The blackened patches looked like chemical burns, the grass scoured away and even the earth below discoloured and malformed, glittering in the morning sunlight as it shifted. The grass at the edge was turning brown, curling in on itself, crumbling into dust and an acrid smell on the breeze.

Akiko switched her vision back to normal as she hurried inside to find Shiraishi.

She didn’t have far to look, as the priest was waiting in the entrance hall.

“Well?”

“There are some patches of pollution at the edge of the precincts, again.” Shiraishi frowned, even as she nodded.

“We’ll do the purification first, then the morning offerings.”

The harae swept the kegare away, as always, and left the precincts feeling fresh, even as the heat and humidity intensified. They performed the morning offerings as normal, and a couple of the guards joined them for the ceremony at the iwakura. Akiko felt a little uncomfortable, but the two young men were very polite, and didn’t try to make small talk afterwards, just returning to their positions. Akiko had the strong sense that she wasn’t being fair to them; they were volunteering to guard the shrine, and the protesters did cause trouble when they weren’t there. She remembered Kazumi’s joke about the Imperial Guard, and shook her head. There was definitely something about them.

“What’s the problem?” Shiraishi seemed to have noticed Akiko’s gesture.

“Oh, I was just thinking about the guards.”

“Mm.” Shiraishi also glanced towards the entrance, her expression hard for Akiko to read. “Well, they help.” The priest’s words were curt, flat, as if she didn’t have her heart in what she was saying.

“What about the kegare, though?” she continued, turning back to Akiko. “I don’t think it used to enter this quickly.”

“It didn’t used to enter at all,” Akiko replied, “at least not unless something major happened to bring it. But today… Maybe it’s just a side effect of all the rubbish that was thrown in yesterday.”

“Maybe. If so, the problem should get better in the next few days, right?”

“Well, if it’s just a side effect.”

“So we’ll give it a few days, and if it doesn’t get better, we’ll have to think of something else to do.”

The conversation was interrupted as Kazumi bounced into the precincts, literally jumping up the last few steps, and nodding to Akiko and Shiraishi as she ran over to the water tank to purify herself. Akiko switched her vision over to check for kegare, and sucked her breath in. The girl’s uniform seemed to be covered with a fine fuzz of mould, grey and white and green, like a fruit left too long in the bowl. It even seemed to be spreading into her hair. How did she pick up so much kegare so quickly? she wondered.

And then Noriko came up the steps, much more sedate, and Akiko saw her covered in tiny beetles, gnawing at the fabric of her kimono and scratching at her skin.

Pulling her vision back to normal, Akiko turned to murmur quietly in Shiraishi’s ear.

“I think we need to do a harae for those two.”

06: Wild Festival, Episode 39 | 1 Comment »

By evening there were small patches of kegare within the shrine, and they were back again by the morning, despite the harae. Kazumi came very early, wearing shorts and a tee-shirt, meaning that they could include her in the morning harae, which swept away the cobwebs Akiko had seen around her.

Around mid-morning, Akiko realised that Kazumi was still there.

“Still here?”

“Is that OK?” Kazumi sounded nervous, as if she thought she was about to be sent away.

“Well, yes, but it can’t be very interesting, just hanging around the shrine.”

“Yeah, well, OK, it’s not the thrill capital of Japan, but…” She paused, looking around. “I feel better here, you know? Not so tired. More alive.” Her face broke out in a grin. “Happier.” Remembering the kegare, Akiko nodded.

“That’s good, then. Yes, of course you can stay if you want.”

Kazumi didn’t leave until it was dark, apart from popping out of the shrine to buy a packed lunch, which she ate in the grounds, careful, Akiko noted, not to drop any rubbish at all. She was back very early the following morning, arriving just as Akiko found the kegare pushing into the precincts again. This time her uniform looked mildewed and torn, while there were sores on her skin, all of which vanished at the purification.

When she came back in the afternoon, presumably straight from school, she had a large worm wrapped around her neck, and over, under and through her uniform, at least until she washed her hands and rinsed her mouth, when a pulse of light from the iwakura burned it away. She stayed until dark again, attending the evening purification, which was necessary, again.

