The Shining 原版小说-第44部分

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wouldn't　see　anything。　On　the　other　hand　。。。　
　　He　plunged　his　left　hand　into　his　pocket　and　it　came　out　holding　the　passkey。　
It　had　been　there　all　along；　of　course。　
　　He　held　it　by　the　square　metal　tab　on　the　end　which　had　OFFICE　printed　on　it　
in　Magic　Marker。　He　twirled　the　key　on　its　chain；　watching　it　go　around　and　
around。　After　several　minutes　of　this　he　stopped　and　slipped　the　passkey　into　
the　lock。　It　slid　in　smoothly；　with　no　hitch；　as　if　it　had　wanted　to　be　there　
all　along。　
　　（I've　thought　I've　seen　things　。。。　nasty　things　。。。　promise　me　you　won't　
go　in　there。）　
　　（I　promise。）　
　　And　a　promise　was；　of　course；　very　important。　Still；　his　curiosity　itched　at　
him　as　maddeningly　as　poison　ivy　in　a　place　you　aren't　supposed　to　scratch。　But　
it　was　a　dreadful　kind　of　curiosity；　the　kind　that　makes　you　peek　through　your　
fingers　during　the　scariest　parts　of　a　scary　movie。　What　was　beyond　that　door　
would　be　no　movie。　
　　（I　don't　think　those　things　can　hurt　you　。。。　like　scary　pictures　in　a　book　。。。）　
　　Suddenly　he　reached　out　with　his　left　hand；　not　sure　of　what　it　was　going　to　
do　until　it　had　removed　the　passkey　and　stuffed　it　back　into　his　pocket。　He　
stared　at　the　door　a　moment　longer；　blue…gray　eyes　wide；　then　turned　quickly　and　
walked　back　down　the　corridor　toward　the　main　hallway　that　ran　at　right　angles　
to　the　corridor　he　was　in。　
　　Something　made　him　pause　there　and　he　wasn't　sure　what　for　a　moment。　Then　he　
remembered　that　directly　around　this　corner；　on　the　way　back　to　the　stairs；　
there　was　one　of　those　old…fashioned　fire　extinguishers　curled　up　against　the　
wall。　Curled　there　like　a　dozing　snake。　
　　They　weren't　chemical…type　extinguishers　at　all；　Daddy　said；　although　there　
were　several　of　those　in　the　kitchen。　These　were　the　forerunner　of　the　modern　
sprinkler　systems。　The　long　canvas　hoses　hooked　directly　into　the　Overlook's　
plumbing　system；　and　by　turning　a　single　valve　you　could　bee　a　one…man　fire　
department。　Daddy　said　that　the　chemical　extinguishers；　which　sprayed　foam　or　
CO；　were　much　better。　The　chemicals　smothered　fires；　took　away　the　oxygen　they　
needed　to　burn；　while　a　high…pressure　spray　might　just　spread　the　flames　around。　
Daddy　said　that　Mr。　Ullman　should　replace　the　old…fashioned　hoses　right　along　
with　the　old…fashioned　boiler；　but　Mr。　Ullman　would　probably　do　neither　because　
he　was　a　CHEAP　PRICK。　Danny　knew　that　this　was　one　of　the　worst　epithets　his　


