The Social Cancer, by José Rizal - Home
The Social Cancer, by José Rizal - Home
The Social Cancer, by José Rizal - Home
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CHAPTER XL 188<br />
CHAPTER XL<br />
Right and Might<br />
Ten o'clock at night: the last rockets rose lazily in the dark sky where a few paper balloons recently inflated<br />
with smoke and hot air still glimmered like new stars. Some of those adorned with fireworks took fire,<br />
threatening all the houses, so there might be seen on the ridges of the roofs men armed with pails of water and<br />
long poles with pieces of cloth on the ends. <strong>The</strong>ir black silhouettes stood out in the vague clearness of the air<br />
like phantoms that had descended from space to witness the rejoicings of men. Many pieces of fireworks of<br />
fantastic shapes--wheels, castles, bulls, carabaos--had been set off, surpassing in beauty and grandeur<br />
anything ever before seen <strong>by</strong> the inhabitants of San Diego.<br />
Now the people were moving in crowds toward the plaza to attend the theater for the last time, Here and there<br />
might be seen Bengal lights fantastically illuminating the merry groups while the boys were availing<br />
themselves of torches to hunt in the grass for unexploded bombs and other remnants that could still be used.<br />
But soon the music gave the signal and all abandoned the open places.<br />
<strong>The</strong> great stage was brilliantly illuminated. Thousands of lights surrounded the posts, hung from the roof, or<br />
sowed the floor with pyramidal clusters. An alguazil was looking after these, and when he came forward to<br />
attend to them the crowd shouted at him and whistled, "<strong>The</strong>re he is! there he is!"<br />
In front of the curtain the orchestra players were tuning their instruments and playing preludes of airs. Behind<br />
them was the space spoken of <strong>by</strong> the correspondent in his letter, where the leading citizens of the town, the<br />
Spaniards, and the rich visitors occupied rows of chairs. <strong>The</strong> general public, the nameless rabble, filled up the<br />
rest of the place, some of them bringing benches on their shoulders not so much for seats as to make, up for<br />
their lack of stature. This provoked noisy protests on the part of the benchless, so the offenders got down at<br />
once; but before long they were up again as if nothing had happened.<br />
Goings and comings, cries, exclamations, bursts of laughter, a serpent-cracker turned loose, a firecracker set<br />
off--all contributed to swell the uproar. Here a bench had a leg broken off and the people fell to the ground<br />
amid the laughter of the crowd. <strong>The</strong>y were visitors who had come from afar to observe and now found<br />
themselves the observed. Over there they quarreled and disputed over a seat, a little farther on was heard the<br />
noise of breaking glass; it was Andeng carrying refreshments and drinks, holding the wide tray carefully with<br />
both hands, but <strong>by</strong> chance she had met her sweetheart, who tried to take advantage of the situation.<br />
<strong>The</strong> teniente-mayor, Don Filipo, presided over the show, as the gobernadorcillo was fond of monte. He was<br />
talking with old Tasio. "What can I do? <strong>The</strong> alcalde was unwilling to accept my resignation. 'Don't you feel<br />
strong enough to attend to your duties?' he asked me."<br />
"How did you answer him?"<br />
"'Señor Alcalde,' I answered, 'the strength of a teniente-mayor, however insignificant it may be, is like all<br />
other authority it emanates from higher spheres. <strong>The</strong> King himself receives his strength from the people and<br />
the people theirs from God. That is exactly what I lack, Señor Alcalde.' But he did not care to listen to me,<br />
telling me that we would talk about it after the fiesta."<br />
"<strong>The</strong>n may God help you!" said the old man, starting away.<br />
"Don't you want to see the show?"<br />
"Thanks, no! For dreams and nonsense I am sufficient unto myself," the Sage answered with a sarcastic smile.<br />
"But now I think of it, has your attention never been drawn to the character of our people? Peaceful, yet fond