"Slow down," said Phosy.
"Come on, you know which they are," Civilai told him. "Virtually every department has a division that goes out into the countryside. You'd have to contact all of them and find out whether they had any projects up there on the dates we've got."
"And you might want to cross-reference with old projects conducted in Luang Nam Tha in the late sixties," Siri offered. "If there are any old-timers who haven't managed to swim across the river, they might recall what was going on up there. Wait, isn't there an office that coordinates all the projects?"
"The National Coordination Directorate: three men and one woman and so much paperwork you need snowshoes to walk from one side of the office to the other," Civilai told him. "Forget it. This is going to take legwork, Phosy. Good old-fashioned policing."
13
The letter Phan had been waiting for arrived on the Tuesday lunchtime. He took the truck to the Bureau de Poste and found two envelopes in his box. One was pink and scented and from Thaxi. He didn't even bother to read it. He ripped it in half and threw it into the large plastic waste basket that stood by the door. She'd failed, this smelly perfume girl. In her last letter, wracked with remorse, she'd admitted that she'd lied to him at their last meeting. She confessed to a small sexual encounter when she was fifteen. She hoped he'd appreciate her honesty as she didn't want there to be any secrets between them. She hoped it wouldn't interfere with the plans for their marriage.
"No, dearie. It didn't interfere with them. It obliterated them. You are a slut!" The only thing he wanted from her she no longer possessed.
This second letter, this was what he needed. It had arrived in his box without a stamp through the magic of acquaintanceships. He sat beneath a large Mangifera on the grounds and unfolded the lined school paper. A tiny delicate green caterpillar abseiled down a fine silk thread and landed on the open page. It was an omen. He didn't need omens. He crushed it with his thumb and wiped his hand on the side of his navy blue trousers.
He read her neat handwriting. Dearest Phan, I can't tell you how special your letter was for me. I'd prayed at our temple that you would take me to your world. I've seen and learned everything I can here in mine. Now it's time for me to grow and improve myself. We have planned the wedding ceremony for the evening of the 26th. I hope that's convenient for you and your work. It means we can leave directly on the morning of the 27th.
Phan, there are so many thoughts and words in my heart that I am too shy to write. Like you I have never written a love letter. I hope you'll be able to teach me how to express myself so I don't embarrass you in front of the Lords and Ladies of Europe. From Wei to Phan
Five days away. That was more like it. To the point. No mushy sentiment or scents or last-second confessions. No poetry or bad grammar. She really was perfect, this schoolteacher. He climbed back into his truck and sat behind the wheel. He turned the key and pulled the ignition knob. His beast roared. People on the post office steps turned to stare. "Yes, yes, morons. It's me. Notice me! You'll all hear about me soon enough." He let his foot growl on the accelerator. This was it. This was the feeling. A woman and a truck. What else could a real man want? He pulled out onto Ian Xang Avenue without bothering to look. If anyone on the road was so deaf they couldn't hear his engine they deserved to be mowed down. He drove twenty metres on the wrong side of the street before crossing to the far lane. It rarely mattered in Vientiane. He allowed himself a gratuitous honk of the horn. He was a very merry misogynist.
Siri had ridden to the Morning Market after lunch and bought some chicken wire. The hornbill wasn't getting along too well with the ducks and chickens in Madame Daeng's backyard so he was planning to divide the garden like East and West Berlin. He hoped he wouldn't have to resort to machine-gun turrets and barbed wire. On his way back, some idiot in a truck almost wiped him out in front of the post office. Siri's heart was still pounding when he arrived at the morgue. Mr Geung was standing waiting for him on the front step with a note in each hand. He held them up in front of Siri's face.
"M…messages," he said.
"What do they say?" Siri asked, walking past him and into the office.
"I…I don't know. They're in…in writing."
After many hundred hours of earth-staggering patience, Dtui and Siri had succeeded in teaching Geung some of the mechanics of reading. He had what Dtui called a 'learn-two-forget-three letter system'. He finally recognized words more from their overall shape than their spelling. Handwriting was noodles to Mr Geung.
Siri read the notes aloud for Geung's benefit. The first was from the Lao Patriotic Women's Association. Siri, how are you? I'm sure you're very busy, but it would be wonderful if you could come and see me as soon as possible. Very best wishes, your friend, Pornsawan
The second note was from Justice. Siri, I expect you here at 1:30, my office. Don't be late. Haeng
Siri smiled. "Now, Mr Geung, did you notice any difference in style between these two notes?"
Geung shook his head.
"Perhaps I read them badly. Here!" He read them again using his soft and fluffy voice on the first and his Judge Haeng impersonation on the second.
"Now did you see any difference?"
"This one," Geung pointed, "is…is nice. This one is bad."
"That's quite right, Geung. So which one do you think I'm going to respond to first?"
"The nice one."
"Correct. See? You'll be reading in no time."
"Judge H…Haeng is going to be, to be p…pissed off."
"You might be right."
Dr Pornsawan was working with a group of rural medical interns when Siri arrived at the Women's Association. As soon as she saw him outside the room she excused herself and went to greet him. She swung his hand from side to side and squeezed his fingers.
"Hello, Siri. Thank you so much for coming. My office?"
He followed her to the simple doorless booth she called her own and they both sat. She opened her desk drawer and pulled out a thick wad of notes.
"You'd be surprised how small our country can be, Dr Siri."
"This is all in response to our strangling?"
"Some of it's dross — some fantasy and myths," she said. "But there are one or two reports in there I think could be relevant."
"But it's only been three days," Siri reminded her. "And one of those was a Sunday."
"We don't mess about, Doctor. We had ladies coming here from the provinces for training and girls going out for workshops. The word got around very quickly. An angry bunch of women actually knows no bounds."
"You're telling me."
"I've taken the liberty of singling out two stories. One was from a lady's personal experience. The other was anecdotal. Would you like some tea?"
"Thank you."
Pornsawan poured and related the first tale.
"A girl in Champasak, in the south," she began. "It was in September of last year. Her parents had sent her off to work on a logging concession in the neighbouring province: Attapeu. It appears one of the foremen had taken a shine to her when he was on leave and saw her around Pakse town. He convinced her parents she'd make a good secretary for the projects in the hills. She'd only completed grade three and had never seen a typewriter, so obviously the foreman was a master at recognizing potential."
"Obviously."
She sat and let her tea cool on the desk beneath the ceiling fan. Siri sipped at his right away.
"The foreman arranged her travel documents and drove her up into the hills. On her first night there he made his inevitable advances, and the girl, a virgin, ran to the house of the local headman and his family to complain and seek refuge. Staying at the house was a gentleman attached to the Department of Agriculture. He was shocked by the girl's story and went to the logging foreman's house and thumped him one. Some rumours would have it that he beat him half to death, but we all know what rumours are like, brother Siri. We're doctors so we aren't allowed to say things like, "He had it coming." The girl stayed at the headman's house for a few days, and she and the gentleman from Agriculture fell in love. They were parted for two weeks, but as soon as they reunited they were married."