The Shining 原版小说-第6部分

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much　above　forty…five　unless　we　have　an　amazin　warm　winter。　And　you'll　have　your　
own　apartment　just　as　warm　as　you　like　it。〃　
　　〃What　about　the　plumbing？〃　
　　〃Okay；　I　was　just　getting　to　that。　Over　here　through　this　arch。〃　
　　They　walked　into　a　long；　rectangular　room　that　seemed　to　stretch　for　miles。　
Watson　pulled　a　cord　and　a　single　seventyfive…watt　bulb　cast　a　sickish；　swinging　
glow　over　the　area　they　were　standing　in。　Straight　ahead　was　the　bottom　of　the　
elevator　shaft；　heavy　greased　cables　descending　to　pulleys　twenty　feet　in　
diameter　and　a　huge；　grease…clogged　motor。　Newspapers　were　everywhere；　bundled　


　
　
and　banded　and　boxed。　Other　cartons　were　marked　Records　or　Invoices　or　Receipts…　
SAV1　The　smell　was　yellow　and　moldy。　Some　of　the　cartons　were　falling　apart；　
spilling　yellow　flimsy　sheets　that　might　have　been　twenty　years　old　out　onto　the　
floor。　Jack　stared　around；　fascinated。　The　Overlook's　entire　history　might　be　
here；　buried　in　these　rotting　cartons。　
　　〃That　elevator's　a　bitch　to　keep　runnin；〃　Watson　said；　jerking　his　thumb　at　
it。　〃I　know　Ullman's　buying　the　state　elevator　inspector　a　few　fancy　dinners　to　
keep　the　repairman　away　from　that　fucker。　
　　〃Now；　here's　your　central　plumbin　core。〃　In　front　of　them　five　large　pipes；　
each　of　them　wrapped　in　insulation　and　cinched　with　steel　bands；　rose　into　the　
shadows　and　out　of　sight。　
　　Watson　pointed　to　a　cobwebby　shelf　beside　the　utility　shaft。　There　were　a　
number　of　greasy　rags　on　it；　and　a　looseleaf　binder。　〃That　there　is　all　your　
plumbin　schematics；〃　he　said。　〃I　don't　think　you'll　have　any　trouble　with　
leaks　—　never　has　been　—　but　sometimes　the　pipes　freeze　up。　Only　way　to　stop　that　
is　to　run　the　faucets　a　little　bit　durin　the　nights；　but　there's　over　four　
hundred　taps　in　this　fuckin　palace。　That　fat　fairy　upstairs　would　scream　all　the　
way　to　Denver　when　he　saw　the　water　bill。　Ain't　that　right？〃　
　　〃I'd　say　that's　a　remarkably　astute　analysis。〃　
　　Watson　looked　at　him　admiringly。　〃Say；　you　really　are　a　college　fella　aren't　
you？　Talk　just　like　a　book。　I　admire　that；　as　long　as　the　fella　ain't　one　of　
those　fairy…boys。　Lots　of　em　are。　You　know　who　stirred　up　all　those　college　
riots　a　few　years　ago？　The　hommasexshuls；　that's　who。　They　get　frustrated　an　
have　to　cut　loose。　in　out　of　the　closet；　they　call　it。　Holy　shit；　I　don't　
know　what　the　world's　in　to。　
　　〃Now；　if　she　freezes；　she　most　likely　gonna　freeze　right　up　in　this　shaft。　No　
heat；　you　see。　If　it　happens；　use　this。〃　He　reached　into　a　broken　orange　crate　
and　produced　a　small　gas　torch。　
　　〃You　just　unstrap　the　insulation　when　you　find　the　ice　plug　and　put　the　heat　
right　to　her。　Get　it？〃　
　　〃Yes。　But　what　if　a　pipe　freezes　outside　the　utility　core？〃　
　　〃That　won't　happen　if　you're　doin　your　job　and　keepin　the　place　heated。　You　
can't　get　to　the　other　pipes　anyway。　Don't　you　fret　about　it。　You'll　have　no　
trouble。　Beastly　place　down　here。　Cobwebby。　Gives　me　the　horrors；　it　does。〃　
　　〃Ullman　said　the　first　winter　caretaker　killed　his　family　and　himself。〃　
　　〃Yeah；　that　guy　Grady。　He　was　a　bad　actor；　I　knew　that　the　minute　I　saw　him。　
Always　grinnin　like　an　egg…suck　dog。　That　was　when　they　were　just　startin　out　
here　and　that　fat　fuck　Ullman；　he　woulda　hired　the　Boston　Strangler　if　he'd've　
worked　for　minimum　wage。　Was　a　ranger　from　the　National　Park　that　found　em；　the　
phone　was　out。　All　of　em　up　in　the　west　wing　on　the　third　floor；　froze　solid。　
Too　bad　about　the　little　girls。　Eight　and　six；　they　was。　Cute　as　cut…buttons。　
Oh；　that　was　a　hell　of　a　mess。　That　Ullman；　he　manages　some　honky…tonky　resort　
place　down　in　Florida　in　the　off…season；　and　he　caught　a　plane　up　to　Denver　and　
hired　a　sleigh　to　take　him　up　here　from　Sidewinder　because　the　roads　were　
closed　—　a　sleigh；　can　you　believe　that？　He　about　split　a　gut　tryin　to　keep　it　
out　of　the　papers。　Did　pretty　well；　I　got　to　give　him　that。　There　was　an　item　in　
the　Denver　Post；　and　of　course　the　bituary　in　that　pissant　little　rag　they　have　
down　in　Estes　Park；　but　that　was　just　about　all。　Pretty　good；　considerin　the　


