Paama is a wonderful cook married to a childish glutton of a man named Ansige. When she gets fed up of his demands she leaves him and goes to stay with her parents at a nearby village.
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Ansige eventually follows to make her come home, but along the way suffers many misadventures which Paama eventually has to rescue him from.
Local spirits known as djombi watch her with interest as she does this, remarking on her ability to control things and sort them out. One of them, known as Patience, decides to grant her the gift of a chaos stick, which can change the course of accidents and disasters. The djombi secretly watch over and subtly train her in its use.
But the chaos stick rightfully belongs to one of the djombi, known as Chance. Patience has taken it from him as punishment and to teach him a lesson. Chance visits Paama and a battle of wills and wits ensues as he attempts to get it back from her.
Best part of story, including ending:
I liked the concept of the chaos stick which can alter the course of something like the direction in which something falls, and therefore change big outcomes from little beginnings.
Best scene in story:
When one of the djombi, looking like a giant spider, has a conversation at a bar and none of the drunks bats an eye.
Opinion about the main character:
She is very clever and sensible.
