Just down the street was a Buddhist temple, and Hari Krishna was ready to bang a few cymbals only ten minutes further along. I'd worked in Malaysia before, during my time with the Regiment, and I knew it was one of the few places on earth where Buddha, Allah, Hari and even Jesus could go out for the night and not have a fight. Earlier today I'd seen Australian mothers on the beach in tiny bikinis shoving chips into their children's mouths, alongside women covered from head to toe in black doing the same to theirs.

Our drinks arrived as the organ-player in the Palace began to tell us he'd left his heart in San Francisco. Suzy took another drag; her eyes didn't leave the page. I had a sip of juice as the mosque parking area began to fill with people arriving for evening prayers. A small gang of bikers buzzed in, dismounted and headed straight for the brightly lit reception area. I had a good view of the immediate interior as they took off their shoes and washed their hands and faces before disappearing to talk with God.

'Have you ever considered colonic irrigation?'

I snapped my head back to Suzy.

She took another drag and turned the pages towards me to show a woman lying on her side, covered in towels and drinking cappuccino through a straw. The pupils of her large brown eyes dilated as she looked up into the lights. 'A lot of people come to South East Asia just for the detox spas, you know. Apparently it does wonders, really gives your insides a spring-clean.'

I shook my head slowly. 'I've tried to be a bit careful about what I let people shove up my arse.'

'The average American male dies with five pounds of undigested meat inside him.'

I guessed it was only natural for her to be concerned about the new love in her life. 'I'm not American.'

'Same difference. I've seen what you throw down your neck. You should think about it. You are what you eat, you know.' She put the book on the table and lifted her cigarette to her mouth.