星际坑洼：生态arium童年记忆.pdfVIP

THESTARPIT

SamuelR.Delany

Twoglasspaneswithdirtweenandlittletunnelsfromcelltocell:whenIwasakidIhadanant

colony.

Butoncesomeofourfour-to-six-year-oldsbuiltanecologariumwithsix-footsticpanelsandgrooved

aluminumbarstoholdcornersandtopdown.Theyputitoutonthesand.

Therewasamudpuddleagainstonewallsoyoucouldseewhatwasgoingonunderwater.Sometimes

segmentwormscrawlingthroughthereddishearthhitthesidesotheirtunnelswerevisibleforafew

inches.Inhotweathertheinsideofthesticgotcoatedwithmistanddroplets.Thesmallroundleaves

onthelitmusvineschangedfrombluetopink,bluetopinkascloudscoursedtheskyandthepHofthe

photosensitivesoilshiftedslightly.

Thekidswouldrunoutbeforedawnandbellydownnakedinthecoolsandwiththeirchinsonthebacks

oftheirhandsandstareinthehalf-darktilltheredmillwheelofSigmaliftedoverthebloodysea.The

sandwasmaroonthen,andtheflowersofthecrystalntslookedlikerubiesinthedimlightofthegiant

sun.Upthebeachthejunglewouldbegintowhisperwhilesomewhereananiwortwouldstartwarbling.

Thekidswouldgiggleandpokeeachotherandcrowdcloser.

ThenSigma-prime,thesecondmemberofthebinary,wouldflarelikethermiteonthewater,andcrimson

cloudswouldbleachfromcoral,throughpeach,tofoam.Thekids,halfontopofeachothernow,laylike

apileofcopperingotswithsunstreaksintheirhair—evenonlittleAntoni,myoldest,whosehairwas

blackandcurlylikebubblingoil(likehismothers),thedownonthesmallofhistwo-year-oldbackwas

awhitehazeacrossthecopperifyoulookedthatclosetosee.

Morechildrencametosquatandleanontheirknees,orkneelwiththeirnosesaninchfromthewalls,to