the waiting room？〃
〃Yes； sir。〃
〃Danny； how would you know that？〃
〃I don't know；〃 Danny said wanly。 〃The shining； I guess。〃
〃The what？〃
Danny shook his head very slowly。 〃I'm awful tired。 Can't I go see my mommy
and daddy？ I don't want to answer any more questions。 I'm tired。 And my stomach
hurts。〃
〃Are you going to throw up？〃
〃No； sir。 I just want to go see my mommy and daddy。〃
〃Okay； Dan。〃 Edmonds stood up。 〃You go on out and see them for a minute； then
send them in so I can talk to them。 Okay？。〃
〃Yes； sir。〃
〃There are books out there to look at。 You like books； don't you？〃
〃Yes； sir；〃 Danny said dutifully。
〃You're a good boy； Danny。〃
Danny gave him a faint smile。
* * *
〃I can't find a thing wrong with him；〃 Dr。 Edmonds said to the Torrances。 〃Not
physically。 Mentally； he's bright and rather too imaginative。 It happens。
Children have to grow into their imaginations like a pair of oversized shoes。
Danny's is still way too big for him。 Ever had his IQ tested？〃
〃I don't believe in them；〃 Jack said。 〃They straight…jacket the expectations
of both parents and teachers。〃
Dr。 Edmonds nodded。 〃That may be。 But if you did test him； I think you'd find
he's right off the scale for his age group。 His verbal ability； for a boy who is
five going on six； is amazing。〃
〃We don't talk down to him；〃 Jack said with a trace of pride。
〃I doubt if you've ever had to in order to make yourself understood。〃 Edmonds
paused； fiddling with a pen。 〃He went into a trance while I was with him。 At my
request。 Exactly as you described him in the bathroom last night。 All his
muscles went lax； his body slumped； his eyeballs rotated outward。 Textbook auto…
hypnosis。 I was amazed。 I still am。〃
The Torrances sat forward。 〃What happened？〃 Wendy asked tensely； and Edmonds
carefully related Danny's trance； the muttered phrase from which Edmonds had
only been able to pluck the word 〃monsters；〃 the 〃dark；〃 the 〃pounding。〃 The
aftermath of tears； near…hysteria； and nervous stomach。
〃Tony again；〃 Jack said。
〃What does it mean？〃 Wendy asked。 〃Have you any idea？〃
〃A few。 You might not like them。〃
〃Go ahead anyway；〃 Jack told him。
〃From what Danny told me； his ‘invisible friend' was truly a friend until you
folks moved out here from New England。 Tony has only bee a threatening figure
since that move。 The pleasant interludes have bee nightmarish； even more
frightening to your son because he can't remember exactly what the nightmares
are about。 That's mon enough。 We all remember our pleasant dreams more
clearly than the scary ones。 There seems to be a buffer somewhere between the
conscious and the subconscious； and one hell of a bluenose lives in there。 This
censor only lets through a small amount； and often what does e through is
only symbolic。 That's oversimplified Freud； but it does pretty much describe
what we know of the mind's interaction with itself。〃
〃You think moving has upset Danny that badly？〃 Wendy asked。
〃It may have； if the move took place under traumatic circumstances；〃 Edmonds
said。 〃Did it？〃
Wendy and Jack exchanged a glance。
〃I was teaching at a prep school；〃 Jack said slowly。 〃I lost my job。〃
〃I see；〃 Edmonds said。 He put the pen he bad been playing with firmly back in
its holder。 〃There's more here； I'm afraid。 It may be painful to you。 Your son
seems to believe you two have seriously contemplated divorce。 He spoke of it in
an offhand way； but only because he believes you are no longer considering it。〃
Jack's mouth dropped open； and Wendy recoiled as if slapped。 The blood drained
from her face。
〃We never even discussed it！〃 she said。 〃Not in front of him； not even in
front of each other！ We — 〃
〃I think it's best if you understand everything； Doctor；〃 Jack said。 〃Shortly
after Danny was born； I became an alcoholic。 I'd had a drinking problem all the
way through college； it subsided a little after Wendy and I met； cropped up
worse than ever after Danny was born and the writing I consider to be my real
work was going badly。 When Danny was three and a half； he spilled some beer on a
bunch of papers I was working on 。。。 papers I was shuffling around； anyway 。。。
and I 。。。 well 。。。 oh shit。〃 His voice broke； but his eyes remained dry
and unflinching。 〃It sounds so goddam beastly said out loud。 I broke his arm
turning him around to spank him。 Three months later I gave up drinking。 I
haven't touched it since。〃
〃I see；〃 Edmonds said neutrally。 〃I knew the arm had been broken； of course。
It was set well。〃 He pushed back from his desk a little and crossed his legs。
〃If I may be frank； it's obvious that he's been in no way abused since then。
Other than the stings； there's nothing on him but the normal bruises and scabs
that any kid has in abundance。〃
〃Of course not；〃 Wendy said hotly。 〃Jack didn't mean— 〃
〃No； Wendy；〃 Jack said。 〃I meant to do it。 I guess someplace inside I really
did mean to do that to him。 Or something even worse。〃 He looked back at Edmonds
again。 〃You know something； Doctor？ This is the first time the word divorce has
been mentioned between us。 And alcoholism。 And child…beating。 Three firsts in
five minutes。〃
〃That may be at the root of the problem；〃 Edmonds said。 〃I am not a
psychiatrist。 If you want Danny to see a child psychiatrist； I can remend a
good one who works out of the Mission Ridge Medical Center in Boulder。 But I am
fairly confident of my diagnosis。 Danny is an intelligent； imaginative；
perceptive boy。 I don't believe he would have been as upset by your marital
problems as you believed。 Small children are great accepters。 They don't
understand shame； or the need to hide things。〃
Jack was studying his hands。 Wendy took one of them and squeezed it。
〃But he sensed the things that were wrong。 Chief among them from his point of
view was not the broken arm but the broken — or breaking — link between you two。
He mentioned divorce to me； but not the broken arm。 When my nurse mentioned the
set to him； he simply shrugged if off。 It was no pressure thing。 ‘It happened a
long time ago' is what I think he said。〃
〃That kid；〃 Jack muttered。 His jaws were clamped together； the muscles in the
cheeks standing out。 〃We don't deserve him。〃
〃You have him； all the same；〃 Edmonds said dryly。 〃At any rate； he retires
into a fantasy world from time to time。 Nothing unusual about that； lots of kids
do。 As I recall； I had my own invisible friend when I was Danny's age； a talking
rooster named Chug…Chug。 Of course no one could see Chug…Chug but me。 I had two
older brothers who often left me behind； and in such a situation Chug…Chug came
in mighty handy。 And of course you two must understand why Danny's invisible
friend is named Tony instead of Mike or Hal or Dutch。〃
〃Yes；〃 Wendy said。
〃Have you ever pointed it out to him？〃
〃No；〃 Jack said。 〃Should we？〃
〃Why bother？ Let him realize it in his own time； by his own logic。 You see；
Danny's fantasies were considerably deeper than those that grow aro