Talking to Mr. Ullman

           TheSidewinderPublicLibrarywasasmall,retiringbuildingoneblockdownfromthetown’sbusinessarea.Itwasamodest,vine-coveredbuilding,andthewideconcretewalkuptothedoorwaslinedwiththecorpsesoflastsummer’sflowers.OnthelawnwasalargebronzestatueofaCivilWargeneralJackhadneverheardof,althoughhehadbeensomethingofaCivilWarbuffinhisteenageyears.

           Thenewspaperfileswerekeptdownstairs.TheyconsistedoftheSidewinderGazettethathadgonebustin1963,theEstesParkdaily,andtheBoulderCamera.NoDenverpapersatall.

           Sighing,JacksettledfortheCamera.

           Whenthefilesreached1965,theactualnewspaperswerereplacedbyspoolsofmicrofilm("Afederalgrant,"thelibrariantoldhimbrightly."Wehopetodo1958to’64whenthenextcheckcomesthrough,butthey’resoslow,aren’tthey?Youwillbecareful,won’tyou?Ijustknowyouwill.Callifyouneedme.").Theonlyreadingmachinebadalensthathadsomehowgottenwarped,andbythetimeWendyputherhandonhisshouldersomeforty-fiveminutesafterhehadswitchedfromtheactualpapers,hehadajuicythumperofaheadache.

           "Danny’sinthepark,"shesaid,"butIdon’twanthimoutsidetoolong.Howmuchlongerdoyouthinkyou’llbe?"

           "Tenminutes,"hesaid.ActuallyhehadtraceddownthelastoftheOverlook’sfascinatinghistory-theyearsbetweentheganglandshootingandthetakeoverbyStuartUllmanamp;Co.