Read Online Nova by Samuel Delany - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Samuel Delany
Tags: SciFi-Masterwork
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too.
Finally Tavo pushed Lorq's shoulder. "Inside."
Tavo had to duck under the low door. Lorq was the tallest of the children and the top of his head just brushed the canvas.
A lantern hung from the center pole: harsh glare on the roof, harsh light in the shell of an ear, on the rims of nostrils, on the lines of old faces. A head fell back in the crowd, expelling laughter and expletives. A wet mouth glistened as a bottle neck dropped. Loose, sweaty hair. Over the noise, somebody was ringing a bell. Lorq felt excitement tingling in his palms.
People began to crouch. Tavo squatted. Prince and Ruby did too. So did Lorq, but he held on to Tavo's wet collar.
In the pit, a man in high boots tramped back and forth, motioning the crowd to sit.
On the other side, behind the rail, Lorq suddenly recognized the silver-haired woman. She was leaning on the shoulder of the Senegalese student, Lusuna. Her hair stuck to her forehead like confused and twisted knives. The student had opened his shirt. His vest was gone.
The pitman shook the bell rope again. A piece of down had fallen on his gleaming arm and adhered, even as he waved and shouted at the crowd; now he rapped his brown fist on the tin wall for silence.
Money was wedged between the boards of the rail. The wagers were jammed between the planks. As Lorq looked along the rail, he saw the young couple further down. He was leaning over, trying to point out something to her.
The pitman stamped across the mash of scales and feather. His boots were black to the knees. When the people were nearly quiet, he went to the near side of the pit where Lorq couldn't see, bent down- A cage door slammed back. With a yell, the pitman vaulted onto the fence and grabbed the center post. The spectators shouted and surged up. Those squatting began to stand. Lorq tried to push forward.
Across the pit, he saw his father rise, streaming face twisted below blond hair; Von Ray shook his fist toward the arena. Mother, hand at her neck, pressed against him. Ambassador Selvin was trying to push between two miners shouting at the rail.
"There's Aaron!" Ruby exclaimed.
"No!" from Prince.
But now there were so many people standing, Lorq could no longer see anything. Tavo stood up and began to shout for people to sit, till someone passed him a bottle.
Lorq moved left to see; then right when the left was blocked. Unfocused excitement pounded in his chest.
The pitman stood on the railing above the crowd. Jumping, he had struck the lantern with his shoulder so that shadows staggered on the canvas. Leaning against the pole, he frowned at the swaying light, rubbed his bulging arms. Then he noticed the fluff. Carefully he pulled it off, then began to search his matted chest, his shoulders.
The noise exploded at the pit's edge, halted, then roared. Somebody was waving a vest in the air.
The pitman, finding nothing, leaned against the pole again.
Excited, fascinated, at the same time Lorq was slightly ill with rum and stench. "Come on," he shouted to Prince, "let's go up where we can see!"
"I don't think we ought to," Ruby said.
"Why not!" Prince took a step forward. But he looked scared.
Lorq barged ahead of him.
Then someone caught him by the arm and he whirled around. "What are you doing out here?" Von Ray, angry and confused, was breathing hard. "Who told you you could bring those children up here!"
Lorq looked around for Tavo. Tavo was not there.
Aaron Red came up behind his father. "I told you we should have left somebody with them. Your baby sitters are so old-fashioned out here. Any clever child could fix it!"
Von Ray turned briskly. "Oh, the children are perfectly all right. But Lorq knows he's not supposed to go out in the evening by himself!"
"I'll take them home," Mother said, coming up. "Don't be upset, Aaron. They're all right. I'm terribly sorry, really I am." She turned to the children. "Whatever possessed you to come out here?"
The miners had gathered to watch.
Ruby began to
Finally Tavo pushed Lorq's shoulder. "Inside."
Tavo had to duck under the low door. Lorq was the tallest of the children and the top of his head just brushed the canvas.
A lantern hung from the center pole: harsh glare on the roof, harsh light in the shell of an ear, on the rims of nostrils, on the lines of old faces. A head fell back in the crowd, expelling laughter and expletives. A wet mouth glistened as a bottle neck dropped. Loose, sweaty hair. Over the noise, somebody was ringing a bell. Lorq felt excitement tingling in his palms.
People began to crouch. Tavo squatted. Prince and Ruby did too. So did Lorq, but he held on to Tavo's wet collar.
In the pit, a man in high boots tramped back and forth, motioning the crowd to sit.
On the other side, behind the rail, Lorq suddenly recognized the silver-haired woman. She was leaning on the shoulder of the Senegalese student, Lusuna. Her hair stuck to her forehead like confused and twisted knives. The student had opened his shirt. His vest was gone.
The pitman shook the bell rope again. A piece of down had fallen on his gleaming arm and adhered, even as he waved and shouted at the crowd; now he rapped his brown fist on the tin wall for silence.
Money was wedged between the boards of the rail. The wagers were jammed between the planks. As Lorq looked along the rail, he saw the young couple further down. He was leaning over, trying to point out something to her.
The pitman stamped across the mash of scales and feather. His boots were black to the knees. When the people were nearly quiet, he went to the near side of the pit where Lorq couldn't see, bent down- A cage door slammed back. With a yell, the pitman vaulted onto the fence and grabbed the center post. The spectators shouted and surged up. Those squatting began to stand. Lorq tried to push forward.
Across the pit, he saw his father rise, streaming face twisted below blond hair; Von Ray shook his fist toward the arena. Mother, hand at her neck, pressed against him. Ambassador Selvin was trying to push between two miners shouting at the rail.
"There's Aaron!" Ruby exclaimed.
"No!" from Prince.
But now there were so many people standing, Lorq could no longer see anything. Tavo stood up and began to shout for people to sit, till someone passed him a bottle.
Lorq moved left to see; then right when the left was blocked. Unfocused excitement pounded in his chest.
The pitman stood on the railing above the crowd. Jumping, he had struck the lantern with his shoulder so that shadows staggered on the canvas. Leaning against the pole, he frowned at the swaying light, rubbed his bulging arms. Then he noticed the fluff. Carefully he pulled it off, then began to search his matted chest, his shoulders.
The noise exploded at the pit's edge, halted, then roared. Somebody was waving a vest in the air.
The pitman, finding nothing, leaned against the pole again.
Excited, fascinated, at the same time Lorq was slightly ill with rum and stench. "Come on," he shouted to Prince, "let's go up where we can see!"
"I don't think we ought to," Ruby said.
"Why not!" Prince took a step forward. But he looked scared.
Lorq barged ahead of him.
Then someone caught him by the arm and he whirled around. "What are you doing out here?" Von Ray, angry and confused, was breathing hard. "Who told you you could bring those children up here!"
Lorq looked around for Tavo. Tavo was not there.
Aaron Red came up behind his father. "I told you we should have left somebody with them. Your baby sitters are so old-fashioned out here. Any clever child could fix it!"
Von Ray turned briskly. "Oh, the children are perfectly all right. But Lorq knows he's not supposed to go out in the evening by himself!"
"I'll take them home," Mother said, coming up. "Don't be upset, Aaron. They're all right. I'm terribly sorry, really I am." She turned to the children. "Whatever possessed you to come out here?"
The miners had gathered to watch.
Ruby began to
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