The horned day-moon that Ultima sees on their way to El Puerto seems a good omen; the Lunas have always cared for their crops and animals according to the cycles of the moon. After agreeing to a price for her services with Antonio's grandfather, Ultima and Antonio enter Tenorio's saloon, where she tells the owner that she has come to lift the curse that his daughters put on Lucas and that they will suffer greatly for tampering with fate. She and Antonio leave and return to the Luna house; on the way, Tenorio dashes by them on horseback, racing home to warn his daughters.
After preparing an herbal remedy, Ultima feeds it to Lucas, who vomits it immediately. With confidence, Ultima tells Antonio that Lucas will be cured when he is well enough to eat the blue corn meal, which they are now eating. She will cure Lucas, she says, because good always triumphs over evil — even though the Church does not sanction what she does. Hearing Ultima's owl chase coyotes away from the house, Antonio falls into a deep stupor and assumes Lucas' sickness; he is seized by cramps, convulsions, and pain as Ultima attempts to heal Lucas by using Antonio's strong, healthy body as a surrogate in order to purge the dark, deep-rooted curse. Then she fashions three clay dolls, covers them with wax, and dresses them; she allows Lucas to breathe on them, while they seemingly writhe. Not long afterwards, she sticks pins in them, and Lucas vomits an enormous ball of hair, mixed with green bile. The witches worked their curse by using his hair.
Ultima bags the vile mixture and plans to burn it at the site where the dancing took place. Antonio senses that their work is done.
