the offices。 The lobby runs for eighty feet in either direction from the desk。
Over here in the west wing is the Overlook Dining Room and the Colorado Lounge。
The banquet and ballroom facility is in the east wing。 Questions？〃
〃Only about the basement；〃 Jack said。 〃For the winter caretaker； that's the
most important level of all。 Where the action is； so to speak。〃
〃Watson will show you all that。 The basement floor plan is on the boiler room
wall。〃 He frowned impressively； perhaps to show that as manager； he did not
concern himself with such mundane aspects of the Overlook's operation as the
boiler and the plumbing。 〃Might not be a bad idea to put some traps down there
too。 Just a minute。。。〃
He scrawled a note on a pad he took from his inner coat pocket （each sheet
bore the legend From the Desk of Stuart Ullman in bold black script）； tore it
off； and dropped it into the out basket。 It sat there looking lonesome。 The pad
disappeared back into Ullman's jacket pocket like the conclusion of a magician's
trick。 Now you see it； Jacky…boy； now you don't。 This guy is a real heavyweight。
They had resumed their original positions； Ullman behind the desk and Jack in
front of it； interviewer and interviewee； supplicant and reluctant patron。
Ullman folded his neat little hands on the desk blotter and looked directly at
Jack； a small； balding man in a banker's suit and a quiet gray tie。 The flower
in his lapel was balanced off by a small lapel pin on the other side。 It read
simply STAFF in small gold letters。
〃I'll be perfectly frank with you； Mr。 Torrance。 Albert Shockley is a powerful
man with a large interest in the Overlook； which showed a profit this season for
the first time in its history。 Mr。 Shockley also sits on the Board of Directors；
but he is not a hotel man and he would be the first to admit this。 But he has
made his wishes in this caretaking matter quite obvious。 He wants you hired。 I
will do so。 But if I had been given a free hand in this matter； I would not have
taken you on。〃
Jack's hands were clenched tightly in his lap； working against each other；
sweating。 Officious little prick； officious
〃I don't believe you care much for me； Mr。 Torrance。 I
little prick； officious —
don't care。 Certainly your feelings toward me play no part in my own belief
that you are not right for the job。 During the season that runs from May
fifteenth to September thirtieth； the Overlook employs one hundred and ten
people full…time； one for every room in the hotel； you might say。 I don't think
many of them like me and I suspect that some of them think I'm a bit of a
bastard。 They would be correct in their judgment of my character。 I have to be a
bit of a bastard to run this hotel in the manner it deserves。〃
He looked at Jack for ment； and Jack flashed the PR smile again； large and
insultingly toothy。
Ullman said： 〃The Overlook was built in the years 1907 to 1909。 The closest
town is Sidewinder； forty miles east of here over roads that are closed from
sometime in late October or November until sometime in April。 A man named Robert
Townley Watson built it； the grandfather of our present maintenance man。
Vanderbilts have stayed here； and Rockefellers； and Astors； and Du Pouts。 Four
Presidents have stayed in the Presidential Suite。 Wilson； Harding； Roosevelt；
and Nixon。〃
〃I wouldn't be too proud of Harding and Nixon；〃 Jack murmured。
Ullman frowned but went on regardless。 〃It proved too much for Mr。 Watson； and
he sold the hotel in 1915。 It was sold again in 1922； in 1929； in 1936。 It stood
vacant until the end of World War II； when it was purchased and pletely
renovated by Horace Derwent； millionaire inventor； pilot； film producer； and
entrepreneur。〃
〃I know the name；〃 Jack said。
〃Yes。 Everything he touched seemed to turn to gold 。。。 except the Overlook。
He funneled over a million dollars into it before the first postwar guest ever
stepped through its doors； turning a decrepit relic into a showplace。 It was
Derwent who added the roque court I saw you admiring when you arrived。〃
〃Roque？〃
〃A British forebear of our croquet； Mr。 Torrance。 Croquet is bastardized
roque。 According to legend； Derwent learned the game from his social secretary
and fell pletely in love with it。 Ours may be the finest roque court in
America。〃
〃I wouldn't doubt it；〃 Jack said gravely。 A roque court； a topiary full of
hedge animals out front； what next？ A life…sized Uncle Wiggly game behind the
equipment shed？ He was getting very tired of Mr。 Stuart Ullman； but he could see
that Ullman wasn't done。 Ullman was going to have his say； every last word of
it。
〃When he had lost three million； Derwent sold it to a group of California
investors。 Their experience with the Overlook was equally bad。 Just not hotel
people。
〃In 1970； Mr。 Shockley and a group of his associates bought the hotel and
turned its management over to me。 We have also run in the red for several years；
but I'm happy to say that the trust of the present owners in me has never
wavered。 Last year we broke even。 And this year the Overlook's accounts were
written in black ink for the first time in almost seven decades。〃
Jack supposed that this fussy little man's pride was justified； and then his
original dislike washed over him again in a wave。
He said： 〃I see no connection between the Overlook's admittedly colorful
history and your feeling that I'm wrong for the post； Mr。 Ullman。〃
〃One reason that the Overlook has lost so much money lies in the depreciation
that occurs each winter。 It shortens the profit margin a great deal more than
you might believe； Mr。 Torrance。 The winters are fantastically cruel。 In order
to cope with the problem； I've installed a full…time winter caretaker to run the
boiler and to heat different parts of the hotel on a daily rotating basis。 To
repair breakage as it occurs and to do repairs； so the elements can't get a
foothold。 To be constantly alert to any and every contingency。 During our first
winter I hired a family instead of a single man。 There was a tragedy。 A horrible
tragedy。〃
Ullman looked at Jack coolly and appraisingly。
〃I made a mistake。 I admit it freely。 The man was a drunk。〃
Jack felt a slow； hot grin — the total antithesis of the toothy PR grin —
stretch across his mouth。 〃Is that it？ I'm surprised Al didn't tell you。 I've
retired。〃
〃Yes； Mr。 Shockley told me you no longer drink。 He also told me about your
last job 。。。 your last position of trust； shall we say？ You were teaching
English in a Vermont prep school。 You lost your temper； I don't believe I need
to be any more specific than that。 But I do happen to believe that Grady's case
has a bearing； and that is why I have brought the matter of your 。。。 uh；
previous history into the conversation。 During the winter of 1970…71； after we
had refurbished the Overlook but before our first season； I hired this。。。 this
unfortunate named Delbert Grady。 He moved into the quarters you and your wife
and son will be sharing。 He had a wife and two daughters。 I had reservati