My Dear Nicholas,
Thanks for your last email and i do apologise for not writing sooner - i’ve been working on my secret plan you see.

What can i tell you without boring you to death, you don't want any temple gossip do you - no, i thought not. Robert is doing well - went to see the doctor with Charin the other day and the good news is that he's going to live until one hundred and fourteen, the bad news is that the last twenty will be with senile dementia.

Gareth turned up at the temple the other day, i saw this big farang from about thirty yards away grinning at me; didn’t have a clue who it was, thought it must be just some daft holiday maker. I was on my way to the uposatha hall for an ordination so didn’t have time to say hello - Rob told me later it was Gareth, though Rob, also didn’t recognise him at the time. I sneaked off back to my room straight after the ordination service so didn’t get a chance to speak to him - apparently he had to rush off somewhere Robert said but would visit again. I didn’t recognise him at all, from a distance he looked quite a large guy, he came in and attended the ordination and still i couldn’t recognise him.