Chapter 16

After recovering from the ordeal of witnessing Narciso's murder, Antonio returns to school following the Christmas break. It seems that his experience has changed him -- he thinks to himself that he feels older, while it seems that all of his school friends have remained the same and continue to act like children. Antonio mostly keeps to himself, preoccupied by the dreams he had while ill, and ponders why God would let Narciso die when he was only trying to help Ultima but allows evil Tenorio to continue living and without punishment. He wonders if perhaps God is too busy to worry or care about the lives of people. Though he often goes to church after school to pray and ask God for answers to his questions, he finds no answers, and begins to pray more often to the Virgin Mary instead. Antonio imagines that when he does so, the Virgin Mary turns to God and repeats Antonio's words, but that God's response is that Antonio is just not yet ready to understand. He hopes that when he takes communion, his answers will come.

Walking home from school one day, Antonio meets Tenorio in the exact spot under the juniper tree where he murdered Narciso. Tenorio looks at Antonio with hate, curses him, and tells him his second daughter is dying and that he will find a way to punish Ultima for it. Antonio yells back that he will not allow that to happen, and calls Tenorio a murderer. It seems that Tenorio is about to physically attack Antonio, but he stops, and only says "the curse is that you know too much", then runs off.

When Antonio gets home, he tells Ultima about the encounter, but she reassures him that Tenorio is a coward and was only able to kill Narciso because he ambushed him; he will not be able to do that to Ultima. Ultima's words relieve Antonio's worry somewhat, though he continues to have nightmares of Tenorio shooting Ultima, leading him to awaken in the night and listen to see if he can hear her moving around in the house. She always seems to be awake, which reassures Antonio. He muses that though he has always been close to her, he became closer than ever to her and more appreciative of her in those weeks she cared for him while he was ill.

Discussion questions
1. What do you think Tenorio meant when he said to Antonio "your curse is that you know too much"? How does this tie in with the overall theme of the novel, thus far?

2. Why do you think Tenorio has returned to the juniper tree where Antonio finds him -- is he seeking absolution, feeling regret for what he's done, waiting to ambush Ultima, or something else?