“It’s good luck,” a voice said in English.
Sullivan turned slowly. He barely realized the words were in his native tongue. “Hum?”
“They think it’s good luck,” an American woman said. “Ritual decapitation. It’s supposed to ensure success.”
Sullivan stared harshly, uncomprehending.
“Oh come on, Captain!” the woman said briskly. “You’ve seen it before. They were shot and killed with rifles you gave these hoodlums.”
“Who the hell are you?”
“Rita Donaldson. Washington News-Times.”
Hans Mitterschmidt waited for the Khmer Viet Minh cadreman to complete his introduction. In the camp hall were a dozen North Viet Namese guards, half as many KVM guards, numerous dignitaries and two score elite Khmer sappers and masked agents.
“Colonel Mitterschmidt,” the cadreman concluded, “is both a demolit
