Goodbye to Pasta

On the seventh morning, Polly came to the tank early. The lab was quiet.

På den syvende morgen kom Polly tidligt til akvariet. Laboratoriet var stille.

Pasta was at the front of the tank. This was new. For six days, the octopus had been folded in her pipe, or in a corner. Today she was pressed against the glass. All eight arms were spread. Her eye was level with Polly's.

Pasta var foran i akvariet. Det var nyt. I seks dage havde blæksprutten været foldet sammen i sit rør eller i et hjørne. I dag var hun presset mod glasset. Alle otte arme var spredt. Hendes øje var i niveau med Pollys.

They looked at each other.

De kiggede på hinanden.

What passes between a parrot and an octopus is probably not friendship. Octopuses can sense warmth through their skin. They can sense movement through their suckers. The octopus was collecting information.

Hvad der passerer mellem en papegøje og en blæksprutte er nok ikke venskab. Blæksprutter kan mærke varme gennem deres hud. De kan mærke bevægelse gennem deres sugekopper. Blæksprutten indsamlede information.

Polly hopped along the rim. The octopus's eye tracked her. When Polly stopped, the eye stopped.

Polly hoppede langs kanten. Blækspruttens øje fulgte hende. Da Polly stoppede, stoppede øjet.

For seven minutes they watched each other.

I syv minutter betragtede de hinanden.

Then the octopus did something new. She slowly unfurled one arm. She pressed the tip of it against the inside of the glass, exactly opposite Polly's foot. The suckers spread, then stilled.

Så gjorde blæksprutten noget nyt. Hun rullede langsomt en arm ud. Hun pressede spidsen af den mod indersiden af glasset, præcis overfor Pollys fod. Sugekopperne spredte sig, og så blev de stille.

Polly touched the outside of the glass with her beak.

Polly rørte ydersiden af glasset med sit næb.

The arm stayed for one long minute. Then it slid back into the water.

Armen blev der i et langt minut. Så gled den tilbage i vandet.

Chiara came in with two coffees. "You are leaving," she said. "Travel safely."

Chiara kom ind med to kopper kaffe. "Du skal afsted," sagde hun. "Rejs sikkert."

Polly flew out of the institute. The Bay of Naples opened in front of her. She climbed and found the wind.

Polly fløj ud af instituttet. Napolibugten åbnede sig foran hende. Hun steg op og fandt vinden.