“Royal troops are the same as yuons. NVA attack one village, Sihanouk another. They want nothing but to slaughter us. But we will grow back ten times as strong.”
While Y Ksar gave an embellished account of the government attack to rid the basalt plateau of Mountaineers, Samnang worked to raise the rice beer. Finally he swallowed a large mouthful. He forced back the impulse to vomit and held his breath as he heard his father say, “Evil. They’ll be destroyed. They must be destroyed.” In his entire life Samnang had never heard his father say anything so blasphemous.
“Our soldiers protect us,” Y Ksar said. He too was feeling the numpai. “Americans make fools of the yuons.” The old warrior laughed loudly. “They send SOG teams. Ha! The yuons think they’re safe in Cambodia. They say, ‘Internati