The following day was the same, and Shiraishi went to talk to the girl, a conversation that went on for some time. The priest was smiling when she came back, but she refused to tell Akiko why. Akiko was more worried about the kegare, though, a worry that Shiraishi shared. They had started talking about what they could do, going over possible festivals, the practicalities of summoning Tamao, and even the possible uses of the goshintai and the mask. So far, however, they had not reached any conclusions.

Kazumi and Noriko arrived together the following day, very early again, and Shiraishi was called out to purify some homes. When Kazumi arrived in the afternoon, she came over to the house after performing her o-mairi, and Shiraishi met her, smiling at the door, leading her inside, without saying anything. Akiko, sitting in the office, watched them go, puzzled. What was going on?

The mystery was solved a few minutes later, when Kazumi appeared in miko’s vestments.

“…let your hair grow a bit,” the priest was saying, “and don’t paint your fingernails.” Kazumi was grinning broadly, and Akiko looked from her to the priest and back again, not at all sure what to say. A miko?

“She’s here all the time anyway,” Shiraishi said, sounding a little apologetic, “and she said she really wanted to be a miko.”

“It’s so traditional,” Kazumi added, still smiling. Shiraishi stifled a giggle, and Akiko had a terrible thought, which she promptly ignored.

“Anyway, she’s willing to help out with the simpler chores to start with, so could you show her the ropes?”

“Er, yes. Of course.”

It didn’t take Kazumi long to pick up the basics, but then she had been hanging around the shrine a lot, so she knew most of it already. As they practised the basic sitting and walking techniques, Akiko noticed that Kazumi seemed to be much more enthusiastic about the studies than she had been.

“Why do you want to be a miko, Kazumi?” she asked, suddenly.

“Why?” Kazumi looked nonplussed for a moment, and then she smiled. “Oh, I really like wearing the traditional clothes. Just the traditional ones, you know.”

“Kazumi Miura, you are wearing underwear, right?”

“What a question!” The girl laughed it off, but Akiko noticed that she didn’t answer. Akiko seized a chance while she was sweeping the path that used to lead to the shrine buildings, and went to look at the room where she had changed. Her uniform was hanging up neatly, but there was no sign of underwear. She sighed in relief. Just teasing then.

“Checking she’s properly dressed?” Akiko jumped as Shiraishi came up beside her, grinning.

“I… Well, yes.”

“No underwear here, so you don’t need to worry.”

“Yes, yes. I was being silly, but, you know…”

“Well,” the priest suddenly sounded thoughtful, “unless she wasn’t wearing any underwear under her school uniform…”

Akiko stared at her, and then saw Shiraishi’s mouth twitching as she tried to suppress a smile.

“Oh, don’t you start!”

06: Wild Festival, Episode 39 | 3 Comments »

Akiko was staring at Kazumi as the girl tidied the grounds, and suddenly realised that she was still worrying about whether she was wearing underwear.

Of course she is, you silly woman, she chided herself. And even if she isn’t, it’s not as if anyone could tell. Even if she fell over…

Shaking her head, Akiko put the question out of her mind, and decided to go and check on the sacred tree, while there didn’t seem to be any guards around. As soon as she left the office, however, she realised why there were no guards in the precincts. The argument from the foot of the stairs wasn’t loud, but it sounded quite intense. After warning Kazumi to stay at the top of the stairs, Akiko hurried down, hoping that it was nothing serious.

There were more protesters than normal; Akiko could see Naoyuki, and Mrs Watanabe, and even Mr Akiyama, unusually. They had formed a solid mass, separating the guards from a small group of people, dressed formally, who looked rather like a family. They looked relieved as they saw Akiko coming down, and she guessed that they were here for a ceremony.

The rest was all too easy to understand.

Akiko stopped a few steps above the guards, so that she had the advantage of height, and spoke directly to the family.

“Welcome to Tamao Shrine. I do apologise for this inconvenience; what can we do for you?”

“Stop deceiving them with your lies and propaganda! Look at the fascist footsoldiers you have guarding the shrine now! How can you still claim not to be imperialists?”

It was Mrs Watanabe, of course, and Akiko just let her finish, noting that several of the other protesters, including Mr Akiyama and, surprisingly, Naoyuki, looked slightly embarrassed. When she fell silent, Akiko just looked back at the family.

“We, er…” The man Akiko guessed was the father started speaking, but he was clearly flustered by the presence of the protesters.

