Bless Me, Ultima: Chapter 10 (Diez) Summary & Analysis

Antonio tries to learn more about the golden carp but Samuel is gone for the summer. Gabriel, meanwhile, is sad that his sons have left, and María is unhappy because her youngest brother Lucas is sick. They think a bruja cast a spell on him, and now he is about to die. Even the priest of El Puerto failed to cure him. Pedro Luna arrives and after much ceremony asks Ultima if she will come with him to heal Lucas.

Ultima agrees, but she reminds them of the consequences of tampering with fate. Pedro accepts responsibility. They say the curse is strong, but Ultima has powers she learned from her teacher, the flying man of Las Pasturas.

Pedro tells the story of the curse. Lucas entered an evil cottonwood forest at night, and there he saw the daughters of Tenorio Trementina dancing as fireballs and casting evil spells – performing the "Black Mass," a satanic ritual. Lucas stepped forward to denounce them and then saw who they were. They attacked him but he made a cross out of two sticks and drove them away, though the brujas cursed him as they fled. Since then he has grown deathly ill.

Ultima gathers her herbs and declares her readiness, looking small but dignified. She says Antonio must go with her. He is "a Juan" (his middle name) and has strong Luna blood. María protests but Ultima says it is the only way. She tells Antonio it will be hard and dangerous work, but he still agrees to come.

They drive to El Puerto. On the way, they see an omen of the horned moon, which Ultima says is good luck for the Lunas as they live and farm by the cycles of the moon. They approach Prudencio's house, which is filled with women already dressed in black and mourning Lucas. Ultima tells everyone to leave and instructs Prudencio to prepare a room with food and water, and to not shoot the coyotes that will approach that night. She says she must speak to Tenorio first, and no one may come with her except Antonio.

They enter Tenorio's saloon, and at first he will not look at them. When he finally turns to Ultima his face is dark and cruel, and he makes the sign of the cross and calls Ultima a bruja. Ultima says she is a curandera come to undo his evil work, and she asks his daughters to undo their curse. She knows they gathered Lucas's freshly cut hair for their spell. Tenorio curses Ultima for accusing him and threatens to kill her, but cowers before her strength. Ultima says his daughters have tampered with destiny and so they must suffer the consequences. She and Antonio leave.

In the street they are caught in an ominous dust storm and Tenorio tries to run them over with his horse, but Ultima pulls Antonio aside just in time. The mourning women hurry away from the Luna house and Ultima enters at last. The house is quiet and empty. Lucas is on a bed looking like a corpse, but Ultima says there is still hope.

Antonio wonders if Ultima can succeed where the Church failed. Ultima bathes Lucas and prepares an herbal remedy. They eat atole, which was a sacred food to the Indians. Antonio still does not feel afraid, and Ultima says it is because good is stronger than evil.

Coyotes howl outside the house but than Ultima's owl appears and attacks them. Antonio slips into a dream state and Ultima feeds Lucas more medicine. Antonio feels he is struggling with his uncle Lucas against the curse. Time dissolves into incense and the owl's hooting.

Antonio wakes up and Ultima says they have defeated the death spirit, but the evil spirit remains. She makes another potion and then forms three clay dolls in the shape of women. Lucas breathes on the dolls and then Ultima sticks them with pins. Lucas drinks the potion and screams from the strength of it. Afterward Antonio falls asleep again.

When he wakes up Ultima feeds Antonio more atole, and says Lucas has been almost healed. Antonio vomits and then feels better. Lucas sits up and screams, and then vomits out a writhing ball of hair. Ultima saves the hair and feeds Lucas, who is already looking better. She calls Prudencio inside and tells him that his son will survive.

Everyone enters the house rejoicing and thanking Ultima, but she tries to slip away. She says maybe the Lunas will save her life one day. People whisper about her as she leaves, but one of Antonio's aunts defends her from the word "bruja." Ultima makes Pedro drive her to the grove where the witches danced, and she disappears into the trees with the ball of hair. Antonio learns that he and Ultima were in Lucas's sickroom for three days. Ultima burns the hair in the grove where Lucas was first cursed. She returns to the truck, and Pedro praises her courage.