  We study the manipulation of slow light with an orbital angular momentum
propagating in a cloud of cold atoms. Atoms are affected by four copropagating
control laser beams in a double tripod configuration of the atomic energy
levels involved, allowing to minimize the losses at the vortex core of the
control beams. In such a situation the atomic medium is transparent for a pair
of copropagating probe fields, leading to the creation of two-component
(spinor) slow light. We study the interaction between the probe fields when two
control beams carry optical vortices of opposite helicity. As a result, a
transfer of the optical vortex takes place from the control to the probe fields
without switching off and on the control beams. This feature is missing in a
single tripod scheme where the optical vortex can be transferred from the
control to the probe field only during either the storage or retrieval of
light.
