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。
〃Look！〃 Danny shouted as Hallorann slowed for the front gate。 He was pointing
toward the playground。
The hedge creatures were all in their original positions； but they were
denuded； blackened； seared。 Their dead branches were a stark interlacing network
in the fireglow； their small leaves scattered around their feet like fallen
petals。
〃They're dead！〃 Danny screamed in hysterical triumph。
〃Dead！ They're dead！〃
〃Shhh；〃 Wendy said。 〃All right； honey。 It's all right。〃
〃Hey； doc；〃 Hallorann said。 〃Let's get to someplace warm。 You ready？〃
〃Yes；〃 Danny whispered。 〃I've been ready for so long — 〃
Hallorann edged through the gap between gate and post。 A moment later they
were on the road； pointed back toward Sidewinder。 The sound of the snowmobile's
engine dwindled until it was lost in the ceaseless roar of the wind。 It rattled
through the denuded branches of the hedge animals with a low； beating； desolate
sound。 The fire waxed and waned。 Sometime after the sound of the snowmobile's
engine had disappeared； the Overlooks roof caved in — first the west wing； then
the east； and seconds later the central roof。 A huge spiraling gout of sparks
and flaming debris rushed up into the howling winter night。
A bundle of flaming shingles and a wad of hot flashing were wafted through
the open equipment shed door by the wind。
After a while the shed began to burn； too。
* * *
They were still twenty miles from Sidewinder when Hallorann stopped to pour
the rest of the gas into the snowmobile's tank。 He was getting very worried
about Wendy Torrance； who seemed to be drifting away from them。 It was still so
far to go。
〃Dick！〃 Danny cried。 He was standing up on the seat； pointing。 〃Dick； look！
Look there！〃
The snow had stopped and a silver…dollar moon had peeked out through the
raftering clouds。 Far down the road but ing toward them； ing upward
through a series of S…shaped switchbacks； was a pearly chain of lights。 The wind
dropped for a moment and Hallorann heard the faraway buzzing snarl of snowmobile
engines。
Hallorann and Danny and Wendy reached them fifteen minutes later。 They had
brought extra clothes and brandy and Dr。 Edmunds。
And the long darkness was over。
》
EPILOGUE/SUMMER
After he had finished checking over the salads his understudy had made and
peeked in on the home…baked beans they were using as appetizers this week；
Hallorann untied his apron； hung it on a hook； and slipped out the back door。 He
had maybe forty…five minutes before he had to crank up for dinner in earnest。
The name of this place was the Red Arrow Lodge； and it was buried in the
western Maine mountains； thirty miles from the town of Rangely。 It was a good
gig； Hallorann thought。 The trade wasn't too heavy； it tipped well； and so far
there hadn't been a single meal sent back。 Not bad at all； considering the
season was nearly half over。
He threaded his way between the outdoor bar and the swimming pool （although
why anyone would want to use the pool with the lake so handy he would never
know）； crossed a greensward where a party of four was playing croquet and
laughing； and crested a mild ridge。 Pines took over here； and the wind soughed
pleasantly in them； carrying the aroma of fir and sweet resin。
On the other side； a number of cabins with views of the lake were placed
discreetly among the trees。 The last one was the nicest； and Hallorann had
reserved it for a party of two back in April when he had gotten this gig。
The woman was sitting on the porch in a rocking chair； a book in her hands。
Hallorann was struck again by the change in her。 Part of it was the stiff；
almost formal way she sat； in spite of her informal surroundings — that was the
back brace； of course。 She'd had a shattered vertebra as well as three broken
ribs and some internal injuries。 The back was the slowest healing； and she was
still in the