<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">Everyone was still assembled in front of her, kneeling on the grass in their happi coats and loincloths. A few people had their faces to the ground, but most were staring. Staring at her, she realised, but for some reason it didn’t bother her. She stepped out of the pool onto the rocks around it, the stones warm and rough under her bare feet, and as she moved she became aware of a weight on her shoulders, something brushing against her skin.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">Akiko glanced down, and gasped in surprise. A wide cloak hung from her shoulders, overlapping in front to cover her completely below the neck. It almost shone in the sunlight, so brilliant was its whiteness, and it was a moment before Akiko realised that it was made entirely of feathers, from which drops of water were running down, glittering. Only her feet were wet.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">She took another step away from the pool, onto the grass, glancing at Shiraishi. The priest was kneeling off to one side, her face tense and questioning. Akiko smiled and nodded, and Shiraishi visibly relaxed. She made a shallow bow to Akiko, and then turned to face the gathered people.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“The pollution has been purified. And so, at this point, the special festival…â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">A sound from behind her, water falling into water, caught Akiko’s attention, and she saw Shiraishi glance sideways, immediately falling silent. Akiko turned back to the pool, and saw that its surface was churning, throwing off spray that landed on the surrounding rocks. There were colours in the water, lights dancing and shattering in the surface, gold and silver, green and red and purple.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">Quickly, she turned to face the pool properly, stepping back to be off to one side, and knelt, bowing to calm herself.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">Moments later Tamao’s head rose from the pool, his eyes shining as always, looking first at Akiko, then at Shiraishi, then beyond them to the gathered people. He rose higher out of the water, his head reaching above the stones of the iwakura as he looked down on them.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">Akiko heard a squeal from behind her, followed by inarticulate sounds. Sounds of fear, incomprehension, disbelief.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;"><em>They can… see him?</em></p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">She risked a quick glance behind her, even though it meant looking away from the kami.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">There was no doubt. Everyone’s eyes were fixed on Tamao, and several people looked on the verge of running. Kazumi, however, was calm, her face full of… longing, adoration. Old Mrs Tanaka had tears running down her cheeks, but she looked as happy as scared. Noriko was pale, biting her lip, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. Akiko looked for Akira, and found him, near the back. As her gaze found him, he looked down from Tamao, straight at her, staring into her eyes with a look of wonder for several moments, before suddenly blushing and looking down.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;"><em>They can see him.</em></p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">Akiko’s mind whirled as she struggled to come to terms with it. Everyone could see the kami.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Bright Child,â€ Tamao said, and Akiko quickly turned back to him, bowing to cover her embarrassment.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Bright Child, speak for me.â€</p>