The Shining

58. Epilogue / Summer

After he had finished checking over the salads his understudy had made and peeked in on the home-baked beans they were using as appetizers this week, Hallora

The name of this place was the Red Arrow Lodge, and it was buried in the western Maine mountains, thirty miles from the town of Rangely. It was a good gig, Hallora

He threaded his way between the outdoor bar and the swimming pool (although why anyone would want to use the pool with the lake so handy he would never know), crossed a greensward where a party of four was playing croquet and laughing, and crested a mild ridge. Pines took over here, and the wind soughed pleasantly in them, carrying the aroma of fir and sweet resin.

On the other side, a number of cabins with views of the lake were placed discreetly among the trees. The last one was the nicest, and Hallora

The woman was sitting on the porch in a rocking chair, a book in her hands. Hallora

She heard his step and looked up, closing her book. “Dick! Hi!” She started to rise, and a little grimace of pain crossed her face.

“hope, don't get up,” he said. “I don't stand on no ceremony unless it's white tie and tails.”

She smiled as he came up the steps and sat down next to her on the porch.

“How is it going?”

“Pretty fair,” he admitted. “You try the shrimp creole tonight. You go

“That's a deal.”

“Where's Da

“Right down there.” She pointed, and Hallora

“He's gettin brown,” Hallora

“Yes. Very brown.” She looked at him fondly.

He took out a cigarette, tamped it, lit it. The smoke raftered away lazily in the su

“Better,” Wendy said. “Only one this week. It used to be every night, sometimes two and three times. The explosions. The hedges. And most of all… you know.”

“Yeah. He's going to be okay, Wendy.”

She looked at him. “Will he? I wonder.”

Hallora

They were silent for a while, Wendy moving the rocking chair back and forth a little, Hallora

“I've decided to take Al-Mr. Shockley-up on his offer,” she said.

Hallora

“Right after Labor Day. When Da

Hallora

She looked at him and smiled wanly. “I think Maryland is far enough.”

“You won't forget old friends, will you?”

“Da

“Well, so have L” He stood up and hitched his cook's whites at the hips. “The two of you are going to be okay,” he repeated. “Can't you feel it?”

She looked up at him and this time her smile was warmer. “Yes,” she said. She took his hand and kissed it. “Sometimes I think I can.”

“The shrimp creole,” he said, moving to the steps. “Don't forget.”

“I won't.”

He walked down the sloping, graveled path that led to the dock and then out along the weather-beaten boards to the end, where Da

“Catchin much?” Hallora

“No. But I had a nibble a little while ago.”

“We'll take a boat out tomorrow morning. Got to get out in the middle if you want to catch an eatin fish, my boy. Out yonder is where the big ones lay.”

“How big?”

Hallora

“There aren't any whales!”

“No blue whales, no. Of course not. These ones here run to no more than eighty feet. Pink whales.”

“How could they get here from the ocean?”

Hallora

“Really?”

“Really.”

They were silent for a time, looking out over the stillness of the lake, Hallora

Putting an arm around him, he said, “What's this?”

“Nothing,” Da

“You're missin your dad, aren't you?”

Da

“We can't have any secrets,” Hallora

Looking at his pole, Da

Hallora

“No. She wants to forget it ever happened. So do I, but-”

“But you can't.”

“No.”

“Do you need to cry?”

The boy tried to answer, but the words were swallowed in a sob. He leaned his head against Hallora

When he had quieted a little, Hallora

“I wish I didn't!” Da

“But you do,” Hallora