you not to enter this room；〃 Bluebeard said； unsheathing his sword。 〃Alas； in
your curiosity you are like the other seven； and though I loved you best of all
your ending shall be as was theirs。 Prepare to die； wretched woman！〃
It seemed vaguely to Danny that the story had bad a happy ending； but that had
paled to insignificance beside the two dominant images： the taunting； maddening
locked door with some great secret behind it； and the grisly secret itself；
repeated more than half a dozen times。 The locked door and behind it the heads；
the severed beads。
His hand reached out and stroked the room's doorknob； almost furtively。 He had
no idea how long be had been here； standing hypnotized before the bland gray
locked door。
（And maybe three times I've thought I've seen things 。。。 nasty things 。。。）
But Mr。 Hallorann — Dick — had also said he didn't think those things could hurt
you。 They were like scary pictures in a book； that was all。 And maybe he
wouldn't see anything。 On the other hand 。。。
He plunged his left hand into his pocket and it came out holding the passkey。
It had been there all along； of course。
He held it by the square metal tab on the end which had OFFICE printed on it
in Magic Marker。 He twirled the key on its chain； watching it go around and
around。 After several minutes of this he stopped and slipped the passkey into
the lock。 It slid in smoothly； with no hitch； as if it had wanted to be there
all along。
（I've thought I've seen things 。。。 nasty things 。。。 promise me you won't
go in there。）
（I promise。）
And a promise was； of course； very important。 Still； his curiosity itched at
him as maddeningly as poison ivy in a place you aren't supposed to scratch。 But
it was a dreadful kind of curiosity； the kind that makes you peek through your
fingers during the scariest parts of a scary movie。 What was beyond that door
would be no movie。
（I don't think those things can hurt you 。。。 like scary pictures in a book 。。。）
Suddenly he reached out with his left hand； not sure of what it was going to
do until it had removed the passkey and stuffed it back into his pocket。 He
stared at the door a moment longer； blue…gray eyes wide； then turned quickly and
walked back down the corridor toward the main hallway that ran at right angles
to the corridor he was in。
Something made him pause there and he wasn't sure what for a moment。 Then he
remembered that directly around this corner； on the way back to the stairs；
there was one of those old…fashioned fire extinguishers curled up against the
wall。 Curled there like a dozing snake。
They weren't chemical…type extinguishers at all； Daddy said； although there
were several of those in the kitchen。 These were the forerunner of the modern
sprinkler systems。 The long canvas hoses hooked directly into the Overlook's
plumbing system； and by turning a single valve you could bee a one…man fire
department。 Daddy said that the chemical extinguishers； which sprayed foam or
CO； were much better。 The chemicals smothered fires； took away the oxygen they
needed to burn； while a high…pressure spray might just spread the flames around。
Daddy said that Mr。 Ullman should replace the old…fashioned hoses right along
with the old…fashioned boiler； but Mr。 Ullman would probably do neither because
he was a CHEAP PRICK。 Danny knew that this was one of the worst epithets his
father could summon。 It was applied to certain doctors； dentists； and appliance
repairmen； and also to the head of his English Department at Stovington； who had
disallowed some of Daddy's book orders because he said the books would put them
over budget。 〃Over budget； hell；〃 he had fumed to Wendy — Danny had been listening
from his bedroom where he was supposed to be asleep。 〃He's just saving the last
five hundred bucks for himself； the CHEAP PRICK。〃
Danny looked around the corner。
The extinguisher was there； a fiat hose folded back a dozen times on itself；
the red tank attached to the wall。 Above it was an ax in a glass case like a
museum exhibit； with white words printed on a red background： IN CASE OF
EMERGENCY； BREAK GLASS。 Danny could read the word EMERGENCY； which was also the
name of one of his favorite TV shows； but was unsure of the rest。 But he didn't
like the way the word was used in connection with that long fiat hose。 EMERGENCY
was'； fire； explosions； car crashes； hospitals； sometimes death。 And he didn't
like the way that hose hung so blandly on the wall。 When he was alone； he always
skittered past these extinguishers as fast as he could。 No particular reason。 It
just felt better to go fast。 It felt safer。
Now； heart thumping loudly in his chest； he came around the corner and looked
down the hall past the extinguisher to the stairs。 Mommy was down there；
sleeping。 And if Daddy was back from his walk； he would probably be sitting in
the kitchen； eating a sandwich and reading a book。 He would just walk right past
that old extinguisher and go downstairs。
He started toward it； moving closer to the far wall until his right arm was
brushing the expensive silk paper。 Twenty steps away。 Fifteen。 A dozen。
When he was ten steps away； the brass nozzle suddenly rolled off the fat loop
it had been lying
（sleeping？）
on and fell to the hall carpet with a dull thump。 It lay there； the dark bore
of its muzzle pointing at Danny。 He stopped immediately； his shoulders twitching
forward with the suddenness of his scare。 His blood thumped thickly in his ears
and temples。 His mouth had gone dry and sour； his hands curled into fists。 Yet
the nozzle of the hose only lay there； its brass casing glowing mellowly； a loop
of flat canvas leading back up to the red…painted frame bolted to the wall。
So it had fallen off； so what？ It was only a fire extinguisher； nothing else。
It was stupid to think that it looked like some poison snake from 〃Wide World of
Animals〃 that had heard him and woken up。 Even if the stitched canvas did look a
little bit like scales。 He would just step over it and go down the hall to the
stairs； walking a little bit fast； maybe； to make sure it didn't snap out after
him and curl around his foot。。。
He wiped his lips with his left hand； in unconscious imitation of his father；
and took a step forward。 No movement from the hose。 Another step。 Nothing。
There； see how stupid you are？ You got all worked up thinking about that dumb
room and that dumb Bluebeard story and that hose was probably ready to fall off
for the last five years。 That's all。
Danny stared at the hose on the floor and thought of wasps。
Eight steps away； the nozzle of the hose gleamed peacefully at him from the
rug as if to say： Don't worry。 I'm just a hose； that's all。 And even if that
isn't all； what I do to you won't be much worse than a bee sting。 Or a wasp
sting。 What would I want to do to a nice little boy like you 。。。 except bite。。。
and bite 。。。 and bite？
Danny took another step； and another。 His breath was dry and harsh in his
throat。 Panic was close now。 He began to wish the hose would move；