INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(482, 1, '2009-04-23 11:10:09', '2009-04-23 02:10:09', '', 'Wind in the Tree', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '481-revision', '', '', '2009-04-23 11:10:09', '2009-04-23 02:10:09', '', 481, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/04/23/481-revision/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(483, 1, '2009-04-23 11:13:48', '2009-04-23 02:13:48', 'There was someone in the precincts as Akiko dashed down the steps of the shrine, but she ignored them, running straight to the house and into the entrance hall.\n\n“Revd Shiraishi! Revd Shiraishi!â€ It was only as she called for the priest that she realised who she had seen; Akira Takenaka. She turned back, and he nodded to her.\n\n“Good morning, Ms Tanahata. Are you all right?â€ Akiko had some idea of how panicked she looked, and just shook her head. She was about to explain, but suddenly realised that she couldn’t tell Akira that she’d just had a vision of his father’s corpse.\n\nShiraishi came hurrying to the entrance.\n\n“What is it? Oh, Akira. How are you?â€\n\n“Revd Shiraishi, you have to purify the shrine.â€ Akiko couldn’t wait, couldn’t take time to explain. The priest looked at her, puzzled.\n\n“What? What are you talking about?â€\n\n“There are purification ceremonies, right? You have to perform one for the shrine.â€ <em>Don’t make me explain why,</em> she pleaded silently. <em>Not in front of Akira.</em> Shiraishi continued staring at her, puzzled, for a few moments, and then she paled, blood draining from her face, and nodded.\n\n“Yes, yes, you’re right.â€ She turned back to Akira. “I’m sorry, Akira. How are you? And what can we do for you?â€ Akiko, her heart still pounding, turned to look out at the shrine. It looked as thought the ridge pole had collapsed, the centre of the roof drooping inwards as pus leaked from the cracks as if from a sore.\n\n“I’m all right, thank you. I just came to make sure you were OK, because I didn’t see you yesterday.â€ Akiko couldn’t control herself any longer.\n\n“Revd Shiraishi, you have to  purify the shrine <em>now.</em>â€ The priest looked at her, angry, and opened her mouth, before closing it sharply as fear chased anger from her face.\n\n“Did you…?â€ She trailed off, glancing surreptitiously at Akira. Akiko just nodded, and she saw the priest swallow sharply, and then try to bring herself under control. Shiraishi turned back to Akira.\n\n“I’m sorry, we have to perform this ceremony. Would you like to attend?â€\n\n“I would be happy to.â€ Akira was very polite, but sounded slightly distant. Shiraishi watched him for a long moment, and then nodded.\n\n“I have to get changed. Please wait here.â€ She bowed once, and then headed back into the house, leaving Akiko and Akira alone.\n\nAkiko’s eye was caught by motion, by something like a centipede disappearing under the step up from the entrance into the house, and she turned to look out at the shrine again.\n\nEverything seemed to be covered in cobwebs, great drapes of grey fibre cocooning everything, while a myriad spiders crawled over them, some of them as large as a dog, with venom dripping from their mouths. Akiko took a step back, and almost stumbled when she came up against the shelves for shoes.\n\n“Ms Tanahata? Are you sure you’re all right?â€ Akiko realised she was shaking her head, but before she could correct herself her ears were filled with a hideous buzzing, like a million flies attacking a corpse, rising and settling in clouds of decay.\n\n“Would you like to sit down?â€ Akira’s voice was solicitous, but Akiko still couldn’t get a reply together. Fortunately, Shiraishi chose that moment to reappear, in her full vestments.\n\n“Right, if you would follow me to the shrine.â€\n\nThe spiders were gone when they stepped outside, but off the paths the grass seemed to have become a swamp, with ghostly lights flickering over pools of stagnant water where the scent of rot hung heavy in the air. The only noise was of <em>things</em> moving through the water, some splashing, some gliding, some paddling, but none sounding healthy to Akiko as she picked her way carefully along the stones.\n\n<em>Akira and Revd Shiraishi haven’t noticed anything,</em> she told herself. <em>I won’t sink if I step off the path.</em> But still, she couldn’t make herself do it.\n\nThey climbed the steps to the shrine, steps that looked rotted and broken to Akiko, but which became solid again moments before the priest stepped on them, and then seemed to crumble again under Akiko’s feet. She looked back from the veranda, and the swamp had swallowed the path. The torii at the entrance, wreathed in mist, was leaning at a crazy angle.\n\nInside the shrine, Shiraishi went to kneel before a large stick with many strips of folded white paper fixed to one end, the ohnusa, and Akiko and Akira sat on the stools. To Akiko’s eyes they were heavy with mildew, and cockroaches scampered across them, but Akira seemed to have no qualms about sitting. Although her skin shied away from contact, Akiko followed suit.\n\n“<em>Takamanoharanikamuzumarimasu…â€</em> Shiraishi started reciting the norito, the prayer, as darkness seemed to thicken around her. Akiko could definitely see things watching them now, clinging to the walls at the rafters, bats and lizards and monkeys and birds, all with injured or deformed bodies, all leaking pus, or drooling, some defecating on the shrine as she watched. Their eyes burned with an unwholesome light.\n\nAkiko glanced at Akira, and had to suppress a gasp. She could hardly see him; he was wrapped in darkness, in threads that seemed to bind and conceal, that kept reaching for his mouth and nose as if they wanted to invade his throat. Choking back her words, Akiko turned back to Shiraishi.\n\nThe priest was continuing the prayer, and the ohnusa was shining. Gold and silver light ran along the edges of the paper like lightning, while a fire in red and green and purple seemed to burn at the head of the rod, consuming nothing.\n\n<em>“…kashikomikshikomimomousu.â€ </em>Shiraishi finished the prayer and bowed before reaching for the ohnusa. As she lifted it, drops of light fell from the paper, bouncing on the floor and driving the darkness back. The priest stood and bowed once more, before walking to the rear of the shrine. She raised the ohnusa and shook it to the left, then the right, then the left again.\n\nAs she shook it, Akiko saw the light and fire flung off it, sweeping out to drive back the darkness, the fire consuming the things that clung to the walls, dissolving them to nothingness.\n\nThe priest turned to face them.\n\n“Please bow your heads.â€\n\nEven with her head bowed, Akiko could see the light flooding out from the ohnusa, scouring the corruption, bleaching the mildew from the seats and, out of the corner of her eye, burning away the threads that surrounded Akira.\n\n“Please raise your heads.â€\n\nAkiko looked up again. The room seemed empty and clean once more. She looked around, but there was nothing to be seen. She relaxed, the tension flowing out of her, and nodded to Shiraishi.\n\nThere was a sound from beside her, and she looked to see tears starting from Akira’s eyes, as he buried his head in his hands and began crying.', 'Harae', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '266-autosave', '', '', '2009-04-23 11:13:48', '2009-04-23 02:13:48', '', 266, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/04/23/266-autosave/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(484, 1, '2009-02-20 11:52:46', '2009-02-20 02:52:46', 'There was someone in the precincts as Akiko dashed down the steps of the shrine, but she ignored them, running straight to the house and into the entrance hall.\r\n\r\n“Revd Shiraishi! Revd Shiraishi!â€ It was only as she called for the priest that she realised who she had seen; Akira Takenaka. She turned back, and he nodded to her.\r\n\r\n“Good morning, Ms Tanahata. Are you all right?â€ Akiko had some idea of how panicked she looked, and just shook her head. She was about to explain, but suddenly realised that she couldn’t tell Akira that she’d just had a vision of his father’s corpse.\r\n\r\nShiraishi came hurrying to the entrance.\r\n\r\n“What is it? Oh, Akira. How are you?â€\r\n\r\n“Revd Shiraishi, you have to purify the shrine.â€ Akiko couldn’t wait, couldn’t take time to explain. The priest looked at her, puzzled.\r\n\r\n“What? What are you talking about?â€\r\n\r\n“There are purification ceremonies, right? You have to perform one for the shrine.â€ <em>Don’t make me explain why,</em> she pleaded silently. <em>Not in front of Akira.</em> Shiraishi continued staring at her, puzzled, for a few moments, and then she paled, blood draining from her face, and nodded.\r\n\r\n“Yes, yes, you’re right.â€ She turned back to Akira. “I’m sorry, Akira. How are you? And what can we do for you?â€ Akiko, her heart still pounding, turned to look out at the shrine. It looked as thought the ridge pole had collapsed, the centre of the roof drooping inwards as pus leaked from the cracks as if from a sore.\r\n\r\n“I’m all right, thank you. I just came to make sure you were OK, because I didn’t see you yesterday.â€ Akiko couldn’t control herself any longer.\r\n\r\n“Revd Shiraishi, you have to  purify the shrine <em>now.</em>â€ The priest looked at her, angry, and opened her mouth, before closing it sharply as fear chased anger from her face.\r\n\r\n“Did you…?â€ She trailed off, glancing surreptitiously at Akira. Akiko just nodded, and she saw the priest swallow sharply, and then try to bring herself under control. Shiraishi turned back to Akira.\r\n\r\n“I’m sorry, we have to perform this ceremony. Would you like to attend?â€\r\n\r\n“I would be happy to.â€ Akira was very polite, but sounded slightly distant. Shiraishi watched him for a long moment, and then nodded.\r\n\r\n“I have to get changed. Please wait here.â€ She bowed once, and then headed back into the house, leaving Akiko and Akira alone.\r\n\r\nAkiko’s eye was caught by motion, by something like a centipede disappearing under the step up from the entrance into the house, and she turned to look out at the shrine again.\r\n\r\nEverything seemed to be covered in cobwebs, great drapes of grey fibre cocooning everything, while a myriad spiders crawled over them, some of them as large as a dog, with venom dripping from their mouths. Akiko took a step back, and almost stumbled when she came up again the shelves for shoes.\r\n\r\n“Ms Tanahata? Are you sure you’re all right?â€ Akiko realised she was shaking her head, but before she could correct herself her ears were filled with a hideous buzzing, like a million flies attacking a corpse, rising and settling in clouds of decay.\r\n\r\n“Would you like to sit down?â€ Akira’s voice was solicitous, but Akiko still couldn’t get a reply together. Fortunately, Shiraishi chose that moment to reappear, in her full vestments.\r\n\r\n“Right, if you would follow me to the shrine.â€\r\n\r\nThe spiders were gone when they stepped outside, but off the paths the grass seemed to have become a swamp, with ghostly lights flickering over pools of stagnant water where the scent of rot hung heavy in the air. The only noise was of <em>things</em> moving through the water, some splashing, some gliding, some paddling, but none sounding healthy to Akiko as she picked her way carefully along the stones.\r\n\r\n<em>Akira and Revd Shiraishi haven’t noticed anything,</em> she told herself. <em>I won’t sink if I step off the path.</em> But still, she couldn’t make herself do it.\r\n\r\nThey climbed the steps to the shrine, steps that looked rotted and broken to Akiko, but which became solid again moments before the priest stepped on them, and then seemed to crumble again under Akiko’s feet. She looked back from the veranda, and the swamp had swallowed the path. The torii at the entrance, wreathed in mist, was leaning at a crazy angle.\r\n\r\nInside the shrine, Shiraishi went to kneel before a large stick with many strips of folded white paper fixed to one end, the ohnusa, and Akiko and Akira sat on the stools. To Akiko’s eyes they were heavy with mildew, and cockroaches scampered across them, but Akira seemed to have no qualms about sitting. Although her skin shied away from contact, Akiko followed suit.\r\n\r\n“<em>Takamanoharanikamuzumarimasu…â€</em> Shiraishi started reciting the norito, the prayer, as darkness seemed to thicken around her. Akiko could definitely see things watching them now, clinging to the walls at the rafters, bats and lizards and monkeys and birds, all with injured or deformed bodies, all leaking pus, or drooling, some defecating on the shrine as she watched. Their eyes burned with an unwholesome light.\r\n\r\nAkiko glanced at Akira, and had to suppress a gasp. She could hardly see him; he was wrapped in darkness, in threads that seemed to bind and conceal, that kept reaching for his mouth and nose as if they wanted to invade his throat. Choking back her words, Akiko turned back to Shiraishi.\r\n\r\nThe priest was continuing the prayer, and the ohnusa was shining. Gold and silver light ran along the edges of the paper like lightning, while a fire in red and green and purple seemed to burn at the head of the rod, consuming nothing.\r\n\r\n<em>“…kashikomikshikomimomousu.â€ </em>Shiraishi finished the prayer and bowed before reaching for the ohnusa. As she lifted it, drops of light fell from the paper, bouncing on the floor and driving the darkness back. The priest stood and bowed once more, before walking to the rear of the shrine. She raised the ohnusa and shook it to the left, then the right, then the left again.\r\n\r\nAs she shook it, Akiko saw the light and fire flung off it, sweeping out to drive back the darkness, the fire consuming the things that clung to the walls, dissolving them to nothingness.\r\n\r\nThe priest turned to face them.\r\n\r\n“Please bow your heads.â€\r\n\r\nEven with her head bowed, Akiko could see the light flooding out from the ohnusa, scouring the corruption, bleaching the mildew from the seats and, out of the corner of her eye, burning away the threads that surrounded Akira.\r\n\r\n“Please raise your heads.â€\r\n\r\nAkiko looked up again. The room seemed empty and clean once more. She looked around, but there was nothing to be seen. She relaxed, the tension flowing out of her, and nodded to Shiraishi.\r\n\r\nThere was a sound from beside her, and she looked to see tears starting from Akira’s eyes, as he buried his head in his hands and starting crying.', 'Harae', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '266-revision-2', '', '', '2009-02-20 11:52:46', '2009-02-20 02:52:46', '', 266, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/02/20/266-revision-2/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(485, 1, '2009-04-27 06:46:26', '2009-04-26 21:46:26', 'On the following day, Akiko set off for the postponed interview, resolved to take the bus this time. The sky was heavy and threatening, and it started raining soon after she got on the bus to the station. Only a handful of people were not wearing masks, and Akiko realised that she had, once again, forgotten to buy herself any. She resolved to get one at the chemist’s near the station, before she got on the train.\n\nAs the bus ground to a halt in yet another traffic jam, she realised that she would have to give up that idea. They crawled along for a good fifteen minutes, before passing the police cars that marked the site of the accident and picking up to something like a normal pace. At the station, Akiko dashed straight onto the train, already sure that she would be late. She considered calling the company to say that she would be late, but at that point the PA system reminded everyone not to talk on their cell phones, so she abandoned the idea.\n\nAt the other end, things seemed to go quite smoothly. There was a bus waiting at the terminal, and it left within five minutes of Akiko getting on. Checking her watch, she thought that she might just make it in time, and settled back in her seat.\n\nA loud sneeze from behind her, followed by coughing, made her jump, and she looked round. The man behind her, covering his face with a handkerchief, was coughing violently, and really didn’t look well, hunched up and shivering inside his coat. Once again Akiko realised that she didn’t have a mask, and she quickly looked forward again, hoping that she could escape infection.\n\nThe rain was getting heavier, and Akiko could barely see out of the window. The driver was clearly having a similar problem, as the bus had slowed to a crawl. A car’s horn sounded behind them, then again, more insistent. The driver sped up a bit, but soon slowed down again. Akiko heard an engine rev behind them, and looked out of the window to see a car overtaking them. Another car appeared in front of them, and the overtaking car accelerated and swerved, trying to pull in in front of the bus.\n\nThere was a terrible crash as it didn’t quite make it, clipping the front of the bus and spinning out of control. The bus was knocked sideways, lurching as it ploughed into a streetlight, coming to an abrupt stop, throwing Akiko forward so that she banged her head on the back of the seat in front.\n\n“Is anyone hurt?â€ the driver called back, looking round at them all. Akiko raised her hand to her forehead, but there was no blood, and the skin was only a little tender. She shook her head, and around her the other passengers were doing the same. The driver nodded in relief.\n\n“I’m really sorry about that,â€ he continued. “It would be best if everyone got off the bus, though.â€ No-one was particularly enthusiastic at that prospect, not even Akiko. “There’s a convenience store just over there.â€ The driver pointed across the road, and opened the doors, and people started to get up. Akiko remained in her seat for a few moments, looking at the driving rain, and then sighed, pulling her folding rain coat out of her bag. She had learned to be prepared for these sorts of problems.\n\nIt took some time to reach the office following the bus route, and by the time she had Akiko’s legs were soaked through. Fortunately, the rain coat had kept the worst of it off her, so she was not as wet as last time by the time she got through the door.\n\nShe had called ahead about the bus crash, so the receptionist was ready for her.\n\n“Are you all right? You really are having a run of bad luck, aren’t you. Mr Sugimoto says that you can have a few minutes to dry off before the interview.â€ Akiko smiled wryly.\n\n“Thank you. Fortunately, I still had my jacket this time.â€\n\nA few minutes with a towel actually made a lot of difference, and the pain in her head had largely receded by the time Akiko made her way to the interview room. Mr Sugimoto was there with two other people, a man and a woman, and he smiled as Akiko came in.\n\n“Thank you for coming, Ms Tanahata. Can I just say that I admire your persistence in coming to this interview? It makes you wonder whether someone doesn’t want you to be here.â€ He laughed, and Akiko forced herself to laugh along with him, ignoring her suspicion that someone really didn’t want her to be here.\n\nShe took the indicated seat, and the woman got up and went to prepare coffee. Mr Sugimoto started with some general questions, largely, Akiko suspected, to fill time.\n\n“Ow!â€ She looked over to the woman, who was sucking on her hand.\n\n“I’m sorry,â€ the woman said. “The coffee is very, very hot. There must be something wrong with the thermostat. You should let it stand for a little while before you drink it.â€ Wrapping a tea towel round it, she picked it up and put it on the table in front of Akiko. Akiko nodded her thanks, and the woman sat down.\n\n“Well then,â€ said Mr Sugimoto, “I suppose we can start properly now.â€\n\nNo sooner had he said that than the ground shook, gently at first, then suddenly more strongly, rattling the windows, knocking books over, making Akiko and the interviewers grab the table or the arms of their chairs.\n\nAnd tumbling the cup of coffee off the table and into Akiko’s lap.\n\nThe heat of the liquid was almost immediately painful, and Akiko sprang to her feet, knocking the cup to the floor. Instinct seemed to take over, and she had pulled her skirt off, and her blouse and jacket away from her body, before she even realised what she was doing. As she started to pull down on her knickers, conscious thought kicked in, and she just pulled the wet patch away from her skin instead.\n\nStill, she could imagine what she looked like, and she went bright red.\n\nSomewhat comfortingly, so did the interviewers. Mr Sugimoto and the other man quickly left the room, muttering incomprehensible things that were probably apologies. Akiko sucked her breath in as the hot liquid made its way to the fabric that was still in contact with her skin, and, now that the men had left, pushed her underwear down and struggled out of the other clothes.\n\nThe woman was babbling apologies through her embarrassment, as Akiko sank back down into the chair, her hands firmly in her lap.\n\n<em>At least they aren’t filming me here,</em> she thought. <em>But I can’t work here now! </em>Besides that, her conviction that Tamao did not want her taking the job was far stronger than it had been. He didn’t want her taking this job, or any other job. And he was willing to hurt her to make that point.\n\nThe receptionist appeared with towels, and Akiko wrapped them round herself for a bit of modesty while her clothes dried and cooled off.\n\n<em>OK Tamao,</em> she thought to herself. <em>I give up. You don’t want me to work. I get the idea.</em>\n\n<em>What </em><strong><em>do</em></strong><em> you want me to do?</em>', 'Rescheduled', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '283-autosave', '', '', '2009-04-27 06:46:26', '2009-04-26 21:46:26', '', 283, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/04/27/283-autosave/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(486, 1, '2009-02-27 12:04:53', '2009-02-27 03:04:53', 'On the following day, Akiko set off for the postponed interview, resolved to take the bus this time. The sky was heavy and threatening, and it started raining soon after she got on the bus to the station. Only a handful of people were not wearing masks, and Akiko realised that she had, once again, forgot to buy herself any. She resolved to get one at the chemist’s near the station, before she got on the train.\r\n\r\nAs the bus ground to a halt in yet another traffic jam, she realised that she would have to give up that idea. They crawled along for a good fifteen minutes, before passing the police cars that marked the site of the accident and picking up to something like a normal pace. At the station, Akiko dashed straight onto the train, already sure that she would be late. She considered calling the company to say that she would be late, but at that point the PA system reminded everyone not to talk on their cell phones, so she abandoned the idea.\r\n\r\nAt the other end, things seemed to go quite smoothly. There was a bus waiting at the terminal, and it left within five minutes of Akiko getting on. Checking her watch, she thought that she might just make it in time, and settled back in her seat.\r\n\r\nA loud sneeze from behind her, followed by coughing, made her jump, and she looked round. The man behind her, covering his face with a handkerchief, was coughing violently, and really didn’t look well, hunched up and shivering inside his coat. Once again Akiko realised that she didn’t have a mask, and she quickly looked forward again, hoping that she could escape infection.\r\n\r\nThe rain was getting heavier, and Akiko could barely see out of the window. The driver was clearly having a similar problem, as the bus had slowed to a crawl. A car’s horn sounded behind them, then again, more insistent. The driver sped up a bit, but soon slowed down again. Akiko heard an engine rev behind them, and looked out of the window to see a car overtaking them. Another car appeared in front of them, and the overtaking car accelerated and swerved, trying to pull in in front of the bus.\r\n\r\nThere was a terrible crash as it didn’t quite make it, clipping the front of the bus and spinning out of control. The bus was knocked sideways, lurching as it ploughed into a streetlight, coming to an abrupt stop, throwing Akiko forward so that she banged her head on the back of the seat in front.\r\n\r\n“Is anyone hurt?â€ the driver called back, looking round at the all. Akiko raised her hand to her forehead, but there was no blood, and the skin was only a little tender. She shook her head, and around her the other passengers were doing the same. The driver nodded in relief.\r\n\r\n“I’m really sorry about that,â€ he continued. “It would be best if everyone got off the bus, though.â€ No-one was particularly enthusiastic at that prospect, not even Akiko. “There’s a convenience store just over there.â€ The driver pointed across the road, and opened the doors, and people started to get up. Akiko remained in her seat for a few moments, looking at the driving rain, and then sighed, pulling her folding rain coat out of her bag. She had learned to be prepared for these sorts of problems.\r\n\r\nIt took some time to reach the office following the bus route, and by the time she had Akiko’s legs were soaked through. Fortunately, the rain coat had kept the worst of it off her, so she was not as wet as last time by the time she got through the door.\r\n\r\nShe had called ahead about the bus crash, so the receptionist was ready for her.\r\n\r\n“Are you all right? You really are having a run of bad luck, aren’t you. Mr Sugimoto says that you can have a few minutes to dry off before the interview.â€ Akiko smiled wryly.\r\n\r\n“Thank you. Fortunately, I still had my jacket this time.â€\r\n\r\nA few minutes with a towel actually made a lot of difference, and the pain in her head had largely receded by the time Akiko made her way to the interview room. Mr Sugimoto was there with two other people, a man and a woman, and he smiled as Akiko came in.\r\n\r\n“Thank you for coming, Ms Tanahata. Can I just say that I admire your persistence in coming to this interview? It makes you wonder whether someone doesn’t want you to be here.â€ He laughed, and Akiko forced herself to laugh along with him, ignoring her suspicion that someone really didn’t want her to be here.\r\n\r\nShe took the indicated seat, and the woman got up and went to prepare coffee. Mr Sugimoto started with some general questions, largely, Akiko suspected, to fill time.\r\n\r\n“Ow!â€ She looked over to the woman, who was sucking on her hand.\r\n\r\n“I’m sorry,â€ the woman said. “The coffee is very, very hot. There must be something wrong with the thermostat. You should let it stand for a little while before you drink it.â€ Wrapping a tea towel round it, she picked it up and put it on the table in front of Akiko. Akiko nodded her thanks, and the woman sat down.\r\n\r\n“Well then,â€ said Mr Sugimoto, “I suppose we can start properly now.â€\r\n\r\nNo sooner had he said that than the ground shook, gently at first, then suddenly more strongly, rattling the windows, knocking books over, making Akiko and the interviewers grab the table or the arms of their chairs.\r\n\r\nAnd tumbling the cup of coffee off the table and into Akiko’s lap.\r\n\r\nThe heat of the liquid was almost immediately painful, and Akiko sprang to her feet, knocking the cup to the floor. Instinct seemed to take over, and she had pulled her skirt off, and her blouse and jacket away from her body, before she even realised what she was doing. As she started to pull down on her knickers, conscious thought kicked in, and she just pulled the wet patch away from her skin instead.\r\n\r\nStill, she could imagine what she looked like, and she went bright red.\r\n\r\nSomewhat comfortingly, so did the interviewers. Mr Sugimoto and the other man quickly left the room, muttering incomprehensible things that were probably apologies. Akiko sucked her breath in as the hot liquid made its way to the fabric that was still in contact with her skin, and, now that the men had left, pushed her underwear down and struggled out of the other clothes.\r\n\r\nThe woman was babbling apologies through her embarrassment, as Akiko sank back down into the chair, her hands firmly in her lap.\r\n\r\n<em>At least they aren’t filming me here,</em> she thought. <em>But I can’t work here now! </em>Besides that, her conviction that Tamao did not want her taking the job was far stronger than it had been. He didn’t want her taking this job, or any other job. And he was willing to hurt her to make that point.\r\n\r\nThe receptionist appeared with towels, and Akiko wrapped them round herself for a bit of modesty while her clothes dried and cooled off.\r\n\r\n<em>OK Tamao,</em> she thought to herself. <em>I give up. You don’t want me to work. I get the idea.</em>\r\n\r\n<em>What </em><strong><em>do</em></strong><em> you want me to do?</em>', 'Rescheduled', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '283-revision-2', '', '', '2009-02-27 12:04:53', '2009-02-27 03:04:53', '', 283, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/02/27/283-revision-2/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(487, 1, '2009-02-05 13:29:10', '2009-02-05 04:29:10', 'Her breath came in short gasps as she started up the steps, taking them three at a time. She was nearly at the top when she felt a sharp pain on her trailing ankle; pushing down with all her strength, she threw herself through the torii, stumbling on the path and falling to her hands and knees as her leg, all its strength gone, collapsed under her. She looked back, at the thing climbing the steps, and screamed.\r\n\r\nIt sprang up the last few steps.\r\n\r\nAnd, as it reached the torii, disintegrated into a cloud of grey dust, dust caught by a sudden gut of wind blowing straight out from the shrine and scattered into the air.\r\n\r\nAkiko was still breathing hard, and her left leg was numb and weak. The wound on her ankle was more of a scratch than she had thought, although some of the dust had got into it, making it sting.\r\n\r\n“Are you all right? Ms Tanahata?â€ Akiko looked up to see Shiraishi running across from the house towards her. “You screamed…â€ The priest’s voice trailed off.\r\n\r\n“Something was chasing me.â€ Shiraishi looked startled, and glanced around. Akiko shook her head. “It vanished when it tried to go through the torii. Nothing but dust left now.â€\r\n\r\nShiraishi turned to look down at Akiko, and Akiko dropped her eyes to the ground. She could tell that the priest was still looking at her, and had crouched down beside her. She didn’t want to look at Shiraishi’s face and find out what the priest was thinking. The silence stretched out, and Akiko started trying to brush some of the dust from her clothes.\r\n\r\nThe dust. She was still covered in dust. She could see it, and feel it against her skin. Her skin started to crawl under it as she realised just how dirty she was, but there was also a sense of exultation. Real dust! She looked up, looking Shiraishi straight in the eye.\r\n\r\n“Do you see the dust? All over me?â€ The priest’s eyes were more concerned than anything, and for a moment she didn’t respond. Akiko suddenly wondered whether anyone else could see the dust, but then Shiraishi nodded slowly. “The dust came from the thing that was chasing me. It was like a two-headed dog made out of old concrete. And I saw something by the love hotels two days ago, and there were things by my flat. And something similar on the building site. Only I don’t think anyone else sees them, just like no-one else sees the snake.â€ She paused. “I haven’t seen the snake for a few days, either.â€ She realised she was babbling, then, and took a deep breath to calm herself. Dust caught in her throat, provoking a fit of coughing.\r\n\r\n“What’s going on?â€ Akiko hadn’t meant to sound so pleading, but Shiraishi still hadn’t moved, or said anything. She looked at the priest again, but couldn’t hold her gaze, soon looking back down at the floor.\r\n\r\n“You…â€ Shiraishi began, then stopped, cleared her throat, and started again. “You should come inside and have a shower, first. You’re filthy.â€ Akiko nodded; she was feeling dirtier by the second, and definitely wanted to wash. She tried to stand, but her left leg was still weak, and she staggered. Shiraishi held out an arm to support her, and then guided her into the house, and back to the bathroom, leaving her in the anteroom.\r\n\r\nBy the time Akiko came out of the bathroom, wearing a yukata again, she felt much better. Clean, for a start, and her leg was back to normal, the scratch much smaller than she would have believed possible. She was actually feeling quite cheerful.\r\n\r\nShiraishi was waiting for her, sitting by the table, with tea and Japanese sweets set out. The priest was kneeling rigidly, her hands clasped on the table in front of her, and she looked up as Akiko came in.\r\n\r\n“Ms Tanahata, please sit down and have some tea.â€ She sounded very formal, and Akiko found herself getting nervous as she did as she was asked. Shiraishi poured her a cup of green tea, and passed her a sweet. Akiko took a sip of the tea, which was good, while the priest looked at the table, and then back up at her.\r\n\r\n“Please tell me what’s been happening to you.â€ Akiko was surprised, and didn’t know how to answer at first. Shiraishi seemed to take her silence for reluctance, and hurried on. “I promise not to make any wild accusations this time. I’ll just listen, at least until you finish.â€ The priest was blushing slightly as she said that, apparently a little embarrassed. Akiko could feel her face heating up; now it came down to actually saying what had happened, it all seemed ridiculous to her. How was anyone going to believe her? “Could you start with seeing the kami?â€ Shiraishi continued. Akiko took a deep breath, and nodded.\r\n\r\nShe started from the first storm, and told the priest everything. Once she had started talking, it got easier, especially as Shiraishi made no comment, just nodding and indicating that she was still listening. Akiko described the dreams and visions, and the problems at work, and the snake appearing in the night club. She talked about the vision in the love hotel, and the creatures that she had seen, at the building site, near her flat, near the love hotel, and in the laundrette. She put particular emphasis on the fact that her flat had been wet after the internal rainstorm, and the dust that had covered her earlier, but Shiraishi still said nothing.\r\n\r\nWhen she had finished, the priest just sat there, saying nothing, but nodding slightly. Akiko waited, but there was still no response.\r\n\r\n“Well?â€\r\n\r\n“I…â€ Shiraishi began, and then broke off. “I don’t know.â€\r\n\r\n“Do you believe me?â€\r\n\r\n“I don’t think you’re lying to me.â€\r\n\r\n“You saw the dust!â€ Did the priest think she was mad?\r\n\r\n“I did. Yes, I saw the dust.â€ The priest looked up again, meeting Akiko’s eyes.\r\n\r\n“I really don’t know. I have to think about this.â€\r\n\r\n“Weren’t you trained for this?â€ Shiraishi laughed, briefly.\r\n\r\n“No, I’m afraid the standard training for a Shinto priest does not cover what to do when the kami starts appearing.â€ By the time she finished the sentence, she was very serious again. “I have to think.â€\r\n\r\nAkiko nodded.\r\n\r\n“If you have time, come back tomorrow, and we’ll talk again.â€ Akiko felt a surge of hope,\r\n\r\n“You don’t disbelieve me, then?â€\r\n\r\n“I…â€ Again a pause. “No. I’m not sure what to think, but I don’t think you’re lying, or simply mad.â€\r\n\r\n“But then…â€ Shiraishi raised a hand to stop her.\r\n\r\n“Like I said, I need to think. Come back when you have time.â€ Akiko nodded.\r\n\r\n“Can I finish my tea?â€ Shiraishi smiled again.\r\n\r\n“Of course.â€', 'The Truth', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '210-revision-2', '', '', '2009-02-05 13:29:10', '2009-02-05 04:29:10', '', 210, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/02/05/210-revision-2/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(488, 1, '2009-04-27 21:02:59', '2009-04-27 12:02:59', 'Her breath came in short gasps as she started up the steps, taking them three at a time. She was nearly at the top when she felt a sharp pain on her trailing ankle; pushing down with all her strength, she threw herself through the torii, stumbling on the path and falling to her hands and knees as her leg, all its strength gone, collapsed under her. She looked back, at the thing climbing the steps, and screamed.\n\nIt sprang up the last few steps.\n\nAnd, as it reached the torii, disintegrated into a cloud of grey dust, dust caught by a sudden gust of wind blowing straight out from the shrine and scattered into the air.\n\nAkiko was still breathing hard, and her left leg was numb and weak. The wound on her ankle was more of a scratch than she had thought, although some of the dust had got into it, making it sting.\n\n“Are you all right? Ms Tanahata?â€ Akiko looked up to see Shiraishi running across from the house towards her. “You screamed…â€ The priest’s voice trailed off.\n\n“Something was chasing me.â€ Shiraishi looked startled, and glanced around. Akiko shook her head. “It vanished when it tried to go through the torii. Nothing but dust left now.â€\n\nShiraishi turned to look down at Akiko, and Akiko dropped her eyes to the ground. She could tell that the priest was still looking at her, and had crouched down beside her. She didn’t want to look at Shiraishi’s face and find out what the priest was thinking. The silence stretched out, and Akiko started trying to brush some of the dust from her clothes.\n\nThe dust. She was still covered in dust. She could see it, and feel it against her skin. Her skin started to crawl under it as she realised just how dirty she was, but there was also a sense of exultation. Real dust! She looked up, looking Shiraishi straight in the eye.\n\n“Do you see the dust? All over me?â€ The priest’s eyes were more concerned than anything, and for a moment she didn’t respond. Akiko suddenly wondered whether anyone else could see the dust, but then Shiraishi nodded slowly. “The dust came from the thing that was chasing me. It was like a two-headed dog made out of old concrete. And I saw something by the love hotels two days ago, and there were things by my flat. And something similar on the building site. Only I don’t think anyone else sees them, just like no-one else sees the snake.â€ She paused. “I haven’t seen the snake for a few days, either.â€ She realised she was babbling, then, and took a deep breath to calm herself. Dust caught in her throat, provoking a fit of coughing.\n\n“What’s going on?â€ Akiko hadn’t meant to sound so pleading, but Shiraishi still hadn’t moved, or said anything. She looked at the priest again, but couldn’t hold her gaze, soon looking back down at the floor.\n\n“You…â€ Shiraishi began, then stopped, cleared her throat, and started again. “You should come inside and have a shower, first. You’re filthy.â€ Akiko nodded; she was feeling dirtier by the second, and definitely wanted to wash. She tried to stand, but her left leg was still weak, and she staggered. Shiraishi held out an arm to support her, and then guided her into the house, and back to the bathroom, leaving her in the anteroom.\n\nBy the time Akiko came out of the bathroom, wearing a yukata again, she felt much better. Clean, for a start, and her leg was back to normal, the scratch much smaller than she would have believed possible. She was actually feeling quite cheerful.\n\nShiraishi was waiting for her, sitting by the table, with tea and Japanese sweets set out. The priest was kneeling rigidly, her hands clasped on the table in front of her, and she looked up as Akiko came in.\n\n“Ms Tanahata, please sit down and have some tea.â€ She sounded very formal, and Akiko found herself getting nervous as she did as she was asked. Shiraishi poured her a cup of green tea, and passed her a sweet. Akiko took a sip of the tea, which was good, while the priest looked at the table, and then back up at her.\n\n“Please tell me what’s been happening to you.â€ Akiko was surprised, and didn’t know how to answer at first. Shiraishi seemed to take her silence for reluctance, and hurried on. “I promise not to make any wild accusations this time. I’ll just listen, at least until you finish.â€ The priest was blushing slightly as she said that, apparently a little embarrassed. Akiko could feel her face heating up; now it came down to actually saying what had happened, it all seemed ridiculous to her. How was anyone going to believe her? “Could you start with seeing the kami?â€ Shiraishi continued. Akiko took a deep breath, and nodded.\n\nShe started from the first storm, and told the priest everything. Once she had started talking, it got easier, especially as Shiraishi made no comment, just nodding and indicating that she was still listening. Akiko described the dreams and visions, and the problems at work, and the snake appearing in the night club. She talked about the vision in the love hotel, and the creatures that she had seen, at the building site, near her flat, near the love hotel, and in the laundrette. She put particular emphasis on the fact that her flat had been wet after the internal rainstorm, and the dust that had covered her earlier, but Shiraishi still said nothing.\n\nWhen she had finished, the priest just sat there, saying nothing, but nodding slightly. Akiko waited, but there was still no response.\n\n“Well?â€\n\n“I…â€ Shiraishi began, and then broke off. “I don’t know.â€\n\n“Do you believe me?â€\n\n“I don’t think you’re lying to me.â€\n\n“You saw the dust!â€ Did the priest think she was mad?\n\n“I did. Yes, I saw the dust.â€ The priest looked up again, meeting Akiko’s eyes.\n\n“I really don’t know. I have to think about this.â€\n\n“Weren’t you trained for this?â€ Shiraishi laughed, briefly.\n\n“No, I’m afraid the standard training for a Shinto priest does not cover what to do when the kami starts appearing.â€ By the time she finished the sentence, she was very serious again. “I have to think.â€\n\nAkiko nodded.\n\n“If you have time, come back tomorrow, and we’ll talk again.â€ Akiko felt a surge of hope,\n\n“You don’t disbelieve me, then?â€\n\n“I…â€ Again a pause. “No. I’m not sure what to think, but I don’t think you’re lying, or simply mad.â€\n\n“But then…â€ Shiraishi raised a hand to stop her.\n\n“Like I said, I need to think. Come back when you have time.â€ Akiko nodded.\n\n“Can I finish my tea?â€ Shiraishi smiled again.\n\n“Of course.â€', 'The Truth', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '210-autosave', '', '', '2009-04-27 21:02:59', '2009-04-27 12:02:59', '', 210, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/04/27/210-autosave/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(489, 1, '2009-07-20 00:00:19', '2009-07-19 15:00:19', '“What do you mean, wasn’t here?