Up Country Part 51

"Weren't you supposed to report to the Immigration Police today?"

"I was busy today. I'll do it tomorrow." We continued walking.

"You should have gone today. They know you're here because the hotel reported your check-in."

"Well, then, they know I'm here. f.u.c.k 'em." I added, "Colonel Mang has me on a long leash. He wants to see what I'm up to."

"How do you know that?"

"I know."

"So what happens tomorrow when you have to make a rendezvous? What if you're being watched?"

"You always plan a secret rendezvous as if you're being watched. That's why they're called secret." I added, "I have to ask you to stay out of the Citadel tomorrow."

"Oh... okay."

"Unless you're my contact."

"That would be interesting."

We got to the hotel, and I said, "Let's go around back, and you can show me where it's buried."

"Tomorrow."

"Now."

"Okay..."

We walked on a path to the gardens at the rear of the hotel. The land sloped down to the river, and the gardens were terraced and lit with small ground lights.

We walked down a path toward the river, and Susan nodded to her right. "See them? Orange birds-of-paradise."

"Is that the flower that eats flies?"

"No, Paul. Do you see them or not?"

"I do. Someplace in there?"

"Yes. A foot to the right of the middle garden light. The soil is very loamy. I can dig it up with my hand."

"Okay. I'll get it before we leave."

"I'll get it." get it."

I didn't reply. We stood in the garden and looked out at the river. At this hour, we were the only ones there; we turned and walked back to the front of the hotel.

We went into the lobby, and I checked for messages. There were two for me, and I signed for them.

Susan and I took the elevator up to my suite, where I collapsed in an armchair. "G.o.d, I'm getting old."

"You're in great shape. Open the envelopes."

I opened the small one first and read aloud, " 'You to report to Immigration Police tomorrow in morning.' "

Susan said, "That leash is not that long."

"Long enough. If they were really p.i.s.sed, they'd be sitting here now."

"It's New Year's Eve. What's the other message?"

I opened the big envelope and took out a fax. It was from Karl, and I read it to myself: Dear Paul, Perhaps my last message was not clear-You really need to end that relations.h.i.+p. Please tell me you have. Dear Paul, Perhaps my last message was not clear-You really need to end that relations.h.i.+p. Please tell me you have. It was signed: It was signed: Love, Kay. Love, Kay.

The nice thing about not being in the army was that you don't have to obey a direct order from someone who was.

I noticed a P.S. It said: C sends her love. Will see you in Honolulu. C sends her love. Will see you in Honolulu.

That could be pure bulls.h.i.+t to keep me in line. In any case, the situation vis-a-vis Susan had become complicated, and I didn't know how I felt about meeting Cynthia in Honolulu.

Susan was looking at me. She asked, "Who is the message from?"

"Kay."

"Is everything all right?"

"Yes."

"You don't look all right. Can I see the message?"

"No."

She looked hurt, offended, and p.i.s.sed.

I stood, went toward the terrace with the message, then turned around, and handed her the fax. I said, "It's Ms. Kay now. Same guy."

She took it and read it, then handed it back. She stood and said, "I think I'll sleep in my room tonight."

"Probably you should."

She turned, walked to the door, and without hesitation opened it and left.

I went out on the terrace and looked at the city across the river. The holiday lights were still on, mostly red, as you'd expect in a Red country.

I thought of the Pham family. There was, I thought, a gray cloud over this country, formed from the smoke and fire of war, and it rained down hate, sorrow, and mistrust.

If that wasn't bad enough, this cloud, or, as Karl called it, this shadow still covered my own country.

Truly, Vietnam was the worst thing that ever happened to America in this century, and perhaps the reverse was also true.

The phone rang, and I went back inside and answered it. "h.e.l.lo."

"I just wanted to say good luck tomorrow."

"Thank you."

"If something happened to you, and we parted-"

"Susan, the phones aren't secure. I know what you're saying, and I was about to call you."

"Do you want me to come to your room?"

"No. We're both tired, and we'll have a fight."

"Okay. Where and when can we meet tomorrow?"

"At six here in the lounge. I'll buy you a drink."

"Okay... and if you're very late?"

"Fax Ms. Kay directly. Do you have the number?"

"I remember it."

"Give her all the details, and be sure you stand at the fax machine, or try the GPO."

"I know."

"I know you do. You're a pro."

"Paul... ?"

"Yes?

"I had no right to get upset about that P.S. I apologize."

"Forget it."

"This is what it is. This is here and now. I said that, and I meant it."

I didn't reply to that, and I said, "Hey, I had a good day. Happy New Year."

"Me, too, and you, too."

We both hung up.

So, I'm having lady problems in a hostile country halfway around the world, people are trying to arrest me or kill me, and it's 4 A.M. A.M., and I need to see the cops in the morning, then make a possibly dangerous rendezvous at noon. And yet, for some reason, none of this bothered me. In fact, the entire Highway One ordeal, including killing the two cops, and the flashbacks, and all of the rest of it, didn't bother me.

I recognized this feeling for what it was: survival mode. Life was no longer complicated. It all came down to getting home one last time.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX.

It wasn't the worst New Year's Day hangover I've ever had, but it may have been the earliest I'd ever been awake to fully appreciate it.

I showered and dressed for success-blue blazer, white b.u.t.ton-down s.h.i.+rt, khaki slacks, and docksiders with socks.

I took an orange juice from the mini-bar and swallowed two aspirin with my malaria pill. I was glad they hadn't given me a suicide pill because I felt lousy enough to take it.

I went downstairs, skipped breakfast, and walked the few blocks to Ben Nghe Street, where the Immigration Police were located.

It was a cool, damp morning, high cloud cover, and the streets were nearly deserted, and strewn with trash from the night before.

I thought maybe I should have called Susan, but sometimes a little separation is good. I'd been separated from Cynthia more than we'd been together, and we got along great. Maybe not great, but okay.

I got to the police building, a structure of prefab concrete, and went inside.

In a small foyer sat a uniformed guy at a desk, and he said to me in English, "What you want?"

Rather than reply and confuse the idiot, I gave him a photocopy of Colonel Mang's note, which he read. He stood and disappeared into a hallway behind him.

A minute later, he reappeared and said to me, "Room." He held up two fingers.

I returned the peace sign and went to Room 2, a small office whose door was open. Behind a desk sat a man about my age in uniform, who looked more hungover than I did.

He didn't invite me to sit, but just looked at me awhile. I looked at him. Something not pleasant pa.s.sed between us.

On his desk lay his gun belt and holster, which held a Chicom 9mm. There wasn't a police station in America where you'd get this close to a cop's gun. Here, the cops were sloppy and arrogant. This offended me, and having to stand also p.i.s.sed me off.

The cop looked at the note in his hand and said to me, "When you arrive Hue?"

I'd had enough of this c.r.a.p, and I replied, "The Century Riverside Hotel told you when I arrived. You know that's where I'm staying for three nights. Any other questions?"

He didn't like my reply or my tone of voice. He raised his voice, which became sort of high pitched, and he almost shouted, "Why you not report here yesterday?"

"Because I didn't want to."

He did not like that. I mean, he's working on New Year's Day, he's got little rice wine demons smas.h.i.+ng gongs in his head, and he's getting att.i.tude from a round-eye.

So, we stared at each other, and as I said, something unhealthy was pa.s.sing between us, and it wasn't just irritation brought on by mutual hangovers. He said to me, "You soldier here?"

"That's right. How about you?"

"Me, too."