Chapter 12

"Ultima's cure and the golden carp occupied my thoughts the rest of the summer," are Antonio's first words in chapter 12.

Antonio spends most of the time with Ultima. In the day they gather plants in the hills. In the evenings they spend time in her room. One evening Antonio asks Ultima about three dolls that are on her shelf. "The dolls were made of clay and shellacked with candle wax. They were clothed, and life like in appearance." These dolls seem familiar to him and one looks as if it had been left in the sun. "I looked closely at one doll that sagged and bent over. The clay face seemed to be twisted with pain." Antonio is told not to touch the dolls. Ultima distracts Antonio from them by warning Antonio to stay away from Tenorio Trementina, the evil man from El Puerto who had threatened Ultima and whose three daughters had supposedly put the curse on Antonio's uncle Lucas.

One evening the family is gathered in the kitchen and Antonio's mother is reminiscing about her friend Narciso. Although Maria had lived many years on the llano, she had only made two friends, Ultima and Narciso. Narciso, who was a drunk and many people thought was useless, had helped during the birth of her daughters and for that Maria will be always be grateful to him. Narciso was also the man on the bridge who wanted to try to save Lupito's life in chapter 2. While they are talking, Narciso himself bursts into the house. He is at first incoherent, such is his excitement. They finally come to understand that Tenorio and a bunch of his drunken friends are on their way to the Marez resident intent on blood. One of Tenorio's daughters has died and Tenorio is blaming Ultima. He has accused Ultima of being a witch.

When the angry mob arrives, Gabriel Marez stands his ground and will not allow them to take Ultima. Tenorio exclaims, " la mujer que no ha pecado es bruja, le juro a Dios!" Which means: The woman who has not sinned is a witch, I swear to God!" The men with Tenorio say that it is the "law by custom" to turn over a person accused of witchcraft. Narcisco points out that there are simple tests that could be used to determine whether or not Ultima is a witch. One proof of witchcraft is that witch cannot pass through a doorway with a holy cross on it. Using needles that had been blessed by a priest with holy water, they make a cross on the top of the door to the house. Ultima starts to walk through the doorway when her owl suddenly attacks Tenorio. The owl claws out one of his eyes. After the commotion of this event dies down, Ultima is standing outside of the house. This convinces the group of vigilantes that Ultima cannot be a witch and therefore can never again be accused of witchcraft. Tenorio then says, "Your evil bird has blinded me! For that I curse you! I will see you dead! And you Narciso, I swear to kill you!"

The men take the bleeding Tenorio and leave the Marez land. Once the men leave the family goes back into the house. Antonio pauses "at the door. A faint glitter caught my eye. I bent down and picked up the two needles that had been stuck to the top of the door frame. Whether someone had broken the cross they made, or whether they had fallen, I would never know."

Discussion questions:

1) The dolls in Ultima's room represent the three daughter's of Tenorio that Ultima made while performing the cure on Uncle Lucas. Are these an evil magic?

2) No one actually sees Ultima walk through the doorway. Do you think that the needles were still in the door when she walked through?