Chapters 23-25

I read 27 pages.

 "Where are you taking it?" a man called.
       
"Thought I'd dump in next to the eejit pens," Tam Lin replied. The man's laughter was lost in the drum of horse's hooves striking the earth. (page 240)

For a minute there, I actually thought Tam Lin was actually going to drop him in the eejit pens! But then I thought, Tam Lin wouldn't really do that to Matt. On the next page, we actually find out that Tam Lin was just acting so the other man wouldn't be suspicious.

Chapter 23 Summary: Matt is terrified and knows he's about to die. Bodyguards come in and take him to El Patron's bedside, where Celia waits with more guards. While talking to Matt, El Patron explains how he's a good person for not destroying Matt's brain when he was first created. Of course we all think he's a great person for doing what he has done! Sarcasm is 100% intended. El Patron begins to tell Matt the story of Cinco de Mayo from his childhood, again. Since none of his siblings made it to adulthood, El Patron insists he is owed the lives of all of them. He feels as if he should be given multiple "lifetimes," each one in exchange for a dead siblings. This explanation starts an argument between Celia and El Patron. Celia says El Viejo was the only good man in the family, because he accepted death gracefully and with dignity. El Patron claims Matt owes him for the wonderful life he gave Matt. Celia quickly retorts saying that Matt owes him nothing at all. She then says that El Patron can't use him for transplants anyways. The doctor looks up from the monitor he was watching when he heard this, and the guards stirred around. Then she lets out the shocking secret: she has been poisoning Matt since El Patron's first heart attack. Of course not enough to kill Matt, but enough to make is heart unsuitable for a transplant. That explains the stomach bug he had. Celia made a very clever move, if you ask me. El Patron is absolutely flabbergasted, and his heart begins to fail from the shock. He is moved to the operating room, while Matt is left alone in the room. Mr. Alacran and Tam Lin come back in and inform Matt that El Patron has died. Then Mr. Alacran says they no longer have a use for Matt and tells Tam Lin to kill him. Tam Lin agrees and hauls Matt of to kill him. I honestly thought Tam Lin had turned against Matt for a moment. Matt asks about Celia, and Tam Lin says she's been turned into an eejit. Tam Lin requests Daft Donald's help with killing Matt, and Mr. Alacran gives him approval to go ahead. So intense!

Chapter 24 Summary: Tam Lin and Daft Donald tie Matt up with duct tape and throw him on a horse. Tam Lin says that he is going to dump Matt into the eejit pens. Matt thinks that Tam Lin has turned on him and is actually going to throw him in the eejit pens. Once they get far enough away, Tam Lin frees Matt from the duct tape and tells him the plan. We can all let out the breath of relief we were holding now! They go to the oasis, and Tam Lin explains that he put Celia in the stables with a mark on her head to act like an eejit. Matt wants Tam Lin to go to Aztlan with him, but Tam Lin says that he has to stay in Opium and accept the consequences for the bad things he's done. Tam Lin tells Matt to find the Convent of Santa Clara, which is where Maria goes to school. He is also supposed to try to find Esperanza, Maria's mother. Since he has to be back for the wake, Tam Lin starts to leave, but not before promising he will take care of Celia. I think things are about to get even more interesting!

Chapter 25 Summary: Matt spends an uneasy night outside, and he sets of on his journey to Aztlan. As Matt heads into the mountains, he finds that Tam Lin has even thought to leave him encouraging notes on his map. How thoughtful! The farther away from Opium Matt goes, the more El Patron's death seems to hit him. After some hardcore rock climbing, Matt moves closer to the border. Matt follows the trail for a while, and he finally sees Aztlan. He automatically notices how loud it is. When he gets to the border, Matt immediately recognizes Farm Patrol on guard. He decides to hide and wait for a little while. The Farm Patrol catches a runaway, and Matt decides to run for it while they are busy with the runaway. One of the men on a horse grabs Matt's backpack, but he slides out of it and ends up falling into an oil pit. Realizing he has lost everything that Tam Lin has given him, Matt knows he will have no trouble convincing people he is a refugee. But on the bright side, welcome to Aztlan everyone!