After delivering the tea, Akiko went to find Shiraishi, and found her in the office, books open around her. The priest looked up as Akiko entered.

“Oh, thank goodness. Akiko, could you get the himorogi and everything set up? I imagine they’ll all be able to cope with kneeling, and I think we just about have enough mats for them. I’ve got to write the norito.â€ She looked back at the books, and grimaced. “Well, patch together a decent one from various models.â€ She looked up again, and Akiko nodded.

“Of course.â€

The sky was clearing slightly as Akiko started carrying the equipment out, but as she turned back to the shrine house after setting up the first load she saw one of the protesters standing at the top of the steps, where the torii ought to be. He caught her gaze for a moment, then turned and headed down. Akiko hurried back into the house, fighting a sense of foreboding.

When she brought the next load out, a pile of small tatami mats, her worries were concerned; all the protesters had come up the steps, and were standing at the top. She noticed Mrs Watanabe, and, again, no sign of Mr Akiyama. For a moment, she wished she had his phone number, so that she could get him to come and keep the protesters under control, but then she realised that he would be in school. And, it struck her, Mrs Watanabe would also know that.

She tried to keep one eye on the protesters as she finished setting up the himorogi, the offering tables, and the seating, but they were doing nothing, merely standing quietly at the top of the steps, watching her. She noticed that most of them kept glancing at Mrs Watanabe, as if waiting for some sort of signal, and that just made her more worried.

Shiraishi was just finishing putting the norito together in the office, writing it out as quickly as she dared. Akiko quickly mentioned the presence of the protesters, and Shiraishi frowned, then shrugged.

“There’s nothing we can do about it. Let’s get started.â€

Mr Fujimura led his group out of the house. Akiko tried to subtly watch his face as he saw the protesters, but if he reacted, he masked it well. She had a sudden idea, and switched her vision to look for kegare.

Mr Fujimura was almost completely clean. Akiko glanced back along his followers, as she found herself thinking of them, and saw that they were generally about as clean as he was. She glanced round at the protesters, who were much less pure, although the insects, rats, and fungi that clung to their bodies stayed close to them, as if scared of something.

When Akiko looked back round to the iwakura, she could see what; there was a flame clearly visible inside the stones, and as they approached she could even feel the heat. As she knelt in her place, she felt as if the flame was watching her, the heat burning through her vestments. Quickly she switched her vision back to the normal world.

The group settled themselves, and Shiraishi, after looking round to make sure that everyone was ready, knelt in front of the ohnusa to begin the harae.

As soon as she began to speak, Mrs Watanabe began to chant, her words taken up by the rest of the protesters.

“No to Shinto! No to Fascism! No to Imperialism!â€