“What do they think they are doing?â€

Once they were in the car, Akiko felt safe letting her anger out.

“Trying to close the shrine down.â€ Shiraishi sounded less angry, more resolved. “I’m not going to let them.â€

“No, of course not. But we can’t let them block the entrance like that.â€

“No. And pushing you was assault, surely.â€

“Do we call the police?â€

“Can you remember who pushed you?â€ The priest glanced briefly across at her, and Akiko shook her head.

“I wasn’t paying attention to that.â€

“I didn’t think so… So we probably can’t go to the police.â€ She paused for a moment. “Maybe I should ask Tamao to curse them.â€ It didn’t entirely sound like a joke, and for a moment Akiko thought it was a good idea. Then she remembered some of the things that had happened when Mr Takenaka was cursing the area.

“Ah, I don’t think that’s a good idea. We don’t actually want to kill any of them. Right?â€

“I wasn’t <em>entirely</em> serious, Akiko. Admittedly, largely because I agree with you that Tamao would probably take it too far rather than because I wouldn’t like to do it. No, we’ll have to think of something else. Well, this is the house,â€ Shiraishi said, as she brought the car to a stop. “How does it look?â€

Akiko looked out of the window, shifting her vision to look at kegare, and shuddered.

“Bad,â€ she said. There was a worm-thing wrapped around the house, one end splitting into a dozen blind heads, all of which were probing at the windows and doors, trying to get in. It didn’t seem to have noticed them, though. “I think a purification would be a very good idea.â€

Inside the house, Mr Yamamoto introduced his wife and daughter. All of them were heavy with kegare, but the daughter, who looked about ten, was covered with what looked like cockroaches, and she kept flinching as if she could feel it when they bit at her. When she turned to walk into the living room, the spirits surged around and under her feet, biting at her legs and ankles and making her stumble. Akiko tried to keep her face under control, but she looked at Shiraishi, and shook her head slightly. The priest nodded, and led the way into the living room.

To Akiko’s eyes, the walls were full of narrow gashes, surrounded by fungi, and from which dozens of cockroaches appeared to scuttle all over the walls, before vanishing into another gap. A thumping sound drew her attention to the window, and she could see the worm thing outside, trying to get in.

The roaches scattered as they set up the himorogi, and then rushed for the gaps in the walls as Shiraishi began the norito. The fungi seemed to catch fire in the light that washed from the ohnusa, and Akiko saw the worm thing outside flinch back, its skin smoking. She glanced back at the family, and the roaches were pouring off the daughter, running for cover, even as limbs dropped from them, as their bodies fell apart, becoming dry husks that eroded to dust.

As Shiraishi intoned the prayer for safety, Akiko saw auras of light settle around the family, and for a moment she thought she saw a glittering, many-coloured snake within them, but it was gone before she could be sure. The wounds in the walls were healed, and the worm had apparently vanished.

The girl looked a lot happier when they had finished, and even asked Akiko what it was like being a miko. Then she blushed, and beckoned her closer.

“Is it true you don’t wear knickers?â€ she whispered.

“No,â€ Akiko replied. <em>Oh, for crying out loud! Has everyone heard that story?</em>