<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">Akiko was sweeping the area in front of the pool, cleaning up after the morning ceremonies, when she saw Mr Fujimura climb the steps and bow at the top, where the torii should have been. She bowed slightly in acknowledgement, and he nodded in return, and then, deliberately keeping herself calm, she walked over to the shrine house.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">Shiraishi had emerged from the office by the time she got there, and was already greeting Mr Fujimura.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“…and I should like to offer a ceremony for the health and prosperity of our imperial family,â€ he was saying. Akiko wasn’t surprised, but it reinforced her uneasiness.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Of course,â€ Shiraishi’s agreement was perfectly correct, but even Akiko could hear the chill in her voice. Mr Fujimura showed no reaction, but she couldn’t believe he had missed it.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">After the ceremony, they went to the reception room to talk. Akiko went to get the tea, but the conversation did not start until she returned.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Ms Tanahata,â€ Mr Fujimura began, “I think I should talk to you as well about this.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“What is it, Mr Fujimura?â€ Shiraishi asked, sounding slightly irritated.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“I have…â€ He paused, apparently searching for the right words. “I have heard that things happened at the festival you held a couple of days ago.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Things normally do happen at a festival,â€ Shiraishi replied, cagily.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“The things I heard about are not normal,â€ Mr Fujimura said.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Well, then, you had better tell us what you heard,â€ Shiraishi responded. Akiko’s unease was growing; why was there so much stepping around the issue.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“I hear that people saw things that they interpreted as evidence of the supernatural,â€ he began. “There were accounts of flames, and of a giant snake. I also heard that Ms Tanahata disappeared, and then reappeared from the pool in a robe of feathers.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">Silence fell as he finished speaking, Akiko glancing surreptitiously at Shiraishi, trying to judge the priest’s mood, and to choose an appropriate response.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“I see,â€ she said, at last. “Thank you for telling us that you have heard those stories.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">Mr Fujimura looked hard at the priest for a long moment, and then turned his gaze on Akiko. It made her uncomfortable, reminding her of one of her school teachers, a strict man with an uncanny ability to tell when you hadn’t done your homework, but she refused to look down.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">He looked away, nodding once.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Well, then. I am sure you must be very busy. Please excuse me.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Of course.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">He took his leave as politely as ever, turning at the top of the steps to bow to the shrine once more.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“What was that about?â€ Akiko asked, when she was sure he was out of earshot.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“I don’t know,â€ Shiraishi responded.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Well, why didn’t you just tell him that we all saw those things?â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“I don’t know,â€ Shiraishi said, again. “I think… I think he already knows. I think he just wanted to see what we would say.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“And he did.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">Shiraishi looked at her, surprised, but then nodded.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Yes, he did.â€ She looked back towards the entrance. “I wish I knew what he was planning. What he was thinking.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“How much he knows,â€ Akiko added, and Shiraishi nodded again, but without looking at her.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“He knows <em>something,</em>â€ she said. “He had a reason for helping us.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“I want to know what it was.â€</p>