15
As Aypi stalked through the village, it became more and more deserted. This was a surprise, but it didn’t placate her. She flew back and forth looking for victims like a poacher. Her purpose was to make men stare their own weakness in the face and temper them with the understanding. Instead of being tempered, however, they hid at home, it seemed, and their wives did nothing to chase them away. This infuriated Aypi even more.
Some evenings Aypi would see youngsters going to meet their sweethearts. These she never laid a hand on or terrified, rather she felt close kinship with them. Though she had married in her time and lived as the wife of Dadeli, she had never known love’s pleasure in her life and still regretted it. Lovers to her were as sacred as holy pilgrims.
One night as she st
