Original Text(~250 words)
CHAPTER XXXII The Derrick The yellowish individual had kept his word, for it was no simple derrick that he had erected above the open trench to let the heavy block of granite down into its place. It was not the simple tripod that Ñor Juan had wanted for suspending a pulley from its top, but was much more, being at once a machine and an ornament, a grand and imposing ornament. Over eight meters in height rose the confused and complicated scaffolding. Four thick posts sunk in the ground served as a frame, fastened to each other by huge timbers crossing diagonally and joined by large nails driven in only half-way, perhaps for the reason that the apparatus was simply for temporary use and thus might easily be taken down again. Huge cables stretched from all sides gave an appearance of solidity and grandeur to the whole. At the top it was crowned with many-colored banners, streaming pennants, and enormous garlands of flowers and leaves artistically interwoven. There at the top in the shadow made by the posts, the garlands, and the banners, hung fastened with cords and iron hooks an unusually large three-wheeled pulley over the polished sides of which passed in a crotch three cables even larger than the others. These held suspended the smooth, massive stone hollowed out in the center to form with a similar hole in the lower stone, already in place, the little space intended to contain the records of contemporaneous history, such as...
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Summary
The foundation stone ceremony for Ibarra's school becomes a deadly trap. A mysterious yellow-skinned man has built an elaborate pulley system to lower the massive cornerstone, but something feels wrong from the start. Elias, disguised among the crowd, watches nervously as local officials make pompous speeches about Spanish civilization and Catholic virtue. When it's Ibarra's turn to add mortar to the foundation, he descends alone into the trench. Suddenly, the entire apparatus collapses in a thunderous crash. Miraculously, Ibarra survives unharmed, but the yellow man operating the windlass is crushed to death, his neck bearing strange marks suggesting he was strangled before the collapse. The crowd immediately declares it a miracle, with some claiming they saw Saint Diego himself protecting Ibarra. The Spanish officials quickly shift into damage control mode, ordering arrests and investigations while insisting the festival continue since 'the dead man is only an Indian.' Ibarra, shaken but alive, requests mercy for the accused foreman. The chapter reveals how colonial power operates through spectacle and how quickly tragedy gets reframed to serve existing narratives. The mysterious circumstances of the yellow man's death and Elias's knowing presence suggest this was no accident but a carefully planned assassination attempt that somehow went wrong.
That's what happens. To understand what the author is really doing—and to discuss this chapter with confidence—keep reading.
Terms to Know
Colonial spectacle
Public ceremonies designed to display power and control while creating the illusion of benevolence. These events serve the ruling class by making oppression look like celebration.
Modern Usage:
Corporate town halls where management announces layoffs but frames them as 'exciting restructuring opportunities.'
Sabotage
Deliberately damaging equipment or operations to cause harm or send a message. Often used by the powerless against those in authority when direct confrontation isn't possible.
Modern Usage:
Workers who slow down production or 'accidentally' break equipment when management treats them poorly.
Scapegoating
Blaming someone else, usually someone powerless, when things go wrong. Authorities deflect responsibility by finding a convenient target to punish.
Modern Usage:
When a data breach happens and they fire the IT guy instead of addressing the real security problems.
Miracle narrative
Reframing dangerous or suspicious events as divine intervention to avoid uncomfortable questions. People prefer supernatural explanations over investigating corruption.
Modern Usage:
Calling a workplace accident a 'blessing' that no one died instead of examining safety violations.
Damage control
Quick actions taken by authorities after a crisis to minimize blame and maintain their reputation. The focus shifts from justice to public relations.
Modern Usage:
Hospital administrators rushing to control the story after a medical error instead of addressing systemic problems.
Class-based justice
Legal systems where punishment depends on social status rather than actual guilt. The poor face harsh consequences while the wealthy receive protection.
Modern Usage:
Wealthy defendants getting plea deals while working-class people serve prison time for similar crimes.
Characters in This Chapter
The yellow man
Saboteur/victim
Built the elaborate pulley system that collapses, killing him in the process. His death bears signs of strangulation, suggesting he was murdered before the 'accident' to silence him.
Modern Equivalent:
The whistleblower who dies in a suspicious 'accident' before testifying
Ibarra
Target/survivor
The intended victim of what appears to be an assassination attempt disguised as an accident. His survival is immediately reframed as a miracle rather than investigated as attempted murder.
Modern Equivalent:
The reform-minded executive who survives a suspicious workplace 'accident'
Elias
Secret protector
Watches nervously from the crowd, suggesting he knows something dangerous is about to happen. His presence implies he may have intervened to save Ibarra.
Modern Equivalent:
The security guard who knows about the threat but can't act openly
Spanish officials
Damage controllers
Immediately shift focus from investigating the suspicious death to maintaining order and continuing the festival. They prioritize their image over justice.
Modern Equivalent:
Corporate executives spinning a workplace disaster as an isolated incident
The crowd
Willing believers
Eagerly accepts the miracle explanation rather than asking uncomfortable questions about who might want Ibarra dead and why.
Modern Equivalent:
Social media users sharing feel-good stories instead of investigating systemic problems
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to recognize when disasters are deliberately orchestrated to serve hidden agendas rather than genuine accidents.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when workplace 'emergencies' come with pre-packaged solutions and convenient scapegoats—ask who benefits from the crisis existing.
You have the foundation. Now let's look closer.