　
　
reputation　this　place　has　got。　I　expected　some　reporter　would　dig　it　all　up　
again　and　just　sorta　put　Grady　in　it　as　an　excuse　to　rake　over　the　scandals。〃　
　　〃What　scandals？〃　
　　Watson　shrugged。　〃Any　big　hotels　have　got　scandals；〃　he　said。　〃Just　like　every　
big　hotel　has　got　a　ghost。　Why？　Hell；　people　e　and　go。　Sometimes　one　of　em　
will　pop　off　in　his　room；　heart　attack　or　stroke　or　something　like　that。　Hotels　
are　superstitious　places。　No　thirteenth　floor　or　room　thirteen；　no　mirrors　on　
the　back　of　the　door　you　e　in　through；　stuff　like　that。　Why；　we　lost　a　lady　
just　this　last　July。　Ullman　had　to　take　care　of　that；　and　you　can　bet　your　ass　
he　did。　That's　what　they　pay　him　twenty…two　thousand　bucks　a　season　for；　and　as　
much　as　I　dislike　the　little　prick；　he　earns　it。　It's　like　some　people　just　e　
here　to　throw　up　and　they　hire　a　guy　like　Ullman　to　clean　up　the　messes。　Here's　
this　woman；　must　be　sixty　fuckin　years　old　—　my　age！　—　and　her　hair's　dyed　just　as　
red　as　a　whore's　stoplight；　tits　saggin　just　about　down　to　her　belly　button　on　
account　of　she　ain't　wearin　no　brassy…ear；　big　varycoarse　veins　all　up　and　down　
her　legs　so　they　look　like　a　couple　of　goddam　roadmaps；　the　jools　drippin　off　
her　neck　and　arms　an　hangin　out　her　ears。　And　she's　got　this　kid　with　her；　he　
can't　be　no　more　than　seventeen；　with　hair　down　to　his　asshole　and　his　crotch　
bulgin　'like　he　stuffed　it　with　the　funnypages。　So　they're　here　a　week；　ten　days　
maybe；　and　every　night　it's　the　same　drill。　Down　in　the　Colorado　Lounge　from　
five　to　seven；　her　suckin　up　singapore　slings　like　they're　gonna　outlaw　em　
tomorrow　and　him　with　just　the　one　bottle　of　Olympia；　suckin　it；　makin　it　last。　
And　she'd　be　makin　jokes　and　sayin　all　these　witty　things；　and　every　time　she　
said　one　he'd　grin　just　like　a　fuckin　ape；　like　she　had　strings　tied　to　the　
corners　of　his　mouth。　Only　after　a　few　days　you　could　see　it　was　gettin　harder　
an　harder　for　him　to　grin；　and　God　knows　what　he　had　to　think　about　to　get　his　
pump　primed　by　bedtime。　Well；　they'd　go　in　for　dinner；　him　walkin　and　her　
staggerin；　drunk　as　a　coot；　you　know；　and　he'd　be　pinchin　the　waitresses　and　
grinnin　at　em　when　she　wasn't　lookin。　Hell；　we　even　had　bets　on　how　long　he'd　
last。〃　
　　Watson　shrugged。　
　　〃Then　he　es　down　one　night　around　ten；　sayin　his　'wife'　is　'indisposed'　—　　
which　meant　she　was　passed　out　again　like　every　other　night　they　was　there　—　and　
he's　goin　to　get　her　some　stomach　medicine。　So　off　he　goes　in　the　little　Porsche　
they　e　in；　and　that's　the　last　we　see　of　him。　Next　morning　she　es　down　and　
tries　to　put　on　this　big　act；　but　all　day　she's　gettin　paler　an　paler；　and　Mr。　
Ullman　asks　her；　sorta　diplomatic…like；　would　she　like　him　to　notify　the　state　
cops；　just　in　case　maybe　he　had　a　little　accident　or　something。　She's　on　him　
like　a　cat。　No…no…no；　he's　a　fine　driver；　she　isn't　worried；　everything's　under　
control；　he'll　be　back　for　dinner。　So　that　afternoon　she　steps　into　the　Colorado　
around　three　and　never　has　no　dinner　at　all。　She　goes　up　to　her　room　around　ten…　
thirty；　and　that's　the　last　time　anybody　saw　her　alive。〃　
　　〃What　happened？〃　
　　〃County　coroner　said　she　took　about　thirty　sleepin　pills　on　top　of　all　the　
booze。　Her　husband　showed　up　the　next　day；　some　big…shot　lawyer　from　New　York。　
He　gave　old　Ullman　four　different　shades　of　holy　hell。　I'll　sue　this　an　I'll　sue　
that　an　when　I'm　through　you　won't　even　be　able　to　find　a　clean　pair　of　
underwear；　stuff　like　that。　But　Ullman's　good；　the　sucker。　Ullman　got　him　


　
　
quieted　down。　Probably　asked　that　bigshot　how　he'd　like　to　see　his　wife　splashed　
all　over　the　New　York　papers：　Wife　of　Prominent　New　York　Blah　Blah　Found　Dead　
With　Bellyful　of　Sleeping　Pills。　After　playing　hide…the…salami　with　a　kid　young　
enough　to　be　her　grandson。　
　　〃The　state　cops　found　the　Porsche　in　the　back　of　this　allnight　burger　joint　
down　in　Lyons；　and　Ullman　pulled　a　few　strings　to　get　it　released　to　that　
lawyer。　Then　both　of　them　ganged　up　on　old　Archer　Houghton；　which　is　the　county　
coroner；　and　got　him　to