Akiko got up around noon the following day, and Shiraishi told her that Akira had visited the shrine in the morning, and told her that he would be free to take her looking for kegare the following day. They ate a meal together, and then Shiraishi announced that she was going back to bed; the purification had taken more out of her than expected.

The weather was not good, so Akiko found herself sitting in the office, staring out at the shrine through the rain. The stones of the iwakura looked darker than ever, slick with rain, and Akiko remembered the light she had seen pulsing within them. Then she remembered Yoshiko, and the spirit, or kami, in the river, and the kegare spreading over the whole area.

For a moment, panic seized her, and she stood up, convinced she should be doing something about the problem, not just sitting there. She looked frantically around the office, but then sat down again. There was nothing she could do about the problem, not right now. Well, apart from look after the shrine. More problems there would almost certainly just make things worse, she thought.

There was movement at the entrance, and Akiko looked round sharply, pulled from her reverie. Mr Fujimura was standing there, in haori and hakama as ever, and coming over to the office. Akiko stood up and bowed to him, pulling the window open. She really wished that Shiraishi were awake.

“Mr Fujimura, thank you for coming. Do you have time to come inside and have some tea?â€

“Thank you, that is very kind.â€

“I am afraid that Revd Shiraishi is not available at the moment.â€ Akiko realised that she had better say that as quickly as possible.

“Oh. Not ill, I hope?â€

“Thank you, she is well. We just have to stay up all night to make sure the protesters do nothing to the shrine, so we have to sleep in shifts.â€

Mr Fujimura frowned.

“Is there anything I can do to help?â€ Akiko bowed in acknowledgement.

“No, I don’t think so, but thank you very much for the offer. Please, come in.â€ She gestured in the direction of the door, and went round to meet him.

There was no choice but to leave him alone in the reception room while she got the tea, even though she felt that it was being very impolite. Mr Fujimura, of course, looked as imperturbable as always, and when she returned he had taken some small stacks of leaflets out of his bag and placed them on the table. Once she had served the tea, he indicated them.

“I have brought you some leaflets that you might find useful. I noticed last time that you had little to give to worshippers.â€

Akiko looked at the titles of the leaflets, and quickly glanced through them. <em>Our Imperial Family, Shinto: Japanese Spirit, The Male Succession…</em> They were all standard publications from the Association of Shinto Shrines, but the choices made Akiko uncomfortable, reminding her of the accusations of fascism. Still, they weren’t fascist literature; a little right-wing, maybe, but entirely conventional, really. She looked up, and forced a smile.

“Thank you, you are most considerate. I am sure these will be very useful.â€

“You are most welcome. It is a shame that Revd Shiraishi is not available to perform a ceremony, but please convey my regards.â€

“Of course.â€

He stood and took his leave, and Akiko waited by the door, bowing until he was out of sight by the steps. Retuning to the reception room she picked up the literature and looked at it again.

Something to talk to Shiraishi about.