Both of the Itos looked shocked, but Mrs Ito recovered first, nodding in acknowledgement.

“When would be convenient?â€

“This evening would be good.â€ Akiko was finding it hard to forget the images of decay, and the spirits trying to undermine the house. Could the whole place collapse around them? “As soon as possible, really.â€

Mrs Ito nodded again, but her mouth was pressed firmly closed.

“Do you need anything?â€ Mr Ito asked.

“Ah, no. Just space to set the himorogi up. In here is fine, if we push the furniture back a bit. But…â€ Akiko remembered that she was still in her own clothes. “I need to go back to the shrine to change, and to help Revd Shiraishi bring the things we need. I’ll call you when we are coming.â€

“Of course,â€ Mrs Ito replied. “Try not to be too late; our son has school tomorrow.â€

“No, obviously.â€ Akiko thought she managed not to visibly shudder at the thought of a child living in that house, but she almost ran back to the shrine, only slowing down as she ran out of breath.

Shiraishi’s initial reaction was slightly sceptical.

“Go out to do a harae? Why?â€

“Because Mr Ito’s house is heavy with kegare. I think there are spirits trying to make it collapse. We have to cleanse it, and drive them away.â€

“And a harae will do that?â€

Akiko nodded.

“You are sure?â€ Shiraishi was suddenly very interested.

“Yes. I can see the kegare. When you perform the harae, it all gets swept away and destroyed. We cleansed Mr Ito of a lot yesterday, but he picked some up again as soon as he got home. We have to cleanse the house, too.â€

Shiraishi was quiet for a few moments, as if thinking hard about something. Then she nodded.

“I see. We have to purify ourselves first, particularly you, if you’ve been in there.â€ Akiko felt her skin crawl at the thought of what she might have picked up, and nodded. “Do you want to use the bath first?â€ Shiraishi continued.

Akiko’s sense of urgency mounted ever higher.

“There isn’t time for that. We should use it together.â€ She had to force herself not to run for the bathroom, and she was already down to her underwear when Shiraishi entered the changing area. Akiko glanced over, and saw that the priest was blushing bright red. Shy? Akiko quickly slipped off her underwear and hurried into the bath. Maybe the priest didn’t want to undress in front of her.

Shiraishi came into the bathroom just as Akiko was stepping into the bath itself, and she seemed to be staying as far away as possible. Akiko wondered what the problem was as she ducked under the water, but she didn’t have time to think about it; she quickly got out of the bath and went to get dressed.

Shiraishi was still dressed before Akiko; an extra few decades’ practice getting the vestments gave her an edge there. She was still rather red, but Akiko decided not to ask about it.

“Help me carry the gear,â€ Shiraishi said, smiling slightly.

In the car, the priest did return to the subject.

“Sorry about the bath thing. I was just a bit surprised.â€

“Surprised?â€

“I, er, didn’t think it was quite that urgent. Ah, here we are. Did we really need the car?â€

<em>Probably not,</em> thought Akiko, but deciding whether to take it would have taken even more time. Shiraishi went to ring the bell, while Akiko picked up the equipment from the boot of the car. She caught bits of the conversation with the Itos as she carried it in, and then the two of them set it up.

“Akiko!â€ Shiraishi was whispering.

“What?â€

“Should the Itos be here for the ceremony?â€

“Ah.â€ Akiko hadn’t thought of that. “Yes, they should. That way they’ll get purified as well.â€ The priest conveyed the message, and Mrs Ito went to get their son while Akiko finished putting the himorogi up.

When the preparations were complete, Akiko knelt off to one side, while Shiraishi showed the Itos where they should be. Akiko knew that she should look at the kegare to monitor the situation, but she really didn’t want to see that again.

<em>Coward,</em> she accused herself, and tried to shift her perceptions.

For a few moments nothing happened, and Akiko realised that she was too nervous. She had to relax a bit, and then… there.

The room looked as bad as she remembered, the himorogi standing out clean within it, the shide papers hanging from the sakaki sparkling in the general gloom. Shiraishi was also clean, with a definite glow about her, a glow that Akiko saw several tendrils of kegare flinch away from. She looked down at her own hands, and saw that they were also clean. Around her knees, the mat of fungus on the floor had drawn back, leaving a channel a few millimetres wide.

Akiko glanced over at the Itos. Mr Ito had a few thin tendrils around him, much lighter than the ones over his wife. As Akiko watched, a yellow centipede ran over Mrs Ito’s face and disappeared into the corner of her eye. She had to stifle a scream, and she quickly looked at their son.

The boy was invisible within a cocoon of kegare, pus leaking from cracks at the joints whenever he moved.

Akiko turned sharply back to the himorogi, hoping, praying that the harae would work as well as she hoped.

As Shiraishi intoned the norito, even before she touched the ohnusa, Akiko saw the tendrils of kegare writhing and twitching back, smoking and dissolving at their tips. She looked down, and saw that the kegare around her had retreated a little further.

<em>It’s working,</em> she thought.

Shiraishi picked up the ohnusa, sweeping it through the air. The tendrils dissolved as they flinched back, and the air seemed to get fresher, clearer. She swept the ohnusa over the Itos, and the tendrils surrounding Mr Ito vanished, blown away like cobwebs, while those around his wife were reduced to thin threads. The cocoon around their son cracked and flaked away, revealing him inside, but it didn’t disappear; there were simply gaps in it.

<em>Not enough.</em> Shiraishi turned back, but Akiko caught her eye and shook her head, willing the priest to understand.

It seemed she did, because she turned back to the Itos, waving the ohnusa once more. This time, the cocoon shattered into dust. The Itos’ son gasped, and then collapsed onto the floor, crying.

Around him, the room seemed entirely clean.