â€ The question sounded stupid to Akiko even as she said it; it wasn’t exactly an unclear statement.\r\n\r\n“I grew up here. I played in the woods. I worked in them when I was older. This tree,â€ she turned to look at the tree again, almost as if she wasn’t sure that it would still be there, “wasn’t here.â€\r\n\r\nAkiko looked at the tree. It was huge, hundreds of years old. Well, far older than Shiraishi, anyway. She didn’t understand, but this time she kept her mouth shut, rather than say something fatuous. The priest turned back to her.\r\n\r\n“So, you started here.â€\r\n\r\n“Yes.â€ The rest of what had happened was also important. “And when I went back to the main precincts, I was, I don’t know, in a different version of the shrine. It still had a honden, a simple shinmeizukuri building.â€\r\n\r\n“Let’s go and see.â€ The tension was obvious in Shiraishi’s voice, but Akiko couldn’t tell whether it was excitement or worry. They walked through the wood, the priest glancing back until the tree was out of sight, and then out into the clearing.\r\n\r\nThere was no honden; just the iwakura, the empty space, and, beyond that, the shrine house. Shiraishi sighed.\r\n\r\n“Oh well. So, what happened then?â€\r\n\r\n“I saw Tamao and Hideo Takenaka. They led me to the entrance, which was on a mountain high over the city, and had me look down. I could see the kegare all across the city, like a net, with some places swarming with corrupt spirits. And then Tamao told me that we had to cleanse it. He called you Spirit Child. He said that he wasn’t strong enough to cleanse it himself at the moment. Then a strong wind picked me up, and dropped me back in the tree.â€\r\n\r\n“Tamao said that he wasn’t strong enough?â€\r\n\r\n“He said that the kami draw strength from people’s respect.â€\r\n\r\nShiraishi nodded.\r\n\r\n“That’s a phrase from the opening of a famous Kamakura period law. It’s true, then.â€ The priest’s voice was strained again.\r\n\r\n“Do you think that the lack of worshippers has weakened Tamao?â€ This time, Shiraishi just nodded, her hands clenched by her side. Akiko looked at her more closely; she seemed to be swallowing and blinking a lot.\r\n\r\n“Revd Shiraishi, are you all right?â€\r\n\r\n“I didn’t know!â€ It was a wail. “I thought they were just traditional ceremonies! I didn’t know it was all real!â€\r\n\r\n“Isn’t it good that they’re real?â€\r\n\r\nThe priest rounded on her.\r\n\r\n“Good? I don’t understand what’s going on, or what to do. My training covered where to kneel while doing the Great Festival, not how to deal with spirits of corruption trying to destroy the city. I could just about cope with developers trying to get their hands on the shrine land; with this as well…â€ She came to a stop, drawing a deep breath. “No, I don’t think it’s good.â€ She paused.\r\n\r\n“But we have to deal with it.â€\r\n\r\n“So, what do we do?â€ Akiko asked.\r\n\r\nShiraishi turned to look out towards the city.\r\n\r\n“You said that the harae ceremony removed the kegare, right?â€\r\n\r\n“Yes.â€\r\n\r\n“Then that’s something we know how to do. We should find the concentrations of pollution you saw, and purify them. Hunt down these corrupt spirits and drive them out.â€\r\n\r\nRelief swept through Akiko’s body; finally someone was helping her to deal with the problems. She looked out of the shrine as well. They would cleanse the pollution together.', 'Strategic Discussion', 0, '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'strategic-discussion', '', '', '2009-07-21 10:17:24', '2009-07-21 01:17:24', '', 0, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/?p=489', 0, 'post', '', 7);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(490, 1, '2009-04-29 11:35:10', '2009-04-29 02:35:10', '', 'Strategic Discussion', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '489-revision', '', '', '2009-04-29 11:35:10', '2009-04-29 02:35:10', '', 489, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/04/29/489-revision/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(491, 1, '2009-07-21 00:00:24', '2009-07-20 15:00:24', 'Sitting next to Akira in his car, Akiko looked out of the windows as he drove around, keeping her awareness on the kegare. Akira seemed remarkably resigned to strange requests, but after she had discovered that she couldn’t walk around without bumping into things while looking for kegare she had had to ask for someone to drive her — and Akira was the only person she had thought might actually agree.\r\n\r\nAkiko could see some kegare on all the houses they passed, crawling over some like vines, settling on others like mould, drifting around still others like smoke. She wondered whether the appearance of the kegare meant anything, or whether it was just random.\r\n\r\n“Stop!â€ she said, and Akira brought the car quickly to a halt. The house on the corner was almost hidden in black fronds, cascading from the walls and roof. As she looked, it seemed to move within the kegare, as if shifting in place, and a cloud of brown spores rose from it. “This one is heavy with kegare.â€\r\n\r\nAkira leaned over, and looked out of the window.\r\n\r\n“Hmm. So, what do we do? Just walk up and say “your house is…â€ Hang on.â€ He leaned over the satnav on the dashboard, checking where they were and then looking back at the house. “Actually, we can just walk up. I know these people.â€\r\n\r\n“Really?â€\r\n\r\n“Yes. The Tanakas. I was friends with their son at high school. He’s at university in Kyoto now, but I know them all. Come on.â€ Akira got out of the car, and Akiko quickly followed him, hoping that this really was a piece of good luck.\r\n\r\nAkiko let her vision return to normal as they walked up to the house, to avoid bumping into anything. Without the overlay, it looked like a perfectly ordinary house, maybe a little old, but still in good shape, and well cared for. Akira rang the bell, and they waited.\r\n\r\n“Yes?â€ A woman opened the door, and then, almost immediately, smiled. “Akira! It’s been ages. Come in! Oh, and your friend, too. What brings you here?â€ She looked really pleased to see him, and Akiko relaxed a bit.\r\n\r\nInside the house, sitting at the dining room table, Akiko shifted her vision back. Everything was now covered with a layer of mould, and every movement stirred up a cloud of spores, which obscured her vision and made her cough, an acrid taste in the back of her throat.\r\n\r\nA figure entered the room, swathed in dark strands of webbing, with malformed spiders in dozens of unhealthy colours scuttling here and there across it, disappearing into the folds only to reappear at the other side. The surface of the webs heaved and shook, as if ten thousand maggots waited inside. Akiko suppressed the urge to scream, and desperately tried to switch back to normal vision.\r\n\r\n“Lovely to see you Akira,â€ an old woman said. “I won’t come any closer; I have a bit of a cold.â€ As she finished, Akiko found that she could no longer see the kegare, and could see the woman, a white mask over her mouth and nose, leaning on the kitchen counter.\r\n\r\nAkiko looked at Akira, and nodded. He cleared his throat and took a deep breath before starting.\r\n\r\n“This is going to sound really strange, but…â€', 'Friendly Ground', 0, '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'friendly-ground', '', '', '2009-07-21 10:22:31', '2009-07-21 01:22:31', '', 0, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/?p=491', 0, 'post', '', 5);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(492, 1, '2009-04-29 11:35:59', '2009-04-29 02:35:59', '', 'Friendly Ground', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '491-revision', '', '', '2009-04-29 11:35:59', '2009-04-29 02:35:59', '', 491, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/04/29/491-revision/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(493, 1, '2009-07-22 00:00:13', '2009-07-21 15:00:13', 'Akiko felt rather self-conscious standing on the doorstep in her vestments, especially as they had left Akira at the shrine to keep an eye on things. Shiraishi, however, looked very confident, completely at home in her robes. The door opened, and Mrs Tanaka, obviously nervous, bowed to them.\r\n\r\n“Good afternoon Revd Shiraishi. Akira, er, Mr Takenaka said that you would perform a cleansing ritual on our house.â€\r\n\r\n“That’s right. Thank you for agreeing.â€\r\n\r\n“No, that’s quite all right. Er, we don’t really have much to do with the shrine, so I wasn’t sure what we needed to do.â€\r\n\r\n“We only need some space for the himorogi; we brought everything else.â€\r\n\r\n“Well, please come in. We cleared some space in the living room.â€\r\n\r\nThe space between the furniture was a bit tight, but Akiko got the himorogi set up while Shiraishi spoke to the family, asking them to attend the harae. Akiko remembered how the grandmother had looked, and wanted her to be close to the harae.\r\n\r\n“My mother isn’t feeling well, so is it all right for her to stay in her room?â€ Akiko’s stomach lurched as she heard Mrs Tanaka’s words, and she quickly turned towards her.\r\n\r\n“It would be better for her to attend, if it’s at all possible.â€ Mrs Tanaka looked at her a little strangely for a moment, then nodded.\r\n\r\n“Oh, if that’s how things are done. I’ll go and speak to her.â€\r\n\r\nAkiko bowed in acknowledgement, and turned back to finish preparing the himorogi.\r\n\r\nA few minutes later the old woman came in, leaning heavily on her daughter’s arm and looking very weak. For a moment, Akiko felt guilty about asking her to come, but the memory of the kegare was still with her. Settling herself in position, she shifted her perception so that she could see it again.\r\n\r\nThe himorogi stood out, clean against the mould coating every other surface, spore-bearing threads reaching out into the air, waving in the air currents and exploding in brown clouds when anyone passed close by. Shiraishi was almost completely clean, even so, but the family were heavy with pollution. The grandmother was invisible within the cocoon of webs, but a huge, spider-like creature sat on her back, thrusting barbed and pointed limbs through the threads and presumably into her body, then pulling them out with a ugly chittering before striking again. Akiko could not entirely repress the shudder as she looked away.\r\n\r\nAs Shiraishi began the ceremony, the noise from the spirit got louder, and Akiko glanced round to see it perched on the old woman’s back, waving its limbs in anger and hissing at them. The sounds of the norito seemed to hurt it, as its legs skittered on the cocoon, and then, with a shriek, it fell to the floor, on its back, its legs flailing in the air. More spider-spirits emerged from the webs, struggling and then collapsing on the floor around the large one.\r\n\r\nShiraishi picked up the ohnusa and waved it, and there was a high-pitched squeal that hurt Akiko’s ears as the spiders seemed to dry up, crumbled, and blow away, as if in a high wind. Around the old woman, the threads of webbing crumbled, dropping from her in a rain of dust. Shiraishi continued to wave the ohnusa, glancing at Akiko. Mr and Mrs Tanaka were clean now, but there were still strands of kegare wrapped around the grandmother’s throat. As Akiko watched, they also crumbled, and blew away.\r\n\r\nShe nodded, and Shiraishi turned back to the himorogi, replacing the ohnusa.', 'Harae', 0, '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'harae-3', '', '', '2009-04-29 11:36:50', '2009-04-29 02:36:50', '', 0, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/?p=493', 0, 'post', '', 4);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(494, 1, '2009-04-29 11:36:40', '2009-04-29 02:36:40', '', 'Harae', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '493-revision', '', '', '2009-04-29 11:36:40', '2009-04-29 02:36:40', '', 493, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/04/29/493-revision/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(495, 1, '2009-07-23 00:00:57', '2009-07-22 15:00:57', 'The following morning Akiko wanted to call the Tanakas to find out whether they had noticed any changes, but she didn’t feel that she could. They weren’t even former ujiko, like the Itos. On the other hand, she really wanted to know; maybe she could go back to the house? Or perhaps Shiraishi could call them?\r\n\r\nDeciding that that was a good idea, Akiko went to look for the priest. She wasn’t in the house, and, looking at the precincts, the only person she could see was one of the protesters, wandering around looking suspiciously at everything. Akiko thought about going out and asking him to leave, but decided that she didn’t want the hassle. It wasn’t like there was anyone for him to get in the way of.\r\n\r\nBefore she turned away, however, she caught sight of Shiraishi coming out of the woods. The priest walked over to the protester, and Akiko could see her asking him to leave. Rather embarrassed at her lack of initiative, Akiko went out to provide moral support.\r\n\r\nIt proved to be unnecessary, as the protester was already on his way out when she stepped out of the house. Shiraishi did, however, seem pleased to see her.\r\n\r\n“Akiko!â€ she called, as she hurried over. “I’ve just been to the tree.â€ Akiko nodded, not understanding why this was so important. Shiraishi noticed her puzzlement, and elaborated. “I went to the tree, the one that I had never seen before, by myself. I was worried that only you could find it.â€\r\n\r\nAkiko realised that that was a reasonable worry, under the circumstances, so she nodded.\r\n\r\n“That’s good,â€ she agreed. The priest nodded back, smiling.\r\n\r\n“And I think I want to improve our service to the kami.â€\r\n\r\n“Improve?â€\r\n\r\n“Yes. I’ve… I’ve been neglecting it a bit, I’m afraid. So, we have to offer meals to all the kami, morning and evening.â€\r\n\r\n“What does that involve?â€\r\n\r\n“Well, rice, salt, water, and sake, of course, but then I suppose we should add seasonal fish and vegetables. The vegetables, at least, ought to be local, but that might not be possible.â€\r\n\r\n“Can we afford that?â€ Akiko hated to be the practical one, especially now that Shiraishi was taking the kami completely seriously.\r\n\r\n“Oh, we can eat the food afterwards, so yes, I think so. Now, where do we need to make offerings? The go-shintai is still on the kamidana, so there, of course, and Hideo’s shrine. I think we should make offerings at the tree, as well. What do you think?â€\r\n\r\n“Definitely.â€ Akiko was getting caught up in the priest’s enthusiasm. “And at the iwakura.â€\r\n\r\n“The iwakura? Why?â€\r\n\r\n“That’s where Tamao’s aramitama is enshrined.â€\r\n\r\n“Oh.â€ Shiraishi turned to look at the stones, her eyes narrowing as if she expected to be able to see some sign of the kami. “Well, in that case we had better include it. Any other locations?â€ Akiko thought for a moment, and then shook her head.\r\n\r\n“Just those four, I think.â€\r\n\r\n“Well then, we’ll start from this evening. I’ll need to go shopping; we should only offer good-quality food to the kami.â€\r\n\r\nAkiko nodded, and looked around the shrine. Would the offerings help, she wondered.', 'Food Offerings', 0, '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'food-offerings', '', '', '2009-04-29 11:37:36', '2009-04-29 02:37:36', '', 0, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/?p=495', 0, 'post', '', 2);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(496, 1, '2009-04-29 11:37:30', '2009-04-29 02:37:30', '', 'Food Offerings', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '495-revision', '', '', '2009-04-29 11:37:30', '2009-04-29 02:37:30', '', 495, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/04/29/495-revision/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(497, 1, '2009-07-24 00:00:42', '2009-07-23 15:00:42', '“Excuse me? Thank you for the other day.â€ Akiko looked round to see Mr Fujimura at the entrance to the shrine grounds, dressed in haori and hakama just as before, and holding another small parcel. She quickly bowed, deeply, and was aware of Shiraishi doing the same beside her.\r\n\r\n“Mr Fujimura, we should be thanking you for your truly generous offering,â€ the priest said. “Won’t you come inside?â€ Mr Fujimura bowed in return.\r\n\r\n“Thank you, that would be most kind.â€ Shiraishi led the way, and Akiko didn’t need to be told to get tea ready.\r\n\r\n“…cannot express how grateful we are.â€ Akiko caught the end of Shiraishi’s sentence as she entered the room, and the priest was bowing to Mr Fujimura once more as they knelt at the table. He was shaking his head.\r\n\r\n“There is no need. I believe that it is important to show the kami the proper respect, here in their country. I am sure that you agree.â€\r\n\r\n“Yes, of course. Would you have some tea?â€\r\n\r\n“Thank you.â€ Akiko poured for him, and then knelt off to one side to wait.\r\n\r\n“What can we do for you today?â€ Shiraishi asked at length, when the silence became too long.\r\n\r\n“Last time I was here, I noticed that you had also lost your Japanese flag in the fire, so I have brought you one.â€ He picked up the package he had brought, and handed it over with a bow.\r\n\r\n“That is most kind, but quite unnecessary,â€ Shiraishi said, also bowing.\r\n\r\n“I insist. It is a very small thing.â€\r\n\r\nShiraishi bowed once more.\r\n\r\n“Well, in that case, I would be delighted to receive it.â€ She took the parcel, placing it next to her on the table. Mr Fujimura bowed his head once more, and then cleared his throat.\r\n\r\n“I’m sorry to change the subject, but are those people outside causing you any trouble?â€\r\n\r\n“They are rather irritating, but they haven’t yet caused real trouble.â€\r\n\r\n“But they try to stop people entering the shrine.â€\r\n\r\nShiraishi shook her head slightly.\r\n\r\n“So far, they only seem to try to discourage people. I don’t know of anyone who has actually been turned away.â€\r\n\r\n“Surely people should not be discouraged from paying their respects to the kami?â€\r\n\r\n“I’d prefer not, but,â€ Shiraishi smiled quickly, “it’s a free country.â€\r\n\r\n“Hmm. Some people abuse their freedoms, however.â€ Mr Fujimura did not look happy, and he was silent for a few moments. “In any case, I should like to pay my respects to the kami once more, and ask for the prosperity of our Imperial family.â€\r\n\r\n“Of course. Akiko, if you would help me prepare.â€\r\n\r\nAfter the ceremony, Mr Fujimura left an envelope containing his offering, just twenty thousand yen this time, and a business card. Akiko and Shiraishi quickly went into the office to search on the internet.\r\n\r\n“Kazuhiko Fujimura,â€ Shiraishi said, as she typed the name in and started the search. “It’s not a name I know. Hmm, well, that one isn’t him. Ah, this is probably it.â€ Akiko looked; it was an account of one of the smaller pre-war industrial conglomerates, which had managed to preserve quite a lot of its integrity even during the Occupation. Its head was one Kazuhiko Fujimura, but very little else was noted.\r\n\r\n“Well, that explains why he has so much money,â€ Akiko commented, “but not why us.â€\r\n\r\n“No…â€ Shiraishi acknowledged. “And what are we going to do with the flag? I’ve never flown one.â€\r\n\r\n“Now would be a good time to start,â€ Akiko said, smiling, and Shiraishi nodded, still looking forward.\r\n\r\n“I suppose it can’t hurt.â€', 'Fujimura''s Return', 0, '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'fujimuras-return', '', '', '2009-04-29 11:38:17', '2009-04-29 02:38:17', '', 0, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/?p=497', 0, 'post', '', 3);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(498, 1, '2009-04-29 11:38:10', '2009-04-29 02:38:10', '', 'Fujimura''s Return', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '497-revision', '', '', '2009-04-29 11:38:10', '2009-04-29 02:38:10', '', 497, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/04/29/497-revision/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(499, 1, '2009-07-25 00:00:39', '2009-07-24 15:00:39', 'Akiko stood on the corner of the street, holding the map as if she were looking at it while she shifted her vision so that she could see the kegare. The lines of rot and webs of cracks across the buildings and road were ubiquitous, so that she had become completely used to them. The creatures prowling across the polluted landscape still made her shudder, but most of the time they ignored her completely, and so far none had done more than stare at her, and maybe hiss, or growl, or, in one case, bubble, like gas through water.\r\n\r\nThere was nothing remarkable here either, and Akiko switched her vision back to normal before walking on, looking around to check that no-one was looking at her suspiciously. Once more, she wished that Akira had been able to drive her round, but he was already helping them more than they could really expect, and he had business for the company that would not wait.\r\n\r\nAt the next junction there was a small park, the ground bare earth, with a few sickly-looking trees poking into the sky. There was a toilet block off to the back, but Akiko could smell it from the street, and the benches were damaged, most of them with graffiti on.\r\n\r\n<em>This looks bad,</em> she thought, and settled her thoughts to switch her mode of vision.\r\n\r\nIt was bad. The trees were covered in choking fungus, in sickly greens and yellows, and as she watched the fungus belched out clouds of spores, some of which drifted her way, their scent acrid, burning at the back of her throat. Coughing slightly, she looked around the rest of the park. There were things perched on the benches, things like ravens with needles for beaks, completely hairless rats with strange, fat tails, feral cats that smoked slightly. There were rustles and hisses as they looked in her direction.\r\n\r\nThe toilet block looked in even worse shape, with cracks in the wall making the inside visible, and celluloid lizards scuttled over the surface, their camera eyes occasionally turning in Akiko’s direction. A cloud of something dark, maybe smoke, billowed from the toilet and across the park, briefly hiding everything from view.\r\n\r\nAkiko nodded to herself. For whatever reason, this looked like a centre of pollution, so this was a good place to purify. As a bonus, it was a public place, so no-one could stop them performing the ceremony.\r\n\r\nThen the darkness cleared, and Akiko could see the park again. The small spirits had scattered to the edges, away from the creature standing in the centre, looking at Akiko.\r\n\r\nIts naked torso was human, emaciated, the ribs standing out, and the skin marked with sores weeping pus. The only unmarked places were the large breasts and penis, which looked young and healthy, apart from the foul red fluid leaking from them. From its hips a forest of insectile legs reached down to the floor, while it had octopus tentacles instead of arms, several on each side. Its head was a giant raven’s skull, with something dark boiling inside, black smoke pouring from the eye sockets.\r\n\r\nIt opened its beak, and took a step towards Akiko. She turned and ran.', 'Polluted Park', 0, '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'polluted-park', '', '', '2009-04-29 11:39:16', '2009-04-29 02:39:16', '', 0, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/?p=499', 0, 'post', '', 5);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(500, 1, '2009-04-29 11:39:03', '2009-04-29 02:39:03', '', 'Polluted Park', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '499-revision', '', '', '2009-04-29 11:39:03', '2009-04-29 02:39:03', '', 499, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/04/29/499-revision/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(501, 1, '2009-07-26 00:00:22', '2009-07-25 15:00:22', 'Akiko sat in the car for a few moments, gathering the nerve to get out. What finally did it was the sound of Shiraishi opening the boot; the addition of embarrassment pushed her over the limit, and she opened the door.\r\n\r\nAs she took some of the equipment from the priest, she looked over at the park. It was hard to see in the dark, but there seemed to be some people around, and Akiko wondered why. She considered looking at the kegare, but decided against it. She really didn’t want to see that thing again, and maybe if she couldn’t see it, it couldn’t see her.\r\n\r\n“Ready?â€ Shiraishi asked. Akiko looked down at the things she was carrying, and into the boot again. They seemed to have everything, so she nodded.\r\n\r\n“Let’s go.â€\r\n\r\nThe priest closed the boot and locked the car up, and they walked over to the park. There were definitely people there, but Akiko couldn’t see them clearly. She felt a little self-conscious in her miko’s vestments, but she told herself that there was no law against it, and that Shiraishi was completely calm. She glanced quickly at the priest to confirm it, and she did indeed look very confident in her vestments.\r\n\r\n<em>I decided to do this,</em> she reminded herself. <em>I decided to do this to protect people.</em> Reminding herself of the reasons did help, and she straightened up a bit.\r\n\r\nAs they approached the park there was movement, and then the sound of female giggling.\r\n\r\n“Fancy dress?â€ someone called, to renewed laughter. Akiko felt herself blush, but Shiraishi didn’t even break her stride. They could see the women now, most of them with bleached blonde hair, all of them wearing very short mini-skirts or shorts, most of them in brief tee-shirts that exposed their stomachs, despite the cool night. They looked at Akiko and Shiraishi for another couple of moments, then laughed and moved off, although they didn’t leave the park.\r\n\r\nShiraishi led the way to a space away from the entrances to the park, where there seemed to be fewer people. A couple of men, startled, left in a hurry, walking in opposite directions, but there didn’t seem to be anyone else immediately around.\r\n\r\nAs they were setting the himorogi up, Akiko heard a car pull up. She glanced at the street, and saw one of the women lean down to the window, then, after a short discussion, get into the car.\r\n\r\n<em>Prostitutes!</em> she suddenly realised. That explained some of the features of the spirit she had seen, at least. As if answering her thoughts, Shiraishi came close beside her and muttered in her ear.\r\n\r\n“Prostitutes and drug dealers. The pollution here isn’t entirely spiritual, Akiko. I hope this works.â€\r\n\r\n“Yes,â€ Akiko whispered back, remembering the corruption she’d seen, the many spirits. Which corruption was cause, and which effect, she wondered.\r\n\r\nShiraishi looked over the himorogi, and nodded.\r\n\r\n“We’re ready. Standing ceremony here, OK?â€\r\n\r\n“Yes, I’m ready.â€\r\n\r\nShiraishi bowed once to open the ceremony, and as she began to recite the norito Akiko became inescapably aware that people were watching.\r\n\r\n“Hey! Look over here!â€ one of the women called, and soon a small group had gathered, laughing and joking among themselves.\r\n\r\n“Need any special help?â€\r\n\r\n“Is it true miko aren’t allowed to screw?â€\r\n\r\n“What about girl on girl?â€\r\n\r\n“Wanna try? I’ll give you a first-time discount, miko.â€ That last comment met with a lot of raucous catcalls and laughter, and Akiko focused her attention on the himorogi and Shiraishi’s voice.\r\n\r\n“Hey, this isn’t your shrine. Are you so stoned you got lost? Shall I show you the way home?â€ More laughter.\r\n\r\nIt didn’t matter, Akiko suddenly realised. She was doing the right thing. Maybe if the women knew the reasons, they’d agree, and maybe they wouldn’t. Either way, she was doing the right thing, and she couldn’t let their comments stop her.\r\n\r\nWhen Shiraishi bowed and clapped at the end of the norito, Akiko joined in calmly, despite the mocking imitations she could see around them.\r\n\r\nShiraishi picked up the ohnusa, and Akiko realised that she would have to switch her vision, to make sure that the corruption was cleared.\r\n\r\nThe switch was almost immediate, and Akiko could see that the ground around the himorogi was already clear. The spirit she had seen during the day was still there, larger now, towering over the spindly trees, which were still laden with fungus. It looked down at them, and then away, its tentacles reaching down to push one of the prostitutes towards a car and draw two men together.\r\n\r\nAkiko looked down, at the women gathered around them. Their faces were all covered by masks of makeup, garish and bright, tied on with their own hair, which was pulled violently round from the back. Their clothes were now rotten rags which hid nothing, and most had sores on their breasts, between their legs, on their arms. Huge, deformed slugs crawled over their skin, leaving trails of slime, and as one vanished between a woman’s legs Akiko suddenly realised what they looked like.\r\n\r\nShe shuddered, but kept watching. Shiraishi had raised the ohnusa now.\r\n\r\nAs she swung it, there was a sound of bells, hundreds of small bells tinkling at once, and the giant spirit swung its attention back to them, spinning round, its insect legs scuttling across the ground, tentacles reaching down.\r\n\r\nShiraishi swung it again, and the spirit recoiled, throwing its head back and belching a great column of smoke. A wind blew from the ohnusa, catching the smoke and scattering it.\r\n\r\nAkiko glanced down at the prostitutes, to see the slugs dropping from their bodies to the ground, dropping not only from their skin, but from between their legs. The masks started to crack, and many of the women turned to run, somehow avoiding the legs of the spirit as it milled around.\r\n\r\nThe priest swung the ohnusa once more, and the great spirit screamed, a sound that hurt Akiko’s ears and shook her stomach, making her feel sick. A leg came down, and snapped, and then another, and the spirit came crashing to the ground. Akiko looked down, and saw one prostitute still standing there. The mask over her face shattered, and she doubled over, vomiting phallic slugs onto the ground. Beyond her, the spirit convulsed and fragmented, vanishing.\r\n\r\nAkiko looked around. The park was dark, but clean. She even saw new green buds on the trees. Shiraishi, clean and shining as ever, glanced round at her, and she nodded. As the priest closed the ceremony, Akiko returned her vision to normal.\r\n\r\nOnly one of the prostitutes was still there, staring at them. Akiko met her eyes for a moment.\r\n\r\n<em>She looks so young,</em> she thought, and then the girl turned and walked quickly away, straight out of the park.\r\n\r\n“Well?â€\r\n\r\n“Yes, we…â€\r\n\r\n“Hey!â€ It was a man’s voice, and he didn’t sound happy. They glanced round, and saw a group of men approaching.\r\n\r\n“Someone doesn’t want us here,â€ Shiraishi said, turning to grab the himorogi. Akiko helped her, and they were soon hurrying for an exit. The men were following them, so they broke into a run, which the men matched.\r\n\r\nAkiko thought that the sounds of pursuit stopped quickly, but she didn’t risk a look back until they had reached the car. The men were standing at the entrance to the park, watching them, and the prostitutes had gathered around them again.\r\n\r\n“Let’s go home,â€ Shiraishi said, and Akiko fully agreed.', 'Harae By Night', 0, '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'harae-by-night', '', '', '2009-04-29 11:40:02', '2009-04-29 02:40:02', '', 0, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/?p=501', 0, 'post', '', 1);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(502, 1, '2009-04-29 11:39:46', '2009-04-29 02:39:46', '', 'Harae By Night', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '501-revision', '', '', '2009-04-29 11:39:46', '2009-04-29 02:39:46', '', 501, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/04/29/501-revision/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(503, 1, '2009-03-04 15:54:15', '2009-03-04 06:54:15', 'The futon seemed to get heavier and heavier, and finally Akiko managed to push it off, struggling to her feet. The room was bright, sunlight flooding in from the open windows, sparkling off the surface of the pond. Akiko quickly shrugged her yukata off, bathing quickly in the pond before putting on the white kimono and red hakama of her miko’s uniform. She walked out through the garden, into the shrine precincts.\r\n\r\nThey were deserted, the roof of the shrine shining green in the sunlight, while the rocks of the iwakura behind it seemed to suck the light in to the deep shadow at their heart. Birds were singing in the trees, and the sun shone from a clear sky, warm on Akiko’s skin. The grass was soft against her bare feet as she walked up to the shrine.\r\n\r\nThe doors were shut. Akiko frowned. They shouldn’t have been closed during the day; maybe Revd Shiraishi had forgotten to open them. Akiko reached out to slide the doors, but they wouldn’t move. She took out the key, and put it in the lock, but it seemed to be open already. She pushed again, but the doors wouldn’t move. Even rattling them didn’t help.\r\n\r\nAs she struggled with the doors, she felt as chill, as if a shadow had fallen over her, although the sun was as bright as ever. She turned, looking out from the shrine over Kawasaki.\r\n\r\nShe could see the hills, covered with houses, some topped with blocks of flats, the power cables running from one house to another, tying them down to the earth. The town was still in the sunlight. No cars moved on the roads, no people walked the streets. The neon signs on the love hotels flashed their desperate invitations, but no-one answered. The convenience stores were open for business, their automatic doors sliding open to entice custom, but there was no-one there to be tempted.\r\n\r\nAkiko frowned, a frown that deepened as something did move. Something dark among the houses, something clouded and dusty among the flats, something wet and rotten among the love hotels. Tendrils shot out, like vines among the houses, like cracks among the flats, obscene among the love hotels, wrapping themselves around the buildings and spreading rapidly, darkening the scene and casting shadows across the city, even as the sky remained clear, the sun bright.\r\n\r\nAkiko felt the chill again and shivered, hugging herself. As the tendrils spread, other things started to crawl along them, things that she had seen before, two-headed dogs of crumbling concrete, lizards made of desperate, furtive couplings, centipedes born from the death of bamboo groves. All the green in the landscape vanished, turning to brown, and then the black of decay or the grey of paving.\r\n\r\nAnd then the first block of flats collapsed, folding into itself in a cloud of grey dust that formed into a flock of birds, birds that cried in harsh voices as they settled on another block, which collapsed beneath them, spawning yet more of the creatures. The houses were shrouded in darkness, and Akiko saw the first signs of fire among them. Only the love hotels seemed to prosper, their signs becoming larger, brighter, and more explicit, offering people as well as a place.\r\n\r\nAkiko found her breath, and screamed.', 'Regional Pollution', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '295-revision-2', '', '', '2009-03-04 15:54:15', '2009-03-04 06:54:15', '', 295, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/03/04/295-revision-2/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(504, 1, '2009-04-30 21:18:03', '2009-04-30 12:18:03', 'The futon seemed to get heavier and heavier, and finally Akiko managed to push it off, struggling to her feet. The room was bright, sunlight flooding in from the open windows, sparkling off the surface of the pond. Akiko quickly shrugged her yukata off, bathing quickly in the pond before putting on the white kimono and red hakama of her miko’s uniform. She walked out through the garden, into the shrine precincts.\n\nThey were deserted, the roof of the shrine shining green in the sunlight, while the rocks of the iwakura behind it seemed to suck the light in to the deep shadow at their heart. Birds were singing in the trees, and the sun shone from a clear sky, warm on Akiko’s skin. The grass was soft against her bare feet as she walked up to the shrine.\n\nThe doors were shut. Akiko frowned. They shouldn’t have been closed during the day; maybe Revd Shiraishi had forgotten to open them. Akiko reached out to slide the doors, but they wouldn’t move. She took out the key, and put it in the lock, but it seemed to be open already. She pushed again, but the doors wouldn’t move. Even rattling them didn’t help.\n\nAs she struggled with the doors, she felt a chill, as if a shadow had fallen over her, although the sun was as bright as ever. She turned, looking out from the shrine over Kawasaki.\n\nShe could see the hills, covered with houses, some topped with blocks of flats, the power cables running from one house to another, tying them down to the earth. The town was still in the sunlight. No cars moved on the roads, no people walked the streets. The neon signs on the love hotels flashed their desperate invitations, but no-one answered. The convenience stores were open for business, their automatic doors sliding open to entice custom, but there was no-one there to be tempted.\n\nAkiko frowned, a frown that deepened as something did move. Something dark among the houses, something clouded and dusty among the flats, something wet and rotten among the love hotels. Tendrils shot out, like vines among the houses, like cracks among the flats, obscene among the love hotels, wrapping themselves around the buildings and spreading rapidly, darkening the scene and casting shadows across the city, even as the sky remained clear, the sun bright.\n\nAkiko felt the chill again and shivered, hugging herself. As the tendrils spread, other things started to crawl along them, things that she had seen before, two-headed dogs of crumbling concrete, lizards made of desperate, furtive couplings, centipedes born from the death of bamboo groves. All the green in the landscape vanished, turning to brown, and then the black of decay or the grey of paving.\n\nAnd then the first block of flats collapsed, folding into itself in a cloud of grey dust that formed into a flock of birds, birds that cried in harsh voices as they settled on another block, which collapsed beneath them, spawning yet more of the creatures. The houses were shrouded in darkness, and Akiko saw the first signs of fire among them. Only the love hotels seemed to prosper, their signs becoming larger, brighter, and more explicit, offering people as well as a place.\n\nAkiko found her breath, and screamed.', 'Regional Pollution', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '295-autosave', '', '', '2009-04-30 21:18:03', '2009-04-30 12:18:03', '', 295, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/04/30/295-autosave/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(505, 1, '2009-07-27 00:00:20', '2009-07-26 15:00:20', '“Which side?â€ Shiraishi sounded genuinely puzzled as she stood in front of the tree, holding the sanpo with the offerings on. It took Akiko a moment to understand her question, but once she did she was equally puzzled. She carefully put the mats and tables down, and started walking round the tree, looking at it carefully. Which side was the front?\r\n\r\nThe trunk was thick and gnarled, too large for her to reach around, the bark twisted into complex patterns, green with moss and lichen. The roots dove into the earth around the base, and the leaves rustled in the morning breeze, sounding almost like laughter. The white shide on the shimenawa fluttered in the breeze, and a small lizard ran down the bark.\r\n\r\nAll the sides looked about the same.\r\n\r\n“I don’t know,â€ Akiko said, as she came back to stand beside the priest. “I can’t see anything that looks like a front.â€\r\n\r\n“In that case, we’ll suppose that it’s facing south. Which, I guess, is that way.â€ She pointed back towards the shrine entrance. “So, here, then.â€ Akiko nodded, and set the tables and mats up where Shiraishi indicated, one pair in front of the tree, and another pair off to one side. Shiraishi put the offerings on the table off to the side, and then knelt on the mat in front of the tree, while Akiko knelt beside the offerings.\r\n\r\nThe ceremony was short and simple. First, Shiraishi performed a harae to cleanse the area, then Akiko passed her the offerings, which the priest placed on the table in front of the tree. Then Shiraishi offered a short norito, before removing the offerings, and passing them back to Akiko.\r\n\r\nAs they walked back to the shrine house, Shiraishi sighed audibly.\r\n\r\n“I suppose we’d better look at getting that flag up.â€\r\n\r\n“The national flag? Yes. Do we have a flagpole?â€\r\n\r\n“I think there’s one somewhere in a store cupboard.â€\r\n\r\n“You don’t sound very enthusiastic.â€\r\n\r\n“No. Nationalism makes me uncomfortable. That’s what got us involved in the war.â€\r\n\r\nAkiko did a quick mental calculation to confirm her impression, and then asked outright.\r\n\r\n“But you aren’t old enough to remember the war, right?â€\r\n\r\nShiraishi shook her head.\r\n\r\n“No, but my parents remembered it well, and my grandfather. My grandfather never said much about it, but my father told me more. Apparently, my grandfather was quite enthusiastic about State Shinto, the supreme authority of the Emperor, and Japan’s manifest destiny to rule Asia, maybe the world. He raised my father and his older brother to be good patriots, as well as to be priests.\r\n\r\n“In 1945 my uncle was nineteen, and a student. He wanted to fight for the Emperor, and my grandfather was enthusiastic. I think my father was, as well. They saw him off with flags and a special ceremony.\r\n\r\n“A few days later, they got a letter from my uncle. He had decided to join the Special Attack Corps.\r\n\r\n“Soon after that a messenger came to tell them that my uncle had died in his kamikaze attack.\r\n\r\n“My father said that, had Japan avoided occupation, my grandfather might have accepted his eldest son’s death, but instead he came to believe that the whole war had been a waste of life, and that State Shinto was a perversion of what Shinto should be.\r\n\r\n“We haven’t flown a Japanese flag here since.