Akiko was back at the torii, now fully dressed, when Akira appeared at the bottom of the steps. She hurried down them to meet him.

“Well?â€ He nodded.

“I found two possibilities. I couldn’t tell from the addresses whether they were near hills, but it’s certainly likely.â€

“Let’s go to the closest one first.â€ Akiko was already getting into the car, and when she glanced at Akira he was just staring at her, most of his face hidden by the white mask. “Come on!â€ He snapped out of it then, hurrying round to his side of the car and getting in. The car navigator sprang into life as he turned the ignition, and he pressed a couple of buttons.

“I’ve already programmed the addresses in. This is the nearest one.â€ The computer started issuing directions, and they set off.

Akiko looked out of the window as Akira drove, too keyed up to make causal conversation, and completely unable to think of any tactful way to talk about what was worrying her.

The streets were eerily quiet. It was early in the morning, but the rush hour should have been well under way, with commuters lined up at bus stops and cars filling the main roads. Instead, she saw only a handful of people walking, hurrying along, their faces hidden behind masks, and while there were more cars, the roads were very far from being busy. She saw large red-and-white posters all around, and, looking more closely, saw that they were health warnings, about the fever. She couldn’t read the details as they drove past, but the fact that they were there at all was enough to make her shiver.

As they passed a clinic, Akiko was suddenly overcome by a wave of nausea, her head split by a pounding headache and her body drenched in sweat as she felt as feverish as she could remember. She closed her eyes and sucked in her breath, but the feelings passed in a moment. She took a moment to calm herself, hoping not to distract Akira, and then opened her eyes again.

The streets were busier now, but not with people. Creatures prowled the pavements, harassing the few pedestrians, who seemed oblivious to their presence, and occasionally lunging at cars, one of which Akiko saw swerve slightly before the driver got it back under control. The misshapen beasts climbed the walls of buildings, almost covering the next clinic they passed, their eyes searching out.

One of them met Akiko’s gaze briefly, its burning red eyes carrying nausea, the stench of vomit, a sticky feeling down her front, making Akiko glance down to confirm that she hadn’t just thrown up on herself. As she looked away, the feelings passed, and she looked up again, at a health warning poster on the pillar of an elevated road. The poster appeared to be surrounded by deep cracks, in and out of which flew things like enormous hornets, in and out, burying the poster in a cloud. Akiko could feel the fever building again in her chest, rising into her neck, but she couldn’t look away.

They turned a corner, and came to a stop.

“This is the first one,â€ said Akira.