“I’d like you to read the Japanese part at the beginning,” he said. “We need to know if there are any clues as to what happened to Toshi before he came to Laos.”

“Dr. Siri?” she said.

“Yes, dear?”

“Why are you doing this?” She was thumbing through the early pages.

“Because it’s a mystery, Kyoko. My wife and I are easily intoxicated by them. Someone sent me a diary and asked for help. We flew to Thakhek to start to put it all together. Then we found you, another piece in the puzzle.”

“You do know that the earlier dates in this volume coincide with some disturbing events in our history? And Toshi was a military man. There are likely to be some unsettling entries, I’m certain.”

“If you’d sooner not . . .”

“No. No. I’m already fascinated. Many people of my father’s age and older know nothing of what actually happened during the war. It’s only recently that old soldiers have started speaking up. Reading this diary will be an education for me also.”

“Well,” said Siri. “If it’s education you’re looking for . . .”

He reached into the fishing net and pulled out a dozen folders. He explained how he’d come by them at the district office in Thakhek and how they were relevant to his search.

“If you get a spare moment,” he said. “I have another sixty folders back in my room.”

Kyoko laughed, which caused a tingle in Siri’s old heart.

“I hope you don’t want a written translation,” she said.

“Just a brief summary would be fantastic,” said Siri. “I want to know everything about his life.”

“Then we should begin with his name,” she said.

“His name?”

“Here on the first page dated July seventh, 1937. His name isn’t Toshimado. He begins with, My name is Uenobu Hiro and I am proud to have once served as a pilot in the Imperial Army Air Force in the service of our great emperor.”

Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

Enthusiasm Is a Hard Lie to Keep Up

When the helicopter touched down in the small village square at Vangin, the girls became animated but clearly not from excitement. Daeng could see that they were shaking with fear. She tried to comfort them but they pulled back from her. When the rotors came to a stop Roper put down the steps, but they refused to leave.