â€', 'Trees and Flags', 0, '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'trees-and-flags', '', '', '2009-04-30 21:21:15', '2009-04-30 12:21:15', '', 0, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/?p=505', 0, 'post', '', 2);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(506, 1, '2009-04-30 21:21:07', '2009-04-30 12:21:07', '', 'Trees and Flags', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '505-revision', '', '', '2009-04-30 21:21:07', '2009-04-30 12:21:07', '', 505, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/04/30/505-revision/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(507, 1, '2009-07-28 00:00:22', '2009-07-27 15:00:22', 'Akiko was still thinking about what Shiraishi had said as she continued looking around the area for concentrations of kegare. Akira was still busy at work, so she was walking again, stopping to look around. She went to the park first, confirming that it still seemed fairly clear. She saw someone working on the toilet block, but otherwise the park was empty, of both people and visible spirits. Satisfied, she set off to look for more concentrations.\r\n\r\nThey had put the flag up in the end, digging out an old flagpole and setting it up beside the shrine house. Shiraishi had pointed out that she couldn’t remember her uncle, given that he had died twelve years before she was born, and, in any case, the current Japanese state was not an imperialistic war machine, so if it would keep such a generous donor happy it was a reasonable thing to do. It still made Akiko a little uncomfortable, though, and she was trying to work out why.\r\n\r\nIt wasn’t that she didn’t like the flag; that was obvious. And it couldn’t really be concern for Shiraishi’s feelings, since the priest was willing to put it up. It was also true that it was only a small thing, and that lots of other shrines did it anyway. So, why?\r\n\r\nShe had scanned several areas before part of the reason finally occurred to her. The shrine didn’t seem to have anything to do with Japan as a nation. Tamao only seemed to be concerned for the local area; he had never mentioned the country as a whole, or the Emperor. The flag didn’t seem to have anything to do with the shrine.\r\n\r\nThe second part of her concern quickly became clear after that. Mr Fujimura was using the influence he had gained from his donation to shape the way the shrine was acting. Yes, this was a small thing, and now that her reasons for disquiet were clear to her Akiko had to agree with Shiraishi that putting the flag up was the right thing to do. But she was still worried about what Mr Fujimura might ask for next.\r\n\r\nAt the next junction, her musings were brought to a halt by the sight of a building absolutely laden with kegare. Strips of faded material, stained red, yellow, brown, and green, the colours of human excreta, bundled it up, while spirits in the form of white cockroaches scuttled over it. The building seemed to be oozing liquids that looked, and, as the wind shifted, smelled, like mixed blood, urine, and faeces. Akiko gagged, and dropped her vision.\r\n\r\nNow she could see the sign; the building was an old folks’ home. She shuddered briefly at the thought of being housed in there to await the end of your life, and then walked over. They had to purify the place, and this was private property.\r\n\r\n“You want to <em>what?</em>â€ The receptionist burst out laughing at the suggestion, shaking her head. “No, thank you. We don’t want religious groups targeting these vulnerable old people.â€\r\n\r\nAkiko wanted to protest, but realised that she had nothing persuasive to say. The receptionist didn’t even believe in kegare. Instead, she just nodded, and left.\r\n\r\nShe still knew that they needed to purify the place, for the sake of the people living there.\r\n\r\nAnd if they had to do it without permission, then that is what they would do.', 'Old Folks'' Home', 0, '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'old-folks-home', '', '', '2009-04-30 21:21:53', '2009-04-30 12:21:53', '', 0, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/?p=507', 0, 'post', '', 3);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(508, 1, '2009-04-30 21:21:48', '2009-04-30 12:21:48', '', 'Old Folks'' Home', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '507-revision', '', '', '2009-04-30 21:21:48', '2009-04-30 12:21:48', '', 507, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/04/30/507-revision/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(509, 1, '2009-07-29 00:00:00', '2009-07-28 15:00:00', 'There were no protesters waiting at the bottom of the stairs when Akiko got back for the shrine, and for a moment hope flared; maybe they had given up? Realism soon took over, however, and she hurried up the steps, hoping that they hadn’t caused any damage already.\r\n\r\nHer heart sank as she reached the top. There were half a dozen of the protesters, including Mrs Watanabe, gathered under a large banner, two of them holding up the poles.\r\n\r\n“Shinto Equals Fascism\r\n\r\n“Just Say No!â€\r\n\r\nWhile Akiko was hurrying over to confront them, Mrs Watanabe noticed her and strode out to meet her.\r\n\r\n“You show your true colours now!â€ she said, pointing at the Japanese flag hanging limply in the still air. “We cannot allow this kind of thing to continue.â€\r\n\r\n“It’s a Japanese flag, and we’re in Japan. Hardly fascism.â€\r\n\r\nMrs Watanabe looked Akiko up and down, contempt on her face.\r\n\r\n“You’re too young to remember the Pacific War. You don’t know the damage Shinto did to Japan, and to the rest of Asia.â€\r\n\r\n“You aren’t old enough to remember it either,â€ Akiko shot back. Mrs Watanabe was old enough to be her mother, but not her grandmother.\r\n\r\n“My parents remembered it. I know what Shinto told people to do. I know what damage it did.â€ She sounded really angry, but Akiko wasn’t about to give ground.\r\n\r\n“That was seventy years ago. Shinto isn’t the same now.â€\r\n\r\n“Oh? Then why do you have the flag?â€\r\n\r\nAkiko didn’t have a quick answer to that question, and Mrs Watanabe smiled, apparently sensing victory.\r\n\r\n“And if Shinto isn’t about loyalty to the Emperor and conquering in the name of Imperial Japan, what <em>is </em>it about?â€\r\n\r\nAkiko did have an answer to that, at least the beginnings of one, but she couldn’t use it. Mrs Watanabe certainly wasn’t going to believe in kegare, and the need to purify it.\r\n\r\n“In any case,â€ she said, at last, “we are not fascists, so take that banner down and get it out of the shrine grounds.â€ As she said this, Shiraishi came running out of the shrine house, looking flushed and nearly as angry as Mrs Watanabe.\r\n\r\n“Get that banner, and yourselves, out of the shrine!â€ she yelled, coming to a stop in front of Mrs Watanabe and sweeping her gaze over the other protesters.\r\n\r\n“No.â€ Mrs Watanabe wasn’t budging this time. “Shinto brings nothing but trouble. It nearly destroyed Japan. It destroys families. I’m not going to let you continue promoting it here.â€\r\n\r\nAkiko took a step back, astonished by the venom in Mrs Watanabe’s condemnation. She’d never met anyone who thought like that; most people barely thought about Shinto at all, but went along to shrines at New Year. Why was she so hostile?\r\n\r\n“This is private property! Get off now before I call the police!â€ Shiraishi was really angry, and shouting back. The other protesters, Akiko noticed, were looking a bit uncomfortable, but Mrs Watanabe still wasn’t moving.\r\n\r\nThen Akiko heard running footsteps, coming into the shrine, and looked round to see Mr Akiyama, breathing hard, hurry into the grounds.\r\n\r\n“Mrs Watanabe! Please!â€ he called out. “Remember what we discussed. We have to stay within the law. Now, come on, let’s get off the shrine property, as the priest asked.â€ He turned to Shiraishi, and bowed deeply. “I am really very sorry, Revd Shiraishi. Mrs Watanabe just got carried away. We will leave the grounds now.â€ The other protesters were already on their way to the steps, and although Mrs Watanabe looked for a moment as though she would protest again, she didn’t, just giving Akiko and Shiraishi angry looks before walking off. Mr Akiyama bowed to them once more from the top of the stairs, and then they were gone.', 'Trespassing Protesters', 0, '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'trespassing-protesters', '', '', '2009-08-04 09:16:51', '2009-08-04 00:16:51', '', 0, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/?p=509', 0, 'post', '', 4);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(510, 1, '2009-04-30 21:22:24', '2009-04-30 12:22:24', '', 'Trespassing Protesters', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '509-revision', '', '', '2009-04-30 21:22:24', '2009-04-30 12:22:24', '', 509, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/04/30/509-revision/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(511, 1, '2009-07-30 00:00:35', '2009-07-29 15:00:35', 'After Mr Akiyama’s intervention, Shiraishi decided against calling the police, observing that the protesters had got off the grounds, and that the police were unlikely to actually arrest them while they weren’t causing trouble. She did, however, want someone keeping an eye on the entrance at all times, to make sure that they didn’t try to come back in.\r\n\r\nWhich was why Akiko found herself wandering around the shrine precincts as dawn broke the following morning, having taken over from Shiraishi in the early hours. It had started to drizzle, and it was colder than Akiko thought it should be for the time of year, so she had a waterproof on over her vestments.\r\n\r\nThe weather, however, matched her mood. She could not forget what she had seen at the old folks’ home, and she still hadn’t had a chance to talk to Shiraishi about going to purify it. Mrs Watanabe’s question also preyed on her mind. What was Shinto for? Or, at least, what was this shrine for? Was it just for keeping Tamao happy and stopping him from cursing the area? That seemed unpleasantly possible, and Akiko wasn’t happy with the implications if it were true.\r\n\r\nShe continued walking around the precincts, avoiding the woods, trying not to look at the iwakura or the empty plot waiting for a new shrine. She didn’t want to see anything that might force her to deal with the kami right here and now.\r\n\r\nWhich was why Akira had been standing near the entrance for some time before she noticed him. Berating herself for not paying attention — some guard she had been! — she hurried over to greet him.\r\n\r\n“Mr Takenaka! Good to see you again.â€\r\n\r\n“I’m sorry I’ve not been around much recently.â€ He didn’t sound very sorry. In fact, he sounded really quite cheerful. “I’ve been busy with the business.â€ <em>That sounded very cheerful,</em> Akiko thought, and when Akira paused she decided that he wanted to be asked.\r\n\r\n“How is the business going?â€\r\n\r\n“Great!â€ He broke out in a grin. “We’ve just got a major commission for a new apartment block over in Tokyo. Enough work for everyone for the next six months, and a good chance of further jobs from the same consortium. Even Unc… er, Mr Nakayama is pleased with the terms. He said I did a good job in getting the contract.â€ Akira was grinning like a schoolboy who’d just been praised by his teacher, and Akiko found herself smiling as well.\r\n\r\n“That’s great!â€\r\n\r\n“Yes. Anyway, now that the negotiations are over, I have some more free time. I can’t supervise the work like my father did, and Mr Nakayama said that they want to get started before they have me hanging around and getting in the way while I learn the ropes. So I thought I’d come and see whether you wanted any help at the shrine.â€\r\n\r\n“Oh, yes.â€ Akiko was sure her relief was obvious in her voice. “There have been more problems with the protesters, so we can’t leave the shrine unoccupied, but I found another concentration of kegare. Could you look after the shrine while we go to deal with it?â€\r\n\r\n“Of course.â€ Akira sounded a little disappointed, for reasons Akiko couldn’t understand, but he soon brightened up. “So, are you going to leave now?â€\r\n\r\n“Er, actually, I’ve not talked to Revd Shiraishi about it yet. I don’t suppose you could keep an eye on the grounds while I do?â€', 'Akira Visits', 0, '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'akira-visits', '', '', '2009-04-30 21:23:05', '2009-04-30 12:23:05', '', 0, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/?p=511', 0, 'post', '', 4);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(512, 1, '2009-04-30 21:23:00', '2009-04-30 12:23:00', '', 'Akira Visits', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '511-revision', '', '', '2009-04-30 21:23:00', '2009-04-30 12:23:00', '', 511, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/04/30/511-revision/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(513, 1, '2009-07-31 00:00:11', '2009-07-30 15:00:11', 'Akiko found Shiraishi in the kitchen, fixing herself some breakfast. The priest looked at her sharply.\r\n\r\n“Why are you in here?â€\r\n\r\n“It’s OK. Akira just arrived, and he’s watching the grounds.â€ Shiraishi relaxed immediately.\r\n\r\n“That’s all right, then. We should ask him if he wants breakfast. Do you mind if I eat first?â€\r\n\r\n“No, go ahead.â€ Akiko paused for a moment, to gather her thoughts. “Ah, there’s something I need to talk to you about.â€ Shiraishi just nodded as she got on with eating, so Akiko pressed on.\r\n\r\n“It’s about the kegare in the area again, of course.â€ Shiraishi nodded again. “When I was out yesterday, I found a high concentration at an old folks’ home. I dread to think what it must be like for the people who live there; it looked like it might be even worse than the Tanakas’ house.â€ The priest nodded again, and Akiko paused once more before going on.\r\n\r\n“The problem is that I went in and offered to perform a harae, and they told me not to.â€ Shiraishi finished her rice, the speed at which she could eat still surprising Akiko, and put it down, looking up.\r\n\r\n“Well, then we can’t do anything, can we.â€\r\n\r\n“But we <em>can’t</em> just leave it!â€ Akiko protested. “The whole place was laden with kegare; the people inside must be suffering. Who knows what will happen next?â€\r\n\r\n“Akiko, kegare comes from illness and death. An old folks’ home is bound to have a lot of it.â€\r\n\r\nAkiko stubbornly shook her head.\r\n\r\n“There was <em>more.</em> The whole building was hidden by it.â€ The priest looked at her, a little quizzically.\r\n\r\n“Can you measure the amount of kegare?â€\r\n\r\nAkiko was floored for a moment. Could she? She had been assuming that the amount she saw corresponded to the amount that there was, but did she have any proof?\r\n\r\n“I think so,â€ she said, a little hesitantly. “Certainly, I can see different amounts, not just presence or absence.â€\r\n\r\n“Hmm. And there was a lot at this old folks’ home?â€\r\n\r\n“Oh yes, far more than on the buildings around it. Probably more than there was on the park.â€\r\n\r\n“But what can we do if they won’t let us perform a harae?â€\r\n\r\n“Sneak in. We can do it from outside the building, I’m sure.â€\r\n\r\n“Akiko! That would be trespassing. What if we got caught?â€\r\n\r\n“What if we do nothing? The kegare will just keep building up, I’m sure. And, even if it has no other effects, that will anger Tamao.â€\r\n\r\nThe priest still looked sceptical, but she also seemed to be thinking about it.\r\n\r\n“Could we do it from the street?â€\r\n\r\nAkiko thought about that for a moment, and then slowly shook her head.\r\n\r\n“No. The roads are too narrow; I don’t think we could set up the himorogi without getting onto the home’s land. And I’m not even sure that the harae would work from outside. The building surely has to be present, in some sense, to be purified.â€\r\n\r\n“You’re sure this is urgent?â€ Akiko could tell that Shiraishi was almost persuaded.\r\n\r\n“Yes. Definitely.â€\r\n\r\nThe priest sighed.\r\n\r\n“All right. If Akira can watch the shrine tonight, we’ll go and do it.â€ She looked at Akiko, and then shook her head slightly. “You’d better be right about this, young lady. We’re risking a lot of trouble.â€', 'Persuasion', 0, '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'persuasion', '', '', '2009-04-30 21:23:46', '2009-04-30 12:23:46', '', 0, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/?p=513', 0, 'post', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(514, 1, '2009-04-30 21:23:40', '2009-04-30 12:23:40', '', 'Persuasion', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '513-revision', '', '', '2009-04-30 21:23:40', '2009-04-30 12:23:40', '', 513, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/04/30/513-revision/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(515, 1, '2009-08-01 00:00:51', '2009-07-31 15:00:51', 'Akiko was pacing in her room, waiting for Shiraishi to be ready to go, when her cellphone rang. She picked it up, grimacing as she saw the calling number. Her mother. She thought about not answering, but decided it would be worse to have her mother calling her while she was helping with the purification.\r\n\r\n“Hello, mother?â€\r\n\r\n“Akiko. Why do you never call?â€ Akiko felt brief stabs of guilt and irritation, although irritation was stronger.\r\n\r\n“I’m very busy at the moment.â€\r\n\r\n“Busy? Doing what? You don’t have a proper job.â€\r\n\r\n“I’m working at the shrine, mother. I’m a miko, and I have duties.â€\r\n\r\n“Yes, but they’re hardly that important.â€\r\n\r\n<em>If only you knew, mother,</em> Akiko thought, but she knew she couldn’t tell her mother everything that was going on. She had enough trouble accepting that Akiko wasn’t just working in an office while looking for a husband; talk of kami and curses would lose her completely.\r\n\r\n“Anyway, why did you call?â€\r\n\r\n“Isn’t it enough to want to talk to my only daughter?â€ Akiko could tell from the tone that her mother did have something particular in mind.\r\n\r\n“Of course that’s enough. But I still think you have something on your mind.â€\r\n\r\n“Humph. Well, yes. I have some good news!â€ She was trying to sound enthusiastic, but Akiko instantly suspected that she wasn’t going to like this “good newsâ€.\r\n\r\n“Yes?â€ She tried not to sound too negative, but she was painfully aware that she hadn’t kept all the suspicion out of her voice.\r\n\r\n“I’ve organised a miai for you here, this weekend. I’ll pay for the train tickets, and you can stay in your old room for a couple of nights.â€\r\n\r\n“Mother! I am not going to a marriage interview.â€\r\n\r\n“Akiko! How can you say that before you’ve even met him? He’s a very nice young man, excellent family, I’ve known them for years.â€\r\n\r\n“I don’t care. I have other things to do here. I’m not going to drop them to go all the way home to meet some random man you think I should marry.â€\r\n\r\n“Akiko, you have to think about your future.â€\r\n\r\n“I am!â€ Akiko realised that she was almost shouting, and took a deep breath to calm down. “I am thinking hard about my future, and I’m not going to marry someone I hardly know.â€\r\n\r\n“You aren’t getting any younger; you’ll lose your chance.â€\r\n\r\n“Lots of women get married in their thirties these days.â€\r\n\r\n“Your <em>thirties?â€</em> Her mother almost screeched it. “How long would I have to wait for grandchildren?â€\r\n\r\n“Oh, for goodness sake. Maybe I’ll never get married.â€\r\n\r\n“You’d throw your life away?â€\r\n\r\n“There’s more to life than getting married.â€ As she said it, Akiko realised that she actually believed it. There were other things she could do with her life, things that didn’t involve getting married.\r\n\r\n“But nothing so important! Nothing that means anything if you aren’t married!â€\r\n\r\n“Mother, do you really think that?â€ Akiko was annoyed at the blatant manipulation.\r\n\r\n“Yes. Of course.â€ Her mother sounded genuinely puzzled, which brought Akiko up short. Did she <em>really</em> believe that?\r\n\r\n“Well, I don’t. I think I could have a good life without getting married.â€\r\n\r\n“But…â€ At that point Shiraishi appeared in the doorway, and Akiko realised it was time to go.\r\n\r\n“I’m sorry, mother. I have to go. And I can’t attend the miai. Good bye.â€ She hung up before her mother could say any more, and then turned off her phone. She saw that the priest was watching her from the doorway, but she turned away as soon as she noticed Akiko had noticed.\r\n\r\n“Shall we go?â€ she asked.', 'Maternal Guidance', 0, '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'maternal-guidance', '', '', '2009-04-30 21:24:51', '2009-04-30 12:24:51', '', 0, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/?p=515', 0, 'post', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(516, 1, '2009-04-30 21:24:28', '2009-04-30 12:24:28', '', 'Maternal Guidance', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '515-revision', '', '', '2009-04-30 21:24:28', '2009-04-30 12:24:28', '', 515, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/04/30/515-revision/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(517, 1, '2009-08-02 00:00:57', '2009-08-01 15:00:57', 'This time both Akiko and Shiraishi remained sitting in the car after they had parked.\r\n\r\n“This is silly,â€ Shiraishi complained. “How are we supposed to set up the himorogi and perform a proper ceremony?â€ Akiko nodded; she had been thinking much the same.\r\n\r\n“Well, do we need the himorogi?â€\r\n\r\n“We need something for the kami to inhabit.â€\r\n\r\n“But we aren’t actually going to summon a kami, are we? We’re just trying to purify the area.â€\r\n\r\n“True, but…â€ The priest’s voice trailed off. “Actually, you’re right. We don’t need it. It was just that I always used it for external ceremonies, but they were never pure harae.â€ She took a deep breath. “OK. That makes things a bit more practical.â€ She turned to look directly at Akiko. “You are <em>sure</em> we need to do this?â€\r\n\r\nAkiko only hesitated a moment before nodding.\r\n\r\n“Then let’s get on with it.â€ Shiraishi pushed her door open, and Akiko quickly followed suit. They collected the ohnusa from the boot, leaving the rest of the equipment there, and hurried over to the home, glancing around all the time to make sure that no-one was watching.\r\n\r\nThey thought that they got to the wall without being seen.\r\n\r\n“Now what?â€ Shiraishi whispered.\r\n\r\n“There’ll be someone on duty in the front, so we can’t go in that way,â€ Akiko whispered back. “We’ll have to go over the wall.â€ Shiraishi looked at it, her face sceptical. “Come on, Revd Shiraishi. It’s not that high.â€ It wasn’t; it didn’t even come up to Akiko’s chest. It wasn’t really designed to keep people out, just to let them know that they shouldn’t cross.\r\n\r\n“Shinto vestments are not really designed for climbing over walls,â€ Shiraishi complained, and Akiko had to stifle a giggle. That was certainly true; there were too many layers of cloth, and the shoes were entirely the wrong sort of thing.\r\n\r\n“Come on, let’s go a bit further round,â€ Akiko urged, and Shiraishi quickly followed her. Akiko looked around as they went, paying attention to the surrounding houses.\r\n\r\n“Here,â€ she said, at last. “Nobody’s windows are overlooking us.â€ Shiraishi looked startled, then glanced around for herself, before nodding. “I’ll go over first,â€ Akiko continued, “then you can pass me the ohnusa and follow.â€\r\n\r\n“OK.â€\r\n\r\nAkiko put her hands on the wall and boosted herself up. On her first attempt to get her leg up onto the top of the wall, she got tangled up in her robes and had to drop back down. On the second attempt, she got up, but when she tried to swing her legs over to drop down onto the other side the vestments caught on something, sending her tumbling over.\r\n\r\nShe suppressed a cry as she fell onto a flower bed beyond. Her hands sank a little into the soft earth as she tried to push herself up, and she had to scrabble for footing. Shiraishi was peering at her over the wall, obviously trying to suppress giggles. Akiko gave her a stern look as she stood up and tried to brush some of the dirt from her vestments.\r\n\r\n“Give me the ohnusa.â€ Shiraishi handed it over, and then put her own hands on the wall. It took the priest three attempts to even get a leg onto the top of the wall, and then Akiko had to catch her to stop her falling off. With a bit of support, however, Shiraishi made it down without falling over, and started brushing Akiko down.\r\n\r\n“Revd Shiraishi! We don’t have time!â€ Akiko whispered.\r\n\r\n“You have to be at least passably clean for a purification,â€ the priest shot back. “Hold still!â€ She brushed a bit more. “OK, that should do. Right, where should we stand?â€\r\n\r\nAkiko switched her sight over, looking for a good vantage point. The wrappings on the building were obviously soiled bandages now, and the cockroaches seemed to be wearing nurses’ uniforms. Akiko wondered what that meant, and then shuddered at the possibilities that occurred to her.\r\n\r\n“Over there,â€ she said, pointing at an area that seemed close to the main concentrations of pollution. Shiraishi set off immediately, crouching down, as if she was a secret agent in a movie or something. Feeling very self-conscious, Akiko followed, also crouching.\r\n\r\n“How am I supposed to do a norito quietly?â€ Shiraishi asked as they reached the spot. It was a good question.\r\n\r\n“Can’t you whisper?â€ Akiko asked.\r\n\r\n“There are fixed ways to pronounce them, so that the kami will hear and understand.â€\r\n\r\n“Oh.â€ Akiko thought about it, looking around. “You don’t have to shout, right?â€\r\n\r\n“No.â€\r\n\r\n“Well, I don’t think anyone will hear us. Those are obviously kitchen windows, not bedrooms, and there’s no-one there at the moment. Just say it as quietly as you can.â€\r\n\r\n“If you say so.â€ The priest still sounded a bit sceptical, but she stood, and bowed to start the proceedings.\r\n\r\nThe norito sounded louder to Akiko than she had expected, and she looked around, nervously, searching for any sign that they had been noticed. When Shiraishi finished the prayer, apparently without attracting attention, and asked for the ohnusa, Akiko handed it over and switched to looking at the kegare.\r\n\r\nThe ohnusa was shining brightly, enough to dazzle Akiko for a moment, and the priest had already swung it once by the time her eyes recovered. She could see the light burning into the bandages, splitting them open and consuming them, as the cockroaches scattered, scuttling for cover wherever they could find it. As the priest swung the ohnusa for the third time, the kegare was burned away from that side of the building.\r\n\r\n“Well?â€\r\n\r\n“We’re clear here. I’m worried about the other side, though.â€\r\n\r\n“OK, let’s go and look. Round the back, right?â€ Akiko nodded, and they set off, as quietly as they could manage, picking their way between the flower beds. Akiko noticed now that most of the plants looked diseased or dead, and that the ground underfoot, intended to be a lawn, was mostly bare earth.\r\n\r\nAs they came round the corner of the building, the bandages came into view again, with all the cockroaches massed on this side, chittering to each other. Akiko sucked her breath in sharply, and Shiraishi turned to look at her.\r\n\r\n“We have to…â€ she began, but was cut off by a man’s voice shouting from ahead of them.\r\n\r\n“Hey! What are you doing there!â€\r\n\r\n“Time to go!â€ Shiraishi said, and ran for the wall. Akiko didn’t argue, coming up behind the priest and pushing her over before jumping herself, not caring that she fell down on the other side, helping the priest to her feet as they both ran for the car.\r\n\r\nHalf-done was better than nothing. She hoped.', 'Guerilla Harae', 0, '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'guerilla-harae', '', '', '2009-04-30 21:25:41', '2009-04-30 12:25:41', '', 0, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/?p=517', 0, 'post', '', 1);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(518, 1, '2009-04-30 21:25:32', '2009-04-30 12:25:32', '', 'Guerilla Harae', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '517-revision', '', '', '2009-04-30 21:25:32', '2009-04-30 12:25:32', '', 517, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/04/30/517-revision/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(519, 1, '2009-03-04 15:56:18', '2009-03-04 06:56:18', '“We have to warn them!â€ Akiko shouted, sitting up in bed and looking round the room. There were running footsteps, and the door slid open as Shiraishi came in, quickly followed by Akira Takenaka.\r\n\r\n“Akiko, are you all right? You shouted…â€ The priest looked concerned.\r\n\r\n“I’m fine, but we have to warn them. We have to warn them before the lightning strikes.â€\r\n\r\n“Akiko, calm down.â€ Shiraishi knelt by the bed and put a cool hand on Akiko’s forehead, frowning as she did so. “Lie down, Akiko. You need to sleep more.â€\r\n\r\nAkiko shook the priest’s hand off, and tried to push herself up, but her arm shook, and seemed to have no force. Her legs were heavy, as if wrapped in concrete, and she couldn’t move them, either.  She groaned in frustration, shook her head, and then groaned again at the pain that lanced through it.\r\n\r\n“We have to warn them <em>now!</em> The lightning could strike at any time.â€\r\n\r\n“Shush, Akiko. It was just a dream.â€\r\n\r\n“I wasn’t! I saw Mr Takenaka! He was shouting, standing outside the shrine.â€ Akira stood up and took a step back, but he didn’t leave, just blinked rapidly.\r\n\r\n“Akiko, Mr Takenaka is dead.â€ The priest’s voice was gentle, as if she really thought Akiko might have forgotten.\r\n\r\n“I <em>know!</em>â€ Akiko almost cried in frustration. “I know he’s dead! But he’s going to strike them with lightning! We have to warn them; they can’t move the house, but they can get out. He said he’d strike the house. If they get out, they’ll be safe.â€\r\n\r\n“Akiko!â€ Shiraishi’s tone was sharper. “Stop it! Lie down!â€\r\n\r\n“It’s all right, reverend.â€ Akira’s voice was strained, but calm. “It’s the fever. I understand.â€\r\n\r\nAkiko collapsed back on to the bed for a moment, breathing heavily and gathering her strength before she pushed herself up again.\r\n\r\n“It’s not the fever. I saw him. He was threatening them.â€\r\n\r\n“Akiko…â€ Shiraishi was trying to shush her again.\r\n\r\n“He’s going to strike them with lightning! He said Sugiyama was an electrician and so deserved to be struck with lightning just as he was. No, that’s not right. Betrayed by electricity, just like he betrayed.â€\r\n\r\n“Akiko, lie down,â€ the priest said, but Akira had moved closer.\r\n\r\n“Who? Who did he say he would strike?â€ His voice was very strained, on the verge of crying or screaming. But Akiko was out of energy, and she collapsed back on to the futon, drenched in sweat, tossing her head from side to side as the pillow dug into her. “Akiko? What was the name?â€ Akira’s voice was gentler now.\r\n\r\n“Akira, I don’t think…â€\r\n\r\n“Please, Revd Shiraishi, let her answer. Akiko, what was the name?â€\r\n\r\nYes, the name was important. If they knew the name, they would know whom to warn. What was the name? For a moment, Akiko thought that she might have forgotten it, but then she remembered the dark figure in the mist, ranting at the sky, calling down his vengeance on…\r\n\r\n“Sugiyama. Sugiyama the electrician.â€ She looked at Akira, who was sitting back, shock etched on his face.', 'On the Defensive', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '301-revision-2', '', '', '2009-03-04 15:56:18', '2009-03-04 06:56:18', '', 301, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/03/04/301-revision-2/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(520, 1, '2009-05-03 06:17:54', '2009-05-02 21:17:54', 'Akiko pulled her trainers on in the entrance hall and went out into the shrine. She walked slowly across the grass, looking around her, paying attention to the shapes of the trees, the motion of the leaves, the birds darting among the branches. The quiet was broken only by the occasional snatch of bird song, and the gentle sound of her own footsteps. She looked up, at a blue sky brushed with white filaments of cloud, and down, at the blades of grass still sparkling with dew.\r\n\r\nShe was waiting for something, but she didn’t know what. She walked a bit further into the precincts, stepping on to the path from the torii to the shrine. She glanced both ways; the bell rope swung a little in the breeze, in front of the open shrine doors, and she could see little through the torii, the trees lining the steps blocking blocking most of the view. Bowing her head as she crossed the middle of the path, she went to the water basin to purify herself.\r\n\r\nThe water was cool on her hands and sweet in her mouth, and her heart was calm as she walked to the shrine and climbed the steps. She rattled the rope, the bell clattering above her, and bowed twice.\r\n\r\nAs she clapped for the first time, a deafening crack of thunder split the air. The second clap was the same, and when Akiko rose from the final bow Tamao was emerging from the rear of the shrine, golden eyes shining and the jewels of his skin sparkling in the light. His eyes met Akiko’s as he slid forwards, and she instinctively stepped back out of his way before dropping to her knees and bowing her face to the floor as he passed.\r\n\r\nThe snake glided easily down the steps, and as Akiko followed him with her eyes, she saw things moving on the steps beyond the torii. Her breath caught in her throat, which was suddenly dry and tight, and then came faster. Whatever they were, they were not healthy, not pure. They seemed to leak, or smoke, and in one case she could see the stench coming off it, although no odour reached her. They were climbing the steps slowly, shaped like feral cats, emaciated and disfigured with sores, and one of them hissed, a sound that made Akiko shudder, and filled her with an urge to wash.\r\n\r\nTamao crawled along the path, and then paused just inside the torii, looking out. The kegare creatures looked back. For several moments, all was still, as Akiko held her breath, not daring to move a muscle.\r\n\r\nOne of the cat-things leapt up at the torii, and Tamao’s head moved swiftly to meet it, catching it in mid-air and hurling it back and away, into the trees. Another sprang, and another, but always Tamao was there to meet the challenge.\r\n\r\nBut now there were other shapes among the trees, scuttling, far too large. One came to the edge of the clearing, a cockroach the size of a small car, apparently made of mould pressed together, oozing the juices of decay. Lightning flashing from his mouth, Tamao sprang sideways, and drove it black. Its place was soon taken by another, this one made of fragments of broken glass, most coated with dried fluids, blood, milk, vomit. It put one leg within the ring of trees, and Tamao, rearing up, spat lightning at it.\r\n\r\nShrieking, the creature drew back into the woods, but there were many more where it had come from, and Tamao was moving without ceasing, blocking entry, spitting lightning at those that dared to cross the border. Akiko looked to the other side, where the shrine house should have been, and saw Tamao again, driving back creatures like large worms made of chain fences, trailing barbed wire like drool from their faceless mouths.\r\n\r\nShe looked back to the torii, where the cat-creatures were gathering again, pacing in front of the gate and hissing, occasionally darting towards the gap before running back into the pack. They did not have enough courage to enter yet, but it would not be long before they did.\r\n\r\nAkiko sprang to her feet and ran down the steps to the path, shouting at the things to go, waving her arms in an attempt to scare them. As she approached, she could feel her tee-shirt against her skin, the fibres rough, abrasive, while the stiff fabric of her jeans fought against her motion. She winced as the shirt grazed her armpit, and then stumbled, tripping and falling to the floor as the jeans refused to bend.\r\n\r\nAs she fell, the cats sprang, leaping through the torii towards her. Fear gave her greater strength, and she scrambled to her feet. The leading cat hissed again, its drool smoking green, black, and orange in the air, and terror took control, driving Akiko back as she ran back into the shrine.\r\n\r\nBehind the shrine building, a red light pulsed within the iwakura, reflected in the pool at its base. Clothes, red and white, were draped over the stones, and something metallic sparkled beside them. The cats were getting closer, and Akiko ran forward.\r\n\r\nThe light within the stone pulsed, and a wave of intense heat passed over Akiko, leaving her clothes charred, smoking, on the verge of bursting into flames.\r\n\r\nFor once, Akiko understood what she was supposed to do and, pulling her clothes off, she plunged into the pool, ducking her head under the water.\r\n\r\nIt was icy cold, but pure and clean, penetrating her and washing all pollution away. When she stood up, pushing back hair that was suddenly dry, she could see a ring of red light surrounding her and the stones, while the cats prowled on the other side and, beyond, Tamao fought back the creatures in the woods.\r\n\r\nShe stepped over to the clothes on the stones, and quickly dressed, the white kimono and the red hakama, the miko’s uniform. The metal was a small implement, bells covering a cone on a short handle, with long ribbons, yellow, white, red, green, and purple, flowing from the bottom. She picked it up, and as she swung it through the air, the bells tinkling, the red light vanished.\r\n\r\nThe kegare beasts sprang forward, but Akiko was ready for them, sweeping the bells across their path, watching as they all dissolved into nothing when touched by the sound. Tamao was still fighting at the borders of the grass, and Akiko ran round to the front, to take her place at the torii.', 'On the Defensive', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '301-revision-3', '', '', '2009-05-03 06:17:54', '2009-05-02 21:17:54', '', 301, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/05/03/301-revision-3/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(521, 1, '2009-03-06 14:54:20', '2009-03-06 05:54:20', 'Akiko opened her eyes. Her mind was clear, her body comfortable, but she lay still for some time, staring at the ceiling. She could remember the dreams, visions, whatever, very clearly. She remembered Mr Takenaka’s threat against the Sugiyamas. She remembered the scenes in the shrine grounds, which even she could interpret as instructions to become a miko.\r\n\r\n<em>But how much of it was just the fever?</em> she wondered. As she watched the light reflected fro the pool playing over the ceiling in complex patterns, she sighed. <em>Probably none of it.</em>\r\n\r\nShe tried to sit up, and was astonished at how weak she was. She finally managed to push herself to a sitting position, but then had to stop there for some time, catching her breath. As her breathing returned to normal, there was a knock on the door, and moments later Shiraishi pushed it open and came in. Seeing Akiko sitting up, she came hurrying over, concern on her face, but by the time she had reached the side of the futon, her expression had settled into relief.\r\n\r\n“Are you feeling better, Ms Tanahata?â€ Akiko nodded.\r\n\r\n“Yes, thank you. I feel fine, just very weak.â€ The priest sat down by the bed.\r\n\r\n“I’m not surprised. You hardly ate while you were ill.â€ As she said that, Akiko suddenly noticed how hungry she was.\r\n\r\n“How long was I ill?â€\r\n\r\n“Four days. It’s Tuesday today.â€\r\n\r\n“Four days?â€ Akiko was shocked. It really didn’t seem that long. Shiraishi nodded.\r\n\r\n“The doctor said it wasn’t unusual for this fever, and I should keep you warm and make sure you drank.â€\r\n\r\n“A doctor came?â€ The priest shook her head.\r\n\r\n“Too busy; there are a lot of cases of this fever. No, I just phoned him and got advice.â€\r\n\r\nAkiko let herself sink back into the futon, coming to terms with how long she’d been ill.\r\n\r\n“Would you like something to eat?â€\r\n\r\n“Mm.â€ Akiko suddenly turned her head to look at the priest. “I remember saying something to you and Akira Takenaka while I was ill. Did that really happen?â€ Shiraishi nodded, looking a little embarrassed. Akiko looked back at the ceiling, thinking over what she had to do.\r\n\r\n“Revd Shiraishi, I think I have to become a miko.â€\r\n\r\n“Have to?â€ The priest sounded slightly… offended. Akiko looked back at her, searching her expression.\r\n\r\n“Yes. I had a vision while I was ill. Tamao wants me to become a miko, so I really have no choice.â€\r\n\r\n“Being a miko isn’t like working at McDonalds, you know. You should have a bit more enthusiasm for the job. A bit more enthusiasm for the shrine.â€ Akiko shook her head impatiently; why couldn’t Shiraishi see?\r\n\r\n“I don’t <em>want</em> to be a miko. I want a normal job, in an office. I want to marry a man on the career track, leave work, have children, maybe study flower arranging and work part-time in Takashimaya.â€ With a start, Akiko realised that she was on the verge of crying. “I want a normal life. I just want to be happy.â€ She took a deep breath, getting herself back under control, and turned back to the priest.\r\n\r\n“But I don’t think Tamao is going to let me do that. So I have to become a miko.â€', 'Awakening', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '304-revision-2', '', '', '2009-03-06 14:54:20', '2009-03-06 05:54:20', '', 304, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/03/06/304-revision-2/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(522, 1, '2009-05-04 05:20:00', '2009-05-03 20:20:00', 'Akiko opened her eyes. Her mind was clear, her body comfortable, but she lay still for some time, staring at the ceiling. She could remember the dreams, visions, whatever, very clearly. She remembered Mr Takenaka’s threat against the Sugiyamas. She remembered the scenes in the shrine grounds, which even she could interpret as instructions to become a miko.\n\n<em>But how much of it was just the fever?</em> she wondered. As she watched the light reflected from the pool playing over the ceiling in complex patterns, she sighed. <em>Probably none of it.</em>\n\nShe tried to sit up, and was astonished at how weak she was. She finally managed to push herself to a sitting position, but then had to stop there for some time, catching her breath. As her breathing returned to normal, there was a knock on the door, and moments later Shiraishi pushed it open and came in. Seeing Akiko sitting up, she came hurrying over, concern on her face, but by the time she had reached the side of the futon, her expression had settled into relief.\n\n“Are you feeling better, Ms Tanahata?â€ Akiko nodded.\n\n“Yes, thank you. I feel fine, just very weak.â€ The priest sat down by the bed.\n\n“I’m not surprised. You hardly ate while you were ill.â€ As she said that, Akiko suddenly noticed how hungry she was.\n\n“How long was I ill?â€\n\n“Four days. It’s Tuesday today.â€\n\n“Four days?â€ Akiko was shocked. It really didn’t seem that long. Shiraishi nodded.\n\n“The doctor said it wasn’t unusual for this fever, and I should keep you warm and make sure you drank.â€\n\n“A doctor came?â€ The priest shook her head.\n\n“Too busy; there are a lot of cases of this fever. No, I just phoned him and got advice.