Saksaha listens raptly to this explanation. "Then it seems there was bad luck here for this orochi-spirit, and not just for Otaku Chi-Pu-sama," she says, making a reverent warding gesture after speaking the dead woman's name. "But it is good to know there is no curse on the water. Ide Dabo-sama will be told about this. And also about your good help," she adds, nodding to Yuichi and the other shugenja. "Whether the water has any ordinary poison in it, I think will be easier to discover."
To Kemuri, she says, "Can we not find some small animal and make it drink? "
((Witch-lady isn't that soft-hearted.
Also she could Jurojin's Balm the test subject. But I'm not sure how much further investigation we can do in a past-day thread?))