<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">The following night, Akiko and Kazumi were waiting under the kami tree to see whether Yoshiko would come.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Do you think she’ll come tonight?â€ Kazumi asked.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Well, she didn’t come yesterday,â€ Akiko said, “and she knew about the crisis. I’m sure she’ll come soon.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“If she doesn’t, we can just go into the tree,â€ Kazumi said, sounding quite happy. “We can practise the dances without her, I suppose.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Mmm.â€ Akiko was peering into the darkness, looking for signs of Yoshiko’s lamp, when Kazumi suddenly interrupted her with a question.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Akiko, when are we?â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Huh?â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“I mean, Yoshiko’s from the past, right? So what year are we in right now, at the tree?â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“I…â€ Akiko looked around. There were just trees around them, trees that could be from any period of history. She couldn’t hear the city, but they were quite deep within the shrine grounds anyway. “I don’t…â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">As she spoke, she caught sight of a flickering light bobbing through the trees, and pointed it out to Kazumi. Moments later, Yoshiko emerged, setting her lamp down to bow formally to them.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“I hope that your rituals were successful,â€ she said, as soon as they had finished the greetings.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“They were,â€ Akiko replied, and went on to describe what had happened.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“You held an extra festival?â€ Yoshiko asked. “That’s very…â€ She fell silent. “I suppose it worked, and the kami approved. So I can’t really criticise. But…â€ She shook her head.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“What’s the problem?â€ Kazumi asked, but Akiko thought she understood.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“You think we shouldn’t make up festivals, is that right?â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">Yoshiko nodded.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“The rituals of Shinto have been handed down from the kami from before the creation of the world. We can’t just make up new ones! But…â€ She looked puzzled again. “But you say it worked, and the kami approved. I don’t understand!â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Sounds normal,â€ Kazumi put in, making Akiko blush, and glare at her. Kazumi seemed to realise how that sounded. “Oh, er, no. Sorry. I didn’t mean that you…â€ She fell silent as Yoshiko started laughing.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Oh, don’t worry. I know what you meant. There’s so much happening that we don’t understand. If we can meet, maybe you can make up new rituals that have existed from before the creation of the world.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“How…â€ Akiko started, and then shook her head. “I’m not even going to try to understand it. The important thing is that we purified the area, and lots of people are coming to the shrine.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Is the area still pure?â€ Yoshiko wanted to know.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“The bits I’ve checked are,â€ Akiko replied, “and people are not picking up as much kegare as they used to. Not even close. I think Tamao is holding his own.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">Yoshiko nodded in satisfaction.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“That’s good,â€ she said. “I was worried about you.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“So were we!â€ Kazumi said, making Yoshiko smile.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“But,â€ the other miko continued, “you said that everyone saw Tamao at the festival?â€ Akiko nodded. “And you received a robe of feathers?â€ She nodded again. “That’s never happened before,â€ Yoshiko said, her voice thoughtful. “No matter how big the festival. Even I’ve never seen Tamao outside the other shrine.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Things change. Can we have the dance lesson?â€ Kazumi’s impatience finally broke out.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“That’s likely to be more productive than worrying about these things,â€ Yoshiko said. “Yes, let’s do that.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">With a whoop of delight, Kazumi started undressing.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“What are you doing?â€ Yoshiko asked, her voice sharp, but Kazumi barely paused.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Getting ready to go into the kami forest.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">Akiko could see that Yoshiko was about to protest, so she quickly supported Kazumi.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“We really don’t have time to have the lesson and sleep,â€ she pointed out. “But if we do it in the forest, we don’t need to sleep.â€ She reached for her own belt, aware that Kazumi was already naked. Yoshiko looked as though she was going to refuse, but finally she nodded, and then ducked round the other side of the tree.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“What?â€ Kazumi asked. “What’s the point?â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Kazumi, wait for us in the forest!â€ Akiko scolded.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“But…â€ Akiko’s eyes narrowed.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“You are not waiting to see what underwear Yoshiko has on. Go now!â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">Pouting, Kazumi embraced the tree, and vanished.</p>