Janet whistled as we approached, and when we heard an answering cough, Laurel unzipped the tent from the outside. I stepped in after them to find Serena sitting cross-legged at the head of her cot in a red silk kimono, a large book open in her lap and a box of ladyfingers, almost as large, on the pillow by her side.

“Oh good,” she said, without looking up. “You’re here. Listen to this description of Maya, will you? ‘Her hair is soft, clean, and sweetly scented, black like the excellent bee and arranged in braids.’” She raised her head. “Black, like the excellent bee!” Her mouth looked like it opened on fishhooks; she had a joker smile. Her teeth were a little disorganized, I noticed. This did not detract from her overall appeal.

Janet settled cross-legged on the ottoman in the corner. “What’s that now?” she asked.

“Lalitavistara Sūtra,” Serena said. “‘Her eyes are like lotus petals, her teeth are like stars in the sky, her thighs and calves are like the trunk of an elephant, and her knees have a shapely form. Surely she can only be a divine maiden.’”

“Shapely knees indicate divinity,” said Janet. “Noted.”

“It does make sense,” said Serena.

“I have ugly knees,” said Laurel mournfully. She lay down on the foot of Serena’s bed and stretched both legs into the air. Her knees looked normal to me, but I didn’t say anything.

“Well, no one’s making any particular claims about your divinity,” Janet said. “Besides, you’re no maiden.” Laurel sat up and threw a pillow at her. Janet ducked, and it hit the side of the tent, sending a shiver through it. “Let me have one of those?”

“She sounds rather ghoulish, is all I’m saying,” Serena said, passing her the box of ladyfingers. “Eyes like lotus petals? Teeth like stars? Elephant trunk calves?”

“There’s really no logic in what people find attractive,” Janet said. She held up one of the spongy biscuits.

“There is too logic,” Laurel said. “It’s actually extremely simple. Just maybe not in fourth-century Tibet or whatever.”

“Third century,” Serena said. “And probably India. Though I think the Lalitavistara is actually a compilation of several sources, so it’s hard to say.”

“Why is she still standing?” Laurel said.

They all looked up at me. I hadn’t realized that I was. I sat instantly on the cold floor of the tent. Serena closed the book, slipping a leaf between the pages to mark her place. Her kimono shimmered with her every movement. I became uncomfortably aware of my pajama pants. My pajama pants had popsicles on them. The popsicles had faces. I think the faces had their tongues sticking out, but I may be self-flagellating now.

“Olivia,” Serena said. “Thanks for coming.” She motioned for Janet to pass me the ladyfingers. “Have you three met?”