sk.theshining-第57部分

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y　drawn；　the　audience　sees　Gary's　body　face　down　on　the　forestage　as　Denker　strides　to　the　upstage　bookcase　and　feverishly　begins　pulling　books　from　the　shelves；　looking　at　them；　throwing　them　aside。　He　bad　thought　it　was　something　old　enough　to　be　new；　a　play　whose　novelty　alone　might　be　enough　to　see　it　through　a　successful　Broadway　run：　a　tragedy　in　five　acts。
　　But；　in　addition　to　his　sudden　diversion　of　interest　to　the　_　Overlooks　history；　something　else　had　happened。　He　had　developed　opposing　feelings　about　his　characters。　This　was　something　quite　new。　Ordinarily　he　liked　all　of　his　characters；　the　good　and　the　bad。　He　was　glad　he　did。　It　allowed　him　to　try　to　see　all　of　their　sides　and　understand　their　motivations　more　clearly。　His　favorite　story；　sold　to　a　small　southern　Maine　magazine　called　Contraband　for　copies；　had　been　a　piece　called　〃The　Monkey　Is　Here；　Paul　DeLong。〃　It　had　been　about　a　child　molester　about　to　mit　suicide　in　his　furnished　room。　The　child　molester's　name　had　been　Paul　DeLong；　Monkey　to　his　friends。　Jack　had　liked　Monkey　very　much。　He　sympathized　with　Monkey's　bizarre　needs。　knowing　that　Monkey　was　not　the　only　one　to　blame　for　the　three　rape…murders　in　his　past。
　　There　had　been　bad　parents；　the　father　a　beater　as　his　own　father　had　been；　the　mother　a　limp　and　silent　dishrag　as　his　mother　had　been。　A　homosexual　experience　in　grammar　school。　Public　humiliation。　Worse　experiences　in　high　school　and　college。　He　had　been　arrested　and　sent　to　an　institution　after　exposing　himself　to　a　pair　of　little　girls　getting　off　a　school　bus。　Worst　of　all；　he　had　been　dismissed　from　the　institution；　let　back　out　onto　the　streets；　because　the　man　in　charge　had　decided　he　was　all　right。　This　man's　name　had　been　Grimmer。
　　Grimmer　had　known　that　Monkey　DeLong　was　exhibiting　deviant　symptoms；　but　he　had　written　the　good；　hopeful　report　and　had　let　him　go　anyway。　Jack　liked　and　sympathized　with　Grimmer；　too。　Grimmer　had　to　run　an　understaffed　and　underfunded　institution　and　try　to　keep　the　whole　thing　together　with　spit；　baling　wire；　and　nickle…and…dime　appropriations　from　a　state　legislature　who　had　to　go　back　and　face　the　voters。　Grimmer　knew　that　Monkey　could　interact　with　other　people；　that　he　did　not　soil　his　pants　or　try　to　stab　his　fellow　inmates　with　the　scissors。　He　did　not　think　he　was　Napoleon。　The　staff　psychiatrist　in　charge　of　Monkey's　case　thought　there　was　a　better…than…even　chance　that　Monkey　could　make　it　on　the　street；　and　they　both　knew　that　the　longer　a　man　is　in　an　institution　the　more　he　es　to　need　that　closed　environment；　like　a　junkie　with　his　smack。　And　meanwhile；　people　were　knocking　down　the　doors。　Paranoids；　schizoids；　cycloids；　semicatatonics；　men　who　claimed　to　have　gone　to　heaven　in　flying　saucers；　women　who　had　burned　their　children's　sex　organs　off　with　Bic　lighters；　alcoholics；　pyromaniacs；　kleptomaniacs；　manic…depressives；　suicidals。