Key Quotes & Analysis
"The dead man is only an Indian"
Context: Said when ordering the festival to continue despite the suspicious death
Reveals how colonial racism devalues certain lives. The official dismisses a human death based solely on race and class, showing how power structures determine whose life matters.
In Today's Words:
He was just a temp worker, let's get back to business
"It was a miracle! Saint Diego himself protected him!"
Context: Shouted when Ibarra emerges unharmed from the collapsed structure
Shows how people prefer supernatural explanations over investigating corruption. The miracle narrative protects the real conspirators by discouraging questions about who orchestrated the 'accident.'
In Today's Words:
God was watching out for him! Everything happens for a reason!
"Perhaps for the reason that the apparatus was simply for temporary use and thus might easily be taken down again"
Context: Describing why the nails in the scaffold weren't driven in completely
The narrator hints that the structure was deliberately weakened. This seemingly innocent detail about construction shortcuts reveals the sabotage was planned from the beginning.
In Today's Words:
They said it was just a shortcut, but maybe they wanted it to fall apart
Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Road of Manufactured Crisis - When Power Creates Problems to Solve
Those in power create problems they can then solve, using the chaos to advance their agenda while controlling the narrative.
Thematic Threads
Power
In This Chapter
Spanish officials immediately control the narrative after the 'accident,' deciding what it means and how to respond
Development
Evolved from earlier subtle displays to overt crisis management and narrative control
In Your Life:
You see this when bosses create problems they later solve, or politicians manufacture crises they're uniquely positioned to fix
Deception
In This Chapter
The elaborate assassination plot disguised as a construction accident, complete with a disposable fall guy
Development
Escalated from social masks and pretense to deadly conspiracy and murder
In Your Life:
You encounter this in elaborate schemes where someone's death or failure is made to look accidental or inevitable
Class
In This Chapter
The dead yellow man dismissed as 'only an Indian' while Ibarra's survival is declared miraculous
Development
Consistent theme showing whose lives matter and whose deaths are acceptable collateral damage
In Your Life:
You see this in how workplace accidents affecting different levels of employees get different responses and investigations
Identity
In This Chapter
Ibarra's survival immediately reframed as proof of divine favor and Spanish colonial righteousness
Development
Continued exploration of how identity gets weaponized and manipulated by those in power
In Your Life:
You experience this when your success or failure gets reinterpreted to fit someone else's narrative about who you are
Spectacle
In This Chapter
The foundation ceremony designed as public theater where assassination would look like divine judgment
Development
Introduced here as a new dimension of how power operates through carefully staged public events
In Your Life:
You see this in how major announcements, firings, or policy changes are staged as public events to control perception
Modern Adaptation
When the Promotion Goes Sideways
Following Crisostomo's story...
Crisostomo's big moment finally arrives—the grand opening of the community center he's been developing in his old neighborhood. The mayor's coming, local news will be there, and he's convinced this will prove that tech solutions can solve real problems. But his project manager, a sketchy guy named Yellow who came highly recommended, has been acting strange all week. During the ribbon-cutting ceremony, when Crisostomo steps up to demonstrate the new digital job-training kiosks, the entire system crashes spectacularly. Worse, the backup servers catch fire, destroying months of community data. Yellow is found dead in the server room—apparent heart attack, but the security footage is mysteriously corrupted. The mayor quickly pivots, declaring the center will be 'rebuilt better' under city management. The community members who trusted Crisostomo with their personal information for job applications now face identity theft risks. Local news frames it as 'tech bro learns hard lesson,' while Crisostomo realizes someone wanted him to fail publicly and permanently.
The Road
The road Ibarra walked in 1887, Crisostomo walks today. The pattern is identical: idealistic reformer becomes target of elaborate sabotage designed to destroy both their project and their credibility.
The Map
This chapter maps the anatomy of manufactured failure—how enemies create spectacular public disasters to destroy reformers while positioning themselves as the solution. Crisostomo learns to spot the warning signs: convenient experts, perfect timing, and ready-made narratives.
Amplification
Before reading this, Crisostomo might have blamed himself for poor planning and trusted the 'investigation' process. Now he can NAME sabotage patterns, PREDICT who benefits from his failure, and NAVIGATE by documenting everything before the spin machine starts.
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
What made the foundation ceremony dangerous, and who was positioned to benefit if Ibarra had died?
analysis • surface - 2
Why do the Spanish officials immediately shift to damage control and insist the festival continue, calling the dead man 'only an Indian'?
analysis • medium - 3
Where have you seen someone create a crisis at work or in your community, then position themselves as the solution?
application • medium - 4
When facing a situation that seems designed to make you fail, what warning signs would you look for and how would you protect yourself?
application • deep - 5
What does this chapter reveal about how power structures use spectacle and tragedy to maintain control?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Decode the Crisis Pattern
Think of a recent workplace drama, family conflict, or community issue that seemed to come out of nowhere. Map out who created the problem, who got blamed, who offered solutions, and who ultimately benefited. Look for the pattern: manufactured crisis, convenient scapegoat, ready-made solution.
Consider:
- •Notice who was prepared with explanations before anyone asked questions
- •Pay attention to who shifts focus away from root causes toward individual blame
- •Watch for people who create urgency while positioning themselves as indispensable
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you realized someone was setting you up to fail. What warning signs did you miss initially, and how would you handle it differently now?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 33: When Justice Becomes Personal
What lies ahead teaches us to recognize when someone's true background doesn't match their appearance, and shows us having enemies often means you're doing something that matters. These patterns appear in literature and life alike.