sk.theshining-第26节

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　　〃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！　Mommyl〃　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。
　　　
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　　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　speed。　It　bothered　her。　He　hunched　over　the　innocuous　little　books；　his　crystal　radio　and　balsa　glider　on　the　shelf　above　him；　as　though　his　life　depended　on　learning　to　read。　His　small　face　was　more　tense　and　paler　than　she　liked　in　the　close　and　cozy　glow　of　the　goosenecked　lamp　they　had　put　in　his　room。　He　was　taking　it　very　seriously；　both　the　reading　and　the　workbook　pages　his　father　made　up　for　him　every　afternoon。
　　Picture　of　an　apple　and　a　peach。　The　word　apple　written　beneath　in　Jack's　large；　neatly　made　printing。　Circle　the　right　picture；　the　one　that　went　with　the　word。
　　And　their　son　would　stare　from　the　word　to　the　pictures；　his　lips　moving；　sounding　out；　actually　sweating　it　out；　And　with　his　dou