sk.theshining-第31章

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g；　it　gave　immediately　and　the　door　shuddered　open；　banging　the　tiled　bathroom　wall　and　rebounding　halfway。
　　〃Danny！〃　she　screamed。
　　The　water　was　running　full　force　in　the　basin。　Beside　it；　a　tube　of　Crest　with　the　cap　off。　Danny　was　sitting　on　the　rim　of　the　bathtub　across　the　room；　his　toothbrush　clasped　limply　in　his　left　hand；　a　thin　foam　of　toothpaste　around　his　mouth。　He　was　staring；　trancelike；　into　the　mirror　on　the　front　of　the　medicine　cabinet　above　the　washbasin。　The　expression　on　his　face　was　one　of　drugged　horror；　and　her　first　thought　was　that　he　was　having　some　sort　of　epileptic　seizure；　that　he　might　have　swallowed　his　tongue。
　　〃Danny！〃　Danny　didn't　answer。　Guttural　sounds　came　from　his　throat。
　　Then　she　was　pushed　aside　so　hard　that　she　crashed　into　the　towel　rack；　and　Jack　was　kneeling　in　front　of　the　boy。
　　〃Danny；〃　he　said。　〃Danny；　Danny！〃　He　snapped　his　fingers　in　front　of　Danny's　blank　eyes。
　　〃Ah…sure；〃　Danny　said。　〃Tournament　play。　Stroke。　Nurrrrr　。　。　。〃
　　〃Danny…〃
　　〃Roque！〃　Danny　said；　his　voice　suddenly　deep；　almost　manlike。　〃Roque。　Stroke。
　　The　roque　mallet　。　。　。　has　two　sides。　Gaaaaaa…〃
　　〃Oh　Jack　my　God　what's　wrong　with　him？〃　Jack　grabbed　the　boy's　elbows　and　shook　him　hard。　Danny's　head　rolled　limply　backward　and　then　snapped　forward　like　a　balloon　on　a　stick。
　　〃Roque。　Stroke。　Redrum。〃　Jack　shook　him　again；　and　Danny's　eyes　suddenly　cleared。　His　toothbrush　fell　out　of　his　hand　and　onto　the　tiled　floor　with　a　small　click。
　　〃What？〃　he　asked；　looking　around。　He　saw　his　father　kneeling　before　him；　Wendy　standing　by　the　wall。　〃What？〃　Danny　asked　again；　with　rising　alarm。　〃W…W…Wuh…　What's　wr…r…r…〃
　　〃Don't　stutter！〃　Jack　suddenly　screamed　into　his　face。　Danny　cried　out　in　shock；　his　body　going　tense；　trying　to　draw　away　from　his　father；　and　then　he　collapsed　into　tears。　Stricken；　Jack　pulled　him　close。　〃Oh；　honey；　I'm　sorry。
　　I'm　sorry；　doc。　Please。　Don't　cry。　I'm　sorry。　Everything's　okay。〃　The　water　ran　ceaselessly　in　the　basin；　and　Wendy　felt　that　she　had　suddenly　stepped　into　some　grinding　nightmare　where　time　ran　backward；　backward　to　the　time　when　her　drunken　husband　had　broken　her　son's　arm　and　had　then　mewled　over　him　in　almost　the　exact　same　words。
　　（Oh　honey。　I'm　sorry。　I'm　sorry；　doc。　Please。　So　sorry。）　She　ran　to　them　both；　pried　Danny　out　of　Jack's　arms　somehow　（she　saw　the　look　of　angry　reproach　on　his　face　but　filed　it　away　for　later　consideration）；　and　lifted　him　up。　She　walked　him　back　into　the　small　bedroom；　Danny's　arms　clasped　around　her　neck；　Jack　trailing　them。
　　She　sat　down　on　Danny's　bed　and　rocked　him　back　and　forth；　soothing　him　with　nonsensical　words　repeated　over　and　over。　She　looked　up　at　Jack　and　there　was　only　worry　in　his　eyes　now。　He　raised　questioning　eyebrows　at　her。　She　shook　her　head　faintly。
　　〃Danny；〃　she　said。　〃Danny；　Danny；　Danny。　'S　okay；　doc。　'S　fine。〃　At　last　Danny　was　quiet；　only　faintly　trembling　in　her　arms。　Yet　it　was　Jack　he　spoke　to　first；　Jack　who　was　now　sitting　beside　them　on　the　bed；　and　she　felt　the　old　faint　pang　（It's　him　first　and　it's　always　been　him　first）　of　jealousy。　Jack　had　shouted　at　him；　she　had　forted　him；　yet　it　was　to　his　father　that　Danny　said；
　　〃I'm　sorry　if　I　was　bad。〃
　　〃Nothing　to　be　sorry　for；　doc。〃　Jack　ruffled　his　hair。　〃What　the　hell　happened　in　there？〃　Danny　shook　his　head　slowly；　dazedly。　〃I　。　。　。　I　don't　know。　Why　did　you　tell　me　to　stop　stuttering；　Daddy？　I　don't　stutter。〃
