Wendy had a vision of the four of them being trapped between floors like flies
in a bottle and found in the spring 。。。 with little bits and pieces gone 。。。
like the Donner Party 。。。
（Stop it！）
The elevator began to rise； with some vibration and clashing and banging from
below at first。 Then the ride smoothed out。 At the third floor Ullman brought
them to a bumpy stop； retracted the gate； and opened the door。 The elevator car
was still six inches below floor level。 Danny gazed at the difference in height
between the third…floor hall and the elevator floor as if he had just sensed the
universe was not as sane as he had been told。 Ullman cleared his throat and
raised the car a little； brought it to a stop with a jerk （still two inches
low）； and they all climbed out。 With their weight gone the car rebounded almost
to floor level； something Wendy did not find reassuring at all。 Safe as houses
or not； she resolved to take the stairs when she had to go up or down in this
place。 And under no conditions would she allow the three of them to get into the
rickety thing together。
〃What are you looking at； doc？〃 Jack inquired humorously。 〃See any spots
there？〃
〃Of course not；〃 Ullman said； nettled。 〃All the rugs were shampooed just two
days ago。〃
Wendy glanced down at the hall runner herself。 Pretty； but definitely not
anything she would choose for her own home； if the day ever came when she had
one。 Deep blue pile； it was entwined with what seemed to be a surrealistic
jungle scene full of ropes and vines and trees filled with exotic birds。 It was
hard to tell just what sort of birds； because all the interweaving was done in
unshaded black； giving only silhouettes。
〃Do you like the rug？〃 Wendy asked Danny。
〃Yes； Mom；〃 he said colorlessly。
They walked down the hall； which was fortably wide。 The wallpaper was silk；
a lighter blue to go against the rug。 Electric flambeaux stood at ten…foot
intervals at a height of about seven feet。 Fashioned to look like London gas
lamps； the bulbs were masked behind cloudy； cream…hued glass that was bound with
crisscrossing iron strips。
〃I like those very much；〃 she said。
Ullman nodded； pleased。 〃Mr。 Derwent had those installed throughout the Hotel
after the war — number Two； I mean。 In fact most — although not all — of the third…
floor decorating scheme was his idea。 This is 300； the Presidential Suite。〃
He twisted his key in the lock of the mahogany double doors and swung them
wide。 The sitting room's wide western exposure made them all gasp； which had
probably been Ullman's intention。 He smiled。 〃Quite a view； isn't it？〃
〃It sure is；〃 Jack said。
The window ran nearly the length of the sitting room； and beyond it the sun
was poised directly between two sawtoothed peaks； casting golden light across
the rock faces and the sugared snow on the high tips。 The clouds around and
behind this picture…postcard view were also tinted gold； and a sunbeam glinted
duskily down into the darkly pooled firs below the timberline。
Jack and Wendy were so absorbed in the view that they didn't look down at
Danny； who was staring not out the window but at the red…and…white…striped silk
wallpaper to the left； where a door opened into an interior bedroom。 And his
gasp； which had been mingled with theirs； had nothing to do with beauty。
Great splashes of dried blood； flecked with tiny bits of grayish…white tissue；
clotted the wallpaper。 It made Danny feel sick。 It was like a crazy picture
drawn in blood； a surrealistic etching of a man's face drawn back in terror and
pain； the mouth yawning and half the head pulverized —
（So if you should see something 。。。 just look the other way and when you
look back； it'll be gone。 Are you diggin me？）
He deliberately looked out the window； being careful to show no expression on
his face； and when his mommy's hand closed over his own he took it； being
careful not to squeeze it or give her a signal of any kind。
The manager was saying something to his daddy about making sure to shutter
that big window so a strong wind wouldn't blow it in。 Jack was nodding。 Danny
looked cautiously back at the wall。 The big dried bloodstain was gone。 Those
little gray…white flecks that had been scattered all through it； they were gone；
too。
Then Ullman was leading them out。 Mommy asked him if he thought the mountains
were pretty。 Danny said he did； although he didn't really care for the
mountains； one way or the other。 As Ullman was closing the door behind them；
Danny looked back over his shoulder。 The bloodstain had returned； only now it
was fresh。 It was running。 Ullman； looking directly at it； went on with his
running mentary about the famous men who had stayed here。 Danny discovered
that he had bitten his lip hard enough to make it bleed； and he had never even
felt it。 As they walked on down the corridor； he fell a little bit behind the
others and wiped the blood away with the back of his hand and thought about
（blood）
（Did Mr。 Hallorann see blood or was it something worse？）
（I don't think those things can hurt you。）
There was an iron scream behind his lips； but he would not let it out。 His
mommy and daddy could not see such things； they never had。 He would keep quiet。
His mommy and daddy were loving each other； and that was a real thing。 The other
things were just like pictures in a book。 Some pictures were scary； but they
couldn't hurt you。 They 。。。 couldn't 。。。 hurt you。
Mr。 Ullman showed them some other rooms on the third floor； leading them
through corridors that twisted and turned like a maze。 They were all sweets up
here； Mr。 Ullman said； although Danny didn't see any candy。 He showed them some
rooms where a lady named Marilyn Monroe once stayed when she was married to a
man named Arthur Miller （Danny got a vague understanding that Marilyn and Arthur
had gotten a DIVORCE not long after they were in the Overlook Hotel）。
〃Mommy？〃
〃What； honey？〃
〃If they were married； why did they have different names？ You and Daddy have
the same names。〃
〃Yes； but we're not famous； Danny；〃 Jack said。 〃Famous women keep their same
names even after they get married because their names are their bread and
butter。〃
〃Bread and butter；〃 Danny said； pletely mystified。
〃What Daddy means is that people used to like to go to the movies and see
Marilyn Monroe；〃 Wendy said； 〃but they might not like to go to see Marilyn
Miller。〃
〃Why not？ She'd still be the same lady。 Wouldn't everyone know that？〃
〃Yes； but — 〃 She looked at Jack helplessly。
〃Truman Capote once stayed in this room；〃 Ullman interrupted impatiently。 He
opened the door。 〃That was in my time。 An awfully nice man。 Continental
manners。〃
There was nothing remarkable in any of these rooms （except for the absence of
sweets； which Mr。 Ullman kept calling them）； nothing that Danny was afraid of。
In fact； there was only one other thing on the third floor that bothered Danny；
and he could not have said why。 It was the fire extinguisher on the wall just
before they turned the corner and went back to the elevator； which stood open
and waiting like a mouthful of gold teeth。
It was an old…fashioned extinguisher； a flat hose folded back a dozen times
upon itself； one end attached to a large red valve； the other ending in a brass
nozzle。 The folds of the hose were secured with a red steel slat on a hinge。 In
case of a fire you could knock the steel slat up and out of the way with one
hard push and the hose was yours。 Danny could see that much； he was good at
seeing how things worked。 By the time he was two and a half he had been
unlocking the protective gate his father had installed at the top of the stairs
in the Stovington house。 He had seen how the lock worked。 His daddy said it was
a NACK。 Some people had the NACK and some people didn't。
This fire extinguisher was a little older than others he had seen — the one in
the nursery school； for instance — but that was not so unusual。 Nonetheless it
filled him with faint unease； curled up there against the light blue w