possibly know a thing like that？ Roque was played by innings； not like baseball
but like cricket。
〃Daddy 。。。 ？〃 He was almost asleep now。
〃What？〃
〃What's redrum？〃
〃Red drum？ Sounds like something an Indian might take on the warpath。〃
Silence。
〃Hey； doc？〃
But Danny was alseep； breathing in long； slow strokes。 Jack sat looking down
at him for a moment； and a rush of love pushed through him like tidal water。 Why
had he yelled at the boy like that？ It was perfectly normal for him to stutter a
little。 He had been ing out of a daze or some weird kind of trance； and
stuttering was perfectly normal under those circumstances。 Perfectly。 And he
hadn't said timer at all。 It had been something else； nonsense； gibberish。
How had he known roque was played in innings？ Had someone told him？ Ullman？
Hallorann？
He looked down at his hands。 They were made into tight； clenched fists of
tension
（god how i need a drink）
and the nails were digging into his palms like tiny brands。 Slowly he forced
them to open。
〃I love you； Danny；〃 he whispered。 〃God knows I do。〃
He left the room。 He had lost his temper again； only a little； but enough to
make him feel sick and afraid。 A drink would blunt that feeling； oh yes。 It
would blunt that
（Something about the timer）
and everything else。 There was no mistake about those words at all。 None。 Each
had e out clear as a bell。 He paused in the hallway； looking back； and
automatically wiped his lips with his handkerchief。
* * *
Their shapes were only dark silhouettes in the glow of the night light。 Wendy；
wearing only panties； went to his bed and tucked him in again； he had kicked the
covers back。 Jack stood in the doorway； watching as she put her inner wrist
against his forehead。
〃Is he feverish？〃
〃No。〃 She kissed his cheek。
〃Thank God you made that appointment；〃 he said as she came back to the
doorway。 〃You think that guy knows his stuff？〃
〃The checker said he was very good。 That's all I know。〃
〃If there's something wrong； I'm going to send you and him to your mother's；
Wendy。〃
〃No。〃
〃I know；〃 he said； putting an arm around her； 〃how you feel。〃
〃You don't know how I feel at all about her。〃
〃Wendy； there's no place else I can send you。 You know that。〃
〃If you came — 〃
〃Without this job we're done；〃 he said simply。 〃You know that。〃
Her silhouette nodded slowly。 She knew it。
〃When I had that interview with Ullman； I thought he was just blowing off his
bazoo。 Now I'm not so sure。 Maybe I really shouldn't have tried this with you
two along。 Forty miles from nowhere。〃
〃I love you；〃 she said。 〃And Danny loves you even more； if that's possible。 He
would have been heartbroken； Jack。 He will be； if you send us away。〃
〃Don't make it sound that way。〃
〃If the doctor says there's something wrong； I'll look for a job in
Sidewinder；〃 she said。 〃If I can't get one in Sidewinder； Danny and I will go to
Boulder。 I can't go to my mother； Jack。 Not on those terms。 Don't ask me。 I 。 。
。 I just can't。〃
〃I guess I know that。 Cheer up。 Maybe it's nothing。〃
〃Maybe。〃
〃The appointment's at two？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Let's leave the bedroom door open； Wendy。〃
〃I want to。 But I think he'll sleep through now。〃
But he didn't。
* * *
Boom。。。 boom。。 boomboomBOOMBOOM — —
He fled the heavy； crashing； echoing sounds through twisting； mazelike
corridors； his bare feet whispering over a deep…pile jungle of blue and black。
Each time he heard the roque mallet smash into the wall somewhere behind him he
wanted to scream aloud。 But he mustn't。 He mustn't。 A scream would give him away
and then
（then REDRUM）
（e out here and take your medicine； you fucking crybaby！）
Oh and he could hear the owner of that voice ing； ing for him； charging
up the hall like a tiger in an alien blue…black jungle。 A man…eater。
（e out here； you little son of a bitch！）
If he could get to the stairs going down； if he could get off this third
