1بخش

Hi. I’ve got an appointment with Mr. Ullman.

My name is Jack Torrance.

His office is the first door on the left.

Thank you.

Mr. Ullman? Yes.

I’m Jack Torrance. Oh, come on in, Jack.

Very nice to meet you. Nice to meet you, Mr. Ullman.

This is my secretary, Susie. Hello.

Susie, how do you do? Any trouble finding us?

No problem at all. I made the trip in 3 1/2 hours.

That’s very good time.

Sit down a minute, Jack.

Just make yourself at home.

Would you like some coffee?

If you’re having some, I wouldn’t mind. Thanks.

-Susie. -Sure.

And would you ask Bill Watson to join us.

Yes, l will. Alright.

Mom?

Yeah?

Do you really want to go and live in that hotel for the winter?

Sure l do.

It’ll be lots of fun.

Yeah. I guess so.

Anyway, there’s hardly anybody to play with around here.

Yeah, I know. It always takes a little time to make new friends.

Yeah, l guess so.

What about Tony?

He’s looking forward to the hotel, l bet.

No, l ain’t, Mrs. Torrance.

Now, come on, Tony. Don’t be silly.

I don’t want to go there, Mrs. Torrance.

How come you don’t want to go?

I just don’t.

Well, let’s just wait and see.

We’re all gonna have a really good time.

Bill, I’d like you to meet Jack Torrance.

How do you do, Bill?

Nice to meet you. Pleasure to meet you.

Grab a chair, Bill; Join in.

Jack is going to take care of the Oνerlook for us this winter.

I’d like you to take him around soon as we’re through.

Fine.

Jack is a schoolteacher. Formerly a schoolteacher.

What line of work are you in now?

I’m a writer.

Teaching’s been more or less a way of making ends meet.

This ought to be quite a change for you.

Well, I’m looking for a change.

Our people in Denver recommended Jack very highly, and for once.

.I agree with them.

Let’s see, where were we?

I was about to explain that our season here runs from May 15th to October 30th.

Then we close down completely until the following May.

Do you mind if I ask why you do that?

It seems to me that the skiing up here would be fantastic.

It sure would be. The problem is the enormous cost it would be to keep the road to Sidewinder open.

It’s a 25-mile stretch of road.

It gets 20 feet of snow during the winter.

There’s just no way to make it economically feasible to keep it clear.

When the place was built in 1907 there was very little interest in winter sports.

And this site was chosen for its seclusion and scenic beauty.

Well, it’s certainly got plenty of that.

That’s right.

Did they give you any idea in Denver about what the job entails?

Only in a very general way.

Well, the winters can be fantastically cruel.

The basic idea is to cope with the very costly damage and depreciation which can occur.

And this consists mainly of running the boiler heating different parts of the hotel on a daily rotating basis repairing damage as it occurs and doing repairs so the elements can’t get a foothold.

That sounds fine to me.

Physically, it’s not a very demanding job.

The only thing that can get a bit trying here during the winter is a tremendous sense of isolation.

Well, that just happens to be exactly what I’m looking for.

I’m outlining a new writing project.

And five months of peace is just what l want.

That’s very good, Jack.

Because, for some people solitude and isolation can, of itself, become a problem.

Not for me.

How about your wife and son? Do you think they’ll take to it?

They’ll love it.

Great.

Well, before l turn you over to Bill there’s one other thing l think we should talk about.

I don’t wanna sound melodramatic but it’s something that been known to give a few people, second thoughts about the job.

I’m intrigued.

I don’t suppose they tell you anything in Denver, about the tragedy we had up here during the winter of 1970.

I don’t believe they did.

Well..

My predecessor in this job hired a man named Charles Grady as the winter caretaker.

He came up with his wife and two little girls of about 8 and 10.

And he had a good employment record, good references.

And from what I’ve been told, he seemed, like a completely normal individual.

But at some point during the winter he must have suffered some kind of a complete mental breakdown.

He ran amuck and killed his family with an ax.

Stacked them neatly in a room in the west wing, and then he put both barrels of his shotgun in his mouth.