â€\n\nAkiko let herself sink back into the futon, coming to terms with how long she’d been ill.\n\n“Would you like something to eat?â€\n\n“Mm.â€ Akiko suddenly turned her head to look at the priest. “I remember saying something to you and Akira Takenaka while I was ill. Did that really happen?â€ Shiraishi nodded, looking a little embarrassed. Akiko looked back at the ceiling, thinking over what she had to do.\n\n“Revd Shiraishi, I think I have to become a miko.â€\n\n“Have to?â€ The priest sounded slightly… offended. Akiko looked back at her, searching her expression.\n\n“Yes. I had a vision while I was ill. Tamao wants me to become a miko, so I really have no choice.â€\n\n“Being a miko isn’t like working at McDonalds, you know. You should have a bit more enthusiasm for the job. A bit more enthusiasm for the shrine.â€ Akiko shook her head impatiently; why couldn’t Shiraishi see?\n\n“I don’t <em>want</em> to be a miko. I want a normal job, in an office. I want to marry a man on the career track, leave work, have children, maybe study flower arranging and work part-time in Takashimaya.â€ With a start, Akiko realised that she was on the verge of crying. “I want a normal life. I just want to be happy.â€ She took a deep breath, getting herself back under control, and turned back to the priest.\n\n“But I don’t think Tamao is going to let me do that. So I have to become a miko.â€', 'Awakening', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '304-autosave', '', '', '2009-05-04 05:20:00', '2009-05-03 20:20:00', '', 304, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/05/04/304-autosave/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(523, 1, '2009-03-06 14:55:08', '2009-03-06 05:55:08', 'The conversation went no further that day; Shiraishi quickly changed the subject by offering Akiko and meal, and Akiko, ravenous, could not turn it down. She then fell asleep again, waking twice more to eat and go to the toilet (and why couldn’t she remember doing that while she was ill? — She was definitely to embarrassed to ask Shiraishi).\r\n\r\nWhen she woke up on Wednesday, however, she felt much better. Pulling on a yukata, she went out through the garden to pay her morning respects to Tamao. The shrine was quiet, with no sign of monsters or kami, the air cool and clear, birds singing in the woodland.\r\n\r\nAs she finished paying her respects, Akiko realised what she had to do. It might just have been the fever, but if it wasn’t too late, she had to warn the Sugiyamas. She remembered Akira’s reaction, or at least the reaction she thought she’d seen, and suspected that he knew who they were. So, the first step was to call him.\r\n\r\nShe found a business card inside the house, and called, hoping that Akira would pick up. Fortunately, he did.\r\n\r\n“This is Akiko Tanahata,â€ she said. “Sorry to disturb you.â€\r\n\r\n“No, it’s good to hear from you. I hope you’re feeling better?â€\r\n\r\n“Yes, thank you. Um.â€ Akiko paused, aware that what she was going to say next would sound a little strange. “Could you tell me the Sugiyamas’ address?â€\r\n\r\nThere was silence from the other end, long enough for Akiko to wonder whether the connection had been cut.\r\n\r\n“Mr Takenaka?â€\r\n\r\n“Yes, I’m still here. Yes, I can tell you their address. Just a moment.â€ There were rustling sounds, presumably as he looked for the address, and then he read it out to her.\r\n\r\n“Ms Tanahata?â€\r\n\r\n“Yes?â€\r\n\r\n“Ah… nothing. Excuse me.â€ And he hung up. Akiko closed the phone, a little puzzled. She couldn’t work out what he was thinking, not at all. As she thought back over their encounters, she decided that that wasn’t surprising, but still, she wanted to know.\r\n\r\nPutting that problem to one side, she went to have a shower and get dressed.\r\n\r\nShiraishi was fairly obviously waiting for her when she emerged, even though she was pretending to be working on something; she looked up far too quickly.\r\n\r\n“Ah, Ms Tanahata.â€ There was a pause. “Are you going out?â€\r\n\r\n<em>Did Akira call her?</em> Akiko wondered.\r\n\r\n“Yes, I have an errand to run.â€\r\n\r\n“What?â€ The question was very abrupt, and Akiko was suddenly sure that Akira had called the priest.\r\n\r\n“I have to warn the Sugiyamas.â€ Akiko looked straight at Shiraishi as she spoke, keeping her voice neutral. “If Hideo Takenaka hasn’t struck them with lightning yet, there might still be time to get them out of the house.â€\r\n\r\n“Akiko…â€ Shiraishi sounded worried and annoyed in equal measure. “That was just a fever dream.â€ Akiko shook her head.\r\n\r\n“I don’t think so. I only remember a few of the things I saw while I was ill, but that’s one of them. I think it was a real threat.â€\r\n\r\n“From a dead person?â€\r\n\r\n“From a dead person. Don’t you have legends of angry ghosts? I’m being persecuted by a kami; I can hardly dismiss ghost stories out of hand.â€\r\n\r\nShiraishi looked like she was about to say something, but then, apparently, she thought better of it, and just waved Akiko towards the door.\r\n\r\n“Take care. There are masks in the entrance; don’t forget to take one.â€', 'Responsibility', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '306-revision-2', '', '', '2009-03-06 14:55:08', '2009-03-06 05:55:08', '', 306, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/03/06/306-revision-2/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(524, 1, '2009-05-05 06:38:36', '2009-05-04 21:38:36', 'The conversation went no further that day; Shiraishi quickly changed the subject by offering Akiko a meal, and Akiko, ravenous, could not turn it down. She then fell asleep again, waking twice more to eat and go to the toilet (and why couldn’t she remember doing that while she was ill? — She was definitely too embarrassed to ask Shiraishi).\n\nWhen she woke up on Wednesday, however, she felt much better. Pulling on a yukata, she went out through the garden to pay her morning respects to Tamao. The shrine was quiet, with no sign of monsters or kami, the air cool and clear, birds singing in the woodland.\n\nAs she finished paying her respects, Akiko realised what she had to do. It might just have been the fever, but if it wasn’t too late, she had to warn the Sugiyamas. She remembered Akira’s reaction, or at least the reaction she thought she’d seen, and suspected that he knew who they were. So, the first step was to call him.\n\nShe found a business card inside the house, and called, hoping that Akira would pick up. Fortunately, he did.\n\n“This is Akiko Tanahata,â€ she said. “Sorry to disturb you.â€\n\n“No, it’s good to hear from you. I hope you’re feeling better?â€\n\n“Yes, thank you. Um.â€ Akiko paused, aware that what she was going to say next would sound a little strange. “Could you tell me the Sugiyamas’ address?â€\n\nThere was silence from the other end, long enough for Akiko to wonder whether the connection had been cut.\n\n“Mr Takenaka?â€\n\n“Yes, I’m still here. Yes, I can tell you their address. Just a moment.â€ There were rustling sounds, presumably as he looked for the address, and then he read it out to her.\n\n“Ms Tanahata?â€\n\n“Yes?â€\n\n“Ah… nothing. Excuse me.â€ And he hung up. Akiko closed the phone, a little puzzled. She couldn’t work out what he was thinking, not at all. As she thought back over their encounters, she decided that that wasn’t surprising, but still, she wanted to know.\n\nPutting that problem to one side, she went to have a shower and get dressed.\n\nShiraishi was fairly obviously waiting for her when she emerged, even though she was pretending to be working on something; she looked up far too quickly.\n\n“Ah, Ms Tanahata.â€ There was a pause. “Are you going out?â€\n\n<em>Did Akira call her?</em> Akiko wondered.\n\n“Yes, I have an errand to run.â€\n\n“What?â€ The question was very abrupt, and Akiko was suddenly sure that Akira had called the priest.\n\n“I have to warn the Sugiyamas.â€ Akiko looked straight at Shiraishi as she spoke, keeping her voice neutral. “If Hideo Takenaka hasn’t struck them with lightning yet, there might still be time to get them out of the house.â€\n\n“Akiko…â€ Shiraishi sounded worried and annoyed in equal measure. “That was just a fever dream.â€ Akiko shook her head.\n\n“I don’t think so. I only remember a few of the things I saw while I was ill, but that’s one of them. I think it was a real threat.â€\n\n“From a dead person?â€\n\n“From a dead person. Don’t you have legends of angry ghosts? I’m being persecuted by a kami; I can hardly dismiss ghost stories out of hand.â€\n\nShiraishi looked like she was about to say something, but then, apparently, she thought better of it, and just waved Akiko towards the door.\n\n“Take care. There are masks in the entrance; don’t forget to take one.â€', 'Responsibility', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '306-autosave', '', '', '2009-05-05 06:38:36', '2009-05-04 21:38:36', '', 306, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/05/05/306-autosave/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(525, 1, '2009-08-03 00:00:21', '2009-08-02 15:00:21', 'Akiko sat in the shrine office, looking out at the precincts, trying to keep her eyes open. The harae had left her drained, even though Shiraishi’s giggles had infected her in the car. Thinking about it now, she found herself smiling a little; it was true that the whole situation had been more than a little ridiculous. Then she yawned again, and shook herself. This was no good; she couldn’t afford to actually fall asleep. She peered out again. The sky was overcast, but it didn’t seem to be raining. Going out was a sensible possibility, then.\r\n\r\nThe warmth of the night surprised Akiko, reminding her that summer was approaching, and she still didn’t need a coat. The air was still and rather heavy, close, with a promise of rain, and the only sounds were those of distant cars and Akiko’s own footsteps. Akiko bowed to the iwakura, but it was just a group of stones tonight.\r\n\r\nThen she caught sight of a light among the trees, not very bright, but moving, as if carried. Sighing, she checked that she was carrying her cellphone, and headed into the woods to see who it was.\r\n\r\nIt was only when she was surrounded by the shadows of the trees that she started to get worried. If it was one of the protesters, that was no problem. They would go away when she asked. But if it wasn’t? If it was someone else? She took her cellphone out, opening it ready to call the police, as she made her way towards the flickering light. She stepped round a trunk, and found herself in the clearing around the sacred tree.\r\n\r\nAnother miko stood beside it, reaching up to fix a new shide to the shimenawa. Her lamp stood on the ground behind her, her shadow huge and dancing against the tree in its flickering light. Akiko froze, and the other miko turned to look at her.\r\n\r\n“Good evening.â€\r\n\r\nThere was something strange about her pronunciation, an accent that Akiko couldn’t place. Akiko took a cautious step forwards, and switched her vision to see the spirits.\r\n\r\nThe tree dominated the scene, seizing her attention immediately, every detail of the bark clear. Smaller spirits, birds and insects, gathered on its branches, healthy and clean. Akiko forced herself to look down and at the miko. She looked human; completely free of kegare, but just human. Akiko’s eyes were drawn back towards the tree, and she switched her vision back to normal so that she could concentrate.\r\n\r\n“Good evening,â€ she replied, still a little hesitant.\r\n\r\n“Have you come to tend to the tree?â€ There was something very strange about the other miko’s accent, and about the way she talked, and something about her face wasn’t quite right. Akiko took another couple of steps forward.\r\n\r\n“No. I was watching the shrine, and I saw your light.â€ Akiko was thinking as fast as she could. The miko was obviously changing the shide on the shimenawa, and someone had been doing that all the time, someone who wasn’t Akiko or Shiraishi. Thus, it seemed likely that it had always been her. But who was she? And where had she come from?\r\n\r\n“Oh, I see.â€ Akiko thought she detected a questioning tone in the miko’s response, and took another step forward, as the miko took a step towards her.\r\n\r\nAnd then her frustration with all the mysteries she had faced suddenly boiled over, and she couldn’t suppress the question.\r\n\r\n“Who <em>are</em> you?â€', 'Under the Tree', 0, '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'under-the-tree', '', '', '2009-08-04 09:13:52', '2009-08-04 00:13:52', '', 0, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/?p=525', 0, 'post', '', 5);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(526, 1, '2009-05-06 10:01:46', '2009-05-06 01:01:46', '', 'Under the Tree', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '525-revision', '', '', '2009-05-06 10:01:46', '2009-05-06 01:01:46', '', 525, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/05/06/525-revision/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(527, 1, '2009-08-04 00:00:02', '2009-08-03 15:00:02', 'The other miko looked startled, and then bowed.\r\n\r\n“My name is Yoshiko. I serve at this shrine. With whom do I have the honour of speaking?â€\r\n\r\nAkiko blushed a little at that; Yoshiko was being very polite.\r\n\r\n“My name is Akiko. I serve at this shrine,â€ she said, as she bowed in turn. Straightening up, she looked Yoshiko in the eye, and suddenly realised what was odd about her face. She had plucked her eyebrows, and drawn new ones on.\r\n\r\nThere was a moment of silence, as Akiko weighed Yoshiko up and, she imagined, Yoshiko did the same in return. Yoshiko broke it.\r\n\r\n“Forgive me, this will sound like a very strange question. Which shrine do you serve at?â€\r\n\r\nAkiko had been about to ask the same question, so it didn’t sound that strange to her at all.\r\n\r\n“Tamao Shrine,â€ she replied. There was something else strange about Yoshiko’s face, she realised. Not just the eyebrows. Yoshiko was obviously surprised by her answer, and she opened her mouth to say something, before closing it again.\r\n\r\nOnce she had realised what it was, Akiko wondered how she could have missed it. Yoshiko’s teeth were all black. Even in the flickering light of the lamp, she could see that they were dark, at least. A half-memory tickled at the back of her mind, but she couldn’t draw it out properly.\r\n\r\n“That’s not…â€ Yoshiko began.\r\n\r\nAkiko’s attention was suddenly drawn to the tree, clearly visible despite the darkness, stretching up into the night, connecting the earth and the clouds like a bridge. She was flooded with a longing to touch it, to embrace it, to press her body against it and feel the bark against her skin, and the desire flowed through her and left, like a river in flood leaving a scattering of pebbles on the shore.\r\n\r\n<em>Learn from her.</em> That was the thought that remained. Akiko looked back at Yoshiko, who was also looking back from the tree.\r\n\r\n“Er…â€ Yoshiko said. “We should talk.â€ Akiko nodded.\r\n\r\n“You too?â€ she asked.\r\n\r\n“The tree?â€ Yoshiko was asking for confirmation, and Akiko just nodded. They both looked back at it, and this time Akiko broke the silence.\r\n\r\n“It told me to learn.â€\r\n\r\n“It told me to teach,â€ Yoshiko said, “but I don’t understand. What can I teach you?â€\r\n\r\n“Do you know how to drive away kegare and purify the whole of the city?â€ Akiko asked, hope suddenly surging.\r\n\r\nHer mood crashed down again as Yoshiko shook her head.\r\n\r\n“I’m only a miko,â€ she said, “and you obviously already hear the kami.â€\r\n\r\n“How <em>long</em> have you been a miko?â€ Akiko asked, Yoshiko’s statement suddenly making her aware of a possibility.\r\n\r\n“All my life, of course.â€ Yoshiko sounded confused.\r\n\r\n“I’ve only been a miko for a few weeks. Maybe you could teach me how to be one?â€\r\n\r\n“A few weeks?â€ Now she sounded really confused. “Did you… No, you aren’t married.â€ Akiko wondered how Yoshiko knew, and what she had been going to ask. “How did you become a miko?â€\r\n\r\n“Tamao insisted.â€\r\n\r\nYoshiko suddenly smiled, which looked very strange with black teeth.\r\n\r\n“That sounds like Tamao. And…â€ She suddenly fell silent, apparently biting back words. She looked down, then at the tree, and then back at Akiko.\r\n\r\n“I will teach you, as the kami have commanded. We can meet here at night, so we will study here.â€ She paused, taking a deep breath.\r\n\r\n“But I do not want to know where you come from. I…â€ She paused again, and looked Akiko straight in the eye.\r\n\r\n“I am too frightened of the answer.â€', 'Two Miko', 0, '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'two-miko', '', '', '2009-05-06 10:02:40', '2009-05-06 01:02:40', '', 0, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/?p=527', 0, 'post', '', 4);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(528, 1, '2009-05-06 10:02:28', '2009-05-06 01:02:28', '', 'Two Miko', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '527-revision', '', '', '2009-05-06 10:02:28', '2009-05-06 01:02:28', '', 527, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/05/06/527-revision/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(529, 1, '2009-08-05 00:00:47', '2009-08-04 15:00:47', 'Akiko was still lost in thought over the encounter hours later, when she was suddenly disturbed by the sounds of a commotion at the entrance to the shrine. She hurried out of the office and down the steps, hoping that it would be easy to resolve the problem.\r\n\r\nThe first person she recognised, with a sinking feeling, was Mrs Watanabe. Her voice was raised and shrill.\r\n\r\n“You should not be going in there! Do you know what they believe? What they do?â€\r\n\r\nThe people she was confronting, however, were the Tanakas, and their grandmother was there, looking much, much healthier than she had when they went to perform the harae. The sight raised Akiko’s spirits significantly, and she hurried down the steps as quickly as she could.\r\n\r\n“They helped us! I felt much better after the harae.â€ While Mr Tanaka looked slightly embarrassed, his mother-in-law seemed to have no qualms about arguing back.\r\n\r\n“They’re just trying to exploit your weakness. Can’t you see what they’re up to?â€\r\n\r\n“How dare you say such things about them? Now let us past. See! You’ve forced the miko to come out of the shrine.â€ The old woman pointed straight at Akiko, and Mrs Watanabe turned round to look at her.\r\n\r\n“You should be ashamed of yourself, peddling lies to the elderly and vulnerable.â€\r\n\r\n“I am <em>not</em> vulnerable! My mind is still perfectly functional, thank you very much. Now I’ll thank you to get out of my way.â€ Mrs Watanabe swung back round to face the old woman, but didn’t back down.\r\n\r\n“I’d say your vulnerability was well proven by your attitude here. You can’t even spot an obvious con trick like the shrine.â€\r\n\r\n“They didn’t ask for money.â€\r\n\r\n“But you’re going to give them some now.â€\r\n\r\n“A con trick where you wait for your victim to decide to give you money isn’t much of a con trick,â€ Mr Tanaka said, finally stung into replying. “Now, we have heard your opinion. Get out of the way.â€\r\n\r\n“Mrs Watanabe,â€ Akiko interjected, trying to keep her voice calm, “please let them come into the shrine. You are interfering with their business.â€ The woman turned back to face her.\r\n\r\n“Call the police, then. If you care so much, call the police. Let’s see what they have to say about your con tricks.â€\r\n\r\n“Slander is a criminal offence as well.â€ Mr Tanaka sounded more annoyed now. “And what do you have to offer? Are you doing anything useful, or just standing here and obstructing us?â€\r\n\r\n“We’re trying to protect you!â€ Akiko noticed that Shiraishi had just arrived beside her, and she turned to glance at the priest, who shot her an exasperated look in return.\r\n\r\n“Mrs Watanabe,â€ Shiraishi began, but she wasn’t allowed to finish. The grandmother lifted her cane and swung it at Mrs Watanabe, as her daughter, with a scream, grabbed at her arm, and Mrs Watanabe stumbled back out of the way, lost for words.\r\n\r\n“Now, we’re going into the shrine,â€ the old woman announced, shaking her daughter off and calmly starting to climb the steps. Mrs Watanabe and the other protesters just looked at her in shock.\r\n\r\nWhen they reached the top, the old woman turned to Shiraishi and bowed.\r\n\r\n“I do apologise for my actions just now. Some people just don’t understand any other language.\r\n\r\n“Anyway, as you can see, I am much better than I was before you performed the harae, and everyone in the family is feeling a lot better as well. We are all agreed that the harae was the cause.â€ She glanced around at her family, who all nodded.\r\n\r\n“So we have come to give thanks.â€', 'Thank Offering', 0, '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'thank-offering', '', '', '2009-05-06 10:03:15', '2009-05-06 01:03:15', '', 0, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/?p=529', 0, 'post', '', 5);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(530, 1, '2009-05-06 10:03:10', '2009-05-06 01:03:10', '', 'Thank Offering', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '529-revision', '', '', '2009-05-06 10:03:10', '2009-05-06 01:03:10', '', 529, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/05/06/529-revision/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(531, 1, '2009-08-06 00:00:21', '2009-08-05 15:00:21', 'Akiko picked her way through the trees, lighting her way with a torch. The rain had stopped, but she could still hear water dripping from the leaves around her, and her feet were wet from the undergrowth. She reached the sacred tree, the beam of the torch picking out the shimenawa tied around it, but there was no-one else there. She walked round once, checking the whole clearing, but she was definitely alone.\r\n\r\nShe started to worry that Yoshiko wouldn’t come, and worry about what that would mean, but as she reached out a hand and laid it on the trunk of the tree all her concerns drained away. All she needed to do was wait.\r\n\r\nAs she thought that, Yoshiko stepped into the clearing, carrying a lamp and a bundle wrapped up in a cloth. Akiko noticed that Yoshiko’s clothes were completely dry, but she did not comment, simply bowing in greeting, a bow that Yoshiko returned.\r\n\r\n“Under the circumstances,â€ Yoshiko began, “I think we should start with the dances.â€ Akiko just nodded; she had little choice but to trust her teacher. Yoshiko put the cloth bundle down under the tree and unwrapped it, taking out something that tinkled as she lifted it, and gleamed in the light.\r\n\r\n“This is a kagurasuzu,â€ she said, showing it to Akiko. “Have you used one yet?â€ Akiko looked at it, and it did look a little familiar. A conical metal frame was mounted on a short handle, with several small bells hung from the frame. Five long strips of material, purple, green, red, white, and yellow, were attached to the bottom of the handle. As she looked, Akiko remembered where she had seen it before; in the dream when she had first worn miko’s vestments.\r\n\r\n“Er, not really,â€ she replied. Using it in a dream probably didn’t count. Yoshiko nodded, but didn’t look surprised.\r\n\r\n“Watch me first.â€ She took a few steps backwards, and then bowed to the tree, sweeping the kagurasuzu up over her head as she straightened, the sound of bells filling the clearing.\r\n\r\nYoshiko started to dance, slowly at first, sweeping the bells gracefully through the air while supporting the cloth with her other hand. Her movements got steadily faster, as she spun, running round the tree, swinging the kagurasuzu high and low, quickly enough that the motion was enough to keep the streamers in the air. She passed once around the tree, and slowed down, coming to a graceful stop as she sank to her knees, the kagurasuzu held in front of her chest in both hands, the cloth piled in her lap.\r\n\r\nShe bowed her head once, and stood up, turning to look at Akiko.\r\n\r\n“That’s what you’re aiming for.â€\r\n\r\n“I can’t do that!â€ Akiko protested. <em>At least not while I’m in control of my own body,</em> she amended silently.\r\n\r\n“Not yet. That’s why you need to practice. And that’s why I want to start with the dances; you need the most practice for these. Here, take the kagurasuzu.â€ Yoshiko held it out, and Akiko took it carefully. It was a little heavier than she expected, and the cloth streamers were long.\r\n\r\n“Now, hold it up,â€ Yoshiko continued, “and support the streamers… No. Like this.â€ She reached out and adjusted Akiko’s hand, and the lesson began.', 'Dance Lessons', 0, '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'dance-lessons', '', '', '2009-08-06 20:50:46', '2009-08-06 11:50:46', '', 0, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/?p=531', 0, 'post', '', 1);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(532, 1, '2009-05-06 10:03:50', '2009-05-06 01:03:50', '', 'Dance Lessons', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '531-revision', '', '', '2009-05-06 10:03:50', '2009-05-06 01:03:50', '', 531, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/05/06/531-revision/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(533, 1, '2009-08-07 00:00:06', '2009-08-06 15:00:06', 'The sky was cloudless blue, and the sun shone down without pity, white glare from the concrete banks of the river making the clouds of mosquitos almost invisible. Akiko wiped sweat from her forehead once more, and fanned herself with her hand in a desperate search for some relief.\r\n\r\nIt didn’t help, and the whine of the mosquitos got louder in her ears, overlaying the sound of the river, a constant growl of pain. She looked around for the steps up from the small park where she was sitting, but they had all collapsed, a few sorry fragments still clinging to the wall beyond shattered benches.\r\n\r\nShe turned back to the river, its surface churning, glistening in all colours, sweeping along plastics, sewage, and now and then the corpse of a dead animal. The stench was overwhelming, suddenly, and Akiko gagged, almost vomiting on her miko’s robes. The waves in the river became higher, its surface starting to buck, water and less pleasant things spraying out on to the bank as Akiko scrambled back, trying to get out of the way, but failing as something malodorous spattered on the white of her kimono.\r\n\r\nThe river was rising out of its channel now, a great blind snake, jaws gaping wide as its head waved through the sky as if seeking something. The river’s water formed its translucent body, with scales of ripples and oil sheen, and the hiss of the water was the creature’s voice, a cry of agony that filled Akiko with a mixture of pity and fear.\r\n\r\nThe giant head swung over her, and then paused, flickering back and forth as if it had almost found something. It shifted, and although it had no eyes Akiko was sure it knew she was there. It drew back, preparing for a lunge, and Akiko threw her hands up in front of her, one holding the kagurasuzu, as the snake lanced towards her.\r\n\r\nAnd stopped, just short of the kagurasuzu. Akiko could see the water flowing within it, heavy with the corpses of fish, a sheen of oil spread over the top of its head, covering the places its eyes should have been. The roar of the water got louder yet, filling Akiko’s ears, deafening her, evoking more pity now, so much pity that Akiko felt tears well from her eyes and start to run down her cheeks.\r\n\r\nShe sat up in bed, the pouring rain roaring on the balcony outside, and willed her breathing to calm down. A dream, then. She got out of bed and pulled a yukata on, walking to the main room to look at the kamidana. Tamao’s goshintai was inside the small shrine now, the mask she had rescued from the old shrine was propped up behind it, and Akiko found herself looking at its impassive face as she thought over the dream.\r\n\r\nThe obvious interpretation was that she should go to the river and purify it, which seemed plausible enough. Given the amount of kegare she had seen in the area, it would be surprising if the river had escaped. But what was the kagurasuzu doing there, and why had she felt sorry for the kegare spirit? She waited a few moments, but no further enlightenment was forthcoming.\r\n\r\n“Come on Tamao, you can talk to me now. Why not just tell me what to do?â€ she muttered, and then, worried that he might have heard, quickly bowed, clapped, and bowed.\r\n\r\nIt wouldn’t do to irritate him.', 'By The River', 0, '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'by-the-river', '', '', '2009-05-06 10:04:35', '2009-05-06 01:04:35', '', 0, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/?p=533', 0, 'post', '', 6);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(534, 1, '2009-05-06 10:04:28', '2009-05-06 01:04:28', '', 'By The River', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '533-revision', '', '', '2009-05-06 10:04:28', '2009-05-06 01:04:28', '', 533, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/05/06/533-revision/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(535, 1, '2009-08-08 00:00:40', '2009-08-07 15:00:40', 'After showering and dressing, Akiko found Shiraishi dozing in the office, and told her about the dream. Outside, the rain was stopping, and the stones of the iwakura sparkled as the light of the morning sun played over them. Shiraishi, looking out at the precincts, nodded as Akiko finished her account.\r\n\r\n“It does sound fairly clear, doesn’t it. We’ll have to see when Akira can come to mind the shrine; I’ll give him a call. And then we should do the tsukinamisai.â€\r\n\r\n“The what?â€ Akiko was a bit surprised at just how matter-of-fact Shiraishi was, but she supposed that it wasn’t really surprising anymore.\r\n\r\n“Tsukinamisai. Come on, you must have read about that. Monthly festival? And it’s the first today.â€\r\n\r\n“Oh. Yes. Yes, right.â€ Now that Shiraishi mentioned it, Akiko realised that she had read about it, but she’d completely lost track of the date. Was it really the first already?\r\n\r\n“Well, we need the himorogi for it, so can you get that ready while I call Akira?â€\r\n\r\nAkiko had just finished setting the himorogi up in its usual place, on the site of the old shrine building, when Shiraishi came out of the house carrying the other equipment.\r\n\r\n“He said he can come this afternoon, but not tonight. I said that would be fine.â€\r\n\r\nAfternoon. That meant that they would have to do the ceremony in daylight. For a moment, Akiko was worried that people would see them, and then scolded herself for being silly. It wasn’t as if people hadn’t seen her performing ceremonies quite often enough. And they would be in a public place.\r\n\r\n“And,â€ the priest continued, “I brought this.â€ She held out a kagurasuzu, and Akiko took it off her.\r\n\r\n“I can’t do the dances yet, you know.â€\r\n\r\n“I know, but you can shake it. Do it at the very beginning and very end of the norito.â€ Akiko looked at the bells, and then back at Shiraishi. Her puzzlement must have been obvious, because the priest explained. “The bells get the kami’s attention and calm him down, at the same time. It’s an important part of the ceremony.â€ Akiko nodded her understanding, and took her place. The ground was still wet, but the sky was rapidly clearing, a light breeze leaving the air fresh, more like spring than early summer.\r\n\r\nAs Shiraishi took her place, Akiko heard the sonorous beat of a Japanese drum, its pace increasing, and she looked around. The shrine’s taiko had been destroyed in the fire, and she couldn’t see anything. Maybe Shiraishi has bought a recording, she thought.\r\n\r\nShiraishi read the norito, Akiko shaking the bells as instructed, and then paused. Akiko heard a taiko beating somewhere, in a rhythm she knew, the rhythm that Yoshiko beat out for dance practice under the tree. A flute joined it, swooping over the top, and the moves of the dance came up in Akiko’s mind.\r\n\r\nAnd then she was rising from her place, raising the kagurasuzu, and dancing, the sweeping moves coming easily, fluidly, as she crossed the space in front of the himorogi, paused, raised the kagurasuzu, turned on the spot to bow towards the kami, moved back again.\r\n\r\nAkiko realised that she was not entirely in control of her own movement, but she could hear and feel the drum beat, and she let it guide her through the short dance until she sank back into her place, kagurasuzu held in front of her, eyes down.', 'Drum', 0, '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'drum', '', '', '2009-08-08 08:59:42', '2009-08-07 23:59:42', '', 0, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/?p=535', 0, 'post', '', 3);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(536, 1, '2009-05-06 10:05:02', '2009-05-06 01:05:02', '', 'Drum', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '535-revision', '', '', '2009-05-06 10:05:02', '2009-05-06 01:05:02', '', 535, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/05/06/535-revision/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(537, 1, '2009-08-09 00:00:14', '2009-08-08 15:00:14', '“I thought you couldn’t do the dances yet?â€ Shiraishi was obviously trying to keep the question light, but she couldn’t quite hide the concern and incomprehension. For a moment, all Akiko could do was shake her head.\r\n\r\n“I have been practising, but I can’t do it that well,â€ she said when she finally found her voice. “I don’t suppose you heard the drum?â€ Shiraishi shook her head. “I didn’t think so. It wasn’t like the time I was possessed, but…â€ She paused, trying to put the experience into words, and failing. “The music took hold of me,â€ she finished, lamely.\r\n\r\n“Well, you did the dance very well. When have you been practising?â€ Akiko started to answer, but Shiraishi interrupted her. “And who’s been teaching you?â€\r\n\r\n“Ah.â€ Akiko was embarrassed, realising that she really should have told Shiraishi before. “I met another miko at the sacred tree, and she’s teaching me at night.â€\r\n\r\n“Another miko?â€\r\n\r\n“Yes. From this shrine.â€ Akiko could see that the priest was ready to ask more questions, and held up a hand to stop her. “And I don’t know how that’s possible, or where she comes from, or what she is. I’m not asking.â€\r\n\r\n“Is that safe? She could be an evil spirit.â€\r\n\r\n“The tree wanted me to learn from her.â€ <em>That sounds really, really naive,</em> Akiko thought, but Shiraishi just nodded.\r\n\r\n“The tree is probably a reliable source. At least as reliable as what this miko would say if you did ask her. Are you sure you’re doing the right thing?â€\r\n\r\nAkiko thought for a moment, and realised that she was. Yoshiko’s puzzlement with certain aspects of Akiko’s life just added to her confidence. It didn’t seem like any sort of trick.\r\n\r\n“Yes, I am. Learning from her is the right thing to do at the moment.â€\r\n\r\n“Well, then. If she’s teaching you dances like that, I won’t complain. I think we should take the kagurasuzu with us to the river, though.â€\r\n\r\nAkiko looked at it, and nodded, suddenly remembering the dream.\r\n\r\n“Yes, I think that would be a very good idea.â€\r\n\r\nAkira arrived at half past two, as promised, and the weather was still beautiful, a gentle sun shining on the clean grass of the shrine, and on the fresh shoots now springing up where the shrine building had been. Akira smiled at both of them.\r\n\r\n“I should be grateful to you for giving me a good reason to get out of the office. I’d have been stuck inside otherwise.â€\r\n\r\n“We should be grateful to you,â€ Akiko replied.\r\n\r\n“Purification again?â€ he asked, and she nodded.\r\n\r\n“The river, this time.â€ He just nodded, and then glanced towards the entrance.\r\n\r\n“Only a couple of protesters today, and that noisy woman isn’t there. I should have it fairly easy. Good luck with the purification.â€\r\n\r\n“Thanks.â€\r\n\r\nThey walked down to the river; it wasn’t that far, and there wasn’t anywhere to park the car in any case. Without the himorogi, things were a lot easier. Akiko and Shiraishi chatted about the shrine as they walked, speculating about whether the Tanakas would be back, wondering whether they would see Mr Fujimura again, and complaining about the protesters. They were nearly at the river before Akiko realised that everyone they passed was staring at them. <em>It makes sense,</em> she thought. <em>We are walking through the streets in full vestments.</em>\r\n\r\nAt the river, they walked carefully down the steps to the small park at water level. Akiko looked around, and nodded her head.\r\n\r\n“This looks enough like the dream. I think this is the place.â€\r\n\r\n“Right, then. Standing ceremony; the ground’s still rather muddy.â€ Akiko looked down and nodded. It certainly was. She looked at the river, which did have some rubbish in it, but didn’t look anything like as polluted as it had in the dream. At least not when she looked at it with normal eyes.\r\n\r\nThrough other eyes, the things floating in the water were clear, but the surface of the river was unnaturally smooth and slick, as if the oil covering it were somehow holding the water down. There were kegare spirits clinging to the concrete walls, and scuttling about the park, although they kept their distance from the two of them. As ever, Shiraishi was free of kegare and shining slightly, and that seemed to make the spirits nervous. Akiko saw one of them, a giant beetle, driving its limbs into the concrete in a cloud of dust, its glittering eyes turned in their direction.\r\n\r\nShe realised that the priest was looking at her, waiting for a signal, and she nodded her head. Shiraishi bowed once, and began the harae.\r\n\r\nThe spirits responded at once, hissing and screeching as they scrambled up the walls and away, running from the area before they could be swept out of existence. Akiko could see the light building within the ohnusa, and it seemed that a lot of the spirits could, too.\r\n\r\nThe river began to surge, large waves passing down its length. Then an even higher wave passed, and Akiko realised that she could see under the bottom of the water. A moment later the water broke free of its channel, a giant, blind snake, just like in the dream, the sound of flowing water conveying anger and pain. Its head swung blindly, and Akiko realised that Shiraishi had faltered in her recitation of the norito.\r\n\r\nThe light within the ohnusa began to fade, and Akiko looked around to see the kegare spirits creeping closer again around the top of the park, jaws clicking in anger.\r\n\r\n“Keep going!â€ she urged, as loudly as she dared. Shiraishi took a step back, but tried to return to the norito. Akiko saw the river-snake turn its head towards them, as she felt water on her feet. Fast-flowing water, rising.\r\n\r\nThe river. The spirit was making the river flood. Akiko took a step back as well, and raised her hands to ward the spirit off. As she did, the kagurasuzu rang, and the snake flinched slightly.\r\n\r\nRemembering the dream, Akiko summoned up her courage, and stepped in front of Shiraishi, raising the kagurasuzu and shaking it as she swung it down, across in front of her, then raised it again on the other side, swinging it down again to complete the barrier against the serpent. It flinched back, and Akiko felt the water around her feet ebb. Behind her, Shiraishi’s voice picked up the norito again, getting stronger and more confident.\r\n\r\nAkiko took another step forward, holding the kagurasuzu in front of her and vibrating it so that the bells kept sounding. The snake shrank back, its head thrashing from side to side, the roar of the water taking on overtones of agony. Akiko felt tears prick her eyes, as the spirit’s suffering pierced her heart.\r\n\r\nAnd then light exploded from behind her as Shiraishi finished the norito and swung the ohnusa, light that ignited the oil covering the serpent, wreathing it in red and black flames that burned with the stench of chemicals, black smoke pouring off to be dispersed by the light, as the flames kept burning, burning clearer and clearer.\r\n\r\nThe serpent opened its eyes, pools of water set within scales of blue and white flame, and looked straight at Akiko. Its hiss was of pleasure as it dived back into the channel, splashing flames to either side, which flowed up the banks and burned away the last fragments of kegare.', 'Purifying Water', 0, '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'purifying-water', '', '', '2009-05-06 10:05:44', '2009-05-06 01:05:44', '', 0, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/?p=537', 0, 'post', '', 2);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(538, 1, '2009-05-06 10:05:38', '2009-05-06 01:05:38', '', 'Purifying Water', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '537-revision', '', '', '2009-05-06 10:05:38', '2009-05-06 01:05:38', '', 537, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/05/06/537-revision/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(539, 1, '2009-04-23 11:20:06', '2009-04-23 02:20:06', 'There was someone in the precincts as Akiko dashed down the steps of the shrine, but she ignored them, running straight to the house and into the entrance hall.\r\n\r\n“Revd Shiraishi! Revd Shiraishi!â€ It was only as she called for the priest that she realised who she had seen; Akira Takenaka. She turned back, and he nodded to her.\r\n\r\n“Good morning, Ms Tanahata. Are you all right?â€ Akiko had some idea of how panicked she looked, and just shook her head. She was about to explain, but suddenly realised that she couldn’t tell Akira that she’d just had a vision of his father’s corpse.\r\n\r\nShiraishi came hurrying to the entrance.\r\n\r\n“What is it? Oh, Akira. How are you?â€\r\n\r\n“Revd Shiraishi, you have to purify the shrine.â€ Akiko couldn’t wait, couldn’t take time to explain. The priest looked at her, puzzled.\r\n\r\n“What? What are you talking about?â€\r\n\r\n“There are purification ceremonies, right? You have to perform one for the shrine.â€ <em>Don’t make me explain why,</em> she pleaded silently. <em>Not in front of Akira.</em> Shiraishi continued staring at her, puzzled, for a few moments, and then she paled, blood draining from her face, and nodded.\r\n\r\n“Yes, yes, you’re right.â€ She turned back to Akira. “I’m sorry, Akira. How are you? And what can we do for you?â€ Akiko, her heart still pounding, turned to look out at the shrine. It looked as thought the ridge pole had collapsed, the centre of the roof drooping inwards as pus leaked from the cracks as if from a sore.\r\n\r\n“I’m all right, thank you. I just came to make sure you were OK, because I didn’t see you yesterday.â€ Akiko couldn’t control herself any longer.\r\n\r\n“Revd Shiraishi, you have to  purify the shrine <em>now.