blue and yellow。 〃Is this？〃 A green party streamer； faded to a pale pastel color
with age。
〃And this？〃
She tossed it out and it came to rest on the blue…black jungle carpet； a black
silk cat's…eye mask； dusted with sequins at the temples。
〃Does that look like a short circuit to you； Jack？〃 she screamed at him。
Jack stepped slowly away from it； shaking his head mechanically back and
forth。 The cat's…eye mask stared up blankly at the ceiling from the confetti…
strewn hallway carpet。
》
THE BALLROOM
It was the first of December。
Danny was in the east…wing ballroom； standing on an over…stuffed； high…backed
wing chair； looking at the clock under glass。 It stood in the center of the
ballroom's high； ornamental mantelpiece； flanked by two large ivory elephants。
He almost expected the elephants would begin to move and try to gore him with
their tusks as he stood there； but they were moveless。 They were 〃safe。〃 Since
the night of the elevator he had e to divide all things at the Overlook into
two categories。 The elevator； the basement； the playground； Room 217； and the
Presidential Suite （it was Suite； not Sweet； he had seen the correct spelling in
an account book Daddy had been reading at supper last night and had memorized it
carefully） — those places were 〃unsafe。〃 Their quarters； the lobby； and the porch
were 〃safe。〃 Apparently the ballroom was； too。
（The elephants are； anyway。）
He was not sure about other places and so avoided them on general principle。
He looked at the clock inside the glass dome。 It was under glass because all
its wheels and cogs and springs were showing。 A chrome or steel