“I’m back,â€ Akiko called out as she took off her shoes in the entrance hall at the shrine house.

“Welcome back.â€ Shiraishi appeared out of the shrine office almost immediately, looking slightly worried. “What happened?â€

“The Sugiyamas’ house was struck by lightning. Fortunately, the family all got out safely.â€ The priest paled as Akiko said it, her face a mask of shock.

“Lightning really struck?â€

Akiko nodded, suddenly very tired.

“Lightning really struck, just as Mr Takenaka said.â€

“We need to talk.â€ Akiko nodded again, and followed the priest into the reception room. Shiraishi sat on the floor, and Akiko followed suit; she wasn’t bothered about tea, and neither, it seemed, was Shiraishi.

Even though they had agreed that they needed to talk, and it was obvious what they needed to talk about, there was a long silence. Akiko couldn’t think of anything else to say; she had seen Mr Takenaka, and he had warned her about what he was going to do. And it seemed to be taking Shiraishi a long time to formulate her questions.

At last, the priest broke the silence.

“Tell me what you saw while you had the fever.â€

“I saw Mr Takenaka, and he threatened to strike the Sugiyamas with lightning.â€

“No, all of it. Please. It could be important.â€

Akiko nodded, and began to tell the story as best she could remember.

“…and Mr Takenaka was pacing outside the torii, ranting about betrayal.â€

“One moment. Outside the torii, you said?â€

“Yes.â€

“Did he ever come inside, into the shrine precincts.â€

“Er…â€ Akiko wasn’t sure, and she had to think for a few moments. “I don’t think so, no. No, he was always on the steps down from the torii.â€ The priest nodded, her lips pressed together.

“Go on.â€

Akiko told her about the visions of Mr Takenaka, and then went on to describe the final vision, the one that had led her to conclude that she was supposed to become a miko.

“You said that Tamao came out of the shrine building, right?â€

“Yes, out of the rear section.â€

“But the red light and the miko uniform were in the iwakura?â€

“Yes, that’s right.â€

“While you could see Tamao fighting at the edge of the precincts?â€

“Yes.â€ Akiko was puzzled now. “Why?â€

“It sounds like Tamao is enshrined in the shrine building, not the iwakura. So that raises the question of what the light in the iwakura was.â€

“It was on Tamao’s side, I think. At least, it was helping me drive the kegare off, and Tamao didn’t attack it.â€ Shiraishi nodded.

“Maybe the aramitama.â€

“The what?â€

“The aramitama. Kami have two spirits, the aramitama and the nigimitama. The nigimitama is the gentle spirit, the aramitama is the wild spirit, the violent one. In one sense different aspects of the same kami, but they’re almost different kami. Some shrines have them enshrined in different places; Ise, for example.â€

“Wouldn’t the giant snake be the wild spirit, the, what, aremitama?â€

“Aramitama. Well, maybe, but how violent has the snake been?â€

“Well… Actually, not really. There have been violent things, but not from the snake directly.â€ Shiraishi nodded again.

“And the nigimitama has been more worshipped in the recent past, which would explain why it is in the main building. I’ll have to think about that, but one thing is clear now.â€

“What’s that?â€ Akiko asked.

“I have to start training you as a miko.â€