</em>â€ The priest looked at her, angry, and opened her mouth, before closing it sharply as fear chased anger from her face.\r\n\r\n“Did you…?â€ She trailed off, glancing surreptitiously at Akira. Akiko just nodded, and she saw the priest swallow sharply, and then try to bring herself under control. Shiraishi turned back to Akira.\r\n\r\n“I’m sorry, we have to perform this ceremony. Would you like to attend?â€\r\n\r\n“I would be happy to.â€ Akira was very polite, but sounded slightly distant. Shiraishi watched him for a long moment, and then nodded.\r\n\r\n“I have to get changed. Please wait here.â€ She bowed once, and then headed back into the house, leaving Akiko and Akira alone.\r\n\r\nAkiko’s eye was caught by motion, by something like a centipede disappearing under the step up from the entrance into the house, and she turned to look out at the shrine again.\r\n\r\nEverything seemed to be covered in cobwebs, great drapes of grey fibre cocooning everything, while a myriad spiders crawled over them, some of them as large as a dog, with venom dripping from their mouths. Akiko took a step back, and almost stumbled when she came up against the shelves for shoes.\r\n\r\n“Ms Tanahata? Are you sure you’re all right?â€ Akiko realised she was shaking her head, but before she could correct herself her ears were filled with a hideous buzzing, like a million flies attacking a corpse, rising and settling in clouds of decay.\r\n\r\n“Would you like to sit down?â€ Akira’s voice was solicitous, but Akiko still couldn’t get a reply together. Fortunately, Shiraishi chose that moment to reappear, in her full vestments.\r\n\r\n“Right, if you would follow me to the shrine.â€\r\n\r\nThe spiders were gone when they stepped outside, but off the paths the grass seemed to have become a swamp, with ghostly lights flickering over pools of stagnant water where the scent of rot hung heavy in the air. The only noise was of <em>things</em> moving through the water, some splashing, some gliding, some paddling, but none sounding healthy to Akiko as she picked her way carefully along the stones.\r\n\r\n<em>Akira and Revd Shiraishi haven’t noticed anything,</em> she told herself. <em>I won’t sink if I step off the path.</em> But still, she couldn’t make herself do it.\r\n\r\nThey climbed the steps to the shrine, steps that looked rotted and broken to Akiko, but which became solid again moments before the priest stepped on them, and then seemed to crumble again under Akiko’s feet. She looked back from the veranda, and the swamp had swallowed the path. The torii at the entrance, wreathed in mist, was leaning at a crazy angle.\r\n\r\nInside the shrine, Shiraishi went to kneel before a large stick with many strips of folded white paper fixed to one end, the ohnusa, and Akiko and Akira sat on the stools. To Akiko’s eyes they were heavy with mildew, and cockroaches scampered across them, but Akira seemed to have no qualms about sitting. Although her skin shied away from contact, Akiko followed suit.\r\n\r\n“<em>Takamanoharanikamuzumarimasu…â€</em> Shiraishi started reciting the norito, the prayer, as darkness seemed to thicken around her. Akiko could definitely see things watching them now, clinging to the walls at the rafters, bats and lizards and monkeys and birds, all with injured or deformed bodies, all leaking pus, or drooling, some defecating on the shrine as she watched. Their eyes burned with an unwholesome light.\r\n\r\nAkiko glanced at Akira, and had to suppress a gasp. She could hardly see him; he was wrapped in darkness, in threads that seemed to bind and conceal, that kept reaching for his mouth and nose as if they wanted to invade his throat. Choking back her words, Akiko turned back to Shiraishi.\r\n\r\nThe priest was continuing the prayer, and the ohnusa was shining. Gold and silver light ran along the edges of the paper like lightning, while a fire in red and green and purple seemed to burn at the head of the rod, consuming nothing.\r\n\r\n<em>“…kashikomikashikomimomousu.â€ </em>Shiraishi finished the prayer and bowed before reaching for the ohnusa. As she lifted it, drops of light fell from the paper, bouncing on the floor and driving the darkness back. The priest stood and bowed once more, before walking to the rear of the shrine. She raised the ohnusa and shook it to the left, then the right, then the left again.\r\n\r\nAs she shook it, Akiko saw the light and fire flung off it, sweeping out to drive back the darkness, the fire consuming the things that clung to the walls, dissolving them to nothingness.\r\n\r\nThe priest turned to face them.\r\n\r\n“Please bow your heads.â€\r\n\r\nEven with her head bowed, Akiko could see the light flooding out from the ohnusa, scouring the corruption, bleaching the mildew from the seats and, out of the corner of her eye, burning away the threads that surrounded Akira.\r\n\r\n“Please raise your heads.â€\r\n\r\nAkiko looked up again. The room seemed empty and clean once more. She looked around, but there was nothing to be seen. She relaxed, the tension flowing out of her, and nodded to Shiraishi.\r\n\r\nThere was a sound from beside her, and she looked to see tears starting from Akira’s eyes, as he buried his head in his hands and began crying.', 'Harae', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '266-revision-3', '', '', '2009-04-23 11:20:06', '2009-04-23 02:20:06', '', 266, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/04/23/266-revision-3/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(540, 1, '2009-02-17 16:50:00', '2009-02-17 07:50:00', 'At first, Akiko did not know what had woken her. The house was quiet, isolated from the noise of the city by the shrine grounds, the room illuminated by a gentle light from outside. She sat up in bed, straightening the yukata that Shiraishi had lent her, and looked around the room, glancing out of the window.\r\n\r\nIn the heart of the iwakura, she could see a red light, pulsing to some inner rhythm, casting changing shadows across the precincts towards her windows. She pushed the futon off her legs, and walked over to the windows. They slid open easily, and the night air was surprisingly warm around her as she walked out onto the veranda. She walked along it a short distance, until the shrine building came into view as well. A warm, golden light, much steadier than the red glow among the stones, spilled out of the front.\r\n\r\nCurious, Akiko stepped off the veranda, into the sandals left there for when people wanted to go into the garden, and made her way carefully over the stone bridge crossing the pond. A stone basin of water stood at the gate out of the garden, and Akiko quickly rinsed her hands and mouth, pulling the yukata more closely around her as the chill of the water made the air feel cooler.\r\n\r\nAs she stepped out of the garden the red light among the stones started to fade, but the light from inside the shrine remained strong, and the faint rustling of bells teased at her awareness. She walked across the grass to the foot of the steps into the shrine, and looked up.\r\n\r\nThe doors were wide open, and the interior was brightly lit, the light spilling over the balcony, casting hazy shadows of the railings on the ground around her, darks bars on green grass. Akiko, on impulse, stepped out of the sandals as she began to climb the steps, almost holding her breath in anticipation.\r\n\r\nStanding on the balcony, Akiko felt that there was something strange about the shrine, but for a long moment she couldn’t put her finger on it. The stools were lined up as normal, and a single square tatami mat sat on the raised platform, directly in front of the doors to the inner shrine. She stepped into the building, and was climbing the steps to the dais before it struck her.\r\n\r\nThe lights were all out, but the room was filled with brilliant illumination.\r\n\r\nHer breath now coming quickly, Akiko walked to the tatami mat and knelt on it, facing the doors. As she settled herself, the doors swung outwards, opening apparently by themselves.\r\n\r\nTamao filled the doorway, his golden eyes fixed on her as lightning played around his lips, refracted into dazzling colours from the red, green, and purple jewels of his skin.\r\n\r\nAkiko bowed her face to the floor, twice, then, sitting straight, clapped her hands together twice in front of her chest, before bowing her face to the floor once more.\r\n\r\nAs she raised her face she saw the doors closing, and the light within the shrine began to fade. Hurriedly, she got to her feet, turning at the door to the shrine to bow once more before leaving. The precincts were rather darker now, but there was still enough light for her to find her way back to the garden, and back to her room. She carefully, trying not to make any noise, closed the window behind her, before lying back down on the futon and soon falling asleep.', 'Formal Welcome', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '237-revision-2', '', '', '2009-02-17 16:50:00', '2009-02-17 07:50:00', '', 237, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/02/17/237-revision-2/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(542, 1, '2009-02-05 13:26:03', '2009-02-05 04:26:03', 'The morning was a repeat of the previous day. Akiko visited several shops that weren’t hiring right now, and spent a couple of hours in a cafe calling companies who were no longer interested in the jobs they had advertised. By lunchtime she had called all of the reasonable candidates, with no luck at all. She ordered some food in the cafe; it was slightly expensive, but after sitting there all morning she didn’t feel that she could just leave to eat elsewhere.\r\n\r\nShe did leave after the meal, though, to avoid being forced to eat dinner there as well. After an hour wandering aimlessly around the shopping area, she came to the conclusion that she had asked in all the shops that looked at all likely. She knew that she ought to try the ones that didn’t look likely, as well, but she just couldn’t summon up the motivation.\r\n\r\nShe found herself walking away from the station, towards the shrine, and decided to continue. She had nothing better to do, and the shrine was a better place to be that sitting in front of the station like some unemployed homeless person. Even if she was an unemployed homeless person.\r\n\r\nAfter purification and paying her respects, Akiko looked around the shrine, deciding what to do. There was no litter she could see, and probably none hidden, since she had found only a couple of small pieces the previous day. There were, however, some weeds growing in the path, and she decided to pull them up. The grey stones were cool to the touch, and the scattering of earth from the roots of the weeds fell like black stars against clouds.\r\n\r\n“I’ve made some tea. Would you like some?â€\r\n\r\nAkiko hadn’t heard Shiraishi approach, and she quickly stood up to greet the priest properly.\r\n\r\n“Yes, thank you.â€\r\n\r\n“It’s inside. Come on in.â€ Shiraishi led the way, and, in the entrance way, pointed at a corner. “Leave the weeds there. I’ll throw them out later.â€\r\n\r\nOnce they were seated and drinking the tea, Shiraishi turned to Akiko, slightly hesitant.\r\n\r\n“Er, thank you for doing the weeding.â€ Akiko bowed her head in acknowledgement.\r\n\r\n“It’s really nothing.â€\r\n\r\n“I can’t help noticing that you’re here on a weekday afternoon…â€ Her voice trailed off, and she seemed to be blushing slightly. Akiko was sure she was.\r\n\r\n“Oh, yes. I’m… I’m not working today.â€ <em>Perfectly true,</em> she told herself.\r\n\r\n“Mmm.â€ Shiraishi didn’t sound entirely satisfied. “Are you all right?â€\r\n\r\n“What? Oh yes, I’m fine. Why shouldn’t I be?â€ Even as she said it, Akiko realised it was a silly thing to say, given what she had said to Shiraishi and what the priest had seen. She felt herself blushing again, and dropped her eyes.\r\n\r\n“Well, I was just a bit worried, you know…â€ The priest was probing a bit, and Akiko seriously considered telling her everything. It had gone wrong last time, but they seemed to have got over that, and the priest already knew about Akiko seeing Tamao. For a moment, she wanted to, but she couldn’t quite make herself form the words.\r\n\r\n“No, I’m fine.â€ Picking up the tea, she forced a smile over the top of the cup.', 'Day Work Conversation', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '202-revision-2', '', '', '2009-02-05 13:26:03', '2009-02-05 04:26:03', '', 202, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/02/05/202-revision-2/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(543, 1, '2009-08-10 00:00:36', '2009-08-09 15:00:36', '“What happened?â€ Shiraishi sounded slightly desperate as Akiko turned back to her.\r\n\r\n“We purified the river.â€ Akiko suddenly realised that she was exhausted.\r\n\r\n“With the flood!â€ Shiraishi was almost shouting, and her breathing was fast, from fear or excitement, Akiko couldn’t tell. Fear, most likely.\r\n\r\n“I don’t know. I couldn’t see the flood.â€\r\n\r\n“What?â€\r\n\r\n“I was looking at the spirits. What happened?â€\r\n\r\n“The…â€ Shiraishi paused, looking confused. “The river suddenly started flooding, rising rapidly, covering our feet. Then the water fell back to the channel, but it was still flowing very quickly. And now, well…â€ The priest gestured to the river, and Akiko turned to look. The water was flowing smoothly, and although it looked no cleaner than before, Akiko thought that it, somehow, <em>felt</em> better. “So,â€ Shiraishi continued, “what happened?â€\r\n\r\n“The spirit of the river got angry when you started the purification. I was able to drive it back with the kagurasuzu while you finished, and the harae purified it.â€ Akiko paused as she remembered the purified spirit. “It was… beautiful.â€ She shook her head slightly, in wonder. “Then,â€ she said, looking back at Shiraishi, “the spirit seemed to finish the job of purifying the area.â€\r\n\r\n“Spirit? Kami?â€ the priest asked. Akiko shrugged.\r\n\r\n“I don’t understand the difference.â€ She paused. “No, that’s not quite right. I don’t know where the boundary is. There were a lot of small kegare spirits, and those are definitely just spirits. But the spirit of the whole river…â€ She turned to look back at the water, and could almost see the snake undulating in the flow. “That might actually be a kami.â€\r\n\r\nAkiko glanced back, and the priest was looking at the river, biting her lip.\r\n\r\n“Why can’t I see these things?â€ she asked, almost wistfully. Akiko couldn’t suppress a short laugh.\r\n\r\n“Most of it is things you don’t want to see. Corruption. Pollution. Kegare.â€\r\n\r\nShiraishi shook her head angrily, and turned back to Akiko.\r\n\r\n“No, I <em>want to see.</em> I am part of this, what, battle? Just as much as you. I have to perform the purifications. But you get to see Tamao and speak to him, and can see the pollution we cleanse.â€\r\n\r\n“If I can trust what I see,â€ Akiko interjected, but the priest just shook her head again.\r\n\r\n“It’s more than I have. I have to trust what you say.â€\r\n\r\nAkiko winced. She hadn’t really thought of it from that angle.\r\n\r\n“Do you trust me?â€ she asked. Shiraishi looked at her for what seemed like a very long time, and then nodded.\r\n\r\n“Yes, I trust you. If I didn’t, we wouldn’t be here. And I can see the tree, and hear about the Tanakas. And you came out of the burning shrine alive.â€ Akiko thought the priest blushed a little as she said that, but then she could feel her own cheeks heating up. The priest sighed, and looked down at her sodden feet, then turned to leave the park.\r\n\r\n“We should get back, Akira can’t stay that long.â€\r\n\r\n“Mm.â€ Akiko started after her, lost in thought, but the priest suddenly stopped and turned back to her.\r\n\r\n“I trust you, Akiko. I believe you see what you say you see, and I believe that what you see is important. It’s just…\r\n\r\n“<em>I</em> want to see.â€', 'After the Battle', 0, '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'after-the-battle', '', '', '2009-05-12 12:57:35', '2009-05-12 03:57:35', '', 0, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/?p=543', 0, 'post', '', 1);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(544, 1, '2009-05-12 12:57:21', '2009-05-12 03:57:21', '', 'After the Battle', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '543-revision', '', '', '2009-05-12 12:57:21', '2009-05-12 03:57:21', '', 543, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/05/12/543-revision/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(545, 1, '2009-08-11 00:00:41', '2009-08-10 15:00:41', 'Shiraishi went to bed once they got back to the shrine, so that she could watch the shrine for part of the night, and Akira had to go back to the office. The weather was still nice, though, so Akiko decided to wander round the shrine grounds. She kept thinking about what Shiraishi had said, and tried switching her vision to seeing the spirits within the shrine.\r\n\r\nA deep fire pulsed within the iwakura, sending out pulses of light that burned away tiny fragments of kegare that were trying to take hold. There was no sign of Tamao, though, nor of Mr Takenaka. Akiko remembered the other shrine precincts, the ones that still had a building, and guessed that they must be there. For a moment she wondered how she could get there, but then she remembered that she was supposed to be keeping an eye on the protesters, and switched her vision back to normal.\r\n\r\nAs she did so, she heard a short commotion from below, followed by the sound of someone running up the steps. A high school girl, in uniform, her black hair cut short, came into view, looking around with a puzzled expression on her face until she spotted Akiko. A smile briefly crossed her face, soon replaced by a look of embarrassment.\r\n\r\nAkiko recognised the reaction; it was how she had been the first time she came to the shrine. She smiled and walked over, noticing as she did so that the girl was wearing her skirt very, very short. <em>Girls today,</em> she thought, and then caught herself. <em>She can’t be more than ten years younger than you,</em> she chided herself ruefully. <em>Remember the things you did at that age.</em>\r\n\r\n“Can I help you?â€ she asked, as she came closer.\r\n\r\n“Ah, yeah. How do I, er, whatever it is you do here?â€ She was looking around, clearly slightly surprised.\r\n\r\n“If you’re looking for the shrine building, it burned down a few weeks ago. It was on the news.â€\r\n\r\n“Oh.â€ She looked a little nonplussed for a moment. “So, er, can I do, like, whatever it is?â€\r\n\r\n“O-mairi? Yes, you can.â€ Akiko was getting quite puzzled, though. She was being very persistent about performing o-mairi for someone who didn’t seem to have the faintest idea what it was. Could she have seen something? “This way, please.â€ Akiko didn’t want to say anything yet, and she showed her how to cleanse her hands. As the girl bent over to spit the water out, her knickers were clearly visible. <em>Come on, I never wore skirts </em>that<em> short, </em>Akiko told herself, but she didn’t mention it, instead guiding her over in front of the iwakura, and showing her how to perform o-mairi. As she started, Akiko glanced round to make sure that no-one was standing behind them, but the shrine grounds were empty.\r\n\r\n“Is that it?â€ the girl asked as they finished.\r\n\r\n“Well, you can make an offering if you want, but we don’t have an offering box at the moment.â€\r\n\r\n“Oh. Right, yeah.â€ She put her bag on the ground and squatted to rummage through it. Akiko glanced down quickly, confirming that her knickers were on display again, and then looked away, suppressing a sigh. <em>Girls today.</em> “Here you are.â€ She was holding out a 500 yen coin.\r\n\r\n“Oh, um, yes, that’s fine.â€ The girl broke out in a smile.\r\n\r\n“Excellent. Oh, I’m Kazumi Miura.â€ She bowed, and Akiko quickly bowed in return.\r\n\r\n“Akiko Tanahata. A pleasure to meet you.â€\r\n\r\n“Well, see you around.â€ She waved as she ran back to the exit, stopping at the top of steps to turn back and wave again, before running down. Akiko stood there for some time, looking at the coin in her hand.\r\n\r\n<em>That was peculiar.</em>', 'High School Girl', 0, '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'high-school-girl', '', '', '2009-05-12 12:58:36', '2009-05-12 03:58:36', '', 0, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/?p=545', 0, 'post', '', 3);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(546, 1, '2009-05-12 12:58:04', '2009-05-12 03:58:04', '', 'High School Girl', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '545-revision', '', '', '2009-05-12 12:58:04', '2009-05-12 03:58:04', '', 545, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/05/12/545-revision/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(547, 1, '2009-08-12 00:00:42', '2009-08-11 15:00:42', 'After the dance lesson that night, Yoshiko took a small lunch box out of her bundle and passed Akiko a small sweet rice cake wrapped in a leaf.\r\n\r\n“Please, it’s nothing much, but you might enjoy it.â€\r\n\r\n“Thank you.â€ Akiko took the sweet and bit into it. It was very good, and she nodded enthusiastically. “It’s delicious.â€ Yoshiko smiled.\r\n\r\n“I’m so glad. Er…â€ Yoshiko paused, looking around the clearing, and it was obvious to Akiko that she wanted to say something, so she just waited. “Can I ask you a question?â€\r\n\r\n“Of course.â€ Akiko finished the last of the rice cake, and wiped her fingers on the leaf.\r\n\r\n“Have you ever seen Tamao?â€\r\n\r\n“Yes.â€ There really seemed no point in lying at this point.\r\n\r\n“What colour are his scales?â€\r\n\r\n“What colour?â€ Akiko was a bit puzzled. “Well, purple, green, red, gold, and silver. Have you seen him?â€\r\n\r\nYoshiko nodded, looking relieved.\r\n\r\n“Yes, I have, and he looks like a giant snake with scales in those colours. But no-one else at the shrine has seen him, and I was starting to wonder whether I was just imagining it.â€\r\n\r\n“I know what you mean,â€ Akiko said, feeling a great sense of relief at discovering someone else who had seen the kami, even if that someone else might be a kami herself. “Actually, can I ask you a question?â€\r\n\r\n“Of course.â€\r\n\r\n“Have you ever found yourself in, what to call it, another version of the shrine? With a different shrine building, and no iwakura. And it seems to be on top of a very high mountain.â€ As she was saying it, it suddenly occurred to Akiko that that might be the shrine Yoshiko normally served at, and she became very nervous.\r\n\r\n“I go there often to pay my respects to the kami. That is where I see Tamao.â€\r\n\r\n“Have you never seen him in the ordinary shrine?â€\r\n\r\nYoshiko shook her head, looking surprised.\r\n\r\n“No, never. I didn’t think he could go to the ordinary shrine.â€\r\n\r\n“Well, no-one else can see him when he’s there, but I’ve seen him there several times.â€\r\n\r\nYoshiko looked thoughtful, and nodded.\r\n\r\n“No-one else seems to be able to go to the shrine where Tamao lives. How do you get there?â€\r\n\r\n“I’m just there. The very first time, it happened as soon as I passed through the torii. I don’t know how to get there deliberately.â€\r\n\r\n“Well, I go through the normal shrine. If I pray to Tamao and ask for passage, then I can open the doors to the honden, and they lead out of the shrine building in the other shrine. It only works if I’m alone, though.â€ Akiko pulled a face. “What’s wrong?â€ Yoshiko asked.\r\n\r\n“We don’t have a honden at the moment. It burned down.â€\r\n\r\n“That’s terrible!â€ Yoshiko gasped. “What…â€ She came to a sudden stop. “No.â€ She shook her head. “No,â€ she repeated, “I don’t want to know about that. We’re getting too close to things I don’t want to ask. I’m sorry.â€\r\n\r\nAkiko shook her head. She realised that Yoshiko was treating her like a strange supernatural vision; much the same way she was treating Yoshiko, in fact.\r\n\r\n“No problem. I think we should leave this subject alone.â€\r\n\r\n“Yes,â€ Yoshiko agreed. “Now, I think we have time to do a bit more dance practice.â€', 'Common Experience', 0, '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'common-experience', '', '', '2009-05-12 12:59:23', '2009-05-12 03:59:23', '', 0, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/?p=547', 0, 'post', '', 1);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(548, 1, '2009-05-12 12:59:07', '2009-05-12 03:59:07', '', 'Common Experience', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '547-revision', '', '', '2009-05-12 12:59:07', '2009-05-12 03:59:07', '', 547, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/05/12/547-revision/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(549, 1, '2009-08-13 00:00:33', '2009-08-12 15:00:33', 'Akiko got up around noon the following day, and Shiraishi told her that Akira had visited the shrine in the morning, and told her that he would be free to take her looking for kegare the following day. They ate a meal together, and then Shiraishi announced that she was going back to bed; the purification had taken more out of her than expected.\r\n\r\nThe weather was not good, so Akiko found herself sitting in the office, staring out at the shrine through the rain. The stones of the iwakura looked darker than ever, slick with rain, and Akiko remembered the light she had seen pulsing within them. Then she remembered Yoshiko, and the spirit, or kami, in the river, and the kegare spreading over the whole area.\r\n\r\nFor a moment, panic seized her, and she stood up, convinced she should be doing something about the problem, not just sitting there. She looked frantically around the office, but then sat down again. There was nothing she could do about the problem, not right now. Well, apart from look after the shrine. More problems there would almost certainly just make things worse, she thought.\r\n\r\nThere was movement at the entrance, and Akiko looked round sharply, pulled from her reverie. Mr Fujimura was standing there, in haori and hakama as ever, and coming over to the office. Akiko stood up and bowed to him, pulling the window open. She really wished that Shiraishi were awake.\r\n\r\n“Mr Fujimura, thank you for coming. Do you have time to come inside and have some tea?â€\r\n\r\n“Thank you, that is very kind.â€\r\n\r\n“I am afraid that Revd Shiraishi is not available at the moment.â€ Akiko realised that she had better say that as quickly as possible.\r\n\r\n“Oh. Not ill, I hope?â€\r\n\r\n“Thank you, she is well. We just have to stay up all night to make sure the protesters do nothing to the shrine, so we have to sleep in shifts.â€\r\n\r\nMr Fujimura frowned.\r\n\r\n“Is there anything I can do to help?â€ Akiko bowed in acknowledgement.\r\n\r\n“No, I don’t think so, but thank you very much for the offer. Please, come in.â€ She gestured in the direction of the door, and went round to meet him.\r\n\r\nThere was no choice but to leave him alone in the reception room while she got the tea, even though she felt that it was being very impolite. Mr Fujimura, of course, looked as imperturbable as always, and when she returned he had taken some small stacks of leaflets out of his bag and placed them on the table. Once she had served the tea, he indicated them.\r\n\r\n“I have brought you some leaflets that you might find useful. I noticed last time that you had little to give to worshippers.â€\r\n\r\nAkiko looked at the titles of the leaflets, and quickly glanced through them. <em>Our Imperial Family, Shinto: Japanese Spirit, The Male Succession…</em> They were all standard publications from the Association of Shinto Shrines, but the choices made Akiko uncomfortable, reminding her of the accusations of fascism. Still, they weren’t fascist literature; a little right-wing, maybe, but entirely conventional, really. She looked up, and forced a smile.\r\n\r\n“Thank you, you are most considerate. I am sure these will be very useful.â€\r\n\r\n“You are most welcome. It is a shame that Revd Shiraishi is not available to perform a ceremony, but please convey my regards.â€\r\n\r\n“Of course.â€\r\n\r\nHe stood and took his leave, and Akiko waited by the door, bowing until he was out of sight by the steps. Returning to the reception room she picked up the literature and looked at it again.\r\n\r\nSomething to talk to Shiraishi about.', 'Fujimura and Literature', 0, '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'fujimura-and-literature', '', '', '2009-09-16 09:50:26', '2009-09-16 00:50:26', '', 0, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/?p=549', 0, 'post', '', 3);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(550, 1, '2009-05-12 12:59:57', '2009-05-12 03:59:57', '', 'Fujimura and Literature', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '549-revision', '', '', '2009-05-12 12:59:57', '2009-05-12 03:59:57', '', 549, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/05/12/549-revision/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(551, 1, '2009-08-14 00:00:07', '2009-08-13 15:00:07', 'As Akira drove her round the area the following day, Akiko had to keep forcing herself to concentrate on looking for kegare. Shiraishi’s reaction to Mr Fujimura’s literature bothered her; the priest had just shrugged and said that they should put it on display. Akiko was sure that they should be thinking about it rather more carefully, but she still couldn’t formulate exactly what she was worried about. That, of course, just made it even more irritating to her. She couldn’t even suggest that they talk about it more, because she had no idea what she wanted to say.\r\n\r\n<em>Concentrate!</em> she reminded herself, and switched her vision back to looking at the kegare. The houses and shops all looked to have roughly the same level of pollution, although it took different forms on different houses. Akiko thought that it looked heavier than it had before, but she couldn’t be sure. In any case, she couldn’t see any concentrations.\r\n\r\nAnd then she looked forward.\r\n\r\nA curtain of writhing darkness blocked the road, apparently solid, and as they approached it, she screamed.\r\n\r\nAkira quickly stopped the car, and looked over at her.\r\n\r\n“Are you all right?â€\r\n\r\nFor a few moments, Akiko just sat there, breathing heavily and trying to calm down. She had let her vision return to normal, and she could see that they had stopped under the Tokyo to Nagoya expressway. To normal eyes, there was nothing out of the ordinary.\r\n\r\n“Sorry,â€ she said, finally. “I saw a lot of kegare. It looked like you were driving into a wall.â€\r\n\r\n“Here?â€ Akira asked, and she nodded. “What can you see now?â€ he continued, and Akiko took a deep breath.\r\n\r\n“One moment. Let me look again.â€\r\n\r\nShe shifted her vision back, and everything vanished in darkness. Slowly, her eyes adjusted, and she could see things crawling along the underside of the road, great black worms, slime dripping from their bodies, hissing as it fell through the air, but vanishing as it touched the ground. They were wrapped around the pillars supporting the expressway, and hanging down from the edges like a curtain, but the space within was clear, like being in a box. The things seemed unaware of them, or at least unconcerned, but Akiko did not want to risk drawing their attention, and switched her vision back to normal, shuddering.\r\n\r\n“The whole place is covered with kegare spirits,â€ she said. “More than I’ve seen anywhere else. We need to go back to the shrine and get Revd Shiraishi out here.â€\r\n\r\nAkira nodded, and started the car again, driving in silence for a few minutes.\r\n\r\n“Akiko,â€ he said at last, “do you ever get a break from this?â€\r\n\r\n“From what? Dealing with the pollution?â€ She glanced at him, and then back out of the window. A break. It would be nice, but the problems wouldn’t go away while she was resting. She shook her head. “I can’t take a break while the problems continue.â€\r\n\r\n“You’re…â€ Akira paused, apparently looking for the right words. “You’re not going to be able to do anything if you’re completely exhausted, you know.â€\r\n\r\nIt was very tempting, and a very plausible excuse, but Akiko shook her head again.\r\n\r\n“Once the problem is solved. Not before.â€', 'Under the Road', 0, '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'under-the-road', '', '', '2009-05-12 13:00:37', '2009-05-12 04:00:37', '', 0, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/?p=551', 0, 'post', '', 1);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(552, 1, '2009-05-12 13:00:28', '2009-05-12 04:00:28', '', 'Under the Road', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '551-revision', '', '', '2009-05-12 13:00:28', '2009-05-12 04:00:28', '', 551, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/05/12/551-revision/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(553, 1, '2009-08-15 00:00:42', '2009-08-14 15:00:42', 'Akiko hadn’t realised just how public the location was until they started getting ready to perform the purification. They could stand a little way back from the road, off the pavement, but people walking past could clearly see them, and more than a few drivers slowed, their curiosity piqued. Even before they had actually started, they had gathered a curious audience, and Akiko could hear them discussing what might be happening, even though she couldn’t follow any individual conversations in detail.\r\n\r\nShe looked at Shiraishi, and the priest frowned briefly.\r\n\r\n“Nothing for it, I suppose. We’ll just have to rely on good manners to keep them from interfering,â€ she said, keeping her voice low. “Let’s get it done and get back to the shrine.â€ Akiko nodded in response, and, as Shiraishi composed herself to start the purification, she raised the kagurasuzu in both hands, holding it in front of her chest, and switched her vision to watch the kegare.\r\n\r\nThe worms reacted as soon as Shiraishi started to recite the norito, one swinging down, aiming at the priest. Akiko stepped forward and swept the kagurasuzu through the air, and it twisted back in the air, spraying hissing slime that vanished before it could reach them. Another worm dropped to the ground, and then reared up over them, and Akiko stepped between the priest and the creature, driving it back.\r\n\r\n“Don’t give up the day job, love!â€\r\n\r\nThe comment shocked Akiko out of her concentration, and she lost sight of the spirits. Behind her, there was a ripple of laughter from the crowd. And then Shiraishi stumbled in her recitation, and gasped.\r\n\r\nAkiko focussed again, and could see a worm wrapping itself around the priest, blindly probing at her robes, still held off by the faint light around her. Akiko thrust the kagurasuzu at its front, and it recoiled, losing its grip and falling off. Shiraishi picked up the norito again, and now Akiko could see light within the ohnusa.\r\n\r\n“Stop it!â€ This time, Akiko managed to hold her concentration, as she spun round to drive back two worms approaching them from behind. But other people from the crowd took up the idea.\r\n\r\n“Go practise your superstition elsewhere!â€\r\n\r\n“We don’t need this sort of display in a pubic place!â€\r\n\r\n“What do you think you are up to?â€\r\n\r\n“Disgusting. Isn’t there a law about forcing religion on people?â€\r\n\r\nThe worms were dropping more quickly now, but the growing light within the ohnusa was apparently making them nervous, and they hung back long enough for Akiko to get to them and drive them away with the kagurasuzu. There were still enough of them to keep her running, and it was with relief that she heard Shiraishi intone the final words of the prayer.\r\n\r\nAkiko turned to look at the priest as she raised the ohnusa, light streaming from the strips of paper, and swung it. Waves of light flowed off it, dissolving the spirits on the ground, washing around the crowd and the bases of the columns, as the worms desperately climbed higher. Shiraishi swung it again, and the light rose higher, catching more of the worms. On the third swing, there was an explosion of light, scouring the underside of the road, momentarily dazzling Akiko. As her vision returned, she could see no spirits, but there was still a faint glow around the priest. Smiling, she nodded in response to Shiraishi’s questioning look, and they turned towards their car.\r\n\r\nThe heckling crowd was already beginning to disperse, and Akiko recognised one of them as a protester from the shrine. He stared at them for a moment, then shook his head in apparent disgust and turned away.\r\n\r\nOne of the spectators, however, was standing perfectly still, looking up at the underside of the road. Akiko glanced round, but she could see nothing where she was looking. Slightly puzzled, she got into the car next to Shiraishi, suddenly realising just how tired she was.\r\n\r\n“Let’s go home.â€', 'Audience Response', 0, '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'audience-response', '', '', '2009-08-15 09:42:48', '2009-08-15 00:42:48', '', 0, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/?p=553', 0, 'post', '', 3);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(554, 1, '2009-05-12 13:01:05', '2009-05-12 04:01:05', '', 'Audience Response', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '553-revision', '', '', '2009-05-12 13:01:05', '2009-05-12 04:01:05', '', 553, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/05/12/553-revision/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(555, 1, '2009-08-16 00:00:18', '2009-08-15 15:00:18', 'The sun was setting behind her as Akiko walked down the path towards the torii, her shadow stretching out over the beach and the sea, the water turning dark as the first stars became visible in the east. A breeze blew from the shrine, ruffling Akiko’s hair and carrying the smell of pine trees. The gentle whisper of the waves was calming, and Akiko put one hand on the upright of the torii as she looked out over the ocean.\r\n\r\nThe wind got stronger, and the surface of the sea was churned into white-capped waves, stained red by the light of the evening sun. The waves were louder now, and Akiko realised that the water was rising, rising quickly, and threatening the shrine. Grabbing an offering dish, she ran through the gate, out onto the sand, and bent down, scooping up some of the water and casting it away.\r\n\r\nShe felt the cold wetness on her feet, soaking through her socks, and took a hurried step back, back through the torii. The water was still rising, no matter how quickly she tried to bail, and the wind from behind her was getting stronger. She felt the sand shift under her feet, as the sea started to wash it away, and took another step back. Her sleeves were sodden, and the water was now around her ankles, as the wind blew her hair forward, whipping it around her face, in her eyes.\r\n\r\nWith a groan, the torii collapsed, its base undermined, crashing into the sea, the water thrown up drenching Akiko as she desperately scooped water up with her dish. The wind gusted from behind, and she stumbled, the sand slipping away under her feet, the water, almost at her knees, pulling at her legs. She staggered, but kept her balance, reaching down with the bowl once more.\r\n\r\nThe wave filled her nose, mouth, and eyes with stinging salt water, knocking her back, and the wind from behind her stole her last chance to stay standing. Her feet slipped away from under her, and the waters closed over her, sucking her down, further into the darkness than should have been possible. Her lungs were agony as she fought to swim up, the wet vestments pulling her down, entangling her.\r\n\r\nAkiko sat bolt upright in bed, gulping down tortured breaths as her heart rate slowed back to something approaching normal.\r\n\r\n<em>Well, that was subtle symbolism,</em> she thought. <em>I wonder what it could possibly mean.</em> She got out of bed and grabbed her yukata, but she paused at the windows as she heard the sound of falling rain. Sighing, she went round to the front door, taking an umbrella as she stepped out into the shrine precincts.\r\n\r\nThe smell of the damp earth was somehow deeply calming, as if the rain was washing away the salt water of the sea. She stood there for quite some time, breathing deeply, enjoying the experience.\r\n\r\n“What is it?â€\r\n\r\nShiraishi was standing beside her, looking concerned.\r\n\r\n“A dream,â€ Akiko replied. “I dreamed I was trying to hold back the tide by scooping it up in an offering dish.â€\r\n\r\n“Do you think it’s a message?â€\r\n\r\n“Well, now, what do you think it could possibly mean?â€ Akiko was sorry for the tone as soon as she had spoken, but, really, the priest had to understand how frustrating the situation was.\r\n\r\n“That carrying out purifications in particular areas is no way to deal with the general pollution.â€\r\n\r\n“Brilliant! Why didn’t I think of that!â€ This time, Akiko realised that she had to apologise. “I’m sorry. It’s just that I’ve been worried about that for some time, now.â€\r\n\r\n“So, maybe it was just a dream? You know, a result of your stress. Not a message from the kami.â€\r\n\r\n“Do you really think…â€ Akiko paused. <em>Maybe it was,</em> she thought. “Do you really think the individual purifications are making a difference?â€\r\n\r\nShiraishi looked at her for a few moments, and Akiko felt herself blushing. The priest seemed to have noticed that that hadn’t been her original question.\r\n\r\n“Yes.â€ Shiraishi sounded completely confident. “You saw the Tanakas’ grandmother before and after. The purifications make a big difference to the people we purify.â€\r\n\r\n“But do they do anything about the tide of pollution? I’m sure that everywhere looks worse than it did.â€\r\n\r\nThe priest sighed, and looked away, into the depths of the shrine.\r\n\r\n“I don’t know. I don’t understand the tide of pollution at all.â€ She looked back at Akiko. “But that is the point. I have no idea what to do about the general situation, but I know what we can do to help some people within it. Do you have any ideas for dealing with the whole problem?â€ Akiko had to shake her head. “So, it’s better to do something that we know does some good, than to do nothing at all.â€\r\n\r\n“But we might be wasting our effort.â€\r\n\r\n“We might be. But I think there’s a much better chance that we’d be wasting time if we did nothing.â€\r\n\r\nAkiko said nothing, staring into the darkness. The priest’s argument did make a lot of sense. But still…\r\n\r\n“Does it really mean anything if the general pollution makes everyone suffer in the end anyway?â€\r\n\r\n“Probably not.â€ For the first time, Akiko heard real tension in the priest’s voice, and Shiraishi took a deep breath before continuing. “We have to deal with the real problem. Or someone has to. But…â€ She stopped again, and walked away from Akiko, looking out at the shrine woods, the trees barely visible at the edges of the light. “We can’t do nothing.â€ She turned round to face Akiko again.