<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Hello, Tamao Shrine. How can I help you?â€ Akiko was leaning through the window of the shrine office to answer the phone, twisting round to keep an eye on the harae Shiraishi was performing in front of the iwakura.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“I was wondering whether you could come and perform a purification at our home,â€ the caller asked. “We are all feeling very run-down, and have had bad luck recently.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">Akiko looked at the schedule, written on a large pad next to the phone, and frowned. That evening was already fully booked.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“I’m afraid we won’t be able to do it today,â€ she began.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Why not?â€ The caller sounded both annoyed and worried.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“We’ve already had as many requests as we can do in one evening.â€ Quickly flipping the page over, she went on before he could say anything. “We could come tomorrow evening, however. Would that be convenient?â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“I could call another shrine,â€ he said, a little sullenly.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“You could, certainly.â€ Years of experience in an office helped Akiko keep her voice calm and polite, even as she worried about whether other shrines could clear the pollution. Presumably, she thought, but she didn’t <em>know.</em> There was a pause.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Well, I suppose tomorrow evening will be OK.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Thank you. Could you tell me your name and address?â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">As the conversation ended, Shiraishi was just finishing the harae, and another small group had entered the shrine. They looked like a family, and for a moment they seemed to be clear of kegare. Then Akiko heard a dreadful baying from beyond the curtain of light, a noise to which no-one else reacted, and a pack of mangy dogs, their jaws foaming and eyes wild, sprang through to mill around the family, nipping at them, leaping onto their backs, and winding round their legs.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">Suppressing her nervousness, Akiko walked over to them. The dogs formed a ring with their eyes fixed on Akiko, growling in a tone that set her teeth on edge. Akiko had to fight to keep from gagging at the stench that came off them, from the sores and pus matting their fur, and the gangrenous wounds that marked their bodies.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“How can I help you?â€ she asked as she drew close, the dogs backing off, but never taking their eyes off her.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“We would like a purification, if possible. Things just haven’t been going right lately.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;"><em>No, I don’t imagine they have,</em> Akiko thought, forcing herself not to glance down at the dogs.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Of course. If you’d like to come inside a wait, we will perform the ceremony as soon as possible. I’m afraid that there are already people waiting, so it might be about half an hour.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Oh.â€ The man looked nonplussed for a moment, and glanced at the woman who was, presumably, his wife. She nodded, and he looked back to Akiko. “Yes, that’s fine. Er, I’ll need to quickly call the office. You go ahead.â€ He had turned back to his wife now, and as he walked back towards the entrance to the shrine, pulling his cell phone out of his pocket, two of the dogs trailed him. Akiko led the family to the waiting room, and then went back to the entrance, to wait for the man.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">They weren’t going to get out to purify the area if this kept up.</p>