Chapters 37-38

I read 17 pages.

You can do it, said Tam Lin from the darkness on the other side of the fire.

"I know I can," said Matt, smiling back. (page 380)

Ahh! Last line of the book! I like this, because even as Matt thinks about the future of Opium, he knows Tam Lin is still right there with him.

Chapter 37 Summary: Matt is recovering in the hospital of the Convent from spending the past few months as a mistreated orphan and refugee. One day, Esperanza comes and tells Matt what she needs him to do. She explains that since El Patron's death, Opium has been on lockdown. The only way to get into Opium is with El Patron's handprint and signature, and since he is now technically El Patron, he might be able to get in. She also says he could take over Opium too, since El Patron is now dead. Since she had abandoned Maria, Matt doesn't trust Esperanza very much, but agrees to go to Opium. He flies in a hovercraft to Opium and puts his hand on the scanner. It works, and he goes into Opium. He goes into the house and hears music. Following the sound to the music room, he finds Mr. Ortega, his music teacher, playing the piano. Matt tries to get his attention, but Mr. Ortega freaks out and runs away. I would be freaked out too if I thought someone was dead, and they randomly come from nowhere and try to talk to me. Matt sits down at the piano and plays for a bit, until Celia greets him. He asks her about Tam Lin, and she begins to explain what happened when he left.

Chapter 38 Summary: Matt listens to the story from Daft Donald, Celia, and Mr. Ortega's point of view. At El Patron's funeral, a box of wine was pulled out. The wine was made the year that El Patron was born, and he wanted it to be served at his 150th birthday, or his funeral. The Alacrans, Tom, El Patron's bodyguards, and the doctors drank the wine. Daft Donald didn't drink the wine, because Tam Lin warned him. A few minutes passed, and everyone who drank the wine died. Devastated, Daft Donald blew up the entrance of the dragon hoard. After the story, Matt didn't understand why Tam Lin would drink the wine since he knew about the poison in it. Apparently, Tam Lin saw this as a great opportunity to free the eejits. He also never forgave himself for blowing up the bus full of children and believed drinking the wine would make up for it. Matt goes to the oasis, and he starts thinking about how he was going to run Opium. He also wondered if eejits could be turned back into humans. When he finally arrives at the oasis, Matt digs out the letter that Tam Lin left him. Matt made a plan to reverse the eejits and let them go back to their families. He also wants to plant real crops, and he was going to get Fidelito, Chacho, Ton-Ton, and Maria to live with him. Matt looks up to find a scorpion in the red light of the sunset. He runs to it, pressing his hand against it. The false rock moved, and Matt enters to find parts of El Patron's dragon hoard. The passage led straight to El Patron's coffin. He went back to the oasis, and thought once again about running Opium, and he knew it wouldn't be too difficult as longs as his friends were there. He hears Tam Lin say You can do it. Matt agrees, saying, "I know I can."

I really enjoyed this book, and I can't wait for the sequel to come out. I was entertained the whole time while I was reading.