He attached the can to the back of the snowmobile； fumbling the job several
times before getting it right because his fingers were going numb。 For the first
time he became aware that he'd lost Howard Cottrell's mittens。
（i get out of this i gonna have my sister knit you a dozen pair； howie）
〃Get on！〃 Hallorann shouted at the boy。
Danny shrank back。 〃We'll freeze！〃
〃We have to go around to the equipment shed！ There's stuff in there 。。。
blankets 。。。 stuff like that。 Get on behind your mother！〃
Danny got on； and Hallorann twisted his head so he could shout into Wendy's
face。
〃Missus Torrance！ Hold onto me！ You understand？ Hold on！〃
She put her arms around him and rested her cheek against his back。 Hallorann
started the snowmobile and turned the throttle delicately so they would start up
without a jerk。 The woman had the weakest sort of grip on him； and if she
shifted backward； her weight would tumble both her and the boy off。
They began to move。 He brought the snowmobile around in a circle and then they
were traveling west parallel to the hotel。 Hallorann cut in more to circle
around behind it to the equipment shed。
They had a momentarily clear view into the Overlook's lobby。 The gasflame
ing up through the shattered floor was like a giant birthday candle； fierce
yellow at its heart and blue around its flickering edges。 In that moment it
seemed only to be lighting； not destroying。 They could see the registration desk
with its silver bell； the credit card decals； the old…fashioned； scrolled cash
register； the small figured throw rugs； the highbacked chairs； horsehair
hassocks。 Danny could see the small sofa by the fireplace where the three nuns
had sat on the day they had e up — closing day。 But this was the real closing
day。
Then the drift on the porch blotted the view out。 A moment later they were
skirting the west side of the hotel。 It was still light enough to see without
the snowmobile's headlight。 Both upper stories were flaming now； and pennants of
flame shot out the windows。 The gleaming white paint had begun to blacken and
peel。 The shutters which had covered the Presidential Suite's picture window —
shutters Jack had carefully fastened as per instructions in mid…October — now hung
in flaming brands； exposing the wide and shattered darkness behind them； like a
toothless mouth yawing in a final； silent deathrattle。
Wendy had pressed her face against Hallorann's back to cut out the wind； and
Danny had likewise pressed his face against his mother's back； and so it was
only Hallorann who saw the final thing； and he never spoke of it。 From the
window of the Presidential Suite he thought he saw a huge dark shape issue；
blotting out the snowfield behind it。 For a moment it assumed the shape of a
huge； obscene manta； and then the wind seemed to catch it； to tear it and shred
it like old dark paper。 It fragmented； was caught in a whirling eddy of smoke；
and a moment later it was gone as if it had never been。 But in those few seconds
as it whirled blackly； dancing like negative motes of light； he remembered
something from his childhood 。。。 fifty years ago； or more。 He and his brother
had e upon a huge nest of ground wasps just north of their farm。 It had been
tucked into a hollow between the earth and an old lightning…blasted tree。 His
brother had had a big old niggerchaser in the band of his hat； saved all the way
from the Fourth of July。 He had lighted it and tossed it at the nest。 It had
exploded with a loud bang； and an angry； rising hum — almost a low shriek — had
risen from the blasted nest。 They had run away as if demons had been at their
beels。 In a way； Hallorann supposed that demons had been。 And looking back over
his shoulder； as he was now； he had on that day seen a large dark cloud of
hornets rising in the hot air； swirling together； breaking apart； looking for
whatever enemy had done this to their home so that they — the single group
intelligence — could sting it to death。
Then the thing in the sky was gone and it might only have been smoke or a
great flapping swatch of wallpaper after all； and there was only the Overlook； a
flaming pyre in the roaring throat of the night。
* * *
There was a key to the equipment shed's padlock on his key ring； but Hallorann
saw there would be no need to use it。
The door was ajar； the padlock hanging open on its hasp。
〃I can't go in there；〃 Danny whispered。
〃That's okay。 You stay with your mom。 There used to be a pile of old
