“Once there was a man who wanted to fly around the world,” she said. “But over Tibet, his plane lost power, and the man jumped out into the air. As he fell, he begged for help from his god, but none came. Then he looked down and remembered that Tibet was a Buddhist country, and so he began to pray to the Lord Buddha to save him. After a few moments, an enormous hand materialized and caught him, in midair.” Serena held out her hand, palm cupped, and clicked her tongue. “Oh, thank God, said the man. And then—” Slowly, she tipped her hand, letting the ungrateful man fall to his death.

“Serves him right,” I said.

“Yes,” she said. She lit a cigarette, but for once she didn’t offer me one. Her eyes seemed to be all corners. “I want to try tummo tonight.”

“Just us?” I asked. Something was interfering with my ability to feel excited about this—the story of the falling man, maybe, or the expression on her face, like barely bottled contempt.

“Janet’s a spoilsport these days,” she said. “Laurel’s becoming a liability. She thinks I can’t see what she’s doing, but I can. God knows where she’s getting it all. You’ve noticed.”

I nodded.

“Besides, I don’t think either of them really believes in any of this. Not the way you have to, to make it work. But you believe, don’t you?”

I didn’t say anything.

“Come on,” she said. “You’re my only goddamn hope.”

Luke was waiting for us at the rock palm, as I suppose I should have known he would be. He was sitting cross-legged on the ground, his hands on his knees, his back straight, eyes resting on the rock in front of him. He was clean again, which made me shiver. Next to godliness.

“Hello, girls,” said Luke. Serena sat beside him. Luke leaned over to whisper something in her ear. Serena tapped his knee with a finger and then looked up at me. Something had obviously changed between them, and not only because of the blood.

“I thought tummo was secret,” I said. “I thought you didn’t know how to teach it.”

“What can I say?” Luke said. “You girls are very persuasive.”

Serena gestured to the ground, and I sat, obedient to the last. First, we meditated. Luke led us through the bird visualization yet again. Serena led us through the Feeling. Finally, after an indeterminable period of time, we began.

“You begin by visualizing yourself as empty, completely hollow, a balloon,” Luke said. “Outside you’re glowing, but inside is nothing. You are a balloon with a shimmering face.”