\r\n\r\n“You are the one who talks to the kami. Find out what we have to do to solve the problem. Get us some supernatural guidance.â€\r\n\r\nAkiko held Shiraishi’s gaze for a few moments, but then had to look down. It was true. The kami had spoken to her. If they were going to get any answers, then that was where they would come from. She remembered the last time she had spoken to the kami, in the other shrine precincts, and looked back at Shiraishi.\r\n\r\n“I’ll try. I’m not sure how I get Tamao to talk to me, but I’ll try. But…â€\r\n\r\nShe didn’t want to say it, as if saying it would make it more likely to be true, but she couldn’t justify hiding it from the priest. She decided to say it, but then couldn’t make her mouth work. She swallowed, and tried again.\r\n\r\n“I’m not sure Tamao knows, either.â€', 'The Tide', 0, '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'the-tide', '', '', '2009-05-12 13:01:38', '2009-05-12 04:01:38', '', 0, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/?p=555', 0, 'post', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(556, 1, '2009-05-12 13:01:34', '2009-05-12 04:01:34', '', 'The Tide', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '555-revision', '', '', '2009-05-12 13:01:34', '2009-05-12 04:01:34', '', 555, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/05/12/555-revision/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(557, 1, '2009-05-13 22:12:10', '2009-05-13 13:12:10', 'The doorbell interrupted miko training again later in the day, much to Akiko’s relief. She was sure she’d snap if she had to practise walking across the room one more time. This time, looking through the frosted glass of the door, she thought it was Akira, and went with Shiraishi without being asked.\n\nShe was right; he bowed to them, and then took his mask off.\n\n“Revd Shiraishi, Ms Tanahata. Can I speak to both of you? It’s about my father.â€ The priest gestured for him to come in, and led the way to the reception room. She left Akiko with him while she went to get tea, and Akira quickly turned to her.\n\n“What have you told her already?â€ Akiko blushed, suddenly wondering what was supposed to be secret.\n\n“Well, about my visions, of course, and about the pressure from Mr Wakabayashi on his business. Shouldn’t I have?â€ Akira shook his head.\n\n“No, it’s fine. I just wanted to know how much background I had to fill in.â€\n\n“So, what is it?â€\n\n“I’d rather wait until the priest is here as well.â€ He paused, taking a deep breath. “I’d rather not have to do this twice.â€ Akiko nodded, thinking she understood, and they sat in silence until Shiraishi returned.\n\n“Well, Akira, what can we help you with?â€\n\n“The offices of Tateyama Construction were struck by lightning last night. No-one was there, so there were no casualties, but it was a while before the fire brigade were called; their office is some way from any houses. The building was, apparently, completely destroyed.â€ He paused, taking another deep breath. “Tateyama Construction is another company that used to deal with my father.â€\n\nAkiko was shocked, and looked at Shiraishi to gauge the priest’s reaction. She seemed equally surprised, and worried, and sipped nervously at her tea.\n\n“Do you…â€ The priest’s voice was very tentative, and she didn’t manage to finish the sentence.\n\n“I think it might be my father’s curse, yes. I suppose I can understand why he’s doing this, but he was never violent. What changed?â€\n\n“He died.â€ Akiko regretted the words the moment they passed her lips; far too blunt. Akira swayed backwards almost as if struck, and looked down, blinking rapidly. “Oh, I’m sorry…â€ She started to apologise, but Akira held a hand up, shaking his head. Swallowing and wiping his eyes, he looked up.\n\n“No, no. You’re right. He died, and that seems to make a big difference.â€ He took a deep breath, which shuddered in his throat, and blinked a few more times. “I’ve been thinking about how to pacify him.â€ He looked down again, looking at both of them. “I’ve decided to drop out of university and take over the business. I have the necessary training, and Mr Nakayama’s agreed to advise me. He says that my father always wanted me to…â€ Akira broke off, and covered his eyes with his hands for a moment.\n\n“The life insurance payment will cover all the debts, with a couple of months of salaries left over.â€ He tried to smile, but it was thin. “Father increased the policy when I was born. I guess he really didn’t want to leave us in trouble.â€ Drawing a deep breath again, he took a sip of tea. Akiko stayed quiet, giving him time.\n\n“I want to go and talk to the people who used to work with us; offer them the chance to hire us again. Akiko, would you act as my secretary? Just for a day or two?â€\n\nAkiko couldn’t bring herself to refuse.', 'Akira the Businessman', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '327-autosave', '', '', '2009-05-13 22:12:10', '2009-05-13 13:12:10', '', 327, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/05/13/327-autosave/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(558, 1, '2009-03-12 20:49:11', '2009-03-12 11:49:11', 'The doorbell interrupted miko training again later in the day, much to Akiko’s relief. She was sure she’d snap if she had to practise walking across the room one more time. This time, looking through the frosted glass of the door, she thought it was Akira, and went with Shiraishi without being asked.\r\n\r\nShe was right; he bowed to them, and then took his mask off.\r\n\r\n“Revd Shiraishi, Ms Tanahata. Can I speak to both of you? It’s about my father.â€ The priest gestured for him to come in, and led the way to the reception room. She left Akiko with him while she went to get tea, and Akira quickly turned to her.\r\n\r\n“What have you told her already?â€ Akiko blushed, suddenly wondering what was supposed to be secret.\r\n\r\n“Well, about my visions, of course, and about the pressure from Mr Wakabayashi on his business. Shouldn’t I have?â€ Akira shook his head.\r\n\r\n“No, it’s fine. I just wanted to know how much background I had to fill in.â€\r\n\r\n“So, what is it?â€\r\n\r\n“I’d rather wait until the priest is here as well.â€ He paused, taking a deep breath. “I’d rather not have to do this twice.â€ Akiko nodded, thinking she understood, and they sat in silence until Shiraishi returned.\r\n\r\n“Well, Akira, what can we help you with?â€\r\n\r\n“The offices of Tateyama Construction were struck by lightning last night. No-one was there, so there were no casualties, but it was a while before the fire brigade were called; their office is some way from any houses. The building was, apparently, completely destroyed.â€ He paused, taking another deep breath. “Tateyama Construction is another company that used to deal with my father.â€\r\n\r\nAkiko was shocked, and looked at Shiraishi to gauge the priest’s reaction. She seemed equally surprised, and worried, and sipped nervously at her tea.\r\n\r\n“Do you…â€ The priest’s voice was very tentative, and she didn’t manage to finish the sentence.\r\n\r\n“I think it might be my father’s curse, yes. I suppose I can understand why he’s doing this, but he was never violent. What changed?â€\r\n\r\n“He died.â€ Akiko regretted the words the moments they passed her lips; far too blunt. Akira swayed backwards almost as if struck, and looked down, blinking rapidly. “Oh, I’m sorry…â€ She started to apologise, but Akira held a hand up, shaking his head. Swallowing and wiping his eyes, he looked up.\r\n\r\n“No, no. You’re right. He died, and that seems to make a big difference.â€ He took a deep breath, which shuddered in his throat, and blinked a few more times. “I’ve been thinking about how to pacify him.â€ He looked down again, looking at both of them. “I’ve decided to drop out of university and take over the business. I have the necessary training, and Mr Nakayama’s agreed to advise me. He says that my father always wanted me to…â€ Akira broke off, and covered his eyes with his hands for a moment.\r\n\r\n“The life insurance payment will cover all the debts, with a couple of months of salaries left over.â€ He tried to smile, but it was thin. “Father increased the policy when I was born. I guess he really didn’t want to leave us in trouble.â€ Drawing a deep breath again, he took a sip of tea. Akiko stayed quiet, giving him time.\r\n\r\n“I want to go and talk to the people who used to work with us; offer them the chance to hire us again. Akiko, would you act as my secretary? Just for a day or two?â€\r\n\r\nAkiko couldn’t bring herself to refuse.', 'Akira the Businessman', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '327-revision-2', '', '', '2009-03-12 20:49:11', '2009-03-12 11:49:11', '', 327, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/03/12/327-revision-2/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(559, 1, '2009-03-12 20:49:53', '2009-03-12 11:49:53', 'After a weekend of practising walking, kneeling, bowing, and carrying things, Akiko was very glad to see Akira on Monday morning and more than happy to go with him to visit former clients of his father’s business. As he drove them to the first office, Akira quickly explained what he wanted Akiko to do: stand in the background and look secretarial, essentially. Akiko guessed that he didn’t want to just turn up alone, but that he also didn’t want one of the long-standing employees with him, in case the old contacts preferred to talk to the people they knew. It was fine with her; anything to get away from miko practice for a while.\r\n\r\nThe streets were quiet, with only a handful of people visible, and all of them wearing masks.\r\n\r\n“The fever is getting worse, isn’t it.â€\r\n\r\n“Yes,â€ Akira replied. “Although it doesn’t seem to be spreading outside this area.â€ He parked the car outside an office, pulling his mask on before getting out. “It’s strange. Almost everyone seems to be going down with it around here, but even in south Kawasaki, or just across the river, no-one is catching it at all.â€ His voice was slightly muffled by the mask, but his eyes were fixed on Akiko. She caught the hint; it didn’t sound natural. She really hoped that Akira’s father wasn’t responsible for the disease as well as the lightning strikes.\r\n\r\nShe followed Akira to the office entrance, and waited while he buzzed the intercom. There was quite a delay before anyone answered.\r\n\r\n“Yes?â€\r\n\r\n“I’d like to talk to Mr Kondo.â€\r\n\r\n“I’m sorry, he’s off with the fever.â€\r\n\r\n“Oh, well, is there anyone I can talk to? This is Akira Takenaka.â€\r\n\r\n“No, I’m afraid there’s no-one here to talk to you. I hope they’ll be better by next week.â€\r\n\r\n“I see. Thank you anyway.â€ Akira pulled a face, just visible around the mask, as he turned away. “I hadn’t allowed for this. It’s going to be hard if there’s no-one to talk to us.â€ Akiko nodded, and followed him back to the car.\r\n\r\nThe next office was more successful. At first, they didn’t want to talk, but when Akira gave his name, the boss, Mr Takei, agreed to come down. He opened the door, but, wearing his mask, kept his distance.\r\n\r\n“Mr Takenaka. I was very sorry to hear about your father. My condolences.â€ Akira bowed in acknowledgement.\r\n\r\n“Thank you. It was a terrible shock. However, I intend to keep his business running, and I hope that you will continue to think of us in the future.â€ He bowed, holding out his business card, and there was an odd paused before Mr Takei took it, bowing in return.\r\n\r\n“Ah, yes.â€\r\n\r\n“I was wondering whether you might have any jobs for us at the moment?â€\r\n\r\n“Ah…â€\r\n\r\n“I know that you are involved in several projects.â€\r\n\r\n“Yes, but it’s a bit difficult.â€\r\n\r\n“I hope that there were no problems with the quality of our work.â€\r\n\r\n“No, no.â€ The denial was quick, and sounded sincere to Akiko. “Your company always did good work, on time. I have no complaints.â€\r\n\r\n“We are still available for work.â€ Mr Takei looked around quickly, and then stepped forward, speaking quietly.\r\n\r\n“Look, don’t say I said this. It was made clear to me that I only have these jobs as long as I don’t hire your company. It might be different now your father’s dead, but I’ve not heard anything. I’m really sorry, but I’ve got to think of my employees.â€\r\n\r\nAkira just bowed.\r\n\r\n“Thank you for your time,â€ he said as he straightened up, turning quickly away. Akiko thought she caught a glimpse of tears in his eyes.', 'Former Clients', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '329-revision-2', '', '', '2009-03-12 20:49:53', '2009-03-12 11:49:53', '', 329, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/03/12/329-revision-2/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(560, 1, '2009-03-17 12:15:31', '2009-03-17 03:15:31', 'They looked out of the car. There was no hill near the house, and Akiko could see little sign of kegare.\r\n\r\n“Dammit. Not this one.â€\r\n\r\n“You’re sure?â€ Akira asked.\r\n\r\n“No hill. And…â€ She paused to consider how to put it. “It doesn’t look like the right place.â€ <em>No time to explain kegare,</em> she thought. Akira looked at her for a moment, and then nodded, pressing buttons on the navigator again.\r\n\r\n“OK. One more to try.â€\r\n\r\nAkiko could still see the kegare if she looked out of the car, particularly concentrated around the warning posters and clinics, but also around some houses and other businesses, and occasionally huddling around a pedestrian, or covering a car. She watched it in horrified fascination, wondering what it meant, fearful of possible consequences.\r\n\r\nBut, most of all, desperately trying to think of something, anything, she could do about it. Warning one family no longer seemed like a good response.\r\n\r\nThey were driving into a hilly region now, along narrow streets. Houses lined both sides, the ground built up on concrete platforms to make a flat base, the buildings fitting together like pieces of a puzzle. The hill was there, but Akiko couldn’t see how Takenaka could target just one house.\r\n\r\nThen she remembered how indiscriminate the fever was, and realised that he might not care.\r\n\r\nThe car lurched, as Akira struggled to bring it under control, finally scraping along the wall of a house. All around them things were shaking, falling over. And then the quake was over. Akira got out, and Akiko scrambled over his seat to follow him.\r\n\r\n“It’s just round the…â€ He was cut off by the sound of a terrible groan, a growl of pain from the guts of the world. The ground shook again, with a roar, and a great cloud of dust billowed down the street, grit in her eyes and on her skin. Blinking, she looked ahead, at the dirt spilling out across the street.\r\n\r\nShe started running forward just before Akira did, round the corner to where the dirt and rock that had collapsed from the hill nearly buried a house. People were running out of the houses to either side, but for a moment, Akiko thought that the targeted house was already destroyed. Then she heard a squeal, metal under strain, and realised that the structure was still, barely, holding up against the weight of the earth.\r\n\r\nWithout thinking she scrambled up the slope to the first-floor windows, barely visible over the dirt. Grabbing a rock she broke the glass in, fumbling around inside for the catch. The frame had bowed slightly, and the window was stiff, but then Akira caught up to her, and between her they pushed it open. The dirt shifted under her feet, a small landslide below her, and the house groaned again. Akiko could suddenly see kegare-spirits all over it, lizards made of rock and earth, probing for weaknesses.\r\n\r\n“Over here!â€ she yelled into the open window. “Get out over here!â€\r\n\r\nThere was an answering shout from inside the house, and moments later, as the house shifted again, a woman came into the room, leading two young children. The shifting floor made her stumble, but she pushed the children ahead of her. Akira reached through the window and scooped one out, and as he turned to deposit the boy on the landslip Akiko helped his sister out. The house groaned again, and they both reached back to seize the woman’s arms, pulling her out and running down the slope, slipping and sliding, as the house groaned a last time and collapsed, spilling more earth down, catching them and sweeping them off their feet to leave them, bruised and breathing heavily, at the base of the pile.', 'Landslide', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '346-revision-2', '', '', '2009-03-17 12:15:31', '2009-03-17 03:15:31', '', 346, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/03/17/346-revision-2/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(561, 1, '2009-05-21 06:26:33', '2009-05-20 21:26:33', 'Akiko was back at the torii, now fully dressed, when Akira appeared at the bottom of the steps. She hurried down them to meet him.\n\n“Well?â€ He nodded.\n\n“I found two possibilities. I couldn’t tell from the addresses whether they were near hills, but it’s certainly likely.â€\n\n“Let’s go to the closest one first.â€ Akiko was already getting into the car, and when she glanced at Akira he was just staring at her, most of his face hidden by the white mask. “Come on!â€ He snapped out of it then, hurrying round to his side of the car and getting in. The car navigator sprang into life as he turned the ignition, and he pressed a couple of buttons.\n\n“I’ve already programmed the addresses in. This is the nearest one.â€ The computer started issuing directions, and they set off.\n\nAkiko looked out of the window as Akira drove, too keyed up to make casual conversation, and completely unable to think of any tactful way to talk about what was worrying her.\n\nThe streets were eerily quiet. It was early in the morning, but the rush hour should have been well under way, with commuters lined up at bus stops and cars filling the main roads. Instead, she saw only a handful of people walking, hurrying along, their faces hidden behind masks, and while there were more cars, the roads were very far from being busy. She saw large red-and-white posters all around, and, looking more closely, saw that they were health warnings, about the fever. She couldn’t read the details as they drove past, but the fact that they were there at all was enough to make her shiver.\n\nAs they passed a clinic, Akiko was suddenly overcome by a wave of nausea, her head split by a pounding headache and her body drenched in sweat as she felt as feverish as she could remember. She closed her eyes and sucked in her breath, but the feelings passed in a moment. She took a moment to calm herself, hoping not to distract Akira, and then opened her eyes again.\n\nThe streets were busier now, but not with people. Creatures prowled the pavements, harassing the few pedestrians, who seemed oblivious to their presence, and occasionally lunging at cars, one of which Akiko saw swerve slightly before the driver got it back under control. The misshapen beasts climbed the walls of buildings, almost covering the next clinic they passed, their eyes searching out.\n\nOne of them met Akiko’s gaze briefly, its burning red eyes carrying nausea, the stench of vomit, a sticky feeling down her front, making Akiko glance down to confirm that she hadn’t just thrown up on herself. As she looked away, the feelings passed, and she looked up again, at a health warning poster on the pillar of an elevated road. The poster appeared to be surrounded by deep cracks, in and out of which flew things like enormous hornets, in and out, burying the poster in a cloud. Akiko could feel the fever building again in her chest, rising into her neck, but she couldn’t look away.\n\nThey turned a corner, and came to a stop.\n\n“This is the first one,â€ said Akira.', 'Ghost Town', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '344-autosave', '', '', '2009-05-21 06:26:33', '2009-05-20 21:26:33', '', 344, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/05/21/344-autosave/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(562, 1, '2009-03-17 12:14:53', '2009-03-17 03:14:53', 'Akiko was back at the torii, now fully dressed, when Akira appeared at the bottom of the steps. She hurried down them to meet him.\r\n\r\n“Well?â€ He nodded.\r\n\r\n“I found two possibilities. I couldn’t tell from the addresses whether they were near hills, but it’s certainly likely.â€\r\n\r\n“Let’s go to the closest one first.â€ Akiko was already getting into the car, and when she glanced at Akira he was just staring at her, most of his face hidden by the white mask. “Come on!â€ He snapped out of it then, hurrying round to his side of the car and getting in. The car navigator sprang into life as he turned the ignition, and he pressed a couple of buttons.\r\n\r\n“I’ve already programmed the addresses in. This is the nearest one.â€ The computer started issuing directions, and they set off.\r\n\r\nAkiko looked out of the window as Akira drove, too keyed up to make causal conversation, and completely unable to think of any tactful way to talk about what was worrying her.\r\n\r\nThe streets were eerily quiet. It was early in the morning, but the rush hour should have been well under way, with commuters lined up at bus stops and cars filling the main roads. Instead, she saw only a handful of people walking, hurrying along, their faces hidden behind masks, and while there were more cars, the roads were very far from being busy. She saw large red-and-white posters all around, and, looking more closely, saw that they were health warnings, about the fever. She couldn’t read the details as they drove past, but the fact that they were there at all was enough to make her shiver.\r\n\r\nAs they passed a clinic, Akiko was suddenly overcome by a wave of nausea, her head split by a pounding headache and her body drenched in sweat as she felt as feverish as she could remember. She closed her eyes and sucked in her breath, but the feelings passed in a moment. She took a moment to calm herself, hoping not to distract Akira, and then opened her eyes again.\r\n\r\nThe streets were busier now, but not with people. Creatures prowled the pavements, harassing the few pedestrians, who seemed oblivious to their presence, and occasionally lunging at cars, one of which Akiko saw swerve slightly before the driver got it back under control. The misshapen beasts climbed the walls of buildings, almost covering the next clinic they passed, their eyes searching out.\r\n\r\nOne of them met Akiko’s gaze briefly, its burning red eyes carrying nausea, the stench of vomit, a sticky feeling down her front, making Akiko glance down to confirm that she hadn’t just thrown up on herself. As she looked away, the feelings passed, and she looked up again, at a health warning poster on the pillar of an elevated road. The poster appeared to be surrounded by deep cracks, in and out of which flew things like enormous hornets, in and out, burying the poster in a cloud. Akiko could feel the fever building again in her chest, rising into her neck, but she couldn’t look away.\r\n\r\nThey turned a corner, and came to a stop.\r\n\r\n“This is the first one,â€ said Akira.', 'Ghost Town', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '344-revision-2', '', '', '2009-03-17 12:14:53', '2009-03-17 03:14:53', '', 344, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/03/17/344-revision-2/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(563, 1, '2009-05-23 16:29:16', '2009-05-23 07:29:16', 'I''ve just finished redesigning the plot for the parts I haven''t written yet, the last sixteen. I decided that the plot I had mapped out was too repetitive, and didn''t make enough use of several elements I had introduced, not all of which have been published yet. I''m happier with the structure now. Of course, I still have to write the parts in question, so maybe I''ll become unhappy with it again.\r\n\r\nIncidentally, the side blog is back. It should be easy to go on to the next part of the story after this important message from the author.\r\n\r\nOK, maybe not <em>that</em> important.', 'Re-plotting', 0, '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 're-plotting', '', '', '2009-05-23 16:29:16', '2009-05-23 07:29:16', '', 0, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/?p=563', 0, 'post', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(564, 1, '2009-05-23 16:28:19', '2009-05-23 07:28:19', 'I''ve just finished redesigning the plot for the parts I haven''t written yet, the last sixteen. I decided that the plot I had mapped out was too repetitive, and didn''t make enough use of several elements I had introduced, not all of which have been published yet. I''m happier with the structure now. Of course, I still have to write the parts in question, so maybe I''ll become unhappy with it again.\n\nIncidentally, the side blog is back. If this has popped up in the story for you, just click on to the next episo', 'Re-plotting', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '563-revision', '', '', '2009-05-23 16:28:19', '2009-05-23 07:28:19', '', 563, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/05/23/563-revision/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(565, 1, '2009-03-04 15:55:36', '2009-03-04 06:55:36', '“We have to warn them!â€ Akiko shouted, sitting up in bed and looking round the room. There were running footsteps, and the door slid open as Shiraishi came in, quickly followed by Akira Takenaka.\r\n\r\n“Akiko, are you all right? You shouted…â€ The priest looked concerned.\r\n\r\n“I’m fine, but we have to warn them. We have to warn them before the lightning strikes.â€\r\n\r\n“Akiko, calm down.â€ Shiraishi knelt by the bed and put a cool hand on Akiko’s forehead, frowning as she did so. “Lie down, Akiko. You need to sleep more.â€\r\n\r\nAkiko shook the priest’s hand off, and tried to push herself up, but her arm shook, and seemed to have no force. Her legs were heavy, as if wrapped in concrete, and she couldn’t move them, either.  She groaned in frustration, shook her head, and then groaned again at the pain that lanced through it.\r\n\r\n“We have to warn them <em>now!</em> The lightning could strike at any time.â€\r\n\r\n“Shush, Akiko. It was just a dream.â€\r\n\r\n“I wasn’t! I saw Mr Takenaka! He was shouting, standing outside the shrine.â€ Akira stood up and took a step back, but he didn’t leave, just blinked rapidly.\r\n\r\n“Akiko, Mr Takenaka is dead.â€ The priest’s voice was gentle, as if she really thought Akiko might have forgotten.\r\n\r\n“I <em>know!</em>â€ Akiko almost cried in frustration. “I know he’s dead! But he’s going to strike them with lightning! We have to warn them; they can’t move the house, but they can get out. He said he’d strike the house. If they get out, they’ll be safe.â€\r\n\r\n“Akiko!â€ Shiraishi’s tone was sharper. “Stop it! Lie down!â€\r\n\r\n“It’s all right, reverend.â€ Akira’s voice was strained, but calm. “It’s the fever. I understand.â€\r\n\r\nAkiko collapsed back on to the bed for a moment, breathing heavily and gathering her strength before she pushed herself up again.\r\n\r\n“It’s not the fever. I saw him. He was threatening them.â€\r\n\r\n“Akiko…â€ Shiraishi was trying to shush her again.\r\n\r\n“He’s going to strike them with lightning! He said Sugiyama was an electrician and so deserved to be struck with lightning just as he was. No, that’s not right. Betrayed by electricity, just like he betrayed.â€\r\n\r\n“Akiko, lie down,â€ the priest said, but Akira had moved closer.\r\n\r\n“Who? Who did he say he would strike?â€ His voice was very strained, on the verge of crying or screaming. But Akiko was out of energy, and she collapsed back on to the futon, drenched in sweat, tossing her head from side to side as the pillow dug into her. “Akiko? What was the name?â€ Akira’s voice was gentler now.\r\n\r\n“Akira, I don’t think…â€\r\n\r\n“Please, Revd Shiraishi, let her answer. Akiko, what was the name?â€\r\n\r\nYes, the name was important. If they knew the name, they would know whom to warn. What was the name? For a moment, Akiko thought that she might have forgotten it, but then she remembered the dark figure in the mist, ranting at the sky, calling down his vengeance on…\r\n\r\n“Sugiyama. Sugiyama the electrician.â€ She looked at Akira, who was sitting back, shock etched on his face.', 'Delirious Warning', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '299-revision-2', '', '', '2009-03-04 15:55:36', '2009-03-04 06:55:36', '', 299, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/03/04/299-revision-2/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(566, 1, '2009-05-27 13:19:28', '2009-05-27 04:19:28', '“We have to warn them!â€ Akiko shouted, sitting up in bed and looking round the room. There were running footsteps, and the door slid open as Shiraishi came in, quickly followed by Akira Takenaka.\n\n“Akiko, are you all right? You shouted…â€ The priest looked concerned.\n\n“I’m fine, but we have to warn them. We have to warn them before the lightning strikes.â€\n\n“Akiko, calm down.â€ Shiraishi knelt by the bed and put a cool hand on Akiko’s forehead, frowning as she did so. “Lie down, Akiko. You need to sleep more.â€\n\nAkiko shook the priest’s hand off, and tried to push herself up, but her arm shook, and seemed to have no force. Her legs were heavy, as if wrapped in concrete, and she couldn’t move them, either.  She groaned in frustration, shook her head, and then groaned again at the pain that lanced through it.\n\n“We have to warn them <em>now!</em> The lightning could strike at any time.â€\n\n“Shush, Akiko. It was just a dream.â€\n\n“It wasn’t! I saw Mr Takenaka! He was shouting, standing outside the shrine.â€ Akira stood up and took a step back, but he didn’t leave, just blinked rapidly.\n\n“Akiko, Mr Takenaka is dead.â€ The priest’s voice was gentle, as if she really thought Akiko might have forgotten.\n\n“I <em>know!</em>â€ Akiko almost cried in frustration. “I know he’s dead! But he’s going to strike them with lightning! We have to warn them; they can’t move the house, but they can get out. He said he’d strike the house. If they get out, they’ll be safe.â€\n\n“Akiko!â€ Shiraishi’s tone was sharper. “Stop it! Lie down!â€\n\n“It’s all right, reverend.â€ Akira’s voice was strained, but calm. “It’s the fever. I understand.â€\n\nAkiko collapsed back on to the bed for a moment, breathing heavily and gathering her strength before she pushed herself up again.\n\n“It’s not the fever. I saw him. He was threatening them.â€\n\n“Akiko…â€ Shiraishi was trying to shush her again.\n\n“He’s going to strike them with lightning! He said Sugiyama was an electrician and so deserved to be struck with lightning just as he was. No, that’s not right. Betrayed by electricity, just like he betrayed.â€\n\n“Akiko, lie down,â€ the priest said, but Akira had moved closer.\n\n“Who? Who did he say he would strike?â€ His voice was very strained, on the verge of crying or screaming. But Akiko was out of energy, and she collapsed back on to the futon, drenched in sweat, tossing her head from side to side as the pillow dug into her. “Akiko? What was the name?â€ Akira’s voice was gentler now.\n\n“Akira, I don’t think…â€\n\n“Please, Revd Shiraishi, let her answer. Akiko, what was the name?â€\n\nYes, the name was important. If they knew the name, they would know whom to warn. What was the name? For a moment, Akiko thought that she might have forgotten it, but then she remembered the dark figure in the mist, ranting at the sky, calling down his vengeance on…\n\n“Sugiyama. Sugiyama the electrician.â€ She looked at Akira, who was sitting back, shock etched on his face.', 'Delirious Warning', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '299-autosave', '', '', '2009-05-27 13:19:28', '2009-05-27 04:19:28', '', 299, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/05/27/299-autosave/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(567, 1, '2009-05-27 13:31:28', '2009-05-27 04:31:28', 'If you''re enjoying <em>Tamao,</em> please tell your friends about the story, and send them a link. My best guess from the statistics I have is that I have around 70 readers at the moment, which isn''t enough for the story to be economically viable in any way. It''s not even enough to pay for advertising, which is why I''m trying to get free advertising out of my readers.\r\n\r\nWord-of-mouth advertising is also the best kind, apparently.\r\n\r\nThanks!', 'Tell Your Friends!', 0, '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'tell-your-friends', '', '', '2009-05-27 13:31:28', '2009-05-27 04:31:28', '', 0, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/?p=567', 0, 'post', '', 8);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(568, 1, '2009-05-27 13:30:41', '2009-05-27 04:30:41', 'If you''re enjoying <em>Tamao,</em> please tell your friends about the story, and send them a link. My best guess from the statistics I have is that I have around 70 readers at the moment, which isn''t enough for the story to be commercially viable in any way. It''s not even enough to pay for advertising, which is why I''m trying to get free advertising out of my readers.\n\nWord-o', 'Tell Your Friends!', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '567-revision', '', '', '2009-05-27 13:30:41', '2009-05-27 04:30:41', '', 567, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/05/27/567-revision/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(569, 1, '2009-03-19 12:56:01', '2009-03-19 03:56:01', 'Akiko sat on the roof of the shrine, the metal cool against her bare feet. The wind gusted a bit, blowing her yukata around and blowing up, cold under the skirts. She pushed them down with her hands, and looked around at the trees, waving in the breeze, almost as if they were trying to warn her of something.\r\n\r\nThe roof was getting warm under her, and there was a smell of burning. The first tendrils of smoke appeared around her, followed by tongues of flame licking up around the edges of the roof. Akiko sprang to her feet, hopping from one foot to the other as the metal roof became hot, and then started to shift. She ran to the edge, but the flames from the shrine were already a blazing wall around it, the heat pouring off them in waves, driving her back, up the roof, to the ridge pole. Balanced precariously on it, she felt it start to shit under her weight as the flames undermined its structure. A lurch, a crack, and flames roared up through the roof in front of her.\r\n\r\nAkiko woke with a gasp, sitting up in bed, clutching the futon to her chest, drenched in sweat. She put her hands on the floor for support, breathing heavily, and looked around the room. The clock said two am.\r\n\r\n<em>Not again!</em> she thought. <em>That’s three nights running.</em> She thought about getting up to see what Tamao wanted, but knew she would find nothing, just like the previous two days.\r\n\r\n<em>I’m going back to sleep, Tamao, </em>she thought. <em>I can’t go out to the shrine building every night. I need sleep. Leave me alone.</em>\r\n\r\nShe lay down again, but sleep wouldn’t come. She couldn’t even manage to keep her eyes closed; they kept coming open of their own accord, staring at the ceiling. Akiko tossed and turned in bed, trying to find a comfortable position, somewhere to relax and get to sleep, but nowhere was right. Something dug into her hip, and then when she moved there was nowhere comfortable to put her arm. Sitting up again, she shook the pillow vigourously, they lay down.\r\n\r\nIt had no effect.\r\n\r\nSitting up again, Akiko decided to go and get a drink of water. <em>Maybe getting up and lying down again will settle me,</em> she thought. The hallway was dark, as were the shrine precincts beyond the frosted doors, but Akiko made her way to the kitchen and got her glass of water.\r\n\r\nWhile she was drinking it, it struck her that she should have been able to see the shrine’s external lights through the front door; they were left on all night. Putting the glass on the table, she went back to the hall. There was light visible through the door, and she was about to go back into the kitchen when she realised that the light was orange, and flickering.\r\n\r\nThe only window in the shrine house that overlooked the shrine building was in the office, and Akiko ran there to look out.\r\n\r\nThe shrine was on fire.', 'Crying Wolf', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '362-revision-2', '', '', '2009-03-19 12:56:01', '2009-03-19 03:56:01', '', 362, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/03/19/362-revision-2/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(570, 1, '2009-05-29 18:21:26', '2009-05-29 09:21:26', 'Akiko sat on the roof of the shrine, the metal cool against her bare feet. The wind gusted a bit, blowing her yukata around and blowing up, cold under the skirts. She pushed them down with her hands, and looked around at the trees, waving in the breeze, almost as if they were trying to warn her of something.\n\nThe roof was getting warm under her, and there was a smell of burning. The first tendrils of smoke appeared around her, followed by tongues of flame licking up around the edges of the roof. Akiko sprang to her feet, hopping from one foot to the other as the metal roof became hot, and then started to shift. She ran to the edge, but the flames from the shrine were already a blazing wall around it, the heat pouring off them in waves, driving her back, up the roof, to the ridge pole. Balanced precariously on it, she felt it start to shift under her weight as the flames undermined its structure. A lurch, a crack, and flames roared up through the roof in front of her.\n\nAkiko woke with a gasp, sitting up in bed, clutching the futon to her chest, drenched in sweat. She put her hands on the floor for support, breathing heavily, and looked around the room. The clock said two am.\n\n<em>Not again!</em> she thought. <em>That’s three nights running.</em> She thought about getting up to see what Tamao wanted, but knew she would find nothing, just like the previous two days.\n\n<em>I’m going back to sleep, Tamao, </em>she thought. <em>I can’t go out to the shrine building every night. I need sleep. Leave me alone.</em>\n\nShe lay down again, but sleep wouldn’t come. She couldn’t even manage to keep her eyes closed; they kept coming open of their own accord, staring at the ceiling. Akiko tossed and turned in bed, trying to find a comfortable position, somewhere to relax and get to sleep, but nowhere was right. Something dug into her hip, and then when she moved there was nowhere comfortable to put her arm. Sitting up again, she shook the pillow vigourously, then lay down.\n\nIt had no effect.\n\nSitting up again, Akiko decided to go and get a drink of water. <em>Maybe getting up and lying down again will settle me,</em> she thought. The hallway was dark, as were the shrine precincts beyond the frosted doors, but Akiko made her way to the kitchen and got her glass of water.\n\nWhile she was drinking it, it struck her that she should have been able to see the shrine’s external lights through the front door; they were left on all night. Putting the glass on the table, she went back to the hall. There was light visible through the door, and she was about to go back into the kitchen when she realised that the light was orange, and flickering.\n\nThe only window in the shrine house that overlooked the shrine building was in the office, and Akiko ran there to look out.\n\nThe shrine was on fire.', 'Crying Wolf', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '362-autosave', '', '', '2009-05-29 18:21:26', '2009-05-29 09:21:26', '', 362, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/05/29/362-autosave/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(571, 1, '2009-05-29 09:53:22', '2009-05-29 00:53:22', 'Akiko sat on the roof of the shrine, the metal cool against her bare feet. The wind gusted a bit, blowing her yukata around and blowing up, cold under the skirts. She pushed them down with her hands, and looked around at the trees, waving in the breeze, almost as if they were trying to warn her of something.\r\n\r\nThe roof was getting warm under her, and there was a smell of burning. The first tendrils of smoke appeared around her, followed by tongues of flame licking up around the edges of the roof. Akiko sprang to her feet, hopping from one foot to the other as the metal roof became hot, and then started to shift. She ran to the edge, but the flames from the shrine were already a blazing wall around it, the heat pouring off them in waves, driving her back, up the roof, to the ridge pole. Balanced precariously on it, she felt it start to shift under her weight as the flames undermined its structure. A lurch, a crack, and flames roared up through the roof in front of her.\r\n\r\nAkiko woke with a gasp, sitting up in bed, clutching the futon to her chest, drenched in sweat. She put her hands on the floor for support, breathing heavily, and looked around the room. The clock said two am.\r\n\r\n<em>Not again!</em> she thought. <em>That’s three nights running.</em> She thought about getting up to see what Tamao wanted, but knew she would find nothing, just like the previous two days.\r\n\r\n<em>I’m going back to sleep, Tamao, </em>she thought. <em>I can’t go out to the shrine building every night. I need sleep. Leave me alone.</em>\r\n\r\nShe lay down again, but sleep wouldn’t come. She couldn’t even manage to keep her eyes closed; they kept coming open of their own accord, staring at the ceiling. Akiko tossed and turned in bed, trying to find a comfortable position, somewhere to relax and get to sleep, but nowhere was right. Something dug into her hip, and then when she moved there was nowhere comfortable to put her arm. Sitting up again, she shook the pillow vigourously, they lay down.\r\n\r\nIt had no effect.\r\n\r\nSitting up again, Akiko decided to go and get a drink of water. <em>Maybe getting up and lying down again will settle me,</em> she thought. The hallway was dark, as were the shrine precincts beyond the frosted doors, but Akiko made her way to the kitchen and got her glass of water.\r\n\r\nWhile she was drinking it, it struck her that she should have been able to see the shrine’s external lights through the front door; they were left on all night. Putting the glass on the table, she went back to the hall. There was light visible through the door, and she was about to go back into the kitchen when she realised that the light was orange, and flickering.\r\n\r\nThe only window in the shrine house that overlooked the shrine building was in the office, and Akiko ran there to look out.\r\n\r\nThe shrine was on fire.', 'Crying Wolf', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '362-revision-3', '', '', '2009-05-29 09:53:22', '2009-05-29 00:53:22', '', 362, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/05/29/362-revision-3/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(572, 1, '2009-05-31 11:57:02', '2009-05-31 02:57:02', 'Today, I received the first donation for Tamao. Thank you. (I''m not going to say from whom, unless I''m told I may.)