Akiko suddenly realised that she was staring at Mrs Watanabe, and turned and ran up the steps. At the top, she could see the stones of the iwakura, looming dark against the green background of the trees, and the memory of fire came back to her. Stifling a sob, she ran into the house, ignoring Kazumi and running straight to her room, sliding the door shut behind her, sinking to her knees on the tatami, crying.

She couldn’t get the image of the little girl out of her mind, her blood vivid on her dress. The tiny voice protesting that she hadn’t really seen it, that it might not even be true, was quickly drowned out. It was all too plausible. The kami could do that. Would do that.

“Akiko?â€

With a shock, Akiko realised that it was already getting dark. How long had she been here?

“Yes?â€

“Are you all right?â€

“No!â€

Shiraishi came in at that point, and knelt beside her.

“Kazumi told me you ran in here. What’s the problem?â€

As accurately as she could, Akiko told Shiraishi what Mrs Watanabe had said. The priest winced, but waited until Akiko had finished to comment.

“It might not have happened like that, you know. It might have been a dog.â€

“Do you really believe that?â€ Akiko looked Shiraishi straight in the eye as she asked that, challenging the priest. The priest held her gaze for several moments.

“It might have been a dog,â€ she repeated, her voice gentle.

“The kami we serve kill children!â€

“It wasn’t Tamao you know. It didn’t happen here.â€ Shiraishi sounded defensive.

“That’s not the point!â€ Akiko was angry now, pushing herself to her feet. “She’s right! The kami are dangerous, psychotic. The war criminals are the ones who should be enshrined at Yasukuni; they fit right in!â€ She paused, trying to calm herself down, catch her breath, and looked down at the priest, who was still kneeling on the floor.

“What are we <em>doing?â€</em>

“Trying to protect Kawasaki.â€

The anger went out of Akiko in a moment, and she collapsed onto the floor, feeling as though someone had let the air out of her.

The priest was right, she realised. That was what they were doing, or trying to do. It was what she had sworn when she became a miko; protect the city from Tamao, as well as from the kegare.

“You’re right. We’re the ones in the middle.â€ She looked up again at the priest, and for the first time noticed the tension in the other woman’s face. “Do you think the world would be better if there were no kami?â€

“No kami, and no kegare?â€ Shiraishi paused, as if she didn’t want to verbalise her answer. “Yes,â€ she said, finally. “I think it was better when it was just traditional rituals.â€

“But that isn’t the way things are,â€ Akiko said, “right?â€ Shiraishi nodded.

“When I see Tamao,â€ Akiko said, “he’s so… glorious. I want to bow down before him. I <em>do</em> bow down before him. Why do we honour them?â€

“For their power,â€ Shiraishi replied, simply. Then she shook her head. “No, it isn’t that simple. They <em>are</em> glorious, Akiko. I don’t see what you see, and I know that. But they are glorious like a volcano, or a storm.

“They are not <em>safe.â€</em>

Akiko suddenly realised that Shiraishi was trembling.