<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">Akiko nodded, and turned towards the house. Shiraishi was still standing there, waiting for her.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Akiko,â€ the priest asked, her voice low, “where did that robe come from?â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">Akiko looked down again. The feathers still shone white in the sun, but all the water had evaporated away.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“I don’t know. It wasn’t…â€ She stopped, not sure how to explain what had happened. “In the kami forest, no, it wasn’t just there.â€ She stopped again. “I was fire. Or maybe the aramitama.â€ She shook her head, frustrated. “No, that’s not right either.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">Kazumi and Shiraishi both looked sympathetic.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“For now, what do you know about the robe?â€ Shiraishi asked.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Nothing. I was wearing it when I appeared from the pool. I don’t remember it from before that.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“What are you wearing underneath?â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">Akiko’s mouth twitched. Trust Kazumi. On the other hand, it was a sensible question.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Nothing, as far as I can tell.â€ Kazumi looked at her for a moment, and then nodded.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Just a moment,â€ she said, as she ran off towards the trees. Akiko quickly understood, but when she looked at the forest, she couldn’t see the kami tree.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“You went into the kami forest, then?â€ Shiraishi asked.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Yes,â€ Akiko replied. “Didn’t you see me? The tree was right at the edge of the woods.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">The priest shook her head.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“You ran into the woodlands, and out of sight. We couldn’t see the kami tree.â€ She looked like she was going to continue, but then she closed her mouth, and her eyes, for a moment, before opening her eyes again with a slight shake of her head. “You need to explain this to everyone. We need to decide what we are going to do with the robe.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Do with it?â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“It’s a feather robe received as a gift from the kami.â€ Shiraishi sounded slightly amused. “You can’t just take it off and hang it in the wardrobe.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Ah. Ah, no.â€ That was a good point. “Maybe we should keep it with the mask?â€ Akiko suggested. Shiraishi nodded, slowly.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Yes. We can also ask Tamao what we should do with it.â€ The priest suddenly smiled. “There are advantages to the kami speaking to us directly, after all.â€ She went serious again. “But…â€ Kazumi appeared from the woods again, running over, and Shiraishi turned to look.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“At the base of the tree,â€ the girl said, holding up Akiko’s loincloth and coat. Akiko nodded.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“That’s what I remember doing.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Good,â€ Shiraishi said, “but what do we do about the robe?â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“I thought…â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Oh, sorry. I mean about you taking it off.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">Akiko, puzzled, raised her hands towards the neck, feeling inside.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“There’s a hook here…â€ she began.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“No, not the practical problem,â€ Shiraishi said, quickly, blushing bright red. “I mean that I think we should do it in a ceremony of some sort. It’s not just a robe, after all. But you can hardly mess around putting clothes on underneath it. I mean, that wouldn’t be respectful. So…â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">Akiko suddenly understood what was bothering Shiraishi, although Kazumi still looked baffled.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“So where do we do the ceremony?â€ Akiko completed the thought. “And when? We need to talk to the ujiko soon.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“And I need to write a norito for the ceremony,â€ Shiraishi said. “But if you can’t take it off before that…â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“I promise not to say,â€ Kazumi put in, grinning.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Are you all right with that?â€ Shiraishi sounded concerned now, and Akiko did have to think about it for a moment.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“I suppose so. It’s really quite comfortable. And long.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Right, then. Kazumi, you still need to get changed. Better hurry up.â€</p>