\r\n\r\nAll donations are greatly appreciated; the convenient button at the top of the left hand side bar takes you to a donation page. They pay for me to keep writing Tamao, rather than abandoning it to work on something more financially viable.\r\n\r\nThanks again to the first sponsor.', 'First Donation', 0, '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'first-donation', '', '', '2009-05-31 11:57:02', '2009-05-31 02:57:02', '', 0, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/?p=572', 0, 'post', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(573, 1, '2009-05-31 11:56:37', '2009-05-31 02:56:37', 'Today, I received the first donation for Tamao. Thank you. (I''m not going to say from whom, unless I''m told I may.)\n\nAll donations are greatly appreciated; the convenient button at the top of the left hand side bar takes you to a donation page. They pay for me to keep writing Tamao, rather than abandoning it to work on something more financially viable.', 'First Donation', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '572-revision', '', '', '2009-05-31 11:56:37', '2009-05-31 02:56:37', '', 572, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/05/31/572-revision/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(574, 1, '2009-06-01 11:30:29', '2009-06-01 02:30:29', 'Akiko felt much better after the bath, better enough to wonder why it had been so important to her. She put a yukata on, and went looking for Shiraishi and Akira. She found the priest in the office, on the phone.\n\n“…I see. Thank you anyway.â€ Shiraishi put the phone down with sigh, and turned to look at Akiko.\n\n“Are you feeling better now?â€\n\n“Yes.â€ Akiko paused for a moment, trying to analyse her reactions. “I really don’t know why I was so desperate for that bath.â€\n\n“Purity is important to the kami,â€ Shiraishi replied. “And that does include simply not being physically dirty. Anyway, it’s not as if there’s anything much you could have been doing instead.â€\n\n“No,â€ Akiko agreed. “How is it progressing?â€ Shiraishi threw her hands up, frustration suddenly clear on her face.\n\n“We should really use a small stone hokora for this, but I can’t find anywhere local that has one. A couple of places said that they had stopped doing Shinto-related things altogether. The others were even less willing to talk.â€ She shook her head, clearly puzzled. “We’re offering a significant amount of money; it’s very strange. They don’t even offer to make one.â€\n\n“We don’t have time to wait for that!â€ Akiko felt panic rising at the very thought.\n\n“Oh, I know, I know. But they don’t even offer. And I can hardly start by saying that I need one urgently, can I?â€ Akiko calmed down a bit, acknowledging the priest’s logic.\n\n“Where’s Akira?â€\n\n“He’s gone to get something suitable for use as a goshintai. Hideo had a Buddhist funeral, of course, so we can’t use any of the funeral things. Still, he was confident that he’d be able to find something.â€\n\n“What are we going to do about the shrine for him, though?â€ Shiraishi pulled a face.\n\n“I think we’re going to have to use a miyagata for a kamidana.â€\n\n“A what?â€ Shiraishi rolled her eyes.\n\n“You know what a kamidana is, at least?â€\n\n“Um, the place of the kami in a house, right?â€\n\n“Yes. There’s one in the reception room; haven’t you noticed?â€ Akiko shook her head, she hadn’t. “Hmm. Anyway, the miyagata is the thing on a kamidana that looks like a shrine building.â€\n\n“Oh, right. I think I’ve seen those.â€\n\n“I just hope it can survive being outside long enough for us to find a stone one.â€\n\n“Outside? Does it have to be?â€ Shiraishi stared at her for a moment.\n\n“You want to invite a tatarigami into our house?â€ Akiko thought for a moment, and then shook her head. Put like that, it didn’t sound like a good idea. “And anyway, a shrine has to be resting on the earth and under the sky. We’ll just have to hope.â€\n\n“So, when will we do the ceremony?â€\n\n“As soon as Akira gets back. So I need to take a bath as well; could you go and get a miyagata while I do that? It’s not far to the shop.â€\n\nWhen Akiko got back, getting out of the taxi and starting to struggle up the steps with the miyagata’s box, Akira was already there. He came down to help her, and Akiko explained the plans. Shiraishi, in full vestments, came out of the shrine house to meet them.\n\n“Oh, good. You have something suitable?â€ That to Akira, who nodded. “Right, bring them round here.â€ The priest led the way round the side of the house, to a spot just inside the woodland. “I decided it would be best to put it somewhere with a bit of shelter,â€ she explained.\n\nThey unpacked the miyagata, and set it on the ground where Shiraishi indicated. The priest took the front off, then took a small brocade bag from Akira. She looked at him quizzically.\n\n“His seal,â€ he explained. “He used it for everything, business and personal.â€ The priest smiled.\n\n“That’s perfect. Excellent choice.â€ She put it inside the miyagata, then replaced the front, carefully opening the doors.\n\n“Right, we should get started.â€\n\nShiraishi had prepared all the ritual tools, and some straw mats for them to sit on. As she spoke the words of the purifying prayer, Akiko felt briefly dizzy, as dancing lights gathered on the ohnusa again. She glanced around, and half-failed to suppress a gasp.\n\nTamao had left the shrine, and was sliding across the grass towards them. As she watched, the snake came in among the trees, and slid behind the tiny shrine, settling behind it, looking out beyond them, his eyes shining gold in the shade of the trees.\n\nAkiko suddenly felt a lot calmer. Tamao was there to protect them, she was sure of that. In case something went wrong. She glanced at Akira and Shiraishi, but neither of them seemed to have noticed anything. Not that Akiko was surprised by that.\n\nShiraishi waved the ohnusa to purify the shrine and them, and then returned to kneel in front of it, taking a folded piece of paper from the breast of her vestments and carefully unfolding it.\n\n“Kakemakumo kashikoki…â€ Akiko couldn’t follow the words, but she could feel something changing in the air around her, and glanced round.\n\nHideo Takenaka was standing framed by the torii, still outside the shrine precincts, but looking much calmer than before. As the norito continued, Akiko saw the coloured clouds around him thin out, ceasing to swirl as they vanished. His appearance gradually reverted to human, to the appearance of the man she had met in the shrine.\n\nThe priest stopped reading, but Akiko couldn’t take her eyes off Takenaka. He seemed to be waiting for something.\n\nShiraishi started moaning, a single, deliberate note.\n\n“Ohhhhh.â€\n\nAs the sound started, Takenaka started walking forward, crossing the shrine precincts towards them, but at the same time somehow not there. He paused in front of the miyagata, looking at Tamao, and bowed. Shiraishi was still there, kneeling and continuing to make that sound, but although Takenaka had to be in the same place as her, somehow he wasn’t. Akiko started to feel slightly ill, as if she were dizzy, and quickly put her hands to the ground to steady herself.\n\nThen Shiraishi fell silent, and in that moment Takenaka vanished. Tamao relaxed, and started sliding round them, apparently returning to the shrine. Shiraishi got up, and picked up a stand carrying standard offerings, which she placed in front of the shrine.\n\nThere was nothing to see, but Akiko suddenly felt all her tension leave her. This was right; somehow she knew it. As Shiraishi carefully closed the doors to the miyagata, Akiko was confident that the problem had been solved.\n\n<em>On to <a href="http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/category/04-commitment/">Part 4: Commitment</a>.</em>', 'Enshrined', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '352-autosave', '', '', '2009-06-01 11:30:29', '2009-06-01 02:30:29', '', 352, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/06/01/352-autosave/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(575, 1, '2009-03-17 12:17:31', '2009-03-17 03:17:31', 'Akiko felt much better after the bath, better enough to wonder why it had been so important to her. She put a yukata on, and went looking for Shiraishi and Akira. She found the priest in the office, on the phone.\r\n\r\n“…I see. Thank you anyway.â€ Shiraishi put the phone down with sigh, and turned to look at Akiko.\r\n\r\n“Are you feeling better now?â€\r\n\r\n“Yes.â€ Akiko paused for a moment, trying to analyse her reactions. “I really don’t know why I was so desperate for that bath.â€\r\n\r\n“Purity is important to the kami,â€ Shiraishi replied. “And that does include simply not being physically dirty. Anyway, it’s not as if there’s anything much you could have been doing instead.â€\r\n\r\n“No,â€ Akiko agreed. “How is it progressing?â€ Shiraishi threw her hands up, frustration suddenly clear on her face.\r\n\r\n“We should really use a small stone hokora for this, but I can’t find anywhere local that has one. A couple of places said that they had stopped doing Shinto-related things altogether. The others were even less willing to talk.â€ She shook her head, clearly puzzled. “We’re offering a significant amount of money; it’s very strange. They don’t even offer to make one.â€\r\n\r\n“We don’t have time to wait for that!â€ Akiko felt panic rising at the very thought.\r\n\r\n“Oh, I know, I know. But they don’t even offer. And I can hardly start by saying that I need one urgently, can I?â€ Akiko calmed down a bit, acknowledging the priest’s logic.\r\n\r\n“Where’s Akira?â€\r\n\r\n“He’s gone to get something suitable for use as a goshintai. Hideo had a Buddhist funeral, of course, so we can’t use any of the funeral things. Still, he was confident that he’d be able to find something.â€\r\n\r\n“What are we going to do about the shrine for him, though?â€ Shiraishi pulled a face.\r\n\r\n“I think we’re going to have to use a miyagata for a kamidana.â€\r\n\r\n“A what?â€ Shiraishi rolled her eyes.\r\n\r\n“You know what a kamidana is, at least?â€\r\n\r\n“Um, the place of the kami in a house, right?â€\r\n\r\n“Yes. There’s one in the reception room; haven’t you noticed?â€ Akiko shook her head, she hadn’t. “Hmm. Anyway, the miyagata is the thing on a kamidana that looks like a shrine building.â€\r\n\r\n“Oh, right. I think I’ve seen those.â€\r\n\r\n“I just hope it can survive being outside long enough for us to find a stone one.â€\r\n\r\n“Outside? Does it have to be?â€ Shiraishi stared at her for a moment.\r\n\r\n“You want to invite a tatarigami into our house?â€ Akiko thought for a moment, and then shook her head. Put like that, it didn’t sound like a good idea. “And anyway, a shrine has to be resting on the earth and under the sky. We’ll just have to hope.â€\r\n\r\n“So, when will we do the ceremony?â€\r\n\r\n“As soon as Akira gets back. So I need to take a bath as well; could you go and get a miyagata while I do that? It’s not far to the shop.â€\r\n\r\nWhen Akiko got back, getting out of the taxi and starting to struggle up the steps with the miyagata’s box, Akira was already there. He came down to help her, and Akiko explained the plans. Shiraishi, in full vestments, came out of the shrine house to meet them.\r\n\r\n“Oh, good. You have something suitable?â€ That to Akira, who nodded. “Right, bring them round here.â€ The priest led the way round the side of the house, to a spot just inside the woodland. “I decided it would be best to put it somewhere with a bit of shelter,â€ she explained.\r\n\r\nThey unpacked the miyagata, and set it on the ground where Shiraishi indicated. The priest took the front off, then took a small brocade bag from Akira. She looked at him quizzically.\r\n\r\n“His seal,â€ he explained. “He used it for everything, business and personal.â€ The priest smiled.\r\n\r\n“That’s perfect. Excellent choice.â€ She put it inside the miyagata, then replaced the front, carefully opening the doors.\r\n\r\n“Right, we should get started.â€\r\n\r\nShiraishi had prepared all the ritual tools, and some straw mats for them to sit on. As she spoke the words of the purifying prayer, Akiko felt briefly dizzy, as dancing lights gathered on the ohnusa again. She glanced around, and half-failed to suppress a gasp.\r\n\r\nTamao had left the shrine, and was sliding across the grass towards them. As she watched, the snake came in among the trees, and slid behind the tiny shrine, settling behind it, looking out beyond them, his eyes shining gold in the shade of the trees.\r\n\r\nAkiko suddenly felt a lot calmer. Tamao was there to protect them, she was sure of that. In case something went wrong. She glanced at Akira and Shiraishi, but neither of them seemed to have noticed anything. Not that Akiko was surprised by that.\r\n\r\nShiraishi waved the ohnusa to purify the shrine and them, and then returned to kneel in front of it, taking a folded piece of paper from the breast of her vestments and carefully unfolding it.\r\n\r\n“Kakemakumo kashikoki…â€ Akiko couldn’t follow the words, but she could feel something changing in the air around her, and glanced round.\r\n\r\nHideo Takenaka was standing framed by the torii, still outside the shrine precincts, but looking much calmer than before. As the norito continued, Akiko saw the coloured clouds around him thin out, ceasing to swirl as they vanished. His appearance gradually reverted to human, to the appearance of the man she had met in the shrine.\r\n\r\nThe priest stopped reading, but Akiko couldn’t take her eyes off Takenaka. He seemed to be waiting for something.\r\n\r\nShiraishi started moaning, a single, deliberate note.\r\n\r\n“Ohhhhh.â€\r\n\r\nAs the sound started, Takenaka started walking forward, crossing the shrine precincts towards them, but at the same time somehow not there. He paused in front of the miyagata, looking at Tamao, and bowed. Shiraishi was still there, kneeling and continuing to make that sound, but although Takenaka had to be in the same place as her, somehow he wasn’t. Akiko started to feel slightly ill, as if she were dizzy, and quickly put her hands to the ground to steady herself.\r\n\r\nThen Shiraishi fell silent, and in that moment Takenaka vanished. Tamao relaxed, and started sliding round them, apparently returning to the shrine. Shiraishi got up, and picked up a stand carrying standard offerings, which she placed in front of the shrine.\r\n\r\nThere was nothing to see, but Akiko suddenly felt all her tension leave her. This was right; somehow she knew it. As Shiraishi carefully closed the doors to the miyagata, Akiko was confident that the problem had been solved.', 'Enshrined', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '352-revision-2', '', '', '2009-03-17 12:17:31', '2009-03-17 03:17:31', '', 352, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/03/17/352-revision-2/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(576, 1, '2009-08-17 00:00:28', '2009-08-16 15:00:28', 'It continued to prey on her mind the following day, as the rain also continued, a constant grey drizzle that dampened her mood as well as the ground. She found herself unable to sit still in the office, and went out into the shrine grounds, wandering under an umbrella.\r\n\r\nThe wet rocks of the iwakura glistened in the dim light, the stone seeming even darker than normal. Akiko had been staring at them for some time before she realised, but even then she couldn’t tear her eyes away, following the contours of the rocky surface. She thought about touching the stones, and involuntarily took a step backwards. <em>No,</em> she thought, <em>I don’t want to talk to the aramitama.</em>\r\n\r\nThere were sounds of commotion from the bottom of the steps, and, with a sigh, Akiko went to see what was happening this time. Looking down, she could see a small group of umbrellas, and hear an argument.\r\n\r\n“Please get out of the way.â€\r\n\r\n“Why are you supporting this fascist organisation?â€\r\n\r\n“Excuse me, I just want to enter the shrine.â€\r\n\r\n“Think about what you are doing! Think about its consequences!â€\r\n\r\nAkiko sighed again. She didn’t recognise either voice, but it was clearly her job to intervene. As she started down the steps, the sandals clicking on the stone, a couple of people looked up from under their umbrellas. Naoyuki was there, but he looked down again, quickly, and Akiko pretended that she hadn’t seen him.\r\n\r\n“Let him through.â€ Akiko wondered whether she should have phrased it more politely, but she was getting tired of dealing with the protesters when there were more important problems.\r\n\r\n“We just want him to think about it.â€ The protester who had been confronting the visitor looked up at her, and Akiko recognised him; he was often there.\r\n\r\n“I’m sure he will. Now please let him through.â€ The protesters showed no sign of moving. “You are blocking access. Should I call the police?â€ Akiko didn’t even try to hide her irritation, and two of the protesters moved aside at once. The last, the one who had been doing the talking, looked at her for a few moments, as if trying to decide how serious she was, and then stepped aside.\r\n\r\nThe man came up the steps, nodding to Akiko in acknowledgement. Akiko led him to the porch of the shrine house, where they could talk out of the rain.\r\n\r\n“How can I help you?â€\r\n\r\n“Ah, my name is Yamaguchi. I’m a friend of Mr Tanaka. You know, you, er, performed a harae at his house.â€\r\n\r\n“Yes. Pleased to meet you, Mr Yamaguchi. I am Akiko Tanahata, miko at this shrine.â€\r\n\r\n“Likewise.â€ Mr Yamaguchi fell silent again, but Akiko was sure that there was still something he wanted to say, so she waited. Sure enough, he soon spoke again.\r\n\r\n“How much does one of those ceremonies cost?â€\r\n\r\n“You should give what you feel is appropriate,â€ Akiko began, reciting the conventional phrase, “but we suggest 10,000 yen or more for a ceremony outside the shrine.â€ Mr Yamaguchi nodded.\r\n\r\n“I see. I would like you to come and perform a harae at my house. Maybe it will…â€ He broke off, obviously embarrassed. Akiko bowed again, disregarding his final comment.\r\n\r\n“Of course. Let me get the priest.â€', 'Harae Request', 0, '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'harae-request', '', '', '2009-06-05 14:46:27', '2009-06-05 05:46:27', '', 0, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/?p=576', 0, 'post', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(577, 1, '2009-06-05 14:46:18', '2009-06-05 05:46:18', '', 'Harae Request', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '576-revision', '', '', '2009-06-05 14:46:18', '2009-06-05 05:46:18', '', 576, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/06/05/576-revision/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(578, 1, '2009-08-18 00:00:36', '2009-08-17 15:00:36', '“20,000 yen!â€ Akiko said as she checked the envelope in the car on the way back.\r\n\r\n“I hope he feels the harae was worth it, then.â€\r\n\r\n“I think he will.â€ Akiko remembered the heavy kegare around the house, which had been swept away by the purification. If past experience were any guide, the Yamaguchis would definitely notice a difference. “And you said he hadn’t had anything to do with the shrine before?â€\r\n\r\n“No.â€ Shiraishi shook her head, but kept her eyes on the road. “Nothing serious, in any case. He might have attended a festival or two, of course, but I don’t remember him.â€\r\n\r\n“That’s a good sign then,â€ Akiko said, feeling rather more cheerful. “People are starting to…â€ She stopped, overcome by a strong urge to vomit, and a stabbing pain, as if someone had just punched her in the stomach. She grabbed the dashboard, and looked around, her vision switching so that she could see the kegare around them.\r\n\r\nThe factory just ahead of them was covered in giant grubs, all a sickly greenish-white, which were spinning black threads across it. As she watched, one of the grubs exploded in a shower of gore, and a raven-like creature burst from it, flying around the factory and then diving back in. The whole structure seemed to shudder, as if getting ready to move.\r\n\r\n“Stop the car!â€ she gasped out, and Shiraishi quickly pulled over.\r\n\r\n“Akiko, are you all right?â€ The priest leaned over, looking concerned, and Akiko nodded as she gulped air down and tried to force her stomach to settle.\r\n\r\n“I… Yes.â€ She pointed out of the window. “That factory. It’s…â€ She was lost for words for a moment, as something huge moved again inside the network of threads. “It’s very, very polluted. I think we should purify it.â€\r\n\r\n“Are you sure? They aren’t going to pay us.â€\r\n\r\nAkiko forced a quick smile.\r\n\r\n“No, but, really, we should.â€ Her stomach was still churning, and now her head was beginning to ache, a throb in both her temples.\r\n\r\n“I thought you were sceptical about these purifications?â€\r\n\r\n“We can’t just leave it!â€ The priest sat back, her face surprised. The urgency in Akiko’s voice surprised even her. Shiraishi nodded.\r\n\r\n“If you feel that strongly, we had better do something.â€\r\n\r\nThey gathered the equipment, and walked over to the factory.\r\n\r\n“I don’t think it’s just a spiritual cleanup that this place needs,â€ Shiraishi said as they got closer. “It looks like they’ve spilled just about everything they could.â€ Akiko nodded, but the feelings of nausea were getting stronger, and she couldn’t switch her vision away from the kegare.\r\n\r\nAt the entrance, they were met by a security guard. Akiko could see that he was bound back to the factory by dozens of the black threads, and the surface of his uniform writhed and boiled, as if thousands of maggots writhed underneath. She had to fight back the urge to vomit as she started to gag.\r\n\r\n“What do you want?â€\r\n\r\n“We want to purify the factory.â€ Shiraishi went for the direct approach; given that they were in their vestments, Akiko couldn’t fault her.\r\n\r\n“You can’t go in. Now go away.â€\r\n\r\n“But…â€\r\n\r\n“Go away. This is private property.â€\r\n\r\nAkiko was pretty sure that the guard wasn’t going to change his mind, and turned away, Shiraishi following her.\r\n\r\n“Well, what now?â€ the priest asked as they reached the car.\r\n\r\n“We sneak in round the back.â€\r\n\r\nThe priest looked at her for a long time, and Akiko forced herself to hold her gaze. Finally, Shiraishi nodded.\r\n\r\n“Very well.â€', 'Cursed Factory', 0, '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'cursed-factory', '', '', '2009-06-05 14:47:14', '2009-06-05 05:47:14', '', 0, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/?p=578', 0, 'post', '', 1);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(579, 1, '2009-06-05 14:47:00', '2009-06-05 05:47:00', '', 'Cursed Factory', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '578-revision', '', '', '2009-06-05 14:47:00', '2009-06-05 05:47:00', '', 578, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/06/05/578-revision/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(580, 1, '2009-08-19 00:00:24', '2009-08-18 15:00:24', 'Getting in was not difficult; the fencing was so old and run-down that they had several choices of gaps to go through. As soon as she stepped across the border, however, Akiko felt the kegare surround her, like worms brushing against her skin, leaving their trails of slime. She shuddered, and looked at Shiraishi.  The priest’s face twisted as she crossed the boundary, and she looked down at her hands.\r\n\r\n“Do you feel it?â€ Akiko whispered. Shiraishi nodded.\r\n\r\n“Should we do it here?â€ Akiko looked around, the acrid chemical smell of the factory catching at her throat. The kegare was everywhere, but it was thicker towards the centre of the area. Fighting down the urge to cough, she shook her head and pointed.\r\n\r\n“Over there, I think.â€\r\n\r\n“Those buildings don’t look entirely safe.â€ Shiraishi sounded nervous, and as something moved behind the threads Akiko felt the same way. She switched her vision back, and had to agree.\r\n\r\n“No, they don’t. But I think we need to be a bit closer to the centre of the kegare.â€ She switched her vision back to looking at the kegare as she spoke, and caught her breath, falling back a step.\r\n\r\nIt was almost upon them already, dragging its giant worm-like body along with two insectile limbs, while another pair, sharp as swords, flashed in the air above it. Guts and slime spilled from its crushed tail, things moving within the trail, flopping like beached fish.\r\n\r\nAkiko recovered herself and stepped forward, swinging the bells up. The spirit screamed, an ear-splitting sound that filled her head, turning the headache into a band of white agony across her forehead and filling her vision with black explosions. Gritting her teeth, she thrust the bells forward again, and the thing fell back, limbs sawing at the air as it writhed on the ground.\r\n\r\n“Quickly!â€ she said, beckoning to the priest, and running round the fallen spirit towards a suitable-looking spot.\r\n\r\nShe stopped when she felt they were close enough to the main concentrations of kegare, and nodded to Shiraishi. The priest raised the ohnusa and began to chant the norito.\r\n\r\nAt once, dozens of small forms darted out of the shadows, appearing from between the threads and scuttling over the ground towards them. Akiko swung the kagurasuzu at them, driving them back, but there were too many of them. She turned to see one spring at the priest, and then fall back, shrieking, its dozens of limbs on fire as it landed on the ground, writhing and burning.\r\n\r\nThe other creatures scattered back into the gloom, and for a moment Akiko thought that they would be left in peace.\r\n\r\nThe deep groaning noise dispelled that pleasant illusion, a grating sound that shook Akiko to the core of her being, churning her stomach even further. She searched for its source, and saw the kegare spirits swarming over a stack of barrels, chewing at the lower ones. The stack began to rock, as the grating turned into a squeal of metal.\r\n\r\nAkiko spun round and ran full speed into Shiraishi, pushing the priest back and out of the path of the falling barrels. A few shattered, spilling a dark, glistening liquid that could have been oil, or could have been something worse. They both scrambled to their feet, just managing to keep ahead of the flowing pollution.\r\n\r\n“Hey! Who’s back there?â€ They heard the voice of the security guard and, without needing to say anything, ran back to the fence, ducking out through a convenient hole.\r\n\r\nBehind them, Akiko was sure she heard a thousand voices laughing.', 'Opposed Purification', 0, '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'opposed-purification', '', '', '2009-06-05 14:47:57', '2009-06-05 05:47:57', '', 0, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/?p=580', 0, 'post', '', 2);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(581, 1, '2009-06-05 14:47:49', '2009-06-05 05:47:49', '', 'Opposed Purification', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '580-revision', '', '', '2009-06-05 14:47:49', '2009-06-05 05:47:49', '', 580, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/06/05/580-revision/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(582, 1, '2009-08-20 00:00:02', '2009-08-19 15:00:02', 'Back at the car, out of breath, Akiko stopped, listening for sounds of pursuit. Shiraishi was already getting in the car, but she paused when she noticed that Akiko wasn’t.\r\n\r\n“Akiko, what is it?â€\r\n\r\n“I still want to try to purify the factory.â€ Her headache had receded to a dull ache once they left the premises, but her stomach was still unsettled, and her skin was still crawling at the remembered touch of corruption. She couldn’t drive the image of the corruption hanging over the factory from her mind; leaving it in that state was not an option.\r\n\r\n“We can’t go back in!â€ Shiraishi sounded seriously worried, even scared, and Akiko had to agree. The kegare spirits had attacked them.\r\n\r\n“No. Maybe we can purify it from outside, though. If we stand close to the entrance.â€\r\n\r\n“Hm. Maybe. The security guard won’t like it.â€\r\n\r\n“Can he do anything if we don’t go in?â€ Shiraishi suddenly grinned.\r\n\r\n“Well, we can’t do anything about the protesters, so probably not.â€ Her face turned serious again. “You think this needs to be done?â€\r\n\r\nAkiko took a deep breath, and nodded, gently, her head throbbing in protest.\r\n\r\n“Right. Let’s get it done, then.â€\r\n\r\nShiraishi led the way back to the front of the factory. The guard had returned, and looked at them suspiciously, but when they stayed on the road, he didn’t say anything. Akiko raised the kagurasuzu and switched her vision back to looking at the kegare, so that she could see any hostile spirits. She nodded at Shiraishi, who began the norito.\r\n\r\n“Hey, what are you doing?â€ The guard advanced towards them, the threads tying him back to the factory stretching, maggots crawling down them towards him. But no spirits came close, and Akiko ignored him.\r\n\r\n“Stop that! You can’t do that here!â€ The guard was getting quite agitated, as were the spirits behind him. The scuttling things appeared from within the webbing once more, scurrying to the edge of the factory’s land, then stopping, rearing up and waving dozens of spindly legs in the air. Akiko risked a glance back, at the light building up within the ohnusa. Maybe that was keeping them back? She turned her attention back to the creatures and swept the kagurasuzu across, but they still hadn’t crossed the boundary.\r\n\r\n“Go away, or I’ll call the police!â€ The guard was also staying within the factory grounds, and Shiraishi continued reciting the norito, ignoring him. Akiko could see her shadow now, cast by the light from the ohnusa, and the creatures were hiding in it. There was a hissing sound, accompanied by a sweet smell of rot, and suddenly the things scattered, vanishing back behind the webbing.\r\n\r\nThe webbing itself was heaving now, as if something enormous within was trying to break free. Akiko couldn’t see any details, but she raised the kagurasuzu, and glanced back nervously at Shiraishi. <em>Nearly finished,</em> she thought.\r\n\r\nA few strands of the webbing over the factory snapped from the motion, and the grubs started tumbling from them to the ground, where they tried to shuffle out of the way. The whole mass heaved again.\r\n\r\n“Right, I’m calling the police.â€\r\n\r\nShiraishi finished the norito, and swung the ohnusa. Waves of light flowed around Akiko and into the factory, the grubs vanishing like smoke as it touched them, the threads snapping and springing back. Akiko caught sight of a shape within the threads, enormous, trying to raise a heavy head, and then the light caught it, as well.\r\n\r\nThe sound, a roaring scream that shook her bones and stabbed into her ears, drove Akiko to her knees. She dropped the kagurasuzu and clamped her hands over her ears, but it made no difference. She forced herself to look up, as the light whittled away at the kegare spirit, slowly destroying it. The noise weakened and then stopped as the shape collapsed back into the factory and vanished.\r\n\r\nAkiko got to her feet, a little unsteadily, and looked at the factory. There were still a few fragments of kegare, but nothing more serious than any of the surrounding buildings. She turned to Shiraishi and nodded.\r\n\r\n“Wait! Where are you going?â€ the guard called after them. Akiko guessed that he really had called the police.', 'On the Outside, Looking In', 0, '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'on-the-outside-looking-in', '', '', '2009-08-20 09:43:59', '2009-08-20 00:43:59', '', 0, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/?p=582', 0, 'post', '', 2);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(583, 1, '2009-06-05 14:48:27', '2009-06-05 05:48:27', '', 'On the Outside, Looking In', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '582-revision', '', '', '2009-06-05 14:48:27', '2009-06-05 05:48:27', '', 582, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/06/05/582-revision/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(584, 1, '2009-08-21 00:00:38', '2009-08-20 15:00:38', 'Back in the car, Akiko started to shake. The headache and nausea had gone, but the release of tension left her too weak to do anything but sit there and gaze blankly at the passing houses. Shiraishi was also quiet as she drove, for which Akiko was grateful.\r\n\r\nShe was sure that purifying the factory had been the right thing to do, but now that it was over her doubts about their strategy returned in full force. How many places like that were there that she hadn’t seen? How long would it take for the pollution to build up again?\r\n\r\nWere they really trying to hold back the tide with a bucket?\r\n\r\nThey parked the car, and walked round to the entrance to the shrine. There was a large group of protesters gathered, with a “Shinto = Fascismâ€ banner. Akiko could see Mrs Watanabe, Naoyuki, and the man who had been blocking Mr Yamaguchi, but there was no sign of Mr Akiyama. She sighed; he was normally a moderating force. She heard Shiraishi sighing as well, and they glanced at each other. The priest let her irritation show for a moment, then shrugged and looked back at the protesters.\r\n\r\nAkiko followed her to the base of the steps.\r\n\r\nThe protesters did not move. Akiko frowned; in the past they had always got out of the way, presumably because Akiko and Shiraishi actually lived in the shrine. This time, however, they did not.\r\n\r\n“Excuse us.â€ Shiraishi sounded irritated, but she wasn’t shouting.\r\n\r\nThe protesters still didn’t move. A couple of them shifted and looked away, looking slightly uncomfortable, but they didn’t break ranks.\r\n\r\n“Excuse us. We would like to go home.â€ Shiraishi sounded more annoyed this time, and a couple more protesters seemed to be having second thoughts. Mrs Watanabe, however, was still planted in the middle of the steps, staring straight at them, face set.\r\n\r\n“You cannot keep us out of our home!â€ Shiraishi had raised her voice by the end of the sentence.\r\n\r\n“Let us through!â€ Akiko couldn’t let the priest fight alone any more.\r\n\r\nOne of the other protesters plucked at Mrs Watanabe’s sleeve, but she shook him off without looking away from Shiraishi.\r\n\r\n“It is illegal to keep us out of our home. We’ll call the police.â€\r\n\r\nMrs Watanabe finally broke her silence.\r\n\r\n“Yes, that’s typical of Shinto. Bring the power of the state down on those who disagree with you. Violence and bullying, that’s the only way you and your kami know to deal with the world.â€\r\n\r\n“What?â€ Akiko blurted out, shocked into responding. “Us? You’re the ones blocking our way home! We’re not the bullies; you are!â€\r\n\r\n“Oh, very mature.â€ Mrs Watanabe was shaking her head, as if disappointed with a small child. “‘I’m not, you are!’ Is that the highest standard of argument you can manage?â€\r\n\r\nAkiko was getting really annoyed now, but she couldn’t think of anything to say. The protesters were the bullies, though, and it was very unfair.\r\n\r\n“Mrs Watanabe,â€ Shiraishi said, her voice quiet and calm, but obviously strained, “if you do not get out of our way <em>right now</em> I will call on Tamao to curse you.â€\r\n\r\nMrs Watanabe almost jumped, and quickly stepped back, clearing a path. For a moment, Akiko could only stare, but Shiraishi was already on her way up the steps, so Akiko quickly followed.\r\n\r\n“Curse her?â€ Akiko asked, as they reached the house.\r\n\r\nShiraishi went bright red and looked down.\r\n\r\n“I thought, ‘if they want to be bullied…’ It wasn’t a very good idea, really.â€\r\n\r\n“It worked, though,â€ Akiko noted.\r\n\r\n“Yes.â€ Shiraishi looked up. “Yes, it did. I wonder why?â€', 'Welcoming Committee', 0, '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'welcoming-committee', '', '', '2009-08-21 10:21:14', '2009-08-21 01:21:14', '', 0, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/?p=584', 0, 'post', '', 5);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(585, 1, '2009-06-05 14:49:01', '2009-06-05 05:49:01', '', 'Welcoming Committee', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '584-revision', '', '', '2009-06-05 14:49:01', '2009-06-05 05:49:01', '', 584, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/06/05/584-revision/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(586, 1, '2009-08-22 00:00:16', '2009-08-21 15:00:16', '“Um, excuse me?â€\r\n\r\nAkiko and Shiraishi both looked round, to see a young girl in high school uniform approaching from within the shrine. After a moment, Akiko recognised her as the girl who had come a few days before, and needed instructions about everything. Her skirt was still absurdly short.\r\n\r\n“Yes?â€ Shiraishi addressed her, stepping forward.\r\n\r\n“Er… I think you have, well, some sort of ceremony.â€\r\n\r\n“Yes, we have many sorts of ceremony.â€ Shiraishi’s tone was cautious, and uncertain. Akiko was puzzled again. She could have sworn that this girl, and what was her name?, had known nothing about Shinto, but now she was back and asking about ceremonies.\r\n\r\n“Ah, yes, of course you do.â€ She was blushing. “I mean, like, a cleansing ceremony? Something to get rid of bad things?â€\r\n\r\nAkiko quickly switched her vision over, and looked at the girl again. She did have a lot of kegare, which looked like worms crawling over her body, disappearing under her clothes. But how on earth did she know to ask about a ceremony? Shiraishi glanced across, and Akiko nodded slightly.\r\n\r\n“Yes,â€ the priest replied, looking back at the girl. “We have a ceremony called o-harae, which purifies people and places.â€\r\n\r\n“That sounds like it!â€ She looked really happy. “I’d like one, please. How much is it?â€\r\n\r\n“You should give…â€ The priest stopped. “Five thousand yen or more. You can give as much as you want.â€\r\n\r\n“Oh, right. Yeah, that’s OK.â€ She squatted down to rummage through her bag again. Shiraishi glanced down, and then at Akiko, her eyebrows raised. Akiko shrugged, and wondered how to tell Shiraishi about the girl’s previous visit.\r\n\r\n“I take it you enjoyed your previous visit to the shrine?â€ Akiko asked, glancing at Shiraishi. The girl looked up, her wallet in her hand, and smiled.\r\n\r\n“Oh, you remembered! Yes, well, it was good. So I came back.â€ She opened the wallet and pulled out a five thousand yen note. “Here you are.â€ She thrust it at Shiraishi, who smiled slightly as she took it.\r\n\r\n“Thank you. Please come inside to wait for a minute, while we get things ready.â€\r\n\r\nWhen Akiko went to collect her from the waiting room, she was standing up and peering at the hanging scroll.\r\n\r\n“You have a lot of neat old stuff, don’t you?â€ Akiko couldn’t help smiling.\r\n\r\n“This is a very old shrine.â€\r\n\r\n“Wow.â€\r\n\r\n“Anyway, please come with me.â€\r\n\r\nThey had set up the tables and mats near where the shrine building had been, looking towards the iwakura. Akiko gestured to one of the mats.\r\n\r\n“Please kneel there.â€\r\n\r\nThe girl knelt down, shifting quite a bit, obviously not used to it, finally getting settled, and adjusting her skirt so that it covered her underwear. She looked at Akiko and the priest, and nodded.\r\n\r\nAkiko watched the kegare as Shiraishi performed the harae. The light burned the worms away quickly, and Akiko could see the girl’s back straighten, as she breathed more deeply. The ceremony finished, and the girl sprang to her feet.\r\n\r\n“That was great! Wow! Thanks!â€\r\n\r\nShiraishi was nodding, smiling in a slightly bemused fashion.\r\n\r\n“You’re welcome, Ms, er… sorry. I forgot your name,â€ Akiko said.\r\n\r\n“Oh. Kazumi. Kazumi Miura.â€\r\n\r\n“Kazumi?â€ Shiraishi asked. “Harmonious Beauty?â€\r\n\r\nThe girl nodded, grinning.\r\n\r\n“Or Japanese Beauty,â€ she said. “I like it. Anyway, er, how do I address you?â€\r\n\r\n“Revd Shiraishi,â€ Akiko put in, and Shiraishi just nodded, still smiling.\r\n\r\n“Well, thanks a bunch, Revd Shiraishi. Must dash!â€\r\n\r\nAnd she did, running down the steps.\r\n\r\n“Coming through!â€, they heard from the bottom, and, looking at each other, both Akiko and Shiraishi burst out laughing.\r\n\r\n“What was that about?â€ the priest asked. Akiko, shaking her head, couldn’t answer.', 'Kazumi''s Harae', 0, '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'kazumis-harae', '', '', '2009-06-05 14:50:04', '2009-06-05 05:50:04', '', 0, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/?p=586', 0, 'post', '', 3);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(587, 1, '2009-06-05 14:49:45', '2009-06-05 05:49:45', '', 'Kazumi''s Harae', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '586-revision', '', '', '2009-06-05 14:49:45', '2009-06-05 05:49:45', '', 586, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/06/05/586-revision/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(588, 1, '2009-08-23 00:00:15', '2009-08-22 15:00:15', 'Akiko had been staring at the darkness beyond the bathroom window for some time before she realised it, and, shaking her head, she stood up, going over to the taps to splash cold water over her body. Gasping, and slightly more awake, she went out to the changing area, looking at herself in the mirror as she dried off.\r\n\r\nHer reflection was suddenly fully clothed in the vestments of a miko, a slender golden tiara with fresh flowers thrust through it on her head, a mirror on the centre, over her forehead. She wore a thin over-mantle over the kimono, its translucent material embroidered with dancing dragons. Behind her, she could see nothing but the clouds of a stormy sky, roiling and changing, with occasional flashes of lightning. The clouds and lightning drew together, taking the shape of dragons, dancing like the embroidered ones.\r\n\r\nThere was a change in the distance, a darkness in the sky, deeper than the clouds, and it came pouring forwards, consuming the dragons, tearing them apart in straggling lines of vapour, until the background was nothing but the deepest darkness.\r\n\r\nWhich fell like a curtain, leaving the mirror black.\r\n\r\nAkiko staggered back, and her reflection reappeared, with the changing area behind her. Taking deep breaths to calm herself, she finished drying herself and dressing, keeping an eye on the mirror the whole time. It remained just a mirror.\r\n\r\nThe image of falling darkness preyed on her mind as she sat in the shrine office, looking out of the window but seeing nothing but her reflection. Were they really doing anything to deal with the pollution? Why was Mrs Watanabe so scared of the suggestion of a curse? What was going on with Kazumi? Had they really helped the situation with the pollution?