somehow slipped by since he had e down here。 His hands and arms were grimy；
and he probably smelled bad。 He decided to go up and take a shower before Wendy
and Danny got back。
He walked slowly between the mountains of paper； his mind alive and ticking
over possibilities in a speedy way that was exhilarating。 He hadn't felt this
way in years。 It suddenly seemed that the book he had semijokingly promised
himself might really happen。 It might even be right here； buried in these untidy
heaps of paper。 It could be a work of fiction； or history； or both — a long book
exploding out of this central place in a hundred directions。
He stood beneath the cobwebby light； took his handkerchief from his back
pocket without thinking； and scrubbed at his lips with it。 And that was when he
saw the scrapbook。
A pile of five boxes stood on his left like some tottering Pisa。 The one on
top was stuffed with more invoices and ledgers。 Balanced on top of those；
keeping its angle of repose for who knew how many years； was a thick scrapbook
with white leather covers； its pages bound with two hanks of gold string that
bad been tied along the binding in gaudy bows。
Curious； he went over and took it down。 The top cover was thick with dust。 He
held it on a plane at lip level； blew the dust off in a cloud； and opened it。 As
he did so a card fluttered out and he grabbed it in mid…air before it could fall
to the stone floor。 It was rich and creamy； dominated by a raised engraving of
the Overlook with every window alight。 The lawn and playground were decorated
with glowing Japanese lanterns。 It looked almost as though you could step right
into it； an Overlook Hotel that had existed thirty years ago。
Horace M。 Derwent Requests
The Pleasure of Your pany
At a Masked Ball to Celebrate
The Grand Opening of
THE OVERLOOK HOTEL
Dinner Will Be Served At 8 P。M。
Unmasking And Dancing At Midnight
August 29； 1945 RSVP
Dinner at eight！ Unmasking at midnight！
He could almost see them in the dining room； the richest men in America and
their women。 Tuxedos and glimmering starched shirts； evening gowns； the band
playing； gleaming high…heeled pumps。 The clink of glasses； the jocund pop of
champagne corks。 The war was over； or almost over。 The future lay ahead； clean
and shining。 America was the colossus of the world and at last she knew it and
accepted it。
And later； at midnight； Derwent himself crying： 〃Unmask！ Unmask！〃 The masks
ing off and。。。
（The Red Death held sway over all！）
He frowned。 What left field had that e out of？ That was Poe； the Great
American Hack。 And surely the Overlook — this shining； glowing Overlook on the
invitation he held in his hands…was the farthest cry from E。 A。 Poe imaginable。
He put the invitation back and turned to the next page。 A paste…up from one of
the Denver papers； and scratched beneath it the date： May 15； 1947。
POSH MOUNTAIN RESORT REOPENS WITH
STELLAR GUEST REGISTER
Derwent Says Overlook Will Be 〃Showplace of the World〃
By David Felton； Features Editor
The Overlook Hotel has been opened and reopened in its thirty…eight…year
history； but rarely with such style and dash as that promised by Horace
Derwent； the mysterious California millionaire who is the latest owner of
the hostelry。
Derwent； who makes no secret of having sunk more than one million dollars
into his newest venture — and some say the figure is closer to three
million — says that 〃The new Overlook will be one of the world's showplaces；
the kind of hotel you will remember overnighting in thirty years later。〃
When Derwent； who is rumored to have substantial Las Vegas holdings； was
asked if his purchase and refurbishing of the Overlook signaled the opening
gun in a battle to legalize casino…style gambling in Colorado； the
aircraft； movie； munitions； and shipping magnate denied it 。。。 with a
smile。 〃The Overlook would be cheapened by gambling；〃 he said； 〃and don't
think I'm knocking Vegas！ They've got too many of my markers out there for
me to do that！ I have no interest in lobbying for legalized gambling in
Colorado。 It would be spitting into the wind。〃
When the Overlook opens officially （there was a gigantic and hugely
successful party there some time ago when the actual work was finished）；
the newly painted； papered； and decorated rooms will be occupied by a
stellar guest list； ranging from Chic designer Corbat Stani to。。。
Smiling bemusedly； Jack turned the page。 Now he was looking at a full…page ad
from the New York Sunday Times travel section。 On the page after that a story on
Derwent himself； a balding man with eyes that pierced you even from an old
newsprint photo。 He was wearing rimless spectacles and a forties…style pencil…
line mustache that did nothing at all to make him look like Errol Flynn。 His
face was that of an accountant。 It was the eyes that made him look like someone
or something else。
Jack skimmed the article rapidly。 He knew most of the information from a
Newsweek story on Derwent the year before。 Born poor in St。 Paul； never finished
high school； joined the Navy instead。 Rose rapidly； then left in a bitter
wrangle over the patent on a new type of propeller that he had designed。 In the
tug of war between the Navy and an unknown young man named Horace Derwent； Uncle
