<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">Even after Kazumi had left, babbling apologies down the phone to her mother, Akiko was far too keyed-up to sleep, and Shiraishi looked the same. She turned to Akiko, her eyes shining.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“I saw him!â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">Akiko couldn’t help smiling at the enthusiasm on the priest’s face, and then she had to pause to consider her own, much more muted, reaction. Had she really got used to seeing a giant talking snake?</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;"><em>Yes, apparently you have,</em> she told herself.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“He looked… even greater than you described.â€ Shiraishi was almost breathless.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“He is overwhelming,â€ Akiko agreed. “So we mustn’t forget that he is also dangerous.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">The priest’s face suddenly became more serious as she nodded.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“You’re right, of course. But…â€ The smile broke out again. “I <em>saw</em> him!â€ It was almost a whisper. She was silent for several moments, smiling at whatever she was imagining, then she shook her head. “Anyway, we should try to find out what the aramatsuri really involved.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Do we have records?â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Of course!â€ Shiraishi sounded shocked. “We had enough sense to move them somewhere safe while Tokyo was being bombed. Well, that and relatives in Nagano with a spare room. We’ve got nearly everything.â€ Her face fell. “Which is why I’ve not looked at most of it. “Everythingâ€ is quite a lot.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">She led Akiko back into the house, to an upstairs room she’d never been to before. It was full of books and documents, piled on shelves without any apparent order. Akiko stared around.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Just like this?â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Mm.â€ The priest sounded a bit embarrassed. “I’ve kept meaning to catalogue and organise it, but…â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“We do need to hold the festival this year!â€ Akiko said, and then realised how harsh that sounded. “I’m sorry. It just looks… overwhelming.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Mm.â€ Suddenly, Shiraishi’s expression brightened. “It’s not so bad. We do know that the aramatsuri hasn’t been held for a long time; I’m pretty sure it hasn’t happened since the Meiji Restoration. So we only need to look at the oldest records.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“And probably not account books and the like,â€ Akiko added. “Just things that might tell us what actually went on in the festival.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Right. So… this shelf is all too recent.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">They started going through the piles of papers, narrowing the search down quite quickly at first, but then uncovering another problem. Akiko could barely read the writing on the older documents, and Shiraishi didn’t find it much easier. Once they had excluded material that was too recent, things started to go much more slowly. They had to open the books, look to see what it was.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Er. I think I’ve found it,â€ Akiko said. Shiraishi came to look, and was quiet for a moment, trying to puzzle out the writing.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“This is the middle,â€ she said, after a moment. “Turn back a few pages.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Yes, but…â€ Akiko started to protest.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“I see them. We still can’t hold a festival involving topless women in loincloths.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“But this is the aramatsuri!â€ Akiko protested. “Look! Even I can read this bit.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Are you volunteering to help carry the mikoshi?â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Ah.â€ Akiko paused to think. “Maybe Tamao will allow <em>some</em> modifications.â€</p>