When Akiko got back into the house, water dripping off her onto the floor, Shiraishi was nowhere to be seen. Akiko thought about calling out, asking for a towel, but it didn’t seem appropriate. Where were they going to find twenty million yen? And what was going to happen if they didn’t? Akiko quickly pulled her shoes off and ran to the bathroom.

After drying off a bit and putting a yukata on, Akiko went in search of the priest. It didn’t take long to find her; she was sitting in her room, her head in her hands, the sake bottle and glass in front of her.

The sake bottle was still unopened.

“Revd Shiraishi?â€

The priest looked up, her eyes red and her face streaked with tears.

“Is Tamao going to produce money to save us?â€

“Ah…â€

“No. Stupid question. He never does anything helpful. Always asking, never giving.â€

Akiko sat down opposite the priest.

“We aren’t doing this for Tamao, though. We’re doing it for everyone who lives here, right?â€

“You and me?â€ Shiraishi’s voice was on the verge of tears, but she seemed to want to talk now.

“Bigger here. This whole area. We have to protect them from the kegare, and from Tamao.â€

“Is that what you think we do?â€

Akiko nodded, thinking about how to put it.

“It was just before you made me a miko. I wasn’t sure that I wanted to do it; what had Tamao ever done for me? Then I realised that I had to mediate between Tamao and the people living here. I think he can help with the kegare; he stopped the thing that was chasing me, remember. And, on the other side, we have to protect people from his anger.â€

Shiraishi was almost smiling.

“You make Tamao sound like an adolescent.â€

Akiko just managed to stop herself from laughing, as she realised that was exactly how she’d been thinking of him. A delinquent teenager. No, a <em>talented</em> delinquent teenager.

“Um. That’s, er, not very respectful, is it?â€ Akiko could feel herself blushing a bit.

“Accurate, though.â€

There was a crash from outside, something blown over by the wind, and both women jumped.

“I think he heard us,â€ Akiko said.

“Yes, well, if he has any sense he’ll realise that he has bigger problems than the two of us running out of patience with his tantrums.â€ The priest sighed. “I think it’s over, Akiko. Maybe we could have survived Hideo’s suicide, and the fire, but not this as well. I don’t know…â€

“Revd Shiraishi,â€ Akiko interrupted, “I just spoke to Hideo Takenaka.â€

“What?â€

“He’s a kami now, in the precincts.â€ Shiraishi had gone pale, and was staring at her. Then, slowly, she nodded.

“Right. And you see the kami. I… I really hadn’t thought that through.â€

“He warned me about Tamao’s aramitama. He said that it would get really angry if the shrine was destroyed, and could kill a lot of people.â€

“Oh… wonderful.â€ The priest buried her head in her hands again. “I don’t think Wakabayashi will take that as a reason for not taking the shrine off us.â€

“We have to do something. Couldn’t we sell a bit of it?â€

“Not in a week. And we shouldn’t sell any of the precincts, not really.â€

“What about the ujiko?â€

“Twenty million yen, Akiko.â€

“Refunds from the craftsmen?â€

“Not enough.â€

“Revd Shiraishi, we can’t give up!â€

The priest reached for the sake bottle, and then let her hand fall onto the table.

“No, you’re right. We mustn’t give up.

“But what can we <em>do?â€</em>