<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">Akiko could hear the chanting as she approached the shrine.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“No to Shinto! No to Fascism!â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;"><em>Well, I half agree,</em> she thought with a sigh. As the entrance came into view she could see the protesters marching in circles in front of the shrine, while the guards watched them from the steps. Akiko spotted Mrs Watanabe among the protesters, and was suddenly overcome by an urge to cry. It passed in a moment, but she couldn’t meet the woman’s eyes, and hurried past and up the steps, barely nodding to the guards as she passed.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;"><em>It wasn’t Tamao,</em> she reminded herself, but that wasn’t much help.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">She was half way to the shrine house before she realised that Satomi was at the shrine, and walking towards her. She stopped, and quickly forced a smile.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Satomi! How are you?â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“OK, how are you?â€ Satomi didn’t, Akiko realised, look OK. She looked exhausted, at the very least. Quickly, Akiko shifted to look at kegare. For a moment, she thought Satomi was clean, but then she realised that there were lines of fungus running under her skin, showing through like veins, bursting through at various points in clusters of slimy stalks. Repressing the shudder, she switched back.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Fine. We’re just getting ready for the festival.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Yes, I heard about that. Someone said it was a naked festival.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Well, sort of. Loincloths and happi coats.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Yes, but that’s what “naked festivalâ€ actually means, isn’t it.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Well, yes, usually.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“And I saw one of the posters.â€ Akiko was surprised. Akira and Kazumi must have started getting them up really quickly. “It said there was a women’s mikoshi.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Do you want to help carry it?â€ Akiko thought she might, and that would get Satomi involved in a harae, which she clearly needed.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Ah… Do the women also wear loincloths and happi?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 as she nodded.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“But that would put your bottom on display to the whole world!â€ Akiko had been trying not to think about that part, and just nodded again, sure that her face was bright red. “Are you going to be helping carry it?â€ Akiko nodded again. That was something else she’d been trying not to think about, but there was no way she could get out of the obligation. “Hmph. Well, it all sounds a bit too embarrassing to me. I don’t think I’m going to help with that, sorry.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Oh, no problem. You could still come along, though.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Hmm. Yes, I suppose there’s also the men’s mikoshi to watch, isn’t there.â€ Satomi’s smile was, Akiko thought, supposed to be light-hearted, but it didn’t quite make it.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Well, yes. And the other ceremonies.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“I guess the key question is whether all the men are going to be fat and middle-aged.â€ Satomi’s smile really seemed forced, now, and Akiko started to worry. This was out of character; what was going on?</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Not all, no. At least some young men.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Oh well, then, I’ll have to be sure to be there.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Do you want a purification ceremony first?â€ Akiko blurted out. She was sure that it was the right thing to say, but she couldn’t quite work out why.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“What? No. Why would I…? No. Must be going. Thanks for the offer. But no. Bye.â€ Satomi was almost hurrying out of the shrine, and Akiko stood, staring after her, for some time. That really wasn’t like Satomi at all.</p>