<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Well?â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Well what?â€ Akiko was starting to feel her lack of sleep, and wasn’t quite up to handling Kazumi’s enthusiasm.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Well, did Tamao appear again? What are you going to do about the festival? Are we going to summon him and have him eat all the losers at the entrance to the shrine?â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">In spite of herself, Akiko smiled.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“No, he didn’t appear again. No, we aren’t going to have him eat the protesters.â€ Akiko had to pause as she suddenly remembered Mrs Watanabe’s story. “And as for the festival,â€ she continued, “we found some old records last night, and we’re working on it.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Great! Can I help?â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“After school.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">Kazumi pouted, and, noticing that Shiraishi had come out of the house, turned to her for support.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“You have to go to school, Kazumi. But…â€ She looked at her watch. “OK. Get changed <em>quickly.</em> You can help with the morning ceremonies, and then we’ll tell you about the festival. But then you have to go to school.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Right away!â€ Kazumi ran indoors, leaving her shoes lying in the entrance hall. Sighing, Shiraishi tidied them up.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“She’s a bit tiring at times, isn’t she?â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Mm,â€ Akiko agreed. “But why tell her now?â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">Shiraishi looked surprised.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“She has seen Tamao as well. He’s included her; I’m not going to exclude her.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Oh.â€ Akiko hadn’t quite thought of it like that. “But she doesn’t know anything…â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Ah, Akiko, neither did you. She is starting from the same place you did.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">Akiko could feel herself blushing; the priest was absolutely right. Akiko suddenly realised that she wasn’t entirely happy that the others had seen the kami; it made her less special. <em>Stupid,</em> she scolded herself. <em>Would you rather no-one believed you?</em></p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">Noriko arrived just before Kazumi came out in her vestments, and joined them for the morning purifications as usual. Akiko quickly checked for kegare before they started, and winced at the stench of decay coming from half a dozen patches near the edge. She looked closely; was it worse than the previous day? No better, certainly. In any case, the harae cleansed it.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Now tell me about the festival!â€ Kazumi said, as soon as they had finished.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Festival?â€ Noriko asked.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Ah, yes,â€ Shiraishi said. “An old festival, one the shrine hasn’t held for over a century. We’re… thinking of reviving it.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Really? That sounds very interesting.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Well, come and look at the records.â€ Shiraishi didn’t sound fully enthusiastic to Akiko’s ears, but Noriko’s desire to be told was quite clear.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">In the office, Shiraishi carefully opened the book.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Wow!â€ Kazumi was grinning all over her face as she looked at the picture of the procession.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Oh!â€ Noriko was blushing very strongly.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“I want to be in this festival!â€ Kazumi said, prompting Akiko to look at Shiraishi and roll her eyes.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Er… Are you really sure that this is appropriate?â€ Noriko asked. “Some festivals were discontinued for good reasons, you know.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Well, we think we would have to modify it a bit…â€ the priest said, but Noriko shook her head.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“It’s not just the nudity. Look. This is a wild festival, racing the mikoshi.â€ She gestured at the text, and, with a shock, Akiko realised that she could read it easily. “People get injured in those festivals, even killed. And, of course,â€ she blushed again, “there is the nudity. That’s hardly appropriate.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“It’s a traditional festival of the shrine,â€ Shiraishi protested. “How can it be inappropriate?â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Half-naked men and women racing with mikoshi? Come on, do you really think that’s appropriate activities for a shrine?â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">Shiraishi didn’t answer, but Kazumi looked distinctly disappointed.</p>