“We want a purification. It worked for the Tanakas.” A woman, and Akiko suddenly realised that her exasperated expression almost certainly made her the man’s wife, made her request clearly.

“It’s just superstition, I’m afraid.” Mr Akiyama really did sound apologetic, but the woman shook her head stubbornly.

“It worked for them, and it might help get Akito into Tokyo University.” The teenage boy with them looked very awkward at that, and Akiko had to suppress a smile as the father rolled his eyes and quickly, behind his wife’s back, patted his son’s shoulder.

“I’m afraid that the priest is not here right now, but please come into the shrine. You can wait for her here, and she will be happy to perform the purification when she returns.”

“We won’t let them pass!” Mrs Watanabe sounded very certain, and a number of the other protesters nodded in agreement, although Mr Akiyama looked rather worried.

“I really think,” he began, but Mrs Watanabe cut him off.

“We have been too tolerant for too long! They are dangerous fascists.”

One of the guards suddenly pushed forward, quickly followed by the others, and Akiko realised that she hadn’t been paying enough attention to them. They pushed their way into the protesters, trying to shove them out of the way. One of the protesters stumbled, then fell.

“Stop!”

06: Wild Festival, Episode 39 | 1 Comment »

Akiko’s shout brought everyone to a stop, and she ran down the last few steps.

“What are you doing?” she demanded of the guards, who did look a bit sheepish. She was suddenly struck by how young they were. Not even Akira’s age. Some looked no older than Kazumi.

The fallen protester got to his feet, a bit shaken but not actually injured, and Mrs Watanabe surged to the front, her finger stabbing at Akiko as she blazed with anger.

“I knew this would happen. You pretend to be nice, but all the time you’re preparing violence. It always ends with death.”

“Mrs Watanabe, no-one is dead.” Except Hideo Takenaka, she suddenly remembered, surprised by the strength of the sudden urge to cry.

“Maybe not yet, but if your thugs don’t kill someone, the kami will. The priest said she’d have the kami curse us!”

“Mother, please…” Naoyuki said.

Mother? For a moment, Akiko was too shocked to think. That was why she had looked familiar. It was obvious now.

“You were too young to remember it Naoyuki, but I know what happened. I know the kami killed your sister.”

“Mrs Watanabe…” Mr Akiyama had worked his way to the woman’s side, while Naoyuki, profound embarrassment on his face, was trying to shrink back. Akiko had no idea what to say, or do, as Mrs Watanabe brushed the headmaster off and continued to shout at her.

“They don’t care about right or wrong. They just care about their pride, their rules. She was only a child. She needed the toilet.”

Akiko felt as though she had been kicked in the stomach, literally having to gasp for breath. Suddenly, she knew where this story was going. Not the details, but the important points. And she really didn’t want to hear.

“So she went behind the bushes. What did she know about shrines? About kami?” There were tears running down Mrs Watanabe’s face now, and most of the protesters had drawn back from her. Only her son still stood by her side, but he was looking down, trying to make himself inconspicuous. Akiko wanted to run away, but she couldn’t, couldn’t make herself move.

“They said…” Mrs Watanabe paused, gulped air, and then looked back at Akiko. “They said it was a dog, but we didn’t see or hear anything. We just… we just…” Naoyuki put his arm round his mother’s shoulder now.

“We just found her body, in the ditch round the shrine.” She was sobbing uncontrollably now.

“She was only four!” It was a scream, and Akiko could feel the tears stinging at her own eyes as Naoyuki pulled his mother into a hug, glancing resentfully at Akiko, as if it were her fault.

Akiko stood there, not knowing what to say. She was vaguely aware of the family coming past the protesters, through the gaps left when they had pulled away from the grieving woman, and saw them go up the steps. She heard Kazumi greet them at the top, and lead them to the house, but she still couldn’t move.

Akiko searched for something to say, but she couldn’t think of anything that didn’t sound trite, or condescending, or insulting. Blinking away the tears, she managed to look away from Mrs Watanabe, at the protesters who were edging away as if not wanting to admit that they were involved, at Mr Akiyama, looking at her apologetically, at Naoyuki, holding his mother but saying nothing.

This realisation was almost as painful as the last one.

I’m the only one who believes her.