　
　
father　could　summon。　It　was　applied　to　certain　doctors；　dentists；　and　appliance　
repairmen；　and　also　to　the　head　of　his　English　Department　at　Stovington；　who　had　
disallowed　some　of　Daddy's　book　orders　because　he　said　the　books　would　put　them　
over　budget。　〃Over　budget；　hell；〃　he　had　fumed　to　Wendy　—　Danny　had　been　listening　
from　his　bedroom　where　he　was　supposed　to　be　asleep。　〃He's　just　saving　the　last　
five　hundred　bucks　for　himself；　the　CHEAP　PRICK。〃　
　　Danny　looked　around　the　corner。　
　　The　extinguisher　was　there；　a　fiat　hose　folded　back　a　dozen　times　on　itself；　
the　red　tank　attached　to　the　wall。　Above　it　was　an　ax　in　a　glass　case　like　a　
museum　exhibit；　with　white　words　printed　on　a　red　background：　IN　CASE　OF　
EMERGENCY；　BREAK　GLASS。　Danny　could　read　the　word　EMERGENCY；　which　was　also　the　
name　of　one　of　his　favorite　TV　shows；　but　was　unsure　of　the　rest。　But　he　didn't　
like　the　way　the　word　was　used　in　connection　with　that　long　fiat　hose。　EMERGENCY　
was'；　fire；　explosions；　car　crashes；　hospitals；　sometimes　death。　And　he　didn't　
like　the　way　that　hose　hung　so　blandly　on　the　wall。　When　he　was　alone；　he　always　
skittered　past　these　extinguishers　as　fast　as　he　could。　No　particular　reason。　It　
just　felt　better　to　go　fast。　It　felt　safer。　
　　Now；　heart　thumping　loudly　in　his　chest；　he　came　around　the　corner　and　looked　
down　the　hall　past　the　extinguisher　to　the　stairs。　Mommy　was　down　there；　
sleeping。　And　if　Daddy　was　back　from　his　walk；　he　would　probably　be　sitting　in　
the　kitchen；　eating　a　sandwich　and　reading　a　book。　He　would　just　walk　right　past　
that　old　extinguisher　and　go　downstairs。　
　　He　started　toward　it；　moving　closer　to　the　far　wall　until　his　right　arm　was　
brushing　the　expensive　silk　paper。　Twenty　steps　away。　Fifteen。　A　dozen。　
　　When　he　was　ten　steps　away；　the　brass　nozzle　suddenly　rolled　off　the　fat　loop　
it　had　been　lying　
　　（sleeping？）　
　　on　and　fell　to　the　hall　carpet　with　a　dull　thump。　It　lay　there；　the　dark　bore　
of　its　muzzle　pointing　at　Danny。　He　stopped　immediately；　his　shoulders　twitching　
forward　with　the　suddenness　of　his　scare。　His　blood　thumped　thickly　in　his　ears　
and　temples。　His　mouth　had　gone　dry　and　sour；　his　hands　curled　into　fists。　Yet　
the　nozzle　of　the　hose　only　lay　there；　its　brass　casing　glowing　mellowly；　a　loop　
of　flat　canvas　leading　back　up　to　the　red…painted　frame　bolted　to　the　wall。　
　　So　it　had　fallen　off；　so　what？　It　was　only　a　fire　extinguisher；　nothing　else。　
It　was　stupid　to　think　that　it　looked　like　some　poison　snake　from　〃Wide　World　of　
Animals〃　that　had　heard　him　and　woken　up。　Even　if　the　stitched　canvas　did　look　a　
little　bit　like　scales。　He　would　just　step　over　it　and　go　down　the　hall　to　the　
stairs；　walking　a　little　bit　fast；　maybe；　to　make　sure　it　didn't　snap　out　after　
him　and　curl　around　his　foot。。。　
　　He　wiped　his　lips　with　his　left　hand；　in　unconscious　imitation　of　his　father；　
and　took　a　step　forward。　No　movement　from　the　hose。　Another　step。　Nothing。　
There；　see　how　stupid　you　are？　You　got　all　worked　up　thinking　about　that　dumb　
room　and　that　dumb　Bluebeard　story　and　that　hose　was　probably　ready　to　fall　off　
for　the　last　five　years。　That's　all。　
　　Danny　stared　at　the　hose　on　the　floor　and　thought　of　wasps。　
　　Eight　steps　away；　the　nozzle　of　the　hose　gleamed　peacefully　at　him　from　the　
rug　as　if　to　say：　Don't　worry。　I'm　just　a　hose；　that's　all。　And　even　if　that　
isn't　all；　what　I　do　to　you　won't　be　much　worse　than　a　bee　sting。　Or　a　wasp　


　
　
sting。　What　would　I　want　to　do　to　a　nice　little　boy　like　you　。。。　except　bite。。。　
and　bite　。。。　and　bite？　
　　Danny　took　another　step；　and　another。　His　breath　was　dry　and　harsh　in　his　
throat。　Panic　was　close　now。　He　began　to　wish　the　hose　would　move；　then　at　last　
he　would　know；　he　would　be　sure。　He　took　another　step　and　now　he　was　within　
striking　distance。　But　it's　not　going　to　strike　at　you；　he　thought　hysterically。　
How　can　it　strike　at　you；　bite　at　you；　when　it's　just　a　hose？　
　　Maybe　it's　full　of　wasps。　
　　His　internal　temperature　plummeted　to　ten　below　zero。　He　stared　at　the　black　
bore　in　the　center　of　the　nozzle；　nearly　hypnotized。　Maybe　it　was　full　of　wasps；　
secret　wasps；　their　brown　bodies　bloated　with　poison；　so　full　of　autumn　poison　
that　it　dripped　from　their　stingers　in　clear　drops　of　fluid。　
　　Suddenly　he　knew　that　he　was　nearly　frozen　with　terror；　if　he　did　not　make　his　
feet　go　now；　they　would　bee　locked　to　the　carpet　and　he　would　stay　here；　
staring　at　the　black　hole　in　the　center　of　the　brass　nozzle　like　a　bird　staring　
at　a　snake；　he　would　stay　here　until　his　daddy　found　him　and　then　what　would　
happen？　
　　With　a　high　moan；　he　made　himself　run。　As　he　reached　the　hose；　some　trick　of　
the　light　made　the　nozzle　seem　to　move；　to　revolve　as　if　to　strike；　and　he　
leaped　high　in　the　air　above　it；　in　his　panicky　state　it　seemed　that　his　legs　
pushed　him　nearly　all　the　way　to　the　ceiling；　that　he　could　feel　the　stiff　back　
hairs　that　formed　his　cowlick　brushing　the　hallway's　plaster　ceiling；　although　
later　he　knew　that　couldn't　have　been　so。　
　　He　came　down　on　the　other　side　of　the　hose　and　ran；　and　suddenly　he　heard　it　
behind　him；　ing　for　him；　the　soft　dry　whicker　of　that　brass　snake's　head　as　
it　slithered　rapidly　along　the　carpet　after　him　like　a　rattlesnake　moving　
swiftly　through　a　dry　field　of　grass。　It　was　ing　for　him；　and　suddenly　the　
stairs　seemed　very　far　away；　they　seemed　to　retreat　a　running　step　into　the　
distance　for　each　running　step　he　took　toward　them。　
　　Daddy！　he　tried　to　scream；　but　his　closed　throat　would　not　allow　a　word　to　
pass。　He　was　on　his　own。　Behind　him　the　sound　grew　louder；　the　dry　sliding　sound　
of　the　snake；　slipping　swiftly　over　the　carpet's　dry　hackles。　At　his　heels