Scene 18

In the garden of the War Remnants Museum were displayed American military tanks, jet fighters and helicopters captured during the Vietnam War by Ho Chi Minh's soldiers, who had proceeded to embellish them with the star of revolution and use them against the very American enemies they had belonged to. There was high praise in the form of jubilant words written on boards for the dexterity of the local mechanics who, without being familiar with these high-tech vehicles, were able to put them to effective use – brainpower versus military muscle-power. Maille was reminded of the bloody disaster caused during his first attempt at using a French duck press and decided not to imagine too deeply the Vietnamese interpretation of an American war tank.

As Maille stepped into the museum garden, it was immediately clear to him that the cockroach-like creature depicted on the riel note from V-man Aral, which he had found during his search in Ta Prohm, could only refer to the disjointed sketch of a helicopter. As it turned out, he found the banknote stuck into a ventilation-slit in the flank of an ex-American war helicopter. The note was, evidently for folkloric reasons, a Vietnamese Dong note, and written on it were the words: «Koslow brought to Tokio, party on Roppongi Hills.» The mist hanging over the kidnap drama was gradually beginning to clear, thought Maille – though, unfortunately, not at the spot at which he currently stood.

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