The Shadow of Arms Read Online Free PDF Page A

all cocky because I promised him a bottle of whiskey.”
    The sergeant opened a box, took out a bottle of whiskey wrapped in paper and handed it to the American gunner. The latter looked over his shoulder at the pilot, an officer, then took the bottle and quickly hid it in a half-filled ammo box.
    â€œThanks very much. I’ll give you a lift back, too,” he said, smiling.
    The sergeant smiled back at him and turned to Yong Kyu.
    â€œBastard. I make the trip once week. Fat chance we’ll ever run into each other again. You see, whiskey is a business asset.”
    â€œBut who’s going to drink two boxes of whiskey?”
    â€œWho said anything about drinking it? The idea is making contacts for the rec center. In Da Nang, this is how every transaction begins. Today it gets us on a chopper, but that’s a special case. A soldier of his rank isn’t allowed whiskey. Americans below the rank of corporal are only allowed to drink beer. If that bastard returns to his unit today, there’ll be an uproar. Let’s take a nap. We won’t be able to get off until the supply convoy’s mission has been completed.”
    The sergeant stretched out his legs and leaned against a box. The helicopter engine started and they took off. A cool wind filled the cabin.
    â€œIs it big, Da Nang?”
    â€œHuh!” The sergeant responded indifferently without opening his eyes. “It’s like an island. Completely encircled by the enemy. Guerilla attacks every night. But your transfer to Da Nang will be good for you. Lucrative.”
    â€œLucrative?”
    â€œC’mon, you’re here to make money, aren’t you?” the sergeant insisted. “You’re going to find yourself in the heart of the black market. Even when you’re just walking down the street, your pockets are going to fill up with dollars.”
    Beneath the helicopter, the dark jungles of hell were slowly gliding by.
    Footnotes:
    2 Criminal Investigation Division
    3 Military Police

 
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    2
    Chan Te Shoan left through the main gate of the Lycée de Pascal at 65 Doc Lap Boulevard. She hung her head low, hiding her face behind her long hair. Lei had told her that morning before class that Pham Minh had dropped out of school and had come home the night before. Lei was a year behind Shoan, and Pham Minh, who had been studying medicine in Hue, was Lei’s older brother.
    She didn’t know why Minh had quit school, but for some reason the news made Shoan uneasy. He was still too young to be drafted and anyway, medical students were almost always guaranteed deferments. But ever since Minh had left Da Nang for his uncle’s in Hue, the growing distance between them had been making Shoan anxious. Every few months Minh came for a short visit and each time confirmed Shoan’s fear that he was turning into someone else.
    More than half of the seniors at her school had disappeared. Most of those who had married were now young widows. And it was not just the women of Shoan’s generation who were affected. There were many women from her neighborhood who, having lost their husbands, had gone to Saigon and become prostitutes. There were housewives selling their bodies to soldiers from the nearby posts while awaiting their husbands’ homecoming.
    Walking toward the embankment of the Da Nang pier where Minh was waiting for her, Shoan felt a sudden urge to turn around and go home. In the distance she could see the white marble wisteria-covered walls of the ivory building that used to be the French customs house. Ahead, the row of open-air cafes. She walked beside the old iron railings just above the waterfront.
    Even from afar she recognized Minh’s distinctive posture. He wore a white shirt and was sitting with his head drooped. One arm hung over the back of the chair and he had both legs propped up on the seat of another chair beside him. Hanging from his fingertips, nearly scraping the ground, was a