"Paul McAuley - The Book of Confluence 01 - Child of the River" - читать интересную книгу автора (Mcauley Paul J)

on a mudbank, so that it would not drift amongst the banyan
islands which at this time of year spun in slow circles in the
shallow sargasso of the Great River's nearside shoals, tethered
only by fine nets of feeder roots.
Of the two river traders, one lay as still as a sated cayman,
resigned to his fate, but his mate, a tall, skinny old man
naked but for a breechclout and an unraveling turban, was
trying to convince the Constable to let him go. Yoked hand
to foot, so that his back was bent like a bow, he stared up
at the Constable from the well, his insincere frightened smile
like a rictus, his eyes so wide that white showed clear around
their slitted irises. At first he had tried to gain the Constable's
attention with flattery; now he was turning to threats.
"I have many friends, captain, who would be unhappy to
see me in your jail, " he said. "There are no walls strong
enough to withstand the force of their friendship, for I am a
generous man. I am known for my generosity across the
breadth of the river."
The Constable rapped the top of the trader's turban with
the butt of his whip, and for the fourth or fifth time advised




file:///K|/eMule/Incoming/McAuley,%20Paul%20J%20-%20Confluence1%20Child%20of%20the%20River.txt (4 of 508)10-12-2006 21:55:16
 file:///K|/eMule/Incoming/McAuley,%20Paul%20J%20-%20Confluence1%20Child%20of%20the%20River.txt

him to be quiet. It was clear from the arrowhead tattoos on
the man's fingers that he belonged to one of the street gangs
which roved the ancient wharves of Ys. Any friends he might
have were a hundred leagues upriver, and by dusk tomorrow
he and his companion would be dead.
The skinny trader babbled, "Last year, captain, I took it
upon myself to sponsor the wedding of the son of one of my
dear friends, who had been struck down in the prime of life.
Bad fortune had left his widow with little more than a rented
room and nine children to feed. The son was besotted; his




file:///K|/eMule/Incoming/McAuley,%20Paul%20J%20-%20Confluence1%20Child%20of%20the%20River.txt (5 of 508)10-12-2006 21:55:16
file:///K|/eMule/Incoming/McAuley,%20Paul%20J%20-%20Confluence1%20Child%20of%20the%20River.txt

bride's family impatient. This poor lady had no one to turn
to but myself, and 1, captain, remembering the good company
of my friend, his wisdom and his friendly laughter, took it
upon myself to organize everything. Four hundred people ate
and drank at the celebration, and I count them all as my
friends. Quails' tongues in aspic we had, captain, and mounds