worthy than the VW；
which was now wheezing gravely and seemed terminal） to get three gallons of milk
and do some Christmas shopping。 It was early to shop； but there was no telling
when the snow would e to stay。 There had already been flurries； and in some
places the road down from the Overlook was slick with patch ice。
So far the fall had been almost preternaturally beautiful。 In the three weeks
they had been here； golden day had followed golden day。 Crisp； thirty…degree
mornings gave way to afternoon temperatures in the low sixties； the perfect
temperature for climbing around on the Overlook's gently sloping western roof
and doing the shingling。 Jack had admitted freely to Wendy that he could have
finished the job four days ago； but he felt no real urge to hurry。 The view from
up here was spectacular； even putting the vista from the Presidential Suite in
the shade。 More important； the work itself was soothing。 On the roof he felt
himself healing from the troubled wounds of the last three years。 On the roof he
felt at peace。 Those three years began to seem like a turbulent nightmare。
The shingles had been badly rotted； some of them blown entirely away by last
winter's storms。 He had ripped them all up； yelling 〃Bombs away！〃 as he dropped
them over the side； not wanting Danny to get hit in case he had wandered over。
He had been pulling out bad flashing when the wasp had gotten him。
The ironic part was that he warned himself each time he climbed onto the roof
to keep an eye out for nests； he had gotten that bug bomb just in case。 But this
morning the stillness and peace had been so plete that his watchfulness had
lapsed。