17
THAT NIGHT AMRITA APPEARED ATtheir hotel and the three walked to dinner at the Green Bird, which the sign outside said provided traditional Kachin meals. The roof was thatched, and the walls were made of sturdy bamboo poles. The staff, all dressed in dark blue slacks and light blue shirts, were uniformly friendly and energetic. Inside the restaurant, walkways were bracketed by low stone walls backfilled with river rock. Teak poles supported the ceiling, where a large light fixture was featured with a round wooden backing and basket lights aplenty illuminating the space. In another section of the restaurant, fixtures shaped like mushroom heads and made from wicker hung from the ceiling. In one corner a small, thatched tiki bar housed plates, cups, and serving baskets.
They were given a private room framed by bamboo and latticework walls and a table with a red tablecloth and wooden chairs set around it. Here the ceiling was open with the rafters showing and vines growing over and around the planks. The pine-scented humid air enveloped them as they sat down.
There were no English menus, so Amrita explained the offerings to Nash and Temple.
Amrita said, “Shat Jam and Si Pa are very good. But I favor a dish called Silu, because it is a curry, like I am used to back in India. Bamboo shoots are served with every dish. It is like your French fries,” she added, grinning.
“But a lot healthier for you,” observed Nash.
They ordered, and when the food and drinks came, they took their time over their meals. There was an abundance of poultry, fresh fish from the Irrawaddy, leafy greens, balls of rice, and tangy onions.
Nash peered through an opening in the bamboo to the outside. After the mountains they had traversed, he had been surprised, and pleasantly so, at the lush evergreen surroundings of Myitkyina. It reminded him of both Colorado and the Pacific Northwest. The forests here were enormous and, combined with the rugged mountain ranges, formed a fascinating and unique topographical mix.
Amrita said to Temple, “Your meetings went well?”
Temple shrugged. “No deal is guaranteed. You only hope that you win more than you lose. I have to say that the men I met with spoke English far better than I do Burmese.”
“English is the language of business,” said Amrita confidently. “So the men here learn it. They want to become rich, too. And maybe buy a penthouse in New York.” She shot Nash a telling glance.
“They’re dealing in rare earth minerals, gemstones, and rice, the exports of which I would imagine the junta or KIA strictly control,” said Temple.
“All governments control everything having to do with money, not just in Myanmar,” voiced Amrita. “They take the dollars and leave the little cents to the rest. It is not fair but they do not care.”
Temple said, “And do you care about money?”
“Yes. Because I must eat. Just like you.”
Temple said, “Do you really think they’ve found the bodies?”
Amrita pulled a newspaper from her jacket and dropped it on the table. They looked at the grainy photo of two bodies lying on the ground with policemen and soldiers all around.
“There is your answer,” she said.
“What does it say?” asked Temple, picking up the paper.
“There is a reward for information about the killers. One hundred million kyats.”
“What’s that in dollars?” asked Temple.
“Around fifty thousand bucks,” noted Nash, who had looked up the current exchange rate before they had left for Myanmar. He eyed Amrita. “Where did you get this?”
“Thura had it. He is still in town. I took this paper from where he is staying. I think—”
“You think he may want to earn the reward?” said Nash.
“It is far more than what we are being paid,” replied Amrita. “And Zeya was Thura’s good friend. He is very angry that he is dead.” She looked at Nash. “He blames you.”
Temple said, “So he’s lurking around and wanting to earn fifty thousand bucks and avenge his dead friend. Great.” He looked at Amrita. “Does he have a gun?”
“Here anyone can get a gun if they need it.”
Temple eyed Nash. “We have to watch our asses like nobody’s business.”
Nash said, “He believes we’re going to be in town for one more day and night and then we get on the plane. With luck, we’ll be out of here before he knows it.”
“You just have to make it through tonight,” said Amrita.
