Again, the appearance of a strange boat drawing up to the pier was a novelty to the islanders. Ernesto’s boat was already moored. There was just enough room on the other side for a second boat. Soon there were several people on the pier to welcome the strangers.
   Grandpa Timothy had just said, ‘It would seem we’ve ended the trip exactly where we began it!’
   Senhor Calabrerra was just in the midst of affirming the feeling, when Grandpa Timothy caught a glimpse of his mirror image standing on the pier, waiting for him.
   Next to him was Johnny, jumping up and down screaming in delight. The Johnny standing next to himself was doing likewise.
   The boat docked, and the elderly gentleman went and embraced his confused look-alike.
   ‘I’m your twin, who was drowned at sea, and am now returned,’ he said. ‘And I bring greetings from the twins of all who are here, whom you also feared drowned at sea.’
   They both broke down and wept in one another’s arms.
   Meanwhile, the two Johnnies led Father Argabuendista to the family hut to meet Ernesto.
   ‘Maybe it would be best if the one of you who came with me would wait outside,’ said the padre.
   The Johnny who belonged on that island led him in.
   ‘Padre! What brings you here?’ said Ernesto.
   ‘Concern for my sheep, and for the bereaved of his family, whom I find are not bereaved after all.’
   ‘Yes, padre. It’s wonderful. The child was found by natives who were in the area.’
   ‘Oh, I see. But at Doma, where I just came from they told me a different story — now, be at peace, my son. I think we can straighten this all out so that everyone — or at least most are happy. The rest will simply have to accept the will of God, and find their peace in Him.’
   ‘What did you find in Doma?’
   ‘I found people there — no phantoms — no ghosts of dead relatives — real people. Your wife was there. You have one here also, I understand.’
   ‘Ah, but Padre, you see for yourself! The islands and all the inhabitants are alike! They’re haunted! I thought the two were one!’
   ‘Only God can make two into one,’ said the padre. ‘To become one with another, you must love that one, and know her as your own soul. This, I’m afraid you did not do.’
   ‘Oh, but I do love her — I mean them — I mean the one I thought they were...’
   ‘Yes. You love who you thought she was — a combination of two different people. Yes — their bodies are alike. You loved their bodies only, which is the sin of fornication, but your soul didn’t cleave to their soul — which is why a man must leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife, and the two become one. Had you sought to know her soul, something would have told you that they were indeed two different people.
   ‘Indeed’, he went on, ‘I think your heart did tell you, but you ignored its cries and withdrew your soul, and so you sinned. You committed the sin of bigamy by marrying two people. Then when your heart continued to cry out, you ignored it yet again. Rather than face the facts, you accepted the story that they were ghosts, and not real people.’
   There was a pause.
   ‘Padre,’ began Ernesto. ‘I am not a perceptive person. I come to an island — two islands — thinking they are one. I see two people and think naturally they are the same. Yes, my heart told me that something was strange about it. She seemed different each time I saw her. Yet my eyes told me they were one person.
   ‘The heart can say one thing,’ he went on. ‘The heart can say many things. But the eyes! They see, and what the eyes see, the soul believes! Tell me Padre, who would have done differently? Your heart is close to God, Padre, yes. Your soul is strong, yes. But mine! What could I have done differently?’
   Father Argabuendista took a deep breath, and said, ‘My son. I’m not in any way saying that you could have done anything differently. You say I’m close to God. You say my soul is strong. But I say that I may just as well have done as you have done.’
   ‘And yet you say I’ve sinned?’ said Ernesto.
   ‘Ahh, but sin is still sin. Our human frailty causes us to sin, yes, but sin is still sin, and that is displeasing to God. That, we must confess to God, and to man.
   ‘Yes, you,’ he went on, ‘because of your human frailty, the weakness of your soul, your distance from God; you fell in to the trap of sin, and thus under the wrath of God. But let me also tell you, if it weren’t for human frailty, or weakness of the soul, Christ would have never been crucified!’
   Ernesto put his head in his hands.
   The padre went on. ‘Because Christ was crucified, sinners can be absolved of their sin. You must, of course acknowledge that you were wrong, and repent. Stop defending your actions. Just say you were wrong, without trying think of how you could have done differently. You were a sinner before you committed the act. You committed the act because you were a sinner; and because of the act, you are a sinner. Simply confess that, and confess your sin in the matter. Partake of the Body and Blood of Christ, and receive absolution.’
   Ernesto confessed his sins, and Father Argabuendista brought a wafer and a small flask of wine out of his packet, and prepared a mass.
   Afterwards, Ernesto emerged to greet his other father-in-law, a new man.

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