Hwang Sok-Yong - The Shadow of Arms

“Which way are you going?”

“To Guangzhou Restaurant, near the Hotel Thanh Thanh.”

“Then drop me off on the way at Doc Lap.”

“What’s up?”

Hae Jong glanced back at Pham Quyen. “Oh, nothing special really.”

Hae Jong walked down Doc Lap Boulevard and then crossed the street. The Korean language signboard of the Dragon Palace Restaurant came into view. Ahn Yong Kyu was sitting by himself in the otherwise empty place. Hae Jong was pleased to see nobody else there.

“It’s been a long time since we’ve seen you here,” said the old woman who owned the restaurant, fussing over Hae Jong as she sat down across from Yong Kyu.

“That soy paste you gave me last time was great. I don’t know how to thank you,” Hae Jong said.

“Shall I make you another potful? Today the stuffed cucumbers are just right.”

“Yes, please.”

Sitting across the table, Ahn Yong Kyu finally interrupted the chatting. “You asked to see me, God only knows why, but you aren’t even going to say hello?”

“Ah, sorry, it’s just it’s been so long since I’ve seen her. It won’t be too long now, will it?”

Yong Kyu didn’t understand. “What do you mean?”

“Aren’t you going back home?”

“In about a month.”

Hae Jong nodded very slightly.

“Is Major Pham still out on the operation?”

“It’ll soon be over.”

Yong Kyu was going to say something about the provincial office, but then he stopped himself, thinking it was none of his business. The moment he sets sail over that sea, everything in this place will become vague and sink into the darkness of forgetting, like an afterimage that gradually melts away, the darkness distorting and then dispersing its original solidity and bright colors.

“They say that in gambling the secret of winning is to quit while you’re ahead,” Yong Kyu said. “It’s much harder then, though. You ought to get away from this place.”

As usual, Hae Jong just let out a short laugh. “There you go again with your meddling.”

Then all at once she grew serious and looked directly into Yong Kyu’s eyes. “Haven’t you been saving up military currency for your return home?” she asked.

“No, not at all. Since my time in the jungle, I have no use for greed. The money I get, I spend it all here. Besides, I’m not making any money now. When I head home, I’ll just take my shaving kit.”

But Hae Jong did not seem to take his words at face value. Her cold eyes asked him why the hell he had come there and risked his life.

“Listen to me carefully,” she said, “there’s no reason why we should come all the way here just to be outdone by the Americans. I’ve heard they’ll be changing the military currency. They may have announced it today at their headquarters. As you know, the GIs haven’t been allowed off their bases since last week.”

Yong Kyu nodded. “We already guessed that much. Maybe the rumors will start to spread gradually tomorrow. Anyway, I appreciate your concern.”

“Isn’t anyone in your unit returning home before you?”

Yong Kyu thought of the sergeant and answered, “As a matter of fact, there’s a man leaving in about ten days.”

“What do they call it, a transit container allowance? What’s the limit on those when you go home?”

“Each of us is allowed two. All you need to do is take the stickers they give you and paste them on the containers.”

Hae Jong assumed a business-like tone. “Mr. Ahn, would you introduce me to that man?”

“To send goods home?”

“Yes. I want to ship some things to my mother and my sister. I want to make sure they are taken care of even with me away.”

For a few moments Hae Jong’s gaze was focused off in the distance and then she was back. “All your unit members have ration cards, don’t they? When the currency is swapped, their ration cards will also be replaced. If you buy all the items covered by the ration card it would make a few truckloads of goods, but if you stick with the high-value things you can limit the bulk. I don’t need any appliances. Help me partner with him. I can provide him with an unlimited supply of military currency to buy things, and he can keep half the purchases for himself.”

Ahn Yong Kyu let out a short laugh, as she had earlier. “That proposal will make our sergeant jump for joy, you can be sure. I’m afraid you’ll have to hurry. They say the PXs will start an inventory within a few days.”

“I know. They’re always like that. Soldiers can buy whatever they want until this weekend.”

“I’ll introduce him to you.”

“When?”

“This time tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow morning,” Hae Jong said, advancing the meeting time.

“We’re extremely busy today and probably tomorrow, too. We’re moving, you know.”

“Major Pham’s Land Rover is available, so he and I can use that car to shop at the different PXs. After the purchases are made, we can store them at Son Tinh.”

“Don’t worry about that; the house we’re moving into has a huge warehouse right outside.”

“How about ten tomorrow morning?”

“I’ll tell him. Anyway, will I be left empty-handed after building a bridge between the two of you?”

“I’ll buy you a new shaving kit, won’t that be enough to keep you happy?” said Hae Jong, suddenly breaking out into carefree laughter.

They left the restaurant and walked together for a while.

“What will you do after you get back home?” she asked.

“I don’t know. . I’ve learned a lot here.”

“About what?”

Yong Kyu abruptly altered his tone. “Money sure isn’t everything, that’s what I learned.”

This time Hae Jong did not laugh. “Money is power, and freedom, too. In every country, the soldiers are the sorriest ones.”

“The guerrillas seem different somehow. Here and here don’t seem to be in opposition,” Yong said, pointing to his temple and then striking his chest with his palm.

“Whatever you say, we all live in a world of money.”

Hae Jong waved down a passing rickshaw and said to Yong Kyu. “I’m in trouble. Now that time is running out, I like you more and more. I’m going. Don’t forget, ten o’clock tomorrow.”

The rickshaw with Hae Jong inside lurched away.

Ahn Yong Kyu headed straight for the Bamboo Club. Compared to the Da Nang Sports Club, it was practically an open place. Vietnamese soldiers, American GIs, third-country nationals, even local civilians came and went freely there. There were no rooms, only a big hall with a bar in the center. During the daytime hours, simple meals and beer were served, and at the bar you could get standard mixed drinks like gin and tonic or bourbon and Coke. The hostesses worked only at night.

Many of the staff from the joint investigation headquarters frequented the Bamboo, and merchants from the new Le Loi market often came in for lunch. Prices were reasonable. It was the right sort of place for simple business affairs or to meet a stranger for the first time on a provisional basis, but nobody would arrange a secret rendezvous there. The location was excellent, right at the intersection where Doc Lap Boulevard, Le Loi Boulevard, and Puohung Street converged. Toi made it a habit to stop by the Bamboo at least once each day just to take the pulse and sniff the general atmosphere of the city. When Yong Kyu walked in, Toi was sitting at the right corner of the bar, half-facing the entrance.

When Yong Kyu sat down beside him, he lowered his voice and said, “What do you say? Was I right, or what? Tonight MAC will broadcast the official announcement from the high command. It’s already generally known on the US bases. By tomorrow, word will be spreading in town.”