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1、ChildoftheRiverTheBookofConfluenceVolume1PaulJ.McAuleyEosImprintofHarperCollinsChildren'sBooks1350AvenueoftheAmericasNewYorkNY10019USAISBN:0-3809-7515-7THEWHITEBOATTHECONSTABLEOFAeoliswasashrewd,pragmaticmanwhodidnotbelieveinmiracles.Inhisopinion,everythingmusthaveanexplanati
2、on,andsimpleexplanationswerebestofall."Thesharpestknifecutscleanest,"heoftentoldhissons."Themoreamantalks,themorelikelyitishe'slying."Buttotheendofhisdays,hecouldnotexplaintheaffairofthewhiteboat.Ithappenedonemidsummernight,whenthehugeblackskyabovetheGreatRiverwaspunctuatedon
3、lybyascatteringofdimhalostarsandthedullredswirl,nobiggerthanaman'shand,oftheEyeofthePreservers.TheheapedlightsofthelittlecityofAeolisandthelightsofthecarracksridingatanchoroutsidetheharborentrancewerebrighterbyfarthananythinginthesky.ThesummerheatwasoppressivetothepeopleofAeo
4、lis.Formostofthedaytheysleptintherelativecooloftheirseepsandwallows,risingtobeginworkwhentheRimMountainsclawedthesettingsun,andretiringagainwhenthesunrose,renewed,abovethedevouringpeaks.Insummer,storesandtavernsandworkshopsstayedopenfromduskuntildawn,fishingboatssetoutatmidni
5、ghttotrawltheblackriverfornoctilucentpolypsandpaleshrimp,andthestreetsofAeoliswerecrowdedandbustlingbeneaththeflareofcressetsandtheorangeglowofsodiumvaporlamps.Atnight,insummer,thelightsofAeolisshonelikeabeaconinthemidstofthedarkshore.Thatparticularnight,theConstableandhistwo
6、eldestsonswererowingbacktoAeolisintheirskiffwithtwovagrantrivertraderswhohadbeenarrestedwhiletryingtorunbalesofcigarettestotheunchangedhilltribesofthewildshoredownstreamofAeolis.Partofthetraders'contrabandcargo,softbalessealedinplasticwrapandoiledcloth,wasstackedintheforwardw
7、elloftheskiff;thetraderslayinthestern,tieduplikeshoatsfortheslaughter.Theskiff'spowerfulmotorhadbeenshotoutinthebriefskirmish,andtheConstable'ssons,alreadyasbigastheirfather,satsidebysideonthecenterthwart,rowingsteadilyagainstthecurrent.TheConstablewasperchedonabuttoncushioni
8、ntheskiffshighstern,steeringforthelightsofAeolis.TheConstablewasdrin