As for evil, Gabriel tells his son that "evil" is only that which people don't understand. True understanding, he says, that which Antonio seeks, takes a lifetime; it is not a simple matter of participating in a single holy communion. Understanding means having sympathy for people, and Ultima's sympathy is so complete that she can touch and heal the souls of others. That is her magic.
That summer, working alongside his uncles, silently learning to respect and care for the earth, taking note of how they all work in communion with the cycles of the moon, Antonio gathers strength. He sleeps peacefully.
Late in the summer, while working at irrigating a cornfield, Antonio learns that his parents will be coming soon to take him back to their village. Uncle Pedro praises Antonio's learning and says that there has not been an educated Luna for a long time — to which Antonio states that he is, first, a Márez and, second, a Luna. Pedro agrees, stressing again how proud the Lunas are of him.
Their talk is cut short when Juan arrives and talks privately with Pedro. Overhearing them, Antonio realizes that another Trementina sister has died and that Tenorio has once again vowed to kill Ultima. Juan is reluctant to become involved; their father will be angry. Pedro, however, reminds him that Ultima healed their brother Lucas; they are indebted to her.
