Chapter 8.2

Without realizing it Toshio stared at the telephone receiver. 

"Now hold on, say it one more time. Seishin, what was that?"

I'm telling you, Seishin said, his voice a little quick as if hesitating to inform him. "Ikumi-san came to the temple. Kanemasa's the source, saying it's The Risen."

"That idiot---Her basis?"

"She insists that she knows. She looked like she planned to so to pressure Kanemasa."

"That's no joke!"

Toshio was speechless. This was the one thing he wanted to avoid. If a woman like Ikumi was the vanguard against him, then when she did it even if it was true it was less credible. If Ikumi went spreading it around, no matter how much they exhausted themselves of words trying to explain it, the villagers would be on guard against it.

Just when he'd been about to say 'anyway', there was a shrill voice heard in the waiting room. The buzz went all the way to the patients in the treatment rooms. 

"...And now it starts here, it looks like. That old bag's in the mood to do street preaching."

Ikumi's words didn't carry into the room enough to be made out. But he could at least make out the words "Oni" and "The Risen." Hanging up the phone at once, Toshio stepped out. With a discolored expression Mutou came rushing to him.

"Doctor---"

"I hear it, loud as she's being."

Toshio hurried towards the waiting room. In the waiting room Ikumi was foaming at the mouth, running around in circles. As if in a daze or as if confused the patients watched her. Behind Ikumi were about three more people, faces looking to be burning with curiosity; looking at them, Toshio could feel his mood souring. ---It wasn't like they believed her. But there were people interested in seeing where it went. 

"You all might think that you've caught a cold, but that isn't what it is! It's not a sickness you can catch and be cured from! Stop this now and open your eyes already! Hasn't everyone who's come to the hospital died and been carried up off into the mountains?!"

Toshio groaned. It was all the more piercing because it was true.

"Ikumi-san, if you come in stirring up weird agitations, that's a problem for us, you know?"

Ikumi turned about. "You've finally come out, you quack!"

"You can call me whatever you want but this is a hospital. I'm going to have to ask you to keep it quiet. Or is it that you don't have even that much common sense?"

"Which one of us's got no sense? Putting on a front like you're a doctor without even trying to cure no one. I'm a doctor, this's a hospital, if you're going to say that, why don't you show me a patient you've helped just a little!"

"I'll admit it myself there're patients I can't cure. But I'll need you to admit there's not a patient you can cure either."

"Hmph. I'll show you whether I can cure them or not. Kanemasa's the ringleader behind it all. Just knowing that, everyone'll be completely and cleanly cured. Nobody will have to see their families on the verge of death any longer!"

Toshio looked long and hard at Ikumi. Ikumi was being foolish but she did precisely grasp the situation. This might be one way to handle the situation, he thought. 

"...And? What are you saying we should do about Kanemasa? I hope you're not going to say that you can go in front of the house and chant a spell and make the Kanemasa house disappear."

A few of the patients laughed lightly. Ikumi glared at Toshio with eyes filled with frenzied anger. Toshio returned her look with a smile. Stirring up Ikumi was one way. This religious nut could storm Kanemasa. She would probably try to drag out the master to blame him. If she didn't, he would provoke her to do that. But the master of Kanemasa wouldn't come out. Even if, for example, Tatsumi came out, once Ikumi started her praying or whatever it'd probably cause some confusion. ---Yes, Ikumi had found the right angle. If this went well, they could show before the villager's very eyes proof that the bunch of them weren't normal. 

"Sorry to have to tell you, but I think about the only things your prayers'll chase off are geckos and cockroaches."

"Don't make fun of what you don't even understand!"

"Listen, Ikumi-san? You're free to believe in whatever you want. But The Risen and Oni and all that are just made up, they're not real. It's impossible for something like that to make someone sick. If you're saying the bunch at Kanemasa are the ringleaders, what do you mean? Don't tell me you plan to say they're The Risen too?"

"They're Oni. They're Risen. They're making Oni."

"Now that'd be something. I met the young guy from Kanemasa but he didn't look dead to me. He looked more like a proper, normal human than you do in fact."

"He only looks like it. They're actually Oni. All of them, they're all the dead risen up but still dead." 

"Can the dead go out walking around in the day time? It was daytime when I met Tatsumi-kun, but."

"There must be those who can. But isn't that young one the only one walking around in the day time? The others in the bunch can't wander around in the day time you know, that's 'cause they're dead."

That's exactly right, Ikumi-san, Toshio murmured in his heart. "He didn't not have a shadow or anything, he was walking out in the daytime, a light hearted, friendly young man, he was. You're saying he's a dead man, but how do you plan to prove that? Going to wave a Gohei purifying wand around until his mask comes flying off and he shows his true self?"

"That's right!" Ikumi puffed out her chest. 

"Well, if you say you wanna try it, go for it I guess. That'll definitely make it clear. Though I don't think Kirishiki-san has the time to deal with you, but hey."

"Whether he has the time or not, I'll just force him out. I'll make sure they learn the hard way that the people of this village aren't all careless idiots they can deceive so easily!"

"I see. So you're going to intrude on the Kirishiki's, drag their master out into a kangaroo court, in other words. Kirishiki-san'll have quite a calamity on his hands too." 

When Toshio said that, Ikumi gave a knowing smile. "I'm saying what I think for the villager's sake. I'll go and drag them out, then show the truth to everyone there for you."

"In that case, don't stand around here nitpicking, can I ask you to hurry on and go there? I'd like to continue seeing my patients and all. If Kirishiki-san goes along with your practical joke, be sure and let me know. I'll take their pulse for you at least and tell you if they're dead or alive."

Ikumi glared at Toshio. Just you watch, she spit back at him as she turned to go. Maybe she had captured their interest, as two or so near the entrance followed after her. The other patients watched mouths agape as Ikumi and the others left. Toshio gave a smile to the patients who seemed torn on whether to follow or not.

"Go on after her if you're interested, keep an eye on Ikumi-san to make sure she doesn't do anything too crazy."

With that about three more stood up and went to the entryway. 

Toshio watched them go with a thin smile.