floor； he might be all right。 Even the elevator。 If he could remember what had
been forgotten。 But it was dark and in his terror he had lost his orientation。
He had turned down one corridor and then another； his heart leaping into his
mouth like a hot lump of ice； fearing that each turn would bring him face to
face with the human tiger in these halls。
The booming was right behind him now； the awful hoarse shouting。
The whistle the head of the mallet made cutting through the air
（roque 。。。 stroke 。。。 roque 。。。 stroke 。。。 REDRUM）
before it crashed into the wall。 The soft whisper of feet on the jungle
carpet。 Panic squirting in his mouth like bitter juice。
（You will remember what was forgotten 。。。 but would he？ What was it？）
He fled around another corner and saw with creeping； utter horror that he was
in a cul…de…sac。 Locked doors frowned down at him from three sides。 The west
wing。 He was in the west wing and outside he could hear the storm whooping and
screaming； seeming to choke on its own dark throat filled with snow。
He backed up against the wall； weeping with terror now； his heart racing like
the heart of a rabbit caught in a snare。 When his back was against the light
blue silk wallpaper with the embossed pattern of wavy lines； his legs gave way
and he collapsed to the carpet； hands splayed on the jungle of woven vines and
creepers； the breath whistling in and out of his throat。
Louder。 Louder。
There was a tiger in the hall； and now the tiger was just around the corner；
still crying out in that shrill and petulant and lunatic rage； the roque mallet
slamming； because this tiger walked on two legs and it was —
He woke with a sudden indrawn gasp； sitting bolt upright in bed； eyes wide and
staring into the darkness； hands crossed in front of his face。
Something on one hand。 Crawling。
Wasps。 Three of them。
They stung him then； seeming to needle all at once； and that was when all the
images broke apart and fell on him in a dark flood and he began to shriek into
the dark； the wasps clinging to his left hand； stinging again and again。
The lights went on and Daddy was standing there in his shorts； his eyes
glaring。 Mommy behind him； sleepy and scared。
〃Get them off me！〃 Danny screamed。
〃Oh my God；〃 Jack said。 He saw。
〃Jack； what's wrong with him？ What's wrong？〃
He didn't answer her。 He ran to the bed； scooped up Danny's pillow； and
slapped Danny's thrashing left hand with it。 Again。 Again。 Wendy saw lumbering；
insectile forms rise into the air； droning。
〃Get a magazine！〃 he yelled over his shoulder。 〃Kill them！〃
〃Wasps？〃 she said； and for a moment she was inside herself； almost detached in
her realization。 Then her mind crosspatched； and knowledge was connected to
emotion。 〃Wasps； oh Jesus； Jack； you said — 〃
〃Shut the fuck up and kill them！〃 he roared。 〃Will you do what I say！〃
One of them had landed on Danny's reading desk。 She took a coloring book off
his worktable and slammed it down on the wasp。 It left a viscous brown smear。
〃There's another one on the curtain；〃 he said； and ran out past her with Danny
in his arms。
He took the boy into their bedroom and put him on Wendy's side of the
makeshift double。 〃Lie right there； Danny。 Don't e back until I tell you。
Understand？〃
His face puffed and streaked with tears； Danny nodded。
〃That's my brave boy。〃
Jack ran back down the hall to the stairs。 Behind him he heard the coloring
book slap twice； and then his wife screamed in pain。 He didn't slow but went
down the stairs two by two into the darkened lobby。 He went through Ullman's
office into the kitchen； slamming the heavy part of his thigh into the corner of
Ullman's oak desk； barely feeling it。 He slapped on the kitchen overheads and
crossed to the sink。 The washed dishes from supper were still heaped up in the
drainer； where Wendy had left them to drip…dry。 He snatched the big Pyrex bowl
off the top。 A dish fell to the floor and exploded