Sam came off the predictable winner。 But Uncle Sam had never gotten another
patent； and there had been a lot of them。
In the late twenties and early thirties； Derwent turned to aviation。 He bought
out a bankrupt cropdusting pany； turned it into an airmail service； and
prospered。 More patents followed： a new monoplane wing design； a bomb carriage
used on the Flying Fortresses that had rained fire on Hamburg and Dresden and
Berlin； a machine gun that was cooled by alcohol； a prototype of the ejection
seat later used in United States jets。
And along the line； the accountant who lived in the same skin as the inventor
kept piling up the investments。 A piddling string of munition factories in New
York and New Jersey。 Five textile mills in New England。 Chemical factories in
the bankrupt and groaning South。 At the end of the Depression his wealth had
been nothing but a handful of controlling interests； bought at abysmally low
prices； salable only at lower prices still。 At one point Derwent boasted that he
could liquidate pletely and realize the price of a three…year…old Chevrolet。
There had been rumors； Jack recalled； that some of the means employed by
Derwent to keep his head above water were less than savory。 Involvement with
bootlegging。 Prostitution in the Midwest。 Smuggling in the coastal areas of the
South where his fertilizer factories were。 Finally an association with the
nascent western gambling interests。
Probably Derwent's most famous investment was the purchase of the foundering
Top Mark Studios； which had not had a hit since their child star； Little Margery
Morris； had died of a heroin overdose in 1934。 She was fourteen。 Little Margery；
who had specialized in sweet seven…year…olds who saved marriages and the lives
of dogs unjustly accused of killing chickens； had been given the biggest
Hollywood funeral in history by Top Mark — the official story was that Little
Margery had contracted a 〃wasting disease〃 while entertaining at a New York
orphanage — and some cynics suggested the studio had laid out all that long green
because it knew it was burying itself。
Derwent hired a keen businessman and raging sex maniac named Henry Finkel to
run Top Mark； and in the two years before Pearl Harbor the studio ground out
sixty movies； fifty…five of which glided right into the face of the Hayes Office
and spit on its large blue nose。 The other five were government training films。
The feature films were huge successes。 During one of them an unnamed costume
designer had juryrigged a strapless bra for the heroine to appear in during the
Grand Ball scene； where she revealed everything except possibly the birthmark
just below the cleft of her buttocks。 Derwent received credit for this invention
as well； and his reputation — or notoriety — grew。
The war had made him rich and he was still rich。 Living in Chicago； seldom
seen except for Derwent Enterprises board meetings （which he ran with an iron
hand）； it was rumored that he owned United Air Lines； Las Vegas （where he was
known to have controlling interests in four hotel…casinos and some involvement
in at least six others）； Los Angeles； and the U。S。A。 itself。 Reputed to be a
friend of royalty； presidents； and underworld kingpins； it was supposed by many
that he was the richest man in the world。
But he had not been able to make a go of the Overlook； Jack thought。 He put
the scrapbook down for a moment and took the small notebook and mechanical
pencil he always kept with him out of his breast pocket。 He jotted 〃Look into H。
Derwent； Sidwndr lbry？〃 He put the notebook back and picked up the scrapbook
again。 His face was preoccupied； his eyes distant。 He wiped his mouth constantly
with his hand as he turned the pages。
He skimmed the material that followed； making a mental note to read it more
closely later。 Press releases were pasted into many of the pages。 So…and…so was
expected at the Overlook next week； thus…and…such would be entertaining in the
lounge （in Derwent's time it had been the Red…Eye Lounge）。 Many of the
entertainers were Vegas names； and many of the guests were Top Mark executives
and stars。
Then； in a clipping marked February 1； 1952：
MILLIONAIRE EXEC TO SELL COLORADO
INVESTMENTS
Deal Made with California Investors on
Overlook； Other Investments； Derwent Reveals
By Rodney Conklin； Financial Editor
In a terse munique yesterday from the Chicago offices of the monolithic
Derwent Enterprises； it was revealed that millionaire （perhaps billionaire）
Horace Derwent has sold out of Colorado in a stunning financial power play
that will be pleted by October 1； 1954。 Derwent's investments include
natural gas； coal； hydroelectric power； and a land development pany
called Colorado Sunshine； Inc。； which owns or holds options on better than
500；000 acres of Colorado land。
The most famous Derwent holding in Colorado； the Overlook Hotel； has
already been sold； Derwent revealed in a rare interview yesterday。 The
buyer was a California group of investors headed by Charles Grondin； a
former director of the California Land Development Corporation。 While
Derwent refused to discuss price； informed sources 。。。
He had sold out everythin