06: Wild Festival, Episode 39 | 2 Comments »

Akiko suddenly realised that she was staring at Mrs Watanabe, and turned and ran up the steps. At the top, she could see the stones of the iwakura, looming dark against the green background of the trees, and the memory of fire came back to her. Stifling a sob, she ran into the house, ignoring Kazumi and running straight to her room, sliding the door shut behind her, sinking to her knees on the tatami, crying.

She couldn’t get the image of the little girl out of her mind, her blood vivid on her dress. The tiny voice protesting that she hadn’t really seen it, that it might not even be true, was quickly drowned out. It was all too plausible. The kami could do that. Would do that.

“Akiko?”

With a shock, Akiko realised that it was already getting dark. How long had she been here?

“Yes?”

“Are you all right?”

“No!”

Shiraishi came in at that point, and knelt beside her.

“Kazumi told me you ran in here. What’s the problem?”

As accurately as she could, Akiko told Shiraishi what Mrs Watanabe had said. The priest winced, but waited until Akiko had finished to comment.

“It might not have happened like that, you know. It might have been a dog.”

“Do you really believe that?” Akiko looked Shiraishi straight in the eye as she asked that, challenging the priest. The priest held her gaze for several moments.

“It might have been a dog,” she repeated, her voice gentle.

“The kami we serve kill children!”

“It wasn’t Tamao you know. It didn’t happen here.” Shiraishi sounded defensive.

“That’s not the point!” Akiko was angry now, pushing herself to her feet. “She’s right! The kami are dangerous, psychotic. The war criminals are the ones who should be enshrined at Yasukuni; they fit right in!” She paused, trying to calm herself down, catch her breath, and looked down at the priest, who was still kneeling on the floor.

“What are we doing?”

“Trying to protect Kawasaki.”

The anger went out of Akiko in a moment, and she collapsed onto the floor, feeling as though someone had let the air out of her.

The priest was right, she realised. That was what they were doing, or trying to do. It was what she had sworn when she became a miko; protect the city from Tamao, as well as from the kegare.

“You’re right. We’re the ones in the middle.” She looked up again at the priest, and for the first time noticed the tension in the other woman’s face. “Do you think the world would be better if there were no kami?”

“No kami, and no kegare?” Shiraishi paused, as if she didn’t want to verbalise her answer. “Yes,” she said, finally. “I think it was better when it was just traditional rituals.”

“But that isn’t the way things are,” Akiko said, “right?” Shiraishi nodded.

“When I see Tamao,” Akiko said, “he’s so… glorious. I want to bow down before him. I do bow down before him. Why do we honour them?”

“For their power,” Shiraishi replied, simply. Then she shook her head. “No, it isn’t that simple. They are glorious, Akiko. I don’t see what you see, and I know that. But they are glorious like a volcano, or a storm.

“They are not safe.”

Akiko suddenly realised that Shiraishi was trembling.

06: Wild Festival, Episode 39 | 2 Comments »

“I have to try to talk to Tamao.”

“What?” Shiraishi had clearly not been expecting that.

“You’re right. The kami are not safe. If we don’t deal with the kegare, Tamao will lash out and kill someone. I can’t have that on my conscience.”

The priest nodded.

“I think you’re right. When should we do it?”

“Now. Tonight. Is Kazumi still here?”

Shiraishi nodded again.

“Good,” Akiko continued. “She can help at the ceremony. Yoshiko said that you should try to summon Tamao into me.”

“Yoshiko? Who’s Yoshiko?”

“The miko I meet at the sacred tree.” Akiko quickly pressed on, not wanting to give herself time to worry about what she was doing. “I’ll wear the mask from the fire during the ceremony; I think it’s connected to Tamao. We should all have baths to purify ourselves first, though. We have to be careful.” She pushed herself to her feet. “I’ll go and tell Kazumi.”

They were ready within half an hour, Akiko kneeling on a tatami mat in front of the iwakura. There was no himorogi; that was for summoning the kami into, and this time Akiko would play that role. She held the mask in her hands, facing the stones, the kagurasuzu lying on the tatami in front of her. Her heart was pounding, but she kept her breathing as steady as she could. Would this work?

Behind her, she heard Shiraishi begin the purification norito. She finished, and Akiko heard the ohnusa swing through the air. It was as if cool water had flowed through her body, and suddenly, although the precincts remained dark, she could see everything clearly. Every bump, every hollow, every ridge on the stones of the iwakura stood out, seizing her attention.

