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for a walk of his own since both the VW and the hotel truck were in the parking
lot。 She said she was tired and might lie down for an hour or so； if he thought
he could amuse himself and not get into trouble。 Danny told her around a
mouthful of cheese and bologna that he thought he could。
〃Why don't you go out into the playground？〃 she asked him。 〃I thought you'd
love that place； with a sandbox for your trucks and all。〃
He swallowed and the food went down his throat in a lump that was dry and
hard。 〃Maybe I will；〃 he said； turning to the radio and fiddling with it。
〃And all those neat hedge animals；〃 she said； taking his empty plate。 〃Your
father's got to get out and trim them pretty soon。〃
〃Yeah；〃 he said。
（Just nasty things 。。。 once it had to do with those damn hedges clipped to
look like animals 。。。）
〃If you see your father before I do； tell him I'm lying down。〃
〃Sure； Mom。〃
She put the dirty dishes in the sink and came back over to him。 〃Are you happy
here； Danny？〃
He looked at her guilelessly； a milk mustache on his lip。 〃Uh…huh。〃
〃No more bad dreams？〃
〃No。〃 Tony had e to him once； one night while he was lying in bed； calling
his name faintly and from far away。 Danny had squeezed his eyes tightly shut
until Tony had gone。
〃You sure？〃
〃Yes； Mom。〃
She seemed satisfied。 〃How's your hand？〃
He flexed it for her。 〃All better。〃
She nodded。 Jack had taken the nest under the Pyrex bowl； full of frozen
wasps； out to the incinerator in back of the equipment shed and burned it。 They
had seen no more wasps since。 He had written to a lawyer in Boulder； enclosing
the snaps of Danny's hand； and the lawyer had called back two days ago — that had
put Jack in a foul temper all afternoon。 The lawyer doubted if the pany that
had manufactured the bug bomb could be sued successfully because there was only
Jack to testify that he had followed directions printed on the package。 Jack had
asked the lawyer if they couldn't purchase some others and test them for the
same defect。 Yes； the lawyer said； but the results were highly doubtful even if
all the test bombs malfunctioned。 He told Jack of a case that involved an
extension ladder pany and a man who had broken his back。 Wendy had
miserated with Jack； but privately she had just been glad that Danny had
gotten off as cheaply as he had。 It was best to leave lawsuits to people who
understood them； and that did not include the Torrances。 And they had seen no
more wasps since。
〃Go and play； doc。 Have fun。〃
But he hadn't had fun。 He had wandered aimlessly around the hotel； poking into
the maids' closets and the janitor's rooms； looking for something interesting；
not finding it； a small boy padding along a dark blue carpet woven with twisting
black lines。 He had tried a room door from time to time； but of course they were
all locked。 The passkey was hanging down in the office； he knew where； but Daddy
had told him he shouldn't touch that。 And he didn't want to。 Did be？
（Why are you here？）
There was nothing aimless about it after all。 He had been drawn to Room 217 by
a morbid kind of curiosity。 He remembered a story Daddy had read to him once
when he was drunk。 That had been a long time ago； but the story was just as
vivid now as when Daddy had read it to him。 Mommy had scolded Daddy and asked
what he was doing； reading a three…year…old baby something so horrible。 The name
of the story was Bluebeard。 That was clear in his mind too； because he had
thought at first Daddy was saying Bluebird； and there were no bluebirds in the
story； or birds of any kind for that matter。 Actually the story was about
Bluebeard's wife； a pretty lady that had corn…colored hair like Mommy。 After
Bluebeard married her； they lived in a big and ominous castle that was not
unlike the Overlook。 And every day Bluebeard went off to work and every day he
would tell his pretty little wife not to look in a certain room； although the
key to that room was hanging right on a hook； just like the passkey was hanging
on the office wall downstairs。 Bluebeard's wife had gotten more and more curious
about the locked room。 She tried to peep through the keyhole the way Danny had
tried to look through Room 217's peephole with similar unsatisfying results。
There was even a picture of her getting down on her knees and trying to look
