Akiko found Shiraishi in the kitchen, fixing herself some breakfast. The priest looked at her sharply.

“Why are you in here?â€

“It’s OK. Akira just arrived, and he’s watching the grounds.â€ Shiraishi relaxed immediately.

“That’s all right, then. We should ask him if he wants breakfast. Do you mind if I eat first?â€

“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.

“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.

“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.

“Well, then we can’t do anything, can we.â€

“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€

“Akiko, kegare comes from illness and death. An old folks’ home is bound to have a lot of it.â€

Akiko stubbornly shook her head.

“There was <em>more.</em> The whole building was hidden by it.â€ The priest looked at her, a little quizzically.

“Can you measure the amount of kegare?â€

Akiko 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?

“I think so,â€ she said, a little hesitantly. “Certainly, I can see different amounts, not just presence or absence.â€

“Hmm. And there was a lot at this old folks’ home?â€

“Oh yes, far more than on the buildings around it. Probably more than there was on the park.â€

“But what can we do if they won’t let us perform a harae?â€

“Sneak in. We can do it from outside the building, I’m sure.â€

“Akiko! That would be trespassing. What if we got caught?â€

“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€

The priest still looked sceptical, but she also seemed to be thinking about it.

“Could we do it from the street?â€

Akiko thought about that for a moment, and then slowly shook her head.

“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€

“You’re sure this is urgent?â€ Akiko could tell that Shiraishi was almost persuaded.

“Yes. Definitely.â€

The priest sighed.

“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€