It was pulled back as Shiraishi began the norito to call down the kami. Although her stomach was churning with nerves, Akiko’s hands were steady as she raised the mask to her face, pressing it to her skin. The wood was cool and smooth, and she felt Kazumi tie the strings at the back of her head, then the miko stepped back, knelt, and bowed as the priest bowed too, Akiko’s face hidden behind the mask as she also bowed.

She saw herself reach for the kagurasuzu, felt it in her hands as she stood, began to move, her legs following a rhythm that she could feel in her blood, as she saw herself raise the kagurasuzu as, behind her, Shiraishi and Kazumi watched.

She began to dance to the music of her blood, spinning around the stones, turning to watch her own dance, watch herself leap, her legs carrying her higher than she thought possible. As she danced behind the stones, she turned to follow her dance, and could no longer see Shiraishi or Kazumi. She could see Mr Takenaka, though, clearly visible in front of his shrine, his expression concerned, paternal. She danced on, though, round to the back, and Akiko could see the sacred tree looming behind her, twice the height of the other trees, its leaves quivering. She ran on, the ribbons on the kagurasuzu flickering behind her, trailing sparks, then flames, then becoming ribbons of fire.

The rhythm drove her, and she followed it, dancing behind Shiraishi and Kazumi, the fire reflecting off their faces, faces graven with shock. With awe. They weren’t looking at Akiko; they were looking at the fire.

They can see the fire.

Akiko swept on, back round the stones, the fire still hanging in the air, a ring around them as the dance brought her back to the mat, sinking to her knees again facing the stones as Kazumi, looking dazed, got to her feet and stepped over to release the mask.

The stones were silhouetted against the wall of fire. It burned brighter, dazzling but cold, and even the stones disappeared.

06: Wild Festival, Episode 39 | 2 Comments »

When her vision cleared, there was a shrine building in front of her, its pale wood warm in the sunlight, the copper roof shining. She heard someone gasp behind her, and realised that Shiraishi and Kazumi, or at least one of them, was there with her, but she did not look down. Taking a deep breath, smelling the sun-warmed grass, she composed herself to wait, watching the doors of the shrine.

The sun was warm, and the breeze playing through the trees was pleasantly cooling as it toyed with her hair. But there was no motion from the shrine, and no sense of motion. Keeping her face neutral, Akiko tried to shift her vision to see kegare, but nothing appeared to change. Makes sense, I suppose, she thought, and then, quite deliberately, stood up, turning her back on the shrine.

Shiraishi and Kazumi were both there, still kneeling on their mats, and the stands with the ritual equipment were also there. Then Akiko looked again, and corrected herself. There were stands with ritual equipment, but not the same ones as they had been using.

“What… Where?” Kazumi finally found her voice, and it was shaking. Akiko wasn’t surprised; she remembered how she had reacted the first time she had found herself here. Shiraishi, of course, had heard about it from Akiko, and she was looking around, an expression of wonder on her face.

“It’s another version of the shrine,” Akiko explained quickly. “Tamao’s nigimitama lives here, in the shrine building.” She gestured back over her shoulder.

“Why are we here? Where is here?” Kazumi sounded a little calmer now, but still rather bewildered.

“Where? Ah… At the shrine, sort of, I think. I’ve always come out of here at the shrine. As for why, I presume that Tamao wants to talk to us.”

“Tamao?” Kazumi sounded surprised. “The kami?”

“Yes,” Shiraishi replied. “The kami. I was planning to tell you these things a bit more slowly, but Tamao doesn’t seem to be into giving his miko much time to adapt at the moment.”

“You’ve been here before too?” Kazumi asked. Shiraishi shook her head as she stood up and walked over to the stands, inspecting the ritual equipment, picking up a folded piece of paper.

“No, but Akiko has told me about it. She came here before she came to the normal shrine.” Shiraishi looked over at Akiko for confirmation, and Akiko nodded her head.

“That’s right. Normally, Tamao appears quite quickly, though.”

“Is he… What does he look like?” Kazumi was standing up as well, now, and looking around.

“A giant snake with scales of gems and precious metal,” Akiko said, glancing back at the shrine. “He is… quite impressive. But apparently shy.”