under the door； but the crack wasn't wide enough。 The door swung wide and 。。。
The old fairy tale book had depicted her discovery in ghastly； loving detail。
The image was burned on Danny's mind。 The severed heads of Bluebeard's seven
previous wives were in the room； each one on its own pedestal； the eyes turned
up to whites； the mouths unhinged and gaping in silent screams。 They were
somehow balanced on necks ragged from the broadsword's decapitating swing； and
there was blood running down the pedestals。
Terrified； she had turned to flee from the room and the castle； only to
discover Bluebeard standing in the doorway； his terrible eyes blazing。 〃I told
you not to enter this room；〃 Bluebeard said； unsheathing his sword。 〃Alas； in
your curiosity you are like the other seven； and though I loved you best of all
your ending shall be as was theirs。 Prepare to die； wretched woman！〃
It seemed vaguely to Danny that the story had bad a happy ending； but that had
paled to insignificance beside the two dominant images： the taunting； maddening
locked door with some great secret behind it； and the grisly secret itself；
repeated more than half a dozen times。 The locked door and behind it the heads；
the severed beads。
His hand reached out and stroked the room's doorknob； almost furtively。 He had
no idea how long be had been here； standing hypnotized before the bland gray
locked door。
（And maybe three times I've thought I've seen things 。。。 nasty things 。。。）
But Mr。 Hallorann — Dick — had also said he didn't think those things could hurt
you。 They were like scary pictures in a book； that was all。 And maybe he
wouldn't see anything。 On the other hand 。。。
He plunged his left hand into his pocket and it came out holding the passkey。
It had been there all along； of course。
He held it by the square metal tab on the end which had OFFICE printed on it
in Magic Marker。 He twirled the key on its chain； watching it go around and
around。 After several minutes of this he stopped and slipped the passkey into
the lock。 It slid in smoothly； with no hitch； as if it had wanted to be there
all along。
（I've thought I've seen things 。。。 nasty things 。。。 promise me you won't
go in there。）
（I promise。）
And a promise was； of course； very important。 Still； his curiosity itched at
him as maddeningly as poison ivy in a place you aren't supposed to scratch。 But
it was a dreadful kind of curiosity； the kind that makes you peek through your
fingers during the scariest parts of a scary movie。 What was beyond that door
would be no movie。
（I don't think those things can hurt you 。。。 like scary pictures in a book 。。。）
Suddenly he reached out with his left hand； not sure of what it was going to
do until it had removed the passkey and stuffed it back into his pocket。 He
stared at the door a moment longer； blue…gray eyes wide； then turned quickly and
walked back down the corridor toward the main hallway that ran at right angles
to the corridor he was in。
Something made him pause there and he wasn't sure what for a moment。 Then he
remembered that directly around this corner； on the way back to the stairs；
there was one of those old…fashioned fire extinguishers curled up against the
wall。 Curled there like a dozing snake。
They weren't chemical…type extinguishers at all； Daddy said； although there
were several of those in the kitchen。 These were the forerunner of the modern
sprinkler systems。 The long canvas hoses hooked directly into the Overlook's
plumbing system； and by turning a single valve you could bee a one…man fire
department。 Daddy said that the chemical extinguishers； which sprayed foam or
CO； were much better。 The chemicals smothered fires； took away the oxygen they
needed to burn； while a high…pressure spray might just spread the flames around。
Daddy said that Mr。 Ullman should replace the old…fashioned hoses right along
with the old…fashioned boiler； but Mr。 Ullman would probably do neither because
he was a CHEAP PRICK。 Danny knew that this was one of the worst epithets his
father could summon。 It was applied to certain doctors； dentists； and appliance
repairmen； and also to the head of his English Department at Stovington； who had
disallowed some of Daddy's book orders because he said the books would put them
