They were in the middle of the Kyzl Kum Desert; the carriage was infernally hot.
The conductor Ermat, who was already drunk, sat down and offered the American some vodka.
“What are you doing here?” he said. “Soldier?”
The American shook his head.
“Ex-soldier, like me… I was in Afghanistan.”
Ermat began to describe his experiences.
“What’s he saying?” said the American, turning to one of the girls, who knew some English.
“He’s talking about a battle,” she said. “He lost a lot of friends.”
The girl gave up translating. Ermat drew a map on the back of a blanket. The American listened gamely. The only word he understood was Jalalabad.
Ermat fell silent and they went back to drinking vodka.
Suddenly, Ermat seemed to wake up.
“Why did you invade Vietnam?”
“I didn’t,” the American said.
“You Americans did,” said Ermat.
The American sighed.
“It’s not so simple,” he said.
Slowly, through the fog of alcohol, he began to collect his thoughts “We did not technically invade Vietnam” he said. “You, however, unquestionably invaded Afghanistan.”
Ermat laughed.
“What’s he saying?” said the American, turning again to the girl.
“He says you Americans always believe in your propaganda.”
“Is that his idea of a history lesson?”
The American fell into a drunken sleep. When he woke up, he saw all the bunks had been put back and he was alone in the carriage. Even still he felt like he had won the argument.
*
“Where the hell is the Kyzl Kum Desert?”
“I guess it must be in one of the Stans.”
“I don’t understan’. Haha!”
Maude sighed.
“Now we have passed the point of no return.”