rked　all　of　his　adult　life。　Daddy；　sobered　up

some　（or　perhaps　only　with　the　stupid　cunning　of　any　hardpressed　animal）；　told

the　doctor　she　had　fallen　downstairs。　There　was　blood　on　the　tablecloth　because

he　had　tried　to　wipe　her　dear　face　with　it。　Had　her　glasses　flown　all　the　way

through　the　living　room　and　into　the　dining　room　to　land　in　her　mashed　potatoes

and　gravy？　the　doctor　asked　with　a　kind　of　horrid；　grinning　sarcasm。　Is　that

what　happened；　Mark？　I　have　heard　of　folks　who　can　get　a　radio　station　on　their

gold　fillings　and　I　have　seen　a　man　get　shot　between　the　eyes　and　live　to　tell

about　it；　but　that　is　a　new　one　on　me。　Daddy　had　merely　shook　his　head　and　said

he　didn't　know；　they　must　have　fallen　off　her　face　when　he　brought　her　through

the　dining　room。　The　four　children　had　been　stunned　to　silence　by　the　calm

stupendousness　of　the　lie。　Four　days　later　Brett　quit　his　job　in　the　mill　and

joined　the　Army。　Jack　had　always　felt　it　was　not　just　the　sudden　and　irrational

beating　his　father　had　administered　at　the　dinner　table　but　the　fact　that；　in

the　hospital；　their　mother　had　corroborated　their　father's　story　while　holding

the　hand　of　the　parish　priest。　Revolted；　Brett　had　left　them　to　whatever　might

e。　He　had　been　killed　in　Dong　Ho　province　in　1965；　the　year　when　Jack

Torrance；　undergraduate；　had　joined　the　active　college　agitation　to　end　the　war。

He　had　waved　his　brother's　bloody　shirt　at　rallies　that　were　increasingly　well

attended；　but　it　was　not　Brett's　face　that　hung　before　his　eyes　when　he　spoke　　it

was　the　face　of　his　mother；　a　dazed；　unprehending　face；　his　mother　saying：

〃Who's　got　the　newspaper？〃

Mike