te speed。 The protruding skis were also black。
There was black piping to the right and left of the cowling； what they would call racing stripes on a sports car。 But the actual paintjob was a bright； sneering yellow； and that was what he didn't like about it。 Sitting there in its shaft of morning sun； yellow body and black piping； black skis and black upholstered open cockpit； it looked like a monstrous mechanized wasp。 When it was running it would sound like that too。 Whining and buzzing and ready to sting。 But then； what else should it look like？ It wasn't flying under false colors； at least。 Because after it had done its job； they were going to be hurting plenty。 All of them。 By spring the Torrance family would be hurting so badly that what those wasps had done to Danny's hand would look like a mother's kisses。
He pulled his handkerchief from his back pocket； wiped his mouth with it； and walked over to the Skidoo。 He stood looking down at it； the frown very deep now； and stuffed his handkerchief back into his pocket。 Outside a sudden gust of wind slammed against the equipment shed； making it rock and creak。 He looked out the window and saw the gust carrying a sheet of sparkling snow crystals toward the drifted…in rear of the hotel； whirling them high into the hard blue sky。
The wind dropped and be went back to looking at the machine。 It was a disgusting thing； really。 You almost expected to see a long； limber stinger protruding from the rear of it。 He had always disliked the goddam snowmobiles。
They shivered the cathedral silence of winter into a million rattling fragments。
They startled the wildlife。 They sent out huge and pollutive clouds of blue and billowing oilsmoke behind them…cough； cough； gag； gag； let me breathe。 They were perhaps the final grotesque toy of the unwinding fossil fuel age； given to ten…year…olds for Christmas。
He remembered a newspaper article he had read in Stovington； a story datelined someplace in Maine。 A kid on a snowmobile； barrel…assing up a road he'd never traveled before at better than thirty miles an hour。 Night。 His headlight off。
There had been a heavy chain strung between two posts with a NO TRESPASSING sign hung from the middle。 They said that in all probability the kid never saw it。
The moon might have gone behind a cloud。 The chain had decapitated him。 Reading the story Jack had been almost glad； and now； looking down at this machine； the feeling recurred。
（If it wasn't for Danny； I would take great pleasure in grabbing one of those mallets； opening the cowling； and just pounding until） He let his pent…up breath escape him in a long slow sigh。 Wendy was right。
e hell； high water； or the welfare line； Wendy was right。 Pounding this machine to death would be the height of folly； no matter how pleasant an aspect that folly made。 It would almost be tantamount to pounding his own son to death。
〃Fucking Luddite；〃 he said aloud。
He went to the back of the machine and unscrewed the gascap。 He found a dipstick on one of the shelves that ran at chest…height around the walls and slipped it in。 The last eighth of an inch came out wet。 Not very much； but enough to see if the damn thing would run。 Later he could siphon more from the Volks and the hotel truck。
He screwed the cap back on and opened the cowling。 No sparkplugs； no battery。
He went to the shelf again and began to poke along it； pushing aside screwdrivers and adjustable wrenches； a one…lung carburetor that had been taken out of an old lawnmower； plastic boxes of screws and nails and bolts of varying sizes。 The shelf was thick and dark with old grease； and the years' accumulation of dust had stuck to it like fur。 He didn't like touching it。
He found a small； oil…stained box with the abbreviation Skid。 laconically marked on it in pencil。 He shook it and something rattled inside。 Plugs。 He held one of them up to the light； trying to estimate the gap without hunting around for the gapping tool。 Fuck it； he thought resentfully； and dropped the plug back into the box。 If the gap's wrong； that's just too damn bad。 Tough fucking titty。
There was a stool behind the door。 He dragged it over； sat down； and installed the four sparkplugs； then fitted the small rubber caps over each。 That done； be let his fingers play briefly over the magneto。 They laughed when I sat down at the piano。
Back to the shelves。 This time he couldn't find what he wanted； a small battery。 A three… or four…cell。 There were socket wrenches； a case filled with drills and drillbits； bags of lawn fertilizer and Vigoro for the flower beds； but no snowmobile battery。 It didn't bother him in the slightest。 In fact； it made him feel glad。 He was relieved。 I did my best； Captain； but I could not get through。 That's fine； son。 I'm going to put you in for the Silver Star and the Purple Snowmobile。 You're a credit to your regiment。 Thank you； sir。 I did try。
He began to whistle 〃Red River Valley〃 uptempo as he poked along the last two or three feet of shelf。 The notes came out in little puffs of white smoke。 He bad made a plete circuit of the shed and the thing wasn't there。 Maybe somebody had lifted it。 Maybe Watson had。 He laughed aloud。 The old office bootleg trick。 A few paperclips； a couple of reams of paper； nobody will miss this tablecloth or this Golden Regal place setting 。 。 。 and what about this fine snowmobile battery？ Yes； that might e in handy。 Toss it in the sack。
White…collar crime； Baby。 Everybody has sticky fingers。 Under…the…jacket discount； we used to call it when we were kids。
He walked back to the snowmobile and gave the side of it a good healthy kick as he went by。 Well； that was the end of it。 He would just have to tell Wendy sorry； baby； but… There was a box sitting in the corner by the door。 The stool bad been right over it。 Written on the top； in pencil； was the abbreviation Skid。
He looked at it； the smile drying up on his lips。 Look； sir； it's the cavalry。
Looks like your smoke signals must have worked after all。
It wasn't fair。
Goddammit； it just wasn't fair。
Something…luck； fate； providence…had been trying to save him。 Some other luck； white luck。 And at the last moment bad old Jack Torrance luck had stepped back in。 The lousy run of cards wasn't over yet。
Resentment； a gray； sullen wave of it； pushed up his throat。 His hands had clenched into fists again。
（Not fair； goddammit； not fair！） Why couldn't he have looked someplace else？ Anyplace！ Why hadn't he had a crick in his neck or an itch in his nose or the need to blink？ Just one of those little things。 He never would have seen it。
Well； he hadn't。 That was all。 It was an hallucination； no different from what had happened yesterday outside that room on the second floor or the goddam hedge menagerie。 A momentary strain； that was all。 Fancy； I thought I saw a snowmobile battery in that corner。 Nothing there now。 bat fatigue； I guess； sir。 Sorry。
Keep your pecker up； son。 It happens to all of us sooner or later。
He yanked the door open almost hard enough to snap the binges and pulled his snowshoes inside。 They were clotted with snow and he slapped them down hard enough on the floor to raise a cloud of it。 He put his left foot on the left shoe 。 。 。 and paused。
Danny was out there； by the milk platform。 Trying to make a snowman； by the looks。 Not much luck； the snow was too cold to stick together。 Still； he was giving it the old college try； out there in the flashing morning； a speck of a bundled…up boy above the brilliant snow and below the brilliant sky。 Wearing his hat turned around backward like Carlton Fiske。
（What in the name of God were you thinking of？） The answer came back with no pause。
（Me。 I was thinking of me。） He suddenly remembered lying in bed the night before； lying there and suddenly he had been contemplating the murder of his wife。
In that instant； kneeling there； everything came clear to him。 It was not just Danny the Overlook was working on。 It was working on him； too。 It wasn't Danny who was the weak link； it was him。 He was the vulnerable one； the one who could be bent and twisted until something snapped。
（until i let go an