　　Tough　old　world；　baby。　If　you're　not　bolted　together　tightly；　you're　gonna　shake；　rattle；　and　roll　before　you　turn　thirty。　Jack　could　sympathize　with　Grimmer's　problem。　He　could　sympathize　with　the　parents　of　the　murder　victims。
　　With　the　murdered　children　themselves；　of　course。　And　with　Monkey　DeLong。　Let　the　reader　lay　blame。　In　those　days　he　hadn't　wanted　to　judge。　The　cloak　of　the　moralist　sat　badly　on　his　shoulders。
　　He　had　started　The　Little　School　in　the　same　optimistic　vein。　But　lately　he　had　begun　to　choose　up　sides；　and　worse　still；　he　had　e　to　loathe　his　hero；　Gary　Benson。　Originally　conceived　as　a　bright　boy　more　cursed　with　money　than　blessed　with　it；　a　boy　who　wanted　more　than　anything　to　pile　a　good　record　so　he　could　go　to　a　good　university　because　he　had　earned　admission　and　not　because　his　father　had　pulled　strings；　he　had　bee　to　Jack　a　kind　of　simpering　Goody　Two…shoes；　a　postulant　before　the　altar　of　knowledge　rather　than　a　sincere　acolyte；　an　outward　paragon　of　Boy　Scout　virtues；　inwardly　cynical；　filled　not　with　real　brilliance　（as　he　had　first　been　conceived）　but　only　with　sly　animal　cunning。　All　through　the　play　he　unfailingly　addressed　Denker　as　〃sir；〃　just　as　Jack　had　taught　his　own　son　to　address　those　older　and　those　in　authority　as
　　〃sir。〃　He　thought　that　Danny　used　the　word　quite　sincerely；　and　Gary　Benson　as　originally　conceived　had　too；　but　as　he　had　begun　Act　V；　it　had　e　more　and　more　strongly　to　him　that　Gary　was　using　the　word　satirically；　outwardly　straight…faced　while　the　Gary　Benson　inside　was　mugging　and　leering　at　Denker。
　　Denker；　who　had　never　had　any　of　the　things　Gary　had。　Denker；　who　had　had　to　work　all　his　life　just　to　bee　head　of　a　single　little　school。　Who　was　now　faced　with　ruin　over　this　handsome；　innocent…seeming　rich　boy　who　had　cheated　on　his　Final　position　and　had　then　cunningly　covered　his　tracks。　Jack　had　seen　Denker　the　teacher　as　not　much　different　from　the　strutting　South　American　little　Caesars　in　their　banana　kingdoms；　standing　dissidents　up　against　the　wall　of　the　handiest　squash　or　handball　court；　a　super…zealot　in　a　paratively　small　puddle；　a　man　whose　every　whim　bees　a　crusade。　In　the　beginning　he　had　wanted　to　use　his　play　as　a　microcosm　to　say　something　about　the　abuse　of　power。
　　Now　he　tended　more　and　more　to　see　Denker　as　a　Mr。　Chips　figure；　and　the　tragedy　was　not　the　intellectual　racking　of　Gary　Benson　but　rather　the　destruction　of　a　kindly　old　teacher　and　headmaster　unable　to　see　through　the　cynical　wiles　of　this　monster　masquerading　as　a　boy。
　　He　hadn't　been　able　to　finish　the　play。
　　Now　he　sat　looking　down　at　it；　scowling；　wondering　if　there　was　any　way　he　could　salvage　the　situation。　He　didn't　really　think　there　was。　He　bad　begun　with　one　play　and　it　had　somehow　turned　into　another；　presto…chango。　Well；　what　the　hell。　Either　way　it　had　been　done　before。　Either　way　it　was　a　load　of　shit。　And　why　was　he　driving　himself　crazy　about　it　tonight　anyway？　After　the　day　just　gone　by　it　was　no　wonder　he　couldn't　think　straight。
　　〃…get　him　down？〃　He　looked　up；　trying　to　blink　the　cobwebs　away。　〃Huh？〃
