brain and drag it out of her mouth； making it real。 DIVORCE。 It was a constant
undercurrent in their thoughts； one of the few he could always pick up； like the
beat of simple music。 But like a beat； the central thought formed only the spine
of more plex thoughts； thoughts he could not as yet even begin to interpret。
They came to him only as colors and moods。 Mommy's DIVORCE thoughts centered
around what Daddy had done to his arm； and what had happened at Stovington when
Daddy lost his job。 That boy。 That George Hatfield who got pissed off at Daddy
and put the holes in their bug's feet。 Daddy's DIVORCE thoughts were more
plex； colored dark violet and shot through with frightening veins of pure
black。 He seemed to think they would be better off if he left。 That things would
stop hurting。 His daddy hurt almost all the time； mostly about the Bad Thing。
Danny could almost always pick that up too： Daddy's constant craving to go into
a dark place and watch a color TV and eat peanuts out of a bowl and do the Bad
Thing until his brain would be quiet and leave him alone。
But this afternoon his mother had no need to worry and he wished he could go
to her and tell her that。 The bug had not broken down。 Daddy was not off
somewhere doing the Bad Thing。 He was almost home now； put…putting along the
highway between Lyons and Boulder。 For the moment his daddy wasn't even thinking
about the Bad Thing。 He was thinking about 。。。about。。。
Danny looked furtively behind him at the kitchen window。 Sometimes thinking
very hard made something happen to him。 It made things — real things — go away；
and then he saw things that weren't there。 Once； not long after they put the
cast on his arm； this had happened at the supper table。 They weren't talking
much to each other then。 But they were thinking。 Oh yes。 The thoughts of DIVORCE
hung over the kitchen table like a cloud full of black rain； pregnant； ready to
burst。 It was so bad he couldn't eat。 The thought of eating with all that black
DIVORCE around made him want to throw up。 And because it had seemed desperately
important； he had thrown himself fully into concentration and something had
happened。 When he came back to real things； he was lying on the floor with beans
and mashed potatoes in his lap and his mommy was holding him and crying and
Daddy had been on the phone。 He had been frightened； had tried to explain to
them that there was nothing wrong。 that this sometimes happened to him when he
concentrated on understanding more than what normallv came to him。 He tried to
explain about Tony； who they called his 〃invisible playmate。〃
His father had said： 〃He's having a Ha Loo Sin Nation。 He seems okay； but I
want the doctor to look at him anyway。〃
After the doctor left； Mommy had made him promise to never do that again； to
never scare them that way； and Danny had agreed。 He was frightened himself。
Because when he bad concentrated his mind； it had flown out to his daddy； and
for just a moment； before Tony had appeared （far away； as be always did； calling
distantly） and the strange things had blotted out their kitchen and the carved
roast on the blue plate； for just a moment his own consciousness had plunged
through his daddy's darkness to an inprehensible word much more frightening
than DIVORCE； and that word was SUICIDE。 Danny had never e across it again in
his daddy's mind； and he had certainly not gone looking for it。 He didn't care
if he never found out exactly what that word meant。
But he did like to concentrate； because sometimes Tony would e。 Not every
time。 Sometimes things just got woozy and swimmy for a minute and then cleared —
most times； in fact — but at other times Tony would appear at the very limit of
his vision； calling distantly and beckoning 。。。
It had happened twice since they moved to Boulder； and he remembered how
surprised and pleased he had been to find Tony had followed him all the way from
Vermont。 So all his friends hadn't been left behind after all。
The first time he had been out in the back yard and nothing much had happened。
Just Tony beckoning and then darkness and a few minutes later he had e back
to real things with a few vague fragments of memory； like a jumbled dream。 The
second time； two weeks ago； had been more interesting。 Tony； beckoning； calling
from four yards over： 〃Danny 。。。 e see 。。。〃 It seemed that he was getting
up； then falling into a deep hole； like Alice into Wonderland。 Then he had been
in the basement of the apartment house and Tony had been beside him； pointing
into the shadows at the trunk his daddy carried all his important papers in；
especially 〃THE PLAY。〃
〃See？〃 Tony had said in his distant； musical voice。 〃It's under the… stairs。
Right under the stairs。 The movers put it right 。。。 under。。。 the stairs。〃
Danny had stepped forward to look more closely at this marvel and then he was
falling again； this time out of the back…yard swing； where he had been sitting
all along。 He had gotten the wind knocked out of himself； too。
Three or four days later his daddy had been stomping around； telling Mommy
furiously that he had been all over the goddam basement and the trunk wasn't
there and he was going to sue the goddam movers who had left it somewhere
between Vermont and Colorado。 How was he supposed to be able to finish 〃THE
PLAY〃 if things like this kept cropping up？
Danny said； 〃No； Daddy。 It's under the stairs。 The movers put it right under
the stairs。〃
Daddy had given him a strange look and had gone down to see。 The trunk had
been there； just where Tony had shown him。 Daddy had taken him aside； had sat
him on his lap； and had asked Danny who let him down cellar。 Had it been Tom
from upstairs？ The cellar was dangerous； Daddy said。 That was why the landlord
kept it locked。 If someone was leaving it unlocked； Daddy wanted to know。 He was
glad to have his papers and his 〃PLAY〃 but it wouldn't be worth it to him； he
said； if Danny fell down the stairs and broke his 。。。 his leg。 Danny told his
father earnestly that he hadn't been down in the cellar。 That door was always
locked。 And Mommy agreed。 Danny never went down in the back hall； she said；
because it was damp and dark and spidery。 And he didn't tell lies。
〃Then how did you know； doc？〃 Daddy asked。
〃Tony showed me。〃
His mother and father had exchanged a look over his head。 This had happened
before； from time to time。 Because it was frightening； they swept it quickly
from their minds。 But he knew they worried about Tony； Mommy especially； and he
was careful about thinking the way that could make Tony e where she might
see。 But now he thought she was lying down； not moving about in the kitchen yet；
and so he concentrated hard to see if he could understand what Daddy was
thinking about。
His brow furrowed and his slightly grimy hands clenched into tight fists on
his jeans。 He did not close his eyes…that wasn't necessary…but he squinched them
down to slits and imagined Daddy's voice； Jack's voice； John Daniel Torrance's
voice； deep and steady； sometimes quirking up with a