The House of the Scorpion: Chapter 25 Summary & Analysis

Matt returns to the oasis and builds a fire, hoping Farm Patrol cannot see the flames. He eats dinner and studies the map Tam Lin gave him. He lays out under the stars, briefly worrying he could float off, unattached, into the sky. Matt falls asleep but wakes at dawn when he thinks he hears something vibrating. He sees nothing but the nature around him, so he prepares breakfast. He worries about Celia, alone in the stables, pretending to be an eejit. He double-checks his supplies before leaving.

Matt has no problem going down the trail until he reaches a canyon covered in bushes that he has to cut away. He struggles to breathe and has to use his inhaler. He finds a machete in his backpack and uses that to cut through the rest of the brush. He arrives at a giant cliff. Tam Lin’s map tells him he must climb it. He struggles to climb it and fears he is going to fall to his death. He sees a vulture flying overhead and is filled with a deep will to live.

Matt reaches the top and throws a rock at the vulture. He has five more miles to hike, but he feels confident he can make it. He looks out toward Aztlán but cannot see the country past the mountains. He gazes back at the poppy fields and the mansion. He cries for Celia and even for El Patrón. He knows that as long as he lives, a piece of El Patrón will remain in the world.

Matt camps on top of the cliff. He sees more animals than he has ever seen in his life, including deer, frogs, squirrels, and hawks. He listens to the sounds of nature, which give him the same joy as music. He feels as if he lives in a world only made up of beauty, instead of the evil he has previously known. He looks out at the lights of the country of Opium, which seems less real than the natural environment around him.

Matt wakes up feeling courageous. He continues down the trail. Suddenly, he hears a popping noise, over and over again. He realizes the noise is two rams butting heads. Then, he hears a mechanical sound along with horns and music. He gazes out and sees a large group of factories and skyscrapers, more technology than he has ever seen. He realizes this is Aztlán. He is nervous but presses on.

Matt goes down the hill, getting poked by a cactus along the way. Through binoculars, he spots Farm Patrol agents nearby. Matt hides behind a rock until he feels safe enough to continue walking. The agents keep patrolling the boarder. Suddenly, a group of men run across the border and the agents pursue them. Matt sees his chance and runs for the border. He hears the sound of stun guns going off behind him. A Farm Patrol agent grabs Matt by the backpack but he slips away, just barely making it across the border in Aztlán, now with no possessions.