over budget。 〃Over budget； hell；〃 he had fumed to Wendy — Danny had been listening
from his bedroom where he was supposed to be asleep。 〃He's just saving the last
five hundred bucks for himself； the CHEAP PRICK。〃
Danny looked around the corner。
The extinguisher was there； a fiat hose folded back a dozen times on itself；
the red tank attached to the wall。 Above it was an ax in a glass case like a
museum exhibit； with white words printed on a red background： IN CASE OF
EMERGENCY； BREAK GLASS。 Danny could read the word EMERGENCY； which was also the
name of one of his favorite TV shows； but was unsure of the rest。 But he didn't
like the way the word was used in connection with that long fiat hose。 EMERGENCY
was'； fire； explosions； car crashes； hospitals； sometimes death。 And he didn't
like the way that hose hung so blandly on the wall。 When he was alone； he always
skittered past these extinguishers as fast as he could。 No particular reason。 It
just felt better to go fast。 It felt safer。
Now； heart thumping loudly in his chest； he came around the corner and looked
down the hall past the extinguisher to the stairs。 Mommy was down there；
sleeping。 And if Daddy was back from his walk； he would probably be sitting in
the kitchen； eating a sandwich and reading a book。 He would just walk right past
that old extinguisher and go downstairs。
He started toward it； moving closer to the far wall until his right arm was
brushing the expensive silk paper。 Twenty steps away。 Fifteen。 A dozen。
When he was ten steps away； the brass nozzle suddenly rolled off the fat loop
it had been lying
（sleeping？）
on and fell to the hall carpet with a dull thump。 It lay there； the dark bore
of its muzzle pointing at Danny。 He stopped immediately； his shoulders twitching
forward with the suddenness of his scare。 His blood thumped thickly in his ears
and temples。 His mouth had gone dry and sour； his hands curled into fists。 Yet
the nozzle of the hose only lay there； its brass casing glowing mellowly； a loop
of flat canvas leading back up to the red…painted frame bolted to the wall。
So it had fallen off； so what？ It was only a fire extinguisher； nothing else。
It was stupid to think that it looked like some poison snake from 〃Wide World of
Animals〃 that had heard him and woken up。 Even if the stitched canvas did look a
little bit like scales。 He would just step over it and go down the hall to the
stairs； walking a little bit fast； maybe； to make sure it didn't snap out after
him and curl around his foot。。。
He wiped his lips with his left hand； in unconscious imitation of his father；
and took a step forward。 No movement from the hose。 Another step。 Nothing。
There； see how stupid you are？ You got all worked up thinking about that dumb
room and that dumb Bluebeard story and that hose was probably ready to fall off
for the last five years。 That's all。
Danny stared at the hose on the floor and thought of wasps。
Eight steps away； the nozzle of the hose gleamed peacefully at him from the
rug as if to say： Don't worry。 I'm just a hose； that's all。 And even if that
isn't all； what I do to you won't be much worse than a bee sting。 Or a wasp
sting。 What would I want to do to a nice little boy like you 。。。 except bite。。。
and bite 。。。 and bite？
Danny took another step； and another。 His breath was dry and harsh in his
throat。 Panic was close now。 He began to wish the hose would move； then at last
he would know； he would be sure。 He took another step and now he was within
striking distance。 But it's not going to strike at you； he thought hysterically。
How can it strike at you； bite at you； when it's just a hose？
Maybe it's full of wasps。
His internal temperature plummeted to ten below zero。 He stared at the black
bore in the center of the nozzle； nearly hypnotized。 Maybe it was full of wasps；
secret wasps； their brown bodies bloated with poison； so full of autumn poison
that it dripped from their stingers in clear drops of fluid。
Suddenly he knew that he was nearly frozen with terror； if he did not make his
feet go now； they would bee locked to the carpet and he would stay here；
staring at the black hole in the center of the brass nozzle like a bird staring
at a snake； he would stay here until his daddy found him and then what would
happen？
With a high moan； he made himself run。 As he reached the hose； some trick of
the