　　〃Of　course　not；〃　Jack　said　heartily；　but　Wendy　felt　a　cold　finger　touch　her　heart。　Jack　suddenly　looked　scared；　as　if　he'd　seen　something　that　might　just　have　been　a　ghost。
　　〃Something　about　the　timer。　。　。〃　Danny　muttered。
　　〃What？〃　Jack　was　leaning　forward；　and　Danny　flinched　in　her　arms。
　　〃Jack；　you're　scaring　him！〃　she　said；　and　her　voice　was　high；　accusatory。　It　suddenly　came　to　her　that　they　were　all　scared。　But　of　what？
　　〃I　don't　know；　I　don't　know；〃　Danny　was　saying　to　his　father。　〃What　。　。　。　what　did　I　say；　Daddy？〃
　　〃Nothing；〃　Jack　muttered。　He　took　his　handkerchief　from　his　back　pocket　and　wiped　his　mouth　with　it。　Wendy　had　a　moment　of　that　sickening　time…is…running…　backward　feeling　again。　It　was　a　gesture　she　remembered　well　from　his　drinking　days。
　　〃Why　did　you　lock　the　door；　Danny？〃　she　asked　gently。　〃Why　did　you　do　that？〃
　　〃Tony；〃　he　said。　〃Tony　told　me　to。〃　They　exchanged　a　glance　over　the　top　of　his　head。
　　〃Did　Tony　say　why；　son？〃　Jack　asked　quietly。
　　〃I　was　brushing　my　teeth　and　I　was　thinking　about　my　reading；〃　Danny　said。
　　〃Thinking　real　bard。　And　。　。　。　and　I　saw　Tony　way　down　in　the　mirror。　He　said　he　had　to　show　me　again。〃
　　〃You　mean　he　was　behind　you？〃　Wendy　asked。
　　〃No；　he　was　in　the　mirror。〃　Danny　was　very　emphatic　on　this　point。　〃Way　down　deep。　And　then　I　went　through　the　mirror。　The　next　thing　I　remember　Daddy　was　shaking　me　and　I　thought　I　was　being　bad　again。〃　Jack　winced　as　if　struck。
　　〃No；　doc；〃　he　said　quietly。
　　〃Tony　told　you　to　lock　the　door？〃　Wendy　asked；　brushing　his　hair。
　　〃Yes。〃
　　〃And　what　did　he　want　to　show　you？〃　Danny　tensed　in　her　arms；　it　was　as　if　the　muscles　in　his　body　had　turned　into　something　like　piano　wire。　〃I　don't　remember；〃　he　said；　distraught。　〃I　don't　remember。　Don't　ask　me。　I　。　。　。　I　don't　remember　nothing！〃
　　〃Shh；〃　Wendy　said；　alarmed。　She　began　to　rock　him　again。　〃It's　all　right　if　you　don't　remember；　bon。　Sure　it　is。〃　At　last　Danny　began　to　relax　again。
　　〃Do　you　want　me　to　stay　a　little　while？　Read　you　a　story？〃
　　〃No。　Just　the　night　light。〃　He　looked　shyly　at　his　father。　〃Would　you　stay；　Daddy？　For　a　minute？〃
　　〃Sure；　doc。〃　Wendy　sighed。　〃I'll　be　in　the　living　room；　Jack。〃
　　〃Okay。〃　She　got　up　and　watched　as　Danny　slid　under　the　covers。　He　seemed　very　small。
　　〃Are　you　sure　you're　okay；　Danny？〃
　　〃I'm　okay。　Just　plug　in　Snoopy；　Mom。〃
　　〃Sure。〃　She　plugged　in　the　night　light；　which　showed　Snoopy　lying　fast　asleep　on　top　of　his　doghouse。　He　had　never　wanted　a　night　light　until　they　moved　into　the　Overlook；　and　then　he　had　specifically　requested　one。　She　turned　off　the　lamp　and　the　overhead　and　looked　back　at　them；　the　small　white　circle　of　Danny's　face；　and　Jack's　above　it。　She　hesitated　a　moment　（and　then　I　went　through　the　mirror）　and　then　left　them　quietly。
　　〃You　sleepy？〃　Jack　asked；　brushing　Danny's　hair　off　his　forehead。
　　〃Yeah。〃
　　〃Want　a　drink　of　water？〃
　　〃No　。　。　。　〃　There　was　silence　for　five　minutes。　Danny　was　still　beneath　his　hand。　Thinking　the　boy　had　dropped　off；　he　was　about　to　get　up　and　leave　quietly　when　Danny　said　from　the　brink　of　sleep：
　　〃Roque。；'　Jack　turned　back；　all　zero　at　the　bone。
　　〃Danny…？〃
　　〃You'd　never　hurt　Mommy；　would　you；　Daddy？〃
　　〃No。〃
　　〃Or　me？〃
　　〃No。〃　Silence　again；　spinning　out。
　　〃Daddy？〃
　　〃What？〃
　　〃Tony　came　and　told　me　about　roque。〃
　　〃Did　he；　doc？　What　did　he　say？〃
　　〃I　don't　remember　much。　Except　he　said　it　was　in　innings。　Like　baseball。　Isn't　that　funny？〃
　　〃Yes。〃　Jack's　heart　was　thudding　dully　in　his　chest。　How　could　the　boy　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　tempe