horseblankets。 Probably all moth…eaten by now； but better than freezin to death。
Missus Torrance； you still with us？〃
〃I don't know；〃 the wan voice answered。 〃I think so。〃
〃Good。 I'll be just a second。〃
〃e back as quick as you can；〃 Danny whispered。 〃Please。〃
Hallorann nodded。 He had trained the headlamp on the door and now he
floundered through the snow； casting a long shadow in front of himself。 He
pushed the equipment shed door open and stepped in。 The horseblankets were still
in the corner； by the roque set。 He picked up four of them — they smelled musty and
old and the moths certainly had been having a free lunch — and then he paused。
One of the rogue mallets was gone。
（Was that what he hit me with？）
Well； it didn't matter what he'd been hit with； did it？ Still； his fingers
went to the side of his face and began to explore the huge lump there。 Six
hundred dollars' worth of dental work undone at a single blow。 And after all
（maybe he didn't hit me with one of those。 Maybe one got lost。 Or stolen。 Or
took for a souvenir。 After all）
it didn't really matter。 No one was going to be playing rogue here next
summer。 Or any summer in the foreseeable future。
No； it didn't really matter； except that looking at the racked mallets with
the single missing member had a kind of fascination。 He found himself thinking
of the hard wooden whack！ of the mallet head striking the round wooden ball。 A
nice summery sound。 Watching it skitter across the
（bone。 blood。）
gravel。 It conjured up images of
（bone。 blood。）
iced tea； porch swings； ladies in white straw hats； the hum of mosquitoes； and
（bad little boys who don't play by the rules。）
all that stuff。 Sure。 Nice game。 Out of style now； but 。。。 nice。
〃Dick？〃 The voice was thin； frantic； and； he thought； rather unpleasant。 〃Are
you all right； Dick？ e out now。 Please！〃
（〃e on out now nigguh de massa callin youall。〃）
His hand closed tightly around one of the mallet handles； liking its feel。
（spare the rod； spoil the child。）
His eyes went blank in the flickering； fire…shot darkness。 Really； it would be
doing them both a favor。 She was messed up 。。。 in pain。。。 and most of it
（all of it）
was that damn boy's fault。 Sure。 He had left his own daddy in there to burn。
When you thought of it； it was damn close to murder。 Patricide was what they
called it。 Pretty goddam low：
〃Mr。 Hallorann？〃 Her voice was low； weak； querulous。 He didn't much like the
sound of it。
〃Dick！〃 The boy was sobbing now； in terror。
Hallorann drew the mallet from the rack and turned toward the flood of white
light from the snowmobile headlamp。 His feet scratched unevenly over the boards
of the equipment shed； like the feet of a clockwork toy that has been wound up
and set in motion。
Suddenly he stopped； looked wonderingly at the mallet in his hands； and asked
himself with rising horror what it was he had been thinking of doing。 Murder？
Had he been thinking of murder？
For a moment his entire mind seemed filled with an angry； weakly hectoring
voice：
（Do it！ Do it； you weak…kneed no…balls nigger！ Kill them！ KILL THEM BOTH！）
Then he flung the mallet behind him with a whispered； terrified cry。 It
clattered into the corner where the horseblankets had been； one of the two heads
pointed toward him in an unspeakable invitation。
He fled。
Danny was sitting on the snowmobile seat and Wendy was holding him weakly。 His
face was shiny with tears； and he was shaking as if with ague。 Between his
clicking teeth he said： 〃Where were you？ We were scared！〃
〃It's a good place to be scared of；〃 Hallorann said slowly。 〃Even if that
place burns flat to the foundation； you'll never get me within a hundred miles
of here again。 Here； Missus Torrance； wrap these around you。 I'll help。 You too；
Danny。 Get yourself looking like an Arab。〃
He swirled two of the blankets around Wendy； fashioning one of them into a
hood to cover her head； and helped Danny tie his so they wouldn't fall off。
〃Now hold on for dear life；〃 he said。 〃We got a long way to go； but the worst
is behind us now。〃
He circled the equipment shed and then pointed the snowmobile back along their
trail。 The Overlook was a torch now； flaming at the sky。 Great holes had been
eaten into its sides； and there was a red hell inside； waxing and waning。
Snowmelt ran down the charred gutters in steaming waterfalls。
They purred down the front lawns their way well lit。 The snowdunes glowed
scarlet。
〃Loo