　　〃I　said；　how　are　we　going　to　get　him　down？　We've　got　to　get　him　out　of　here；　Jack。〃　For　a　moment　his　wits　were　so　scattered　that　he　wasn't　even　sure　what　she　was　talking　about。　Then　he　realized　and　uttered　a　short；　barking　laugh。
　　〃You　say　that　as　if　it　were　so　easy。〃
　　〃I　didn't　mean…〃
　　〃No　problem；　Wendy。　I'll　just　change　clothes　in　that　telephone　booth　down　in　the　lobby　and　fly　him　to　Denver　on　my　back。　Superman　Jack　Torrance；　they　called　me　in　my　salad　days。〃　Her　face　registered　slow　hurt。
　　〃I　understand　the　problem；　Jack。　The　radio　is　broken。　The　snow　。　。　。　but　you　have　to　understand　Danny's　problem。　My　God；　don't　you？　He　was　nearly　catatonic；　Jack！　What　if　he　hadn't　e　out　of　that？〃
　　〃But　he　did；〃　Jack　said；　a　trifle　shortly。　He　had　been　frightened　at　Danny's　blank…eyed；　slack…faced　state　too；　of　course　he　had。　At　first。　But　the　more　he　thought　about　it；　the　more　he　wondered　if　it　hadn't　been　a　piece　of　play…acting　put　on　to　escape　his　punishment。　He　had；　after　all；　been　trespassing。
　　〃All　the　same；〃　she　said。　She　came　to　him　and　sat　on　the　end　of　the　bed　by　his　desk。　Her　face　was　both　surprised　and　worried。　〃Jack；　the　bruises　on　his　neck！
　　Something　got　at　him！　And　I　want　him　away　from　it！〃
　　〃Don't　shout；〃　he　said。　〃My　head　aches；　Wendy。　I'm　as　worried　about　this　as　you　are；　so　please　。　。　。　don't　。　。　。　shout。〃
　　〃All　right；〃　she　said；　lowering　her　voice。　〃I　won't　shout。　But　I　don't　understand　you；　Jack。　Someone　is　in　here　with　us。　And　not　a　very　nice　someone；　either。　We　have　to　get　down　to　Sidewinder；　not　just　Danny　but　all　of　us。
　　Quickly。　And　you　。　。　。　you're　sitting　there　reading　your　play！〃
　　〃　'We　have　to　get　down；　we　have　to　get　down；'　you　keep　saying　that。　You　must　think　I　really　am　Superman。〃
　　〃I　think　you're　my　husband；〃　she　said　softly；　and　looked　down　at　her　hands。
　　His　temper　flared。　He　slammed　the　playscript　down；　knocking　the　edges　of　the　pile　out　of　true　again　and　crumpling　the　sheets　on　the　bottom。
　　〃It's　time　you　got　some　of　the　home　truths　into　you；　Wendy。　You　don't　seem　to　have　internalized　them；　as　the　sociologists　say。　They're　knocking　around　up　in　your　head　like　a　bunch　of　loose　cueballs。　You　need　to　shoot　them　into　the　pockets。　You　need　to　understand　that　we　are　snowed　in。〃　Danny　had　suddenly　bee　active　in　his　bed。　Still　sleeping；　he　had　begun　to　twist　and　turn。　The　way　he　always　did　when　we　fought；　Wendy　thought　dismally。
　　And　we're　doing　it　again。
　　〃Don't　wake　him　up；　Jack。　Please。〃　He　glanced　over　at　Danny　and　some　of　the　flush　went　out　of　his　cheeks。　〃Okay。
　　I'm　sorry。　I'm　sorry　I　sounded　mad；　Wendy。　It's　not　really　for　you。　But　I　broke　the　radio。　If　it's　anybody's　fault　it's　mine。　That　was　our　big　link　to　the　outside。　Olly…oily…in…for…free。　Please　e　get　us；　Mister　Ranger。　We　can't　stay　out　this　late。〃
　　〃Don't；〃　she　said；　and　put　a　hand　on　his　shoulder。　He　leaned　his　head　against　it。　She　brushed　his　hair　with　her　other　hand。　〃I　guess　you've　got　a　right；　after　what　I　accused　you　of。　Sometimes　I　am　like　my　mother。　I　can　be　a　bitch。　But　you　have　to　understand　that　some　things　。　。　。　are　hard　to　get　over。　You　have　to　understand　that。〃
　　〃Do　you　mean　his　arm？〃