〃No Daddy no no no — 〃
And they both heard the vicious； descending swing of the invisible club；
cutting the air somewhere very close； then fading away to silence as he ran to
his mother and hugged her； trembling like a rabbit in a snare。
The Overlook was not going to let him call Dick。 That might spoil the fun；
too。
They were alone。
Outside the snow came harder； curtaining them off from the world。
》
MID…AIR
Dick Hallorann's flight was called at 6：45 A。M。； EST； and the boarding clerk
held him by Gate 31； shifting his flight bag nervously from hand to hand； until
the last call at 6：55。 They were both looking for a man named Carlton Vecker；
the only passenger on TWA's flight 196 from Miami to Denver who hadn't checked
in。
〃Okay；〃 the clerk said； and issued Hallorann a blue firstclass boarding pass。
〃You lucked out。 You can board； sir。〃
Hallorann hurried up the enclosed boarding ramp and let the mechanically
grinning stewardess tear his pass off and give him the stub。
〃We're serving breakfast on the flight；〃 the stew said。 〃If you'd like — 〃
〃Just coffee； babe；〃 he said； and went down the aisle to a seat in the smoking
section。 He kept expecting the no…show Vecker to pop through the door like a
jack…in…the…box at the last second。 The woman in the seat by the window was
reading You Can Be Your Own Best Friend with a sour； unbelieving expression on
her face。 Hallorann buckled his seat belt and then wrapped his large black hands
around the seat's armrests and promised the absent Carlton Vecker that it would
take him and five strong TWA flight attendants to drag him out of his seat。 He
kept his eye on his watch。 It dragged off the minutes to the 7：00 takeoff time
with maddening slowness。
At 7：05 the stewardess informed them that there would be a slight delay while
the ground crew rechecked one of the latches on the cargo door。
〃Shit for brains；〃 Dick Hallorann muttered。
The sharp…faced woman turned her sour； unbelieving expression on him and then
went back to her book。
He had spent the night at the airport； going from counter to counter — United；
American； TWA； Continental； Braniff — haunting the ticket clerks。 Sometime after
midnight； drinking his eighth or ninth cup of coffee in the canteen； he had
decided he was being an asshole to have taken this whole thing on his own
shoulders。 There were authorities。 He had gone down to the nearest bank of
telephones； and after talking to three different operators； he had gotten the
emergency number of the Rocky Mountain National Park Authority。
The man who answered the telephone sounded utterly worn out。 Hallorann had
given a false name and said there was trouble at the Overlook Hotel； west of
Sidewinder。 Bad trouble。
He was put on hold。
The ranger （Hallorann assumed he was a ranger） came back on in about five
minutes。
〃They've got a CB；〃 the ranger said。
〃Sure they've got a CB；〃 Hallorann said。
〃We haven't had a Mayday call from them。〃
〃Man； that don't matter。 They — 〃
〃Exactly what kind of trouble are they in； Mr。 Hall？〃
〃Well； there's a family。 The caretaker and his family。 I think maybe he's gone
a little nuts； you know。 I think maybe he might hurt his wife and his little
boy。〃
〃May I ask how you've e by this information； sir？〃
Hallorann closed his eyes。 〃What's your name； fellow？〃
〃Tom Staunton； sir。〃
〃Well； Tom； I know。 Now I'll be just as straight with you as I can be。 There's
bad trouble up there。 Maybe killin bad； do you dig what I'm sayin？〃
〃Mr。 Hall； I really have to know how you — 〃
〃Look；〃 Hallorann had said。 〃I'm telling you I know。 A few years back there
was a fellow up there name of Grady。 He killed his wife and his two daughters
and then pulled the string on himself。 I'm telling you it's going to happen
again if you guys don't haul your asses out there and stop it！〃
〃Mr。 Hall； you're not calling from Colorado。〃
〃No。 But what difference — 〃
〃If you're not in Colorado； you're not in CB range of the Overlook Hotel。 If
you're not in CB range you can't possibly have been in contact with the； uh 。。。〃
Faint rattle of papers。 〃The Torrance family。 While I had you on hold I tried
to telephone。 It's out； which is nothing unusual。 There are still twenty…five
miles of aboveground telephone lines between the hotel and the Sidewinder
switching station。 My conclusion is that you must be some sort of crank。〃
〃Oh man； you stupid 。。。〃 But his despair was too great to find a noun to go
with the adjective。 Suddenly； illumination。 〃Call them！〃 he cried。
〃Sir？〃
〃You got the CB； they got the CB。 So call them！ Call them and ask them what's
up！〃
There was a brief silence； and the humming of long…distance wires。
〃You tried that too； didn't you？〃 Hallorann asked。 〃That's why you had me on
hold so long。 You tried the phone and then you tried the CB and you didn't get
nothing but you don't think nothing's wrong 。。。 what are you guys doing up
there？ Sitting on your asses and playing gin rummy？〃
〃No； we are not；〃 Staunton said angrily。 Hallorann was relieved at the sound
of anger in the voice。 For the first time he felt he was speaking to a man and
not to a recording。 〃I'm the only man here； sir。 Every other ranger in the park；
plus game wardens； plus volunteers； are up in Hasty Notch； risking their lives
because three stupid assholes with six months' experience decided to try the
north face of King's Ram。 They're stuck halfway up there and maybe they'll get
down and maybe they won't。 There are two choppers up there and the men who are
flying them are risking their lives because it's night here and it's starting to
snow。 So if you're still having trouble putting it all together； I'll give you a
hand with it。 Number one； I don't have anybody to send to the Overlook。 Number
two； the Overlook isn't a priority here — what happens in the park is a priority。
Number three； by daybreak neither one of those choppers will be able to fly
because it's going to snow like crazy； according to the National Weather
Service。 Do you understand the situation？〃
〃Yeah；〃 Hallorann had said softly。 〃I understand。〃
〃Now my guess as to why I couldn't raise them on the CB is very simple。 I
don't know what time it is where you are； but out here it's nine…thirty。 I think
they may have turned it off and gone to bed。 Now if you — 〃
〃Good luck with your climbers； man；〃 Hallorann said。 〃But I want you to know
that they are not the only ones who are stuck up high because they didn't know
what they were getting into。〃
He had hung up the phone。
* * *
At 7：20 A。M。 the TWA 747 backed lumberingly out of its stall； turned； and
rolled out toward the runway。 Hallorann let out a long； soundless exhale。
Carlton Vecker； wherever you are； eat your heart out。
Flight 196 parted pany with the ground at 7：28； and at 7：31； as it gained
altitude； the thought…pistol went off in Dick Hallorann's head again。 His
shoulders hunched uselessly