India

We arrived here a few weeks ago, late February. Lots of free time, loads of time to get work in. We didn't think our fourth would drop out so soon, but his stomach couldn't take the spice. At least that's what he told us. So I guess he'd run out of the beans he brought. Whatever it was, the second he left, it's like this dark cloud came over us. I guess we had it a bit too good, getting along for too long. So now things are headed downhill right on cue. The situation is rumors of inappropriateness are spreading about our teacher. And so now naturally, lines are being drawn, I guess. Really I don't know if it's true—it being all the rumors and stuff. Alex certainly believes them. He's all gung ho about it now, making a campaign out of it, but everything I heard was from him. I would believe Mia if I heard it from her, I'm sure. But she's gone off to London for that film. Her sister's disappeared too, says she's too busy meditating and won't leave her room. And just to really settle things, now Paul's going. So there, experiment failed. Pack it all up, see you back home. It was nice but our Shangri-La has gone away. I do feel bad for the old man, you've just got to hope it isn't true. But you know once or twice... It's not like we didn't have our doubts before. Now and then, I'll see him walking and smiling. I start thinking how any of us could be... incorruptible. It might be too much to want, even from men like him. I saw him when there were cameras, and remember wondering if he wasn't just loving all the attention.