\r\n\r\nAkiko stood up to snap herself out of her brooding. Maybe she could actually do something about one of the questions. She checked the time; just after eight. Still early, really. She took her cell phone out, and called Akira.\r\n\r\n“Hello? Ms Tanahata?â€\r\n\r\n“Yes, good evening. Is this a good time?â€\r\n\r\n“Yes, sure, no problem. What is it?â€\r\n\r\n“I was wondering if you could drive me round the area a bit. I want to look at the kegare. I want to see whether we’ve made any progress.â€\r\n\r\n“Oh, of course. When?â€\r\n\r\n“Er, could you do it now? Revd Shiraishi will want to go to bed early, because she has the morning watch, so I want to get back before she does.â€\r\n\r\n“Now?â€ He sounded a little surprised, but not upset. “Yes, yes. No problem. I’ll be there in a few minutes.â€\r\n\r\n“Thank you. See you soon, then.â€\r\n\r\n“See you soon.â€\r\n\r\nHe hung up, and Akiko went in search of the priest. Shiraishi was just finishing eating, and sighed when Akiko explained what she wanted to do. The priest looked tired, and Akiko suddenly realised that she had been hoping to get to bed very soon.\r\n\r\n“I’m sorry,â€ Akiko apologised, “I’ll get back as quickly as I can. But…â€\r\n\r\n“But you want to check.â€ The priest shook her head. “It’s fine. A good idea. I’ll cope. I don’t suppose Tamao has said anything useful?â€ Akiko also shook her head, and then quickly described the vision in the mirror. The priest looked irritated.\r\n\r\n“That’s hardly a useful vision, is it. If the kami are going to talk to you, they could at least tell us something useful in the process.â€ She sighed, obviously frustrated. “Well, tell me what you find.â€ The doorbell rang, and the priest stood, carrying her dishes over to the sink. “That’s probably Akira now. Stay safe.â€\r\n\r\n“Of course.â€ It was only after Akiko and Akira had set off in the car that she realised that the priest’s final warning may not have been entirely conventional.\r\n\r\n“Where to, then?â€ Akira asked.\r\n\r\n“Let’s start with the Tanakas’ house. Then there was a park, and an old folks’ home, the bridge, and the river. I want to see how much kegare there is now.â€\r\n\r\n“You’re the boss.â€\r\n\r\nThey drove in silence for a couple of minutes, before Akira cleared his throat, glancing quickly at Akiko.\r\n\r\n“What… What does kegare look like?â€ Akiko glanced over at him, not sure that that had been the question he originally wanted to ask.\r\n\r\n“Look like? To me? It… varies. Never good, though.â€\r\n\r\n“Yes, but, like what? You said something about a wall at the bridge.â€\r\n\r\n“Right. Well…â€ Akiko started describing some of the ways kegare had appeared.\r\n\r\n“Here we are.â€ Akira interrupted her as he pulled up near the Tanakas’ house. “Do you want to go in?â€ Akiko shook her head.\r\n\r\n“No, I want to check places as quickly as possible. One moment…â€ She switched her vision over, and sucked her breath in sharply.\r\n\r\nThe house was heavy with kegare again, looking like flaps of inflamed skin wrapped around it. This time, however, the pollution was no heavier than that of the houses around it, and Akiko glanced around, realising that they were near the centre of a concentration of the pollution. She switched her vision back, and shook her head.\r\n\r\n“What is it?â€ Akira asked.\r\n\r\n“Not good. Let’s look at the next place.â€\r\n\r\nThe park was as heavy with kegare as it had been, and still full of prostitutes and drug dealers. On the bright side, there was no sign of the greater spirit Akiko had seen before. The old folks’ home looked as if they had never done anything. The road was a little more encouraging. There was a great deal of scaffolding, and notice boards explaining the repair works, and, although the kegare had increased, it was nowhere near as bad as it had been.\r\n\r\nThe river, however, was the best case. There was almost no kegare to be seen, and looking into the water, Akiko could make out the shape of the river spirit within the current, the fire of its scales burning away any bits of pollution that tried to settle there.\r\n\r\n“This one was good?â€ Akira asked, as Akiko smiled.\r\n\r\n“Yes. The spirit of the river seems to be keeping it pure." She frowned again. “The other places were polluted again, though. The harae isn’t cleansing them permanently.â€ She pursed her lips, thinking for a moment, but nothing occurred to her. “Oh well, back to the shrine, I suppose.â€\r\n\r\n“Do you want to get a drink first? Or dinner?â€ Akira asked, but Akiko shook her head.\r\n\r\n“No, I promised Revd Shiraishi I’d get back as quickly as possible.â€ She looked back at the river, wondering how they could find spirits elsewhere.\r\n\r\n“Oh.â€ Akira sounded odd, and as Akiko glanced over it suddenly struck her that he’d asked her out for dinner.\r\n\r\n“Oh, thank you for the invitation. But I really did promise Revd Shiraishi. I’m sorry, but I can’t do it tonight.â€\r\n\r\n“Oh, that’s OK. I’d better get you back before your curfew, then.â€ He looked at her and grinned, and she smiled back.\r\n\r\n“I don’t have a curfew, Mr Takenaka.â€ Her mood suddenly turned serious again. “Just responsibilities…â€ she said, looking back out of the window at the city, smothered under the blanket of night.', 'Checking the Sites', 0, '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'checking-the-sites', '', '', '2009-08-23 08:10:25', '2009-08-22 23:10:25', '', 0, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/?p=588', 0, 'post', '', 3);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(589, 1, '2009-06-05 14:50:47', '2009-06-05 05:50:47', '', 'Checking the Sites', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '588-revision', '', '', '2009-06-05 14:50:47', '2009-06-05 05:50:47', '', 588, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/06/05/588-revision/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(590, 1, '2009-08-24 00:00:20', '2009-08-23 15:00:20', 'Akiko struggled to keep her eyes open during the early morning ceremonies around the shrine grounds, making offerings in front of the go-shintai, the iwakura, Mr Takenaka’s shrine, and the tree. When they had finished, she took a moment to lean on the tree, pressing her cheek against it as her tension drained away.\r\n\r\n“Akiko!â€ Shiraishi was shaking her shoulder gently, and Akiko opened her eyes, realising that she’d actually fallen asleep leaning on the tree. She blushed, and quickly apologised, but Shiraishi just looked concerned, and tired.\r\n\r\n“Are you all right?â€ she asked, and Akiko nodded. The priest looked a bit sceptical. “Are you sure? I’m not sure we can keep this schedule up. We need some help watching the shrine, so that we can get more sleep.â€\r\n\r\n“Help would certainly be nice,â€ Akiko agreed, as she gathered the mats and table, ready to carry them back to the shrine house. “But who can we ask? Akira would do it, but I don’t like to ask him all the time.â€\r\n\r\n“No, me neither.â€ The priest started walking back. “Maybe we should talk to Mr Ito, or some of the other ujiko.â€\r\n\r\n“Would they help? They don’t exactly come here much.â€\r\n\r\n“True.â€ Shiraishi sighed as she said it. “Things are a bit better than they were, well, when you first turned up. But not that much. Maybe…â€\r\n\r\nAs they came out of the woodland, Shiraishi fell silent. Akiko, just behind her, soon saw why. There were about a dozen people, all in Japanese clothing, gathered near the shrine house. There were a couple of women, but most were men, and Akiko instantly recognised Mr Fujimura at the head of the group. They quickly hurried over.\r\n\r\n“Mr Fujimura, so good of you to come. I’m so sorry to have kept you waiting,â€ Shiraishi said as she reached them. Mr Fujimura nodded.\r\n\r\n“That is quite all right, Revd Shiraishi. Please, put your ritual equipment away first. We are not in so much of a hurry.â€ He smiled slightly as he said that, but it didn’t look entirely natural to Akiko.\r\n\r\nPossibly Shiraishi had also not been completely convinced, because she had Akiko just stow the gear quickly in the office, so that they could go back out to the group.\r\n\r\n“What can we do for you, Mr Fujimura?â€\r\n\r\n“We have come for a ceremony,â€ he replied, looking round and gesturing at the people behind him, who all bowed. “We would like to ask the kami for harmony within the group and success in our endeavours. And, of course, we would like to pray for the health and prosperity of their Imperial Majesties, and the peace and prosperity of the country.â€\r\n\r\n“Of course,â€ Shiraishi said, bowing in return. “Would you like to come through to the waiting room while we prepare?â€\r\n\r\nAt the entrance to the room, Mr Fujimura paused, one of the women standing next to him.\r\n\r\n“Revd Shiraishi, this is Noriko Yamanaka. She lives quite near to the shrine.â€ The woman bowed deeply, and when she stood up she looked at Akiko as well as the priest.\r\n\r\n“I am Noriko Yamanaka. I’m very pleased to meet you, and I hope to be of service.â€ Akiko thought that she was perhaps in her late thirties, her hair carefully styled to suit her kimono, which looked very elegant, and expensive, to Akiko’s untutored eyes.\r\n\r\n“I am Reiko Shiraishi, chief priest of this shrine. I hope that I, too, can be of service. Please, make yourselves at home while I prepare for the ritual.â€\r\n\r\nAs Akiko hurried off to make the tea, it suddenly occurred to her that there were some similarities between her current job and the last one.', 'Group Kito', 0, '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'group-kito', '', '', '2009-08-24 06:28:30', '2009-08-23 21:28:30', '', 0, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/?p=590', 0, 'post', '', 4);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(591, 1, '2009-06-06 13:19:10', '2009-06-06 04:19:10', '', 'Group Kito', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '590-revision', '', '', '2009-06-06 13:19:10', '2009-06-06 04:19:10', '', 590, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/06/06/590-revision/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(592, 1, '2009-08-25 00:00:23', '2009-08-24 15:00:23', '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.\r\n\r\n“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.\r\n\r\n“Of course.â€\r\n\r\nThe 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.\r\n\r\nWhen she brought the next load out, a pile of small tatami mats, her worries were confirmed; 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.\r\n\r\nShe 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.\r\n\r\nShiraishi 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.\r\n\r\n“There’s nothing we can do about it. Let’s get started.â€\r\n\r\nMr 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.\r\n\r\nMr 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.\r\n\r\nWhen 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.\r\n\r\nThe 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.\r\n\r\nAs soon as she began to speak, Mrs Watanabe began to chant, her words taken up by the rest of the protesters.\r\n\r\n“No to Shinto! No to Fascism! No to Imperialism!â€', 'Disruptive Protesters', 0, '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'disruptive-protesters', '', '', '2009-08-25 06:25:33', '2009-08-24 21:25:33', '', 0, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/?p=592', 0, 'post', '', 5);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(593, 1, '2009-06-06 13:19:56', '2009-06-06 04:19:56', '', 'Disruptive Protesters', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '592-revision', '', '', '2009-06-06 13:19:56', '2009-06-06 04:19:56', '', 592, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/06/06/592-revision/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(594, 1, '2009-08-26 00:00:10', '2009-08-25 15:00:10', 'The chanting continued throughout the ceremony. Akiko couldn’t look round at the protesters, but she kept stealing glances at Mr Fujimura and his group. Mr Fujimura himself kept looking forward, but his face steadily darkened, his expression becoming more and more angry. Many of his followers, although not, she noticed, Ms Yamanaka, did glance round. Akiko wondered whether she should do something, confront the protesters and get them to stop, but she had a role in the ceremony, and Shiraishi was showing no signs of wanting to stop.\r\n\r\nAs soon as Shiraishi brought the ceremony to a close, however, Mr Fujimura stood up from the ground, bowed formally towards the himorogi, and then turned on his heel, striding across the grass to the protesters. Several members of his group scrambled to their feet and followed him.\r\n\r\n“<em>What</em> do you think you are doing?â€ He wasn’t shouting, but he sounded very, very angry. Akiko glanced at Shiraishi, and the priest shook her head slightly. <em>Stay out of it, </em>was the clear message.\r\n\r\n“We are protesting against the ideology on display here,â€ Mrs Watanabe responded, sounding completely confident in her virtue, “and against the danger that Shinto presents to world peace.â€\r\n\r\n“And you call yourselves Japanese? You are children of the kami, and you turn against them like this? What right do you have to live in this country? What right do you have to the protection of the emperor?â€\r\n\r\n“The emperor is an anachronism. The Americans should have abolished him after the war.â€\r\n\r\n“That is unforgivable. The Imperial line was established by Amaterasu herself to rule over Japan for ever. How can you set yourselves in opposition to the will of the kami, and the will of the son of the kami?â€\r\n\r\n“How can you stand there and say that?â€\r\n\r\n“I am not the one standing in a shrine to insult the kami. That is your choice. If you wish to turn away from the truth of your blood, the kami of your country, then I cannot stop you. But you are making a grave mistake, and sacrificing your right to live in Japan.â€\r\n\r\n“We are citizens of Japan, and religion has nothing to do with the state.â€\r\n\r\nAkiko and Shiraishi concentrated on tidying up the ritual equipment, but they kept glancing at each other. Akiko was feeling very uncomfortable now; Mrs Watanabe was trying to bring the shrine down, and Mr Fujimura had saved it, but she was much more in sympathy with what Mrs Watanabe was saying. From the look on her face, Shiraishi felt the same way.\r\n\r\n“This is the country of the kami,â€ Mr Fujimura continued, “born from Izanagi and Izanami. It is rightfully ruled by the son of heaven, and we who live here should submit to him, living to respect the kami and honour our ancestors.â€\r\n\r\n“See?â€ Akiko glanced round, to see Mrs Watanabe look round at her supporters. “<em>This</em> is the true face of Shinto. This imperialist, fascist ideology. This is what we are fighting.â€\r\n\r\n“You are all a lost cause. It is for people like you that we need a law prohibiting disrespect for the emperor.â€\r\n\r\nShiraishi suddenly stood up, walking over to the entrance. Akiko followed her, and the argument paused as both Mr Fujimura and Mrs Watanabe looked at the priest.\r\n\r\n“Would you please leave the shrine grounds,â€ Shiraishi said, looking at the protesters. “You disrupted the ceremony, and now you are causing trouble for people who are here legitimately.â€\r\n\r\nThere was a pause, and then Mrs Watanabe turned and led the protesters down the stairs. Mr Fujimura watched her go, but said nothing.', 'Confrontation', 0, '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'confrontation', '', '', '2009-06-06 13:20:42', '2009-06-06 04:20:42', '', 0, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/?p=594', 0, 'post', '', 1);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(595, 1, '2009-06-06 13:20:32', '2009-06-06 04:20:32', '', 'Confrontation', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '594-revision', '', '', '2009-06-06 13:20:32', '2009-06-06 04:20:32', '', 594, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/06/06/594-revision/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(596, 1, '2009-08-27 00:00:48', '2009-08-26 15:00:48', 'Mr Fujimura and his group left soon afterwards, having offered forty thousand yen for the ceremony. Shiraishi sat down heavily in the office, rubbing her eyes.\r\n\r\n“Thank goodness they’ve gone.â€ She looked up at Akiko, her face troubled. “What are we going to do?â€\r\n\r\nAkiko knew what she meant, but she didn’t have an answer, so she just shrugged.\r\n\r\n“Well,â€ the priest continued, “at least there was no violence. Just an argument. But…â€\r\n\r\n“Revd Shiraishi, you’re exhausted. Go to bed.â€\r\n\r\n“Yes, you’re right. Keep an eye on the shrine.â€\r\n\r\nLeft alone in the office, Akiko did some paperwork, but as it came up to midday she found herself dozing, and making far too many stupid mistakes to continue. Setting the papers back on the table, she looked out of the window. The day had continued to clear, and now the sun shone from a blue sky. The office was getting hot, and although outside looked no cooler, Akiko decided that she was, at least, unlikely to fall asleep while walking around.\r\n\r\nThe air was hot and humid, a summer day already, and Akiko was sweating almost as soon as she stepped out. The cicadas were buzzing in the trees, almost, but not quite, drowning out the chanting of the protesters, who were still gathered at the foot of the steps. The air above the iwakura shimmered, but, after a moment, Akiko decided that it was just the effect of the stones getting hot in the sunlight.\r\n\r\nThere was a commotion from the bottom of the steps. Akiko couldn’t make out the details, and didn’t want to, but when she heard someone running up the steps to the shrine she did look round.\r\n\r\nIt was Kazumi. She ran into the shrine grounds, looked round at Akiko and grinned, and then ran over to the water basin to cleanse her hands and mouth. Her skirt was still so short that her knickers were visible as she bent over, and Akiko shook her head again. Kazumi, hands and mouth done, went over to stand in front of the iwakura, and bowed twice, clapped twice, and bowed again, before coming over to Akiko.\r\n\r\n“Good morning! Hot day, isn’t it!â€ She smiled as she squatted down to get her wallet out. Her knickers almost shone white as the sun caught them, and Akiko suddenly felt that she had to say something.\r\n\r\n“Ms Miura, can you please take a bit more care about the way you are dressed?â€\r\n\r\n“Huh?â€ Kazumi looked up, puzzled, her legs flexing even further apart.\r\n\r\n“Your underwear, Ms Miura. You’re hardly wearing that skirt.â€\r\n\r\nKazumi looked down, as if realising for the first time how exposed she was. Then she looked up again.\r\n\r\n“Is that a problem?â€\r\n\r\nFor a moment, Akiko had no idea how to respond. Wasn’t it obvious?\r\n\r\n“Yes,â€ she finally managed. “Yes, it’s a problem. It’s not appropriate dress for a shrine.â€\r\n\r\n“But I thought miko didn’t wear knickers at all?â€\r\n\r\n“<em>That’s a myth!â€ </em>Akiko realised that she had almost shouted it in her exasperation, and quickly calmed herself down. “And anyway, under these vestments you wouldn’t be able to see anything.â€\r\n\r\n“Mm, no.â€ Kazumi stood up, smoothing her skirt down so that it covered her as well as it could. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realise. Er, here.â€ She held out a five hundred yen coin, still looking down, not meeting Akiko’s eyes. Akiko took the coin, and wondered what she should say now.\r\n\r\n“I’m sorry,â€ Kazumi repeated, before walking to the steps, holding her skirt down with one hand. Then she started running down the steps, and it flew up again.\r\n\r\n“Out of the way!â€ she called, and Akiko couldn’t help smiling, despite herself.', 'Kazumi''s Visit', 0, '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'kazumis-visit', '', '', '2009-06-06 13:21:24', '2009-06-06 04:21:24', '', 0, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/?p=596', 0, 'post', '', 3);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(597, 1, '2009-06-06 13:21:13', '2009-06-06 04:21:13', '', 'Kazumi''s Visit', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '596-revision', '', '', '2009-06-06 13:21:13', '2009-06-06 04:21:13', '', 596, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/06/06/596-revision/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(598, 1, '2009-08-28 00:00:32', '2009-08-27 15:00:32', '“Akiko!â€\r\n\r\nAkiko rolled over in bed, pulling the futon back up over her head.\r\n\r\n“Akiko!â€\r\n\r\nNo, Shiraishi wasn’t going away. Akiko turned on to her other side to peer at the clock. It was mid-afternoon; she wasn’t supposed to be getting up yet. Maybe if she waited a bit longer, Shiraishi would leave her to sleep.\r\n\r\n“Akiko! We have to go to purify the Tanakas’ house again.â€\r\n\r\nGroaning, Akiko pushed herself upright, shaking her head and rubbing at her eyes.\r\n\r\n“OK. I’m coming. I’m coming.â€\r\n\r\nShe pulled her yukata on as she stumbled over to the door, then slid it open.\r\n\r\n“I’ll have a quick shower. And… coffee?â€\r\n\r\nWith every sip of the coffee, Akiko felt more human. Shiraishi was pacing round the kitchen, not looking in Akiko’s direction and fidgeting with things; Akiko blew on the coffee to cool it so that she could drink it faster.\r\n\r\n“OK, just let me get dressed,â€ she said, checking that the towel was still secure before she stood up. “I didn’t want to do it half-asleep, and then have to do it again.â€ She had just stepped into the corridor when the doorbell rang. Akira, she realised, and ran for her room, sliding the door shut before Shiraishi could let him in.\r\n\r\nAkiko had got a lot faster at putting her vestments on, and Shiraishi hadn’t even finished telling Akira what needed looking at when she came back to the office. Akira turned to greet her, smiling, but concern quickly appeared on his face. Akiko immediately glanced down to check her vestments, but they looked OK. She glanced at Shiraishi, who seemed relaxed, so they must be OK. When she looked back at Akira, he was smiling again, but still looked a little worried.\r\n\r\n“Good luck with the purification, Akiko,â€ he said. “And take care of yourself, OK?â€\r\n\r\nThe Tanakas’ house was even heavier with kegare than it had been when she went to look with Akira, and the speed of accumulation shocked her. If it was building up this quickly, they would have to spend all their time purifying places just to stay on top of it.\r\n\r\nInside the house, spirits like long-legged rats with two, three, or four tails lurked in the corners and shadows, hissing at Akiko and Shiraishi as they came in and set up the himorogi, but keeping back, not approaching. As Shiraishi performed the harae, Akiko stayed alert, the kagurasuzu ready, but the kegare spirits made no move, apparently too scared to act before the light from the ohnusa burned them away.\r\n\r\nAs Mrs Tanaka handed over the money and thanked them, she gave a quick account of all the problems they’d had: the grandmother had been ill again; the television had broken down; three taps had started dripping and the bathroom had started to leak; Mr Tanaka had lost his wallet, which they found trapped behind the fridge when they were pulling out the dead bird that had somehow got in there; and Mrs Tanaka had cut herself several times while making dinner. All minor incidents in themselves, but enough to make her want the ceremony when they all happened in three days. Akiko had to agree, and as they left she glanced around. The Tanakas’ house was clean, but pollution was already blowing onto it from the surrounding buildings.\r\n\r\nShe frowned. They <em>had</em> to find a better way to deal with it.', 'Back to the Tanakas', 0, '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'back-to-the-tanakas', '', '', '2009-06-06 13:22:06', '2009-06-06 04:22:06', '', 0, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/?p=598', 0, 'post', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(599, 1, '2009-06-06 13:21:59', '2009-06-06 04:21:59', '', 'Back to the Tanakas', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '598-revision', '', '', '2009-06-06 13:21:59', '2009-06-06 04:21:59', '', 598, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/06/06/598-revision/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(600, 1, '2009-08-29 00:00:12', '2009-08-28 15:00:12', 'It was a couple of nights before Akiko met Yoshiko again, and Akiko was already at the tree, pacing impatiently, when the other miko appeared. They bowed to each other, and Akiko got in with her question before Yoshiko could start the dance lessons.\r\n\r\n“Yoshiko, what do you know about dealing with kegare?â€\r\n\r\n“What do you mean? We have to keep kegare out of the shrine, so we wash, and avoid spilling blood, and stay away from the dead… but you know that, right?â€\r\n\r\n“Yes, sorry. I mean…â€ Akiko suddenly realised that she didn’t know whether Yoshiko actually saw kegare. “Can you see it? Kegare, I mean? You said you saw Tamao, but…â€\r\n\r\n“Sometimes, I think. I see things that look like mould, or deformed insects or animals crawling on people.â€\r\n\r\n“Yes! That’s it! Right, what do you know about dealing with that?â€\r\n\r\n“Well, when you perform a harae it goes away.â€ Yoshiko still sounded uncertain about what Akiko was asking, which, now that she thought about it, was quite reasonable.\r\n\r\n“I’m sorry,â€ Akiko began. “I’ve not explained this at all well. I know that the harae cleanses the kegare, but that’s not enough. It’s everywhere, and it’s getting stronger.â€ Akiko quickly began explaining the kegare that she could see, and how it was spreading over most of the city. Yoshiko was very quiet when she had finished, getting up to walk slowly round the tree, even leaning on it for a few moments.\r\n\r\n“That’s bad,â€ she said, finally, looking back at Akiko. “Kegare is not just pollution, you know. It’s also weakening, sickness, decay, and death. And it’s disharmony and conflict between people. And not just between people; when people don’t live in harmony with the rest of the world, that causes kegare as well.\r\n\r\n“And I think that kegare makes all of those things stronger, so that once it starts to build up, it increases faster and faster.â€ Akiko thought about the situation in Kawasaki, and nodded. It certainly sounded like a description of what she was seeing.\r\n\r\n“So what can we do about it? What’s causing it?â€\r\n\r\n“Probably just the kegare itself,â€ Yoshiko said. “But I’m not an expert on this.â€\r\n\r\n“Do you know anyone who is?â€\r\n\r\nYoshiko paused for a moment, and then shook her head.\r\n\r\n“I’ve never seen it build up as much as you’ve described, though. I think the kami cleanse it before it gets that strong.â€\r\n\r\n“So, why haven’t they done that this time?â€ Akiko didn’t really expect an answer, but she did hope for a useful opinion.\r\n\r\n“Maybe they can’t? Maybe something is stopping them.â€\r\n\r\nAkiko suddenly remembered what Tamao had said when she spoke to him in the other shrine precincts.\r\n\r\n“That’s right. Tamao said that he was too weak.â€\r\n\r\n“So you need to make him stronger.â€\r\n\r\n“But how do we do that?â€\r\n\r\n“The rituals and festivals make the kami stronger. Are you performing them properly?â€\r\n\r\n“Well…â€ Akiko was a little embarrassed by the question. “There aren’t many ujiko at the moment, so they aren’t very big.â€\r\n\r\n“Not many ujiko? I thought you said it was a city?â€\r\n\r\n“Well, yes. There are lots of people, but they don’t come to the shrine.â€\r\n\r\n“Really?â€ Yoshiko looked surprised, even shocked. “Well, that’s the fundamental problem, then. You need to get people to come back to the shrine.â€\r\n\r\n“But how? And will it be quick enough?â€\r\n\r\n“You need a festival, I think. People like festivals, and the kami like festivals. And they draw attention, bring people back to the shrine.â€\r\n\r\n“A festival?â€ Akiko thought about it. It wasn’t a bad idea, but what sort of festival could they hold? “That’s a good idea. I’ll have to talk to the priest about it.â€ Yoshiko nodded.\r\n\r\n“Good. And now, I think we should get on with the practice. Do you have your kagurasuzu?â€', 'The Nature of Kegare', 0, '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'the-nature-of-kegare', '', '', '2009-08-30 18:22:12', '2009-08-30 09:22:12', '', 0, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/?p=600', 0, 'post', '', 1);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(601, 1, '2009-06-06 13:22:41', '2009-06-06 04:22:41', '', 'The Nature of Kegare', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '600-revision', '', '', '2009-06-06 13:22:41', '2009-06-06 04:22:41', '', 600, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/06/06/600-revision/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(602, 1, '2009-08-30 00:00:52', '2009-08-29 15:00:52', 'Akiko walked back to the shrine house deep in thought. She hadn’t really thought of festivals as a source of energy for the kami, but if they were then it did seem like a good strategy. They had been performing the shrine rituals more thoroughly recently, and doing the purifications in the area, so that might have had an effect. Akiko thought back, and realised that she hadn’t really seen Tamao since they had started offering food in the mornings and evenings, so she didn’t know whether it was having any effect on his level of power. In fact, she had almost no feedback on what they were doing.\r\n\r\n<em>Why don’t you talk to me, Tamao?</em> She shook her head, and paused as she came out of the woods, looking around the shrine grounds. Was there any way she could get Tamao to speak to her?\r\n\r\nThe iwakura immediately drew her attention. Even in the darkness, she could see it clearly, the stones standing out from the gloom of the night. She took a step towards it, the feeling that she was the focus of someone’s attention getting stronger by the moment. Another step, and her pulse sounded louder in her ears, strengthening, becoming a drum beat that reverberated through her whole body.\r\n\r\nBy the time she reached the stones she was stepping in rhythm with the beat of her body, and she sank naturally to the ground beside them, placing the kagurasuzu by her side, bowing so that her forehead brushed the grass, bowing again, raising her hands to clap twice, and then bowing once more.\r\n\r\nWhen she straightened up, she could see the fire within the stones, a shifting red glow, flickering and winking as it looked at her. It was warm, then hot. Sweat began to pour off her, and her heart suddenly started to race. Seizing the kagurasuzu, she pushed herself up from the ground, swinging the bells towards the sky and running round the stones, fast enough to lift the trailing cloth from the ground. She ran faster, her footing unnaturally sure as her breath came in shorter and shorter gasps. The cloth strips seemed to be longer now, the red light from the stones brighter, and she swept the kagurasuzu down, the tinkling of the bells briefly drowning the sound of her panting.\r\n\r\nThe light within the stones flared.\r\n\r\nShe swept the bells up, and the light flared again. Still running, she moved the kagurasuzu before her, in patterns that came to her from hours of dance practice under the tree, patterns that she had never used together like this before. The light waxed brighter, and hotter, and called to her wordlessly, a cry of desperate longing.\r\n\r\nThrusting the kagurasuzu high with a shout, Akiko turned and leapt into the heart of the stones.\r\n\r\nShe fell a short distance, landing on a rough stone surface. She put her hand down to steady herself, and then snatched it back, sucking her breath in hard. The stone was hot. She stood, unable to see anything in the darkness, the heat of the stone already coming through her shoes, and strained her ears for any hint of sound.\r\n\r\nThe light from the jet of fire almost blinded her, as the crack of its eruption set her ears ringing, and the stone shifted under her feet, making her lose her balance. She cried out as her hands fell on the hot rock again, and she could smell the scorched cloth of her vestments as she stood up again. Her eyes had adapted now, to the red light from the fountain of lava ahead of her, its glow reflected from the dark clouds low overhead. She was standing on top of a large, dark rock, surrounded by other rocks in a chaotic jumble. The gaps between many of them vanished into darkness, deeper than she could see, and even as she regained her feet, the rocks shifted again, as if in an earthquake, just as a strong wind struck her from behind, almost lifting her off her feet.\r\n\r\nLightning split the sky, and then lanced down to strike the rock next to her. Fragments of stone stung her face and hands, and the blast of air knocked her back. The rock heaved again, and a geyser of boiling water erupted from the crevice beside her, sending her staggering away as drops of scalding water fell on her hands.\r\n\r\n“Tamao!â€ Her scream was whipped away by the wind, drowned out by the thunder. The rock was rolling like the deck of a ship now, fire and steam providing spray as the other rocks crashed like waves.\r\n\r\n“Tamao!â€ Akiko was afraid, no, terrified. This wasn’t natural. This was rage. Fury. She fell to her knees again, unable to keep her balance, and cried out as the rock burned her hands. The ground tipped under her, the wind gusting far stronger from one side, and with a scream she lost her balance, tumbling across the rock towards the edge, her hands scrabbling for some grip even as the surface burned and tore at her skin.\r\n\r\nShe couldn’t hold on, though. The rock was tipping further over, and now the red light from below was from a raging fire, not molten rock but actual flames, red and orange and white, smoke rising from her vestments even now as she smelled her hair start to singe.\r\n\r\nAnd then the rock was vertical, and she fell into the flames. There was nothing but agony in darkness as the flames consumed her eyes, her body.\r\n\r\nShe was the fire. She wanted to dance, to leap, and she found that she could. Springing into the sky, she danced around the lightning, dodging the clouds, then plunged into a stream of lava, melting the darkening crust again, encouraging it to flow once more. She could still feel the rage all around her, but it was not directed at her. The wind swept down around her, gently carrying her up, up through the clouds, clouds which were the ground.\r\n\r\nShe was a fire in a brazier, in the grounds of the shrine. She could see around her in her own light, see the nearly-naked people carrying the mikoshi, the palanquins of the kami. They were racing, the men slightly ahead of the women, and around them other people were watching and cheering. She felt their energy, their enthusiasm, flow into her, and she burned more brightly, the sweat that coated their bodies catching her crimson light and scattering it back at her, returning it loaded with energy. The white loincloths, the gold of the mikoshi, the red of the scarlet torii, the shouts of celebrants and the beat of the drums, the scents of sweat and arousal; Akiko was overwhelmed, burning ever brighter, a tower of flame now, looking down on the festival from above and illuminating it like a sun.\r\n\r\nThe men won the race, setting their mikoshi down in front of the iwakura scant moments before the women. A priest, Shiraishi!, stepped out from the shadows with an ohnusa, and as she swung it in purification Akiko felt her passions subside, her flames shrinking as she calmed down, the light dying with the fire, hiding the end of the festival from her as she sank back down from the brazier, towards the ground.\r\n\r\nWhere she was lying, her cheek against the cool earth, left hand flung out, touching the rough stone of the iwakura with one finger, the kagurasuzu still gripped in her right hand, vestments warm against her skin.\r\n\r\nFor long moments she lay still, eyes closed, feeling her breath pass in and out.\r\n\r\n<em>On to <a href="http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/category/06-wild-festival/">Part 6: Wild Festival.</a></em>', 'Arakeidai', 0, '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'arakeidai', '', '', '2009-11-25 12:05:15', '2009-11-25 03:05:15', '', 0, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/?p=602', 0, 'post', '', 6);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(603, 1, '2009-06-06 13:23:20', '2009-06-06 04:23:20', '', 'Arakeidai', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '602-revision', '', '', '2009-06-06 13:23:20', '2009-06-06 04:23:20', '', 602, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/06/06/602-revision/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(604, 1, '2009-06-06 21:54:59', '2009-06-06 12:54:59', 'I use third-party advertising companies to serve ads when you visit my website. These companies may use information (not including your name, address, email address, or telephone number) about your visits to this and other websites in order to provide advertisements about goods and services of interest to you. If you would like more information about this practice and to know your choices about not having this information used by these companies, please refer to their websites.\n\n<a href="http://www.google.com/privacy_ads.html">Google Advertising</a>\n\n<a href="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm/privacy-policy.html?o=1">Amazon.com</a>\n\nIn addition, I collect statistical information about visitors to my site. This information is aggregated, and does not identify individuals.\n\nAny information you provide in comments is publicly visible, with the exception of the email address you give. This email address will not be given to third parties, unless I am compelled to do so by law.\n\nAs the webmaster of the domain, I also have access to the recent logs, which include IP addresses. These could, in principle, be used to identify individuals, but probably only with the cooperation of your internet service provider; they only directly identify a computer at a time, as ISPs reassign IP addresses from time to time. In short, if a government agency wanted to know who you were, they could probably find out, but the only plausible way for me to do so is to ask you. I do not archive the raw log files, as I have no need for them.', 'Privacy Policy', 0, '', 'inherit', 'open', 'open', '', '337-autosave', '', '', '2009-06-06 21:54:59', '2009-06-06 12:54:59', '', 337, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/2009/06/06/337-autosave/', 0, 'revision', '', 0);
INSERT INTO `tamao_posts` (`ID`, `post_author`, `post_date`, `post_date_gmt`, `post_content`, `post_title`, `post_category`, `post_excerpt`, `post_status`, `comment_status`, `ping_status`, `post_password`, `post_name`, `to_ping`, `pinged`, `post_modified`, `post_modified_gmt`, `post_content_filtered`, `post_parent`, `guid`, `menu_order`, `post_type`, `post_mime_type`, `comment_count`) VALUES(605, 1, '2009-08-31 00:00:44', '2009-08-30 15:00:44', 'Akiko could feel the approaching footsteps through the ground, as well as hear them, but she didn’t want to move just yet\r\n\r\n“Akiko? Are you all right? Akiko?â€ Shiraishi sounded really concerned, so Akiko gathered her will and pushed herself up to a sitting position, looking round at the priest and nodding.\r\n\r\nShe really did seem to be all right. In fact, physically she felt great; she wasn’t at all tired, and nothing hurt. She nodded again, and slowly got to her feet. The memory of the agony was still too fresh, however, and she glanced nervously at the iwakura. The stones were just stones, standing there as normal. She didn’t even feel a presence within them.\r\n\r\n“Are you sure? You look… strange.â€ Shiraishi still sounded worried, but slightly less urgently than before.\r\n\r\n“I’m OK.â€ Akiko finally found her voice. “Really.â€\r\n\r\n“What happened?â€\r\n\r\n“Tamao’s…â€ She stopped, glancing back at the iwakura. “Let’s talk in the house.â€ She didn’t want to risk drawing the aramitama’s attention again, and talking about it while standing so close to the iwakura seemed like a good way to do just that.\r\n\r\nShiraishi just nodded, and stayed near her as they walked back, as if afraid that she would collapse at any moment. Akiko smiled at her, trying to be reassuring, but from the priest’s expression, it wasn’t very convincing.\r\n\r\nSitting in the reception room, with tea and sweets in front of them, Akiko prepared to tell her story. Shiraishi was sitting quietly, apparently ready to listen to anything.\r\n\r\n“I think it was the aramitama,â€ Akiko began. “I had been practising with Yoshiko, and when I was coming back, it was as if the aramitama was watching me. Something drove me to dance, well, I suppose it was more run, really, around the stones, and then…â€\r\n\r\nShe drew her breath in sharply, the memory suddenly becoming more vivid. She closed her eyes, and picked up a manju; eating something sweet distracted her for a moment.\r\n\r\n“I think I was in hell.â€ The priest looked surprised, and Akiko shook her head. “No, that’s not right. Not hell. Maybe I was in the aramitama? There were storms, earthquakes, volcanos… I could feel anger.â€ It was getting hard to speak again, now, and Akiko picked up the tea to have something to do.\r\n\r\nShiraishi just waited in silence, watching her.\r\n\r\n“I saw a festival. It was as if I was in the shrine precincts, watching it. There were two mikoshi, one carried by men and the other by women, and they were racing to be first back into the shrine. It was night time; the grounds were lit by braziers. And the men and women were wearing nothing but loincloths. The mikoshi… The mikoshi were beautiful, gold-plated with red lacquered torii on them.â€ Akiko managed a smile. This part of the vision was rather easier. “I think Tamao’s aramitama might want that festival.â€\r\n\r\nShiraishi nodded, but remained silent as if waiting for Akiko to continue. Akiko just sipped her tea; she was not going to deliberately remember the rest of the vision.\r\n\r\n“Well,â€ Shiraishi said, “I’m not sure what we can do about that. We couldn’t hold such a festival; quite apart from the cost of mikoshi, topless women running around is hardly appropriate, and would get them, and probably us, arrested.â€\r\n\r\nAkiko nodded.\r\n\r\n“I’m not even sure what the vision means. But Yoshiko also suggested that holding a festival might be a good way to strengthen the kami and encourage the ujiko to come back.â€\r\n\r\n“Yes,â€ Shiraishi said, nodding slowly, “it might. But not one involving naked women, I think. We don’t need <em>that</em> sort of attention.â€', 'Impossibilities', 0, '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'impossibilities', '', '', '2009-06-10 10:44:41', '2009-06-10 01:44:41', '', 0, 'http://www.davidchart.com/Novels/Tamao/?p=605', 0, 'post', '', 1);
