is that the truth？〃
〃God's honest。〃
He squeezed her tightly。 〃I love you。〃
She squeezed him back； touched。 Those had never been cheap words with John
Torrance； she could count the number of times he had said them to her； both
before and after marriage； on both her hands。
〃I love you too。〃
〃Mommy！ Mommy！〃 Danny was on the porch now； shrill and excited。 〃e and see！ Wow！ It's
neat！〃
〃What is it？〃 Wendy asked him as they walked up from the parking lot； hand in
hand。
〃Forgot；〃 Jack said。
〃Oh； you'll get yours；〃 she said； and elbowed him。 〃See if you don't。〃
〃I was hoping I'd get it tonight；〃 he remarked； and she laughed。 A moment
later he asked； 〃Is Danny happy； do you think？〃
〃You ought to know。 You're the one who has a long talk with him every night
before bed。〃
〃That's usually about what he wants to be when he grows up or if Santa Claus
is really real。 That's getting to be a big thing with him。 I think his old buddy
Scott let some pennies drop on that one。 No； he hasn't said much of anything
about the Overlook to me。〃
〃Me either；〃 she said。 They were climbing the porch steps now。 〃But he's very
quiet a lot of the time。 And I think he's lost weight； Jack； I really do。〃
〃He's just getting tall。〃
Danny's back was to them。 He was examining something on the table by Jack's
chair； but Wendy couldn't see what it was。
〃He's not eating as well； either。 He used to be the original steam shovel。
Remember last year？〃
〃They taper off；〃 he said vaguely。 〃I think I read that in Spock。 He'll be
using two forks again by the time he's seven。〃
They had stopped on the top step。
〃He's pushing awfully hard on those readers； too；〃 she said。 〃I know he wants
to learn how； to please us 。。。 to please you；〃 she added reluctantly。
〃To please himself most of all；〃 Jack said。 〃I haven't been pushing him on
that at all。 In fact； I do wish he wouldn't go quite so hard。〃
〃Would you think I was foolish if I made an appointment for him to have a
physical？ There's a G。P。 in Sidewinder； a young man from what the checker in the
market said — 〃
〃You're a little nervous about the snow ing； aren't you？〃
She shrugged。 〃I suppose。 If you think it's foolish — 〃
〃I don't。 In fact； you can make appointments for all three of us。 We'll get
our clean bills of health and then we can sleep easy at night。〃
〃I'll make the appointments this afternoon；〃 she said。
〃Mom！ Look； Mommy！〃
He came running to her with a large gray thing in his hands； and for one
ic…horrible moment Wendy thought it was a brain。 She saw what it really was
and recoiled instinctively。
Jack put an arm around her。 〃It's all right。 The tenants who didn't fly away
have been shaken out。 I used the bug bomb。〃
She looked at the large wasps' nest her son was holding but would not touch
it。 〃Are you sure it's safe？〃
〃Positive。 I had one in my room when I was a kid。 My dad gave it to me。 Want
to put it in your room； Danny？〃
〃Yeah！ Right now！〃
He turned around and raced through the double doors。 They could hear his
muffled； running feet on the main stairs。
〃There were wasps up there；〃 she said。 〃Did you get stung？〃
〃Where's my purple heart？〃 he asked； and displayed his finger。 The swelling
had already begun to go down； but she ooohed over it satisfyingly and gave it a
small； gentle kiss。
〃Did you pull the stinger out？〃
〃Wasps don't leave them in。 That's bees。 They have barbed stingers。 Wasp
stingers are smooth。 That's what makes them so dangerous。 They can sting again
and again。〃
〃Jack； are you sure that's safe for him to have？〃
〃I followed the directions on the bomb。 The stuff is guaranteed to kill every
single bug in two hours' time and then dissipate with no residue。〃
〃I hate them；〃 she said。
〃What。。。 wasps？〃
〃Anything that stings；〃 she said。 Her hands went to her elbows and cupped
them； her arms crossed over her breasts。
〃I do too；〃 he said； and hugged her。
》
DANNY
Down the hall； in the bedroom； Wendy could hear the typewriter Jack had
carried up from downstairs burst into life for thirty seconds； fall silent for a
minute or two； and then rattle briefly again。 It was like listening to machine…
gun fire from an isolated pillbox。 The sound was music to her ears； Jack had not
been writing so steadily since the second year of their marriage； when he wrote
the story that Esquire had purchased。 He said he thought the play would be done
by the end of the year； for better or worse； and he would be moving on to
something new。 He said he didn't care if The Little School stirred any
excitement when Phyllis showed it around； didn't care if it sank without a
trace； and Wendy believed that； too。 The actual act of his writing made her
immensely hopeful； not because she expected great things from the play but
because her husband seemed to be slowly closing a huge door on a roomful of
monsters。 He had had his shoulder to that door for a long time now； but at last
it was swinging shut。
Every key typed closed it a little more。
〃Look； Dick； look。〃
Danny was hunched over the first of the five battered primers Jack had dug up
by culling mercilessly through Boulder's myriad secondhand bookshops。 They would
take Danny right up to the second…grade reading level； a program she had told
Jack she thought was much too ambitious。 Their son was intelligent； they knew
that； but it would be a mistake to push him too far too fast。 Jack had agreed。
There would be no pushing involved。 But if the kid caught on fast； they would be
prepared。 And now she wondered if Jack hadn't been right about that； too。
Danny； prepared by four years of 〃Sesame Street〃 and three years of 〃Electric
pany；〃 seemed to be catching on with almost scary spe