Slash and Burn

tell the fat woman that she isn’t in Washington now. This is Laos. We’ll do things the way we do things. If she doesn’t like it, she can go home.”
    And with that he gestured for the clerk to read on. The congresswoman came to the boil like a pressure cooker and continued to bubble throughout the remainder of the morning. It was almost lunchtime before the government’s response was read. The US delegates were bloated as dumplings, their leader visibly stewed. It was the vice-minister of defence who finally read the cabinet’s decision.
    “The Central Committee and the Politburo of the People’s Democratic Republic of Laos have considered the request of the United States of America to conduct one single mission in the north of the country to search for a supposed downed airman. The Lao Subcommittee for Post Conflict Affairs is pleased to announce that your request has been accepted. A joint Lao/American task force will be dispatched to Xiang Khouang province in the northeast of Laos where an investigation will be conducted into the disappearance of civilian helicopter pilot Boyd H. Bowry. As per your description, Comrade Bowry apparently went missing in August 1968, whilst on a”—he cleared his throat as if the cough were written in the script—“‘humanitarian aid mission’ in the area around Long Cheng. After careful scrutiny, the subcommittee has approved eight of the fifteen names provided by your consulate, thus:
    “Major Harold G. Potter—US Military, retired—as team leader;
    “Dr. Donald Yamaguchi—forensic pathologist attached to the University of Hawaii;
    “Sgt. John Johnson—United States Marine Corps attached to the United States consulate in Vientiane;
    “Mr. Mack Gordon—second secretary of the United States Embassy in Bangkok;
    “Mr. Randal Rhyme—journalist with Time magazine;
    “Miss Peach Short—interpreter.
    “These six may later be joined by Senator Ulysses Vogal the Third—United States Senator, Republican, South Carolina, and Miss Ethel Chin, secretary to the senator.
    “The People’s Democratic Republic of Laos will be sending the following ten officials to work on an equal, counterpart basis with the United States team. Its members are….”
    Siri listened to the reading of the list with little surprise. It was the type of cronyism he’d come to expect from his government. He recognized most of the names and their familial and professional connections to people in high places. The majority were incompetent or, at best, redundant. The only name that jumped out at him as being a marvelous choice, a true professional medical man with a stunning record, was his own tucked down there at the bottom. So, that was why they’d dragged him along. They didn’t even have the good manners to consult with him beforehand. Well, he thought, I’ll be taking a dip in the Mekhong with rocks tied to my old fellow before they get me on a joint task force to Xiang Khouang. Dream on, Politburo. Unless….
    To the great, almost visible relief of the delegates, the vice-minister announced they’d be breaking for lunch and would talk about details and dates early in the afternoon. A room never cleared so fast. In seconds, only Siri and Minister Bounchu remained. They’d been through countless campaigns together. Siri knew the general to be a sincere but simple man. He knew the soldier saw Siri’s educational background as a barrier between them, as did many of the jungle elite. Siri’s lack of respect for the Party line didn’t help to bring the two old men together. They admired each other for their respective skills; Bounchu’s expertise at inflicting damage on men, Siri’s at repairing them. But they had never been, and could never be, friends.
    “You’re going to make this difficult for me, aren’t you, Siri?” Bounchu said, leaning back on his creaking chair. He avoided looking into Siri’s emerald green eyes. Eyes that intimidated so many.
    “Not at all,” Siri replied. “I’m going to make it dead simple.”
    “You can’t not go, you know?”
    “Oh, I can.”
    “You’d embarrass the Party, Siri. Not for the first time, I know. The Americans are aware we have just the one coroner. They specifically mentioned your name.”
    “They’re looking for bones, Comrade. I don’t know a humerus from a whale’s appendage.”
    “Listen. If you didn’t go, they’d be the experts.”
    “They are the experts. I’m a converted bush surgeon. They have a