(It is three years later. Saigon has been renamed Ho Chi Minh City. A

street pageant is celebrating the glorious victory of North Vietnam and

the Third Anniversary of Reunification.)



FIRST GROUP

on silent feet it came

breathing a sheet of flame, it came

closing in on its rightful prey

burning a hundred years away



the morning of the dragon truth lit up the street

the tiger we were stalking walked on paper feet

and in the clear white heat of dawn

was gone. . .



FIRST GROUP SECOND GROUP

from every door they came victory

these children born of war, they came victory

sharing a secret word, which they victory

waited a hundred years to say



FIRST GROUP SECOND GROUP

the morning of the dragon truth lit the morning of the dragon all the

[up the street [walls fell down

the tiger we were stalking walked brother greeted brother in a

[on paper feet [sudden light

and in the clear white heat of dawn and in the endless night

it's gone was gone



FIRST GROUP SECOND THIRD GROUP

on silent feet it came victory may all our children learn

breathing a sheet of flame, it came victory

closing in on its rightful prey victory the tide of right will turn

burning a hundred years away



FIRST GROUP

the morning of the dragon truth lit up the street

the tiger we were stalking walked on paper feet

and in the clear white heat of dawn

was gone. . .



(two soldiers enter with the ENGINEER)



ENGINEER

three years of school was nice

in rice fields, planting rice

you did good work you see

re-educating me



SOLDIERS

who lives a lie must change or die



ENGINEER

three years - how quick they moved

look how the world's improved

Saigon, that queen of sin

renamed for Ho Chi Minh



SOLDIERS

who lives a lie must change or die



ENGINEER

but men, will always be men

they washed out my brain

I'm still who I am

deep inside, I know what I know

wherever I go, I speak Uncle Ho

and think Uncle Sam



SOLDIER #1

your name is Trahn Van Dinh



ENGINEER

at your service



SOLDIER #1

you're called the Engineer



ENGINEER

yes sir



SOLDIER #1

the people's commissar



ENGINEER

am I free?



SOLDIER #1

has ordered you back here



SOLDIERS

who lives a lie must change or die



(THUY, now the people's commissar, enters)



SOLDIER #2

we found the man that you wanted so bad



SOLDIER #3

and Commissar, you were perfectly right



SOLDIER #2

he had been take up north to a camp



SOLDIER #3

we brought him down under cover of night



SOLDIER #2

once he had served the American clique



SOLDIER #3

selling our sisters and daughters for gold



SOLDIER #2

notice we caught him in less than a week



SOLDIER #3

when we get orders we do what we're told



THUY

alright, alright

that's it, that's all

you've done your job

that's it

now go back

I'll take over now



(the soldiers leave)



THUY

Kim. . .

find my cousin for me

I know she worked for you

you knew who her friends were

one of them is the clue

sniff her out, you know how

think now what would she do?



ENGINEER

I never saw her again

I am a different man

I've been enlightened since then



but. . .

men must help other men

and seeing it's you

I'll work to the bone



THUY

I'll give you 48 hours

if you want to stay free

don't come back here alone



(the ENGINEER leaves)



THUY and SOLDIERS

FIRST GROUP SECOND THIRD GROUP

on silent feet it came victory may all our children learn

breathing a sheet of flame, it came victory

closing in on its rightful prey victory the tide of right will turn

burning a hundred years away



FIRST GROUP

the morning of the dragon truth lit up the street

the tiger we were stalking walked on paper feet

and in the clear white heat of dawn

was gone. . .