註釋
His only friend has just been killed in an accident when Aremis Slake is chased into the subways by a gang of kids. Since his life above ground is hazardous and without love, Slake moves into an abandoned room adjacent to the subways. Jeered at in his surface life as a clumsy, worthless individual, Slake's subterranean solitary existence proves him to be clever, competent and creative. He learns to survive in the depths of the city and in the subway terminals for four months. When his hideaway is discovered and destroyed, both Slake and the reader are ready for life above ground. This is an inner city survival story which makes an interesting contrast to the more usual wilderness survival stories. The characters of Slake's world make an interesting study. First, of course, there is Slake himself: small, poor vision, lousy self- concept, but with the soul of an artist. We see glimpses of