“He wants us to summon him,” Shiraishi said, the piece of paper open in her hands. “This,” she continued, holding it up, “is a norito for summoning Tamao.” She suddenly grinned, and then, quite clearly, forced herself to be serious. “I’m sorry, I just suddenly had a mental image of a snake writing with his mouth. Anyway, I think we have to perform the ceremony to call him down. We have all the necessary materials,” she said, gesturing at the stands, “and enough people to do it.”

Shiraishi quickly explained the procedure. It was fairly simple; many elements that Akiko had performed several times fitted together to make a longer ritual. Kazumi looked a bit baffled, but fortunately her part could consist of just copying Akiko.

As ever, the ritual started with purification. As Shiraishi swung the ohnusa, Akiko felt as though sparks of electricity were running all over her body, then inside and through her; beside her Kazumi gasped, and Shiraishi faltered slightly, as if she had also felt it.

They took their places in front of the shrine, and Shiraishi bowed, Akiko and Kazumi following suit. Then Shiraishi stood, and as the notes of a flute drifted through the air, Akiko and Kazumi bowed again, faces close to the ground. Other instruments joined the flute, and Akiko could hear Shiraishi climbing the stairs. Even over the music, she could hear the whisper of wood as the priest opened the doors to the shrine.

A drum beat three times, and Akiko somehow knew that it was time to look up. Beside her, Kazumi also rose to a kneeling position. The doors were open, but it was still dark inside the shrine, behind the hanging blind. Shiraishi was kneeling to one side, at the very edge of the veranda. Akiko stood, Kazumi following her, and between them they set the offerings in front of the shrine, at the foot of the steps, and then returned to their places.

Shiraishi took the paper with the norito out of the folds of her kimono and carefully unfolded it. The music fell silent.

“Kakemakumokashikomi…” she began, and Akiko and Kazumi bowed once more.

“…kashikomikashikomimomosu.”

“Rise.”

There was no mistaking that voice, and Akiko sat up to look at Tamao. He was brighter than before, and larger, his scales almost dazzling with the brilliance of the light within them, his eyes so bright it hurt to look directly at him. Akiko glanced to one side, and saw that the kami’s tail was wrapped around Shiraishi, who looked frozen in place, one hand trembling as if she wanted to reach forward, but dared not. Akiko risked another sideways glance, at Kazumi, whose mouth was hanging open in shock.

“Spirit Child, you have served me well for many years. I am pleased with you; be calm. Reach out.” Shiraishi did reach out then, laying her hand on the kami’s scales. The light seemed to flow up through her, enveloping her in a polychrome aura that shifted and sparkled.

“Spirit Child, if I could have, I would have spoken to you first.” Shiraishi started at that comment, and Tamao continued. “There are some who can hear easily, and some who cannot. It is no judgement.”

“Bright Child.” Akiko felt the kami’s eyes on her, as hot as direct sunlight, and bowed, hiding her eyes from the light.

“You listened. You have more courage than you realise, and more wisdom than you imagine. But you still have much to learn.”

What does that mean? Dance moves? It could be, at that…

“Beautiful Harmony. Come here.” Akiko glanced sideways again, as Kazumi stood and, shaking slightly, slowly climbed the steps to stand before the kami. Tamao dipped his head, lightning flickering from his mouth to touch the girl’s head.

And she was consumed in light, light so bright and pure it should have hurt to look at it, but it did not, and Akiko could see Kazumi within the light, see her in her vestments, and naked within them, and then, even more naked, she could see into Kazumi’s soul, and for an instant she understood the girl completely.

And then the moment had passed, and Kazumi, still fully clothed, dropped to her knees in front of Tamao, panting.

“Beautiful Harmony, all has now been purified. Serve without fear.”

Bowing, still unsteady on her feet, Kazumi walked backwards down the steps, holding tightly onto the railing, and returned to her seat.

“Spirit Child, Bright Child, Beautiful Harmony. Remember! I am not as you. I do not see as you, or think as you, or feel as you. We shall ever be mysteries.”

Was that an apology? Akiko couldn’t quite believe it, but why else would Tamao say that?

“You must hold the shrine’s aramatsuri. It has been neglected for too many years, and my aramitama is too weak to turn back the pollution. Hold the festival, and restore its strength.

“And now, Bright Child, dance!”

Akiko rose from her place to continue the ritual, performing the sacred moves of her own volition in the presence of the kami.

06: Wild Festival, Episode 39 | 6 Comments »